Light as a Feather

Last updated
Light as a Feather
LightAsAFeather.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1973
RecordedOctober 8 & 15, 1972
Studio IBC, London, England
Genre Jazz fusion
Length42:46
Label Polydor
Producer Chick Corea
Return to Forever chronology
Return to Forever
(1972)
Light as a Feather
(1973)
Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
(1973)
Chick Corea chronology
Return to Forever
(1972)
Light as a Feather
(1973)
Crystal Silence
(1973)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
SputnikMusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]

Light as a Feather is the second studio album by the first edition of the jazz fusion band Return to Forever led by pianist Chick Corea. It features saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, percussionist Airto Moreira and his wife, vocalist/percussionist Flora Purim.

Contents

Content

The style of the music remains mostly the same as the first album, though Purim’s vocals were given a larger role. Corea produced the album for Polydor Records. Clarke played double bass, though for most of his later career he has played bass guitar.

"Captain Marvel" is a fast Latin piece that provided the name for Stan Getz's album released in the same year (with Corea, Clarke and Moreira guesting). Airto plays percussion and Purim sings without words during the song's main riff.

The album ends with "Spain", which was inspired by, and whose introduction was taken from, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez (1939).

This was the second of only two albums featuring the band's original line-up. Purim and her husband Airto would leave after its release (to be replaced by guitarist Bill Connors and drummer Lenny White); Joe Farrell also left at this time, but would return to the band for their seventh and eighth albums ( Musicmagic and Live ); bassist Stanley Clarke remained with the band through all of its line-up changes.

Reception and legacy

Light as a Feather won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. For many years this album has been listed on The Absolute Sound super disc list and the Stereophile list of "Records to Die For". It is also featured in Tom Moon's 1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die. [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chick Corea except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're Everything" Chick Corea, lyrics by Neville Potter5:11
2."Light as a Feather" Stanley Clarke, lyrics by Flora Purim 10:57
3."Captain Marvel" 4:53
4."500 Miles High"Corea, lyrics by Potter9:07
5."Children's Song" 2:47
6."Spain"Corea, Joaquín Rodrigo 9:51
Bonus disc (1998 Remaster 2CD)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Matrix" 8:10
2."Light as a Feather" (Alternative Take)Clarke, lyrics by Purim10:46
3."500 Miles High" (Alternative Take)Corea, lyrics by Potter10:32
4."Children's Song" (Alternative Take) 3:58
5."Spain" (Composite Alternative Take)Corea, Rodrigo5:33
6."Spain" (Alternative Take)Corea, Rodrigo9:02
7."What Games Shall We Play Today?"Corea, lyrics by Potter3:52
8."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 1)Corea, lyrics by Potter4:06
9."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 2)Corea, lyrics by Potter3:46
10."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 3)Corea, lyrics by Potter3:49

Personnel

Chart performance

YearChartPosition
1973Billboard Jazz Albums6 [6]

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Stanley Clarke is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status.

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Open Your Eyes You Can Fly is the fifth solo studio album by Brazilian jazz singer Flora Purim. It was released in 1976 via Milestone Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album features contributions from Airto Moreira on percussion and vocals, David Amaro and Egberto Gismonti on guitars, George Duke on keyboards, Hermeto Pascoal on electric piano and flute, Alphonso Johnson and Ron Carter on bass, Robertinho Silva and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler on drums, and Laudir de Oliveira on congas. One of the songs featured here, Sometime Ago, was composed by Chick Corea with lyrics by Neville Potter and was featured on the eponymous album by Return to Forever produced in 1972, Flora Purim and her husband Airto Guimorvan Moreira also played on that album.

References

  1. Nastos, Michael G. "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  2. Campbell, Hernan M. (19 September 2012). "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | SputnikMusic". sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  3. Swenson, John, ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Rolling Stone. p.  50. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
  4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 304. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. Moon, Tom. "Light as a Feather | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die". 1000recordings.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  6. "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.