Light as a Feather
Encyclopedia
Light as a Feather is the second studio album of fusion
band Return to Forever
, led by keyboardist Chick Corea
.
The second and last album by the first line-up of Return to Forever was recorded in the same year eight months later. The style of the music remains mostly the same though vocal tracks have now a bit larger role than on the first album. This album has equal classic status among the listeners of electric jazz music as the first album. This time the recording company is Polydor (under which most of later Return to Forever albums are released) and Corea himself has produced the album - though this has not led in any essential change in sound. To point out some minor changes, it is notable that this time Stanley Clarke plays only an acoustic bass. Since the debut album was not released in the USA before 1975, this was the first Return to Forever album for many listeners.
The first track is Corea's song, "You're Everything". Corea has claimed that this is his favorite among the vocal songs he has written. The track begins with Purim singing verses slowly, the rest of the band joining in later to create a light groove. The short solo is played by Joe Farrell on flute. The second track is the title track, Stanley Clarke's first major composition and the only track on the album not written by Corea. "Captain Marvel", a fast Latin piece, that provided the name for Stan Getz
's album released in the same year. Purim plays percussion and sings without words during the song's main riff. Both DC Comics
and Marvel Comics
have a superhero
called "Captain Marvel".
The B-side begins with a song called "500 Miles High". Corea has claimed that the title of the song does not refer to drug experience but to a "spirit flying high". The track is followed by "Children's Song", one of many "Children's Songs" Corea has written. They are all short pieces with minimalistic melody. The percussion plays a tick-tock pattern that resembles the sound of a clock.
The albums ends with Corea's famous jazz standard, Spain
. The song has been recorded many times, but this is probably its most famous appearance. This album won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz records every recorded. For many years this record has been listed on the magazine Harry Pearson-The Absolute Sound super disc list and also listed for years on the Stereophile Magazine list of "Records to Die For";
All tracks composed by Corea with lyrics by Neville Potter, except "Light as a Feather" composed by Clarke with lyrics by Purim.
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
band Return to Forever
Return to Forever
Return to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
, led by keyboardist Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
.
The second and last album by the first line-up of Return to Forever was recorded in the same year eight months later. The style of the music remains mostly the same though vocal tracks have now a bit larger role than on the first album. This album has equal classic status among the listeners of electric jazz music as the first album. This time the recording company is Polydor (under which most of later Return to Forever albums are released) and Corea himself has produced the album - though this has not led in any essential change in sound. To point out some minor changes, it is notable that this time Stanley Clarke plays only an acoustic bass. Since the debut album was not released in the USA before 1975, this was the first Return to Forever album for many listeners.
The first track is Corea's song, "You're Everything". Corea has claimed that this is his favorite among the vocal songs he has written. The track begins with Purim singing verses slowly, the rest of the band joining in later to create a light groove. The short solo is played by Joe Farrell on flute. The second track is the title track, Stanley Clarke's first major composition and the only track on the album not written by Corea. "Captain Marvel", a fast Latin piece, that provided the name for Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
's album released in the same year. Purim plays percussion and sings without words during the song's main riff. Both DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
have a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
called "Captain Marvel".
The B-side begins with a song called "500 Miles High". Corea has claimed that the title of the song does not refer to drug experience but to a "spirit flying high". The track is followed by "Children's Song", one of many "Children's Songs" Corea has written. They are all short pieces with minimalistic melody. The percussion plays a tick-tock pattern that resembles the sound of a clock.
The albums ends with Corea's famous jazz standard, Spain
Spain (composition)
Spain is an instrumental jazz fusion composition by jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea. It is probably Corea's most prominent piece, and some would consider it a modern jazz standard....
. The song has been recorded many times, but this is probably its most famous appearance. This album won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz records every recorded. For many years this record has been listed on the magazine Harry Pearson-The Absolute Sound super disc list and also listed for years on the Stereophile Magazine list of "Records to Die For";
Track listing
- "You're Everything" – 5:11
- "Light as a Feather" – 10:57
- "Captain Marvel" – 4:53
- "500 Miles High" – 9:07
- "Children's Song" – 2:47
- "SpainSpain (composition)Spain is an instrumental jazz fusion composition by jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea. It is probably Corea's most prominent piece, and some would consider it a modern jazz standard....
" – 9:51
All tracks composed by Corea with lyrics by Neville Potter, except "Light as a Feather" composed by Clarke with lyrics by Purim.
Bonus Disc
- "Matrix" – 8:10
- "Light as a Feather" (Alternative Take) – 10:46
- "500 Miles High" (Alternative Take) – 10:32
- "Children's Song" (Alternative Take) – 3:58
- "Spain" (Composite Alternative Take) – 5:33
- "Spain" (Alternative Take) – 9:02
- "What Games Shall We Play Today?" – 3:52
- "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 1) – 4:06
- "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 2) – 3:46
- "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 3) – 3:49
Personnel
- Chick CoreaChick CoreaArmando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
– Fender Rhodes, Electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Stanley ClarkeStanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
– Acoustic bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Joe FarrellJoe FarrellJoseph Carl Firrantello , known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:Farrell was born in Chicago...
– Tenor SaxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Flora PurimFlora PurimFlora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Airto MoreiraAirto MoreiraAirto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....