Buddy Miles -

Buddy Miles (Sept. 5, 1947 — Feb. 26, 2008) was an American drummer, singer, producer, and songwriter from Omaha. He co-founded the Electric Flag before he led the Buddy Miles Express, which cut the 1968/69 albums Expressway to Your Skull and Electric Church. Miles sang “Changes” on the 1970 Hendrix live album Band of Gypsys, then recut the song as “Them Changes” for the Mercury album that became his highest-charting solo LP.

He joined Carlos Santana for the 1972 concert album Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!. Later work included CBS and Casablanca releases, followed by the 1981 Atlantic album Sneak Attack. In subsequent years he sang for the California Raisins franchise and recorded with Hardware. He also revived the Buddy Miles Express and led the Blues Berries project.

Background

Buddy Miles was born George Allen Miles Jr. on September 5, 1947, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, bassist George Miles Sr., led the BeBops after work with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. His family nicknamed him Buddy after drummer Buddy Rich. Miles started on drums as a nine-year-old child. He joined the BeBops as a twelve-year-old player. Miles spent part of his youth in Sioux Falls, where he attended Axtell Park Junior High and Washington High School.

At fifteen, Miles gained professional experience with The Ink Spots, followed by gigs with Ruby & the Romantics and The Delfonics. After a 1966 touring stint behind Wilson Pickett, Miles joined guitarist Mike Bloomfield in The Electric Flag, a jazz-rock big band that debuted at the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Miles sang and drummed on their 1968 Columbia release A Long Time Comin’, then formed the Buddy Miles Express with former Electric Flag horn players.

Expressway to Your Skull

The Buddy Miles Express released their debut album, Expressway to Your Skull, in November 1968 on Mercury.

Expressway mixes three originals with songs popularized by Otis Redding (“Don’t Mess With Cupid”), Marvin Holmes & the Uptights (“Funky Mule”), Bobby “Blue” Bland (“You’re the One (That I Adore)”), and Sam & Dave (“Wrap It Up”). Miles recorded with drummer Ron Woods, Detroit Wheels guitarist Jim McCarty, bassist Bill Rich, keyboardist-reedist Herbie Rich (organ, tenor sax), reedists Terry Clements, Bill McPherson, and Virgil Gonsalves (baritone/soprano sax, flute), and trumpeter Marcus Doubleday (trumpet, flugelhorn).

“Train” lurches through a splintered opening, then locks to a heavy ensemble pattern under wah-wah lead. “Let Your Lovelight Shine” hammers the vocal refrain through massed brass and hard accents. “Don’t Mess with Cupid” clips the source tune into a compact shout pattern. “Funky Mule” struts as an instrumental vehicle with raw-edged wah-wah figures. “You’re the One (That I Adore)” simmers at ballad tempo under a more sustained vocal line. “Wrap It Up” stretches call-and-response material across a larger band charge. “Spot on the Wall” closes with a compressed, agitated chant under hard-lit ensemble weight.

A1. “Train” (4:55) – Buddy Miles, Herbie Rich
A2. “Let Your Lovelight Shine” (3:24) – Miles, Rich
A3. “Don’t Mess With Cupid” (2:37) – Deanie Parker, Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper
A4. “Funky Mule” (4:40) – Marvin Holmes

B1. “You’re the One (That I Adore)” (6:20) – Deadric Malone
B2. “Wrap It Up” (6:37) – Isaac Hayes, David Porter
B3. “Spot on the Wall” (3:30) – Miles, Rich

Buddy Miles recorded Expressway to Your Skull in October 1968 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood with producer Lou Reizner and engineer Brian Engoldsby. Michael O’Bryant photographed the cover package; Rhinoceros Studios created the graphics. Jimi Hendrix wrote the LP liner notes.

Mercury lifted “Train – Part I” as an October 1968 single (b/w “Train – Part II”). In April 1969, “Funky Mule” reappeared as a single (b/w “Don’t Mess With Cupid”).

Electric Church

The Buddy Miles Express released their second album, Electric Church, in May 1969 on Mercury.

