Herbie Hancock

[Sundog]

Over the last few weeks I've rediscovered the album Headhunters. It's an album that I must of listened to hundreds of times back in the day. However, until this month I probably hadn't listened to it for 6 or 7 years. Something struck a nerve and now I've been on a serious Herbie kick. Especially the funky stuff. I recently bought Sextant and Man-Child and really enjoy both. Those two albums plus Headhunters represent my exposure to Herbie's funky side. My limited perspective tells me that these three albums represent a real nice overview of the many shades of funk that Herbie has made. Sextant being maybe the most challenging. Then Headhunters which I see as an impressive balance of commercialism and boundry-pushing. Then, finally Man-Child, a little more slick of a production, however very engaging and enjoyable.

Would appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, and welcome general discussion about this somewhat maligned period of Herbie's career. TIA.

[marcello]

Herbie Hancock - Flood

This is a nice one I have ( on Japanese vinyl ) that shows off this side of him very well.

You can get it from CD Universe.

Song Title

1. Introduction/Maiden Voyage

2. Actual Proof

3. Spank-A-Lee

4. Watermelon Man

5. Butterfly

6. Chameleon

7. Hang up Your Hang Ups

NOTES

Originally released in 1975 as a double live album, recorded and initially released only in Japan. Flood admirably documents Hancock's Headhunters-period in a concert setting. The tunes are mostly culled from the recommended studio albums Headhunters, Thrust and Man-Child, with an excellent remodeling of 'Maiden Voyage' opening the program.

[JSngry]

If you like HEADHUNTERS (and I do), try THRUST.

Mo'betta, imo.

I'm gonna have to get that FLOOD thing one of these days...

[Guy Berger]

If you warm up to Sextant, be sure to pick up the 2 CD Complete WB Sessions. Agree with Jim about Thrust, for some reason (Mike Clark's drumming, maybe) I like it better than Headhunters.

Guy

Edited March 21, 2005 by Guy Berger

[Jazzdog]

Thrust is superior imo to Headhunters mereley due to the Jackson/Clark rhythm section. Mike Clark funkiest damn drummer I think I have ever heard, right next to Zigaboo Modeliste.

[JSngry]

Yeah, CROSSINGS is a beast!

[Big Wheel]

I wish we could see how Head Hunters was made. Listening to the way everything is layered, it's SO hard for me to imagine that most of that stuff (especially Chameleon and Sly) was laid down together with the whole band in a relatively low number of takes. Does anyone know how it was done?

[JSngry]

I would add, however, that MAN-CHILD is probably a good place to stop, with a few exceptions like MR. HANDS & VILLAGE LIFE. The "worst" elements of MAN-CHILD soon became the takeoff point, and things got pretty dire pretty quickly.

[JSngry]

I wish we could see how Head Hunters was made. Listening to the way everything is layered, it's SO hard for me to imagine that most of that stuff (especially Chameleon and Sly) was laid down together with the whole band in a relatively low number of takes. Does anyone know how it was done?

It sounds to me like the basic tracks were cut live with the group, with the additional layering done later. For some things, yeah, the cuts were probably recorded in sections, but there's not anything I can think of offhand that couldn't have been cut live as far as the basic stuff goes. Which is why I want to hear FLOOD, to hear how they approached that stuff live.

[Sundog]

The Complete WB Sessions is available at YourMusic.com. That one is a no brainer considering the price. Thrust and Flood, got it!

[marcello]

Jim - Flood sounds great. The Japanese really know thier sonics!

A short story:

The Headhunters band played in Rochester during the time that "Headhunters" first came out. Herbie had a nice big fro, a leather jump suit and all of that. He did this shtick were he held his hands above the keyboards and moved them up and down; raising and lowering the volume. All and all a good show.

Cedar Walton was in town for a three week gig with Sam Jones and Louis Hayes at a club nearby. I caught Cedar during that time on as many nights that I could. Being little Ol'e Rochester, the place was nearly empty on most of the weekday nights, and I and other friends became familiar to the band.

In the night that Herbie played the concert, all of the Headhunters came in and had a ball playing and joking and sitting in untill 2 am. Outside of the muscians there was only two or three tables of people ( about ten people total ) there. It was like a Tuesday night.

It was very cool indeed to see the love they showed and the fun that they all had together. To watch Herbie and Cedar bump each other off the piano bench during songs ( and laughing their asses off ) was a joy to behold.

[Big Wheel]

Well I'll be goldurned--there's a live tape of Herbie from 1973 on easytree right now.

Ask, and ye shall...

[Daniel A]

There's a 1971 live recording from Nice available here:

http://www.darkfunk.com/latest_shows/latest_show/?id=93

[Rooster_Ties]

What I'd about kill to hear, is Herbie live in 1969, with "The Prisoner" band. The RVG talks about that band doing some live gigs, including Joe Henderson.

I'd move heaven and earth to hear some of that stuff.

[Swinger]

There's a 1971 live recording from Nice available here:

http://www.darkfunk.com/latest_shows/latest_show/?id=93

Oh yeah! Thanks for letting us know Daniel A!

[Daniel A]

A bit weird in places - as excessive use of some kind of dog toy on one of the tracks - but nice to hear anyway.

Regarding his studio albums of the 70s I agree that 'Flood' is splendid - it was actually the first Hancock album I got, so it's kind of special for me because of that. Anyway, the playing is good all round, even from Maupin which I always thought was the least interesting figure in that band.

'Thrust' is the other one I think is thoroughly entertaining. (Never cared much for the B-side of "Headhunters")

JSngry wrote:

I would add, however, that MAN-CHILD is probably a good place to stop, with a few exceptions like MR. HANDS & VILLAGE LIFE. The "worst" elements of MAN-CHILD soon became the takeoff point, and things got pretty dire pretty quickly.

I agree with you, with the possible exception of "Sunlight". That album has its moments, although it's not when Herbie reaches for the Vocoder Mic...

Edited March 22, 2005 by Daniel A

[Guest akanalog]

i saw a live performance on DVD of herbie in '79 and he actually spent a ton of time standing up and clapping his hands and singing into his vocoder and letting someone else (webster lewis?) handle the keyboards.

am i the only person here who doesn't like mike clark's drumming style? it's too frentic in my opinion and never settles into the kind of funky groove i would like with this kind of music. obviously some of the later drummer's herbie used were a little too stuck in a boring groove (the levi guy for one), but i don't think clark is so great.

[Sundog]

Patiently awaiting the arrival of Flood, Thrust, and Complete WB Sessions. Should have them by the end of the week with a little luck.

[Degiorgio]

"What I'd about kill to hear, is Herbie live in 1969, with "The Prisoner" band."

good call... one my fave Herbie albums.

I'd still like to hear the rest of this session too:

Herbie Hancock Nonet

Melvin Lastie (cor) Julian Priester (tb) Stanley Turrentine (ts) Pepper Adams (bars) Herbie Hancock (p) Billy Butler, Eric Gale (g) Bob Cranshaw (b) Bernard Purdie (d)

Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, July 19, 1966

I asked MC about this session in the late 90's and he promised to revisit it which he evidently did as 1 track from it appeared on the Blue Note Sessions box set - 'Don't Even Go There'. Even though its fairly standard soul-jazz the other rejected tracks include a ballad and a blues so I'm curious.

Getting back on-topic regarding the 70's material - I tried without success to get Warner Jazz in the UK interested in a full-on Mwandishi box-set some years ago. My idea was to include MWANDISHI (1971), CROSSINGS (1972) and in some joint-venture arrangement with Sony also license SEXTANT which pretty much completes the Mwandishi band studio output. Of course I suggested they try and find any previously unreleased material from these sessions - and also include the actual track 'CROSSINGS' which was a hybrid 3 minute cut made up from parts of the album with extra Gleeson synth overdubs and edited up into a 7" promo single. I think it also came out on the TREASURE CHEST compilation in the mid-70's.

There is at least 1 release quality Live recording of this band (Nice?) that could also be included. But the icing on the cake for me was to include the never-released soundtrack Herbie did for The Spook Who Sat By the Door. Not sure if Herbie had signed to Columbia when he recorded this, but whoever owns it should release it if the masters exist.

Needless to say this all fell on deaf ears. Not surprising really as it would probably take somebody like Cuscuna to produce something of this magnitude. But the demand would be there - especially for The Spook material, which has even been bootlegged with audio taken off the video.

KD

[marcello]

There is at least 1 release quality Live recording of this band (Nice?) that could also be included.

Do you mean this?

Date: 1971-07-21

Venue: Nice, France

Herbie Hancock

Eddie Henderson

Julian Priester

Bennie Maupin

Buster Williams

Billy Hart

You’ll Know when you get there

Toys

Ostinato (suite for Angela)

Here is another:

Date: 1972-02-20

Venue: Detroit, Stata Gallery

Herbie Hancock Sextet

Eddie Henderson : trumpet

Julian Priester : trombone

Bennie Maupin : tenor & soprano saxophone, flute, bass clarinet

Buster Williams : electric bass, acoustic bass

Billy Hart : drums.

Check this link HERE

Edited March 28, 2005 by marcello

[Degiorgio]

yeah - the Nice '71 one is well recorded IIRC.

(I found the original concert poster for that Strata Gallery concert in a record store in Detroit a few years back).

The playing on these Mwandishi gigs is very free - with a focus on afro-percussive elements rhythmically. Its a shame there is little in the way of electronics - they evidently did not bring along Patrick Gleeson & his synths for these gigs.

KD

[Chuck Nessa]

I have absolutely no interest in this music.

So, I'm an old fart for a bunch of you. B-)

If I want funk, I go for the blues.

[Big Al]

am i the only person here who doesn't like mike clark's drumming style? it's too frentic in my opinion and never settles into the kind of funky groove i would like with this kind of music. obviously some of the later drummer's herbie used were a little too stuck in a boring groove (the levi guy for one), but i don't think clark is so great.

His drumming does nothing for me either.

Sextant is some baaaaaaaaaaad heavy shit!!! B-)

[CJ Shearn]

the first time I heard a soundclip of "You Bet Your Love" with Herbie on vocals with the vocoder I nearly peed my pants, it was hilarious. I was laughing so hard for like 5 mins straight. Herbie + vocoder= horrible, sad shit

[sidewinder]

It got Herbie on the 'Top of the Pops' TV show over here with his jump suit and portable keyboard, just when the disco thing was reaching its absolute nadir. I remember seeing a whole host of 'jazzers' on that show around that time - Naranda Michael Walden for one. John Handy charted and Jackie Mac put out that 'Monuments' travesty.

Yuk..

Edited March 28, 2005 by sidewinder