Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon was an instant jazz standard when it was released, on his 1973 album Head Hunters.
This video, via Future Music Magazine, takes a look at recreating Hancock’s classic Chameleon bass sound, using the new Korg ARP Odyssey.
Head Hunters also features another Hancock standard, Watermelon Man. The album is recognized as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone.
Here’s the original version of Chameleon:
Hancock plays Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey and ARP Soloist on the album.
Reasonable and serviceable. A great sound to make on these new Odysseys.
But it might need more salt. The original has a pronounced quack – more resonance? Faster envelope, played more staccato? Certainly seems like there’s more high end, mids overdriven. It’s nearly an acid sound. Maybe it was plugged in hot to a mixer channel in the 70’s.
This recreation is darker, boomier, more sluggish, almost brass-like. I’m not convinced this is a 2-oscillator sound, it could be slapback, ADT, or manual double tracking in the original recording that gives the sound its depth.
Probably someone knows, I’m just making an ear-guess.
It was recorded and processed in a studio…so lots of what you are hearing is that likely.
I understand how influential this song was but….damn is it annoying today, especially around the 6 min mark.
Sort of like how annoying November Rain has become.
Really? I’ve always loved Chameleon. That keyboard solo gets me every time.
listening to anything Herbie Hancock for more than 6 minutes is annoying
keyboard hater?
jazz hater?
complex chord hater?
what king of music do you like?
Macarena?
Jazz does suck.
come off it bro. I actually like Herbie Hancock, its all just a bit much sometimes. I listen to Return to Forever, but I can still admit a lot of 70’s jazz has pacing issues that can become overbearing. Return to Forever’s first album struck a perfect balance though. I’m more of a mellower jazz guy
This was a cool Album and a bench mark for many up and coming Musicians, Herbie is very progressive and melodic on this tune he really stretches out at the end of this tune its a classic the whole album.
fun fact: the royalties made off that baseline alone can buy a small country
If you actually want to buy Rwanda.
Needs better miking for the narration. The resonance and ambient reverb made his words blur together in a sonorous rumble that made it difficult for me to pick out distinct words. Granted, I have tinnitus, but a lot of other demo videos are very easy to understand because the vocal audio is given as much attention as the synth audio (for example see Marc Doty’s videos, or Nick Batt’s.)
This is NOT the sound!!! Go buy some ears.
It’s different, but not too far off. It’s in the neighborhood, maybe one house down.
What would you tweak to get it closer? I feel like some minor tweak would get it right on.
well, you do need old recording gear, reverb and tape, to get closer
It’s become sort of a ritual that I program this bass sound on every new synth that I acquire. I’ve gotten the best result on a Moog Little Phatty using a 3-pole filter setting. Unfortunately, not easy to hear here because I’m playing along with the record. https://instagram.com/p/hUjFlzrM6z
Wow, buffed fingernails. More presenters should consider buffing their fingernails. It makes the synth sound better.
This video gives you a good idea as to how ridiculously small and toy-like the Korg Arp Odyssey is.
if you are really talented, you show how to on several different synths
great artwork on the album cover!
Great cut and a classic groove! This and his Rockit album are some of the best electronic fusion albums out there.
This isn’t the original. It’s an edit of the 15-minute original. The annoying bass line at the 6-minute mark was added, and it omitted an extensive out-of-tune segment in the original.
Do you know where this edit was released?
On the song “Chameleon” It is the ARP Odyssey on bass not Korg !!!. Alan R Perlman okay? Get it right. The lead was the ARP 2600.
Yes – as noted in the article, Hancock played the ARP Odyssey.
The Korg ARP Odyssey is designed to be an updated reissue of the original, so it sounds very similar.