Return to Forever with Bill Connors live in Massachusetts Sep 2, 1973
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- #jazzrock #jazzfusion #jazzrockfusion #returntoforever #billconnors #livemusic #guitar #synthesizer #fusionguitar #70smusic #chickcorea #lennywhite #stanleyclarke
Return to Forever - Lenox Music Inn (Lenox, MA) - Sep 2, 1973
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I stumbled across this recording awhile back and thought I would share it here with jazz fusion fans and supporters. It is probably the best live recording of Return To Forever with Bill Connors on guitar that I have ever heard. The recording had a nasty hum throughout that I deftly removed via a specially crafted noise reduction process I utilized. I then re-EQ'd the whole show to add more low end and high end frequencies. Bass grooves sound great and the cymbals and guitar come through noticeably better now. Mid-range, I left alone. I also deleted a non-musical track where an announcer was giving the audience a variety of instructions that was not needed at all for fully enjoying this concert. There are indeed other recordings of this show floating around out there but none are as lovingly cleaned up and remastered like this version I am sharing. Enjoy this awesome show!
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:00 Hymn of the 7th Galaxy
3:19 Chick speaks and introduces the members of the band
4:25 Theme to the Mothership (long drum solo intro)
6:38 Theme to the Mothership
15:27 Bass Folk Song (composed by Stanley Clarke)
29:11 Space Circus - part 1 (Children's Song no. 3)
30:51 Space Circus
36:36 Spain
49:09 Captain Señor Mouse
1:00:50 The Game Maker
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FAIR USE: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. - Hudba
![Chick Corea ► Sometime Ago - La Fiesta [HQ Audio] Return To Forever 1972](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c5yPMiBqlMQ/mqdefault.jpg)
IF YOU DIG THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA LIVE, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN AND OTHER GUITAR VIRTUOSOS FIND SUCH AND OTHER RARE JAZZ ROCK FUSION CDs RIGHT HERE: find-rare-jazz-rock-fusion-music.com/
bill connors what a guitarist
Being a self taught guy myself I really liked Bill's pursuit to increase his expression.
Thx! very much! What a great sounding performance by those master musicians!!
Lawd, Bill Connors was a monster!!!!!
Oh yeah buddy!😎🎸
Great concert I saw them in 75
Very lucky you! I never got to see them. I was a complete 🤓 nerd back then.😫
Bill Connor was the epitome of jazz rock fusion. My favorite guitarist of Return to Forever.
ABSOLUTELY!!
I have to agree. Al has the same lead run over and over and over and over again you know what he’s going to do before he does it..
@Jackapoo1 Amen and Amen and Amen.👍🎸😊
So again a short footnote from Me…I actually drove my VW VAN to snatch BC from his remote rental near Half Moon Bay and Princeton on High Way One.I insisted that Billy allow me to schlepp him to Keystone Korner where RETURN Forever was performing,as I heard that the powers that be were searching for a Guitarist..Billy Conners was hired!
@myroncohen7619 Amazing tale!! Many thanks to you, my fusion friend!!😉👍🎼🎸
Wow! thanks for posting! this album changed the way I played guitar! this album comtinues to blow me away!
Search for it on eBay. Got a copy for sale there .
Quote by BILL CONNORS ~ "I wanted to sound like Eric Clapton playing [John] Coltrane."
Quote by BILL CONNORS ~ "I don't have a huge ego, but it still hurt when people would tell me that I must've listened to a lot of Al DiMeola. I was robbed of my identity, that my Guitar was like a credit card that had been stolen and I'd been left to play the bill."
Whoever said that about Connors’ guitar style was a complete idiot thinking he borrowed from Al D. Connors sounds nothing like muted picking Al D.
Wow so sad. Bill and Al are worlds apart in their distinctive sounds.
DiMeola's influences were flamenco and McLaughlin - he doesn't sound like Coonors or vise-versa ...
Bill Connors Guitar solo on "Theme To The Mothership" is otherworldly and simply mind-blowing!
You know, this version of Return To Forever had the exciting adventurism of Chick's prior group Circle!
I just found it on facebook and I love this and again it proves that Bill Connors was afar more interesting guitar player then Al D during those days. keep on delivering the goods!
Bill is 24 here? Unreal.
I love Space Circus. 😎
Hymn of Seventh Galaxy was one of the first jazz fusion albums I ever heard. Opened my eyes to a whole new world of music and amazing musicians.
For me it was Birds of Fire, then RTF, then Larry Coryell. Those were the glory days of fusion. But to this day there's nothing like fusion to stroke the neurons...
Thank God we have this to listen to!
I wish Polydor would release archive Return To Forever live material with Bill Connors!
This is one of their better gigs!
This was recorded less than a month after they recorded Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy in August, 1973.
Bill was on fire. Had him as a teacher for a few lessons just after he quit the band in Bolinas, A kind and patient guy, he helped me a lot.
He is so laid back that sometimes you want to check his pulse. Such a wonderful teacher.
I found him a quiet and introspective person when meeting in 1973. Do you know if there are any recordings of the playing he did w Art Lande and Mike Nock in LA area , before RTF. always wondered how he sounded / played in his earlier Jazz rock days before chick period.
@@bobanbu I also met Bill in 73 in Bolinas. Later I also took music Appreciaton class with Lande in Berkeley. I doubt there are recordings with Lande aadn Bill. But there are some from Paul Bley and some old solo concert tunes on CZcams. I mase a few new recodings on my page where I fially wrote some things related to Bill's Guardian Album, like my tune Femme Fatale and Forest Dream. Ck it out. .
Why did he leave RTF?
And was it an abrupt departure?
@@robertgiles9124 how about any recordings, tapes, with Mike Nock, I heard bill played w him for awhile? Mike is an unrecognized early jazz rock original!
This is an incredible performance- THANKS so much for the post. Had Bill not left RTF the world might never got to enjoy the great Al D, but man-what might have been if Bill stayed, even if only for another album or two?
Agree 110%
Bill Connors was the guitarist on Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy...this opening song!
These guys were Titans!
A superb editing job!
Thank you for posting this concert, a true gem for Return to Forever fans.
RIP Chick Corea. 🌹🌹🌹
Quote by BILL CONNORS ~ "The whole Fusion thing. It became a gun~slinger thing. It became a competitive boy thing.
When Jeff Beck came out playing with Jan Hammer, I thought, 'Well this takes the cake.'
You try and find some meaning and depth, and then that becomes a joke. That's what kind of happened to Fusion."
Note: In 1976, my late brother, Anthony and I, attended a concert by by Jeff Beck and the Jan Hammer Group and it was okay, but even then I found myself immersed listening to "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy", the "Stanley Clarke" album, and the "Julien Priester/Pepo Motto Love, Love" album, which features Bill Connors on "Prologue".
If you haven't heard it before, it's on CZcams
Bill Connors is only in one track.
It was recorded in 1973.
Everyone pales in comparison to Bill Connors!
But, I must say it was also Chick's and Stan's compositions that were so compelling and revetting! 🎸
One of my favorite aspects of this lineup is that Stanley had not started playing an Alembic yet. His Ric blends wonderfully with Connors and Chick's left hand.
Never really noticed that. 😉👍
The otherworldly sounds of William "Bill" Connors!
Much appreciated . . . thank you for posting. Love the band. This iteration of RTF I have a particularly soft spot for . . .
You’re so welcome.😎👍🎼🎸
Bill Connors is simply the greatest exponent of Jazz/Rock Guitar!
Connors had an other worldly sound! His phrasing is so innovative!
I love Chick's use of the Electric Piano! Chick was the greatest exponent on that instrument! I always preferred that he had just stayed exclusively on the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano!
This "live" version of "Theme To The Mothership" is much better than the studio version!
I always felt that the studio version sounded rather thin!
Chick's composing on "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" was his most innovative and aesthetic!
All of this band's live appearances should have been recorded!
RETURN TO FOREVER FEATURING CHICK COREA
Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy
Theme To The Mothership (Chick Corea)
Bass Folk Song ( Stan Clarke)
Space Circus Part I (Chick Corea)
Space Circus Part II (Chick Corea)
Spain (Chick Corea)
Captain Señor Mouse (Chick Corea)
The Game Maker (Chick Corea)
R.I.P. ARMANDO ANTHONY "CHICK" COREA.
Agreed agreed & agreed!😎👍🎼🎶🎸🎹🥁
...cheers for the track listing..Bill Connors is a revelation at how to play..spontaneous feeling with ..head lines...great behind the beat idiosyncratic bends and vibrato 🐝🌈💫
I read somewhere Connors stating that Tenor Saxophonist Wayne Shorter influenced his phrasing!
GREAT JOB YOU MADE THIS SOUND AMAZING!!!!
THANKS!!😉👍
I'm rocking hard to this. Hymn of the 7th Galaxy is one of my favorite albums. Hey -you might enjoy my album-- I play all the instruments: czcams.com/video/qjcsY4FCPIU/video.html
Bill Connors, yeah ! Thank you for the music.
Quando presenta la formazione ho i brividi..... 💖
You said, “when he presents the lineup I shiver…….” And I agree 100%!
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic ❤️
saw them in 74 so great to have my memory refreshed how great they were with Bill
Bill Connors' Guitar solo on "Theme To The Mothership" is Transcendent and Spellbinding!
Jesus man, freaking incredible playing by all here. 6 freaking decades of creativity and Chick's creative genius was bottomless. RIP.
Hymn of the seventh galaxy has always been my favorite album and this is my first time hearing this performance of that particular album RIP Chick Corea
ditto
Thank you so much for sharing this. Chicks passing sent me on a search for this concert which I attended with some friends. Weather report closed this show. Their sound was perhaps fuller and louder, but now getting to listen to this return to forever recording I can realize how great their set was as well. A far cry from the show I saw them play at the jazz workshop Boston in the spring of 73 great musical times back then. Seems like every day was a new revelation.
OMG! I had no idea Chick had passed until you just told us here. Cancer indeed took him at 79. At least his music lives on. I'm glad this recording was here for you to re-experience RTF.😥🎼🎶🎹
Thank you. The consciousness of the planet will be elevated today as people worldwide visit sites such as yours in search of Chick's music.
That was a great afternoon on the lawn. I was 16! Weather Report was doing Sweetnighter (125th St Congress) that summer. Another life-changing sound!
I was at this show. Weather Report headlined w/ Miroslav and Greg Errico from Sly on drums. A weird thing happened at this show. They stopped it during Chicks set and said there had been a bomb threat. Everyone had to leave there stuff and get off the lawn. Amazingly it didn't ruin the day and things got back to normal and the show went on after awhile. I remember each band was watching the other from the side of the stage totally digging it. Thanks for posting this.
Wow ! incredible story thanks for sharing !
I was there as well. Music Inn was the best venue! It was a natural amphitheater and the sky was full of helium balloons, the air full of sandalwood incense. I saw Mahavishnu Orchestra there the same summer! I had never heard of Weather Report (though I loved Miles Davis); I went to see Return to Forever. This is a fantastic recording - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy live!!
Lucky you!😎👍🎼🎸
I was at this show as well, sitting on the lawn up close in the front. Great memories. I was in heaven.
I have not heard Spain with Bill Conners since I was a teenager when two of my friends and I heard that RTF was making an appearance at some award show at the Palladium in Hollywood. We went down there and it turned out to be an all day Scientology event. We got in through an unwatched rear door about noon. RTF didn't come on till 9pm. There are few bands that I'd sit through a whole day of rubbish for with nothing to eat, RTF was one of them. Bill Conner did a solo at the end of Spain that was blistering. It's not on the arrangement here, it looks like Staanley took the honors. Geez, to our halcyon days...
Scientology 👎
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic Yep. It turned out Chick was a dedicated Scientologist. Thanks for posting this. It really took me back. My wife and I saw RTF a few times with the original line up.
@@JC-rb3hj u r welcome.
Quote by BILL CONNORS (Down beat Magazine's "Profile" Section) ~ October 25,1973 ~
"It's been a lot of work getting the group's sound together. As a result, total communication has developed within the group. You'll be able to hear this ~ Return To Forever playing as a unit ~ when our new album is released before the end of this year."
I was at this show have been wondering for yrs if this was recorded! Bill C! I think it was a double bill with Weather Report with Alphonse Mouzon Miroslav Vitous. Great venue behind Tanglewood!
My brother and I were there too! We followed both bands to Avery Fisher Hall for a Newport double bill.
I recall back in '74, after seeing Return To Forever at Doug Weston's Troubadour, finding an old " 1973 Los Angeles Free Press" newspaper in a stack of old Pop/Rock magazines and I was staggered!
After opening the newspaper I went to the concert section and it had an announcement that Return To Forever was appearing at Doug Weston's Troubadour in August,1973!
That's when Bill Connors was in the band and they recorded "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy"! That was a month before the gig on this upload!
I called out to my brother and explained what I'd found and we just stood there lamenting what could have been!
You see, I didn't discover Return To Forever untill roughly December,1973 when a Drummer friend of ours let my brother borrow the "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" album!
I DISCOVERED RTF RIGHT AFTER SEEING THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA IN D.C. RTF WITH CONNORS RELEASE SIMPLY BLEW MY MIND. I HAD THOSE RTF SONGS REPLAYING IN MY HEAD FOR LIKE 6 MONTHS. I WAS AN INSTANT FAN. THEN CONNORS LEFT AND THAT LOVE FADED AWAY QUICKLY.
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic My late brother Anthony, a Guitar player who idolized Allan Holdsworth, and I saw The Mahavishnu Orchestra at the Long Beach Arena in November,1973 a month before they broke up.
My brother took pictures! I still have the negatives!
He also photographed Return To Forever at Doug Weston's Troubadour.
Sadly, I'll never forget opening I believe the January, 1974 issue of Down Beat and reading the heading which was something like The Inner Mounting Flame Goes Out.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra broke up on December 31,1973.
You know, I love Mahavishnu John McLaughlin's Guitar work which was rooted in Jazz but stressed Indian odd meters and his solos were also rooted in Indian music.
Bill Connors was a true JAZZ/ROCK GUITARIST! and the best in my opinion!
I would have to say that my all~time favourite John McLaughlin album is "Devotion" album in which he was advised by Jimi Hendrix while recording it.
The Rhythm Section sounds like A Band Of Gypsys.
Devotion Lineup ~
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ~ Guitar Fender Jaguar with effects pedals.🎸
LARRY YOUNG ~ Hammond B3 Organ🎹
BILLY RICH ~ Bass🎸
BUDDY MILES ~ Drums🥁
@@raulmacias1311 Raul, any chance you could produce some prints from those negatives? And of course share them somehow? If so, contact me via www.SourceCodeX.com 😎👍🎼🎸
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic If you send me your address, I will mail you the prints! I have extra prints which are 5X5 in size.
Back then my parents owned an Argus Camera and the negatives were large.
There are 4 prints of The Mahavishnu Orchestra ~
1. Mahavishnu John McLaughlin Praying
2. Mahavishnu Soloing with Jerry Goodman on his right playing Electric Violin. Goodman's hair is shorter in length having had it trimmed!
Billy Cobham is visible behind Mahavishnu.
3. Jan Hammer soloing on his Mini Moog with Rick Laird in the background playing Bass.
4. The end of the gig and you see Mahavishnu smiling and acknowledging the applause while Billy Cobham has his back turned walking away from his fibes Acrylic Drums.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra weren't getting along anymore because Jerry, Jan, and Rick gave an infamous interview to "Crawdaddy" Magazine accusing Mahavishnu of dominating the songwriting.
Billy Cobham stated in the interview that he would hold back his pieces for his solo album which turned out to be "Spectrum".
Needless to say, Mahavishnu felt betrayed! He felt that Jerry, Jan and Rick should have simply come to him instead of going to the Press.
Jan Hammer had his "Sister Andrea" included on the "Between Nothingness And Eternity" live album which was recorded live in Central Park at the Schaefer Music Festival on August 17 & 18,1973.
Rick Laird's excellent Steppings Tones" was recorded live but not included on the album! It was eventually released on a Mahavishnu Orchestra Box set with other live tracks recorded at the Festival for the "Between Nothingness And Eternity" live album.
As you are more likely aware, Jerry Goodman and Jan Hammer recorded a collaborative album called "Like Children" in 1974 which included Goodman's excellent "I Wonder" as part of a track called "Giving In Gently" and Rick Laird's "Steppings Tones'.
Those three tracks by Hammer, Laird and Goodman were recorded in England in the Summer of 1973 and finally released many years later on "The Lost Trident Sessions". I believe Mahavishnu's Guitar solo on "I Wonder" to be his finest ever! So much Spirituality!
Mahavishnu was obviously influenced by Devadip Carlos Santana!
I have a CZcams channel and I'd like to learn how to upload pictures and videos.
Can you tell how this can be down?
6:38. LOVE that guitar tone!
A great inspiration to me for playing guitar and music for many years
and the same here . . .😎👍
They were getting into some heavy ESP. Chick was so precise but still with nuance and angles. Stunned at how good this is.
Conners is playing his ass off. Thank you so much for this.
Oh yeah. Yr welcome man. 😎👍🎸
Excellent! Bill Connors is really smoking on this one! He's really that good! More melodic than DiMeola!
Oh yeah. Exactly so.
Yeah you're right. Lots of feeling, blues.
This is the band and music that put it all together for me.
Quote by BILL CONNORS ~ "My sound would just pervade. Chick would end up having to take me off the P.A."
This quote explains why on the three "live " tracks on the compilation "Return To The 7th Galaxy", Bill Connors is mixed very low!
Return To Forever performed ~
Spain
After The Cosmic Rain
Bass Folk Song.
I sometimes felt that Bill Connors threatened to steal the limelight from Chick with his explosive and intense soloing!
Thanks for posting this. I was fortunate to have seen this edition of RTF quite a number of times back in those years. Once they opened for The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Those were the days !! Loved the playing of Bill Connors.
Set list from my cdr copy of many years ago
Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
Theme to the Mothership
Bass Folk Song
Children's Song #1 / Space Circus
Spain
Show interruption / Bomb scare
Captain Senor Mouse
The Game Maker
Thanks for the set list. I edited out the "Show interruption / Bomb scare" portion for continuity.
This is great to hear, the album was very muddy sounding and Connors guitar was buried in the mix quite a bit. This sounds much clearer. I agree the album with Connors was more adventurous and raw than subsequent ones with Dimiola and beyond. It captured a particular moment in fusion evolution. I recall an interview with Connors. He had got the call to join RTF, and was expecting Light As A Feather and 500 Miles High. He loved acoustic music and so was really surprised when he showed up for the first rehearsal and saw big stacks of amplifiers. I guess he adjusted but he left after this tour, I suppose he didn’t dig the direction. His solo albums afterward were ECM type recordings, serene acoustic nylon guitar with Jack de Johnette, like “Of Mist and Melting”. Later he returned to electric guitar with the lovely album “Assembler”. The other interesting thing was that Steve Gadd was first choice for RTF, but Gadd had a new wife and family and didn’t want to be away from the LA studio scene which was his bread and butter.
Thanks for the background information. 👍😊👍
...the ..Game Maker..is hilarious.Everyone is going off...brilliant.Thanks for posting 🐝🌈 ...it is ALIVE with..Whitman’s..Body Electric ⚡️..the to and fro...and the transcending PAST...
U R SO WELCOME.
I recently had a discussion with a friend and fellow guitarist, Bill Conners vs Al DiMeola guess I was right. This album nails Bill as the winner. That and for many of the reasons already stated below.
Quote by BILL CONNORS (GUITAR PLAYER ~ OCTOBER,1974)
When asked about his amplification equipment, Connors smiles and says, 'Oh, that's a question I get all the time.
You see, I have a Hiwatt top ~ which is really half an amp, the electrical part ~ and then I use a Hiwatt bottom with four 12" speakers.
I also use a Fender Twin Reverb. I don't have them running into one another, however. I just mix the sounds.
Some of my other equipment includes a volume pedal, a phase shifter and a four ~ range booster.'
Wow! What equipment Connors was using at that time!
Quote by BILL CONNORS ~ "My sound would just pervade.
Chick would end up having to take me off the P.A." 🎸
Stanley, Corea, Bill and Lenox genius forever
I grew up in the DC area and luckily became friends with members of the high school jazz lab who had started a band featuring RTF tunes. They led me to The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire, and when Hymn came out it blew me away. I saw Mahavishnu at Constitution Hall in 73 but sorry to say I didn't see RTF until 74 with Al D. Connors is one of my all-time favorites.
Cool history. I saw Mahavishnu same year, same place. Perhaps you sat nearby. How weird is that? Never saw RTF.
Dude, so cool, I saw MO in 73 at Constitution Hall (also in 74 w/JLP and Narada) but saw Conners with Chick at Kennedy Center Larry Coryell -11th house Randy Becker Mouzon opened !, must've been 73 we were knocked out of socks-had an idea who Coryell was but not Chick - we were 15 yr old rock clods lol Also saw Soft Machine W Holds worth there So cool
@@poundaloudsound3447 Lucky Lucky you!!😎👍🎼🎸
Chick and Stan never wrote such Cosmic pieces again!
"Theme To The Mothership" is my all~time favourite!
The sounds of "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" were a mixture of "Circle" and "Jazz/Rock"!
Yo, what's Circle?
"Circle" was an Avant Garde "Free Jazz" combo that Chick fronted between 1970~1971.
They would mix elements of Classical and Jazz into the mix.
It was very heady music!
Thank you so much. I listened to RTF with this line-up in Milan in 1973 (can't remember the month) when I was 16, and after the sad news of Chick's passing I was searching something of that period. This means a lot for me.
You are so very welcome. Sadly, I never saw RTF live. I only saw The Mahavishnu Orchestra back in the day.
Wow, as I learn more about RTF, I looked up Wikipedia, and now discovered this guy Bill Connors.
Damn, the guy plays with fire from the Soul! A new take on RTF for me, as I heard of ADM first.
Yep. Fire 🔥 from the soul was Connors in the first successful hard fusion incarnation of RTF. Al D was hyper technical on the frets with his unique muted percussive trick but RTF was never the same fusion gut punch as with Connors on axe. RTF after Connors always seemed to meander and was overall a lackluster listen. Only RTF’s Romantic Warrior was worth owning back then ( my review is here: www.allaboutjazz.com/romantic-warrior-return-to-forever-columbia-records-review-by-aaj-staff ) and Al D’s Land of the Midnight Sun is a very solo effort.
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic Yes, both those great players are so unique to one another. I wonder how the two might have complimented one another if they had done a one night duo thing live. For me, Connors is awesome because I can relate to his less technical savvy that ADM has. Both great in their own rights.
Connors album Step It is really good... shows an influence of Alan Holdsworth on his playing at that time.
This is gold for any long time fusion fan like myself!! Thank you so much!
This live gig was recorded one month after Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy was recorded.
I dig Bill Connors' solo on Theme To The Mothership here more so than on the album!
All of Connors' solos are much more explosive!
You're a legend my dude! That live was
buried in the vast amount of lost jewels of the time. Thanks for sharing it!
Glad I could find it to share it here! It's a great show.
THANK YOU SO MUCH ! good sound ! sound of drums ! GOOD !
❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
Incredible! ...what a find to hear this on you tube!! I can listen to Bill Connors play all day, he was one of the greatest guitarists of that genre without question. In fact I could never listen to Return To Forever records without him, there's no comparison really. It wasn't only him leaving to be honest, I don't think Chick Corea wrote material like this again, and he played more moog synthasizer than electric piano after which was a disaster.
Connors was indeed fusion guitar majesty whereas Al D was flash and technically precise with no feeling.
@@JazzFusionGuy So true, and if we can hear the difference what was Chick Corea thinking? It wasn't just one album which you might understand, he kept playing with DiMeola, I could never figure that out.
I love Al's playing, but Bill was unique and had both a brilliant style and tone. Why did he leave?
@@MrMjp58 chick’s weird scientology stuff was suppressing bill connor’s ability to suppress himself. It seems like chick had a certain guitar part in mind for his compositions, like romantic warrior, and it wasn’t connor’s lyrical and spaced out wailing.
Di Meola has said numerous times that chick wrote the RTF stuff specifically for guitar as the forefront instrument. Apparently chick had a specific style he wanted, and bill felt like he was being forced into something he wasn’t. Who knows what really went down some 45+ years ago.
I agree with the sentiments but respectfully disagree with the Moog part I luved the show I saw at Exit Inn in Nashville, '74 two weeks after l D. joined and Al blew my mind as well but Bill Conners was "the man" in retrospect. Anyhoo I was sitting about4 or 5 maybe six feet in the front at Exit Inn, Whoa! It was soooo great! :) Phil Sadler p.s.I especially like the rendition of "Bass Folk Song" on this recording! Smiles and Grins forever! ;)
Beautiful job! This was one of those those rare bands that were better live than their studio albums. A real treat to hear this.
Thanks! Indeed better live fusion -- more room to stretch and feed off the audience energy -- and the magic of the moment.
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic Saw RTF in a small coffeehouse in Syracuse NY with Connors. Caught Mahavishnu, Weather Report, Tony Williams w/ Holdsworth at the same place. Wow, we were spoiled. I always found it kind of amazing that Connors would quit every guitarist's dream job with RTF, run off and and make a series of ethereal and absolutely gorgeous acoustic guitar albums, never to return to the limelight.
Chick is gone. Lyle Mays too. And Keith can't play any more. It seriously sucks.
13:07 - 14:00 and beyond is just mind blowing
Agreed!😎👍🎹🎸🥁
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@raul macias Concerning the long-standing debate concerning Bill Connors vs. Al Di Meola in RTF: Al D's best efforts to my ears was 1) Land Of The Midnight Sun, 2) Elegant Gypsy and his playing on RTF's 3) Romantic Warrior -- but many fusion rock guitar fans prefer RTF with Connors as Connors played with such unpredictable fiery emotive rockin' out abandon. Al D was a technical chops monster but lacked that soul-fire Connors exuded everywhere -- especially on live recordings where he was allowed to stretch. Connors was Van Gogh (amazing adventurous impressionism) and Al D was Seurat (detailed preset pointillism). Now did Stanley Clarke ask Al D to play on his 1974 solo release? No. He asked Bill Connors to guest. And that release shows clearly that Clarke made the right choice. Connors solos are over-the-top AMAZING! And by-the-way. I am a guitarist since 1967 and a professional music reviewer. www.allaboutjazz.com/anthology-al-di-meola-columbia-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php
LISTEN TO THE EXCELLENT “THEME TO THE MOTHERSHIP” 4:08 through 15:26
www.SourceCodeX.com
You know, I read an interview with Stanley Clarke in which he said that the rehearsals for his "Stanley Clarke" album were much better than those on the official release!
