Herbie Hancock is an American composer who will be noticed very young by a particularly precocious talent of virtuoso pianist. Indeed, he was only 11 years old when he performed the 1st movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No.26 in D Major K 537 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at a youth concert on February 5, 1952.
He was still going to have to wait another 10 years before really starting his artistic career in 1962 with the production of a first album called "Takin’ off ". Album which will unfortunately go somewhat unnoticed but which will still offer him a first classified title with the single "Watermelon man".
The young singer has not lost everything in the matter as he will be noticed by a certain…Miles Davis. Which brought him to his formation Mile's Davis Quintet from the year 1963, an adventure that will last nearly 5 years and reveal the young artist to the eyes of the whole world. An end of the adventure that coincides with the release in 1968 of what will remain as his biggest solo album of the decade : "Speak like a child".
The first part of the 1970s saw him release several albums, none of which achieved remarkable scores in the Charts except “Head hunters” in 1973, an album he produced with the 'Headhunters', a formation he also created this year. the. An album which will also offer him his first single classified with the title "Chameleon", single which will be released one year later in 1974.
New hit album "Thrust" still in 1974, certainly less important than its predecessor but still. Album which will mainly produce the single "Palm grease".
The year 1975 saw the release of the album "Man-child", album which will be the last one produced with the 'Headhunters'. Album with certain success once again but which unfortunately will not produce any high-caliber single ...
At the rate of one album per year almost now, it is the turn of “Secrets” to be released in 1976. Album from which will be extracted mainly the single “Doin' it”, single which will offer the artist his first classified title in the Charts Dance, a novelty concerning him !
After a mixed year in 1977 despite the release of 2 new albums, we find him in 1978 with the album "Sunlight". Album that will allow him to record his first success across the Channel with the title "I thought it was you", first success and certainly not the last success, that's for sure. Two other albums will also be released during this year 1978 but once again with limited success ...
Fortunately 1979 saw him return to success and not least with the album "Feets, don’t fail me now". Album which offers the artist his first worldwide success on the album side but which will be unable to produce a single of equivalent class. Only the title "Tell everybody" will save the furniture in extremis ...
Two new albums "Monster" and "Mr Hands" were released the following year in 1980, two albums which will not go unnoticed, far from it, but which still do not allow the artist to pass the level of recognition, the true, on which he has stumbled for years.
New album "Magic Windows" in 1981, album which allows him to stay in the race and to prepare for a sequel which looks more and more substantial. A consequent sequel which did not take place the following year in 1982 with the release of the album "Life me up", an album of certain success, but which, too, did not produce a global hit.
He will therefore have to wait another year and wait for the release of the album "Future shock" in 1983 for the artist to finally see his wildest dreams come true. An album that will be a real global hit and that will undoubtedly remain as its jewel. Notably thanks to the huge single "Rockit", a single that will literally set every Dancefloor on the planet on fire that year.
This single will also be the first mainstream single to use the so-called "Scratch" technique, a revolutionary musical technique at the time which consisted in manually changing the speed of a disc by alternating backward movement and forward movement. To this is added an incredible clip which will loop on MTV and which will make this title a real event on its own ...
1983 also saw the release of another successful single with the title "Autodrive", a track still taken from the same album.
A major success was confirmed the following year with the release in 1984 of the album "Sound-System", an album of lesser success but which nonetheless produced the big-caliber single "Hardrock".
