Live (Return to Forever album)
Live is the final album by fusion band Return to Forever. It was recorded live at the Palladium in New York City on May 20 and 21 1977 as part of the Musicmagic tour to support the album of the same name. This was the only tour to feature the Musicmagic (1977) lineup, which included original members Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Joe Farrell, along with newly added member, Chick Corea's wife, Gayle Moran on vocals, piano and organ, and a six-piece horn section.
Live | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 1977 | |||
Recorded | 20, 21 May 1977 | |||
Venue | Palladium Theatre, New York City, USA | |||
Genre | Jazz-rock | |||
Length | 49:12 (LP) 168.11 (4LP/3CD) 151:46 (2CD) | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Return to Forever | |||
Return to Forever chronology | ||||
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Alternative covers | ||||
Live 2CD cover (1992, US). | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Live: The Complete Concert 2CD cover (2000, US). | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (2011) 5CD boxed set cover |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Originally released as a single LP, the album was re-issued in 1978 as a four LP set called Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert, which contained the full concert as heard by those who attended, including extended sections of dialogue and audience applause.
Release history
The original release was a single LP with a cover featuring Picasso's Three Musicians. A greatly expanded version of the album was released in 1978 on four LPs as Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert, showcasing the entire two-hour-and-forty-minute concert. This Complete Concert release features a plain dark blue cover with a stylized 'RTF' logo and contains the entireties of pieces that had been edited down for the original one LP release, including a version of "Spanish Fantasy"; the intro to which was previously released in edited form as "Chick's Piano". Also included are spoken introductions to songs by Stanley Clarke, including one in which he is heckled by the audience for announcing the concert's final piece.
In June 2011 Columbia (Sony) released a five CD boxed set, Return to Forever, The Complete Columbia Albums Collection which includes the entire 1977 Live: The Complete Concert recording on three CDs together with 1976's Romantic Warrior and 1977's Musicmagic studio albums.[2]
In September 2011 the three CD version Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert, 3-Record Set was released in Japan as a Blue-Spec CD limited boxset reproducing the original Japanese 1978 four LP boxset. However, this 2011 reissue features "The Endless Night" and "Musicmagic" as one track each, instead of the original splits and fades of each song.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Chick Corea, except where noted.
Live
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "So Long Mickey Mouse" | Stanley Clarke | 6:53 |
2. | "The Musician" | 7:03 | |
3. | "Chick's Piano" | 4:35 | |
4. | "Musicmagic" | Corea, Gayle Moran | 6:29 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | Clarke | 6:39 |
2. | "Come Rain or Come Shine" | Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer | 3:19 |
3. | "The Endless Night (part I)" | Corea, Moran | 8:00 |
4. | "The Endless Night (part II)" | Corea, Moran | 7:14 |
Live: The Complete Concert – original 4LP vinyl pressing (1978)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opening '77" | 7:07 | |
2. | "The Endless Night (part 1)" | Corea, Moran | 12:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Endless Night (part 2)" | Corea, Moran | 8:19 |
2. | "Introduction of Musicians" | 3:44 | |
3. | "The Musician" | 14:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Hello Again" | Clarke | 7:41 |
2. | "So Long Mickey Mouse" | Clarke | 11:01 |
3. | "Musicmagic (part 1)" | Corea, Moran | 3:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Musicmagic (part 2) / Applause" | Corea, Moran | 23:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Come Rain or Come Shine / Fine and Dandy" | Mercer, Arlen; Kay Swift, James Warburg | 3:55 |
2. | "Serenade" | 15:01 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | Clarke | 19:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Chick's Piano Solo" | 17:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Spanish Fantasy" | 11:20 | |
2. | "On Green Dolphin Street" | Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington | 9:21 |
Live: The Complete Concert (US, 1992, 2CD)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opening '77" | 7:10 | |
2. | "The Endless Night / Introduction of Musicians" | Corea, Moran | 20:23 |
3. | "The Musician" | 6:58 | |
4. | "Stanley's Introduction" | 1:24 | |
5. | "Hello Again" | Clarke | 6:02 |
6. | "So Long Mickey Mouse" | Clarke | 6:43 |
