The discography of Weather Report, an American jazz band with a career lasting sixteen years between 1970 and 1986, consists of fourteen studio albums, three live albums, eleven compilation albums, five singles, one B-side, and six video albums.
Weather Report's self-titled debut album Weather Report, released in 1971, caused a sensation in the jazz world and is still considered a classic of early fusion. It was awarded Album of the Year by Down Beat magazine's polls that year.Morgenstern, Dan (13 May 1971). Down Beat In 1972 Weather Report released its second album, I Sing the Body Electric. The first side featured new studio recordings, while the second side was taken from live recordings of a concert in Tokyo, Japan.[ Allmusic Biography] On 1973's Sweetnighter, Weather Report began to take a new more funk and groove-oriented direction.
Breakout album Mysterious Traveller, released in 1974, was the second of Weather Report's albums to win Down Beat "Album of the Year" award. Released in 1975, Tale Spinnin' was Weather Report's most solid album to date. It won the Down Beat best album award for 1975.
By 1976's Black Market album, Weather Report's music had evolved further from open-ended funk jams into more melody and rock-oriented and concise forms. It continued Weather Report's ongoing run of success, selling well and being the fourth of the band's albums to win Down Beat album of the year award. The band's next album was 1977's acclaimed Heavy Weather, which proved to be the band's most successful recording. It would dominate Weather Report's disc awards, including their last Down Beat "Album of the Year" award.
By 1978 the band released its eighth album, Mr. Gone. The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. The 1979 double live album 8:30, recorded on the Mr Gone tour, won that year's Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.Jackson, Blair (3 June 1983). "Fusion Giants Weather Report," BAM #157. Weather Report's ninth studio album, Night Passage, was released in 1980, and its second eponymous release following the 1970 debut album was recorded in 1981 and released in 1982.
In 1983, the band released its eleventh studio album Procession, which showed the band returning to the "world music". It was praised by Down Beat for its "unity and joy"Diliberto, John (June 1983) Down Beat. and it has come to be seen as one of the best Weather Report albums. Weather Report then recorded Domino Theory and Live in Japan in 1984, Sportin' Life in 1985, and the finale album This Is This! in 1986. By February 1986, Shorter left the band,Varga, George (28 February 1986). "Shorter Departs Weather Report", San Diego Union-Tribune. and Zawinul dissolved the band in 1987.
Many video, compilation and live albums were released after the breakup of the band. Live and Unreleased was made available in 2002. In September 2006 Columbia/Legacy released a Weather Report box set, Forecast: Tomorrow. A DVD video of the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival performance has become available as well. Columbia/Legacy have also re-released the 1984 Live in Japan concert on DVD.
Studio albums Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications Labels Note US Pop US Jazz US R&B SWE NOR UK 1971 Weather Report 191 7 — — — — Columbia 1972 I Sing the Body Electric 147 — — — — — Columbia Three tracks are recorded live 1973 Sweetnighter 85 2 41 — — — Columbia 1974 Mysterious Traveller 46 2 31 — — — Columbia 1975 Tale Spinnin' 31 3 12 — — — Columbia 1976 Black Market 42 2 20 — — — Columbia 1977 Heavy Weather 30 1 33 40 — 43RIAA: Platinum Columbia 1978 Mr. Gone 52 1 — 42 — 47 ARC/Columbia 1980 Night Passage 57 2 — — 36 — ARC/Columbia One track is recorded live 1982 Weather Report 68 5 — — 30 92 ARC/Columbia 1983 Procession 96 3 46 — — — Columbia 1984 Domino Theory 136 5 — — — 54 Columbia Three tracks are recorded live 1985 Sportin' Life 191 13 — — — — Columbia 1986 This Is This! 195 13 — — — — Columbia "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
Live albums Year Album Peak chart positions Labels BB 200 Jazz Albums R&B 1972 Live in Tokyo — — — CBS/Sony 1979 8:30 47 3 — ARC/Columbia 2002 Live and Unreleased — 21 — Columbia 2015 The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978–1981 — 7 50 Columbia
Compilations Year Album Peak chart positions Billboard Jazz 1983 Die 70er Jahre Additional informationWeather Report. (1983). Die 70er Jahre. Zweitausendeins, CBS. Format: LP Released: 1983 Recorded: 1971–1980 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 42:23 Label: Zweitausendeins, CBS, 54 491
Track listing Side one "Black Market" (Joe Zawinul) – 6:30 "Teen Town" (Jaco Pastorius) – 2:53 "American Tango" (Zawinul, Miroslav Vitous) – 3:42 "Umbrellas" (Zawinul, Vitous, Wayne Shorter) – 3:24 "Second Sunday in August" (Zawinul) – 4:04
Side two "Birdland" (Zawinul) 5:59 "Port of Entry" (Shorter) – 5:06 "A Remark You Made" (Zawinul) – 7:40 "Barbary Coast" (Pastorius) – 3:05 — 1990 Best of Weather Report Vol. I Additional informationWeather Report. (1990). Best of Weather Report Vol. I. Columbia. Format: CD Released: 1990 Recorded: 1971–1986 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 69:36 Label: Columbia 466996-2
Track listing "Birdland" (Joe Zawinul) – 5:59 "And Then" (Zawinul) – 3:19 "A Remark You Made" (Zawinul) – 6:52 "Second Sunday in August" (Zawinul) – 4:04 "Herandnu" (Alphonso Johnson) – 6:35 "Tears" (Wayne Shorter) – 3:22 "Elegant People" (Shorter) – 5:02 "Eurydice" (Shorter) – 5:43 "Man With the Copper Fingers" (Zawinul) – 6:12 "Where the Moon Goes" (Zawinul, Lyrics by Nan O'Byrne and Zawinul ) – 7:47 "Harlequin" (Shorter) – 4:00 "Speechless" (Zawinul) – 5:56 "Palladíum" (Shorter) – 4:45
Guest musicians The Manhattan Transfer – Vocals on "Where the Moon Goes" Maurice White – Vocals on "And Then" — The Collection Additional informationWeather Report. (1990). The Collection. Castle. Format: CD Released: 1990 Recorded: 1976–1980 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 76:15 Label: Castle CCS CD 244
Track listing "Birdland" (Joe Zawinul) – 6:05 "Teen Town" (Jaco Pastorius) – 2:55 "The Juggler" (Zawinul) – 5:08 "The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" (Zawinul) – 5:04 "The Elders" (Wayne Shorter) – 4:21 "Punk Jazz" (Pastorius) – 5:10 "And Then" (Zawinul) – 3:22 "Black Market" (Live) (Zawinul) – 9:36 "A Remark You Made" (Live) (Zawinul) – 7:47 "Night Passage" (Zawinul) – 6:32 "Rockin' in Rhythm" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Harry Carney) – 3:03 "Fast City" (Zawinul) – 6:19 "Madagascar" (Zawinul) – 10:53
Reissues 1994 Griffin 254 (CD) — 1993 Starbox Additional informationWeather Report. (19 November 1993). Starbox. Sony. Format: CD Released: 19 November 1993 Recorded: 19??-19?? Genre: Jazz fusion Length: ??:?? Label: Sony 6907 — 1996 Birdland Additional informationWeather Report. (19 March 1996). Birdland. Sony. Format: CD Released: 19 March 1996 Recorded: 19??-19?? Genre: Jazz fusion Length: ??:?? Label: Sony — This Is Jazz, Vol. 10: Weather Report Additional informationWeather Report. (30 April 1996). This Is Jazz, Vol. 10: Weather Report. Columbia, Sony. Format: CD Released: 30 April 1996 Recorded: 1971–1978 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 56:38 Label: Sony CK 64627
Track listing "Birdland" (Joe Zawinul) – 6:01 "A Remark You Made" (Zawinul) – 6:53 "Black Market" (Zawinul) – 6:32 "Man in the Green Shirt" (Zawinul) – 6:31 "Young and Fine" (Zawinul) – 6:57 "The Moors" (Wayne Shorter) – 4:45 "Mysterious Traveller" (Shorter) – 7:24 "Orange Lady" (Zawinul) – 8:43 "Teen Town" (Jaco Pastorius) – 2:52
Reissues 2001 as Jazz Collection: Weather Report Sony 488634 (CD)Weather Report. (10 April 2001). Jazz Collection: Weather Report. Sony. — 1998 This Is Jazz, Vol. 40: Weather Report – The Jaco Years Additional informationWeather Report. (28 April 1998). This Is Jazz, Vol. 10: Weather Report. Columbia, Sony. Format: CD Released: 28 April 1998 Recorded: 1975–1981 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 54:54 Label: Columbia, Sony CK 65451
Track listing "Punk Jazz" (Jaco Pastorius) – 5:08 "River People" (Pastorius) – 4:50 "A Remark You Made" (Joe Zawinul) – 8:00 "Havona" (Pastorius) – 6:00 "Three Views of a Secret" (Pastorius) – 5:52 "Teen Town" (Pastorius) – 6:05 "Speechless" (Zawinul) – 5:57 "Port of Entry" (Wayne Shorter) – 5:07 "Barbary Coast" (Pastorius) – 3:07 "Slang" (Pastorius) – 4:48 — 2002 The Best of Weather Report Additional informationWeather Report. (4 June 2002). The Best of Weather Report. Columbia, Sony. Format: CD Released: 4 June 2002 Recorded: 1973–1980 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 74:36 Label: Columbia/Legacy, Sony, 85400, 5076592, SICP-238
Track listing "Birdland" (Joe Zawinul) – 5:58 "Mysterious Traveller" (Wayne Shorter) – 7:21 "Boogie Woogie Waltz" (Zawinul) – 13:04 "The Elders" (Shorter) – 4:20 "Night Passage" (Zawinul) – 6:32 "Freezing Fire" (Shorter) – 7:28 "A Remark You Made" (Zawinul) – 6:52 "Elegant People" (Shorter) – 5:05 "Man in the Green Shirt" (Zawinul) – 6:28 "Blackthorn Rose" (Shorter) – 4:59 "Black Market" (Zawinul) – 6:29
Reissues 2007 Sony BMG 88697127632, 238, Columbia Legacy 712763 (CD) 2008 Columbia 88697342352 (CD) — 2006 Forecast: Tomorrow Additional informationWeather Report. (19 September 2006). Forecast: Tomorrow. Columbia/Legacy, Sony. Format: 3-CD + 1-DVD Box set Released: 19 September 2006 Recorded: 1969–1985, 2005 Genre: Jazz fusion Length: 223:37 (Disc One: 78:38; Disc Two: 68:51; Disc Three: 76:08) Label: Columbia/Legacy 85570, Sony 82876855752 Producer: Bob Belden, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter
Track listing Disc One "In a Silent Way" (Joe Zawinul) – 4:17 "Super Nova" (Wayne Shorter) – 4:48 "Experience in E Major" (Excerpt) (Zawinul) – 5:42 "Milky Way" (Shorter, Zawinul) – 2:31 "Tears" (Shorter) – 3:23 "Eurydice" (Full Version) (Shorter) – 10:44 "Orange Lady" (Zawinul) – 8:42 "Unknown Soldier" (Zawinul) – 7:58 "Directions" (Take 1) (Zawinul) – 5:29 "Surucucu" (Shorter) – 8:19 "Second Sunday in August" (Zawinul) – 4:12 "125th Street Congress" (Zawinul) – 12:14
Disc Two "Nubian Sundance" (Live) (Joe Zawinul) – 13:05 "Blackthorn Rose" (Wayne Shorter) – 5:01 "Badia" (Zawinul) – 5:21 "Cannon Ball" (Zawinul) – 4:38 "Black Market" (Zawinul) – 6:33 "Three Clowns" (Shorter) – 3:24 "Havona" (Jaco Pastorius) – 6:01 "Birdland" (Zawinul) – 5:58 "Palladíum" (Shorter) – 4:47 "The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat" (Zawinul) – 5:03 "The Orphan" (Shorter, Zawinul) – 3:17 "Sightseeing" (Shorter) – 5:35
Disc Three "Dream Clock" (Joe Zawinul) – 6:28 "Three Views of a Secret" (Jaco Pastorius) – 5:53 "Port of Entry" (Live) (Wayne Shorter) – 5:08 "Dara Factor Two" (Zawinul, Shorter, Pastorius, Peter Erskine, Robert Thomas Jr.) – 4:27 "Procession" (Zawinul) – 8:42 "Plaza Real" (Shorter) – 5:28 "The Well" (Shorter) – 3:57 "D♭ Waltz" (Zawinul) – 11:12 "Domino Theory" (Zawinul) – 6:10 "Predator" (Shorter) – 5:20 "Face on the Barroom Floor" (Shorter) – 3:58 "Indiscretions" (Zawinul) – 4:06 "125th Street Congress (DJ Logic Remix)" (Zawinul) – 5:04
DVD (Concert in Offenbach am Main, on September 29, 1978, for the German TV program Rockpalast) "Black Market" (Joe Zawinul) "Scarlet Woman" (Alphonso Johnson, Zawinul, Wayne Shorter) "Young and Fine" (Zawinul) "The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat" (Zawinul) "A Remark You Made" (Zawinul) "River People" (Jaco Pastorius) "Thanks for the Memory" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger) "Delores" (Shorter) / "Portrait of Tracy" (Pastorius) / "Third Stone from the Sun" (Jimi Hendrix) "Mr. Gone" (Zawinul) "In a Silent Way" (Zawinul) "Waterfall" (Zawinul) "Teen Town" (Pastorius)