"Take Five": One Hit
The Dave Brubeck quartet went into the studio on July 1, 1959 to record a new album. Drummer Joe Morello, who had joined the group in 1956, was tired of playing in strictly 4/4 time and pressed the...
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The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Take Five
  Paul Desmond's composition "Take Five" is clearly the best known piece associated with Dave Brubeck, himself no slouch as a composer. This also might be the best known recording in jazz history. When it was first released as a 45 on Columbia, it was a BIG hit. This was after the emergence of rock 'n' roll as the dominant, nearly sole force in the pop field. Few jazz recordings were even released as singles, much less sold well, and forget about Top 40 radio. Along comes "Take Five," as likely to pop out of your transistor radio speaker as Elvis Presley or Ray Charles. All this from a straight-ahead jazz quartet playing in 5/4, an odd time signature. Over time, juke boxes and easy listening radio kept this hit in the air, to the extent that it's become part of the 20th Century's soundtrack. And, over time, people remembering the single bought the whole album, Time Out, which featured the song "Take Five" played by The Dave Brubeck Quartet--a recording which featured not only composer Desmond on alto sax and the leader's piano, but a lengthy drum solo by Joe Morello. Well, excuse the unmasking of a huge gaffe by a sizable chunk of the populace--but these are two different performances and nobody has noticed. Play 'em again, Sam: they're different takes. The icon is the 45 take and it's never been reissued or even acknowledged until this set. It is also edited. The drum episode is shortened, eliminating (!) Brubeck's piano bit that set it up. Nobody's noticed. In fact, few noticed that the original juke box title slip--until corrected--named the flip side "Blue Rondo A La Tuna," instead of "Turk."

(P. Desmond); Produced by Teo Macero; Paul Desmond, alto saxophone; Dave Brubeck, piano; Gene Wright, bass; Joe Morello, drums. Solos: Desmond; Morello; Rec. New York, July 1, 1959. Columbia single 41479 (mx. CO 62577-); Originally Released 1959