Osibisa - Sunshine Day - The Pye/Bronze Anthology (1999)
Remastered Anthology of the 70s Afro-Funk act who virtually invented World Music.
Contains three complete albums (recorded for Bronze and Pye), plus non-album rarities, including hits like 'Sunshine Day' and 'Dance The Body Music'.
Colourful foldout booklet.
This CD issued on Sequel Records NEECD 313, in 1999. Sequel Records is a division of Castle Music Ltd.
[quote=Terrapin Music]Contains the Welcome Home, Ojah Awake, and Mystic Energy albums on a double CD set. This has been tastefully put together (apart from the appalling use of the 'Welcome Home' cover - why could Sequel not dream up a different cover ! This is a bit confusing to the buyer.) Features extensive sleeve notes and nice booklet. Sequel - NEECD 313. The individual albums (remastered with bonus tracks) are better, however this is a good 'middle years' collection.[/quote]
[b][size=5][color=Blue]Osibisa - Welcome Home (1975)[/color][/size][/b]
LP Releases:
1975 Bronze ILPS 9355
1977 Antilles 9355
1990 Antilles 7051
1990 Mango 7051
CD Releases:
1995 CD Aim 1055
2003 CD Aim 1055
Red Steel Remaster RMC CD 0208
Tracks:
Disc 1
1. Sunshine Day 4:55
2. Welcome Home 4:14
3. Densu-Trad 5:21
4. Chooboi (Heave Ho) 5:06
5. Do It (Like It Is) 4:22
6. Right Now 3:08
7. Seaside Mediation 5:13
8. Uhuru 3:25
9. Kolomashie-Trad 4:33
Non-album track:
10. Bum To Bum 5:41
Line-up:
Teddy Osei, Mac Tontoh, Sol Amarfio, Wendell Richardson, Kofi Ayivor, Mike Odumoso, Kiki Gyan
All tracks arranged, performed and directed by Osibisa
Recorded at the Roundhouse Recording Studios, London 1975
[quoet=AMG]Osibisa are not referred to often these days when historians look back at the evolution of world music. But they were quite prolific progenitors of the form in the 1970s, as this mid-'70s album marked their seventh LP in about five years. For listeners at the time who were unfamiliar with African popular music (and, to a large degree, for listeners of every era), Santana served as an inevitable comparison. With their fusion of African beats and funk-R&B-rock, Welcome Home could often sound like early-'70s Santana without the emphasis on psychedelic guitar, and without nearly as much blues and Latin influence as Santana had. (The Santana-like cover graphics couldn't have helped keep the comparisons at bay, either.) Yet there was quite a bit more in the way of distinctly African rhythms, often making the album sound like something of a link between Santana and the Afrobeat that would become popular in the 1980s. On occasion, the record ventured into slightly poppier territory with a languid cheer that verged on the sappy, though admittedly that approach did give them a U.K. hit with "Sunshine Day." The album nonetheless had plenty of earthier extended grooves that tilted toward more kinetically rhythmic territory, while "Kolomashe-Trad" took things closer to the source with its call-response chant-like vocals. [/quote]
[quote=Progarchives]Recorded in late 1975 and early 1976, Osibisa's seventh album "Welcome home" comes some time after the period which saw them dabble in prog territories. That said, the sound here is not really that different to their early 70's work, but it is generally more accessible and commerical. Prior to recording this album, the band moved from Warner Brothers to the Bronze label, as Bronze managed the band anyway (hence their appearance on Uriah Heep's "Look at yourself").
The opening "Sunshine day" points the way forward, a well known and highly successful single. The funky, simple, repetitive pop may be enjoyable, but it is a million miles from anything you might expect to find on this site.
There is certainly a pleasant, perhaps surprising diversity to the album which strays well away from the Ghanaian roots of the band. "Chooboi (Heave Ho!)" for example has fine harmonies over Chicago like horns and some appealing organ work too. Those Ghanaian influences do however come to the fore regularly. "Densu" is an African fishermen's song which lists all the varieties of fish which can be caught in the river, in the form of an incessant chant.
"Welcome home" is the most surprising track. This soft acoustic piece is almost a ballad, the accomplished vocal performance being sympathetically accompanied by some fine flute.
After a couple of light pop songs, including the Temptations like "Do it (like this)", the closing tracks finally move into slightly more experimental territory. "Uhuru" veers towards jazz/fusion with the band improvising around the main theme. " Seaside - Meditation" too is somewhat more varied than what precedes it, with tribal rhythms and diverse melodies combining well.
It is difficult to evaluate this album for a site such as this. Taken in isolation it is accomplished and diverse, with ethnic chants and rhythms combining well with funk and pop. In terms of prog, there is very little on offer.
You pay your money, and you make your choice. [/quote]
[quote=Progarchives]Recently I've been re-visiting my Osibisa LP's (which I've owned for almost 10 years) and I am pretty pleased with the results - of their first 6 releases I didn't really go for 'W)Yaya' - nice Roger Dean artwork but there's something about the music I didn't 'click' with. I got rid of it. On the other hand, 'Welcome Home' presented a somewhat commercial direction from the band, but I enjoy quite a few tracks....
'Sunshine Day' was apparently a hit single, and they have used a snippet of the song, plugging a local television station over here in Australia. The song itself is rather good, with an excellent electric-piano solo from keyboarder Kiki Gyan, memorable riff and a cool 70's vibe. The title track heads toward a ballad style, but is still an engaging and well arranged track. 'Densu' is a little bit straight-forward, with a 'groovy' vibe present. 'Chooboi (Heave-Ho)' is basically an instrumental melody with some chanting at various points and shows-off the brass instruments - a fairly enjoyable piece of music, even if a little basic.
'Do It (Like it Is)' is more commercial, but without any 'frills', thus rendering it quite an ordinary track. 'Right Now' is very close to the mundane as the previous song was. What comes up next is a great instrumental composition entitled 'Seaside - Meditation', with a great e-piano progression (poly-rhythmic, I think), well organised percussion, great guitar soloing from Dell Richardson, and could be considered as the high-light of this album - shame it wasn't longer. 'Uhuru' strikes me as a rather standard track, and album closer, 'Kolomashie', is another traditional vocal/percussive arrangement, but not as exciting as previous creations. Overall, 'Welcome Home' teeters between the 'Collectors/ Fans only' and the 'Good but inessential' rating. 2.5. [/quote]
[b][size=5][color=Blue]Osibisa - Ojah Awake (1976)[/color][/size][/b]
LP Releases:
1976 Bronze ILPS 9411
1976 Antilles 7058
1990 Mango 7058
2005 Earmark 42061
CD Releases:
1995 CD Aim 1056
2001 CD Aim Trading Group 1056
Red Steel Remaster RMC CD 0209
Tracks:
Disc 1
11. The Coffee Song 3:13
12. The Warrior 3:44
13. Flying Bird 'Anoma' 4:47
14. Cherryfield 4:26
15. Keep On Trying 5:24
16. Hamattan 6:05
17. Sakabo 3:58
Disc 2
1. Dance The Body Music 3:46
2. Ojah Awake 4:52
Non-album track:
3. Sunset 6:26
If you want to re-create to original album, then the original track order on Ojah Awake:
1. The Coffee Song
2. The Warrior
3. Flying Bird 'Anoma'
4. Cherry Field
5. Dance The Body Music
6. Ojah Awake
7. Keep On Trying
8. Hamattan
9. Sakabo
Line-up:
Teddy Osei, Mac Tontoh, Sol Amarfio, Wendell Richardson, Kofi Ayivor, Mike Odumoso, Kiki Gyan
Recorded at the Roundhouse Recording Studios, London 1976
[quote=AMG]Osibisa's eighth album in only five years, 1976's Ojah Awake was the Ghanaian Afro-poppers' commercial high point in their adopted home of Great Britain. Though the band had a strong cult following throughout their career, this big-selling album spawned two big hits: the Brazilian-flavored "The Coffee Song" (a '40s novelty song that had previously been recorded by the Andrews Sisters, Rosemary Clooney, and, improbably, Frank Sinatra) and the disco-tinged groover "Dance the Body Music." As might be imagined, then, this is Osibisa's most slickly commercial record, with Gerry Bron's glossy production smoothing out the free jazz influences that had peeked around the corners of earlier Osibisa gems like Woyaya. (It's telling that as "purer" West African highlife artists like King Sunny Ade started showing up on U.K./U.S. cultural radar, Osibisa's critical reputation plummeted.) That said, in no way does Ojah Awake feel like a sellout move; Teddy Osei and company keep the rock and funk influences as a flavoring, not a main dish, and the exciting, potent highlife of the title track or "The Warrior" is among the group's best work. This is an excellent album for newcomers to Afro-pop, though those already familiar with more challenging artists like Thomas Mapfumo or Fela Kuti might find it a little bland. The AIM CD adds two contemporary single tracks, "Living" and "That's Life," and an alternate take of "The Coffee Song." [/quote]
[quote=Progarchives]Osibisa's second album for the Bronze label saw them moving in an ever more commercial direction. The drive for the change came primarily from the record label, and resulted in this album containing no less than three successful singles.
The opening "Coffee song", which has been recorded by many artists before including Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney(!), is a mildly amusing but untypical (or the band) Caribbean pop song. With lyrics such as "There's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil. no tea or tomato juice..", the frivolity soon becomes obvious. The following "Warrior" is more in line with what might be expected, but is still very much focused on the singles market. The third single "Dance the body Music" is a disposable KC and the Sunshine Band like song, clearly intended for discos.
It's only when we get into the third track, "Flying bird (Anoma)" that we find a song of substance. This relaxed, mellow ballad has smooth written all over it. Muted trumpet and harmonic backing vocals create the lush atmosphere of a George Benson serenade. The highlight of the album though is the Santana inspired "Sakabo" or "Burnt rice" to give it its English language title. This upbeat rhythmic piece features uplifting vocal chants, incisive brass, and some excellent guitar work.
The remaining tracks, including the more traditional title song which has a "West African sing-a-long feel", are by and large orthodox Osibasa songs. They have little relationship with prog, but are fine examples of their own genre.
In all a spirited, sometimes inspired album. Not really one for the prog devotee, but some of the songs are certainly worthy of investigation.[/quote]
[quote=Amazon]Afro and Caribbean rythyms fill the works of Osibisa, aknowledged as a major inspiration for the popularity of world music. From the funny "Coffee Song" to lively danceable "Dance the Body Music," etc., and mellow works this album is one you will want to listen to over and over again. There is also a mystical sound to many of the pieces. People who hear the cd want seem to want a copy of their own.[/quote]
[b][size=5][color=Blue]Osibisa - Mystic Energy (1980)[/color][/size][/b]
LP Releases:
1980 Calibre 1002
1992 Mau Mau 614
CD Releases:
CD Edsel 614
1995 CD Mau Mau 614
Tracks:
Disc 2
4. Meeting Point 5:15
5. Celebration 4:44
6. Africa We Gogo 4:14
7. Oreba (Magic People) 5:16
8. Moving On 5:37
9. Mama (I Will Be Back) 4:02
10. (I Feel) Pata Pata 4:38
11. Fatima/Obinkabimame 6:51
Non-album tracks:
12. Jumbo 3:09
13. Meeting Point (12 Inch Mix) 7:38
14. (I Feel) Pata Pata (12 Inch Mix) 6:48
Line-up:
Teddy Osei, Mac Tontoh, Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Dikoto Mandengue, Ema 'Yawkoba' Rentzos, Roberto Abia
Recorded at Marcus Music Studios 1980, The Roundhouse Studios 1978 and Music Works 1979
[quote=Prograrchives]Having left the Bronze label after recording two albums with them, Osibisa were left without a contract. Since Bronze had steered the band in a more commercial direction for "Welcome home" and "Ojah awake", the band decided to use their new found freedom to create some recordings which were more in tune with their preferred style.
Once completed, they negotiated a deal with Pye records and licensed the tracks to them. The result was "Mystic energy", which was released on the Pye subsidiary label Calibre. (Negotiations with Pye were through the band's management company "Flying elephant", hence the striking image on the album cover).
The resulting album is simultaneously more in tune with the band's earliest work, while also indicating an ongoing desire to remain in touch with the singles market. The most obvious attempt to secure further commercial success is "Celebration", which is a thinly veiled facsimile of their earlier "Sunshine day". "(I feel) Pata Pata" also enjoyed singles success, but the two tracks are not representative of the album as a whole. "Mystic energy" relies much more on the ethnic rhythms of West Africa and the repetitive chants which go along with such music.
The band appear to be enjoying themselves on this album, reverting to a far greater extent to their roots. This gives the album a happy, relaxed feel. From a prog perspective though, there is little on offer here to satisfy the palate. "Mystic energy" finds Osibisa in full retraction mode, getting back to basics and sticking to the knitting.
On a side note, for me "Oreba (mystic people)" is significant as the opening chant is highly reminiscent of the long forgotten single "Sultana" by Titanic.
The CD version of the album was significantly expanded from the original LP, with four additional songs. Of these, "Sunset" is a lilting six minute piece with fine relaxed guitar and a softer rhythmic backing.
In all, not an album for those seeking to find the progressive side of Osibisa. For those who enjoy the purer aspects of the band's Africa roots though, worth a go.[/quote]
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