Herbie Mann

Flautist Herbie Mann played a very varied range of musical styles, including latin, jazz and reggae. Herbie began getting involved with the newly emerging disco scene when he covered LTG Exchange's "Waterbed". It's a very funky instrumental with a great bassline. From this album he also covered "Hijack" by Barrabas. This became popular in the early disco scene in the UK and was one of the very first UK-only 12" promos ever pressed in Europe.

The US-only 12" of "Waterbed" was also a very early 12" single and was mixed by Tom Moulton and mastered by Jose Rodriguez for Atlantic records in New York. Tom is uncredited on the label but look in the run-out matrix and you'll see the giveaway hieroglyphic TM/JR.

His other best disco recording was his cover of Celi Bee's "Superman" theme - it's even better than the original and peaked at #26 in the US Billboard charts. For this album, Herbie worked with New York disco producer Patrick Adams and together they wrote the original jazz-funk classic "Etagui", which was so popular it became the b-side of the 12" of "Superman".

Waterbed / (same) (Atlantic 12" DSKO 58, 1975) Bird in a silver cage / The piper (Atlantic 12" DSKO 88, 1976) Superman / Etagui (Atlantic 12" DSKO 142, 1978) Superman / Etagui (Atlantic 12" DK 4708, 1978) - commercial release Jisco dazz / Body oil (Atlantic 12" DSKO 172, 1978)

 

  1. Hijack (Atlantic 12" [UK] SAM 26, 1975) - double artist 12" b/w Jimmy Castor Bunch track

     

  2. London Underground (Atlantic LP, 1974)
  3. Waterbed (Atlantic LP, 1975)

     

  4. Spinball (Atlantic 7", 1974)

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