THE INDEPENDENT EAR
Insights, Reviews & Interviews
By Willard Jenkins

Vol. 1 No. 3

Al DiMeola, guitar

WJ: How did you come to join Return to Forever?

Al DiMeola: I joined after receiving a call from Chick back when I was a student at Berklee School of Music. He had heard a tape of a live performance of mine when I was 17 and based on that he felt I could fit the part.

WJ: Describe your audition process and subsequent debut performance with Return to Forever.

AD: It came down to not just my playing capabilities but my overall attitude. I remember that Chick liked me from the start and that although there were as I vaguely recall one or two other guys at the audition he pretty much had his mind made up. As for the rehearsal process, I was overwhelmed with at least 8 separate 7-10 page charts with the guitar parts being the focus instrument. In those days it was the coolest guitar chair to be a part of!

WJ: What was your sense of Return to Forever at the time you joined the band?

AD: It was at that time my absolute favorite group and Chick's influence both as an incredible player and composer was acknowledged well before he instilled the electric guitar into his new sound. Then when RTF crossed over appealing to a whole new open minded progressive rock audience the band went straight up in terms of popularity.

WJ: What were some of the highlights of your RTF days?

AD: There were many! Let's start with my coming home from Berklee to play my first gig with my favorite group in the world, unannounced and surprising my parents. Keep in mind that I was 19 years old and was only in my second term when I announced to them I was home to rehearse with Chick Corea and would be playing Carnegie Hall in 3 days! Can you imagine? Also I remember Stevie Wonder joined us onstage a couple of different times in those years; also going to Europe for the first time and having 20,000 people in Paris in a giant, ice-cold venue light up cigarette lighters at once! I remember Central Park in the summer with over 15,000 people at the height of the RTF thing. People went nuts! I also have fond memories of recording the first RTF record at the Record Plant in NYC. While there I watched John Lennon record in the next room. Those are just some of the hundreds of memorable events.

WJ: What were some of each band member's responsibilities in the production of RTF records during your time with the band?

AD: I would think that by the time we recorded "Romantic Warrior" Stanley's and Lenny's musical input was more integrated. My ideas and comments were also implemented for the benefit of the production. I had a very strong opinion regarding spending more than 3 days to make a whole recording. We wound up taking 2 weeks which ultimately went against Chick's grain. He was always used to making records without much production amounting to 2 days complete. We all thought that we had great potential and that the added time needed to make a killer record was going to put us on the next level. The record sold a million units! Yes Chick, this was your biggest record!

WJ: How did things play out with the band dynamics once you, Stanley and Lenny began to gain recognition on your own and began to make your own records?

AD: As it turns out we were the first group in the history of music to have a situation where while we were still together releasing records as a group we also each had our own solo records. That was unique in the industry and quite fortunate. We all became a more creative, recognized force and then Chick realized that like it or not he had a kind of super group on his hands.

WJ: What precipitated the end of your edition of RTF?

AD: A strange event where we were all asked by Chick to vote (including management) on adding his wife Gayle Moran to join the group as a vocalist. We all voted against that due to the obvious reason that our sound and identity was not suited for it. That was the beginning of the end. Chick, it seemed from many sources, had a dilemma with the success of each of our solo projects and where we were at in terms of popularity. Prior to this time, he was very encouraging towards all of us growing and expanding and writing and we all were as a result perplexed by his feelings. We sometimes think that he was afraid of the enormous level we rose to.

WJ: What were your feelings about the end of that band?

AD: Sad! Bad timing! Not smart! [It was a] great opportunity to carry the torch; a bad decision.

WJ: At this point in your career, in retrospect, how do you view RTF and the breakup of the band?

AD: Mistake!!! Ask anyone.

WJ: Why haven't there been any Return to Forever reunions?

AD: You know I am very good friends with Stanley and Lenny and I have to say that there was not a moment in which any of us had not shown the respect or love we have for [Chick]. But 3 years ago we were on the verge of a reunion. Chick and I had talked and I had Chick talking with Stanley again. All seemed great with even a promise from Chick that we would be back together that next year. We were supposed to talk that August and I remember that Chick had a change of heart and no explanation why. Since we both had the same agent at the time I asked the agent to ask Chick 'what's up?' The agent could never get a straight answer from Chick that made any sense. And I must say to this day he has never given anyone a straight answer on the subject that anyone could understand. Eventually the agent said that he "spiritually doesn't feel right about it." Its cool, he's entitled to do as he likes, but as a fellow musician and still a fan of his it is sad to deny a whole new generation as well as our past fans the chance to see us one more time.

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