Watch Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters Funk Up ‘Midnight Special’
See the legendary keyboardist and his renowned mid-’70s group perform “Chameleon” and “Spank-A-Lee.”
By Nate Todd May 8, 2025 • 10:14 am PDT
The Midnight Special continues to mine archival gold, recently releasing video featuring legendary keyboardist Herbie Hancock. The YouTube channel for the classic late night program shared a pair of performances from Hancock’s beloved Headhunters era, “Chameleon” and “Spank-A-Lee.”
“Chameleon” is the iconic opening track on Herbie Hancock’s 1973 record, Head Hunters. The era saw Hancock turning from experimental jazz to a funk-fusion sound and putting together an ace band: saxophonist Bennie Maupin, bassist Paul Jackson, drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Bill Summers.
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Hancock followed Head Hunters with Thrust in 1974, which included the infectiously funky tune “Spank-A-Lee.” Thrust saw drummer Mike Clark stepping into Mason’s role. Clark joined Hancock and the rest of The Headhunters on Midnight Special.
Watch Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters perform “Spank-A-Lee” and “Chameleon” on Midnight Special below:
Herbie Hancock is still going strong. Scroll down for his tour routing and ticket info.
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