RATINGS:
Overall: ****
Presentation and Audio *****
"….Midnight Soul Patrol…"
By the time Producer, Arranger and Songwriter Quincy Jones did his "I Heard That!!" seventh album for Herb Alpert's A&M Records in 1976 – Jones was in his mid-40s and had worked since his 1957 debut with huge names in Jazz and Vocals – Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Count Basie and of course the Capitol and Reprise Records Guvnor himself Frank Sinatra. But that was just the tip of a genuinely prolific iceberg.
Soundtrack themes and Soul-Funk-Fusion from 1969 to 1974 had kept his name on music-shaker lips too and quite often on the noticeable end of the US R&B charts. Quincy even scored a No.1 US R&B album of his own in 1974 with the Soul gem "Body Heat" – an album that featured the usual dreamboat of players – Guitarists Phil Upchurch, Eric Gale, Dennis Coffey, David T. Walker and Wah-Wah Watson with Keyboardists Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Richard Tee and Billly Preston not to mention such Rhythm Section legends as Chuck Findley, Bobbye Hall, Chuck Rainey, Bernard Purdie and Grady Tate.
I mention all this because as you listen to say CD2 (the Anthology LP in the 1976 double album that offers up eight slices of old Quincy from 1969 to 1974 alongside new stuff on Disc one) – the Production quality, the Bruce Swedien mixing and engineering, the playing, the sheer in-the-pocket feel of every track is stunning regardless of the time frame. This is Steely Dan Aja-good in terms of sheer class. So, it will come as no surprise to any Soul-Funk-Fusion fan that "I Heard That!!" (subtitled The Musical World of Quincy Jones) sounds utterly amazing on this 2026 Remastered Beat Goes On twofer CD package (Andrew Thompson does it again).
Lot to discuss – to this Killer Joe in velvet pants over by the Soul Patrol…
UK released Friday, 10 April 2026 - "I Heard That!!" by QUINCY JONES on Beat Goes ON BGOCD1564 (Barcode 5017261215642) is a 2CD Reissue and Remaster of his 1976 Double-Album and plays out as follows:
CD1 (35:37 minutes, 8 Tracks):
1. I Heard That!! (2:12 minutes) [Side 1]
2. Things Could Be Worse For Me (4:27 minutes)
3. What Good Is A Song (7:28 minutes)
4. You Have To Do It Yourself (3:14 minutes)
5. There's A Train Leavin' (4:13 minutes) [Side 2]
6. Midnight Soul Patrol (5:11 minutes)
7. Brown Shoe Shuffle (4:44 minutes)
8. Superstition (3:54 minutes – A Stevie Wonder cover featuring Stevie Wonder)
Tracks 1 to 8 are Sides 1 and 2 of his 2LP set "I Heard That!!" – released September 1976 in the USA on A&M Records SP-3705 and October 1976 in the UK on A&M Records AMLM 63705. Produced by Quincy Jones – it peaked at No.16 on the US Billboard R&B Album charts and at No. 43 in the Rock Albums charts (did not chart UK)
CD2 (52:29 minutes, 8 Tracks):
1. Summer In The City (4:20 minutes) [Side 3 – Award Winning Side]
2. Is It Love That We're Missin' (3:53 minutes)
3. Body Heat (4:02 minutes)
4. If I Ever Lose This Heaven (4:45 minutes)
5. Killer Joe (5:09 minutes) [Side 4 – Grammy Winning Side]
6. Gula Matari (Lead Vocalist Valerie Simpson, Full LP Version at 12:57 minutes)
7. Theme From "The Anderson Tapes" (5:04 minutes, full version)
8. Walking In Space (12:04 minutes, Full Album Version)
Tracks 1 to 8 are Sides 3 and 4 of the 2LP set "I Heard That!!" – released September 1976 in the USA on A&M Records SP-3705 and October 1976 in the UK on A&M Records AMLM 63705. Produced by Quincy Jones – it peaked at No.16 on the US Billboard R&B Album charts and at No. 43 in the Rock Albums charts (did not chart UK)
NOTES: I have provided CD playing times because some of the tracks are Extended Versions on this CD as opposed to the original double-LP edits (see notes below) and the packaging does not state this.
