After playing on Miles Davis' albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, Corea formed an avant-garde jazz band called Circle with Dave Holland, Anthony Braxton and Barry Altschul. However in 1972, after becoming a disciple of Scientology, Corea decided that he wanted to "communicate" with the audience. This essentially meant that he wanted to make more commercial music, since avant-garde jazz had a relatively small audience.
The first line-up (1972 - 1973)
The first Return to Forever band played latin-oriented music. The initial band consisted of singer (and occasional percussionist) Flora Purim, her husband Airto Moreira on drums and other percussion, Corea's longtime musical co-worker Joe Farrell on saxophone and flute, and the young bassist Stanley Clarke, who became the only constant member of the band apart from Corea. Especially in this first line-up, Clarke played double bass in addition to electric bass. Corea's electric piano was the leading instrument in this group's sound, but Clarke and Farrell were also given plenty of solo space. Purim's vocal gave some commercial appeal for their music, but many compositions were instrumental and more or less experimental in their nature. The music was composed by Corea with the exception of the title track of the second album which was written by Stanley Clarke. Lyrics were often written by Corea's friend Neville Porter, and were often related to scientology, though this is not necessarily easy to recognize for outsiders. Clarke was involved in Scientology through Corea, but left the cult in the early 1980s.
The first album, named simply Return to Forever, was cut for ECM Records in 1972 and was initially released only in Europe. This album featured Corea's famous compositions Crystal Silence and La Fiesta. Shortly afterwards, Corea, Airto, Clarke and Tony Williams formed the band for Stan Getz's album Captain Marvel (1972), which featured Corea's compositions including some from the first and second Return to Forever albums. The second album, Light as a Feather (1973), was released by Polydor and included the famous song, Spain.
The jazz-rock era (1973 - 1976)
After the second album, Purim and Moreira left the group in order to set up their own band. Farrell also left, and guitarist Bill Connors, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Mingo Lewis were taken on. However, Gadd was not willing to go touring and leave his job as a hard working studio drummer. Lenny White (who had played with Corea in Miles Davis's band) replaced Gadd and Lewis, and the group's third album, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973), was rerecorded. The first recording featuring Gadd was never released and is said to be missing.
The nature of the group's music had now completely changed to "jazz-rock", similar to what The Mahavishnu Orchestra and some progressive rock bands were doing at the same time. The music was still relatively melodic, relying on strong themes, but traditional jazz feel was almost completely gone. Distorted guitar had become prominent in the band's new sound, and Clarke played mostly electric bass. A new singer had not been hired, and all the songs were now instrumentals. This however, did not lead to a decrease in band's commercial potential - Return to Forever's jazz-rock albums always found their way to US pop album charts.
The second jazz-rock album, Where Have I Known You Before, (1974) was similar in style to the previous album, but Corea played synthesizers in addition to electric piano, and Clarke had developed his famous electric bass sound and style. Since Bill Connors had wanted to concentrate on his solo career, the group had also hired a new guitarist. Earl Klugh played guitar on some group's live performances but he was soon replaced by the 19 year old guitar wizard Al Di Meola, who played guitar on the album.
The next album, No Mystery (1975), was made with the same line-up as its predecessor, but the style of music was more varied. The first side of the record consisted mostly of jazz-funk, while the second side featured Corea's acoustic title track and a long composition that borrowed partly from Spanish music. On this and the following album, each member of the group composed at least one of the tracks. No Mystery won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Group.
The last album by the most long-lasting lineup of Return to Forever was Romantic Warrior (1976). By this time the group had left Polydor for Columbia Records. The album became the best selling of all Return to Forever albums, eventually reaching gold disc status. This album continued experiments in the realm of jazz-rock and related genres, and is also famous for its technically demanding playing.
The last album (1977)
The final version of Return to Forever featured a four piece horn section and Corea's wife Gayle singing vocals, and recorded just one studio album, Musicmagic (1977). The music had returned closer to the gentle feel of the music of the first line-up. However, instead of strong Latin influences, the last album features bombastic arrangements for horn section and synthesizers. Compositions remained relatively complex.
In 1983 the White/Di Meola line up returned briefly on the stage, but did not record a new album, only one track issued on Corea's Touchstone album entitled "Compadres".
Again in 2008, the classic lineup of Corea, Di Meola, Clarke, and White reunited for a reunion tour of the United States. The band's official Web site announced after the tour's completion that a concert DVD was forthcoming. In conjunction with the tour, the band released "The Anthology," a two-CD set collecting remastered versions of most of the band's songs from the four albums recorded with the Corea/Di Meola/Clarke/White lineup.
On Green Dolphin Street
Return to Forever Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
Romance was the theme
And we were the players
I never think of this without a sigh
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
On Green Dolphin Street
The lyrics to Return to Forever's song "On Green Dolphin Street" depict a nostalgic and bittersweet remembrance of a past love affair. The first verse describes the fleeting nature of the romance, with a man and a woman sharing a passionate kiss before saying goodbye. The second verse goes on to explain how the memory of this brief encounter continues to haunt the singer, with Green Dolphin Street providing the idyllic backdrop for their romance.
However, the song isn't just about a lost love. The lyrics also suggest that despite the pain of separation, the singer is grateful for the experiences they shared. Memories of their time together continue to live on in their heart, and even the mere thought of their affair is enough to stir up powerful emotions.
Overall, "On Green Dolphin Street" is a wistful reflection on what could have been, as well as a testament to the lasting impact that love can have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened
Although it feels like a distant memory, I have a clear recollection of what happened
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
It involves two people who share a moment of intimacy, but are then parted
Romance was the theme
The central idea was that of love and attraction between two people
And we were the players
The two people involved were the main characters who acted out the romance
I never think of this without a sigh
The memory of this experience still brings about a deep emotional response
Lover, one lovely day
This is a reference to the start of the romance, when the two people first met
Love came, planning to stay
They fell in love and intended to be together for a long time
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The location where the romance occurred was on Green Dolphin Street
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
The romantic moments that took place on Green Dolphin Street were unforgettable
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
Even though the two people are separated now, the memories of their time together still hold a special place in their heart
When I recall the love I found on
Whenever I reminisce about the past and remember the emotions I felt with that person
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
The location of their romance was so special that it evokes a strong emotional response, even the desire to kiss the ground where it took place
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Tratore, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, NED WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind