7.5 on the Richter Scale

Up to the time of 7.5 on the richter scale the band had primarily made recordings of music that were swing oriented with progressive leanings. The 1969 Capitol release of Stan Kenton: the music of 'HAIR'[1] was the only other time Stan Kenton had an entire LP move beyond a style and genre which the Kenton 'brand name' had been built on since 1943. He had no involvement in the Hair LP except for Kenton's name placed on the jacket cover; Ralph Carmichael and Lennie Niehaus were placed in charge of the project. Capitol producer Lee Gillette was trying to exploit the money making possibilities of the popular 1968 musical featuring contemporary rock music.[1] Due to lack of promotion by Capitol, the LP was a financial failure; this would be the last release for Kenton under he aegis of Capitol.[1]

The transition from Capitol to Creative World Records in 1970 was fraught with difficulties during a time when the music business was changing rapidly. As a viable jazz artist who was trying to keep a loyal but dwindling following, Kenton turned to arrangers such as Hank Levy and Bob Curnow to write material that appealed to a younger audience.[1] The first releases for the Creative World label were live concerts and Kenton had the control he wanted over content but lacked substantial resources to engineer, mix, and promote what Capitol underwrote in the past. Kenton would take a big gamble to bypass the current record industry and rely far more on the direct mail lists of jazz fans which the newly formed Creative World label would need to sell records.[2]

During the summer of 1973 Kenton was looking to change the approach of the band quite drastically.[3] He charted a new direction and commissioned Gene Roland to come up with a rock-oriented album while retaining the 'Kenton sound.' By June 1973 Curnow had started as the new artists and repertoire manager overseeing the whole operation of the Creative World Records. Curnow oversaw the artistic production of the album.[4][5][6] Much of the music produced by Roland was not at the level of his past writing for the band.[3] Other writers were called upon to complete the project. "We (did) 7.5 On the Richter Scale with some pretty wild things on there, including my chart of Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die."[7] With the success of 7.5 On the Richter Scale and the waters tested with more contemporary material, a path had been paved to use more contemporary material.

Selections arranged and orchestrated by Robert Curnow, Marty Paich, Dale Devoe and Ken Hanna.

• Easton, Carol (1973). Straight Ahead: The Story of Stan Kenton. New York, N.Y.: William Morrow & Company, INC.
• Sparke, Michael (2010). Stan Kenton: This Is An Orchestra. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.
• Sparke, Michael (1998). Stan Kenton: The Studio Sessions. Lake Geneva, WI: Balboa Books.
• Lee, William F. (1980). Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm. Los Angeles, CA: Creative Press.
• Harris, Steven D. (2000). The Stan Kenton Kronicles. Pasadena, CA: Dynaflow Publications.
• Cook, Richard (2002). The Penguin Guide To Jazz On CD (6th ed.). London, England: Penguin Books.

• 7.5 on the Richter Scale at Allmusic