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Spearhead: Michael Franti (vocals, acoustic guitar, vibraphone, bass); Mary Harris (vocals); David James (guitar, bass); Sub Commander Ras I Zulu (flute); Le Le Jamison (keyboards, background vocals); Keith McArthur (bass); James Gray (drums, bass).
Additional personnel: Charlie Hunter (guitar, harmonica, clavinet, horns, bass); Mike Tyler (guitar, keyboards, bass); Vernon Reid (guitar); Jay Davidson (saxophone, piano); Joshua Yudkin (organ); Pete Scaturro (organ, piano); Scott Storch (horns, Fender Rhodes electric piano, keyboards); Will Bernard (Fender Rhodes electric piano); E.J. Simpson (bass); Andy Kravitz (drums, percussion), Simone White (drums); Josh Jones (congas).
Producers: Michael Franti, Joe "The Butcha" Nicolo.
Recorded at Studio 4, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, California; Ball And Chain Studios and High Street Studios, San Francisco, California.
Personnel: Michael Franti (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, vibraphone, background vocals); Mary Harris (vocals, background vocals); Charlie Hunter (guitar, harmonica, horns, Clavinet); Mike Tyler (guitar, keyboards); David James, Vernon Reid (guitar); Ras I. Zulu (flute); Jay Davidson (saxophone, piano); Pete Scaturro (piano, organ); Scott Storch (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); Will Bernard (Fender Rhodes piano); Joshua Yudkin (organ); Le le Jamison (keyboards, background vocals); Andy Kravitz (drums, percussion); James Gray, Simone White (drums); Josh Jones (congas).
Recording information: Ball And Chain, And Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco,; Hollywood Sound Recorders, Inc., Hollywood, CA; Studio 4, Philadelphia, PA.
Unknown Contributor Role: Ras I. Zulu.
Former Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy singer Michael Franti's second life as the frontman for Spearhead shows that he's got more on his mind than being the hip-hop equivalent of Gil Scott-Heron. While Franti retains the wordy, iconoclastic approach he favored with the Heroes, Spearhead allows him the freedom to explore different musical avenues. HOME moves deftly from gutbucket funk to progressive R&B to rap, with lyrics that manage to be both personal and political.
While dealing with such serious subjects as AIDS ("Positive"), poverty ("Hole In The Bucket") and violence ("Piece O' Peace"), Franti never loses his wry, ironic sense of humor. He leavens his weightier material with clever observations delivered in a deep, soulful voice. Spearhead's HOME is the common ground where contemporary urban styles converge to create a fresh new sound.