# Magic Windows

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Magic_Windows
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Magic_Windows.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Windows
> Source revision: 1353694174
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

1981 studio album by Herbie Hancock

Magic Windows Studio album by Herbie Hancock Released September 29, 1981 Recorded 1981 Studio The Automatt, San Francisco. Additional recording at Kendun Recording; Village Recorders; Ameraycan Studios, L.A. Genre Jazz-funk, jazz fusion, R&B Length 42:39 Label Columbia Producer Herbie Hancock, David Rubinson Herbie Hancock chronology Mr. Hands (1980) Magic Windows (1981) Herbie Hancock Trio (1982)

Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [1] The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings [2] The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide [3]

***Magic Windows*** is the twenty-fifth album by [jazz](/source/Jazz) [pianist](/source/Piano) [Herbie Hancock](/source/Herbie_Hancock), released on September 29, 1981, on [Columbia Records](/source/Columbia_Records).[4] The album peaked at No. 13 on the US *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Top Jazz LPs](/source/Top_Jazz_Albums) chart.[5]

## Background

Hancock continued collaborating with associate producer [Jeffrey Cohen](/source/Jeffrey_E._Cohen) on this album. A song called "Satisfied with Love" was also co-written by his sister, Jean Hancock. Artists such as [Wah-Wah Watson](/source/Melvin_%22Wah-Wah_Watson%22_Ragin), [Louis Johnson](/source/Louis_Johnson_(bassist)), [Ray Parker Jr.](/source/Ray_Parker_Jr.), [Al McKay](/source/Al_McKay), [Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew), [Sylvester](/source/Sylvester_(singer)), [Sheila E.](/source/Sheila_E.) and [Paulinho da Costa](/source/Paulinho_da_Costa) appeared on the record.[4]

## Track listing

1. "Magic Number" ([David Rubinson](/source/David_Rubinson), Hancock, [Jeffrey Cohen](/source/Jeffrey_E._Cohen)) – 7:24

1. "Tonight's the Night" (Hancock, Jeffrey Cohen, [Ray Parker Jr.](/source/Ray_Parker_Jr.)) – 6:31

1. "Everybody's Broke" ([Alphonse Mouzon](/source/Alphonse_Mouzon), [Gavin Christopher](/source/Gavin_Christopher), Hancock, Jeffrey Cohen) – 7:11

1. "Help Yourself" (David Rubinson, Gavin Christopher, Hancock, Jeffrey Cohen) – 6:43

1. "Satisfied with Love" (Hancock, Jean Hancock) – 6:31

1. "The Twilight Clone" ([Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew), Hancock) – 8:19

## Personnel

- Herbie Hancock - [E-mu Polyphonic keyboard](/source/E-mu_Systems), [E-mu Emulator](/source/E-mu_Emulator), [clavitar](/source/Keytar), [Minimoog](/source/Minimoog), [Prophet 5](/source/Prophet_5), [Oberheim Eight Voice](/source/Oberheim_Eight_Voice), [Yamaha CS-80](/source/Yamaha_CS-80), [ARP Odyssey](/source/ARP_Odyssey), [ARP 2600](/source/ARP_2600), [Hohner clavinet](/source/Hohner_clavinet), [Rhodes 88 Suitcase piano](/source/Rhodes_piano), [Sennheiser](/source/Sennheiser), [Linn LM-1](/source/Linn_LM-1) drum computer, modified [Apple II+](/source/Apple_II_Plus) computer, acoustic piano, bass (2), backing vocals (3)

- [Michael Brecker](/source/Michael_Brecker) - tenor saxophone (2, 4)

- [Ray Parker Jr.](/source/Ray_Parker_Jr.) (1–2), George Johnson (3, 6), [Al McKay](/source/Al_McKay) (4), [Wah-Wah Watson](/source/Melvin_%22Wah-Wah_Watson%22_Ragin) (5), [Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew) (6) - guitar

- [Freddie Washington](/source/Freddie_Washington_(bassist)) (1, 5), [Louis Johnson](/source/Louis_Johnson_(bassist)) (3, 6), Ed Watkins (4) - bass

- [John Robinson](/source/John_Robinson_(drummer)) (1, 3), Ray Parker Jr. (2), [James Gadson](/source/James_Gadson) (4), [Alphonse Mouzon](/source/Alphonse_Mouzon) (5) - drums