The outer card slipcase lends that classy feel to all BGO reissues and the 24-page booklet (given the sheer number of players and references) has its work cut out for it – but Mojo contributor and long-long associate-writer for Beat Goes On CHARLES WARING eats up the details. The original double-vinyl has printed info inner sleeves – they are reproduced here, as are the photos of those famous session names. Waring goes into the tracks – pinpointing who is soloing where and why – a great deal of info put across in his usual enthusiastic and classy fashion.
And then there is the fabulous Audio – ANDREW THOMPSON Remasters done in 2026 in the UK that lifts proceedings out of great stars beyond into the Audio multiverse. Renowned Engineer Bruce Swedien - who used to master and record all those fabulous Brunswick sides for Tyrone Davis, Barbara Acklin and The Chi-Lites in the late Sixties and early Seventies - is at hand – and with so much experience behind the desk as there was in front of it – it's no surprise then that this double-slice of Jazzy Funky Soulful paradise sounds the bomb. To the tunes…
Vocalists Mortonette Jenkins and Charles May of The Wattsline Vocal Group give it some quality duet booty on the very Disco "Things Could Be Worse For Me" – Keyboardist Dave Grusin joined by a preaching Reverend Charles May as the beat sashays on and on. Time to lurve baby – the sensual snail space ballad "What Good Is A Song" features The Wattsline Vocal Group five singers again working with Dave Grusin on Keys with Tom Scott providing the final flourish with his Saxophone after a Grusin synth solo (song penned by band leader Charles May). The four male and one lady singer in The Wattsline Vocal Group deserve a mention – Mortonette Jenkins, Charles May, David Prigden, Rodney Armstrong and Sherwood Sledge used by Quincy in 1976 and 1977. Charles May (their leader) either wrote or co-wrote much of the album and they hammer it - even if songs like the 3:14 minutes of "You Have To Do It Yourself" feel a bit forced – a song used on a TV show called Rebop.
After a so-so Side one for me – Side two saves proceedings considerably. Touch of The Staple Singers doing Piano Funk to the vibe of the Side 2 opener "There's A Train Leavin'" – a get-on-board positive message song brought to by the talent of Billy Preston and The Brothers Johnson (Trumpeter Snooky Young who is on this track is pictured on Page 8 of the booklet). The irrepressibly chipper instrumental "Midnight Soul Patrol" is a 1976 template for every Brothers Johnson fun-a-thon to come. With huge names like Drummer Billy Cobham doing battle with Stanley Clarke on Bass and the Guitar of Louis Johnson - the Brass takes it out to 5:14 minutes fade beautifully with clever little runs. Toots Thieleman and his languid Harmonica dominates most of "Brown Soft Shoe" until Dave Grusin and Harvey Mason step up to the keyboard banks (did that so good Ray Brown bass playing anchoring everything allowing the others to shine). But then we get to the monster – a fantastic Soul-Funk cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" which features some truly mind-blowing Vocal names let alone other musicians. The Wattsline Vocal Group soon succumbs to the gorgeous pipes of Bill Withers – Stanley Clarke is in there on the slap Bass – Billy Preston plays Keys – The Brothers Johnson join in – Phil Woods goes and if that is not enough – there is Stevie playing Harmonica alongside the Funk. The "I Heard That!!" version of "Superstition" is not new - it's the track that first showed on Quincy's 1973 LP "You Got It Bad, Girl". Whatever was you look it, "Superstition" gives the first LP a stunner to finish it - turns me to mush just thinking of Bill Withers sailing in like the class act he was.
The second LP was split into two camps – Side 3 as the Award-Winning Side of four songs - while Side 4 gave us an industry accolades foursome with the Grammy-Winning Side. First up is his cover of The Lovin Spoonful 1966 John Sebastian-penned "Summer In The City" from his "You Got It Bad, Girl" LP of 1973 (same playing time as the original double-album). While the instrumental failed as an A&M 45-single back in the 1973 day – later Producers, Samplers and Hip-Hop dudes like Pharcyde and Massive Attack drew on it for their own interpretations. Future A&M Records Funk-Soul stars The Brothers Johnson now come into play with Track 2 - "Is It Love That We're Missin'". Taken from the QJ album of 1975 "Mellow Madness" – at least this 45 fared better with a peak of No.18 on the US R&B singles chart. This mid-tempo shuffler is the kind of sexy piano and synth song that people will groove to in their hood-down cars should it show up on some enlightened Oldies station. Co-writer George Johnson provides the smooth Lead Vocal while the guitars and back-beat neck jerk to breaking point – so commercial I know – but oh so good.
