The Movers - Black Reggae (1975)

We continue with some interesting finds sourced from rare 8-track tapes. See my earlier post on the Teenage Lovers here at EJ. Today we feature the cartridge that prompted my purchase of the 8-track equipment—Black Reggae by The Movers. Produced by David Thekwane and issued in 1975 on the City Special label, this is the only copy I have ever seen... so far no vinyl has appeared.

Bearing little resemblance to reggae, the album features, rather, two lengthy tracks in the bump jive form. The title track, Black Reggae, is a sunny extended interpretation of Sugar Sugar, the 1969 hit by The Archies. For the most part this instrumental really grooves... except when it occasionally returns to that original reference! Time Up is reminiscent of their classic tune Bump Jive which gave the genre its name and was also recorded the same year. Of course both Time Up and Bump Jive are indebted to Abdullah Ibrahim's iconic Mannenburg.

A discography of The Movers can be viewed at flatint and of course the group has been featured here at Electric Jive many times.

THE MOVERS
Black Reggae
City Special
YCY 1034 (CYL 1034)
1975