Water Babies (album)

1976 compilation album by Miles Davis

Water Babies

Compilation album by

Miles Davis

Released| November 1976
Recorded| June 7, 13, 23, 1967
November 11–12, 1968
Studio|

* Columbia 30th Street
* Columbia 52nd Street (New York City)

Genre|

* Jazz fusion
* post-bop

Length| 52:51
Label| Columbia
Producer| Teo Macero
Miles Davis chronology
| Pangaea
(1976)  | Water Babies
(1976)  | Dark Magus
(1977)

|
|

Water Babies is a compilation album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.[1] It compiled music Davis recorded in studio sessions with his quintet in 1967 and 1968,[2] including outtakes from his 1968 album Nefertiti and recordings that foreshadowed his direction on In a Silent Way (1969),[3] while covering styles such as jazz fusion and post-bop.[4] Water Babies was released by Columbia Records in 1976 after Davis had (temporarily) retired.[5]

## Background

[edit]

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Released during Miles Davis's retirement in the second half of the seventies, it was originally a collection of five outtakes, three from the June, 1967 Nefertiti sessions with the Miles Davis Quintet (1967), and two from November 1968, recorded between the sessions that made up Filles de Kilimanjaro (Jun-Sep. 1968) and In a Silent Way (Feb. 1969).

Due to these recordings being released years after they were recorded, the three Wayne Shorter compositions recorded during the 1967 session had made their first appearance in 1969 on Shorter's album Super Nova with arrangements that reflected the early jazz fusion style that Shorter continued to develop in the first few Weather Report albums.

Side 1 of the original LP features the second great quintet of Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Williams and Carter playing the three Nefertiti outtakes. On Side 2 of the LP, Ron Carter is replaced by Dave Holland and Chick Corea doubles with Hancock on electric piano for two extended pieces from 1968. For the CD reissue, a third piece from November 1968 (Splash) was added to the album. The line-up of the 1968 sessions is very similar to the one that recorded In a Silent Way in 1969, with the exception of John McLaughlin and Joe Zawinul, who were not present on the 1968 sessions. Likewise, Shorter played tenor saxophone on the 1968 sessions, but switched to soprano saxophone for In a Silent Way.

In 2002, the album was reissued with "Splash" as a bonus track. "Splash" had been previously released on The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions, with an edited version released on Circle in the Round.

## Title

[edit]

Wayne Shorter named his composition "Water Babies" after the 1863 children's novel The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. Shorter has said that the book was the first entire book that he read as a child. The book is a fairy tale that follows a boy named Tom who falls into a river and is transformed into a "water-baby", a type of fairy with gills that can live underwater. Shorter told an interviewer that story created within him "this wonder about the netherworld, about the places that we can't see, but that we can enter anytime. After death, I wondered, is it something like that?"[6]

## Release and reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Down Beat| [7]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [9]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide| [3]
Tom Hull – on the Web| B+ ()[10]
The Village Voice| B+[11]

Water Babies was released in November 1976 by Columbia Records.[12] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said the compiled recordings were not "quite vintage Miles", being particularly critical of "Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony" while finding "the rest is better".[11] Rolling Stone magazine's Bob Blumenthal was more enthusiastic, writing that the record showcased some of the best music by Davis' 1964-68 quintet, who were revealed with the passage of time to be "as daring and fascinating as any in the long Davis career".[13] "Although not an essential set", Scott Yanow wrote in AllMusic, "this album fills in some gaps during Davis's transitional period from adventurous acoustic playing to early electric performances."[2]

## Track listing

[edit]

All songs composed by Wayne Shorter except as noted.

### 1976 original LP version

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Water Babies"| 5:06
2.| "Capricorn"| 8:27
3.| "Sweet Pea"| 7:59

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Two Faced"|  | 18:01
2.| "Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony"| Miles Davis, Tony Williams| 13:18

#### 2002 CD reissue bonus track

[edit]

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "Splash"| Miles Davis| 10:05

* Track 5 is retitled “Dual Mr. Anthony Tillmon Williams Process” on the 2002 CD reissue.

## Personnel

[edit]

### Tracks 1-3

[edit]

* Miles Davis – trumpet
* Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
* Herbie Hancock – piano
* Ron Carter – bass
* Tony Williams – drums

### Tracks 4-6

[edit]

* Miles Davis – trumpet
* Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
* Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock – electric piano
* Dave Holland – bass
* Tony Williams – drums

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Freeman, Philip (2005). Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 105\. ISBN 1-61774-521-9.
2. ^ a b c Yanow, Scott (2011). "Water Babies [Bonus Track] \- Miles Davis | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
3. ^ a b Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 58. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
4. ^ McCarthy, Harlan (May 4, 2016). "6 Essential Miles Davis Albums". The Riverfront Times. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
5. ^ Santoro, Gene (1995). Dancing in Your Head: Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Beyond. Oxford University Press. p. 169. ISBN 0195101235.
6. ^ Mercer, Michelle (2007). Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter. Penguin. p. 18\. ISBN 9781440629112.
7. ^ Alkyer, Frank; Enright, Ed; Koransky, Jason, eds. (2007). The Miles Davis Reader. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 272. ISBN 978-1423430766.
8. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). MUZE. p. 210\. ISBN 0195313739.
9. ^ Considine, J. D. (1992). "Miles Davis". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 180\. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
10. ^ Hull, Tom (May 10, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
11. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (September 5, 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
12. ^ "Miles Davis Water Babies". Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
13. ^ Blumenthal, Bob (April 21, 1977). "Water Babies". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 15, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Water Babies at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Miles Davis

Discography

Studio albums|

| Prestige era|

* The New Sounds
* Young Man with a Horn
* Blue Period
* The Compositions of Al Cohn
* Miles Davis, Volume 2
* Miles Davis, Volume 3
* Miles Davis Quartet
* Miles Davis All Star Sextet
* Miles Davis Quintet
* Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins
* Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 1
* Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 2
* The Musings of Miles
* Blue Moods
* Dig
* Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet
* Quintet/Sextet
* Collectors' Items
* Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
* Bags' Groove
* Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
* Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants
* Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
* Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

|

Columbia era|

* 'Round About Midnight
* Miles Ahead
* Milestones
* Porgy and Bess
* Kind of Blue
* Jazz Track
* Sketches of Spain
* Someday My Prince Will Come
* Seven Steps to Heaven
* Quiet Nights
* E.S.P.
* Miles Smiles
* Sorcerer
* Nefertiti
* Miles in the Sky
* Filles de Kilimanjaro
* In a Silent Way
* Bitches Brew
* Jack Johnson
* Live-Evil
* On the Corner
* The Man with the Horn
* Star People
* Decoy
* You're Under Arrest
* Aura

Warner Bros. era|

* Tutu
* Amandla
* Doo-Bop
* Rubberband

Soundtracks|

* Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
* Jack Johnson
* Music from Siesta
* The Hot Spot
* Dingo

Live
recordings|

* Birdland 1951
* Miles Davis at Newport 1955–1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4
* Miles & Coltrane
* Miles Davis Quintet at Peacock Alley
* Amsterdam Concert
* At Newport 1958
* Miles & Monk at Newport
* Jazz at the Plaza Vol. I
* Miles Davis & John Coltrane The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6
* In Person: At the Blackhawk, San Francisco
* Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall
* Miles Davis in Europe
* Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival
* My Funny Valentine
* Four & More
* Miles in Tokyo
* Miles in Berlin
* The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965
* Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1
* 1969 Miles – Festiva De Juan Pins
* Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2
* Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time
* Bitches Brew Live
* Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West
* Miles Davis at Fillmore
* Miles at the Fillmore – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3
* The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
* Live-Evil
* In Concert
* Dark Magus
* Agharta
* Pangaea
* Miles! Miles! Miles!
* We Want Miles
* Live Around the World
* Merci Miles! Live at Vienne
* Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux

Compilations|

* Miles Davis and Horns
* Blue Haze
* Birth of the Cool
* Walkin'
* Miles Davis Volume 1
* Miles Davis Volume 2
* Miles Davis' Greatest Hits
* Basic Miles: The Classic Performances of Miles Davis
* Big Fun
* Get Up with It
* Water Babies
* Circle in the Round
* 1958 Miles
* Directions
* The Columbia Years 1955–1985
* Love Songs
* Super Hits
* The Essential Miles Davis
* Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5
* That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7
* Miles Davis 54

Box sets|

* The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis with John Coltrane
* Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings
* Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis 1963–1964
* The Complete Studio Recordings of The Miles Davis Quintet 1965–1968
* The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions
* The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions
* The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions
* The Complete On the Corner Sessions
* In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete
* The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965
* The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux
* The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
* Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Album Collection
* The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions
* Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings 1951–1956

Remix albums|

* Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974
* Panthalassa: The Remixes
* Evolution of the Groove

Compositions|

* "All Blues"
* "Blue in Green"
* "Boplicity"
* "Dig"
* "Donna Lee"
* "Four"
* "Flamenco Sketches"
* "Freddie Freeloader"
* "Joshua"
* "Milestones"
* "Nardis"
* "Seven Steps to Heaven"
* "So What"

Related articles|

* Miles Dewey Davis Jr. (father)
* Miles Davis Quintet
* Miles: The Autobiography
* Miles! The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux DVD Collection
* That's What Happened: Live in Germany 1987
* Live in Munich (1988)
* Miles from India
* A Different Kind of Blue (2004 documentary)
* Miles Ahead (2015 movie)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Chick Corea

Chick Corea discography

As leader|

* Tones for Joan's Bones (1968)
* Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
* Circling In (1975)
* Is (1969)
* Sundance (1972)
* The Song of Singing (1970)
* A.R.C.  (1971) (with Dave Holland & Barry Altschul)
* The Leprechaun (1976)
* My Spanish Heart (1976)
* The Mad Hatter (1978)
* Secret Agent (1978)
* Friends (1978)
* Tap Step (1980)
* Three Quartets (1981)
* Trio Music (1982)
* Touchstone (1982)
* Again and Again (1983)
* Summer Night: Live (1987) (with Akoustic Band)
* Chick Corea Akoustic Band (1989) (with Akoustic Band)
* Alive (1991) (with Akoustic Band)
* Seabreeze (1993) (with Gayle Moran & Lionel Hampton)
* Time Warp (1995)
* Remembering Bud Powell (1996)
* Rendezvous in New York (2003)
* The Ultimate Adventure (2006)
* Super Trio - Live at the One World Theatre, April 3rd, 2005 (2006) (with Steve Gadd & Christian McBride)
* Five Peace Band Live (2009) (with John McLaughlin)
* Further Explorations (2012)
* The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet & Chamber Orchestra (2012)
* The Vigil (2013)
* Trilogy (2013) (with Chick Corea Trio)
* The Musician: Live at The Blue Note Jazz Café (2016)
* Chinese Butterfly (2017) (with Steve Gadd)
* Trilogy 2 (2019)(with Chick Corea Trio)
* Antidote (2019)

Solo piano albums|

* Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 (1971)
* Piano Improvisations Vol. 2 (1972)
* Delphi I (1979)
* Delphi II & III (1980)
* Children's Songs (1984)
* Expressions (1994)
* Solo Piano: Originals (2000)
* Solo Piano: Standards (2000)
* Solo Piano – Portraits (2014)
* Plays (2020)

