You're the Inspiration

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Template other "You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, it reached Template:Thinspace on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1985 and also climbed to the top position on the Adult Contemporary chart at the same time. The song won honors for Foster and Cetera from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1986 in the most-performed songs category.

Peter Cetera re-recorded the song for his 1997 solo album You're the Inspiration: A Collection. That same year he also recorded a single version with the vocal R&B group Az Yet.

History

Peter Cetera stated in a 2004 interview that "You're the Inspiration" started out as a song for Kenny Rogers: Template:Quote Cetera then changed some of the words and recorded the song with Chicago for their Chicago 17 album.

Reception

Billboard said that it was "somewhere between a hymn and an anthem."

Music video

The video depicted the band performing intercut with scenes of embracing couples of varying ages ranging from young kids to a couple resembling Billy Idol and Madonna at the time. Lead singer Peter Cetera is seen wearing a T-shirt from the British goth band Bauhaus. During his performance, Cetera is sitting the whole time strumming his bass which is flipped upside down. It also uses an alternate version of the song without the guitar sting between the second and third choruses.

Personnel

• Peter Cetera – lead and backing vocals, arrangements
• Bill Champlin – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
• Robert Lamm – keyboards, backing vocals
• Lee Loughnane – trumpet
• James Pankow – trombone
• Walter Parazaider – woodwinds
• Chris Pinnick – guitars
• Danny Seraphine – drums

Additional personnel

• David Foster – keyboards, synthesizer programming, Moog synth bass, arrangements
• John Van Tongeren – synthesizer programming
• Erich Bulling – synthesizer programming
• Marcus Ryle – synthesizer programming
• Michael Landau – guitars
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars
• Mark Goldenberg – guitars
• Carlos Vega – drums (uncredited)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Gary Grant – trumpet
• Greg Adams – trumpet
• Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements
• Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
• Jules Chakin – contractor
• Kenny Cetera – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

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Chart (1984–1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	43
US Billboard Hot 100	3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

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Chart (1985)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100	37

Peter Cetera feat. Az Yet version

In 1997, Peter Cetera re-recorded "You're the Inspiration" for his 1997 solo album You're the Inspiration: A Collection. Due to Cetera featuring on R&B vocal group Az Yet's cover of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" earlier in the year, they collaborated on a remix of Cetera's solo recording of "You're the Inspiration", which was released as a single. This version reached No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 29 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Like Az Yet's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", Cetera and Az Yet's version of "You're the Inspiration" was also produced by Babyface.

Music video

The music video for Peter Cetera and Az Yet's "You're the Inspiration" was directed by Steven R. Monroe and was filmed at Westward Beach (Malibu, California).

Track listings

1. "You're the Inspiration" – 4:07
2. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" – 3:13

Charts

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Chart (1997)	Peak position

See also

• List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1985

External links

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