Recording history and tape provenance
By late 1971 Corea had come through Miles Davis's electric period and the free-improvising collective Circle, and wanted a more structured, melodic direction. He built a quintet around the Brazilian duo of Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, his longtime collaborator Joe Farrell, and the young bassist Stanley Clarke.
Clarke is the only member who stayed through every later lineup of the band, which took its name from this album's title track.
The record leans on Latin and Brazilian rhythmic language. The side-two piece "Sometime Ago–La Fiesta" runs about 23 minutes. It is built around an extended Corea piano introduction, a Clarke double-bass solo and a driving groove under Purim's wordless vocals and Farrell's flute.
ECM held the album back from US release for three years. By the time an American pressing appeared in 1975, the Return to Forever name was attached to the band's later, more rock-oriented albums for Polydor.
The master tapes remain with ECM and Universal. A 1987 digital remix was used for CD releases, and a later SACD remaster on Japan's Polydor imprint, PROZ-1088, has been well reviewed. Neither is a vinyl source.
Original German pressing (1972)
ECM 1022 ST is the first pressing, with lacquers cut and records pressed at Phonodisc GmbH.
A documented fault affects a meaningful number of copies. Owners across separate purchases describe a static-like noise at the start of both sides, pressed into the vinyl rather than worn into it. It intensifies on louder or cymbal-heavy passages and disappears in quiet sections.
Not every copy has it, and several owners report dead-quiet records after cleaning. It is frequent enough to warrant inspection, or a seller who accepts returns.
From 1976, remaining stock carries a small distributor sticker reading "2301 022", reflecting a change in ECM's German distribution.
US pressing (1975)
ECM-1-1022 was manufactured and distributed by Polydor Incorporated and pressed at the Columbia plant in Pitman, New Jersey. A "CP" etching in the runouts identifies it.
Owner reports divide. Some describe a spacious pressing with air and separation, while others report noticeable pre-echo in quiet passages. That is a different fault from the German pressing's noise, and it is not universal either.
Japanese pressings
Polydor K.K. MP-2273 (1972) was licensed via Hara Music and comes with obi and Japanese liner notes.
Reception is more divided than a glance at the reviews suggests. Some owners rate it ahead of every other country's pressing for natural tone, dead-quiet surfaces and clarity.
A detailed comparison across six period copies, posted on the German pressing's Discogs page, reaches the opposite conclusion. That owner compared three US pressings, one Canadian, one German and one Japanese, all near mint, and found the Japanese the most disappointing.
The complaint is specific. That owner describes an on-and-off presence on some instruments, as though the cut had rolled off the high end. It is most noticeable on cymbals, and on flute on side B. A second owner separately rated the sound unremarkable.
A later Japanese repress, catalogue MPF-1136, circulates from 1978.
French pressing
A French pressing exists, identified by "Imprimé en France" on the sleeve. No sound comparison against the German or US pressings has been published, so it is a period pressing rather than a confirmed alternative.
Pressings to avoid
No bootleg of this title is widely documented.
Noise and pre-echo reports affect both the German and US originals. Clear photos of the vinyl and a return policy are worth more here than a premium copy bought sight unseen.
Buyer's guide by budget
$: A clean US 1975 pressing, checked against the pre-echo reports.
$$: The Japanese Polydor pressing with obi, where owner reception splits, or a clean German original checked for the noise issue.
Pressing tier summary
| Tier ⇅ | Pressing | Cat# | Year ⇅ | Format | Source / Mastering | Notes | Market ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Polydor K.K. (Japan) | MP-2273 | 1972 | Stereo, 33⅓ | Licensed Japanese pressing via Hara Music | Obi and Japanese notes. Reception split, from best-in-class to rolled-off highs | $73VG+ $95NM $107M |
| B | ECM original, West Germany | ECM 1022 ST | 1972 | Stereo, 33⅓ | Original 1972 mastering. Pressed at Phonodisc GmbH | First pressing. Static-like noise at the start of both sides on many copies | $40VG+ $52NM $58M |
| B | ECM US pressing | ECM-1-1022 | 1975 | Stereo, 33⅓ | Polydor Inc. Pressed at Columbia, Pitman | "CP" in the runouts. Some copies show pre-echo | $106VG+ $139NM $155M |
| C | French pressing | ECM 1022 ST | 1972 | Stereo, 33⅓ | European pressing | No published sound comparison | none currently listed $31VG+ $40NM $45M |
| – | Japanese repress | MPF-1136 | 1978 | Stereo, 33⅓ | Licensed Japanese pressing | Not rated. Later repress | – |
References
- Discogs (master, all versions): https://www.discogs.com/master/123528-Chick-Corea-Return-To-Forever