I think Leonid and Friends is more than just a cover band. They bring new life into all of these classic songs.

@lionheartroar3104

2 ай бұрын

They are sounding better than the latest version of the "real" Chicago....sad but true.

@AmirFazadh

2 ай бұрын

@@lionheartroar3104 I gotta agree. I've seen a couple iterations of Chicago, and a couple iterations of L&F, and I actually know and have played gigs with Chicago's drummer, Tris, and the energy of L&F is logarithmically higher than Chicago's. They have a lot of joy that the original band just doesn't have anymore. To be fair, I'd probably not have as much pizzazz in my playing after 50+ years of playing the same songs...

@Hahirs

2 ай бұрын

They don't just cover the songs, they make them better than the originals!

Serge is so good. I hate that he and Sergey( guitar master) are gone

@valerielynn7256

2 ай бұрын

Yeah me too that was 1 of his last songs with the group and he was so good I hope 1 day he joins again

@erb34

2 ай бұрын

Hoping for peace

Chicago 17 really deemphasized the horn parts (except in Along Comes a Woman.) Leonid has decided to use them like Old School Chicago rather than 80s Chicago. And I LOVE it!

Leonid and Friends is by far the BEST cover band ever. I love watching/listening to them.

You’re right Jeff. The horns were more prominent in this version. The guitar at the end was also a flourish. They actually in my opinion turned this into more of a power ballad.

This Russian lead singer in this is STRONGER HIGH TENOR than Cetera .... whose voice is great - knowing when to use a strain or falsetto, pull back and his savvy as a singer makes it all it is............ whereas this singer herein has such power in the upper register he pushes (DELIVERS FULL OR NEAR FULL CHEST PRESSURE ) in high notes very few can handle. Great stuff. jj

Jeff, L&F added their own spin on it, AND I LOVED IT!! The horns and guitar were pure Leonid & Friends!! The ENERGY was NEXT LEVEL!!

What A Group.

The horn parts were added by L&F. This song, well this whole period for Chicago saw a great deal of turmoil in the band. There was Peter Cetera, Bill Champlin and David Foster who were pushing the band for pop hits, which was supported by the label, wishing to sell records and then there was the rest of the band who wished to continue to write and record songs as they previously had. One of the BIGGEST bones of contention was that Cetera/Foster were all about leaving as much of the horn section out of songs as they were felt horns were not current in pop music circa early 1980's. So, it's really amazing that Leonid was able to create horn parts out of whole cloth that perfectly match that which Jimmy Pankow might have come up with himself.

@JayScott-ze8mc

2 ай бұрын

Yes. I have always said David Foster was the worst thing to ever happen to Chicago.

@rickstadel5285

2 ай бұрын

Yup -- me too. And there's other work of Foster's that I'm OK with. But goodness sakes, that change of emphasis for a group as talented and unique as Chicago -- especially at that point in their career / and that point in music history -- was just a colossal waste of their remarkable gifts. David Foster was just wrong.

@Hettepop

28 күн бұрын

the extra horns make the song more “Chicago-y”😊

I'm really at a loss for words that accurately describe how damn good this group is. Wow

Ksenia is my new favorite female singer. I probably would have never heard of her if it were not for your channel. I already knew about Foxes and Fossils and love them as well. I don't check out any cover bands because they usually fall short. Leonid and friends are not your average KZread cover band. They are professional to the highest level. Thank you!

Respect Jeff!! We all appreciate your comments and reaction.

As the original band is aging or losing members, I am very grateful for the existence of such a tribute band that can convey the beauty of the original songs. Please keep up the good work and keep posting without losing out to the tactless crowd.

They do Chicago better than Chicago. Pure joy!

If L&F ever come anywhere near where you are, make a point to be a part of the audience. They will blow you away and you’ll leave the show with a smile on your face. It is a special treat.

@macedindu829

2 ай бұрын

Can confirm.

@rickstadel5285

2 ай бұрын

Also confirm.

This is the best cover band ever. They bring back the memories too, of what I was doing when I first listened to Chicago, Earth, Wind and fire and so on. Thank you Jeff for your commentary. I hope to see them in person some day when they are out on the East coast.

Whenever Leonid adds a brass arrangement where there wasn't one originally, he's always able to do it in the sound and style of the original artists. Not an easy thing to do. Brilliant!

You know this was not one of my favourites as originally recorded, but there is, as you said, a fidelity that surpasses Chicago. Damm. They are just superb.... and Jeff. Run the channel the way you see fit. Its obviously growing. All of us music fans love what you do.

Some times I think do we deserve to listen to these absolute brilliant dedication musicians they are as good as it gets and if it better they will stil be as good as it gets

the Ukrainian Serge amazinggggg voice !!!!!

@TheDivayenta

Ай бұрын

I miss him and I hope he’s ok as he had to return to Ukraine when that war started. 😢

Jeff, Just Phenomenal!!! Normally a Singer or Musician is considered a Clone of someone. But the Entire Group is a Clone of Chicago. You must see them live! All the Best Jeff!

@rickstadel5285

2 ай бұрын

And the hard thing to accept is, they're JUST AS GOOD LIVE ! !

Fantastic! Your reaction says it all.

Serge (lead singer on this video) is actually recording in Ukraine. The guy that mixes the sound does a great job. There are multiple videos that Serge isn't with the rest of the band. Thank you for reviewing so many L and F songs! They are fantastic in concert too!!

@petey0404

2 ай бұрын

So good to see him again!!

@TheDivayenta

Ай бұрын

Leonid does the mixing.

I believe they added the horn parts in the early section of the song, but what I thought was amazing is that they match the type of horn arrangements that Chicago would use with James Pankow. It fit the song perfectly! As far as the guitar solo near the end of the song, Chicago has implemented that in their live performances for quite some time now, but not so much in the studio version. Another home run by Leonid, especially with the strings!

Yea horn parts were there but never heard them. There was newer horn parts and the lead guitar was also added. AWESOME

Only got to see them live once, just before Covid - what an outstanding show!

They are absolutely unbelievable!!! Wow they take me back, incredible

They are a feel-good, sound-great, look-amazing group. more, MORE, M O R E !!

Knocking it out of the park again. Smile time!!!!

It blows my mind that Leonid & Friends nail all the songs they play, covers or their own. So much talent as a group! Keep up the good work, Jeff. A whole bunch of us enjoy your analysis and reactions!!

Jeff: Great song, great reaction. You too are the inspiration.

Wow, just amazing. They nail Chicago! Just incredible performance. In some ways unlike this version better than Chicagos!!! And that is saying something!!!!

I’m not crying! 😭 This is so beautiful! Perfection! 🩷🩷🩷

I understand this will be a slap in the face for true Chicago fans, but to my ear, this band's reproduction is as good as if not better than the original group. I believe that Leonid adds a few personal touches to some of Chicago's songs. This guy is crazy good.Amazing!!! 🙂

Danil and Ksenia are taking the high end for sure. Horns are pretty spot on with a few added fills.

So. Dang. Good.

Hi you were hooked after 10 seconds just like i was,werent you

Fast ball right over the plate and driven over the center field fence 😮. This band blows me away every time. All smiles and great musicians. Smiles here too. Thanks again Jeff

It just doesn’t get any better then these Fabulous Musicians!!! Ty Jeff…

Could Serge be Peter Cetera’s love child??? What an incredible voice!

The horn parts they’re doing are charted by James Pankow the trombone player and are played when they do the song live. However the original recording produced David Foster did not have the horns much to the chagrin of many in the band. They started adding this horn arrangement around the 2007 period I believe. What makes Leonids version so great here is it captures the production process used by Foster at the time with stacking of vocals, gated verb, etc with incorporating what the band is doing now with it. The back stories on 16&17 are pretty interesting. I’ve lucky enough to interview Champlin, Imboden, and some others on my show and the behind scenes of this era and later are pretty interesting. Being a Chicago fan is like really getting 3-4 different bands under one label, which makes them so unique in many ways. Great video!

Watched Lenoid, Igor, Roman podcast of them in a Ford 150 transport their equipment thru Alabama just talking music at times in Rissian

@TheoSmith249

2 ай бұрын

That was pretty neat

@dotlund1096

2 ай бұрын

I love watching them journey. Man, they do a LOT of driving. 😊

They definitely brought out the A Team on vocals with this cover. I'm a horn player and big Chicago fan and also noticed the differences the brass players did in this version.

Danil Buranov is the back up singer along with Ksenia.

Need to listen to the song “I’m a Man”. Terrific drum solo.

@StrateleStudios

2 ай бұрын

I did a reaction to that gem as well. Check the L & F playlist I have to see what I've watched...it's a lot, hahaha.

Thanks, Jeff. That was impeccable!

Dedicated

After you said that about the Horn section, I went to checked it out the original, and as you said at least for my ears, there is no horns section arrangements in the song and by the way, that killer guitar sound and that solo were amazing, So "LUKE" style. Thank you for let us know your thoughts in this awesome tribute. Greetings from Argentina

@bnjmnwst

2 ай бұрын

I got Steve Stevens vibes (Top Gun Anthem) from the guitar solo.

This is more like the live version Chicago plays in concert. This is an incredible rendition of this song from 17!

If it wasn’t, it should have been in there!

Thanks again Jeff thought you would appreciate the cover!

Thanks, Jeff, for a wonderful reaction station! Love your insights. Please consider reacting to the video of “Superman” by Real Bodrit, featuring a rather young Sergey Kashirin, later of Leonid & Friends. Although not sung in English, it really rocks and is awesome. Thank you.

my absolute favorite L&F song!

@valerielynn7256

2 ай бұрын

Same this 1 and I’ve been searching

@Hettepop

Ай бұрын

I can’t stop listening to this!

@Hettepop

28 күн бұрын

and one more time 😊!

Goose Bump City!!! 😎

This is one of my top 3 L&F songs. As I recall this was right after Sergey left the group and was replaced by Danil and Konstantin. Personally, I love this way better than the orignal Chicago version. I much prefer Serge to Peter Cetera. FWIW, it took years for Leonid to find a song for Ksenia to sing lead on. Their first video was in Dec 2017 and I believe her first lead was in "Leave Me Now" in Oct 2020. I was so glad when he finally found material for her. And then, of course, he found the Karen Carpenter song. That was just unbelievably good!

So, either one of two things happened on Chicagos studio version- Peter Cetera sang all the vocals, or Peter sang lead, and the Robert and others sang back up. HERE, with Leonid and Friends, you have international STAR Ksenia singing backup and the other backup singer does quite a few leads for L and F. Either way, the vocals here are probably superior to the originals becuase of Ksenia. Just FABULOUS.

I appreciate your reaction and thoughts on this song. It’s not really a fav of mine, but now I can see it in a new light. Thanks!

Hi Jeff. Love your channel. Very upbeat and positive vibes. Thanks for that! I stumbled across Lenoid and Friends about the same time you did. I watched about 1/2 dozen of their KZread clips and honestly sat there with my mouth open and a nervous excitement! I wondered the entire time, how is this even possible!?!?! I figured this couldn't be real so I watched and rewatched to try to "catch" mistakes. OFC I couldn't find any! I am still amazed with this group and especially love your reactions. You sound like ME............haha {{DOWN WITH TROLLS}} Sadly these people are living a very lonely life and are simply trying to bring you and everyone else down to their level. Keep up the great work. Take Care, Bruce in Canada 🙂

I've watched almost all of these originals. But seeing your reactions is so much fun. Keep them coming.

i believe you mention in a different video that you will get to see them when they are near you this fall. me, i just bought tix for a second show here in NYC as they have been asked to extend the gig to three shows from 2. i also got the meet and greet. i can't wait to meet them and just say thanks for the music, the groove ,and the vibes.! one thing i think ponder when watching these L&Fvideos is the camaraderie of the band members old and new, permanent or sitting in. when i was in high school i was in a rock band and i know i sucked at bass and could not play and sing at the same time. 😥 the guitar player and lead vocalist in our cover band, was amazing and had perfect pitch. i spent all my time trying to keep up, and feeding off of his energy in what i now realize was a diminishing manner. i was always so afraid of disappointing him and the other band members who were also much better musicians than i was at the time that a lot of the time i could not relax and enjoy the moment. these guys, L&F, are all so good and on the same stratospheric level of talent that they just feed each other their energy and vibes in a most positive manner. its all giving. i think i was taking. ☮❤🙏

Ah Jeff. I love your reviews. Especially when you’re playing something from Leonid and Friends. I have to try to not go too long here because there’s so much I want to say 😁. The first time I saw you was when someone asked you to play Ksenia doing Karen Carpenter’s Superstar. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was your first introduction to Leonid and Friends. Your reaction to her and all of Leonid’s precise reproduction of all the nuances of the original music was just like my own reaction. I had to wipe away a couple of tears 🥲. I thought I caught you doing the same. 😁 I stumbled upon Leonid and Friends a couple of years ago while searching for some Chicago music to listen to and was blown away with this group of Russian artists. I love watching their sessions in their studio. Anyway, I just wanted to touch base with you and say how much I enjoy your work. Sincerely, Jim H.

I don't know if I'm the "Mike" you're referring to - I did suggest this but it was a few months ago - but if it was me...."I told ya so" lol This and September are my two favorite songs by them. An HSCC suggestion I'd have is "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - either version. They first did it 2 or 3 years ago, and recently released an updated version of it a couple months ago. Both are spectacular. When Kat jumps up to the high harmony during the choruses it's pure goosebumps!

From the UK, love your channel Jeff. The more you watch and listen to L&F, the greater your astoundment at how they reproduce these wonderful Chicago tracks. I love the mix on this and that you only realise when you see the end credits, that Serge is singing from Kyiv, Ukraine and the rest of the band are in Moscow.

This horn arrangement was not quite exactly the same as the original. Some notes were changed (actually for the better) and also stylistically played with a different flair. Andrey Zyl for example brought some of those notes way up. He plays such a magnificent style of horn which is a very rich and full sound, which i admire so much. Oleg's mastery as a Saxophonist supports the entire horn section. Maxim's trombone playing is also so damned full and brings out that bottom. Konstantin's guitar solo is absolutely different and again, done so superbly. That's my 2 cents on it for what it's worth. ~Scott~

You mention the killer backup/harmonies by two outstanding lead vocalists and that reminded me of something Ann Murray said. She did an album with Glen Campbell. When they started trying things out, Glen started singing and Ann chimed in with a harmony line. Glen exclaimed, "Hey, she sings harmony?" Ann explained that it is amazing how many top echelon singers can't sing harmony and that explains his joy and mild surprise. It led to a fine album and is one of those oddities of singing that I've always remembered.

Very good

They are the best, even when they add their own spin to the music. Never lose the character of the piece!

Absolutely beautiful!! Wow!

I noticed the horns were different too, Jeff. Too bad the war has kept Serge Tiagniryadno in Kyiv. He's really a vital voice to their sound.

I had the same feeling listening to it, that there were some things that I had not heard before. But it sounded really good 👏👏👏😍

Hi Jeff hope you saw the rick beato interview with dirty loops

@StrateleStudios

2 ай бұрын

I did…I was hoping for a more in depth exchange but it wasn’t bad.

This is so amazing. These guys are the best cover band. Followed by Rumours of Fleetwood Mac and Brit Floyd

Jeff, agree with everything you said on the vid. Thanks to you and MIke/requesters for introducing me to this group. Love how rich it is with all the instruments. Vocal melody is high, and they still smoked it on the high harm. One thing I wish they would do in production is to back off on audio effects. I realize it goes with the song's era somewhat, but I think they've got the chops to sound better with less alteration. Hungry for more great musicianship and less machination.

WE LOVE YOU JEFF AND WE LOVE YOUR OHNEST COMENT,,FROM UK

If you listen to some of Chicago's live shows, you will hear a lot more of the horns. They cannot be heard in the studio versions and remasters.

Much more epic than I remember. Agreeing about the clarity of new sounding parts.

This probably my favorite by them it was so good I put it up there with the Original from Chicago they also have hard to say I’m sorry too hope u react to that one too

The guitar riff at the final end was sumply blowing away . Great job , and tone was so perfect !

Love Chicago, great voices and the lyrics ❤Takes me back to my youth , thanks for choosing this one Jeff ❤😊

They bring their A game, every time.

@sclewell777

2 ай бұрын

A+++++++++++!!!!

This was amazing! Check out L&F ‘s cover of Hard To Say I’m Sorry! It’s so good! 🥰🥰

@patrickhill8748

2 ай бұрын

They absolutely kill that one as well!!! Even more amazing live.

Yet another excellent review of the genius Leonid and his talented musicians he managed to gather. The best thing for me about Leonid's covers is they give me THE SAME EXACT FEELINGS I had when I first heard these songs originally in my college days! Other cover bands don't even come close because there is always some discrepancy that throws the end result whereas Leonid has put SO MUCH EFFORT into, dare I say, at times, a richer sound than the originals. Serge from Kyiv killing it on the vocals!!! Thanks Jeff for giving Leonid and team the added exposure they deserve! A fine example what can be achieved when politics is not involved! Wonderful to see you totally blown away by what this incredible band has put together! Hahaha! I've just noticed your studio name! You like Fender Strat's & Tele's by any chance? You're right about the horns, I went back to listen to the listen to the original after your video, and could not detect any horns at all. Is that a Fender Jazz Bass Leonid is using just for this number?

The mix is far different. In Leonid’s arrangement, it is faithful to the original. However, the horns are brought to a more prominent place in the mix. Leonid is a genius!

I was thinking the exact same thing concerning the horns and I’m a brass player.

Chicago' Foster period. No more jazz-rock but pop syrup.

What amazes me is that Leonid was able to scour all of Russia and Ukraine, bringing in potential members for the group who were all master musicians, both instrumentally and vocally, to form this amazing group, whereas the group Chicago was made up of neighborhood guys from one city, that being Chicago, who proved to be the amazing technicians in musicality that they are.

Danil is the blond singer's name.

No, not quite like the original, but brilliant 👏 👌

Wait till you listen and watch Ksenia sing the Stones song Satisfaction.......

Jeff, What is your favorite of the Leonid & Friends videos you have watched so far? This one? I was fortunate to see them on their tour in Texas last year. They go all over the country, so go watch them live!

Sorry Jeff, I know you don't like negative comments, but here goes... Leonid and Friends do NOT put out nearly enough videos! We need at least one a week!

@StrateleStudios

2 ай бұрын

😂🤣😂👏👏👏 I agree 🤗

Daniel is the other singer. He’s a great talent of course.

If Steve Stevens had been in Chicago...

If the horn parts weren’t in the original they should have been.

Wondering if Serge (Who's Ukrainian) has been able to rejoin the band since the Russian invasion. His voice is "butter".

@brentgindelberger8851

2 ай бұрын

He hasn't, his choice.

I swear Serge's middle name has to be Пітер! (Peter).

Well, I guess that band from Illinois can turn in their union cards now. Sad to see them go, but they've been supplanted. I have a natural LP 1976 Custom that'll go to the grave with me. Only because it's too heavy for anyone else to carry/play.😁

Jeff, Definitely the outlicks are definitely not in the original Chicago version which just faded out.

I always thought the original version suffered because of the lack of horns. I know Peter didn't really care for them, but Foster should've overridden him and launched that song into the stratosphere where it belongs. Foster dropped the ball.

@carlithebikerguy3873

2 ай бұрын

Foster was the reason they de-emphasized horns. Although commercially successful I’ve always been disappointed in 17 because of it. This version was spectacular.

I miss the Sergies