Thrust – Herbie Hancock
You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians
Peter Martin
4.9 • 770 Ratings
🗓️ 18 May 2026
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Herbie Hancock's Thrust (1974) is one of the most influential jazz-funk records ever made. Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down the full album, track-by-track: Mike Clark's displaced backbeats, why Paul Jackson is such an unusual bass player and possibly the greatest Rhodes solo of all time. Plus - Adam shares a story about learning "Spank-A-Lee" at 16, and Peter tells us about meeting Paul Jackson for the first time. And ... is "Actual Proof" ACTUALLY the best track on the album?
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Maiden Voyage: https://youtu.be/ZQ6ICxe2wjE
Head Hunters: https://youtu.be/wM-_44deuSY
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
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00:00 Thrust - Herbie Hancock
00:30 Herbie Before Thrust: Miles & The Headhunters
03:01 Drummer Mike Clark Joins the Band
03:35 🎧 "Palm Grease"
11:10 Why Paul Jackson Was So Unusual
13:07 🎧 "Actual Proof"
24:23 Our Relationship to Thrust
29:57 🎧 "Butterfly"
38:34 Peter's Paul Jackson Story
43:02 🎧 "Spank-A-Lee"
52:47 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Snobometer
57:09 The MOST Controversial Moment in YHI History
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | drummer Mike Clark says that when he auditioned for Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band, |
| 0:05.3 | he was playing like Tony Williams. Herbie caught him and said, |
| 0:09.3 | Tony's my best friend. If I wanted him, I'd call him. I want to see what you're all about. |
| 0:14.6 | He did, and he got the gig. In the studio, the producer wanted one rhythm, but the band wanted another. They had one |
| 0:22.9 | shot to make history. This is thrust. I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening |
| 0:32.4 | to The You'll Hear at Podcast. Music Explore. Explore, Brow Day by Open Studio. Go to Open Studio Jazz for... Oh! You jazz lesson needs, Peter, it's a big day for me. It's a big day for me, too. Don't worry, buddy. It's a bigger, maybe a bigger day for me? Well, don't try to out-big my day, but yeah, no, it's a big day for you. It's a big day. We are talking about Herbie Hancock's 1974, incredible funk recording, thrust. |
| 1:02.3 | Oh, my God. |
| 1:04.1 | Peter, this journey starts in a much more straightforward way. |
| 1:08.6 | In fact, it starts in a much more straight-ahead context. |
| 1:12.2 | It starts with Seven Steps to Heaven. |
| 1:27.2 | That's a young Herbie Hancock making his introduction with the great Miles Davis |
| 1:30.2 | on Seven Steps to Heaven. |
| 1:32.5 | Incredible album. |
| 1:33.6 | Herbie split that album with pianist Victor Feldman |
| 1:35.9 | who actually wrote Seven Steps to Heaven, |
| 1:37.5 | but Herbie is the pianist playing on the track, |
| 1:39.3 | which is interesting. |
| 1:40.0 | And while all this was going on, |
| 1:41.9 | he made major bangers. |
| 1:43.0 | Had hits like Canterloop Island. |
| 1:44.7 | Ooh. |
| 1:46.9 | Never heard of it? |
... |
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