🎷 AotW: CTI Deodato: Prelude (CTI Records CTI 6021/CTI 7081/CTI 8021)

Deodato: Prelude

CTI Records CTI 6021
Released 1973

Reissued with title 2001 as CTI 7081 in 1977
Reissued with title Prelude as CTI 8021 in 1981

Original cover pictured at right. Alternate covers pictured below.

A1: Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) / 9:00​

A2: Spirit Of Summer / 4:04​

A3: Carly & Carole / 3:38​

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B1: Baubles, Bangles And Beads / 5:20​

B2: Prelude To Afternoon Of A Faun / 5:13​

B3: September 13 / 5:24​

Arranged By, Conductor, Piano, Electric Piano – Eumir Deodato
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Charles McCracken, Harvey Shapiro, Seymour Barab
Congas – Ray Barretto
Design [Album] – Bob Ciano
Drums – Billy Cobham
Electric Bass, Soloist – Stanley Clarke (tracks: A1)
Electric Guitar – John Tropea
Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute – George Marge, Phil Badner, Romeo Penque
Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Soloist – Hubert Laws (tracks: B3)
French Horn – Jim Buffington, Peter Gordon
Guitar – Jay Berliner
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Photography By [Cover] – Pete Turner
Photography By [Liner Photographs] – Duane Michals
Producer – Creed Taylor
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trombone – Bill Watrous, Garnett Brown, George Strakey, Paul Faulise, Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Joe Shepley, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz
Trumpet, Soloist – Marvin Stamm (tracks: B2)
Viola – Al Brown*, Emanuel Vardi
Violin – David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman

Recorded September 1972 at Van Gelder Studios.

The album Prelude peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and the single "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This was CTI's best-selling album and single.

Alternate covers for CTI 7081 (2001) left and CTI 8021 (Prelude) right.

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Amazon product ASIN B00005Y444

Prelude (CTI Records 40th Anniversary Edition), Deodato - Qobuz

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Deodato - Prelude

Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Prelude by Deodato. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

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[Rudy]

Like Fred Sanford once said: "This is the big one!!"




This is CTI's biggest selling album, and the highest charting, with Prelude peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200, and the single "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" barely missing the top of the Hot 100 at #2.

 

[Harry]

I remember hearing "Also Sprach..." playing on the radio. My ears perked up as I was a huge fan of the movie and soundtrack of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Somewhere along the line, a promo copy the single found its way to my collection:

As you can see, it's shortened to 5:06 down from 9:00.

More recently I finally went ahead and found a copy of the DEODATO PRELUDE album on CD. It's another of those Columbia Jazz discs.

 

[Rudy]

There is a Dutton Vocalion release from the UK on SACD, which is the one I own--it includes both Prelude and Deodato 2. I still have my mother's copy of Prelude--not sure which version it is (probably whatever was common in the late 80s). Not a big fan of the album so I don't listen to it often.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I have always been a fan of the "Also Sprach Zarathustra" single. I remember before I was aware of it, a customer came in and asked if we had it. He asked for it by title and at first I thought he was making it up or pranking me. It's one of my favorite instrumentals ever.

The rest of the album I'm not as much of a fan, since I'm not really a jazz fan anyway. However this is probably one of the long list of albums that I'd appreciate more now if I'd give it another chance. I don't have it anymore on physical media but maybe I'll give it a stream one of these days.

My other favorite Deodato song is "Parana," which is on the live album he made with Airto Moriera.

 

[Rudy]

However this is probably one of the long list of albums that I'd appreciate more now if I'd give it another chance.

There isn't much of a jazz element on the record compared to other CTI albums, so you might find it more agreeable these days. "Carly & Carole" and "Baubles" are more instrumental pop than jazz.

 

[Nemily]

On Prelude my hands down favorite is Baubles, Bangles and Beads. Such a balanced vibe. This album was a great collaborative ensemble.

My first Deodato was the Deodato 2 vinyl in ‘73 however somehow Whirlwinds from 1974 on the MCA label ended in in my Deodato 2 sleeve so I later bought the Dutton Vocalion Super Audio format from UK that Rudy mentioned, which has both CTI albums. That is when I became a fan of Prelude.

I was a fan of Deodato 2 before I ever heard Prelude primarily because I dug the funkier style on the second album like the happy and high energy Super Strut which was one of my favorite tracks to practice with in my early introduction to jazz fusion.

I am glad to have both in my collection.

 

[Rudy]

"Super Strut" is a great track!

We're not to Deodato 2 yet, but one oddity I found is that the CD version I have (no idea where I got it, unless my mom had purchased it) throws the tracks out of order, and the album starts with "Super Strut." Whereas the original LP and the Vocalion SACD have the correct track order. But my CD version has bonus tracks, including an interesting version of Steely Dan's "Do It Again."

 

[Bobberman]

I owe an early 2000s reissue cd of this I had used vinyl copies of both prelude and 2001 for a time I wore them both out I love all the music Even The spirit of summer. Carly and carole. And Baubles Bangles and Beads. Those 3 were standouts and to me are still my favorites as this was my first Deodato album Still a memorable one as well

 

[Rudy]

February 2, 2024, the following reissue is available from Music On Vinyl. Limited edition of 1,000 pressings on colored vinyl.

 

[AM Matt]

The short 45 version is deleted from RHINO's "Super Hits Of The '70s: Have A Nice Day, Vol. 11" (dark green) which came out in 1990. The first time I saw the album cover wasn't the original, it was the 1977 cover with the silver man that I saw at the old Camelot Music store at Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, MI in 1977!!

 

[rockdoctor]

I first heard the single, Also Sprach Zarathustra back when I was a senior in high school. It came on one Saturday when I was at school to help out with a basketball game that day. It was snowing like crazy and the AM radio station started playing it. To me it had Sergio Mendes feel to it(the electric piano) and I liked it. I don't think they ever said the artist's name that day but I did learn who it was. I got the album later on as a cutout and recently found it on cd. It is one of my favorite instrumental albums.

 

[Rudy]

Quick update--looking at Discogs, this CTI reissu also has the same premium jacket style that the Gilberto/Turrentine record has. You can see the crosshatch.



Allegedly green and yellow marbled? A little yellow, mostly green. Discogs photo.

 

[Bobberman]

Quick update--looking at Discogs, this CTI reissu also has the same premium jacket style that the Gilberto/Turrentine record has. You can see the crosshatch.



Allegedly green and yellow marbled? A little yellow, mostly green. Discogs photo.

Great spot on reproduction of the CTI label on the Record

 

[Michael Hagerty]

The first time I heard "Also Sprach" was on KMPC in Los Angeles, in late 1972. Johnny Magnus, who played a lot of jazz on his late-night show, and who had been making a point of talking about Deodato's producing and arranging for other artists for a few years, got an early-release copy of Prelude.

Johnny played the whole nine minutes, let the ending play all the way out, and then in the first second of silence, said:



"Wow."



Those of you who've heard Magnus will be able to hear it in his voice. In fact, my Magnus impression has to begin with "Wow". It's what keys my ear to it.

Anyway, it was a couple of weeks before the album was in stores, and I got it immediately. It was another few weeks before the single came in the mail to the radio station, and, because I was so used to the album version, I was not a fan.

I've recently had the opportunity to hear the single edit again, and it's better than I gave it credit for at the time....but the final two notes still sound like the record skipped. There had to be a better way to bridge that edit.

 

[Harry]

I've recently had the opportunity to hear the single edit again, and it's better than I gave it credit for at the time....but the final two notes still sound like the record skipped. There had to be a better way to bridge that edit.

That one is rather clumsy. Turns out there's a part-of-a-second null spot before those final two notes. I just played around with eliminating that null and even after smoothing it out, it still sounds wonky.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

That one is rather clumsy. Turns out there's a part-of-a-second null spot before those final two notes. I just played around with eliminating that null and even after smoothing it out, it still sounds wonky.

I think you almost have to multi-track...fly in a note from elsewhere in the long ending...maybe more of a "droning" sound from somewhere in there....and lay it under the track where the null occurs. And it would have to fade out rapidly, so as not to linger after the two notes.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

That one is rather clumsy. Turns out there's a part-of-a-second null spot before those final two notes. I just played around with eliminating that null and even after smoothing it out, it still sounds wonky.

Finally figured it out----what you need is that droning note that starts the record----gradually fade it in during the edited ending, have it there during the null and have it faded all the way out by the second of the ending two notes.

 

[Rudy]

Finally figured it out----what you need is that droning note that starts the record----gradually fade it in during the edited ending, have it there during the null and have it faded all the way out by the second of the ending two notes.

Funny...I was thinking the same thing yesterday based on the description. That beginning section is a good way to mask anything else going on.