Other albums will be released later, but very Jazz oriented, which will considerably limit their impact on the general public ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
The maze 1962
Watermelon man 1963
The pleasure is mine 1963
Mimosa 1964
One finger snap 1964
Maiden voyage 1965
Speak like a child 1968
I have a dream 1969
Tell me a bedtime story 1969
You'll know when you get there 1971
Sleeping giant 1972
Rain dance 1973
Chameleon 1974
Palm grease 1974
Hang up your hang ups 1975
The traitor 1975
Doin' it 1976
Gentle thoughts 1976
Stella by starlight 1977
That old black magic 1977
I thought it was you 1978
Sunlight 1978
I thought it was you 1979
On Green Dolphin Street 1979
You bet your love 1979
Tell everybody 1979
Ready or not 1979
Stars in your eyes 1980
Making love 1980
Spiraling prism 1980
Just around the corner 1980
Magic number 1981
Everybody's broke 1981
A quick sketch 1982
Lite me up ! 1982
Gettin' to the good part 1982
Rock it 1983
Autodrive 1983
Future shock 1983
Hardrock 1984
Junku 1984
Early warning 1985
Vibe alive 1988
Beat wise 1988
Little one 1994
Dis is da drum 1994
Come and see me 1994
When can I see you 1996
Visitor from somewhere 1997
The man I love 1998
Be still 2001
A song for you 2005
Hush, hush, hush 2005
Court and spark 2007
Imagine 2010
Clips :
1962...
1963 ... the very beginnings. The whole on a story without words or rather a song without words. It is impossible to imagine at this point the incredible career that awaits young Herbie in the decades to come ...
1963...
1964...
1965...
1968...
1969...
1969...
1971...
1972...
1973...
1974 ... he will have to wait 12 more years to finally see his career take off. With the key to a first classified title. First and certainly not the last !
1974 ... two titles classified for the price of one ! A year 1974 which sees him rise in power in an obvious way. Rather a good omen for the rest of the events ...
1975 ... he signs here a first single of very high caliber and begins to impose himself more and more as one of the big revelations of the moment. And paradoxically, this title will not even be classified. Incomprehensible...
1975...
1976 ... still no lyrics in sight or at least the bare minimum on the new songs coming out. Hence an inevitably slowed down impact on the general public ...
1976...
1977...
1977...
1978 ... the year of great changes. Addition of words worthy of the name and first global success. It all smells better and better ...
1978...
1979...
1979...
1979 ... surprisingly, this title will only work in England. Anyway, the artist is now at cruising speed and it shows, especially it can be heard !
1979 ... business picks up on the other side of the Atlantic but still no major title in sight. We will have to be a little more patient to watch the big take off ...
1979 ... a fourth title in 1979 to end the decade in style. A decade that will have revealed him and then propelled him into the big leagues. We will have to wait the following decade to see him finally reach consecration, the real one ...
1980 ... what is certain is that it will not be for this year again. A decade which sees him continue to get closer to the leading pack but without managing to catch up with him at this stage ...
1980 ... a good job once again but nothing more. He still hasn't managed to find the little extra that could make the difference. But it will not be long ...
1980...
1980...
1981 ... no major change compared to the previous year. Despite a very trendy sound, the artist must be content once again to play supporting roles ...
1981 ... a somewhat sluggish start to the decade which saw him alternate between inspired titles and titles which were much less so. This would rather be part of the second category ...
1982...
1982 ... he might try everything, so far nothing helps. Despite a title of more than certain quality, no takeoff in the Charts. When it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want...
1982 ... the year 1982 will not have done better than the 2 preceding years. And yet he is far from demerit, it is clear. But it may well be that the following year has a huge surprise in store for him !
1983 ... and the huge surprise, here it is ! The artist is going to sign here quite simply one of the most striking titles of the decade if not of the end of the twentieth century. With the key to a direct ticket for posterity. CULT !
1983 ... 1983, an exceptional year in all respects since it brought him a second top hit in the process. A well-deserved consecration as they say !
1983 ... even if this last title of the year will have nothing to do in terms of success with the 2 previous titles, it still ends a year which will remain as the best vintage of the artist, by far !
1984 ... the last major hit, and yes, already. After having shattered everything during 1983, the artist will not be able to take advantage of the incredible suction effect generated by "Rock it" and will fall back violently on the floor of the cows. A career that will remain whatever happens as one of the most brilliant of the end of the twentieth century and just as such, respect as they say !
1984...
1985...
1988 ... come on, it's not quite finished in the Charts on the hit side. With this title, he will experience one last success on the singles side, but it will indeed be the last. The adventure will continue thereafter but the artist will never find the ultimate level of success encountered at the beginning of the decade ...
1988...
1994...
1994...
1994...
1996...
1997...
1998...
2001...
2005...
2005...
2007...
2010...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :