🎵 AotW AOTW: Chuck Mangione - 70 MILES YOUNG (SP-4911)

[Captain Bacardi]

Chuck Mangione
70 MILES YOUNG
A&M SP-4911

Released 1982

Format: Vinyl (also appeared as SP-3237)/Cassette

Produced by Chuck Mangione

Songs & Musicians:

• 1. 70 Miles Young - 21:38
  [list:ec17a3278e]Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn
  Chris Vadala - Tenor and Soprano Saxes, C Flute, Alto Flute
  Don Grolnick - Acoustic and Electric Pianos
  Charles Meeks - Bass
  David Spinozza - Guitars
  John Tropea - Guitars
  James Bradley, Jr. - Drums
  Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
  Recorded at Britannia Studios, Los Angeles
  Engineered by David Greene for Unlimited Productions, Ltd.

2. Feels So Good (Vocal) - 4:12

• Don Potter - Vocal and Guitar
  Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn
  Ron Leonard - Cello
  Recorded at Britannia Studios, Los Angeles
  Engineered by David Greene for Unlimited Productions, Ltd.

3. Cannonball Run Theme - 3:58

• Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn and Electric Piano
  Chris Vadala - Tenor Saxophone
  Larry Carlton - Guitars
  Carl Lockett - Guitar
  Charles Meeks - Bass
  James Bradley, Jr. - Drums
  Recorded at Britannia Studios, Los Angeles
  Engineered by David Greene for Unlimited Productions, Ltd.

4. Recuerdo - 7:16

• Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn
  Don Grolnick - Electric Piano
  Bob Mann - Guitars
  John Tropea - Guitars
  Tony Levin - Bass
  Steve Gadd - Drums
  Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
  Rubins Bassini - Percussion
  Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York City
  Engineered by Mick Guzauski
  Assistant Engineer: Michael Frondelli

5. Lullaby For Nancy Carol - 3:26

• Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn and Electric Piano
  Gerry Vinci - Violin
  Recorded at Kendun Studios, Los Angeles
  Engineered by Mick Guzauski
  Assistant Engineer: Larry Swist

All music composed and arranged by Chuck Mangione[/list:u:ec17a3278e]

Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisc, New York

Art Direction and Design: Junie Osaki Mangione
Photography: Benno Friedman

 

[Captain Bacardi]

With the exception of the "Cannonball Run Theme", this is an album of remakes of older Mangione tunes. "70 Miles Young" first appeared on the Mercury LPs Together and Alive!, and was known as "60 Miles Young". I guess the titles age as well. I've always liked this suite, but on this version the best part is when Mangione doesn't play his horn. He misses high notes so badly I can't believe he kept trying to play those notes, or release this without fixing some notes! It's too bad, because this was a nice piece otherwise, with a mix of Latin, jazz (nice piano solo by Don Grolnick) and rock.

Then there's the vocal version of "Feels So Good", which just begs the question - and I know you're all asking it - Why, Just Why??? This was a really bad idea. "Recuerdo" is a leftover from the Main Squeeze sessions, and first appeared on the Mangione Brothers album Recuerdo on the Riverside label (and produced by Cannonball Adderley). This is a pretty decent tune, and probably the sole reason to get this album. Steve Gadd does his thing on drums. As far as the "Cannonball Run Theme" goes, it's okay; airy and pleasant. It didn't seem to fit the movie, though. The final piece "Lullaby For Nancy Carol" first appeared on Mangione's Land Of Make Believe album on Mercury, and this version isn't exactly an improvement, but it wasn't that good a song to begin with.

This was Mangione's last A&M release as he went to Columbia soon after, then disappeared for a while. I can't say that this album is all that great, aside from "Recuerdo". 2 stars from me.




Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

1. 70-Miles Young -- Opens with a trademark guitar sound, either from Tropea or Spinozza, and just seems to be a jam by those two (--Those guitar solos sound like they're going to launch the players into OUTER-SPACE!!!) which takes-up Side 1, but for once seems to be a break from the "rut" of the rather rote sound that characterized all of Chuck's albums of late and this FINALLY sounds like (after the Redundant Routine of the "Inter-Changable LP's") we're (Thank God!) Getting SOMETHING NEW!!!

2. Feels So Good -- Yes, why is it suddenly done as a VOCAL?! And NOT on the original LP?! --It's OK... :|

3. CANNONBALL RUN-theme -- Hard to believe that this is the Theme from THE CANNONBALL RUN; it doesn't sound as "down home" as the film certainly was... Just a "Hail Mary" for being a "Movie Theme Artist", who had, so far, not done a Movie Theme...!

4. Recuerdo -- Yes, it's leftover from the MAINSQUEEZE sessions... 'Nuff Said...!

5. Lullaby For Nancy Carol -- Lackluster Flugelhorn, Electric Piano and Violin Concerto...! Pretty-Sounding, but a A Waste O' Space!

*** 1/2-Stars! Not your worst choice in a fairly decent EZ-Listening Jazz-outing by Chuck... This, along with Mainsqueeze and the Alive! set on Mercury, were my "complete Mangione collection"!! And, No..., Nothing here from his now-late-Papa, aside from appearing on the cover... (Mama Mangione, nee Bellavia, had passed away around the Bellavia LP-era)



Dave

...Another Aside on Past Jazz AOTW's: How 'bout Herb Alpert's Magic Man and Blow Your Own Horn...?? --Have we 'Dun 'Em??' :goofygrin: