Baby, What a Big Surprise

"Baby, What a Big Surprise" is a power ballad written by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago XI (1977), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from that album, it reached #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[1]

Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys provided additional backing vocals on the recording while saxophonist Walt Parazaider plays flute on the distinctive flute introduction and trumpeter Lee Loughnane plays a piccolo trumpet.

Although Chicago XI yielded two more minor singles, "Baby, What a Big Surprise" was Chicago's last Top Ten single before the accidental death of guitarist Terry Kath, and was also their last Top Ten single produced by James William Guercio.

Personnel

Peter Cetera - lead vocals, orchestration, backing vocals
Robert Lamm - piano
Terry Kath - electric guitars
Danny Seraphine - drums
Walt Parazaider - flute
Lee Loughnane - piccolo trumpet, backing vocals
Carl Wilson - backing vocals
Tim Cetera - backing vocals
Jimmy Guercio - orchestration, acoustic guitar, bass
Dominic Frontiere - orchestration

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1977-78)	Peak position
Australia	14
Austria	9
Canada	3
Netherlands	4
New Zealand ^[2]	19
Sweden	12
Switzerland	19
UK ^[3]	41
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	4
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	8
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Rank
Australia	119
Canada ^[4]	58
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual) ^[5]	50

Cover versions

Cetera re-recorded the song as a solo artist for his 1997 album You're the Inspiration: A Collection.

References

↑ "Chicago Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-01-29. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
↑ "CHICAGO | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

Chicago

Robert Lamm Lee Loughnane James Pankow Walter Parazaider Tris Imboden Keith Howland Lou Pardini Walfredo Reyes, Jr. Jeff Coffey Danny Seraphine Peter Cetera Terry Kath Laudir de Oliveira Donnie Dacus Chris Pinnick Bill Champlin Jason Scheff Dawayne Bailey Drew Hester Daniel de los Reyes Touring musicians

Studio albums	The Chicago Transit Authority Chicago Chicago III Chicago V Chicago VI Chicago VII Chicago VIII Chicago X Chicago XI Hot Streets Chicago 13 Chicago XIV Chicago 16 Chicago 17 Chicago 18 Chicago 19 Twenty 1 Night & Day: Big Band Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album Chicago XXX Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three Chicago XXXV: The Nashville Sessions Chicago XXXVI: Now

Live albums	Chicago at Carnegie Hall Live in Japan Chicago Transit Authority Live In Toronto Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75 Chicago at Symphony Hall

Compilations	Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits Greatest Hits, Volume II If You Leave Me Now Take Me Back to Chicago Greatest Hits 1982–1989 Group Portrait The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997 The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II The Very Best Of Chicago: Only the Beginning The Box Love Songs The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition

Related articles	Discography Peter Cetera Tom Dowd Tim Feehan David Foster James William Guercio Electra Glide in Blue Phil Ramone

Chicago singles discography

singles 1960s and 1970s	1969 "Questions 67 and 68" "Beginnings" 1970 "Make Me Smile" "25 or 6 to 4" "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" 1971 "Free" "Lowdown" 1972 "Saturday in the Park" "Dialogue (Part I & II)" 1973 "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" "Just You 'N' Me" 1974 "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" "Call on Me" "Wishing You Were Here" 1975 "Harry Truman" "Old Days" "Brand New Love Affair" 1976 "Another Rainy Day in New York City" "If You Leave Me Now" 1977 "You Are on My Mind" "Baby, What a Big Surprise" 1978 "Little One" "Take Me Back to Chicago" "Alive Again" "No Tell Lover" 1979 "Gone Long Gone" "Must Have Been Crazy" "Street Player"

singles 1980s	1980 "Thunder and Lightning" "Song for You" 1982 "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" "Love Me Tomorrow" 1983 "What You're Missing" 1984 "Stay the Night" "Hard Habit to Break" "You're the Inspiration" 1985 "Along Comes a Woman" 1986 "25 or 6 to 4" (remix) "Will You Still Love Me?" 1987 "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." "Niagara Falls" 1988 "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" "Look Away" 1989 "You're Not Alone" "We Can Last Forever" "What Kind of Man Would I Be?"

singles 1990s and 2000s	1990 "Hearts in Trouble" 1991 "Chasin' the Wind" "Explain It to My Heart" "You Come to My Senses" 2008 "Let's Take a Lifetime"

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