7. | "Musicmagic" | Corea, Moran | 27:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Come Rain or Come Shine / Fine and Dandy" | Mercer, Arlen; Kay Swift, James Warburg | 3:55 |
2. | "Serenade" | 14:53 | |
3. | "The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | Clarke | 19:20 |
4. | "Stanley's Introduction" | 2:02 | |
5. | "Spanish Fantasy" | 24:46 | |
6. | "Chick's Closing Introductions" | 1:09 | |
7. | "On Green Dolphin Street" | Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington | 9:35 |
Live: The Complete Concert – 3 Record Set (Japan, 1993, 3CD)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opening '77" | 7:07 | |
2. | "The Endless Night (part 1)" | Corea, Moran | 12:14 |
3. | "The Endless Night (part 2) / Introduction of Musicians" | Corea, Moran | 12:02 |
4. | "The Musician" | 14:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Hello Again" | Clarke | 7:41 |
2. | "So Long Mickey Mouse" | Clarke | 11:01 |
3. | "Musicmagic (part 1)" | Corea, Moran | 3:46 |
4. | "Musicmagic (part 2) / Applause" | Corea, Moran | 23:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction / Come Rain or Come Shine / Fine and Dandy" | Mercer, Arlen; Kay Swift, James Warburg | 3:56 |
2. | "Serenade" | 15:03 | |
3. | "The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | Clarke | 19:39 |
4. | "Introduction / Chick's Piano Solo" | 17:08 | |
5. | "Spanish Fantasy" | 11:53 | |
6. | "On Green Dolphin Street" | Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington | 8:49 |
Live: The Complete Concert – 3 Record Set (Japan, 2011 reissue, 3CD)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opening '77" | 7:09 | |
2. | "The Endless Night" | Corea, Moran | 20:30 |
3. | "Chick Corea: Spoken Intro of the Musicians" | 3:43 | |
4. | "The Musician" | 14:04 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro to Hello Again / So Long Mickey Mouse" | 1:38 | |
2. | "Hello Again" | Clarke | 6:02 |
3. | "So Long Mickey Mouse" | Clarke | 10:51 |
4. | "Musicmagic" | Corea, Moran | 27:57 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Come Rain or Come Shine / Fine and Dandy" | Mercer, Arlen; Kay Swift, James Warburg | 3:55 |
2. | "Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro to Serenade" | 0:58 | |
3. | "Serenade" | 13:56 | |
4. | "Chick Corea: Spoken Intro to The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | 1:05 | |
5. | "The Moorish Warrior and Spanish Princess" | Clarke | 18:16 |
6. | "Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro to Chick Corea's Piano Solo" | 2:01 | |
7. | "Chick's Piano Solo" | 14:31 | |
8. | "Spanish Fantasy" | 11:21 | |
9. | "On Green Dolphin Street" | Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington | 9:30 |
Personnel
- Chick Corea – Steinway grand piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hohner clavinet, Yamaha electric organ, synthesizers (ARP Odyssey, Minimoog, Moog 15 modular, Oberheim 8-voice), effects MXR Digital Delay, vocals
- Gayle Moran – Hammond B3 organ, Yamaha electric piano, Mellotron, Synthesizer [Minimoog], vocals
- Joe Farrell – piccolo flute, flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- James Tinsley – piccolo trumpet, trumpet, flugelhorn
- John Thomas – piccolo trumpet, trumpet, flugelhorn
- Jim Pugh – lead tenor trombone, baritone horn
- Ron Moss – tenor trombone
- Harold Garret – bass trombone, baritone horn, tuba
- Stanley Clarke – Alembic electric bass, acoustic bass, vocals
- Gerry Brown – drums
Chart performance
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1978 | Billboard 200 | 155[3] |
1978 | Billboard Jazz Albums | 12[3] |
References
- Yanow, Scott. "Return to Forever - Live: Complete Concert (1978, Remastered 1992, 2CD) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- Payne, Doug (14 July 2011). "Return to Forever - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (2011, 5CD Box Set) album review". dougpayne.blogspot.com.
- "Return to Forever - Live: Complete Concert (1978) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- Columbia 35281 (1 LP, 1978) at Discogs
- Columbia C4X 35350 (4 LPs, 1978) at Discogs
- Legacy C2K 47479 (2 CDs, 1992, USA) at Discogs
- Columbia 468923 2 (2 CDs, 1992, Europe) at Discogs
- Sony Records (J) SRCS 7142 2 (3 CDs, 1993, Japan) at Discogs
- Sony Records (J) SICP-20305~7 (3 CDs, 2011, Japan) at Discogs
External links
- Return to Forever - Live (1978) album releases & credits at Discogs
- Return to Forever - Live (1978) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
- Return to Forever - Live: Complete Concert (1978, Remastered 1992, 2CD) album review, credits & releases at AllMusic
- Return to Forever - Live: Complete Concert (1978) album releases & credits at Discogs
- Return to Forever - Live: The Complete Concert (1978) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
- Return to Forever - Live: The Complete Concert (1978, Remastered 1992, 2CD) album to be listened as stream on Spotify
- Return to Forever - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (2011, 5CD Box Set Compilation) album releases & credits at Discogs