Just You 'n' Me

"Just You 'n' Me" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their fifth studio album Chicago VI (1973). The lead vocals are sung by bassist Peter Cetera.

"Just You 'N' Me"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago VI
B-side	"Critic's Choice"
Released	September 1973
Genre	Rock, blue-eyed soul
Length	3:42
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	James Pankow
Producer(s)	James William Guercio
Chicago singles chronology
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (1973) "Just You 'N' Me" (1973) "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (1974)

Background

The second single released from that album, it was more successful than the first single, "Feelin' Stronger Every Day", reaching No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[1][2] and No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100.^{[3] [4]} Walter Parazaider plays a soprano saxophone solo during the instrumental section while guitarist Terry Kath uses a wah-wah pedal and phase shifter on his guitar.^{[citation needed]} "Just You 'n' Me" was written after a fight between Pankow and his future wife Karen:

"We had had a huge fight, it was a nasty lovers' quarrel, if you will. She locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn't come out...'Just You 'n' Me' poured out of me in its entirety. Usually when I write songs I come up with an idea for a chorus or a hook and fill in the blanks in stages. This was a moment of clarity I've never experienced before or after. It remains a special event in my songwriting experience".^[5]

Billboard called it one of Chicago's "best singles ever," with a "heartfelt and mature" love lyric.^[6] Record World called it a "James Pankow tune that's done in typical Chicago fashion."^[7] In 2019, Bobby Olivier, writing for Billboard, judged the song to be the group's "greatest love song, hard stop."^[2]

"Just You 'n' Me" was the final song played by Chicago AM radio station WLS before switching to a talk radio format in 1989.^[8]

Personnel

• Peter Cetera — bass, lead vocals
• Robert Lamm — keyboards, backing vocals
• Terry Kath — guitar, backing vocals
• Danny Seraphine — drums
• James Pankow — trombone
• Lee Loughnane — trumpet
• Walter Parazaider — soprano saxophone

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1973–74) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 23 Canada RPM Top Singles 3 US Billboard Hot 100 4 US Billboard Easy Listening[9] 7 US Cash Box Top 100[10] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1973) Rank Canada[11] 49 US Cash Box[12] 62

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of December 22, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
2. Olivier, Bobby (April 25, 2019). "The 50 Best Chicago Songs: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
3. "Top 100 1973-12-15". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved 2016-03-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
4. "Cash Box Top 100/Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. December 15, 1973. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via World Radio HIstory.
5. Applefeld Olson, Cathy (June 7, 2017). "Chicago's Jimmy Pankow on Band's 50th Anniversary & What's Next for Them". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2019.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
6. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. September 22, 1973. p. 54. Retrieved 2020-07-25 – via World Radio History.
7. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 15, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-22 – via World Radio History.
8. "The History of WLS Radio: WLS AM 89 & FM 94.7 - The Rock of Chicago". www.wlshistory.com. Scott Childers and Munchkin Studios. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
9. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 49.
10. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 15, 1973
11. Canada, Library and Archives (July 8, 2017). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
12. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1973". Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
13. "American single certifications – Chicago – Just You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.