Duos|

* An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert (1978)
* CoreaHancock (1979)
* Chick Corea & Lionel Hampton in Concert (1980)
* Voyage (1984) [with Steve Kujala]
* Play (1992) (with Bobby McFerrin)
* The Enchantment (2007) (with Béla Fleck)
* Duet (2008) (with Hiromi Uehara)
* Orvieto (2010) (with Stefano Bollani)
* Two (2015) [with Béla Fleck]

with Gary Burton|

* Crystal Silence (1972)
* Duet (1979)
* In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979 (1980)
* Lyric Suite for Sextet (1982)
* Native Sense - The New Duets (1997)
* The New Crystal Silence (2008)
* Hot House (2012)

Circle|

* Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert (1970)
* Circle 2: Gathering (1971)
* Paris Concert (1972)
* Circling In (1975)
* Circulus (1978)

with Stanley Clarke|

* Children of Forever (1973)
* Journey to Love (1975)
* Rocks, Pebbles and Sand (1980)
* Up (2014)

with Miles Davis|

* Water Babies (1976)
* Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969)
* In a Silent Way (1969)
* Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (2013)
* Bitches Brew (1970)
* Bitches Brew Live (2011)
* Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (1977)
* Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (1970)
* Miles at the Fillmore – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (2014)
* Jack Johnson (a.k.a. A Tribute to Jack Johnson) (1971)
* Circle in the Round (1979)
* Live-Evil (1971)
* On the Corner (1972)
* Big Fun (1974)

with
Chick Corea Elektric Band|

* The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986)
* Light Years (1987)
* Eye of the Beholder (1988)
* Inside Out (1990)
* Beneath the Mask (1991)
* Elektric Band II: Paint the World (1993)
* Live from Elario's (The First Gig) (1996)
* To the Stars (2004)
* Live in Tokyo 1987 (2017)

with Joe Farrell|

* Joe Farrell Quartet (1970)
* Outback (1971)
* Skate Board Park (1979)

with Stan Getz|

* Sweet Rain (1967)
* What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David (1968)
* Captain Marvel (1972)

with Joe Henderson|

* Relaxin' at Camarillo (1979)
* Mirror Mirror (1980)
* Joe Henderson: Big Band (1997)

with Hubert Laws|

* The Laws of Jazz (1964)
* Flute By-Laws (1966)
* Laws' Cause (1968)
* Wild Flower (1972)
* Family (1980)
* Blanchard: New Earth Sonata (1985)

with Herbie Mann|

* Herbie Mann Plays The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1965)
* Monday Night at the Village Gate (1966)
* Latin Mann Afro to Bossa to Blues (1965)
* Standing Ovation at Newport (1965)

with Blue Mitchell|

* The Thing to Do (1964)
* Down with It! (1965)
* Boss Horn (1967)

with Origin|

* Live at the Blue Note (1998)
* A Week at The Blue Note (1998)
* Change (1999)
* corea.concerto: Spain for Sextet & Orchestra / Piano Concerto No. 1 (1999)

with Return to Forever|

* Return to Forever (1972)
* Light as a Feather (1973)
* Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)
* Where Have I Known You Before (1974)
* No Mystery (1975)
* Romantic Warrior (1976)
* Musicmagic (1977)
* Live (1978)
* Returns (2009)
* Forever [as Corea, Clarke & White] (2011)
* The Mothership Returns (2012)

with Wayne Shorter|

* Super Nova (1969)
* Moto Grosso Feio (1974)

with others|

* Sonny Stitt: Stitt Goes Latin (1963)
* Dave Pike: Manhattan Latin (1964)
* Cal Tjader: Soul Burst (1966)
* Pete La Roca: Turkish Women at the Bath (1967)
* Donald Byrd: The Creeper (1981)
* Eric Kloss: To Hear Is to See! (1969)
* Eric Kloss: Consciousness! (1970)
* Larry Coryell: Spaces (1970)
* Sadao Watanabe: Round Trip (1970)
* Marion Brown: Afternoon of a Georgia Faun (1970)
* Richard Davis: The Philosophy of the Spiritual (1971)
* Rolf Kühn Jazzgroup: Going to the Rainbow (1971)
* John Surman: Conflagration (1971)
* Elvin Jones: Merry-Go-Round (1972)
* Airto Moreira: Free (1972)
* Anthony Braxton: The Complete Braxton (1973)
* Richard Davis: With Understanding (1975)
* Dee Dee Bridgewater: Just Family (1977)
* Ron Carter: Parade (1979)
* Gábor Szabó: Femme Fatale (1979)
* Tete Montoliu: Lunch in L.A. (1980)
* Chaka Khan et al.: Echoes of an Era (1982)
* Elektric Band II: Paint the World (1993)
* Like Minds (1998) (with Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland)
* Herbie Hancock: Gershwin's World (1998)
* Avishai Cohen: Lyla (2003)
* Miroslav Vitouš: Universal Syncopations (2003)
* Antonio Sánchez: Migration (2007)
* Hans Glawischnig: Panorama (2008)

Compilations|

* Inner Space (1973)
* The Complete "Is" Sessions (2002)

Soundtracks|

* Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1989)

* v
* t
* e

Herbie Hancock

Discography (As a sideman or guest artist)

Studio albums|

* Takin' Off
* My Point of View
* Inventions & Dimensions
* Empyrean Isles
* Maiden Voyage
* Speak Like a Child
* The Prisoner
* Fat Albert Rotunda
* Mwandishi
* Crossings
* Sextant
* Head Hunters
* Dedication
* Thrust
* Man-Child
* Secrets
* Third Plane
* Herbie Hancock Trio
* Sunlight
* Directstep
* The Piano
* Feets, Don't Fail Me Now
* Monster
* Mr. Hands
* Magic Windows
* Herbie Hancock Trio
* Lite Me Up
* Quartet
* Future Shock
* Sound-System
* Village Life
* Perfect Machine
* A Tribute to Miles
* Dis Is da Drum
* The New Standard
* 1+1
* Gershwin's World
* Future 2 Future
* Possibilities
* River: The Joni Letters
* The Imagine Project

Live albums|

* Hear, O Israel - A Prayer Ceremony in Jazz
* Flood
* V.S.O.P.
* The Quintet (V.S.O.P.)
* Tempest in the Colosseum (V.S.O.P.)
* An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert
* CoreaHancock
* V.S.O.P. Live Under the Sky (V.S.O.P.)
* Jazz Africa
* Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall
* Live: Detroit/Chicago

with Bob Brookmeyer|

* Bob Brookmeyer and Friends

with Donald Byrd
and Pepper Adams|

* Out of This World (Pepper Adams Donald Byrd Quintet)
* Chant
* Royal Flush
* Free Form
* A New Perspective

with Miles Davis|

* Seven Steps to Heaven
* My Funny Valentine
* Four & More
* E.S.P.
* Miles Smiles
* Sorcerer
* Nefertiti
* Miles in the Sky
* Water Babies
* Filles de Kilimanjaro
* In a Silent Way
* Jack Johnson
* On the Corner
* Big Fun
* Get Up with It

with Jack DeJohnette
and Pat Metheny|

* Parallel Realities

with Joe Farrell|

* Moon Germs
* Penny Arcade
* Upon This Rock
* Night Dancing

with Freddie Hubbard|

* Hub-Tones
* Straight Life
* Red Clay

with Joe Zawinul|

Zawinul

Compilations|

* Treasure Chest (Herbie Hancock album)
* The Best of Herbie Hancock
* Then and Now: The Definitive Herbie Hancock
* The Essential Herbie Hancock

Compositions|

* "Watermelon Man"
* "Cantaloupe Island"
* "Maiden Voyage"
* "Chameleon"
* "Rockit"

Soundtracks|

* Blow-Up
* Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert
* The Spook Who Sat by the Door
* Death Wish
* A Soldier's Story
* Round Midnight
* Action Jackson

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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