by Mike Mettler, resident Styxologist
Crystal Ball, Styx’s sixth studio album and the first to feature Tommy Shaw on guitar and vocals, was released 44 years ago today on October 1, 1976. Recorded at Paragon Studios in Chicago and produced by Styx with assistance from Barry Mraz, Crystal Ball reached No. 66 on the Pop Albums chart, and “Mademoiselle” (with lead vocals from Shaw) reached No. 36 on the Pop Singles chart. Crystal Ball has long been certified as Gold by the RIAA (which translates to sales of over 500,000 copies), but considering how long ago that particular certification was done (i.e., in the pre-CD and pre-digital-download era!), it’s much more than likely to have surpassed the million-selling mark at this point (and perhaps even well over 2 or even 3 million, for that matter, so we demand a recertification!).
“We knew right away Tommy was a superstar,” says original co-founding Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo about Shaw, his longtime stage and studio compatriot. “His songwriting, playing, and singing on Crystal Ball immediately elevated the band. And,” Chuck adds with a laugh, “he’s a pretty decent-looking guy too.”
Tommy had been recruited to replace original Styx guitarist/vocalist John “J.C.” Curulewski once the tour to support the band’s fifth album, Equinox, got underway in December 1975 (the month it was released). As recording commenced for the band’s next album in 1976, Shaw reached back to his days in MS Funk to emerge with key elements for songs like the quite apropos uplifting album opener “Put Me On” and the “Crystal Ball” title track itself — the latter of which, as he notes, “was a song I was playing in my $200-a-week bowling alley gig back in Montgomery, Alabama. It came to me pretty much all at once one time when I was visiting my mama at home.”
During his spoken-word intro to “Crystal Ball” at many of Styx’s most recent live shows in the moment that occurs right before he strums the song’s iconic opening notes on his acoustic guitar, Tommy affirms that he brought the track with him when he traveled up to Chicago for his band audition.
