Collection: Return to Forever

Return to Forever existed in three meaningfully different forms across its 1972 to 1977 lifespan, and the records collectors reach for depend almost entirely on which version of the band they are after. Chick Corea formed the first lineup in New York in early 1972 with bassist Stanley Clarke, saxophonist and flautist Joe Farrell, Brazilian drummer Airto Moreira, and vocalist Flora Purim. The self-titled debut, recorded for ECM over two days in February 1972, and "Light as a Feather" (Polydor, 1973), which contains "Spain" and "500 Miles High", represent this Latin-influenced phase at its most coherent and are the records most valued by jazz listeners. By early 1973, Corea had replaced Farrell with electric guitarist Bill Connors and brought in drummer Lenny White, pivoting sharply toward the rock-influenced fusion that Mahavishnu Orchestra had established. "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" (Polydor, 1973) was the first document of that electric band. When Al Di Meola replaced Connors in 1974, the lineup of Corea, Clarke, Di Meola, and White produced "Where Have I Known You Before" (Polydor, 1974) and "No Mystery" (Polydor, 1975), the peak of the harder fusion period. The final phase, documented on "Romantic Warrior" (Columbia, 1976) and "Musicmagic" (Columbia, 1977), moved further toward progressive rock and classical structures. The band disbanded in 1977 with Stanley Clarke as the only member to have appeared across all lineups.