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Herbie Hancock - I thought it was you
- Thread starter verstft
- Start date
Somehow I had never heard this song after decades of Herbie love.
Cool song, but notably, now I better understand where Robert Glasper is coming from.
It also sounds like Level 42 was pretty much copping this song for all of their first 2 albums.
Cool song, but notably, now I better understand where Robert Glasper is coming from.
It also sounds like Level 42 was pretty much copping this song for all of their first 2 albums.
TalkBass is always great!
The "issues" start usually after some "innocent" statements like the following:
What is the correct notation in this particular song?
Gb7,9,sus
or
Emaj7/F#.
Which notation better represents the actual harmonic texture?
What's more.
If we look back(from that measure) - it's for SURE Gb.
If we look forward - it's more E major.
Which notation for us as the bass players makes more "sense", provides more clarity?
This thread has, kind of, started to "cool down"; therefore, I just wanted to indicate some slash chord usage in this song.
The song starts with Gbmaj7/Ab. It's a "jazzy" chord structure closely related to sus chords; therefore, Don has notated it as Ab7,9,sus. As an amateur beginner musician on the piano, I prefer Gbmaj7/Ab, but as an inquisitive, trying to learn musician I get more information when I see it written as Ab7, 9, sus.
The second chord in Verse from IamGroot information is Db/Eb, Don wrote down it as Eb7,9, sus, I hear it as Bbmin7/Eb.
Once again, Don's notation tells me more about the harmonic movement but to me, it's easier play that chord as Bbmin7/Eb on the piano. In both notations, the chord note names are the same (but not the chord voicing.)
IamGroot's provided version of Db/Eb lacks that Bb and is, kind of, incomplete of sonority.
The song starts with Gbmaj7/Ab. It's a "jazzy" chord structure closely related to sus chords; therefore, Don has notated it as Ab7,9,sus. As an amateur beginner musician on the piano, I prefer Gbmaj7/Ab, but as an inquisitive, trying to learn musician I get more information when I see it written as Ab7, 9, sus.
The second chord in Verse from IamGroot information is Db/Eb, Don wrote down it as Eb7,9, sus, I hear it as Bbmin7/Eb.
Once again, Don's notation tells me more about the harmonic movement but to me, it's easier play that chord as Bbmin7/Eb on the piano. In both notations, the chord note names are the same (but not the chord voicing.)
IamGroot's provided version of Db/Eb lacks that Bb and is, kind of, incomplete of sonority.
In my world/IMO/IME - there is NO need for a Bb note to be in any of the chord voicings for the "Eb7,9,(13),sus" chord. It is a wasted "finger" for the chording instrument. The Ab, Db, and F are much more essential to the sound of that chord.
The voicings below are what I would expect to hear any experienced (jazz) pianist/guitarist/banjoist...play. (The bass would play the Eb.)
See & Hear below - (sorry - the 3rd example should be called "Bbmin7,9/Eb"...)
Thanks.
Don,
I totally agree with your experienced jazz world chord sonority "voicing vision"
My comment was only(!) about the second chord from that song (only) where that Bb is present.
I always enjoy your very informative comments.
Here is a short excerpt of that harmonic movement Bbmaj7 - Bbmin7/Eb... just slower.
3:25:28 from HH track.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...0/?temp_hash=c179ea68b25ffd048897c9526c3c2afe
P.S. Here is a very short clip what HH is playing during that, so called, Abmaj7 chord (ascending) - E natural - G natural - C natural - Eb - E.
(Augmentishly nice Abmaj7 chord)
3:34:20 from that track.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...3/?temp_hash=a784c2e058c74ab6255779fc6ca74293
As you've mentioned several times, check what ALL instruments are playing.
Sorry for my "solo" comments.
Here is Herbie Hancock, "I thought it was you" LIVE.
Herbie Hancock - Keyboards
Alphonse Monzon - Drums
Bennie Maupin - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone, Lyricon
Paul Jackson - Electric Bass
Bill Summers - Percussion
Ray Obiedo - Electric Guitar
Webster Lewis - Keyboards
Here is Herbie Hancock, "I thought it was you" LIVE.
Herbie Hancock - Keyboards
Alphonse Monzon - Drums
Bennie Maupin - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone, Lyricon
Paul Jackson - Electric Bass
Bill Summers - Percussion
Ray Obiedo - Electric Guitar
Webster Lewis - Keyboards
That was painful to listen to...and then I read the YT comments. I wasn't the only one.
