Herbie Hancock The Headhunters / Tokyo, Japan 1978 FM Broadcast Edition

In 1976, he collaborated with VSOP, and the following year, 1977, his collaboration with Jaco Pastorius garnered attention. Then, in 1978, he came to Japan with the electric unit “Headhunters,” which is said to be the best expression of the musical style he had developed after leaving Miles Davis. From that Japan tour, the live performance at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo on September 28th has been recorded over 49 minutes, using the soundboard master that was originally broadcast on FM, and has also been digitally remastered in 2026. Although it is not a complete recording due to being a broadcast source, it includes the five main tracks, and the members include original members from around 1973 such as Benny Maupin and Paul Jackson, as well as Mike Clark, “Mr. Headhunters,” who replaced Harvey Mason on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion, creating a powerful rhythm section that unfolds electric funk with the use of a vocoder throughout. This is a rare performance in Japan by the Headhunters, a band with a strong following, and thanks to the latest remastering, Paul Jackson’s bass playing, which is the heart of the band, is clearly audible down to the phrasing, making it a must-have for fans. Recorded at Sun Plaza, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan September 28th 1978: Soundboard Recording 1. BUTTERFLY 2. SUNLIGHT 3. I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU 4. CHAMELEON 5. SHIFLESS SHUFFLE Herbie Hancock – keyboards, vocals / Bennie Maupin – teno & soprano saxophone / Webster Lewis – keyboards / Paul Jackson – electric bass / Mike Clark – drums / Bill Summers – percussion