1972 Gil Scott-Heron – Free Will
Free Will is the second studio album by American poet Gil Scott-Heron, released in August 1972 on Flying Dutchman Records. Recordings sessions for the album took place on March 2 and 3, 1972 at RCA Studios in New York City, and production was handled by producer Bob Thiele. It is the follow-up to Scott-Heron’s critically acclaimed studio debut, Pieces of a Man (1971), and it is the second album to feature him working with keyboardist Brian Jackson. Free Will is also Scott-Heron’s final studio album for Flying Dutchman. The album reissued on compact disc in 2001 by Bluebird Records with alternative takes of eight tracks from the original album.
Tracks
1 Free Will (Gil Scott-Heron; Brian Jackson) 03:42
2 The Middle Of Your Day (Gil Scott-Heron; Brian Jackson) 04:32
3 The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues (Gil Scott-Heron; Brian Jackson) 05:11
4 Speed Kills (Gil Scott-Heron; Brian Jackson) 03:18
5 Did You Hear What They Said? (Gil Scott-Heron; Brian Jackson) 03:31
6 The King Alfred Plan (Gil Scott-Heron) 02:46
7 No Knock (Gil Scott-Heron) 02:11
8 Wiggy (Gil Scott-Heron) 01:36
9 Ain’t No New Thing (Gil Scott-Heron) 04:32
10 Billy Green Is Dead (Gil Scott-Heron) 01:28
11 Sex Education: Ghetto Style (Gil Scott-Heron) 00:50
12 … And Then He Wrote Meditations (Gil Scott-Heron) 03:13
Musicians
1 Free Will
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | David Spinozza |
| Electric Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Hubert Laws |
| Vocals | Brian Jackson |
| Vocals | Gil Scott-Heron |
2 The Middle Of Your Day
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | David Spinozza |
| Electric Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Hubert Laws |
| Vocals | Brian Jackson |
| Vocals | Gil Scott-Heron |
3 The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | David Spinozza |
| Electric Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Hubert Laws |
| Vocals | Brian Jackson |
| Vocals | Gil Scott-Heron |
4 Speed Kills
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | David Spinozza |
| Electric Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Hubert Laws |
| Vocals | Brian Jackson |
| Vocals | Gil Scott-Heron |
5 Did You Hear What They Said?
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | David Spinozza |
| Electric Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Piano | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Hubert Laws |
| Vocals | Brian Jackson |
| Vocals | Gil Scott-Heron |
6 The King Alfred Plan
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
7 No Knock
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
8 Wiggy
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
9 Ain’t No New Thing
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
10 Billy Green Is Dead
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
11 Sex Education: Ghetto Style
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
12 … And Then He Wrote Meditations
| Flute | Brian Jackson |
| Flute | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Bells | Brian Jackson |
| Bells | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Percussion | Charlie Saunders |
| Percussion | Eddie Knowles |
Liner Notes
Producer – Bob Thiele
Producer (Assistant) – Lillian Seyfert
Arranged By – Horace Ott (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Conductor – Horace Ott (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Mixed By – Bob Simpson
Cover, Photography – Raymond Ross, Chuck Stewart
Design – Haig Adishian
Phonographic Copyright Flying Dutchman Productions Ltd
Copyright Flying Dutchman Productions Ltd