Miles wrote or co-wrote four of the seven songs on Electric Church. The album also includes songs popularized by Otis Redding (“Cigarettes & Coffee”) and Sam & Dave (“Wrap It Up”). McCarty and Rich returned from Expressway to Your Skull, joined by organist Duane Hitchings, saxophonists Bobby Rock, James Tatum, and Tobie Wynn, and trumpeters Pete Carter and Tom Hall.

“Miss Lady” surges on a hard-driving lead and sharp brass punctuation. “69 Freedom Special” shouts through a compact refrain with clipped ensemble accents. “Cigarettes & Coffee” stretches the vocal into an extended slow sermon. “Destructive Love” lifts Miles into a higher register over fevered band pressure. “Texas” coils around long guitar breaks and high-voiced phrasing. “My Chant” glides through the upper vocal line with a steadier refrain. “Wrap It Up” erupts as a live-cut vamp with crowd-level force in the final stretch.

A1. “Miss Lady” (4:41) – Buddy Miles
A2. “69 Freedom Special” (2:53) – Bill Rich, Jim McCarty, Tom Hall
A3. “Cigarettes & Coffee” (8:25) – Otis Redding
A4. “Destructive Love” (4:15) – Miles

B1. “Texas” (7:53) – Miles, Mike Bloomfield
B2. “My Chant” (4:27) – Miles
B3. “Wrap It Up” (5:40) – Isaac Hayes, David Porter

Jimi Hendrix produced “Miss Lady,” “69 Freedom Special,” “Destructive Love,” and “My Chant”; Anne Tansey produced “Cigarettes & Coffee,” “Texas,” and “Wrap It Up.” Warren Dewey engineered the album, with “Wrap It Up” recorded live at Fillmore East. Mitchell Brisker designed the sleeve; Michael O’Bryant directed the package and photographed the cover.

Mercury lifted “Miss Lady” as a March 1969 single (b/w “69 Freedom Special”). Electric Church reached No. 145 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

In late 1969, Hendrix recruited Miles for the Band of Gypsys, a blues-rock powertrio with bassist Billy Cox, Jimi’s onetime Army colleague. They gigged for one month before Hendrix walked out after a January 28, 1970, show at Madison Square Garden. Capitol issued Band of Gypsys, a document of their New Year’s Day show at the Fillmore East.

Them Changes

Buddy Miles released his third album, Them Changes, in June 1970 on Mercury.

Miles wrote or co-wrote three of the eight songs on Them Changes. The album also includes songs popularized by the Allman Brothers Band (“Dreams”), Neil Young with Crazy Horse (“Down by the River”), Rufus Thomas (“Memphis Train”), and Otis Redding (“Your Feeling Is Mine”). The personnel expanded beyond twenty credited players, including bassist Billy Cox, saxophonist Lee Allen, McCarty, guitarist Marlo Henderson, and keyboardist Andre Lewis.

“Them Changes” struts through horn-charged accents, a clenched vocal, and a low-slung backbeat. “I Still Love You, Anyway” broods in a melancholy register with the vocal placed close to the slow cadence. “Heart’s Delight” snaps around thick brass figures and a hard-sung chorus. “Dreams” swells through choir responses and a brighter ensemble lift. “Down by the River” drifts in slow-motion phrases under an earthbound vocal. “Memphis Train” rolls through a big-band stomp with clipped replies. “Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska” works organ and spare guitar support into a time-bent instrumental passage. “Your Feeling Is Mine” closes with a brief Redding number cut to a direct vocal take.

A1. “Them Changes” (3:20) – Buddy Miles
A2. “I Still Love You, Anyway” (4:13) – Charlie Karp
A3. “Heart’s Delight” (4:06) – Miles
A4. “Dreams” (4:52) – Gregg Allman

B1. “Down by the River” (6:20) – Neil Young
B2. “Memphis Train” (2:55) – Rufus Thomas, Willie Sparks
B3. “Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska” (5:31) – Miles, Andre Lewis
B4. “Your Feeling Is Mine” (2:11) – Otis Redding

Miles produced Them Changes with Steve Cropper and Robin McBride. The main sessions occurred at Audio-Finishers Studios in Chicago, with “Memphis Train” recorded at Mercury Sound Studios in New York and mixing at Universal Studios in Chicago. Engineers Warren Dewey and Alan Hendler recorded the album with assistant engineer Fred Breitberg and mixing engineer Bruce Swedien. Richard Germinaro designed the package with art direction by Desmond Strobel. Burnell Caldwell photographed the cover, and John Craig served as design consultant.

Mercury lifted “Them Changes” as a March 1970 single (b/w “Spot on the Wall”), which reached No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 36 on the R&B singles chart. The label followed in June with “Down by the River” (b/w “Heart’s Delight”) and in September with “Dreams” (b/w “Your Feeling Is Mine”), which reached No. 86 on the US singles chart.

Them Changes reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200, No. 14 on the R&B albums chart, and No. 8 on the Jazz Albums chart.

We Got to Live Together

Buddy Miles released his fourth studio album, We Got to Live Together, in 1970 on Mercury.

Together contains four originals and a Clarence Carter cover, “Take It Off Him and Put It on Me.” The personnel includes bassist David Hull, percussionist Fred Allen, guitarists Charlie Karp and Marlo Henderson, keyboardists Andre Lewis and Bob Hogins, and horn players Phil Wood, Mark Williams, Dick Gabriel, Billy McPherson, Lee Allen, and Joel Porter.

“Runaway Child (Little Miss Nothin’)” charges through hard brass and shout-led ensemble replies. “Easy Greasy” loosens into instrumental brass figures and compact solo turns. “We Got to Live Together” bears down on dominant high-register brass and a repeated communal refrain. The remaining vocal cuts clamp short chants to hard-edged accents, with Miles placed close to the front of each refrain.

A1. “Runaway Child (Little Miss Nothin’)” (5:00) – Miles, Karp
A2. “Walking Down the Highway” (5:31) – Miles, Karp
A3. “Easy Greasy” (4:47) – Miles

B1. “We Got to Live Together” (12:08) – Miles
B2. “Take It Off Him and Put It on Me” (3:39) – George Jackson, Herman Jones, Larry Pierce, Mickey Buckins, Robert Owens

Miles produced We Got to Live Together with Robin McBride. Sessions took place at Audio Finishers Studio in Chicago and Record Plant in Los Angeles. Gary Kellgren engineered four tracks, and Alan Hendler engineered “Walking Down the Highway.” John Henning, Mike Stone, Phil Schier, and Fred Breitberg assisted the sessions. Desmond Strobel directed the sleeve art; Richard Germinaro designed the package with photography by Burnell Caldwell and Bart Harris.

Mercury lifted “We Got to Live Together – Part I” as a November 1970 single (b/w “We Got to Live Together – Part II”), which reached No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.

We Got to Live Together reached No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and No. 14 on the R&B Albums chart.

A Message to the People

Buddy Miles released his fifth studio album, A Message to the People, in 1971 on Mercury.

Message contains five originals and songs popularized by the Allman Brothers Band (“Don’t Keep Me Wondering,” “Midnight Rider”) and Otis Redding (“Wholesale Love”), plus the Bobby Russell song “Sudden Stop.” Miles retained Hull, Karp, Henderson, Lewis, and Fred Allen, with saxophonists Stemsy Hunter and Hank Redd and trumpeters Mike Fugate and Tom Hall.

“Joe Tex” struts through a repurposed horn line and instrumental refrain. “The Way I Feel Tonight” glides around a close-voiced lead and a steadier vocal contour. “Place Over There” punches its chorus through horn-driven accents. “The Segment” flickers around clavinet figures, then exits before the riff can settle into a longer passage. “Don’t Keep Me Wondering” snaps into a brief, forceful chorus and cuts straight into the next track. “That’s the Way Life Is” closes the album with a compact vocal statement.

A1. “Joe Tex” (4:57) – Miles
A2. “The Way I Feel Tonight” (5:05) – Miles
A3. “Place Over There” (5:42) – Miles
A4. “The Segment” (2:35) – Miles, Redd

B1. “Don’t Keep Me Wondering” (2:01) – Gregg Allman
B2. “Midnight Rider” (3:35) – Allman
B3. “Sudden Stop” (4:17) – Bobby Russell
B4. “Wholesale Love” (2:37) – Otis Redding
B5. “That’s the Way Life Is” (2:00) – Miles

Miles produced A Message to the People with executive producer Robin McBride and production assistance from Jack Adams and Gary Kellgren. Sessions took place at Record Plant in New York and West Los Angeles. Miles also used Criteria Recording Studios in Miami and Audio Finishers in Chicago. Alan Hendler engineered the album with assistant Dave Ragno; Gilbert Kong mastered the LP. Mati Klarwein created the artwork for the gatefold package.

Mercury lifted “Wholesale Love” as a 1971 single (b/w “Midnight Rider”), which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A Message to the People reached No. 60 on the Billboard 200 and No. 12 on the R&B Albums chart.

Live

Buddy Miles released his first live album in 1971 on Mercury.

The double album draws four Miles songs and the Miles–Redd piece “The Segment” from the preceding studio albums. The set also includes songs popularized by Clarence Carter (“Take It Off Him and Put It on Me”), Neil Young with Crazy Horse (“Down by the River”), and Sam & Dave (“Wrap It Up”). The live band carries Hull, Karp, Hogins, Hunter, Redd, and Hall.

“Joe Tex” opens with horn flourishes and an instrumental crowd-warmup. “Take It Off Him and Put It On Me” surges through a steady bass line, shouted vocal interjections, and a guitar riff that takes over the second half. “Down by the River” coils around a trumpet interlude before Miles belts the late passage in a roughened baritone. “Wrap It Up” sprawls across a repeated low figure, drops into a lull, then returns with a larger band entry. “The Segment” growls from sweet-toned croon to roughened call-and-response over ominous brass.

A1. “Introduction” (0:42)
A2. “Joe Tex” (4:32) – Miles
A3. “Take It Off Him and Put It on Me” (4:54) – Jackson, Jones, Pierce, Buckins, Owens
A4. “Down by the River” (12:55) – Neil Young
B1. “Wrap It Up” (19:03) – Isaac Hayes, David Porter

C1. “Place Over There” (5:03) – Miles
C2. “The Segment” (12:18) – Miles, Redd
D1. “Them Changes” (12:44) – Miles
D2. “Applause” (1:00)
D3. “We Got to Live Together” (12:18) – Miles

Miles produced Live with production assistance from Kellgren. Wally Heider recorded the concerts remotely in Seattle and Santa Monica, with additional location recording in Bakersfield. Kellgren engineered the album with assistant Lillian Douma. Desmond Strobel directed the art package, and Mati Klarwein illustrated the cover.

Live reached No. 50 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the R&B Albums chart.

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!

In June 1972, Columbia released Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!, a collaborative festival set with the Santana guitarist.

Miles wrote or co-wrote four of the six performances. The album also includes a John McLaughlin piece (“Marbles”) and a song popularized by Santana (“Evil Ways”). Carlos Santana appears with guitarist Neal Schon, organist Bob Hogins, bassist Ron Johnson, drummer Greg Errico, percussionists Richard Clark, Coke Escovedo, Mike Carabello, Mingo Lewis, and Victor Pantoja, reedist Hadley Caliman, and trumpeter Luis Gasca.

“Marbles” erupts through clipped band hits and overdriven guitar lines. “Lava” segues into a short, heavier break after the opening charge. “Evil Ways” recasts the refrain with Buddy Miles at lead vocal and horn-bright accents. “Faith Interlude” glides on buoyant strains before the title chant. “Them Changes” crests through brass punctuation and exchanged leads. “Free Form Funkafide Filth” sprawls across a long vamp with overlapping solos and audience noise.

