After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Beginnings" was re-released in June 1971, backed with "
Colour My World". Both sides became U.S. radio hits, and the combined single climbed to number seven on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[3] "Beginnings" reached number one on the U.S.
Easy Listening chart.[4][5] Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, Dave Swanson rates "Beginnings" as number two in his list of top ten Chicago songs.[2] It has been covered by many bands.
Composition
Robert Lamm said "Beginnings" was inspired by a performance by
Richie Havens that he attended at the
Ash Grove music club in
Los Angeles when the group moved to that area.[6] In a 2013 interview he said he composed it on a
twelve-string guitar that was missing the two low E
strings.[7]
^Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023).
"The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024. Soul-pop, horns, blissed-out lovey-doveyness that anticipates even clearer skies ahead: Hey, that sounds like Chicago's "Beginnings"...
^
abSwanson, Dave (December 17, 2015).
"Top 10 Chicago Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
^Ruhlmann, William James (1991).
Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. p. 2. Archived from
the original(CD booklet archived online) on November 12, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
^Lamm, Robert; Loughnane, Lee; Scheff, Jason; Pardini, Lou (Oct 24, 2013).
"Exclusive Interview with Chicago!". 947WLS.com (radio and video). Interviewed by Danny Lake. Chicago, Illinois: 94.7 WLS-FM. At time 11:12-12:20. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
^"RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Canada. September 4, 1971. Retrieved February 20, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^"RPM MOR Playlist". RPM. Canada. July 24, 1971. Retrieved February 20, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^"Cash Box Top 100 Chart Hits of 1971"(PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXIII, no. 27. December 25, 1971. p. 31. Retrieved February 20, 2019 – via AmericanRadioHistory.com.