Title track to the 1974 fifth A&M album "Body Heat" is up next – a slinky little number that feels more 1978 or 1979 than 1974. Our protagonist cannot control his passion – his love de-sire is on fy-er – if you know what I mean. Co-written with Leon Ware and nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance – what I dig more is those clever synth notes soaring in the backdrop to the tighter-the-tight groove. Again, another great choice – but then we end Side 1 with a slick 4:45 minutes of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" where songwriter Leon Ware sings with ex Rotary Connection alumni Minnie Riperton while Al Jarreau is amongst the backing vocalists. Scottish Soul boys Average White Band did a cover of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" on their second album for Atlantic Records "Cut The Cake" in 1975. They even used it as a 45-single and it featured yet again on their live double "Person To Person" in 1976 where it was extended to a scintillating eight-minutes. The double bass sleaze of "Killer Joe" is presented as a 5:09 full version as opposed to the 4:06 minute edit on the original double-album. Another Creed Taylor production (this time from 1970) – you can just see the pimp entering the nightclub with molls on either arm – gold on his fat little fingers and a cigar that needs a light. Fabulous brass audio against the ladies breathing out the refrain Killer Joe – Don't You Go. What a winner.
The 12:57 minutes of "Gula Matari" is an Afro-Jazz-Fusion cinemascope beast of genre-busting proportions. Helmed by Creed Taylor of CTI Records – it is one of four lengthy workouts off Quincy’s 1970 album of the same name (his second for A&M Records) and is an amazing (if not testing) mix of Big Band, Jazz Cool and Funk all sneaking around a Mati Hari tent. "Gula Matari" is Zulu for "….Breaker Of Rocks…" and features Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson on Lead Vocals with distinctive solos from a trio of super-players – Flautist Hubert Laws, Milk Jackson giving it some sexy Vibes while Soprano Saxophonist Jerome Richardson. Not surprisingly it was Grammy nominated in no less than three categories. Important to note that the "I Heard That!!" version of "Gula Matari" was a 6:54 minute edit on that 1976 2LP set – BGO have used the full LP cut and nearly 13-minutes as noted above.
But as groundbreakingly good as "Gula Matari" is – it stands no chance against the Bullitt-like cinematic cool of "Theme From "The Anderson Tapes"" – the kind of Piano and Vibes and Harmonica butt-swaying sexpot of an Instrumental that's been driving Funksters wild for decades. Love it – love it- love it! CD2 comes to an end with a 1969 Hair song called "Walking In Space" – a piece written by Canadian Galt McDermott for that groundbreaking counter-culture musical. Here at a full album length 12:04 minutes instead of the 1976 edit of 7:12 minutes - it is once again helmed by Valerie Simpson on Vocals with Quincy faves getting to stretch out in the studio – first-time pairing of Bassist Ray Brown and Drummer Grady Tate creating what Quincy described as the first Jazz Fusion album.
Despite staggering commercial solo successes and collaborations (especially in the Eighties with Michael Jackson) and being up to the proverbial wazoo with some 80 Grammy Nominations by the time he passed in November 2024 at the grand old age of 91 – Quincy Jones nonetheless never quite had that genre cool that say Donny Hathaway or Gil Scott-Heron pulled. It might go to explain how this broody little double-album gem from 1976 has been forgotten about – up to the point where it was only available on CD for years on an expensive Japanese import from 1993.
OK – you would not call all the new stuff on Side and 2 the greatest Soul and Fusion masterpiece every made – but the good stuff (on Side 2 in particular) still thrills – and that second LP of prior re-visits is fabulous – especially as three of the tracks are now full-length versions and really hammer home because of it.
Beat Goes On (BGO of the UK) have pulled off a clever reissue here and are to be praised for the gorgeous audio quality and presentation of "I Heard That!!" by Quincy Jones - an unfairly forgotten double that needs your rediscovery – Andrew Thompson and Charles Waring once again delivering the Remastered goodies. Well done to all...
