The concept of a double album had become fashionable for rock music. Miles Davis made it his own, creating pieces over 20 minutes long that were built on a few fragments he offered to the musicians in his new quintet. Joining this group were several invited artists whose role was to enlarge the rhythm section and to help rein in the members of the ensemble who were known to venture toward the edge of chaos during their concerts. Cutting extensively, Teo Macero tried to create some order in the tapes, eliminating, editing, and elaborating refrains and improvised ritornellos from a few notes repeated in the introduction, in the interlude, or in the course of a long solo; elsewhere he injected his own electronic effects. From then on, the monochromatic blue night that had dominated In A Silent Way was infused with flushes, flames, and blazes—but they were under control. The title “Spanish Key” indicated that Miles had returned again to the modal adventure exactly where he had left it ten years earlier in “Flamenco Sketches” and “Teo.”
Original issue: Columbia LP GP 26 on March 30, 1970
Producer: Teo Macero
Engineers: Frank Laico (CD 1, track 2; CD 2, tracks 2, 4)
Stan Tonkel (all other tracks)
Note: The original title for the composition “Bitches Brew” was “Listen To This.”
August 19, 1969 (a)
Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (el-g); Chick Corea (el-p); Joe Zawinul (el-p); Dave Holland (b); Harvey Brooks (el-b); Jack DeJohnette (d); Lenny White (d); Don Alias (perc); Jim Riley [Jumma Santos] (perc)
on Disc 2, track 2 omit Harvey Brooks (el-b)
on Disc 2, track 4 omit Benny Maupin (bcl), Harvey Brooks (el-b) and Lenny White (d)
August 20, 1969 (b)
Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (el-g); Chick Corea (el-p); Joe Zawinul (el-p); Dave Holland (el-b); Harvey Brooks (el-b); Jack DeJohnette (d); Don Alias (d); Jim Riley [Jumma Santos] (perc)
August 21, 1969 (c)
Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (el-g); Chick Corea (el-p); Joe Zawinul (el-p); Larry Young (el-p); Dave Holland (b); Harvey Brooks (el-b); Jack DeJohnette (d); Lenny White (d); Don Alias (perc); Jim Riley [Jumma Santos] (perc)
January 28, 1970 (d)
Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (el-g); Chick Corea (el-p); Joe Zawinul (el-p); Dave Holland (el-b); Billy Cobham (d); Jack DeJohnette (d); Airto Moreira (perc)
All tracks recorded at Columbia Studio B, NYC
DISC 1
- Pharaoh’s Dance [c]
- Bitches Brew [a]
DISC 2
- Spanish Key [c]
- John McLaughlin [a]
- Miles Runs The Voodoo Down [b]
- Sanctuary [a]
- Feio* [d]
* Not on original LP
