lar " ▁- ▁ 5 : 1 8 ▁" Ready ▁or ▁Not " ▁( ly rics : ▁Scott - Her on ; ▁music : ▁Larry ▁Mc Donald ) ▁- ▁ 4 : 1 0 ▁" Ex plan ations " ▁- ▁ 4 : 3 3 ▁" Black ▁History / The ▁World " ▁- ▁ 9 : 4 2 ▁ ▁Person nel ▁Gil ▁Scott - Her on ▁- ▁vocals ; ▁electric ▁piano ▁on ▁" W ashington ▁D . C ." ▁Vern on ▁James ▁- ▁alto ▁sa x oph one ; ▁fl ute ▁on ▁" Ready ▁or ▁Not " ▁Rob bie ▁Gordon ▁- ▁bass ▁Ken ny ▁Pow ell ▁- ▁drums ▁Ed ▁Br ady ▁- ▁guitar ▁Glen ▁Turner ▁- ▁key boards ▁Carl ▁Corn well ▁ ▁- ▁ten or ▁sa x oph one ▁( tra cks ▁ 2 , ▁ 3 , ▁ 7 ) ▁Ron ▁H ollow ay ▁- ▁ten or ▁sa x oph one ▁Ken ny ▁She ff ield ▁- ▁tr ump et ▁Larry ▁Mc Donald ▁- ▁per cussion ▁" High ▁Note " ▁Harry ▁Kim ▁- ▁tr ump et ▁on ▁" W ashington ▁D . C ." ▁Mal col m ▁Cec il ▁- ▁horn ▁arrangement ▁on ▁" F ast ▁Lane " ▁ ▁Techn ical ▁personnel ▁Mal col m ▁Cec il ▁- ▁engineer , ▁co - produ cer ▁Alan ▁Douglas ▁- ▁second ▁engineer ▁Richard ▁Mann ering ▁ ▁- ▁second ▁engineer ▁Den is ▁Her on ▁- ▁coordin ator , ▁production ▁assistant ▁Bob ▁Car b oni ▁- ▁master ing ▁D onn ▁D aven port ▁- ▁art work ▁John