Clarke said they were burnin'!
If you've heard one DiMeola solo, you've heard 'em all!
When DiMeola solos, he sounds like he's practicing scales!
Strictly no emotion!
DiMeola was the antithesis of Bill Connors' adventurous and unpredictable soloing!
The only Al DiMeola Guitar solo that I ever liked was on "Celebration Suite Part II".
@@raulmacias1311 I wish somebody had rolled tape on those! Maybe I could contact Stan and he’d know if those rehearsals were taped and still exist! 😎👍
I used to own a copy of a mid to late '70's issue of "Guitar Player" in which Stanley Clarke was featured. In the accompanying interview, Stanley remembered thinking that Al DiMeola was simply terrible! and that Chick was impressed with DiMeola!
I dig them both. I think it's pointless to compare the two. Al D is truly a legend and amazing guitarist. I'm a big fan of his 70's solo records. Very well done. I saw him live at Yoshi's in Oakland with a smokin' band. I've seen many shows at Yoshi's. His show was the best sounding show I ever heard in that venue and he played extremely well and the composing and playing was amazing. When I saw the RTF reunion in 2008 in San Francisco... he kinda stole the show in my opinion.
Glad I saw it because this is I think the best set I've ever heard by them. Many thanks for the beautiful quality.
Thank you for posting. This is great.
Astonishing!
PHS ‘80??
???
Thank you for this recording. Big fan of RTF!!!!
great recording of Return to Forever featuring my old guitar teach Bill Connors. I took lessons from him when I was living in Santa Cruz, CA and he was living in Half Moon Bay after he left RTF. I use to pay him in weed in those days. We spent 4 days in Carmel, staying at my brothers house while attending the Classical guitar festival. He was into Julian Bream at the time. I got to hang with my idol in those days. he taught me technique. Thought I would share the music that motivated me to be a musician. I was also into Mahavishnu Orchestra. The Fusion music genre spawned during my teen years. While others at 16 were listening to Led Zep, Grand Funk and others, i was into the Fusion genre. Thanks for posting the music.
I used to converse via email with Bill Connors' brother. He said Bill practiced his guitar for hours on end. Great you had him as a guitar teacher. I hear Connors' phrasing in your soloing. Yeah, I was 16 when The Mahavishnu Ork blasted on the scene. My high school musician friends turned me on to them. Then along came RTF and then came Larry Coryell and the 11th House. I put all my Hendrix, Grand Funk, Zeppelin and Captain Beyond away in the bottom drawer and had my neurons permanently rewired by the magic of Fusion rock. It greatly effected the way I play guitar to this day. Of course, I have to mention the late great Allan Holdsworth too -- hearing him with Bruford and U.K. was yet another guitarist super nova. Ergo my channel. Thanks for your comments. Hey man, why don't you release a CD dedicated the Connors' style of fusion guitar? Just a thought . . .
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic Thank you for this....you both describe my teen years , exactly.. RTF, MO changed my musical life at 14...forever
Such an underrated guitar player. I love his slightly "sour" tone, do you know if he used a phase pedal on his guitar?
@@TomWats0n I have watched RTF with Connors on some DVDs I have and cameras never showed any pedal board that Connors stomped. Frankly, my guess is, being a former rock music player, I bet he had some pedals in his arsenal. Just not sure. He was so much more of a better player soul-wise and creatively unpredictable than DiMeola ever could think of. DiMeola was flash and robotic technique but without the fiery stylings Connors pulled off every 10 seconds within a solo. IMHO
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic Hah! I found it on a gear page, as well as the LP and 200W Marshall head, he use a Maestro Phase pedal and a Maestro treble booster. Heading over to Reverb right now 😁 thanks again for this post, amazing, just amazing 🙏
There is no doubt that Bill Connors was truly Transcendent!
His phrasing during his solos are other worldly and truly Cosmic!
Although, I love Mahavishnu John McLaughlin's Guitar work and compositions, Bill Connors is truly the most exciting and unorthodox Guitar Soloist I've ever heard in my life!
Mahavishnu's solos like DiMeola's all sound the same.
Bill Conners doesn’t have the body of work as John McLaughlin acoustic or electric guitar you need to stop
Nice Stuff!!!
The Return To Forever Polydor "Music Laden" DVD is still available on eBay for $85.00
I tried to find the original airdate on the Music Laden archive listing and it isn't there!
YOURS TRULY IS SELLING IT.😃
73 - pioneering - all this off bitches brew - ny was doing it - pushing it - this is great wish i was up on it then - saw rtf soon after.
After a lifetime of listening to the studio recording, at last a great live recording of this incredible - and the best IMHO - line-up of RTF. Thank you so much.
Yeah man. I was just like you when I first heard this. Wish I had seen them live. I only saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra onstage.😎👍🎼🎶🎸🥁🎹
@@JazzFusionGuy oh man, Mahavishnu! Closest I got was the Clarke - Duke Project, close but no cigar 😁
@@TomWats0n That was the most amazing concert I ever experienced at the DAR Constitution Hall in downtown Washington, DC. Took my girlfriend who totally was confused my the whole Maha Ork obsession I had. Saw them again at the same place in the second incarnation with Jean-Luc Ponty and McLaughlin's weird fusion chamber orchestra line-up. 1st band was the best. First show, McLaughlin asked for total silence before he would play. And he got it! Some idiot screamed, "Rock and roll!" as Birds of Fire slowly began. Unforgettable moments. The Maha Ork & RTF & Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House totally rewired my neurons and here I am still listening to, promoting fusion bands and still struggling to play it on my guitar.
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic fantastic, these were bands we rarely got the chance to see in Scotland, e being slightly on the young side when they were at their peak. I was about 13 or 14 and a "weirdo" at school for listening to them lol!
@@TomWats0n Fortunately my closest friend was who turned me on to MO and RTF! (he was a trained musician & quite the pothead). At first listen, I didn't really get it but after a couple spins -- I was totally a fusion addict. I set aside all my rock LPs and sought out fusion music for the rest of my life. My devotion to the genre was what allowed me to get backstage and personal with the likes of Shawn Lane, Scott McGill and Chris Poland & Ohm. I spoke with Allan Holdsworth several times over the phone to do an interview for www.EER-Music.com & www.JazzRock-Radio.com but he always said, "I'm too busy, now's not a good time every time we spoke." Oh well.
Bill Connors Guitar solo on Theme To The Mothership is superior than on "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy!
Just discovered RTF. Incredible! Great work music. How do they remember all those complex changes!
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Agreed, much prefer Bill Connors. His sound was part due to the guitar, which was a les Paul formerly owned by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. Peter had rewound the coils of the pickups and they had ended up ‘out of phase’ which somewhat contributes to Bill’s unique sound.
Thanks for that interesting background info!
Bill Connors did not own Peter Green's Les Paul. According to several accounts I've read Greeny as it was nicknamed was owned by Green until he sold it to his friend guitarist Gary More for 300 dollars. Metallica's Kurt Hammett is guitar's current owner. I'm curious as to how Bill's name got mix up in that tale. Don't take my word for it. You can read about the ownership lineage here: www.thaliacapos.com/blogs/blog/one-legendary-guitar-three-legendary-owners-the-greeny-moore-les-paul You can also read a detailed discussion of Bill's RTF era gear here: www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/bill-connors-rtf-gear.844689/ Not going get whole "tone" thing as I'd attribute Bill's sound more to what he plays and how he plays it than any piece of gear he played trough. Bill's been a huge inspiration to me musically. Its unfortunate that he is so under appreciated.
BILL CONNORS!
Theme To The Mothership!
This solo is more like it!
The solo on "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" I found lacked the intensity of this solo!
Spain at 36:42 is last carry over from previous RTF...great to hear how this group played that RIP Maestro , CHICK!
Génial !!!!
I like Al and I like Bill. Al is speed and Bill is loaded with feeling.
What I do here on my channel takes many hours of dedication to you fans out there. If you would like to send a small donation my way, you can do so here: paypal.me/MusicPromoter?locale.x=en_US Thanks!
CHICK COREA!
One of Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea's most "Cosmic" pieces!
It has elements of his prior combo "Circle".
Quote by BRITT ROBSON (Article ~ "Smooth But Not Somnambulant: The Finger Picking Slide Of Earl Klugh") ~ "The first time I ever heard the name Earl Klugh, he was being introduced from the stage by Keyboardist Chick Corea at a little club on the campus of the University of Washington way back in 1974. It was a bizarre juxtaposition: At that point Corea had wholeheartedly tumbled into Progressive Jazz Rock with Return To Forever, Bassist Stanley Clarke, and Drummer Lenny White blaze through RTF tunes such as "Theme To The Mothership" and "Captain Señor Mouse" this slight, shy, teenaged Guitarist was doing his best to keep up.
Klugh laughs when the Seattle gig is mentioned, relating that it was his second show with Return To Forever, and that he was added with almost no notice or rehearsal when Bill Connors dropped out of the group."
RETURN TO FOREVER FEATURING CHICK COREA ~ EBBETTS FIELD HOUSE ~ DENVER, COLORADO ~
JUNE 4,1973
Chick Corea ~ Electric Piano
Stan Clarke ~ Bass
Bill Connors ~ Guitar
James "Mingo" Lewis ~ Congas & Percussion
Darryl Brown ~ Drums
Note: Prior to joining Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea, Brown gigged with Weather Report.
I've been to many of their concerts over the years. Everyone sold out.
I hope you got to see RTF with Bill Connors. 😎👍
@@JazzFusionGuy No unfortunately not. BUT. This was what I was introduced to and fell in love. Al was a well accepted replacement.
@@billdegaynor5508 Yes. He totally accepted and on Romantic Warrior -- he was outstanding. 👍
Dear Jazz Rock Fusion And Synthesizer Music,
This is a priceless upload!
Can you please remix this and omit the moving around, speaker to speaker, of the Lenny's hi hat and Chick and Bill's instruments?
It's kind of dizzying.
What sounds great is during Bill Connors Guitar solo, all the instruments are pretty much mix in the middle, ala, a Mono Mix which to me sounds much better!
