Flight -

Flight was an American symphonic/jazz-rock band that released the 1975/76 Capitol albums Flight and Incredible Journey, followed by the 1980 Motown title Excursion Beyond.

Members: Pat Vidas (brass, lead vocals), Ted Karczewski (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), John Ray (acoustic guitar, bass), Russell A Dawber Jr (drums, percussion), Jim Michael “Fizzwah” Yaeger (keyboards), John DeNicola (bass), Steve Shebar (drums)

Formation

Flight was launched in 1974 by Pat Vidas, a Floridian trumpeter, singer, and composer. He formed the band with guitarist Ted Karczewski, bassist John Ray, drummer Russell A Dawber Jr, and keyboardist Jim Michael “Fizzwah” Yaeger.

They signed with Capitol Records and linked with veteran producer/lyricist George David Weiss (1921–2010), who co-wrote past hits for The Tokens (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”), Elvis Presley (“Can’t Help Falling In Love”), Lorraine Ellison (“Stay With Me”), Louis Armstrong (“What a Wonderful World”), and the recent Stylistics hit “Let’s Put It All Together.”

Flight

Flight released their self-titled debut album in October 1975 on Capitol.

The album contains eight Pat Vidas compositions, including two instrumentals that bookend Side A. Producer George David Weiss penned the album’s lyrics and received co-credits on six songs.

Musically, Flight melds jazz-rock, symphonic-rock, and space rock. They blend the lavish sounds and theatrical delivery of their stateside post-psych kin (Ambrosia, Fireballet, Utopia) with the contrapuntal density of the era’s virtuoso acts (Eleventh House, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever).

A1. “In Flight” (4:48)
A2. “Make a Miracle” (3:45)
A3. “Let’s Fly Away” (3:53)
A4. “Latin Dippy Doo” (9:20)

B1. “Rhapsody to You” (7:50)
B2. “Falling in Love” (3:38)
B3. “Ease of Confusion” (3:08)
B4. “Theme to the Stratosphere” (9:01)

Weiss, in his first sound credit since 1967, co-produced Flight with associate Vince Marchese. Flight was engineered by Mike Delugg, a soundman on 1972–75 albums by Gloria Gaynor, Herbie Mann, Isley Brothers, Joe Simon, New York City, and Pat Martino.

Flight has celestial illustrations by Joe Heiner, whose visuals grace the fourth Pointer Sisters album (Steppin’) and 1975 compilations of Gladys Knight & The Pips and Patti Labelle & The Bluebells. The back cover depicts Vidas as a comet and his bandmates as disembodied stars. The inner-sleeve has a blue-scale band pic by Joe Heiner, a prior London-based photographer (Badfinger, McDonald & Giles) who photographed contemporary sleeves for Barbara Acklin, Black Sheep, and The Reflections.

Capitol issued “Make a Miracle” as a promo single (mono b/w stereo) and compiled the bookend tracks of each side onto a four-song promo 12″ EP.

Incredible Journey

Flight released their second album, Incredible Journey, on July 14, 1976, on Capitol.

The album contains six Pat Vidas compositions with lyrics by George David Weiss. Keyboardist Jim “Fizzwah” Yaeger composed “First Impression.” Bassist John Ray and drummer Russell Dawber co-wrote “Visions of a Dream.”

Incredible Journey ramps their space/symphonic fusion to maximal proportions akin to the second albums of contemporaries Ambrosia (Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled) and Fireballet (Two, Too…).

A1. “Music Is” (6:50)
A2. “1929” (5:45)
A3. “First Impression” (3:40)
A4. “Mystery Man” (3:25)

B1. “2003” (5:50)
B2. “Visions of a Dream” (3:50)
B3. “The Sands of Time” (4:30)
B4. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (3:52)

Weiss and Vince Marchese co-produced Incredible Journey in the presence of Synergy soundman Bob Clearmountain, a Rupert Holmes associate (Widescreen) with prior soul-funk credits (Betty Davis, Jimmy Castor Bunch, Kay-Gee’s, Kool & The Gang). Clearmountain engineered Incredible Journey in sequence with titles by Ben E King, Hubert Laws, Marlena Shaw, Martee Lebous, and Holmes-produced albums by John Miles (Stranger In the City) and Sparks (Big Beat).

Incredible Journey appeared in a single sleeve with a complex spacecraft illustration (front and back) by Japanese sci-fi artist Shusei Nagaoka, whose detailed fantasy art graces 1976/77 covers for Caldera (Sky Islands), Earth Wind & Fire (All ‘n All), and Jefferson Starship (Spitfire). For Incredible Journey, Nagaoka illustrated a vulva-shaped spacecraft with outer-lip keyboards, inner-lip knobs, under-side trumpets, and a deep-seated stadium. Nagaoka created elaborate spacecraft imagery for subsequent albums by Electric Light Orchestra (Out of the Blue), Parlet (Pleasure Principle), and Sun (Destination: Sun).

John Ray joined pianist Harris Simon in Another Dimension, a jazz-funk quintet that cut the 1977 album What Must Come on Grapevine/Discovery. Vidas retained Jim Yaeger and guitarist Ted Karczewski for a second Flight with drummer Steve Shebar and bassist John DeNicola, an Amityville native. The reconfigured band signed with Motown, which expanded on its soul roster with purveyors of space-funk (Mandre), jazz-funk (Ahmad Jamal), and Italian progressive rock (Libra).

Excursion Beyond

Flight released their third album, Excursion Beyond, in 1980 on Motown. The album contains six Pat Vidas compositions and one (“A Thing for Julie) by drummer/vibraphonist Steve Shebar. Side A includes a Jacksons cover, “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).”

Vidas plays flugelhorn, trumpet, and variations thereof (polytrumpet, ‘flaming’ trumpet). Jim Yaeger’s arsenal consists of piano, organ, clavinet, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and the polyphonic Minimoog synthesizer. Guitarist Ted Karczewski plays secondary bass while John DeNicola plays Fender electric and fretless bass.

A1. “Excursions Beyond” (4:28)
A2. “Music Razzmatazz” (2:55)
A3. “A Thing for Julie” (3:25)
A4. “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” (3:11) was a hit from the Jacksons’ 1978 Epic release Destiny, their third album after leaving Motown.

B1. “The Rumble” (4:48)
B2. “Face to Face” (3:55) features lyrics by one Joy Grand.
B3. “Jett Lagg” (3:15)
B4. “Inca Innuendo” (4:05)

Flight recorded Excursion Beyond with Lee Young Sr., a former jazz drummer who also produced 1980 Motown albums by Dr. Strut, High Inergy, and Ozone. Excursion Beyond was engineered and mixed by Tony May, a veteran jazz soundman with credits on Seventies classics by Airto Moreira, Alice Coltrane, Gato Barbieri, Hermeto Pascoal, Pharoah Sanders, and Roy Ayers.

In 2003, neo-soul singer Erykah Badu sampled “Face to Face” in her single “Back In the Day (Puff),” a No. 13 hit on the Billboard Adult R&B chart.

Discography: