Cover
|
|
LULU MASILELA
|
|
TRACK LISTING
|
|
ARTISTS
| |
NOTESIn the liner notes of the CD reissue of Ntemi Piliso’s 70s recordings with the Members, Rob Allingham reveals Lulu Masilela’s dismay at first hearing Abdullah Ibrahims’s (aka Dollar Brand) classic 1974 track Mannenburg. For Masilela this South African anthem sounded more like a slowed down version of Zacks Nkosi’s Jackpot recorded at least 10 years prior. Perhaps out of protest, Masilela wanted to re-record the tune and credit it to Nkosi. That same year he approached The Movers and they put together their version of Mannenburg featured on the album Repeat After Me. (1974, City Special, CYL 1029) (1976, Generation , GEN 3007). Ironically David Thekwane, their producer, refused to let them credit the track to Nkosi, but they did have the pleasure of seeing their version completely outsell Ibrahim’s. Mannenburg, at almost 14 minutes long, took up the whole side of one disc and introduced to South African audiences a type of extended play common to many albums at that time. (Here I am thinking of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew or Pink Floyd’s Echoes.) After their success with Mannenburg, Lulu Masilela and the Movers went back into the studio in early 1975 and recorded an even more popular album, Bump Jive, featuring again only two extended jazz-flavoured tracks. The extended play became as popular as the “bump jive” dance itself and with the introduction of disco, dominated South African jazz and soul music well into the early 80s. Bump Jive was first issued in 1975 on Teal’s City Special label (CYL 1030). Bump Jive No. 5, was issued in that same year on Teal's Soul Soul label. It is likely that many of the performers on this album were drawn from The Movers. Bump Jive, Bump Jive No. 5 as well as Bump Jive No. 6 by The Movers all feature the same models photographed in different positions on the covers. The images were produced by Creative Photography. For more on the first Bump Jive LP see the flatint post on Electric Jive. |
|