Secrets (Herbie Hancock album)

Whereas Man-Child was evenly divided between up-tempo and laid-back tracks, Secrets emphasized the more mellow, softly rounded mood. Even the more up-tempo tracks, "Doin' It" and "

Although summery and mellow, the album was far from lounge music, with some extremely abstract and intense sections, particular in the latter half; it is also entirely instrumental beside the "Jus' keep on doin' it" chants of the opening track. Subsequent Hancock albums saw the addition of more vocoded lead vocals and disco influences.

The Secrets line-up performed "Spider" (from this LP) and "Hang Up Your Hang-Ups" (from Man-Child) at the V.S.O.P. concert in the summer of 1976.

Track listing

1. "Doin' It" (
   Melvin Ragin, Ray Parker Jr.
   ) – 8:03
2. "People Music" (Herbie Hancock, Ragin, Paul Jackson) – 7:11
3. "Cantelope Island" [sic] (Hancock) – 7:06
4. "Spider" (Ragin, Hancock, Jackson) – 7:21
5. "Gentle Thoughts" (Hancock, Ragin) – 7:05
6. "Swamp Rat" (Jackson, Hancock, Ragin) – 6:26
7. "Sansho Shima" (Bennie Maupin) – 4:50

Personnel

• Oberheim 4 Voice, Echoplex
• saxello, lyricon, bass clarinet
• Wah Wah Watson
  – guitar, Maestro universal synthesiser system / sample and hold unit, voice bag; vocals & bass on "Doin' It" Co-Producer.
• backing vocals
  on "Doin' It"
• Paul Jackson – bass
• James Levi – drums
• drums
  on Doin' It
• Kenneth Nash – percussion, cuíca

References