Herbie Hancock Headhunters / London, UK 08.08.1976

This 62-minute recording captures the August 8th London show from Hancock’s Headhunters’ 1976 UK tour, using a fairly good audience master recently released by a taper. While this title isn’t the best live recording from this period, as only a limited number of audience sources with poor sound quality were available, it’s a valuable recording of the band’s strongest lineup performing the final electric set from the album “V.S.O.P.” With Ray Parker no longer in the band, there’s only one guitarist, but Wah Wah Watson’s sharp cutting is still evident on tracks like “HANG UP YOUR HANG UPS” from “V.S.O.P.” Paul Jackson’s funky bass and Benny Maupin’s blazing saxophone playing contribute to the band’s cohesive sound, creating an incredibly powerful, soulful groove. The performance culminates in a 15-minute rendition of “CHAMELEON,” making for a truly overwhelming show. Recorded at Victoria Palace Theatre, London, UK August 8th 1976 : Audience Recording 1. SPIDER 2. HANG UP YOUR HANG UPS 3. GENTLE THOUGHTS 4. PEOPLE MUSIC 5. CHAMELEON Herbie Hancock – keyboards / Bennie Maupin – saxophone / Wah-Wah Watson – guitar / Paul Jackson – electric bass / James Levi – drums