Herbie Hancock - Secrets (US Columbia Vinyl LP Stereo Pitman Pressing)

Vinyl: VG (three large scuffs on side 1 but plays fine)
Sleeve: VG+

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Herbie Hancock - Secrets Vinyl LP - Original US Columbia Pitman Pressing

Herbie Hancock's Secrets finds the keyboard master fully immersed in the electric jazz-funk sound he pioneered with Headhunters, while pushing into even more synthesizer-heavy and vocoder-laden territory. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records and pressed at their Pitman facility, this album represents Hancock at his most commercially ambitious, blending infectious grooves with the harmonic sophistication and improvisational depth that marked all his work.

The album opens with "Doin' It", a vocoder and talkbox showcase featuring Wah Wah Watson on lead vocals through his "voice bag" alongside Ray Parker's funky guitar and backing vocals from a small choir. This track epitomises the album's fusion of funk, soul and jazz sensibilities. "People Music" continues the groove before Hancock revisits one of his most beloved compositions, "Cantaloupe Island", reimagining the Blue Note classic through a 1970s funk lens with synthesizers and electric keyboards replacing the acoustic quartet of the original.

Side two ventures into more experimental territory. "Spider" and "Swamp Rat" explore darker, more atmospheric textures, while "Gentle Thoughts" offers a moment of reflection. The album closes with "Sansho Shima", an evocative piece that hints at Eastern influences. Throughout, the core band of Paul Jackson on bass, James Levi on drums, Ray Parker on guitar, and Bennie Maupin on reeds and Lyricon provides a tight foundation for Hancock's extensive keyboard arsenal, which ranges from Rhodes and clavinet to the then-cutting-edge Oberheim Polyphonic and ARP synthesizers.

This original Pitman pressing, identifiable by the faint "P" stamp in the dead wax, represents the album with the sound quality Columbia's pressing plants were known for during this era. For fans of Hancock's electric period and 1970s jazz-funk, Secrets is an essential document.