HancockCoverHere it is folks!  The next MASSIVE, all-inclusive, career-encompassing collection that rivals Harry Nilsson’s recently released Legacy Box (but not the 70CD Miles Davis Collection Box; THAT one will be tough to beat).  This one is for Herbie Hancock.

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings plan the release of Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988.  In this expected box will reside an extraordinary collection of Herbie Hancock classics filling 34 CDs.  On those CDs will be all 31 Hancock releases issued by Columbia, three of them double albums.  In addition to the titles that were easily acquirable over the years, there will be  eight Japan-only Hancock titles (Dedication – 1974, Flood – 1975, The Herbie Hancock Trio – 1977, Tempest In The Colosseum – 1977, Directstep – 1978, Five Stars – 1979, Butterfly – 1979, Herbie Hancock Trio With Ron Carter + Tony Williams – 1981).

Continuing, Legacy/Columbia will include two Japan-only releases that were subsequently reissued in the US back in 2004.  Those are The Piano (1978), and V.S.O.P./Live Under The Sky (1979).

This set is being produced by the same person that gave us the previously mentioned 70CD The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album Collection Box, Richard Seidel.  Seidel has worked on other Complete Album Collection series that include Weather Report, Nina Simone, Stan Getz, Wayne Shorter, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and others.

The albums were remastered to 24/96 by Mark Wilder.

To round out the collection, a 200-page book will be exclusive to this set.  The book, as expected, will contain a ton of photos, a new essay from Bob Belden, commentaries that encompass all 31 albums in this collection, and essential to any package of this size, a complete and exhaustive discography with complete credits and information (release dates, musician line-ups, RIAA certifications, charting information, etc.).

The set will be housed in a chest with a removable lid.  Each album inside will be packaged in a mini-LP CD replica of the original jacket. Some will be in replica gatefold jackets.

Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988 is slated for release on November 12.

Herbie Hancock Box

Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988

01. Sextant 1972-73 1973 KC 32212 – E
02. Head Hunters 1973 1973 KC 32731 -E
03. * Dedication 1974 1974 SOPM 165 – AE
04. Thrust 1974 1974 PC 32965 – E
05. Death Wish original soundtrack 1974 1974 PC 33199 – E
06. * Flood (double LP = 1 CD) 1975 1975 SOPZ 98/99 – E
07. Man-Child 1975 1975 PC 33812 – E
08.  Secrets 1976 1976 PC 34280 – E
09. V.S.O.P. (2 CDs) 1976 1977 PG 34688 – AE
10. * The Herbie Hancock Trio 1977 1977 25AP 60 – A
11. V.S.O.P. / The Quintet (double LP = 1 CD) 1977 1977 C2 34976 – A
12. * V.S.O.P. The Quintet: Tempest In 1977 1977 40AP 771/2 – A
The Colosseum (double LP = 1 CD)
13. An Evening With Herbie Hancock & Chick 1978 1978 PC2 35663 – A
Corea In Concert (2 CDs)
14. Sunlight 1977-78 1978 JC 34907 – E
15. Feets Don’t Fail Me Now 1978 1979 JC 35764 – E
16. * Directstep 1978 1979 30AP 1032 – E
17. # The Piano (plus 2004 CD bonus tracks) 1978 1979/2004 30 AP 1033 / CK 87083- A
18. # V.S.O.P. The Quintet: Live Under The Sky 1979 1979/2004 (2 CDs) (plus 2004 CD bonus tracks) 40 AP 1037-1038/ C2K 87165 – A
19. * V.S.O.P. The Quintet: Five Stars 1979 1979 30AP 1036 – A
20. * Kimiko Kasai w/ Herbie Hancock: Butterfly 1979 1979 25AP-1350 – E
21. Monster 1979-80 1980 JC 36415 – E
22. Mr. Hands 1980 1980 JC 36578 – E
23. Magic Windows 1981 1981 FC 37837 – E
24. * Herbie Hancock Trio With Ron Carter 1981 1981 AP-2190
+ Tony Williams – A
25. Quartet (double LP = 1 CD) 1981 1983 C2 38275 – A
26. Lite Me Up 1981-82 1982 FC 37928 – E
27. Future Shock (plus bonus track) 1983 1983 CK 38814 – E
28. Sound-System (plus bonus track) 1984 1984 CK 39478 – E
29. Herbie Hancock And Foday Musa Suso: 1984 1985 CK 39870
Village Life – EA
30. Round Midnight Original Soundtrack 1985 1986 CK 40464 – A
31. Perfect Machine (plus bonus tracks) 1988 1988 CK 40025 – E

Notes:
1. Designation indicates acoustic album (A) or electric album (E), or mix (AE, EA).
2. * indicates initial release was in Japan, but this is first international release.
3. # indicates initial release was in Japan, but subsequently released in U.S.

By MARowe