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PMG 071LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Murphy Williams's She Is My Woman, originally released in 1981. "She Is My Woman is Murphy William's loose, funky and spontaneous call to the dance floor. It's an infectious collection of good-time tunes that the band seem to be enjoying as much as the listener. Williams was a stalwart of the Nigerian music scene, joining Godwin Omabuwa's Cassanova Dandies at 17 before becoming one of the two lead vocalists of The Apostles from Aba. He was famous for his distinctive four-octave voice, a voice that legendary label boss, Godwin Tabansi decided was perfectly suited to the new disco sound that was gripping Nigeria. The title track gets the party started with Felix Liberty providing the good-time guitar riffs, Friday Pozzo on congas and Sonny Enang keeping it light on keyboards. The vibe is tight and bright, breathy a breezy charm into disc-tied versions of Igbo folk songs "Selense" and "Ima Obi O". The undoubted highlight of the album is "Get On Up", a certifiable disco classic that would slay any dancefloor anywhere in the world. It's funky, it's fun and by the time the lyrics implore the listener to get on up and dance their feet have already been convinced by the music. Put it on and it's guaranteed to get any party started." --Peter Moore
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PMG 071CD
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PMG present a reissue of Murphy Williams's She Is My Woman, originally released in 1981. "She Is My Woman is Murphy William's loose, funky and spontaneous call to the dance floor. It's an infectious collection of good-time tunes that the band seem to be enjoying as much as the listener. Williams was a stalwart of the Nigerian music scene, joining Godwin Omabuwa's Cassanova Dandies at 17 before becoming one of the two lead vocalists of The Apostles from Aba. He was famous for his distinctive four-octave voice, a voice that legendary label boss, Godwin Tabansi decided was perfectly suited to the new disco sound that was gripping Nigeria. The title track gets the party started with Felix Liberty providing the good-time guitar riffs, Friday Pozzo on congas and Sonny Enang keeping it light on keyboards. The vibe is tight and bright, breathy a breezy charm into disc-tied versions of Igbo folk songs "Selense" and "Ima Obi O". The undoubted highlight of the album is "Get On Up", a certifiable disco classic that would slay any dancefloor anywhere in the world. It's funky, it's fun and by the time the lyrics implore the listener to get on up and dance their feet have already been convinced by the music. Put it on and it's guaranteed to get any party started." --Peter Moore
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PMG 085LP
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PMG present a reissue of The Apostles' Banko Woman, originally released in 1977. "Heaven sent from Nigeria's tumultuous east, The Apostles have been preaching a particular blend of funky psychedelic soul/rock fusion for over forty years. On Banko Woman they threw a little Afrobeat into the mix, creating an Afro-funk disco bomb that has been energizing dance floors ever since. The title track finds the band at the height of their powers. Stung by the acclaim Felix 'Feladay' Odey got for the searing guitar lead on 'Never Too Late', Walton Arungwa is a man possessed, trading licks with keyboardist Benjamin Nnamdi Davidson and sounding all the world like a Nigerian Carlos Santana. The players in the rhythm section, Henry Asu Tandu, Chicago Nwoha and Harrison Mba, are tight and relentless, keeping their heads so everyone else can lose theirs. Of course, you don't stay successful as long as The Apostles without giving the audience what they want. On Banko Woman, that's a country song for mum and dad ('Mr Too Know') and a couple of earnest, plaintive tracks for emotional challenged chaps to dedicate to their girlfriends ('Yours Sincerely' and 'Friend Today, Enemy Tomorrow'). You also finish on a high. 'Disciple Funk' is almost a religious experience, an eight-minute long instrumental wig that will have you flipping the record back to side one and starting all over again." --Peter Moore
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PMG 072LP
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PMG present a reissue of Burnis's Light My Fire, originally released in 1983. "Search the name 'Burnis Moleme' and the returns are sparse. You'll discover that his track 'Where Is The Answer' appeared on Soundway's excellent Nigerian disco compilation, Doin' It In Lagos. And there are a few entries about this PMG reissue of Light My Fire. But other than that, he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. He's not even a minister of religion, the career path most Nigerian stars from the '80s chose to follow. Thankfully, we still have Light My Fire. Produced by former Funkee Jake Sollo and backed by a hot team of session musos including Friday Pozo, Nkono Teles and Joseph 'Jojo' Kuo, Burnis delivered a slab of slick Afro disco boogie for the ages. 'Boju Boju' and 'Where Is The Answer' would start a party on any dance floor, while the title track would keep you on it until dawn. Burnis had a sensitive side too, showcased on tracks like 'Scott Angel' and 'No Place To Hide'. I suspect Burnis Moleme was simply a casualty of the Nigerian label wars between EMI, Phondisk and Tabansi in the early '80s. Tabansi hoped that Burnis might be the next Kris Okotie, but Felix Liberty took that mantle instead. But that does take away from what Light My Fire is -- a beautifully produced slice of Nigerian disco boogie by a guy who could write catchy songs, sing like a sex god and look good in a shiny purple suit." --Peter Moore
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PMG 093LP
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PMG present a reissue of Joe Moks's Boys And Girls, originally released in 1979. "Calling all students of late '70s Nigerian boogie. Class is in and you're about to get schooled by music professor Josephine Mokwunyei, aka Joe Moks. Spotted by legendary producer, Odion Iruoje, and nurtured by his protege, Alex Tony Okoroji, Joe Moks pioneered a wonky, hi-tech style of funk that would become the sound of '80s Nigeria. Her album Boys And Girls is brash, bouncy and fun, decorated by scatty synth lines and propelled by the 'magic hand claps' of Nigerian rhythm legends Steve Black, Goddy Igidigi and Ifi Okwechime. The title track and 'You Look Without Seeing' are spaced-out party starters. 'Closer Than Skin' boasts a super slinky bass line and 'Love Is Gonna Pay' is a slice of Boney M Euro pop. And, just beneath the froth, strong intelligent lyrics demanding respect and equality. 'Being In Love Is Being Involved' was the blueprint of new kind of relationship Nigerian women were looking for. Joe Moks only made one album. She made a few appearances on Victor Uwaifo's TV show before becoming a professor of Music and Theatre Arts at the University of Benin. But forty years on, Boys And Girls remains a lesson in fun and intelligent Nigerian boogie." --Peter Moore
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PMG 068LP
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PMG present a reissue of Foundars 15's Co-Operation, originally released in 1977. "After years of gigging around the east Nigerian music scene, Foundars 15 finally hit the jackpot when they recruited legendary bass player, Marshall Udo. Charismatic and confident, Udo immediately energized the band, bringing a new funky and psychedelic vibe as well as a bunch of songs he'd workshopped with the Funkees. The tone of the album is set early. Nek Adirika's searing guitar lick announces 'We Are On The Move', a track that is both funky and determined. 'Co-Operation' is a horn-driven slab of ghetto funk. 'Cool And Good (For Loving)' is a psychedelic wig-out. 'Work To Success' could well be the new-look Foundars 15 manifesto set to music. While Marshall Udo was undoubtedly the catalyst, Co-Operation is very much a group effort. Udo, Sony Enang, Nek Adirika and Ike Peters each provide songs and the musicianship of each player is impeccable. Every track is super-tight and sophisticated. This is the sound of a band that means business. It's also why Co-Operation is widely regarded as one of the great Afro-funk rock albums of all time." --Peter Moore
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PMG 070LP
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PMG present a reissue of Danny Offia's Funk With Me, originally released in 1981. "Danny Offia's Funk With Me is a prime slab of Nigerian boogie. Sinewy and urbane, it's the soundtrack of Lagos in the early eighties. The city was awash with oil money, clubs were booming and every night was a party night -- the perfect place for a man with a great voice, a white suit and seductively-clutched packet of B&H Golds. Funk With Me was recorded in London with a crack team of session musicians. Drummer Blair Cunningham was from Memphis and had played with Robert Johnson. Sax player Ray Carless was regarded as the London jazz scene's best-kept secret. Engineer Duncan Bridgeman would go on to work with Duran Duran. Danny Offia brought the songs and the Lagos attitude. 'Funk With Me' is a certified party starter. '10 Years In Love' and 'Weak For You' are sophisticated groovers. 'Sat,Nite (Is A Party Nite)' is guaranteed to get any girl on the dancefloor, while 'Don't Make Me Cry' is smooth enough take her home. Funk With Me is Lagos in an album -- cosmopolitan, sexy and witty with an energy and spirit, all of its own." --Peter Moore
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PMG 069LP
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PMG present a reissue of Goldfinger Doe & B.M.S.'s Let's Dance Together, originally released in 1979. "William Onyeabor wasn't the only Nigerian experimenting with synthesizers in the '70s and '80s. Goldfinger Doe was twiddling knobs too, no more so than on Let's Dance Together -- a prime slab of cosmic Afro boogie funk, recorded with legendary percussionist, Mike Umoh (aka B.M.S.) Goldfinger met Umoh playing with Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies. Bass player Bashiru Musa, was a fellow Groovie too, and when the three hit the studio to record Let's Dance Together, the groove was already tight and hot. The title track, 'Let's Dance Together', is an urgent boogie monster, peppered with cosmic synths. 'Funky Africa' is an irresistible floor-filler, driven by the 'funk in the black soil and the soul in the air.' 'Jah Help Us' is a reggae-tinged reworking of the Lord's Prayer, with added squelchy synth. 'B.M.S. Bowl'? It's just an excuse for Umoh to show off his preposterous percussive skills. Goldfinger's extraordinary synth skills are always front and center. They transform 'Jane', providing a humorous commentary in an otherwise straightforward romantic lament, and propel the funkier tracks to become the heartbeat of the album. Let's Dance Together is an Afro funk space ship, fueled up and ready to take off." --Peter Moore
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PMG 057LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Mansion's Devil Woman, originally released in 1976. "The eastern Nigerian city of Calabar in Cross River State was colloquially known as Canaan City -- a place of lush landscapes, alluring women and delicious cooking. When the Biafra War ended it became a land of milk and honey for bands as well, with jumping venues like the Taj Mahal and Luna Nite Club and a label called Clover, set up local entrepreneur Ben Okonkwo, releasing albums by bands like The Doves, The Visitors, Aktion and The Apostles. The youngest band on the Clover roster was Mansion, a teenage highlife group, led by singer and bassist John 'Holy Mountain' Ebiong. Okonkwo decked them out in flares, repackaged them as a funk band and put them in the studio with EMI super-producer, Kayode Salami. The result was Devil Woman, an astoundingly assured funk/rock album. The title track revels in a '60s psychedelic vibe. 'The Love Song' is a direct appeal to teenage hearts. 'Heaven Is Here On Earth' has an irresistible shuffling groove while 'You Can't Stop Us' is what James Brown would have sounded like if he'd been born in the Cross River State. Devil Woman is an album designed to set young hearts aflutter and draw approving nods from seasoned musicians. It succeeds in both." --Peter Moore
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PMG 090CD
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PMG present a reissue of Segun Bucknor's self-titled album, originally released in 1975. "Segun Bucknor fell in love with American soul music as a student at New York's Columbia University. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles hadn't made much of a splash in Africa at the time and when Bucknor returned to Nigeria in 1968, he was determined to bring the sound to a wider audience. The result was brand of Afro-Soul that in turn became a proto-type of Afrobeat. With his bands, The Assembly and The Revolution, he released a few politically charged tracks, but even with his energetic dance trio, The Sweet Things, turning up the heat, Bucknor couldn't compete with Fela Kuti. This self-titled album, the last he released, sees Bucknor go back to his soul roots. Released after The Revolution were disbanded, the Afrobeat affectations are scaled back and his soulful voice brought to the fore. The concerns are more personal than political. It's the sort of music the Sweet Things would nod their heads to rather than shake their booty. That's not to say the African beats aren't still there. On songs like 'The Price Of Love' and 'See And Believe' they form an intriguing bedrock for the songs to be built upon. On Segun Bucknor, the sound is sophisticated not sweaty, comforting rather than confronting." --Peter Moore
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PMG 090LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Segun Bucknor's self-titled album, originally released in 1975. "Segun Bucknor fell in love with American soul music as a student at New York's Columbia University. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles hadn't made much of a splash in Africa at the time and when Bucknor returned to Nigeria in 1968, he was determined to bring the sound to a wider audience. The result was brand of Afro-Soul that in turn became a proto-type of Afrobeat. With his bands, The Assembly and The Revolution, he released a few politically charged tracks, but even with his energetic dance trio, The Sweet Things, turning up the heat, Bucknor couldn't compete with Fela Kuti. This self-titled album, the last he released, sees Bucknor go back to his soul roots. Released after The Revolution were disbanded, the Afrobeat affectations are scaled back and his soulful voice brought to the fore. The concerns are more personal than political. It's the sort of music the Sweet Things would nod their heads to rather than shake their booty. That's not to say the African beats aren't still there. On songs like 'The Price Of Love' and 'See And Believe' they form an intriguing bedrock for the songs to be built upon. On Segun Bucknor, the sound is sophisticated not sweaty, comforting rather than confronting." --Peter Moore
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2LP
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PMG 5702485LP
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The acoustic debut album Udopeia created by the band Pilots On Dope was issued by the Verve label in June 2014. The sound has its roots in Brazil's broad-ranging musical traditions, including bossa, samba and Afro Brazil, and evokes the golden age of the '60s. Consequently, the album went on to serve as the starting point for well-known mixers from the Pilots On Dope milieu. Taking this development to a second stage, Udopeia - The Remixes is aimed at an audience accustomed to electronic beats but also with an interest in musical reflexes and retro influences. The remix album cleverly covers this musical spectrum, from exotic Latin sounds through to contemporary electronic remix culture. The Vienna electronic movement, popular in the nineties, was a counterpart to the nu jazz movement which was emerging in Germany at the same time, which was strongly influenced by offshoots of acid jazz. During the epoch-making close of the long-lasting acid jazz trend, a series of producers became established in Germany and England, drawing on elements of Latin, Brazil, easy listening, jazz and soul, and created a veritable boom which went on to influence and inspire producers in Italy and France. Their Austrian equivalent was certainly the Vienna electronic movement which triggered a literal downbeat cult, creating a distinctive genre with its striking funk riffs. Sampling, a by-product of hip hop, was certainly a key element in the resounding success of Kruder & Dorfmeister, the pioneers of Vienna electronic. Despite the reduced tempo, this trend would conquer the dancefloor, generating its own identity and a musical code - light and raunchy, underpinned with an atmospheric soundscape, and overlaid with a pulsing rhythm in the heartbeat of flickering sound densities. The remix project brings together a wide range of producers who made history with Vienna electronic, in particular past master Richard Dorfmeister and artists from his G-Stone label including Stereotyp, Makossa & Megablast, and Gü-Mix. They are joined by fellow remixers such as Shanti Roots and the Pilots' Gerald Tomez (Vienna Scientists) and Gerhard Gigler (DJ Bunani). The newcomers Shantisan, Ksawa, and Corrado Bucci from Brescia, bring with them promising credentials and refreshing contributions. Enriched with further remixes by well-known producers including Rainer Trüby (Freiburg), Farrapo (Bologna), and Trotter (São Paolo), the result is a magnificent cross-section of remixes which have found their ideal home on the ultimate Verve label. Edition of 500.
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PMG 054LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Kiki Gyan's Feelin' Alright, originally released in 1983. "Kiki Gyan's star didn't burn long, but it burned bright. Drafted into the Afro funk super group, Osibisa, at 15, he was millionaire by 18 and regarded as one of the best keyboardists in the world by 21. 'Life was good, man,' he told journalist Kweku Sakyi-Addo. 'Too good!'. In 1983 he dived head first into the New York party scene. He took a lot of drugs, spent a lot of time in clubs and got together a team of crack local musicians to record Feelin' Alright, his third and final solo album. All the Kiki Gyan trademark elements are present and correct. The album is a unique blend of highlife music with electronic funk and disco. 'Rosemary' follows the formula most closely and was a hit across Nigeria and Ghana. But on 'Give It To Me', 'Love To Love You' and the title track, you'll hear a slicker, boogie-influenced sound that has made Feelin' Alright one of his most sought-after albums. Kiki Gyan would never hit such heights again. His addictions eventually took hold and he died aged 47, destitute and alone. Feelin' Alright remains one of the brightest stars in his extraordinary constellation." --Peter Moore
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PMG 066CD
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PMG present a reissue of Heads Funk's (Heads Funk Band) Cold Fire, originally released in 1976. "The self-proclaimed funkiest band on the west coast of Africa, the Heads Funk Band, could arguably make that claim for the whole continent. Featuring the slick guitar of Felix 'Feladey' Odey, the slinky drumming of Eddie Offeyi and the swirling keyboard chops of Kevin 'Fortune' Coburn, nobody was funkier. And that's not even taking into account the dance floor monsters they were releasing at the same time as Akwassa. Cold Fire was their second album as the Heads Funk Band. Where their first album, Hard World (PMG 013CD/LP), was in a hurry to get you on the dance floor, on Cold Fire the funk is given room to breathe. The title track has a dark ghetto groove, straight from the mean streets of New York. 'Got To Know' has a loose, feel good vibe. 'Put On Your Funky Shoes' and the instrumental, 'Funky Port Harcourt' live up to their names. With Feladey laying down a hybrid chicken scratch/wah-wah sound over Eddie Offeyi's assured drumming, and 'Fortune' Coburn supplying the free-range keyboards, this is a band at the height of their powers. Cold Fire is killer stuff and proof that in the mid-seventies Nigeria was producing the funkiest bands in the world." --Peter Moore
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PMG 056LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Emma Dorgu's Roverman, originally released in 1979. "In 1979, Emma Dorgu decided it was time to act. He'd torn up the Lagos live scene with The Thermometers and conquered the airwaves with the single, 'World People'. But there were injustices afoot, not just in Nigeria, but in South Africa and Zimbabwe and across the continent as well, and he felt that something needed to be done. Roverman was his politicized call to action. Blackman Akeeb Kareem lent him the instruments and let him rehearse in his sitting room. Dorgu sets his stall out early in the reggae-tinged 'Free My People' calling for freedom for South Africa, freedom for Zimbabwe, indeed, freedom for all. Thankfully political injustice hadn't rid Emma completely of his urge to get on down. The New York ghetto funk of 'Roverman' and 'Loving' and the straight-head boogie of 'Afro Fever' leaven the message with a funky beat and an irresistible pull towards the dancefloor. On Roverman, Emma Dorgu has achieved that rarest of feats, an album that challenges your mind while it speaks to your feet. Protest music has never sounded so funky." --Peter Moore
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PMG 067CD
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PMG present a reissue of Masisi Mass Funk's I Want You Girl, originally released in 1979. "In mid-seventies, Nigerian bands came and went with alarming regularity, rising meteorically from the slums to stardom and falling back again just as quickly. Masisi Mass Funk from Anamara State was one such band. But during their brief moment in the stratosphere, they produced a funk gem in I Want You Girl. The band was championed by Ebere Ikoro from the Hygrades. He took them under his wing after an ill-advised collaboration with Soly Dibong. They were originators not imitators, he said. He produced I Want You Girl and played on it as well. It's easy to see what appealed to Ebere Ikoro. The title track has a Manfred Mann sixties vibe. 'Care To Love Me' is a wonky, off-kilter reggae calypso number. And 'Ungrateful People' bounces along with a Sly And The Family Stone chirpiness. However, it's the gospel numbers that really stand out. 'Heavenly Father' rocks out with strident keyboards and plaintive vocals. And the relentless 'He Is To Be Praised' is an Afro-funk-rock-gospel monster, guaranteed to raise your eyes to heaven while keeping your feet firmly planted on the dance floor. Sadly, Masisi Mass Funk only released one album, their star burning as quickly as it did brightly. They went on to form First Planet, an Afro boogie band that tore up Lagos dancefloors in the '80s. But that's another story for another day." --Peter Moore
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PMG 065LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of OFO The Rock Company's Live In Europe - Fonk Afrika, originally released in 1978. "OFO The Rock Company (originally known as OFO The Back Company) were Nigeria's first acid-rock band. Blending Hendrix and Deep Purple with shamanism and a pro-black philosophy, they cut their teeth at Fela Kuti's Afrika Shrine, developing a fearsome live reputation that intimidated every other band in Lagos. No one wanted to follow the guys from OFO, not even Fela himself. Led by the charismatic Larry Ifedioranma, OFO The Rock Company considered themselves a musical cult. Their live shows were a heady mix of mind-melting musicianship, mysticism and theatre. In 1973 the band tour Europe and Fonk Afrika gathers together the best of those performances. The moments captured range from small intimate gigs in London, where you can hear the conversation amongst the crowd, to an astonishing gig in East Germany where they played before 900,000 people. The undoubted highlight is the extended prog-rock wig out of 'Ayaya,' recorded at the Berlin gig, before an obviously delighted crowd. See if you can pick out the moment where the band were joined on stage by a long-haired hippy who insisted on playing guitar. They didn't realize it at the time but it was Carlos Santana. It was in Europe that the band fell apart, riven in two by Ifedioranma's increasingly autocratic rule. Fonk Africa remains as a precious testament to what the band did best -- playing loud and proud and putting on a show you would never forget." --Peter Moore
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PMG 064LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Adolf Ahanotu's Sensation, originally released in 1986. "At a time when bandleaders in Nigeria used titles as an affectation, Dr. Adolf Ahanotu was the real deal. He had a PhD in music compilation and Master's degrees in education and communication. He also played a mean tenor sax, an instrument he mastered touring Owerri with the Mirabels. Ahanotu's scholarly background is apparent in the impeccable arrangements and the way each track is labelled with its musical type. The banging opening track, 'Sensation' is disco, notes the helpful doctor. The legendary 'Ijere' is to be considered Remire or Afro Jazz. 'Litany Of Freedom' is reggae, 'Cupid' is rock and 'Tropical Moonlight' classified as the blues. The mandatory ode to the nation, 'Happy Nigeria', is labelled as calypso. But these are not dry, scholarly pieces. 'Sensation' reeks of dance floor freakiness not the hallowed halls of academia. And listen to the pitch bend craziness on 'Injere'. Sure, Dr. Ahanotu had studied the rules. But he wasn't afraid to break them. From the freaked-out opening seconds of the title track you are left in no doubt: The doctor is in the house. Mastered and produced by Goddy Oku." --Peter Moore
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PMG 057CD
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PMG present a reissue of Mansion's Devil Woman, originally released in 1976. "The eastern Nigerian city of Calabar in Cross River State was colloquially known as Canaan City -- a place of lush landscapes, alluring women and delicious cooking. When the Biafra War ended it became a land of milk and honey for bands as well, with jumping venues like the Taj Mahal and Luna Nite Club and a label called Clover, set up local entrepreneur Ben Okonkwo, releasing albums by bands like The Doves, The Visitors, Aktion and The Apostles. The youngest band on the Clover roster was Mansion, a teenage highlife group, led by singer and bassist John 'Holy Mountain' Ebiong. Okonkwo decked them out in flares, repackaged them as a funk band and put them in the studio with EMI super-producer, Kayode Salami. The result was Devil Woman, an astoundingly assured funk/rock album. The title track revels in a '60s psychedelic vibe. 'The Love Song' is a direct appeal to teenage hearts. 'Heaven Is Here On Earth' has an irresistible shuffling groove while 'You Can't Stop Us' is what James Brown would have sounded like if he'd been born in the Cross River State. Devil Woman is an album designed to set young hearts aflutter and draw approving nods from seasoned musicians. It succeeds in both." --Peter Moore
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PMG 065CD
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PMG present a reissue of OFO The Rock Company's Live In Europe - Fonk Afrika, originally released in 1978. "OFO The Rock Company (originally known as OFO The Back Company) were Nigeria's first acid-rock band. Blending Hendrix and Deep Purple with shamanism and a pro-black philosophy, they cut their teeth at Fela Kuti's Afrika Shrine, developing a fearsome live reputation that intimidated every other band in Lagos. No one wanted to follow the guys from OFO, not even Fela himself. Led by the charismatic Larry Ifedioranma, OFO The Rock Company considered themselves a musical cult. Their live shows were a heady mix of mind-melting musicianship, mysticism and theatre. In 1973 the band tour Europe and Fonk Afrika gathers together the best of those performances. The moments captured range from small intimate gigs in London, where you can hear the conversation amongst the crowd, to an astonishing gig in East Germany where they played before 900,000 people. The undoubted highlight is the extended prog-rock wig out of 'Ayaya,' recorded at the Berlin gig, before an obviously delighted crowd. See if you can pick out the moment where the band were joined on stage by a long-haired hippy who insisted on playing guitar. They didn't realize it at the time but it was Carlos Santana. It was in Europe that the band fell apart, riven in two by Ifedioranma's increasingly autocratic rule. Fonk Africa remains as a precious testament to what the band did best -- playing loud and proud and putting on a show you would never forget." --Peter Moore
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PMG 064CD
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PMG present a reissue of Adolf Ahanotu's Sensation, originally released in 1986. "At a time when bandleaders in Nigeria used titles as an affectation, Dr. Adolf Ahanotu was the real deal. He had a PhD in music compilation and Master's degrees in education and communication. He also played a mean tenor sax, an instrument he mastered touring Owerri with the Mirabels. Ahanotu's scholarly background is apparent in the impeccable arrangements and the way each track is labelled with its musical type. The banging opening track, 'Sensation' is disco, notes the helpful doctor. The legendary 'Ijere' is to be considered Remire or Afro Jazz. 'Litany Of Freedom' is reggae, 'Cupid' is rock and 'Tropical Moonlight' classified as the blues. The mandatory ode to the nation, 'Happy Nigeria', is labelled as calypso. But these are not dry, scholarly pieces. 'Sensation' reeks of dance floor freakiness not the hallowed halls of academia. And listen to the pitch bend craziness on 'Injere'. Sure, Dr. Ahanotu had studied the rules. But he wasn't afraid to break them. From the freaked-out opening seconds of the title track you are left in no doubt: The doctor is in the house. Mastered and produced by Goddy Oku." --Peter Moore
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LP
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PMG 055LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Tony Igiettemo's Hot Like Fire, originally released in 1980. "Leaning against a wall, his shirt unbuttoned to his navel and cradling a tumbler of something strong and sophisticated, Tony Igiettemo looks every bit the smooth talking '80s gent. When you put Hot Like Fire on the turntable and drop the needle, however, it is immediately clear that Smooth Tony is also a little bit freaky. Sirens, slap bass, squelchy synths and a titchy high hat that just won't give up, Hot Like Fire is a cosmic call from a dancefloor on the far side of the universe. Produced by John Malife - the go-to man in Nigeria when you wanted your funk freaky - it's driven by a heavy low end that compels you to move. 'Baby You Can Do It' is Boney M's 'Daddy Cool' via a sweaty Nigerian dancefloor. 'I Feel So Good' has a Kool & The Gang vibe, albeit with a freaky, warbling synth. And 'Hot Like Fire' is a strange reggae/funk fusion, fueled by the righteous herb. 'We Are One' and 'Africa Must Unite', meanwhile, are post-disco, reggae-tinged calls for African Unity. 'Rock Your Baby' is the album's most relentless dancefloor banger and sums up its ethos best. Clap your hands everybody and get down on it. Tony Igiettomo is here to make your body move." --Peter Moore
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CD
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PMG 053CD
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PMG present a reissue of Manford Best's Come Go With Me, originally released in 1978. "With the Super Wings in mutiny and a trail for the manslaughter of his former bandmate, Spuds Nathan, still hanging over his head, Manford Best came out swinging with Come Go With Me. It's a chirpy, calypso-influenced insight into the state of his mind and his first solo album. Recorded at Godiac Studios with the guys from Rock Town Express and a few of the Super Wings, Come Go With Me was the first album recorded on a new Tascam system that Goddy Oku had just bought back from London. The sound is crisp, clean and bright, perfectly suited to tracks like 'Come Go With Me' and 'Good Morning' and a welcome respite to the darker lyrics on 'Nobody Cares' and 'Far Far Far Away.' One of the stranger cuts is 'There's a Woman On My Mind (Mother)'. Manford regarded his mother as something of prophetess and would act instantly and without hesitation on the revelations in her 'dreams'. Come Go With Me was self-financed and released on Manford Best's own MacSeries Records label. Only 1,000 copies were pressed and he distributed them from the back of a Toyota van himself. A rare Afro gem, deserving of its place in the sun again." --Peter Moore
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PMG 053LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Manford Best's Come Go With Me, originally released in 1978. "With the Super Wings in mutiny and a trail for the manslaughter of his former bandmate, Spuds Nathan, still hanging over his head, Manford Best came out swinging with Come Go With Me. It's a chirpy, calypso-influenced insight into the state of his mind and his first solo album. Recorded at Godiac Studios with the guys from Rock Town Express and a few of the Super Wings, Come Go With Me was the first album recorded on a new Tascam system that Goddy Oku had just bought back from London. The sound is crisp, clean and bright, perfectly suited to tracks like 'Come Go With Me' and 'Good Morning' and a welcome respite to the darker lyrics on 'Nobody Cares' and 'Far Far Far Away.' One of the stranger cuts is 'There's a Woman On My Mind (Mother)'. Manford regarded his mother as something of prophetess and would act instantly and without hesitation on the revelations in her 'dreams'. Come Go With Me was self-financed and released on Manford Best's own MacSeries Records label. Only 1,000 copies were pressed and he distributed them from the back of a Toyota van himself. A rare Afro gem, deserving of its place in the sun again." --Peter Moore
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PMG 066LP
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LP version. PMG present a reissue of Heads Funk's (Heads Funk Band) Cold Fire, originally released in 1976. "The self-proclaimed funkiest band on the west coast of Africa, the Heads Funk Band, could arguably make that claim for the whole continent. Featuring the slick guitar of Felix 'Feladey' Odey, the slinky drumming of Eddie Offeyi and the swirling keyboard chops of Kevin 'Fortune' Coburn, nobody was funkier. And that's not even taking into account the dance floor monsters they were releasing at the same time as Akwassa. Cold Fire was their second album as the Heads Funk Band. Where their first album, Hard World (PMG 013CD/LP), was in a hurry to get you on the dance floor, on Cold Fire the funk is given room to breathe. The title track has a dark ghetto groove, straight from the mean streets of New York. 'Got To Know' has a loose, feel good vibe. 'Put On Your Funky Shoes' and the instrumental, 'Funky Port Harcourt' live up to their names. With Feladey laying down a hybrid chicken scratch/wah-wah sound over Eddie Offeyi's assured drumming, and 'Fortune' Coburn supplying the free-range keyboards, this is a band at the height of their powers. Cold Fire is killer stuff and proof that in the mid-seventies Nigeria was producing the funkiest bands in the world." --Peter Moore
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