By the way, please listen to "Elvin Jones Is On The Mountain with Jan Hammer and Gene Perla"!
Some of the tracks are You Tube.
Jan Hammer really shines on this album!
Sorry but no can do. That particular “effect” is in the original awful mix I found and my audio remastering program can’t undo that as I can’t address individual instruments or channels in that way. Now if I had access to a Cubase file with all instruments in their own tracks - then maybe in Cubase I could undo the left right channel dance. Just enjoy the show as is - warts and all.
Quote in DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE ~ "POTPOURRI" SECTION" ~ JUNE 20,1974 ~
"George Benson recently had his quartet decimated when Drummer Dave Parrish and Acoustic Guitarist Earl Klugh left for "economic reasons." (The quartet had been together for more than a year.)
At last report, Parrish was organizing a Pop Group, and Earl Klugh had plugged in and joined Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea.
He replaced Bill Connors."
Quote by. ARMANDO ANTHONY "CHICK" COREA ~ "I believe that any 'Awareness' of life is 'Spiritual' since awareness can only be a quality of the Spirit not of matter and machines. Only a Spiritual being has Awareness."
I love Al Di too, but Billy was just my favourite. Beautiful feel...tone, and note choice....BTW what happened to the Music Laden (?) Live video on You Tube???
"what happened to the Music Laden (?) Live video on You Tube???" SEE THE WHOLE SAD STORY HERE: czcams.com/video/Riw1UP-EvN0/video.html A GERMAN MEDIA COMPANY HAD EVERY INSTANCE OF THIS "SOMETIME AGO Music Laden 1974" VIDEO ZAPPED FROM CZcams AND I ALSO WARNED OTHER CZcamsRS I HAD CONTACT INFO FOR TO PULL THEIR COPY OF "SOMETIME AGO Music Laden 1974" BEFORE THEY GOT HIT LIKE I DID. I WOULD OFFER FREE STREAMING OF IT FOR THOSE INTERESTED BUT I AM AFRAID OF MORE LEGAL ACTIONS. OH WELL.
@@JazzRockFusionSynthesizerMusic thank you for your reply...these copyright strikes are ridiculous....especially when there is very very little footage of Billy!!!
What made "Hymn Of the Seventh Galaxy" so special was Chick's and Stan's Cosmic and Science Fiction inspired compositions! I believe it was their being members of Scientology. Bill Connors' fiery Guitar playing suited the music to perfection! Chick and Stanley never truly wrote the same again! I mean, the material on "Where Have I known You Before" pales in comparison!
Although, I always felt that Return To Forever's album should have been entitled "Beyond The Seventh Galaxy"! The lead track should have been "Beyond The Seventh Galaxy"!
RETURN TO FOREVER FEATURING CHICK COREA ~
NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL ~ PHILHARMONIC HALL ~ JULY 6,1973 ~
Chick Corea ~ Electric Piano
Stan Clarke ~ Bass
Bill Connors ~ Guitar
James "Mingo" Lewis ~ Congas & Percussion
Lenny White ~ Drums
Good bye Chick Corea. Rest in Peace.
June 12, 1941 - February 9, 2021
We remember you!
czcams.com/video/Y5yDNAbq3nQ/video.html
czcams.com/video/HgiGndxhsr0/video.html
czcams.com/video/SrCYinNoaMY/video.html
& rise in glory
This is a treat! Question: since you enhanced the audio (good job on that) did you also make the panning changes? In some tunes, the keys and guitar change sides (from left to right and vise versa) in the middle of a given song.
Thanks. Panning was artifact in original mix. Could not fix it.
Thank you for posting this. Saw this band back in 1973 on a dual bill with Herbie Hancock in New York City. Always liked Bill Conners more than Al. Al was a little to mechanical for me but great technique but kinda short on feeling. Bill Conners played a black Les Paul like John M that night. Such a great concert. Left that show on a cloud. Did you tweak the sound quality, it sounds better than most live shows I have heard of the band from this time.
I usually always remove noise and unwanted blurbage and crowd noise. Then I EQ each track and maximize dynamics. I mix each trak if needed into one smooth listening experience and then share shows like this on CZcams. 😉👍🎼🎶🎸🎹🥁
@@JazzFusionGuy You did one heck of a job, really appreciate the time you took to hook us up with this awesome musical experience!!!
@@groove1722 😎👍
There was some incredible footage of this line-up playing [in Germany] that seems to have disappeared from YT. Does anyone know where it went?
Yeah, that was remastered audio & sharpened video from Musik Laden '74 that I posted on my channel awhile back. Sadly, a German media company told CZcams to pull it and I got a copyright strike over it. I contacted the German media company to try and fairly work it all out -- stating I was promoting the Sometime Ago DVD product as well as informing the buying public. I made it clear I earn nothing on this channel. They never even acknowledged my existence. Sheesh!
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I have anumber of live recordings that could use your proffessional attention.Is there a set rate for this service? Thank You.
If you go to www.SourceCodeX.com please use the contact form there to reach me. If you can't do that, then repost any such problem here and we will try another way. Thanks!
Are you there? Please see my earlier response to yr question.
Why that stupid 2 down thumbs? No taste for nice music. Thanks
"Spain" is much better with flute!, I feel.
Always preferred Bill Connors, Al D sounded more like Chick, except on guitar.
Interesting observation...