African Rhythms 1970-1982 (3LP)


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Format: 3LP
Label: Strut Records
Year: 2020

Media Condition: New
Sleeve/Cover Condition: New

TRACKS:

A1 Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms (Album Version)
A2 Oneness Of Juju - Follow Me
A3 Oneness Of Juju - Nooky

B1 Oneness Of Juju - River Luv Rite
B2 Roach Om - No Name # III / Love Is... / My Nigger & Me
B3 Juju - Nairobi / Chants

C1 Oneness Of Juju - Chants / Don't Give Up
C2 Oneness Of Juju - Be About The Future
C3 Juju & The Space Rangers - Got To Be Right On It (Original 45 Version)

D1 Oneness Of Juju - Space Jungle Funk
D2 Oneness Of Juju - West Wind (Previously Unreleased)

E1 Juju & The Space Rangers - Plastic (Original 45 Version)
E2 Plunky & Oneness Of Juju - Every Way But Loose

F1 Oneness Of Juju - Bootsie's Lament (Unreleased Version)
F2 Juju - The End Of The Butterfly

PERSONNEL:

Balafon, Vocals – Babatunde Michael Lea
Bass, Electric Bass, Flute [Wood Flute] – Ken Shabala
Congas – Rafael Solano
Congas, Berimbau – Simbo
Congas, Drums – Babatunde Michael Lea
Congas, Percussion – Richard Dick Watkins
Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Pedie Maples
Percussion, Vocals – Okyerema Asante
Drums – Andrea Thomas, Ronnie Toler
Drums, Congas, Timbales – Kevin Davis
Drums, Percussion – Tony Green
Electric Bass, Percussion, Vocals – Muzi Branch
Electric Piano, Clavinet, Percussion, Vocals – Al Hammel Rasul
Flute – Bilal Sunni-Ali
Flute, Piccolo Flute – Lon Moshe
Guitar – Ras Mel Melvin Glover Jr.
Keyboards – Nat Lee
Marimba – Lon Moshe
Percussion – Babatunde Michael Lea
Piano – Al Hammel Rasul, Brian Jackson, Joe Bonner
Piano, Clavinet – William "Bill" Joyner
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Organ – Weldon Hill
Piano, Synthesizer – Timothy Hall
Rhythm Guitar – Marcus Macklin
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Branch
Timbales – Alfredo Mojica
Timbales, Shekere – Jalango Ngoma
Vibraphone – Lon Moshe
Violin – Sister Tee
Vocals – Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis, Judy Spears, Veronica "Nilaja" Jones, Virtania "Cookie" Tillery

Strut present a comprehensive 3LP compilation of the seminal Oneness Of Juju, led by Plunky J. Branch.

“I saw myself as a cultural warrior,” explains Plunky. “We studied about Africa and tried to infuse our music with an African spirit.” Moving back to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia during the mid-‘70s, Plunky drew in a superb new group of musicians and vocalists and created the band’s new incarnation, Oneness Of Juju, retaining the African influence but fusing his sound with funk and R’n’B on the classic ‘African Rhythms’ album.

“We realised that, if we put a backbeat to the Afro-Cuban rhythms, people in Richmond and Washington D.C. could be drawn into it; it didn't change anything about our message.” The change would lead to a series of enduring soul-jazz classics on Jimmy Gray’s Black Fire label, including ‘River Luv Rite’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ and their biggest crossover international hit, ‘Every Way But Loose’ in 1982.

The band received renewed interest in their music during the mid-‘80s as Washington D.C.’s go-go innovators cited the band as a major influence and rare groove DJs revived their albums for London dancefloors.

‘African Rhythms 1970-1982’ features a 12” sized 4pp booklet featuring rare photos and a comprehensive interview with Plunky Branch within liner notes by Chris Menist.

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