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Tale Spinnin’ is the sixth album by Weather Report, recorded and released in 1975, featuring the addition of Leon “Ndugu” Chancler on the drums. Ndugu was recruited after Josef Zawinul heard him play with Carlos Santana. Weather Report was recording next door to Ndugu in the studio, and Chancler was asked to join them for a recording session. That session ended up lasting a week and produced Tale Spinnin’. After the record, Ndugu was asked to join the band as a permanent member, but declined in favor of continuing to work with Carlos Santana (https://goo.gl/SbJVVc).

AllMusic Review by Richard S. Ginell:
Weather Report’s ever-changing lineup shifts again, with the somewhat heavier funk-oriented Leon “Ndugu” Chancler dropping into the drummer’s chair and Alyrio Lima taking over the percussion table. As a result, Tale Spinnin’ has a weightier feel than Mysterious Traveller, while continuing the latter’s explorations in Latin-spiced electric jazz/funk. Zawinul’s pioneering interest in what we now call world music is more in evidence with the African percussion, wordless vocals, and sandy sound effects of “Badia,” and his synthesizer sophistication is growing along with the available technology. Wayne Shorter’s work on soprano sax is more animated than on the previous two albums and Alphonso Johnson puts his melodic bass more to the fore. While not quite as inventive as its two predecessors, this remains an absorbing extension of WR’s mid-’70s direction (https://goo.gl/qZsmRC).

Track listing:
All tracks composed by Joe Zawinul unless otherwise noted.

“Man in the Green Shirt” – 6:29
“Lusitanos” (Wayne Shorter) – 7:25
“Between the Thighs” – 9:33
“Badia” – 5:21
“Freezing Fire” (Wayne Shorter) – 7:29
“Five Short Stories” – 6:56

Personnel:
Josef Zawinul – Rhodes piano, acoustic piano, melodica, TONTO synthesizer, ARP 2600 synthesizer, organ, steel drums, oud, mzuthra, West African talking drum, xylophone, cymbals, vocals
Wayne Shorter – Soprano and tenor saxophones
Alphonso Johnson – Electric bass
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – Drums, tympani, marching cymbals
Alyrio Lima – Percussion

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Released: May 1975
Recorded: February 1975 – April 4, 1975
Studio Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, California
Length: 43:01
Label: Columbia
Producer: Wayne Shorter, Josef Zawinul