Great song and I've learned a lot from this TB thread, thanks for MTBGA.
ATTENTION.
I've found a youtube video with Rhodes piano notation!(From Russia with Love
).
For those who are looking at the chord voicing of "I thought It was you."
I hear some differences between the original and its cover!
I seriously don't like the transcriber's interpretation of that F chord!
(Don't just trust the Internet.)
About the transcriber.
Composer Igor Besschastny.
Organist, pianist, producer Author of the music multiple product.He writes the music for cinema and music shows, and symphonic music for ballet and operatic production.The most known - a music to drama N.GUMILEVA "Gondlo", Symphony №1 с-moll (the Memories of the Victims of the terrorism..) Director studio B&TheBand LLc Melody Member of the The international Union of Composers – the XXI century Member of the International Association of Jazz Organists IAJO, Köln / Germany.
I've found a youtube video with Rhodes piano notation!(From Russia with Love
).For those who are looking at the chord voicing of "I thought It was you."
I hear some differences between the original and its cover!
I seriously don't like the transcriber's interpretation of that F chord!
(Don't just trust the Internet.)
About the transcriber.
Composer Igor Besschastny.
Organist, pianist, producer Author of the music multiple product.He writes the music for cinema and music shows, and symphonic music for ballet and operatic production.The most known - a music to drama N.GUMILEVA "Gondlo", Symphony №1 с-moll (the Memories of the Victims of the terrorism..) Director studio B&TheBand LLc Melody Member of the The international Union of Composers – the XXI century Member of the International Association of Jazz Organists IAJO, Köln / Germany.
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An interesting(?) re-harmonized cover by Viktoria Tolstoy - a Swedish jazz singer.
It takes some time to get used to that harmony.
It takes some time to get used to that harmony.
Here is Herbie Hancock Live - I thought it was you.(Bootleg)
"Herbie Hancock 09-28-78 Sun Plaza - Tokyo - Japan
Herbie Hancock (el-p, k)
Webster Lewis (k)
Bennie Maupin (ss, ts)
Bill Summers (perc)
Paul Jackson (el-b)
Mike Clark (d)
"Herbie Hancock 09-28-78 Sun Plaza - Tokyo - Japan
Herbie Hancock (el-p, k)
Webster Lewis (k)
Bennie Maupin (ss, ts)
Bill Summers (perc)
Paul Jackson (el-b)
Mike Clark (d)
N.B. It's only my "vernacular" observation using my vernacular theory knowledge without any chord voicing distractions.
Verse 1.
The bass always plays a repetitive rhythmic pattern of Root(1) - 5th - 9th, and Root(8th)
Bbmaj7(9) - it's Bb - F - C, and Bb, etc...
Eb - it's Eb - Bb - F - Eb, etc...
From Bbmaj7 until that pivot (modulating) chord F7b5,9 - it would be the Ab major tonal center with all those borrowed chords (modal interchange.)
After that, it modulates to the B major tonal center before "landing" into the D major tonal center in Chorus.
Once again, it's only my vernacular opinion and wide open for any criticism.
Here are simplified chords.
Bbmaj7 – Bmaj7 - Bmin7/Eb (as Eb7,9, sus) - Bmin7/Eb (as Eb7,9, sus)
Abmaj7 - Abmaj7 – Fmin7 (9) – Fmin7 (9)
Dbmaj7 (9) – Dbmaj7 (9)/ pivot (modulating) chord F7 (b5) (9) – Emaj7/F# (as F#7, 9, sus)- Emaj7/F#(as F#7, 9, sus)
Bmaj7 (9) - Bmaj7 (9) - G#min7 (9) - G#min7 (9)
Emaj7 - Emaj7 - Emin7/A (as A7, 9, sus )- Emin7/A (as A7, 9, sus )
Gmaj7 with the bass descending notes of A - G - F# - E
- Gmaj7 with the bass descending notes of D - C# - B - A and the last chord ( 2/4) - A7 (9).
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Don,
Your musical skills, knowledge, experience, etc..., exceeds any gramarly trinkets, so important to some TB specialists but, sometimes, unnoticed to me while trying to dig deeper into the essence of your opinion.
Once again, I try to be more careful about my postings.
