The Headhunters
American jazz fusion band
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The Headhunters is an American jazz fusion band formed by Herbie Hancock in 1973. The group fuses jazz, funk, and rock music.
The Headhunters | |
|---|---|
Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters in 1975 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | United States of America |
| Genres | Jazz fusion |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Verve Forecast, Basin Street, P-Vine, Owl Studios |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
History and band name
Hancock had grown dissatisfied with his prior band, Mwandishi, and wanted to make a band with a stronger funk component.[1] He chose the name of the group, "Headhunters", while doing Buddhist chanting.[1] The name pleased him because it made a triple reference to the jungle, to intellectual concerns, and to sexual activity.[1]
In 1973, the band comprised Hancock (keyboards), Bennie Maupin (saxophone, clarinet), Harvey Mason (drums), Paul Jackson (bass), and Bill Summers (percussion). Their first album, Head Hunters, sold more than one million copies.[2]
After releasing three studio albums together, Hancock departed to pursue other projects, and the band carried on without him with his blessing. Hancock has occasionally returned for one-off projects with the group.
Discography
| Year | Album | Label | Peak chart positions[3] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Jazz (Trad) |
US Jazz (Cont) | |||
| 1973 | Head Hunters (Herbie Hancock album) |
Columbia | 21 | — | — |
| 1974 | Thrust (Herbie Hancock album) |
Columbia | — | — | — |
| 1975 | Flood (live album with Herbie Hancock) |
CBS/Sony | — | — | — |
| 1975 | Man-Child (Herbie Hancock album) |
Columbia | — | — | — |
| 1975 | Survival of the Fittest | Arista | 126 | 12 | — |
| 1977 | Straight from the Gate | Arista | — | — | — |
| 1998 | Return of the Headhunters! (with Herbie Hancock) | Verve | — | — | 9 |
| 2003 | Evolution Revolution | Basin Street | — | — | — |
| 2008 | On Top: Live From Europe | BHM Productions | — | — | — |
| 2011 | Platinum | Owl Studios | — | — | — |
| 2022 | Speakers In The House | Ropeadope | — | — | — |
| 2023 | Live from Brooklyn Bowl | Ropeadope | — | — | — |
| 2024 | The Stunt Man | Ropeadope | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Chronology
