Legacy Releases Stanley Clarke: The Complete 1970’s Epic Albums Collection

Once again, it is time for a new wave of box sets for music buffs who love their collections of music with added memorabilia, new music (and updated versions of the old stuff). None of them can be more exciting than the limited edition box set featuring the music of Stanley Clarke.

Stanley Clarke: The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection, packages together six of the bass legend’s works recorded during the 1970’s through Epic, including finally bringing back some long out-of-print titles. While this box set contains nothing new to offer in terms of music or bonus materials, Clarke fans should be pretty happy to see his work from the period of 1974 to 1978 back on the shelves.

Each album in the set features the entire work, packaged in a mini-LP sleeve reproducing the original cover art with companion booklets offering full discographies and rare photos. This set includes an introduction by Clarke.

The six albums in this collection include Clarke’s second solo effort, Stanley Clarke (1974), Journey To Love (1975), School Days (1976 – and his most popular album), Modern Man (1977), I Wanna Play for You (1979) and Live 1976-1977 – a live album that wasn’t released until 1991. Each of the albums were remastered by Sony Senior Mastering Engineer Mark Wilder. The first five are from Clarke’s time with Epic, and the live album was with Nemperor.

Stanley Clarke: The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection Albums, Tracks and Personnel:

Stanley Clarke

Tracks: Vulcan Princess; Yesterday Princess; Lopsy Lu; Power; Spanish Phases for Strings and Brass; Life Suite—Part 1; Life Suite—Part 2; Life Suite—Part 3; Life Suite—Part 4.

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: electric bass, acoustic bass, vocals, fuzz phaser, brass orchestration (1); Jan Hammer: Moog synthesizer, electric piano, organ, acoustic piano; Bill Connors: electric guitar, acoustic guitar; Tony Williams: drums; Peter Gordon: brass (1, 5-9); David Taylor: brass (1, 5-9); Jon Faddis: brass (1, 5-9); James Buffington: brass (1, 5-9); Lew Soloff: brass (1, 5-9); Garnett Brown: brass (1, 5-9); Michael Gibbs: string orchestration (5-9), brass orchestration (6-9); David Nadien: strings (5-9); Charles P. McCracken: strings (5-9); Jesse Levy: strings (5-9); Carol Buck: strings (5-9); Beverly Lauridsen: strings (5-9); Harry Cykman: strings (5-9); Harold Kohon: strings (5-9); Paul Gershman: strings (5-9); Harry Lookofsky: strings (5-9); Emanuel Green: strings (5-9).

Journey to Love

Tracks: Silly Putty; Journey to Love; Hello Jeff; Song to John (Part I)—Dedicated to John Coltrane; Song to John (Part II)—Dedicated to John Coltrane; Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra.

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: Alembix electric bass, piccolo bass with Maestro synthesizer (6), acoustic bass, hand bells, tubular bells, organ, gong, vocal; George Duke: Mini-Moog synthesizer, ARP Odyssey, organ, ARP String Ensemble; clavinet; acoustic piano, electric piano, bells and vocal (1-3, 6); David Sancious: electric guitar, 12-string guitar; Steve Gadd (1, 2, 6): drums; Jeff Beck: electric guitar (3); Lenny White: drums (3); Chick Corea: acoustic piano (4, 5); Mahavishnu John McLaughlin: acoustic guitar (4, 5); Peter Gordon: brass (6); David Taylor: brass (6); Jon Faddis: brass (6); Alan Rubin: brass (6); Lew Soloff: brass (6); Thomas Malone: brass (6); John Clarke: brass (6); Earl Chapin: brass (6); Wilmer Wise: brass (6).

School Days

Tracks: School Days; Quiet Afternoon; The Dancer; Desert Song; Hot Fun; Life is Just a Game.

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: electric bass guitar (1-3, 5, 6), handbells (1), vocal (1, 6), acoustic piano (2, 3), piccolo bass guitar with instant flanger (2),piccolo bass guitar (3, 6), humming (3), acoustic bass (4, 6), gong (6), chimes (6); David Sancious: keyboards (1), Mini-Moog synthesizer (2, 3), organ (3), electric guitar (5); Raymond Gomez: guitar (1), rhythm guitar (3), solo guitar (3), electric guitar (5); Gerry Brown: drums (1, 3), handbells (1); Steve Gadd: drums (2, 5); Milton Holland: percussion (3), conga (4), triangle (4); John McLaughlin: acoustic guitar (4); George Duke: keyboards (6); Icarus Johnson: electric guitar (6), acoustic guitar (6); Billy Cobham: drums (6), Moog 1500 (6); David Campbell: strings (6); Dennis Karmazyn: strings (6); Lya Stern: strings (6); Thomas Bulfum: strings (6); Janice Adler Gower: strings (6); Mareia Van Dyke: strings (6); Karen Jones: strings (6); Robert Dubow: strings (6); Ronald Strauss: strings (6); Rollice Dale: strings (6); Gordon Marron: strings (6); John Wittenberg: strings (6); Marilyn Baker: strings (6); Jack Nimitz: brass (6); Buddy Childers: brass (6); Lew McCreary: brass (6); Dalton Smith: brass (6); Robert Findlay: brass (6); Gary Grant: brass (6); George Bohanon: brass (6); William Peterson: brass (6); Stuart Blumberg: brass (6); Albert Aarons: brass (6).

Modern Man

Tracks: Opening (Statement); He Lives On (Story About the Last Journey of a Warrior); More Hot Fun; Slow Dance; Interlude: A Serious Occasion; Got to Find My Own Place; Dayride; Interlude: It’s What She Didn’t Say; Modern Man; Interlude: A Relaxed Occasion; Rock ‘n’ Roll Jelly; Closing (Statement).

Stanley Clarke: acoustic bass (1, 9), Alembic bass (1-4, 6, 7, 9), narration (1), acoustic piano (2, 9), piccolo bass (2, 4), vocal (2, 6, 7), bass (5, 8, 10), string arrangement (6); Al Harrison: B-Flat trumpet (1, 3, 7, 12), piccolo trumpet (1, 3, 7, 12), trumpet (6), flugelhorn (6); James Tinsley: B-Flat trumpet (1, 3, 7, 12), piccolo trumpet (1-3, 7, 12), trumpet (6), flugelhorn (6); Bobby Malach: tenor saxophone (1, 3, 6, 7, 12), soprano saxophone (6); Alfie Williams: soprano saxophone (1, 7, 12), baritone saxophone (1, 12), tenor saxophone (6), flute (6); Dale Devoe: trombone (1, 6, 7, 12); Michael Garson: Oberheim synthesizer (1, 3, 7, 12), Moog synthesizer (1, 3, 12), organ (1, 12), acoustic piano (4, 6); Raymond Gomez: guitar (1, 3, 6, 7, 12); Gerry Brown: drums (1, 3, 6, 7, 12), percussion (1, 3, 7, 12); Steve Gadd: cymbal (1, 12); Dee Dee Bridgewater: vocal (1); A Cast of Thousands: footstompers (1, 12); Jeff “Skunk” Baxter: electric guitar (2), pedal steel guitar (2), synthesizer guitar (2); Jeff Porcaro: drums (2, 4, 9), percussion (2); Juliia Waters: vocal (3, 4); Maxine Waters: vocal (3, 4); Charles Veal, Jr.: concert master (6, 9), violin (6, 9); Alice Sacha: violin (6, 9); Connie Kupka: violin (6, 9); Cynthia Kovacs: violin (6, 9); Debra Price: violin (6, 9); Frank Foster: violin (6, 9); Josef Schoenbrun: violin (6, 9); Kenneth Yerke: violin (6, 9); Marsha Van Dyke: violin (6, 9); Ronald Clark: violin (6, 9); Sandy Seymour: violin (6, 9); Steve Scharf: violin (6, 9); Barbara Thomason: viola (6, 9); Leonard Selic: viola (6, 9); Mark Kovacs: viola (6, 9); Rollice Dale: viola (6, 9); Harry Shultz: cello (6, 9); Jan Kelly: cello (6, 9); Niles Oliver: cello (6, 9); Ron Cooper: cello (6, 9); Jeff Beck: guitar (11); Carmine Appice: drums (11), stereo wah-wah bass (11); James Fiducia: 44 Magnum Gun (12).

I Wanna Play For You

Tracks: CD1: Rock ‘n’ Roll Jelly; All About; Jamaican Boy; Christopher Ivanhoe; My Greatest Hits; Strange Weather; I Wanna Play for You. CD2: School Days; Quiet Afternoon; Together Again; Blues for Mingus; Off the Planet; Hot Fun Closing.

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: electric bass (CD1#1-3, CD1#5-9, CD2#1, CD2#6), organ (CD1#1), piccolo bass guitar (CD1#2, CD1#7-8, CD2#2, CD2#5), piano (CD1#2), vocal (CD1#2, CD1#7, CD1#9), Oberheim synthesizer (CD1#6, CD1#8), talkbox (CD1#7-8), all instruments except noted (CD1#4, CD2#3), acoustic bass (CD2#4); Al Harrison: B-Flat trumpet (CD1#1, CD2#1-2, CD2#6); James Tinsley: B-Flat trumpet (CD1#1, CD2#1-2, CD2#6); Bob Malachs: tenor saxophone (CD1#1, CD2#1-2, CD2#6); Al Williams: baritone saxophone (CD1#1, CD2#6), soprano saxophone (CD2#2); Michael Garson: Oberheim synthesizer (CD1#1, CD2#2), Fender Rhodes (CD2#2), ARP String Ensemble (CD2#2, CD2#6), acoustic piano (CD2#4), Yamaha Electric Grand Piano (CD2#5); Raymond Gomez: electric guitar (CD1#1, C2#1-2, CD2#6); Gerry Brown: drums (CD1#1, CD2#1); Bayeté Todd Cochran: Oberheim synthesizer (CD1#2, CD1#9, CD2#6), ARP 2600 synthesizer (CD1#2, CD1#6, CD1#9, CD2#6), acoustic piano (CD1#3), organ (CD1#3), ARP String Ensemble (3); Darryl Brown: drums (CD1#2, CD1#4-5, CD1#7, CD2#2, CD2#4-6), cymbal (CD1#6); Airto Moreira: percussion (CD1#2); Jeff Beck: electric guitar (CD1#3); Steve Gadd: drums (CD1#3); Tom Scott: alto saxophone (CD1#4), Lyricon (CD1#7, 8); George Duke: Yamaha electric grand piano (CD1#7-8); Harvey Mason: drums (CD1#7-9); Cathy Carson: vocal (CD1#8-9); Gwen Owens: vocal (CD1#8-9); Juanita Curiel: vocal (CD1#8-9); Stan Getz: tenor saxophone (CD1#9); Ronnie Foster: electric piano (CD1#9); David DeLeon: electric bass (CD2#2); Freddie Hubbard: flugelhorn (CD2#3).

Live 1976-77

Tracks: School Days; Lopsy Lu; Quiet Afternoon; Silly Putty; Dayride; Bass Folk Song No. 3; The Magician; Desert Song; Vulcan Princess.

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: electric bass guitar (1-5, 7, 9); piccolo bass guitar (3), acoustic bass (6, 8); Al Harrison: B-flat trumpet (1-5, 7, 9), slide whistle (7), piccolo trumpet (7); James Tinsley: B-flat trumpet (1-5, 7, 9), piccolo trumpet (7), alarm clock (7); Bob Malach: tenor saxophone (1-5), flute (3); Alfie Williams: soprano saxophone (1, 4, 5), alto saxophone (2), flute (3), baritone saxophone (4); Peter Robinson: Fender Rhodes (1-5), B-3 organ (1-5), ARP String Ensemble (1-5), Mini-Moog bass (1, 3, 4); Raymond Gomez: electric guitar (1-5, 7, 9); Gerry Brown: drums (1-5, 7, 9); David Sancious: electric piano (6, 7, 9), B-3 organ (7, 9), Mini-Moog synthesizer (7, 9), Poly-Moog synthesizer (7, 9); John McLaughlin: acoustic guitar (8); Darryl Munyungo Jackson: percussion (8).