PRESS RELEASE:  Bear Fight Songs

We Are Who You Thought We Were!
 
With the Chicago Bears clinching home field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs, Bears fans are making plans to watch the "Monsters of the Midway" at Super Bowl XXXXI. To add fuel to the already blazing fire, "BEAR FIGHT SONGS," a new CD, hits Chicago area stores December 26th!

BEAR FIGHT SONGS is the brainchild of Chicago music producer John Steele. "We really have to thank Arizona Cardinals Head Coach, Denny Green for planting the seed and giving us the title to the lead track on the CD. Green's rant, 'The Bears are who we thought they were,' after the Bears beat his Cardinals in an incredible come-from-behind victory on Monday Night Football, was all we needed. All Bears fans and, now it appears, all football fans are still laughing! I thought to myself, hummm, what a great title for a song," Steele said, adding, "taking Green's negative comments and making them a positive Chicago Bears statement was the goal of this entire project. Yea, the Bears are who ya thought they were; they beat you on national TV Denny Green!"

Once Steele had the music written he turned to his childhood friend, Joe Cantafio for lyrics. Steele and Cantafio have been working together as artist-producer for over 10 years. Cantafio said, "when I heard the music, and being a huge Bears fan, I knew immediately John had something huge going on. Before I came up with lyric lines I watched Green's tirade again and penned the line; 'Go ahead and crown their ass,' another one of Green's now famous comments. The recording sessions were the most fun I have had in years. We all laughed until we cried and we were all amazed at how well it came together!"

The original idea was to release the one song, "We Are Who You Thought We Were." Then it grew to three versions of the same song and after a brainstorming session, Cantafio suggested they contact his old friend Bill Archer of the "Big Bear Band" and create an entire "music filled" CD filled with Bears football songs. That has never been done before. Archer's version of the classic 1941 "Bear Down Chicago Bears" is the song Bears fans grew-up with and the music that is most identified with The Chicago Bears. Once Archer agreed to add his famous arrangement of "Bear Down Chicago Bear" to the CD, the name of the CD was changed to Bear Fight Songs. Now, for the first tine, the only ultimate Chicago Bears fan music CD is available; Bear Fight Songs!

Bill Archer said ; "In the beginning of the season the sports media picked to Bears to go 9 - 7 at best. They all had it wrong and The Chicago Bears are who WE thought they were!"

Archer, Cantafio and Steele are the Executive Producers of this project. They rounded up some of the greatest talent in Chicago to perform on the recordings. Cantafio enlisted Chimbaa, Sarnai, Bogi, Sundre and Tim Scruggs from his band, "The 101st Rock Division" to perform with him disguised as "The Polar Bear Singers" and as "Sugar Bear." Chicago "Jazz King," Ron Hawking added his cool rendition of "We Are Who You Thought We Were" to the CD, accompanied by guitarist Chris Siebold, bassist Larry Kohut and famed trumpeter Mike Cichiwicz. "The Handcuffs" Chloe F. Orwell appear on the CD on another original cut titled "All Aboard," but that group has also been re-named "The Tailgaters." Henry Salgato played trombone and David Suycott played drums, throughout the CD.

The CD has already pre-sold 25,000 copies and as the Bears continue to win sales are expected to rise significantly. "Bear Fight Songs" will go on sale at all Jewel Food Stores on December 26th! More locations are expected to be added soon (Best Buy, Dominicks, Walgreens, White Hen.) The CD is also available at Amazon.com and www.BearFightSongs.com 

Daaaaaaaaaaa Bears, ... We'll keep you posted, ... this is gonna be a very fun next few games!