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Got a Match - Chick Corea, The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986)

Path: Audio Discovery/Songs/G/Got a Match - Chick Corea, The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986).mdUpdated: 2/3/2026

Got a Match? - Chick Corea

Recording Information

Album: The Chick Corea Elektric Band Recorded: 1986 Studio: Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles1 Engineer: Bernie Kirsch2 Producer: Chick Corea Label: GRP Records

Personnel: Chick Corea (keyboards), Dave Weckl (drums), John Patitucci (6-string bass), Scott Henderson & Carlos Rios (guitars), Eric Marienthal (saxophone)3

Recording Setup

Synthesizer rig:4

  • Minimoog (keyboard and rack-mounted with MIDI) - primary sound source providing "clean, thin sustaining sound"
  • Yamaha TX802 and TX816 FM synthesis modules for attack transients
  • Yamaha DX7 modules
  • Kurzweil rack modules for additional timbral layers
  • Fender Rhodes V and T Vintage models

Patch construction: Minimoog foundation with layered TX series and Kurzweil modules for attack.4 Heavy modulation wheel use for expression and timbre changes.

Recording approach: State-of-the-art digital recording with direct synthesizer outputs to console.5 Heavy MIDI sequencing and FM synthesis. Close-miked drums featuring 1980s gated drum sound.6

Engineer's role: Bernie Kirsch worked as Corea's longtime engineering partner throughout the Elektric Band era and reunion tours (2016-2018). Corea called him his "ace in the hole."2

Mixing

Digital mixing with multi-layered keyboard programming.5 Dry, minimal room ambience typical of mid-1980s digital production. Bill Milkowski's liner notes provide explicit technical details.7

Notable Characteristics

Breakneck 296 bpm tempo with synth-bass-drums unison opening.8 The plucky, aggressive Minimoog-based main theme became a signature sound for the Elektric Band.4 Track became a vehicle for Dave Weckl's virtuosic drum solos in live performances (Montreux 2004, Bangkok 2017).9

Footnotes

#jazz #fusion #chickcorea #berniekirsch

Footnotes

  1. Jazz Rock Fusion Guitar: Chick Corea Elektric Bandβ†— - Mad Hatter Studios confirmed as GRP's LA facility ↩

  2. Stereophile: Chick Corea Interviewβ†— - Corea calls Kirsch his "ace in the hole" ↩ ↩2

  3. Jazz Rock Fusion Guitar: Personnelβ†— - Full studio lineup including Henderson and Rios ↩

  4. r/synthrecipes: Got a Match Synth Soundβ†— - Minimoog rig, MIDI integration, patch construction philosophy ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. Jazz Rock Fusion Guitar: Productionβ†— - Digital recording and FM synthesis details ↩ ↩2

  6. Spectrum Culture: Complete Studio Recordings Reviewβ†— - Gated drums and high '80s production tropes ↩

  7. Amazon: Album Descriptionβ†— - Bill Milkowski liner notes mentioned ↩

  8. Lead sheets - Tempo marking and harmonic structure ↩

  9. r/Jazz: Got A Match Discussionβ†— - Live performances and classic lineup ↩