The Best of NUMBER ONE [MILLION]

Yesterday Electric Jive reached a milestone of one million page views! And July 2014 marks the fifth year since Chris and Matt launched this blog... and so thank you all who have visited these pages over the last 60 months!!!

What better way to celebrate than with this elusive instrumental mbaqanga compilation: The Best of Number One Records (N 9000). Number One was developed in 1972 by EMI, South Africa as a budget label and this unique sampler disc features nearly one track from each of their first fifteen LPs (N 9001 - N 9015). The label is perhaps best known for re-issuing some of the most desirable SA LPs of the mid to late 1960s, including: Armitage Road by the Heshoo Beshoo Group, the 1964 Castle Lager Jazz Festival featuring the Malombo Jazz Men, Nomvula's Jazz Dance by the Jazz Ministers, and a number of albums by The Kings Messengers Quartet (which still leads EJ in the most page views).

Ironically (or typically) this album does not feature any artists names, even though it is labeled as a "Special Sample Record for the SABC" (South African Broadcasting Corporation). Most tracks are attributed to Tom Vuma and/or P. Manthata, but some of the albums have been featured here at EJ so we can extrapolate at least these four artists: Alfred Ndima (N 9005), The Black Eagles (N 9006). The Moon Stars (N 9009) and Abafana Basekhaya (N 9015). Of course there is the possibility that these are all the same session musicians, but if anyone is able to identify any of the other artists, please let us know.

The Best of Number One Records
Various Artists
1972
Number One (EMI)
N 9000