Big Fun (album)
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| Big Fun | |||||
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| Studio album by Miles Davis | |||||
| Released | (2-LP) 19 April 1974 (2-CD) August 2001 |
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| Recorded | 19 November 1969 to 3 March 1970, and 12 June 1972, at Columbia Studio |
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| Genre | Jazz Fusion/Jazz-Rock | ||||
| Length | (2-LP) 1:38:45 (2-CD) 2:22:24 |
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| Label | (2-LP) Columbia (2-CD) Columbia/Legacy |
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| Producer | Teo Macero | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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| Miles Davis chronology | |||||
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Big Fun is a double album recorded between 1969 and 1972 by Miles Davis. It was released on April 19, 1974 as a double LP. Largely ignored on its original release, its 2001 extended reissue proves that the album was underappreciated.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Big Fun's main musical flavor is an Indian-tinged jazz-rock, often incorporating sitar, tambura, tabla, and other Indian instruments.
Most of the tracks were recorded during the 1969-1970 Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, plus "Go Ahead John" from the 1970 Tribute to Jack Johnson sessions, and "Ife" from the 1972 On the Corner sessions.
The original LP and its four side-long cuts was at the time largely ignored, or dismissed as filler material. The later CD reissue, and its four additional tracks, got more attention and respect, making it considered an underappreciated album.
Recollections, which is a reworking of Joe Zawinul's "In a Silent Way" was used in the film, Finding Forrester.
"Lonely Fire" was used as a sample in Notorious BIG's track "Suicidal Thoughts" on his album Ready to Die.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Original double LP release
[edit] Side A
- "Great Expectations/Orange Lady" (Davis, Zawinul) - 27:23
- "Great Expectations" (Davis, Zawinul) - 13:34
- "Orange Lady" (Zawinul) - 13:49
[edit] Side B
- "Ife" (Davis) - 21:34
[edit] Side C
- "Go Ahead John" (Davis) - 28:27
[edit] Side D
- "Lonely Fire" (Davis) - 21:21
[edit] 2001 CD reissue
[edit] CD 1
- "Great Expectations/Orange Lady" - 27:23
- "Ife" - 21:34
- "Recollections" (Zawinul) - 18:55
- "Trevere" (Davis) - 5:55
[edit] CD 2
- "Go Ahead John" - 28:27
- "Lonely Fire" - 21:21
- "The Little Blue Frog" (Davis) - 9:10
- "Yaphet" (Davis) - 9:39
Note: "Great Expectations/Orange Lady" is often shortened to "Great Expectations".
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Musical staff
- "Great Expectations/Orange Lady" (1 November 1969 - Columbia Studio E)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- John McLaughlin - electric guitar
- Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar, tamboura
- Bihari Sharima - electric sitar, tamboura
- Herbie Hancock - electric piano
- Chick Corea - electric piano
- Ron Carter - double bass
- Harvey Brooks - Fender bass guitar
- Billy Cobham - drums
- Airto Moreira - percussion
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Sonny Fortune - soprano saxophone, flute
- Bennie Maupin - clarinet, flute
- Carlos Garnett - soprano saxophone
- Lonnie Liston Smith - piano
- Harold I. Williams, Jr. - piano
- Michael Henderson - double bass
- Al Foster - drums
- Billy Hart - drums
- Badal Roy - tabla
- James Mtume - African percussion
- + "Recollections" (6 February 1970 - Columbia Studio B)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Wayne Shorter - soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- John McLaughlin - guitar
- Joe Zawinul - electric piano (left)
- Chick Corea - electric piano (right)
- Dave Holland - electric bass guitar
- Billy Cobham - triangle
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- Airto Moreira - cuíca, percussion
- + "Trevere" (28 November 1969 - Columbia Studio E)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- Chick Corea - electric piano
- Larry Young - organ, celeste
- Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar
- Bihari Sharima - tamboura
- Harvey Brooks - electric bass guitar
- Dave Holland - double bass
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- Billy Cobham - drums
- Airto Moreira - cuíca, berimbau
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
- John McLaughlin - electric guitar
- Dave Holland - double bass
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- "Lonely Fire" (28 November 1969 - Columbia Studio E)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- Khalil Balakrishna - sitar, Indian instruments
- Chick Corea - electric piano
- Joe Zawinul - electric piano, Farfisa organ
- Dave Holland - double bass
- Harvey Brooks - Fender bass guitar
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- Billy Cobham - drums
- Airto Moreira - Indian instruments, percussion
- + "The Little Blue Frog" (28 November 1969 - Columbia Studio E)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- John McLaughlin - guitar
- Chick Corea - electric piano
- Larry Young - organ, celeste
- Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar
- Bihari Sharima - tamboura
- Harvey Brooks - electric bass guitar
- Dave Holland - double bass
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- Billy Cobham - drums
- Airto Moreira - cuíca, berimbau
- + "Yaphet" (19 November 1969 - Columbia Studio E)
- Miles Davis - trumpet
- Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
- John McLaughlin - guitar
- Herbie Hancock - electric piano (left)
- Chick Corea - electric piano (right)
- Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar
- Bihari Sharima - tamboura, tabla
- Harvey Brooks - electric bass guitar
- Ron Carter - double bass
- Billy Cobham - drums, triangle
- Airto Moreira - cuíca, berimbau
[edit] Technical staff
- 2-LP original
- Teo Macero - original record producer
- Seth Rothstein - project director
- Frank Laico, Stan Tonkel - original audio engineer
- Russ Payne, Stan Weiss, John Guerriere - original mix engineer
- Steve Berkowitz - A&R for Legacy
- Patti Matheny, Darren Salmieri - A&R coordination
- Corky McCoy - original cover art
- 2-CD reissue
- Bob Belden - reissue producer
- Seth Foster - reissue digital remastering at Sony Music Studios, NYC
- Bennie Maupin - reissue main liner notes
- Swing Journal Co., Ltd. Japan - reissue backcover photography
- Uve Kuusik - reissue liner notes photography
- Howard Fritzson - reissue art direction
- Randall Martin - reissue design
- Rachel Dicono - packaging manager
- John Jackson - production assistance
