| "Look Away" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byChicago | ||||
| from the albumChicago 19 | ||||
| B-side | "Come In from the Night" | |||
| Released | September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09) | |||
| Genre | Rock[1] | |||
| Length | 4:02 | |||
| Label | Reprise,Full Moon | |||
| Songwriter | Diane Warren | |||
| Producer | Ron Nevison | |||
| Chicago singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Look Away" is a song by Americanrock bandChicago. Written byDiane Warren and produced byRon Nevison, theballad is the second single from the band's 1988 albumChicago 19. "Look Away" topped the USBillboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1988, becoming the group's third and final No. 1 hit and ending 1989 at No. 1 on the Hot 100 year-end chart. Worldwide, it peaked at No. 1 in Canada and entered the top 20 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
According to drummerDanny Seraphine, Chicago's manager Howard Kaufman suggested that the band bring in outside songwriting help. Kaufman recommendedDiane Warren, who also composed the band's single "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," and producerRon Nevison, who had worked withHeart on the No. 1 hits "These Dreams" and "Alone."[2]
Warren wrote "Look Away" from the man's perspective and submitted ademo to Chicago's management company. "Diane's demos always sound really good," Nevison said. "Her demos are always very simple, but they always have great vocal performances."[3] BassistJason Scheff remarked, "The songs that last for me are the ones I don't get at first," and added, "I remember hearing 'Look Away' and thinking it's okay, but not great. Thank God I'm not anA&R man."[3]
Before being submitted to Chicago, the song was one of two ballads offered byEpic Records toCheap Trick, who chose "The Flame" instead.[4] The track was also offered toEurope, but was turned down due to frontmanJoey Tempest's refusal to record material written by outside writers.[5]
The song featuredBill Champlin on lead vocals and furthered Chicago's shift towards de-emphasizing the band'sbrass section compared to their earlier years.[6] Scheff noted that withPeter Cetera having left the group and "making his own records, it was good for us to release some songs with a different sound (like) Bill's voice. Then we wouldn't be saturating radio with Chicago-sounding songs."[3]
"Look Away" entered the USBillboard Hot 100 singles chart in September 1988 and reached No. 1, where it spent two weeks in December.[3][6] Champlin said he was unaware of the feat at the time. "Everybody said, 'I hear your song every day,'" he recalled. "I go, 'What song?' I was kind of oblivious to the whole thing, busy working on new stuff. That's what happens. As everybody else gets aware of what you're doing, you're usually about five or six tunes past it."[7] The single wascertified gold in January 1989 and was 1989's most successful song on the Hot 100.[8][9] It also reached No. 1 on theAdult Contemporary chart.[10] Outside the US, "Look Away" peaked at No. 1 in Canada, No. 9 in the Netherlands, No. 15 in Sweden, and No. 20 in Belgium.[11][12][13]
In 2018, a British man claimed he is the author of the song and launched legal proceedings.[1]
7-inch vinyl and cassette
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Look Away" | Diane Warren | 3:59 |
| 2. | "Come In from the Night" | Bill Champlin,Bruce Gaitsch | 4:39 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[8] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 9, 1988 |
| [8] | |
| Japan | October 10, 1988 | Mini-CD | [24] | |
| United Kingdom | December 12, 1988 |
| [25] |
