Sportin' Life (Weather Report album) explained

Sportin' Life
Type:	Studio album
Artist:	Weather Report
Cover:	WRsportinlife.jpg
Released:	June 25, 1985
Recorded:	August – September 1984
Genre:	Jazz fusion
Length:	39:09
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter
Prev Title:	Domino Theory
Prev Year:	1984
Next Title:	This Is This!
Next Year:	1986

Sportin' Life is the thirteenth studio album by American jazz fusion band Weather Report which was released in June 1985 through Columbia Records. Although featuring many more vocal performances than any of their previous studio albums, words are rare and most vocals are chants from guest musicians such as Bobby McFerrin or Carl Anderson. The album is named after a character from Porgy and Bess. Sportin' Life was to be the last Weather Report studio album, but due to contractual obligations with Columbia the band had to release a follow-up, This Is This!, in 1986.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Joe Zawinul; except where indicated.

1. "Corner Pocket" – 5:46
2. "Indiscretions" – 4:05
3. "Hot Cargo" – 4:41
4. "Confians" (Mino Cinélu) – 5:07
5. "Pearl On the Half Shell" (Wayne Shorter) – 4:06
6. "What's Going On" (Renaldo Benson, Alfred Cleveland, Marvin Gaye) – 6:29
7. "Face on the Barroom Floor" (Wayne Shorter) – 3:59
8. "Ice-Pick Willy" – 5:00

Personnel

Weather Report

• Joe Zawinul – keyboards
• Wayne Shorter – saxophones
• Omar Hakim – drums, background vocals (track 4)
• Victor Bailey – bass, background vocals (track 4)
• Mino Cinélu – percussion, lead vocals and acoustic guitar on (track 4)

Additional musicians

• Bobby McFerrin – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8)
• Carl Anderson – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 8)
• Dee Dee Bellson – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 8)
• Alfie Silas – voice (tracks 1, 3, 8)

Production

• Howard Siegel – engineer
• Tony Lane, Nancy Donald – art direction
• Jerry McDonald – album artwork

External links

• Weather Report Annotated Discography: Sportin' Life