By Bob Deakin
Do You Know “Ai No Corrida” by Quincy Jones? I dive into this rabbit hole not only because it’s an adrenaline-fueled masterpiece but because of the talent behind it.
This extravaganza is the opening track of Quincy Jones’ The Dude album, recorded not long before he produced Thriller. It was written by Chaz Jankel and Kenny Young and released the previous year on the solo album Jankel, former member of English band The Blockheads.
The Recording
“Ai No Corrida” has various translations from different sources, but the most commonly referenced is the Japanese translation of “bullfight of love.” Jones puts on a master class in fusing musical styles from African to Spanish to Japanese (instrumental break), big band, disco, funk, rap, and soul.
The level of talent involved in the production is immense and the arrangement and mix crystal clear. The lineup of players on “Ai No Corrida” is legendary and expensive:
Charles May— lead vocal
Patti Austin— backing vocals
Tom Bahler— backing vocals
Jim Gilstrap— backing vocals
Herbie Hancock — electric piano
Greg Phillinganes — synthesizer
Ian Underwood— synthesizer and synth programming
David Wolinski— clavinet
Steve Lukather— guitar
Louis Johnson— bass
John Robinson— drums
Jerry Hey— trumpet
Chuck Findley— trumpet
Kim Hutchcroft— saxophone
Ernie Watts— saxophone
Bill Reichenbach Jr.— trombone
Paulino da Costa— percussion
Craig Huxley— blaster beam
The rest of the album is equally impressive, with a roster of players and arrangers as distinguished. David Foster, Michael Jackson, Johnny Mandel, Stevie Wonder, etc.
The Singers
Charles May sings lead, with Patti Austin, Tom Bahler, and Jim Gilstrap backing him up. May’s airy, high-pitched vocal seems an odd choice for the song, yet it works. The vocal chorus dominates, but May’s whispered approach lends yet another dimension to the production. Although his career spanned different genres, the majority of his credits lie in gospel.
The Dude’s Woman
Patti Austin is one of the most subtly famous singers of her generation. Best known for “Baby Come To Me” with James Ingram, she is the backing vocalist behind hit songs including Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Our Day Will Come” by the Four Seasons. Her credits include Michael Jackson, George Benson, solo albums, commercials, and prominent work in jazz with the GRP label.
The Dude also includes the James Ingram hits “Just Once” and “One Hundred Ways” and Patti sings lead on the rest. She receives a shout-out from Quincy on the back cover: Introducing The Dude and have you met his woman, Patti Austin.
What's a Blaster Beam?
One of the identifying sounds of “Ai No Corrida” is the ‘blaster beam’ played by Craig Huxley. His custom instrument is a 12 foot-long metal beam topped with strings and equipped with guitar pickups. It is played by plucking, rubbing or striking the strings with fingers, sticks or any nearby object.
Huxley used it in Star Wars: Episode II, the Back to the Future series, Planet of the Apes and other (mostly sci-fi) projects. Listen for it beginning at the 3:17 mark of the instrumental break. It’s a haunting sound that somehow links the many styles incorporated into the track.
I had never heard of the blaster beam until the late Bruce Swedien, Quincy’s engineer, was a guest instructor when I was a student at Full Sail.
“You wouldn’t believe this thing,” Swedien said, according to my notes. “Somebody knew of it from a movie, and this guy brings in a beam about a dozen feet long and strikes it with a hammer! The first thing I thought was ‘how am I going to mic it.’”
"Ai No Corrida" Charts and Grammys
Jones and Jerry Hey, who plays trumpet on the song, received the 1982 Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals for “Ai No Corrida.” The album won Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.
“Ai No Corrida” reached number 28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the R&B chart. I forgot about the song and The Dude until a friend turned me on to it some years ago. So many albums are short on substance and inspiration. This isn’t one of them.
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