Musicmagic is a studio album by fusion band Return to Forever, their final work until 2008.

Musicmagic
j3l
Studio album by
Released1977
RecordedJanuary–February 1977
StudioCaribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado)
GenreJazz-rock
Length41:51
LabelColumbia
ProducerReturn to Forever
Return to Forever chronology
Romantic Warrior
(1976)
Musicmagic
(1977)
Live
(1977)
Chick Corea chronology
My Spanish Heart
(1976)
Musicmagic
(1977)
Live
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Record Mirror[2]

This album contains the final line-up of the band from the 1970s, with only founders Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke returning from the previous album.[3] This is the first album since Light as a Feather (1973) to contain vocals, featuring Stanley Clarke and Corea's wife Gayle Moran. This album also marks the return of original member Joe Farrell on saxophone and flute, along with several new members making up a five-piece horn section.

In addition to the conventional two channel stereo version the album was also released by Columbia in a four channel quadraphonic version in 1977 as one of the last quadraphonic albums released by the label. In 2016 the album was re-issued in stereo on hybrid Super Audio CD by Audio Fidelity. It was re-issued again on SACD by Dutton Vocalion in 2017 containing both the quadraphonic and stereo mixes.

With the addition of trombonist Ron Moss, this lineup toured and recorded the live album Live (1977) which was re-issued in 1978 as a 4-LP set called Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert.

Track listing

edit
  1. "The Musician" (Chick Corea) – 7:12
  2. "Hello Again" (Stanley Clarke) – 3:49
  3. "Musicmagic" (Corea, Gayle Moran) – 11:00
  4. "So Long Mickey Mouse" (Clarke) – 6:09
  5. "Do You Ever" (Moran) – 3:59
  6. "The Endless Night" (Corea, Moran) – 9:41

Personnel

edit

Chart performance

edit
Year Chart Position
1977 Billboard 200[4] 38
1977 Billboard Jazz Albums[4] 4

References

edit
  1. ^ Elias, Jason. "Return to Forever - Musicmagic (1977) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ^ Bradman, Tony (30 April 1977). "Albums: Return to Forever – Musicmagic" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 22. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023 – via World Radio History.
  3. ^ Burger, David (29 May 2008). "Jazz: Sounds like they've been together forever". The Salt LakeTribune.
  4. ^ a b "Return to Forever - Musicmagic (1977) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
edit