- Kwasi Dzidzornu, Kwawu Ladzekpo, Moody Perry III - bells, Ghanaian drums (6)

- Juan Escovedo, [Pete Escovedo](/source/Pete_Escovedo), [Sheila Escovedo](/source/Sheila_Escovedo) (1), [Paulinho da Costa](/source/Paulinho_da_Costa) (6) - percussion

- [Sylvester](/source/Sylvester_(singer)) (1), [Vicki Randle](/source/Vicki_Randle) (2), [Gavin Christopher](/source/Gavin_Christopher) (3–5) - lead vocals

- Jeanie Tracy (1), Dede Dickerson, Ngoh Spencer and Vicki Randle (2–4), David Bottom and Jeffrey Cohen (3), Julia, Luther, Maxine and [Oren Waters](/source/Oren_Waters) (5) - backing vocals

## See also

- *[Magic Windows](https://www.discogs.com/release/1103599)* at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

- [Page describing software for the Alpha Syntauri system](https://web.archive.org/web/19991007083520/http://www.synthony.com/vintage/alphasyntauri.html)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ginell, Richard S. (2011). ["Magic Windows - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/magic-windows-r159365). *allmusic.com*. Retrieved July 18, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Penguin_2-0)** [Cook, Richard](/source/Richard_Cook_(journalist)); [Morton, Brian](/source/Brian_Morton_(Scottish_writer)) (2008). *[The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings](/source/The_Penguin_Guide_to_Jazz)* (9th ed.). [Penguin](/source/Penguin_Books). p. 644. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-141-03401-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-141-03401-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RSJRG_3-0)** Swenson, J., ed. (1985). *The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide*. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 94. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-394-72643-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-72643-X).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Album_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Album_4-1) *Herbie Hancock - Magic Windows*. [Columbia Records](/source/Columbia_Records). September 1981.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Billboard_5-0)** ["Top Jazz LPs"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1981/1981-10-31-Billboard-Page-0078.pdf) (PDF). *worldradiohistory.com*. [Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)). October 31, 1981. p. 78. Retrieved August 16, 2025.

v t e Herbie Hancock Discography (As a sideman or guest artist) Studio albums Takin' Off My Point of View Inventions & Dimensions Empyrean Isles Maiden Voyage Speak Like a Child The Prisoner Fat Albert Rotunda Mwandishi Crossings Sextant Head Hunters Dedication Thrust Man-Child Secrets Third Plane Herbie Hancock Trio Sunlight Directstep The Piano Feets, Don't Fail Me Now Monster Mr. Hands Magic Windows Herbie Hancock Trio Lite Me Up Quartet Future Shock Sound-System Village Life Perfect Machine A Tribute to Miles Dis Is da Drum The New Standard 1+1 Gershwin's World Future 2 Future Possibilities River: The Joni Letters The Imagine Project Live albums Hear, O Israel - A Prayer Ceremony in Jazz Flood V.S.O.P. The Quintet (V.S.O.P.) Tempest in the Colosseum (V.S.O.P.) An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert CoreaHancock V.S.O.P. Live Under the Sky (V.S.O.P.) Jazz Africa Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall Live: Detroit/Chicago with Bob Brookmeyer Bob Brookmeyer and Friends with Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams Out of This World (Pepper Adams Donald Byrd Quintet) Chant Royal Flush Free Form A New Perspective with Miles Davis Seven Steps to Heaven My Funny Valentine Four & More E.S.P. Miles Smiles Sorcerer Nefertiti Miles in the Sky Water Babies Filles de Kilimanjaro In a Silent Way Jack Johnson On the Corner Big Fun Get Up with It with Jack DeJohnette and Pat Metheny Parallel Realities with Joe Farrell Moon Germs Penny Arcade Upon This Rock Night Dancing with Freddie Hubbard Hub-Tones Straight Life Red Clay with Joe Zawinul Zawinul Compilations Treasure Chest (Herbie Hancock album) The Best of Herbie Hancock Then and Now: The Definitive Herbie Hancock The Essential Herbie Hancock Compositions "Watermelon Man" "Cantaloupe Island" "Maiden Voyage" "Chameleon" "Rockit" "Autodrive" Soundtracks Blow-Up Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert The Spook Who Sat by the Door Death Wish A Soldier's Story Round Midnight Action Jackson

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Magic Windows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Windows) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Windows?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.