A1. “Marbles” (4:18) – John McLaughlin
A2. “Lava” (2:10) – Miles
A3. “Evil Ways” (6:36) – Clarence “Sonny” Henry
A4. “Faith Interlude” (2:13) – Miles, Carlos Santana
A5. “Them Changes” (5:50) – Miles
B1. “Free Form Funkafide Filth” (24:54) – Leon Thomas, Miles, Santana, Greg Errico, Ron Johnson

Santana and Miles performed the set at the Sunshine ’72 festival, a January 1 event inside Diamond Head in Honolulu. Mike Larner and Glen Kolotkin provided production assistance and mixed the album. Joan Chase designed the gatefold package and photographed the cover background.

Columbia lifted “Evil Ways” as a July 1972 single (b/w “Them Changes”), which reached No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200, No. 6 on the R&B Albums chart, No. 11 on the Jazz Albums chart, and No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart.

Booger Bear

The Buddy Miles Express released their third album, Booger Bear, in November 1973 on Columbia.

Booger contains six originals and songs popularized by Loggins & Messina (“Thinking of You”), The Kinks (“You Really Got Me”), and The Stylistics (“You Are Everything”). The lineup features guitarist Steve Busfield, keyboardist Donny Beck, bassist-drummer Roland Robinson, Hogins, Mingo Lewis, trumpeters Bill Atwood and Pete Welker, saxophonist Bob Ferrara, trombonist Pat O’Hara, backing singers Jo Baker and Ann Sampson, and the Campbell-Kurban String Section.

Miles cuts Booger Bear with overlaid lead voice, disciplined brass, and compact song architecture. “Thinking of You” leans into the rounded vocal treatment over a thick band floor. “You Really Got Me” clamps the familiar refrain to a heavier rhythm base. “Why” and “United Nations Stomp” punch through short, horn-marked statements. “Louie’s Blues” closes the album as a blue-toned guitar vehicle.

A1. “Booger Bear” (5:25) – Miles
A2. “Thinking of You” (4:22) – Jim Messina
A3. “Why” (3:50) – Miles
A4. “You Really Got Me” (4:53) – Ray Davies
A5. “Love” (3:50) – Miles, Denise Pantos

B1. “United Nations Stomp” (4:40) – Miles, Richie O’Reilly
B2. “Crazy Love” (3:09) – Miles
B3. “You Are Everything” (4:07) – Thom Bell, Linda Creed
B4. “Louie’s Blues” (7:27) – Miles

Norman Kurban produced Booger Bear. Miles and Kurban arranged the album with recording engineer Michael Stone and assistant engineer Bob Edwards. Desmond Strobel and Terry Squire designed the package. Columbia issued the album in stereo and quadraphonic SQ Matrix formats.

Columbia lifted “Thinking of You” as a December 1973 single (b/w “Crazy Love”). Booger Bear reached No. 194 on the Billboard 200 and No. 47 on the R&B Albums chart.

Chapter VII

The Buddy Miles Band released Chapter VII in April 1973 on Columbia.

Miles wrote or co-wrote all nine songs. The album uses more than a dozen credited players, including Johnson, Henderson, Lewis, Pantoja, and percussionist Willie Bobo. The remaining credits include guitarist James Bradshaw, drummer Denise Pantos Miles, Hitchings, reedist Richard Aplanalp, brass player Billy Sprague, and multi-instrumentalist David Dhalston (congas, trombone), plus Gun/Three Man Army guitarist Adrian Curtis.

“L.A. Resurrection” spreads the lead voice across a smooth, wide band field. “Life Is What You Make It (Part 1)” locks the chorus to a pulsed vocal line. “Elvira” fills the quadrasonic field with dense ensemble pressure. “Hear No Evil” concentrates the vocal closer to the front of the mix. “Love Affair” sets the clearest surround placement around horn-lit movement. “Life Is What You Make It (Part 2)” answers the main line with congas and eruptive organ figures.

A1. “L.A. Resurrection” (4:48) – Miles
A2. “Life Is What You Make It Pt. 1” (3:22) – Miles
A3. “Elvira” (4:00) – Miles
A4. “Hear No Evil” (4:41) – Miles
A5. “Love Affair” (4:07) – Miles, Adrian Curtis

B1. “Life Is What You Make It Pt. 2” (3:07) – Miles
B2. “Visions” (4:23) – Miles
B3. “Crossfire” (4:55) – Miles
B4. “There Was a Time” (6:10) – Miles

Miles produced and arranged Chapter VII with assistant producer Michael D. Stone. Sessions took place at Record Plant in New York, Record Plant in Los Angeles, and The Manor in Oxfordshire. Gary Kellgren, Jack Adams, and Stone engineered the album, with assistant engineers Gary Ladinsky, John Henning, and Lee Kiefer. Desmond Strobel and Gloria Halesworth designed the package at Album Graphics Inc., with photography by Herbert Worthington.

Columbia lifted “Life Is What You Make It” as a March 1973 single (b/w “Love Affair”). “Hear No Evil” followed in May 1973 (b/w “Elvira”). Chapter VII reached No. 123 on the Billboard 200 and No. 36 on the R&B Albums chart.

All the Faces of Buddy Miles

Buddy Miles released his eighth studio album, All the Faces of Buddy Miles, in November 1974 on Columbia.

The album contains one Miles–Johnny Bristol co-write, five Bristol songs, and four titles by outside writers. Miles recorded with bassist James Jamerson, drummer Ed Greene, saxophonist Ernie Watts, keyboardists Clarence McDonald and Jerry Peters, percussionists Gene Estes and Joe Clayton, and guitarists Kenneth Hawkins, Ray Parker Jr., and Wah Wah Watson.

“Pull Yourself Together” gathers a rasped horn accent under a high lead and backing-voice replies. “We Got Love” lifts the chorus through strings and a harder vocal. “All the Faces” sighs through organ haze and a lower, regret-marked lead. “I’m Just a Kiss Away” glides on piano-bright accents and rounded vocal phrasing.

“Pain” clenches close-placed voice against strings and a late-night saxophone line. “Kiss and Run” darts through wah-wah guitar figures and harder band replies. “Wants and Needs (The Earth Song)” answers a deeper vocal call with short ensemble punctuation. “Baby Don’t Stop (Sit on the Rock)” settles into a loosened vamp and a heavier final cadence.

A1. “Pull Yourself Together” (4:21) – Shedrack Anderson
A2. “We Got Love” (3:18) – Johnny Bristol
A3. “All the Faces” (2:48) – Jorge Calderon, Judi Pulver
A4. “I’m Just a Kiss Away” (3:08) – Bristol
A5. “It’s Only the Good Times” (3:55) – Lee Pockriss, Peter Udell

B1. “Got to Find Ms. Right” (3:19) – Bristol
B2. “Pain” (3:08) – Bristol
B3. “Kiss and Run” (3:21) – Calderon
B4. “Wants and Needs (The Earth Song)” (3:31) – Bristol
B5. “Baby Don’t Stop (Sit on the Rock)” (4:28) – Miles, Bristol

Johnny Bristol produced All the Faces of Buddy Miles at Devonshire Sound Studios in North Hollywood with arranger H.B. Barnum and engineer Greg Venable. Desmond Strobel directed the package, with artwork by Ron Kriss and photography by Herbert Worthington.

Columbia issued “We Got Love” as a November 1974 single, which reached No. 108 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. “Pull Yourself Together” followed as a 1975 single (b/w “I’m Just a Kiss Away”) and reached No. 83 on the R&B singles chart.

More Miles Per Gallon

Buddy Miles released his ninth studio album, More Miles Per Gallon, in 1975 on Casablanca.

The album contains eight Miles songs or co-writes and one number Ben Schultz, who plays guitar, synthesizer, piano. They recorded the album with drummer Bobby Berge, reedist Stemsey Hunter (alto sax), baritone saxophonist Steve Lawrence, trombonist Ken Walther, and trumpeters Tom Bray and Paul Cacia. Stevie Wonder guests on clavinet.

“Rockin’ and Rollin’ on the Streets of Hollywood” claps through a clipped refrain, a punched backbeat, and phased guitar lead. “Nasty Disposition” struts over clavinet bite and a harder dance-floor backbeat. “Nichols Canyon Fuunk” coils through Moog figures and a darker instrumental finish. “My Last Words of Love” slows to a sweet-toned lead over softer band support. “Do It to Me” snaps the album into a shorter vocal charge with tight ensemble accents.

A1. “Rockin’ and Rollin’ on the Streets of Hollywood” (4:21) – Miles
A2. “Do It to Me” (3:14) – Miles
A3. “Blues City” (2:02) – Ben Schultz
A4. “Nasty Disposition” (4:05) – Miles
A5. “No Time for Sorrow” (5:44) – Miles, Schultz

B1. “Nichols Canyon Fuunk” (4:04) – Miles
B2. “Livin’ in the Right Space” (3:39) – Miles, Schultz
B3. “You Don’t Have a Kind Word to Say” (7:56) – Miles, LaLomie Washburn
B4. “My Last Words of Love” (4:59) – Miles

Miles produced More Miles Per Gallon at the Record Plant in Los Angeles with co-producers Schultz and Kelly Kotera. Kotera engineered the album with second engineer Deni King and assistant engineer Davy Moire. Schultz and Kotera mixed the album; Rick Collins mastered the LP at Kendun Recorders. Gribbitt and Stephen Lumel directed the package with photography by David Alexander.

Casablanca lifted “Rockin’ and Rollin’ on the Streets of Hollywood” as a June 1975 single (b/w “Livin’ in the Right Space”), which reached No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 33 on the R&B singles chart. “Nasty Disposition” followed as a 1975 single (b/w “Do It to Me”).

More Miles Per Gallon reached No. 68 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 27 on the Soul LPs chart.

Bicentennial Gathering of the Tribes

Buddy Miles released his tenth studio album, Bicentennial Gathering of the Tribes, in 1976 on Casablanca.

Miles wrote or co-wrote all nine songs. Schultz returned as a co-producer and multi-instrumentalist. Miles recorded with drummer Bobby Berge, bassist Ron Perry, trombonist Ken Walther, keyboardists Don Beck and John Maller, guitarists Boyd Albritton and Dickey Betts, reedists Danny Hull and Steve Lawrence, trumpeters Paul Cacia and Tom Bray, and backing singers Jerry Stevens and Wanda Watkins.

“Where You Gonna Run to Lady” presses a gospel-marked lead over polished ensemble backing. “I’ve Got to Be Me” turns the same vocal placement toward a reflective refrain. “Won’t You Be My Friend” softens the ensemble with an invitation chorus. “Grecian Lady” brightens a rounded lead over polished instrumental backing.

A1. “Now’s the Time (You’ve Got to Be Real)” (3:43) – Miles
A2. “Where You Gonna Run to Lady” (3:45) – Miles, Schultz
A3. “Inflation” (4:41) – Miles
A4. “I’ve Got to Be Me” (4:35) – Miles

B1. “Grecian Lady” (3:27) – Miles, Schultz
B2. “Won’t You Be My Friend” (2:44) – Miles, Paul Cacia
B3. “Searchin’ (For Love)” (3:24) – Miles, Schultz
B4. “Reuben ‘The Hurricane’” (3:23) – Miles
B5. “Wake Me Shake Me” (4:38) – Miles

Miles produced Bicentennial Gathering of the Tribes with co-producers Schultz and Kelly Kotera. The engineering credits include Schultz, Bruce Hensal, Kotera, Michael Braunstein, Pete Carlson, and Rick Smith. Casablanca issued the LP in a gatefold package with an original inner sleeve.

Casablanca lifted “Where You Gonna Run to Lady” as a 1976 single (b/w “Wake Me Shake Me”).

Roadrunner

Buddy Miles released his eleventh studio album, Roadrunner, in 1977 on T-Town.

The album contains four Miles songs or co-writes, with outside titles by Colleen Fortune and Richard Fortune, John Stevenson, and Wah Wah Watson. The RoadRunners receive the credited player listing, with Tobie Wynn as horn leader, Rusty Higgins as horn arranger, and Colleen Fortune and Moreen Thornton as backing singers.

“Roadrunner / Roadrunner Stomp” roughens the title refrain with low-fi band pressure and cartoon-like vocal effects. “I Love You More and More” leans into a plainer vocal line with the band held closer to the beat. The album rattles through clipped brass, short chants, and a road-worn finish, with Miles placed forward in the mix across the T-Town sessions.

A1. “Roadrunner / Roadrunner Stomp” (4:41) – Miles
A2. “I Love You More and More” (3:34) – Miles
A3. “Rambler” (3:55) – Colleen Fortune, Richard Fortune
A4. “Pretty Bird” (3:44) – Miles

B1. “Stink Rock” (4:46) – Miles, Christy Wilkins
B2. “Take Care of Yourself” (3:19) – John Stevenson
B3. “Like in a Full Moon” (4:42) – Stevenson
B4. “Gentle Thoughts” (3:43) – Wah Wah Watson

Miles and Monty Stark produced Roadrunner with co-producers John Stevenson and Jim Paris. Stark engineered the album, and Stark, Miles, and Paris mixed the LP. Jim Paris directed the project and contracted the sessions. Richard Oleson handled design, art direction, and illustration.

T-Town lifted “I Love You More and More” as a 1977 single (b/w “Roadrunner”).

Sneak Attack

The Buddy Miles Regiment released Sneak Attack in 1981 on Atlantic.

The two-LP set contains eight Miles songs and songs popularized by Cream (“Sunshine of Your Love”), Kansas (“Dust in the Wind”), and The Impressions (“For Your Precious Love”). The Regiment includes vocalist Gabe Oroscoe, bassist Jimmy Calhoun, trombonist Lory Cole, trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, percussionist Gary McLaughlin, vibraphonist Monty Stark, guitarists JP Cervoni and L.D. Wisegal, keyboardists John Murray and L.D. Dixon, and saxophonists Brandon Fields and Jeff Jorgenson.

“Latin Rock Fusion” sprawls across an extended instrumental lead with clipped ensemble turns. “Can You Hold Me” clamps Miles’s voice to a slower refrain. “Sunshine of Your Love” hardens the familiar riff into a rough-edged band reading. “Working Hard Every Day” stretches the stage-cut format through a long chant section. “Colossus” and “Jazz Fusion” point the album toward instrumental-led material. The closing CIM prison medley drops from “Hold Her Tight” into “Dust in the Wind,” then closes on “For Your Precious Love.”

A1. “Latin Rock Fusion” (6:55) – Miles
A2. “Can You Hold Me” (5:37) – Miles
A3. “Sunshine of Your Love” (5:42) – Jack Bruce, Pete Brown, Eric Clapton
B1. “I’ve Made Up My Mind” (7:42) – Miles
B2. “Working Hard Every Day” (10:35) – Miles

C1. “Colossus” (4:56) – Miles
C2. “Let’s Make It Together” (8:13) – Miles
C3. “Jazz Fusion” (4:30) – Miles
D1. “Buddy Miles, Live at CIM, Chino, Ca.” (18:29)
D1a. “Hold Her Tight” – Miles
D1b. “Dust in the Wind” – Kerry Livgren
D1c. “For Your Precious Love” – Arthur Brooks, Jerry Butler, Richard Brooks

Miles produced Sneak Attack with co-producers Jim Paris and Monty Stark. The album combines studio recordings with a final-side medley recorded live at CIM in Chino, California. Sylvester Rivers arranged and conducted the strings; Miles, Wynn, and Richard Griffith arranged the horns. Bob Hickson and Rollin Binzer handled the cover package.

Atlantic lifted “Can You Hold Me” as an August 1981 single (b/w “Jazz Fusion”). In February 1982, “Sunshine of Your Love” reappeared as a single (b/w “Hold Her Tight”).

Discography: