Abacothozi: Thema Maboneng (1975)

Finally! Another fantastic rarity that Electric Jive has long been looking out for. "Thema Maboneng" is the first of two known albums recorded by what was at the time, the core of Soweto's famed Pelican Club house band. 

Siemon outlines the history and context of Abacothozi in posting their second album "Pelican Fantasy" here. 

"Abacothozi were formed in 1973 by bassist, Berthwel Maphumulo, formerly of the Elite Swingsters. Together with Mac Mathunjwa on organ, his brother Innocent Mathunjwa on drums and Joe Zikhali on guitar, they recorded at least two albums: Thema Maboneng (Soul Jazz Pop, BL 59, December 1975) and Night in Pelican(Soul Jazz Pop, BL 66, February 1976). The two Abacothozi albums were recorded six weeks apart and predate the Chapita sessions with Dick Khoza by eight months. Mac Mathunjwa would go on to play keyboards with the Peddlers backing Mpharanyana."

These six sizzling tracks were "compiled" by West Nkosi for the Mavuthela label. As with "Pelican Fantasy" this music is sunny, funky and danceable.

To paraphrase Jonatan Eato, there is a slow burn to the  emergent benefits and possibilities of this blog. For Electric Jive it feels like the idea of "digitally archiving" out of print and inaccessible South African musics is being embraced by a growing band of collectors and fans. More people are coming forward and offering to share otherwise lost gems from their collections. Today's thanks are due to Vusi over at The Fly Machine Sessions. Vusi also pointed out that "Thema Maboneng" is pretty much borrowed from this 1974 Isaac Hayes track (Hung Up On My Baby - from the Tough Guys sound-track):


Since Kon and Amir featured the track "Thema Maboneng" on their 2008 compilation  Off Track Volume 2 - Queens (BBE, 2008) a small number of us have been searching in the hope of hearing the full album.  

Another recording involving the Pelican Club house band is the 1977 "Funny Things" by the "Ensemble of Rhythm and Art".

Download here

Electric Jive Jukebox: Isitimela Sase Tekwini

This jukebox idea came from an idle daydream about how much space would be needed to store one of every record that was ever made and pressed in Johannesburg since 1932 when Eric Gallo established South Africa's first press.

South Africa's recorded music heritage is one such "jukebox" with too many lost, forgotten and out-of-print musical creations. An uncounted large number of recordings have been made to cater for diverse and eclectic musical, tribal and sub-cultural tastes. In the course of digging for records I have turned up some great music on 78rpms or 45rpms that I cannot find on albums. So, how then to present them on this blog?

The original records were bought by a sizable urban African populace and enjoyed  at household parties, shebeens, fund-raising dances in halls. While I cannot find evidence of jukeboxes having played much part in this scene, the idea of a "jukebox selection" makes for a comfortably loose way of grouping some rare and out of print records together for a post on Electric Jive.

Imagine if you will, a massive jukebox filled with the most diverse representation of sounds that were recorded and sold in cities and towns across the country. Traditional tribal "trance" recordings made by visitors to the studios, gospel and religious choirs, mbaqanga, soul, jazz, disco, funk - it was all very much part of the possible "selection" from what was available.

Electric Jive Jukebox Number One is a selection of  60s mbaqanga with some swing and jive themed around a train-ride holiday-to-Durban. Some great female vocal jive, swing and mbaqanga for a sub-tropical Durban holiday feeling ... just like it has been this long-weekend. Enjoy

1. Isitimela Sase Tekwini - Trutone Dolls (78rpm Stokvel ST.019).
2. Kumnandi Ethekwini - Reggie Msomi's Love Birds (45rpm Gumba Gumba MGG698) (1977).
3. Gijima Mfana - Mthunzini Girls (78rpm Motella MO120).
4. Big Brain Jive No.2 - Transvaal Rocking Jazz Stars (78rpm Columbia YE6039).
5. Ndode Khohlanele - Thandi & Lo Six (78rpm Zonk TV.222 )
6. Lucky Star Twist No.2 - Golden City Sisters (78rpm Tempo KT.525)
7. Ngaliwe - Durban City Queens - (78rpm DRUM DR166)
8. Dudu - Thandi & Lo Six - (78rpm Zonk TV.222)
9. La Conga - West Nkosi (78rpm Gallo USA USA321)
10. Erautini - Shanty Town Trio with Thandi Mpambani (78rpm Colombia YE55)
11. Wongkhonzela - Durban City Queens (78rpm DRUM DR166)
12. Madison Square No.2 - Golden City Sisters (78rpm Tempo KT.525)
13. Union Express - Albert Ralumini (78rpm RCA Victor Top Beat RCA291)
14. Durban Road - Makhona Zonke Band
15. Iwisa Lakho - Johnson Mkhalali with the Mabone Boys (45rpm GoGo GGB612) (1977)
16. 1968 Special - Mr V. Mzwandile & His Accordeon (45rpm Up Mavuthela UPM812) (1973)
17. Mthathe Masaka - Boy Masaka (78rpm Columbia YE0658)
18. Ungalile - Joyce Mogatusi & Boy Masaka (78rpm His Master's Voice JP876).

Download link here

Disco Jive with The Zombies (1979)

Changing gear during a glorious long-weekend afternoon in Durban, it must be time for some sunny and sumptuous mbaqanga disco jive from "The Zombies".

While we make final preparations to share another long sought-after gem of an album next week (Kon and Amir sampled a tune from it) - herewith thirty minutes of some feel-good upbeat sounds.

Knowing nothing about this polished band I soon learnt it was quite pointless to search "The Zombies" on the internet.

Lively and interesting rhythm and lead guitars, male vocal harmonies that may or may not include Willie and Paul. Rubbery base bouncing around crisp stick-work .... no synthesisers!!.

Produced by the ever-present David Thekwane, the Zombies recorded in Johannesburg on the 29th November 1979. Composer credits go to Bethwell Bhengu - guitarist, bassist and sometime groaner for an array of mbaqanga bands during the '70s. As recounted in Louise Meintjes' excellent 'Sound of Africa', Bethwell performed with Banana City Queens, Amataitai, Jive Boys, The Movers, Abathakathi, and Isigqi Sesimanjemanje among countless others. He also briefly worked with Almon Memela  (Thanks Nick for the details).

DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

Almon Memela in all his diversity: 78rpm sampler

 In celebrating Almon Memela's "Broken Shoes" album I promised to share a few recordings from my 78rpm collection that illustrate the depth of feel, beauty and diversity of Memela's musical reach.

First up Memela's soothing voice accompanies his maskandi guitar in painting a hauntingly beautiful, yet painful musical canvas of the impact of apartheid in the 1960s.

"Amapoyisa" takes the form of a 'letter' to his rural homestead, and  loved one there, saying how afraid he is of the police in the city. Black migrant workers at the time were required to carry "passes" to enable entry to and residence in specific places. The police were active in enforcing the system, harassing and arresting black people for being in  the "wrong" place at the "wrong" time - completely disrupting their lives.

Almon Memela tells how city life is spent running and hiding from the police, and says to his family in their rural area that it is much more peaceful there as there are no police to harass them.

"Lashona" is a maskandi love-song in which Memela is travelling a long distance to visit the love of his life. While walking he is playing guitar and singing a lament that he is not going to get to his destination before sunset and that he knows he has a lot of explaining to do, and does not know how he is going to do it. He has not been able to keep his promises and fears that because of this his relationship is now lost ("ngaliwe").

 Amapoyisa / Lashona Link

This recording is a languid exploration of the twist style laced with guitar work that always leads  my untrained ear to believe that Almon Memela was not only listening to rock and twist, he was also listening to what was coming out of sixties Congo.

Accompanying Memela is fellow master Rex Ntuli on rhythm. Ntuli is probably most famous as being the guitarist on the original line-up of the Elite Swingsters during the 1960s.

You can  find Rex Ntuli and His Band in a great 78rpm compilation here, and with the Elite Swingsters here. and in Funky Mama here.

In Baca Twist Memela's lead glides across Ntuli's rhythm, referencing rock, soul and twist in a comfortable understated manner.

Umfezi Twist (an Umfesi is a Mozambican Spitting Cobra) is my current favorite, conjuring up moving images of a slowly swaying cobra - no drama this time, just delightful guitar that  sometimes sounds like it could be one of the Diabate brothers from Guinea.

 Baca Twist / Umfesi Twist Link

"Skilpad" (Afrikaans for 'tortoise') and "Uiydoda"  are classic Marabi Jazz compositions framed by banks of (uncredited) horns and defined by rhythm and lead guitar.

Almon's Jazz Kings and Almon's Jazz 8 were but two of the bands Memela pulled together for various recording dates.

In addition to the Soul diversion on AM Stragglers, Memela played (and produced) a lot of Mbaqanga - producing "Mine Jive Special" which features Kid Moncho.

Bump Jive and Phata Phata also were blessed with Memela's attention. Give "Highway Soul" a listen for his melting-pot blend of soul, bump and mbaqanga.

If you do have access to other recordings that Memela was involved in - we would like to hear from you.                       

Uyidoda / Skilpad Link

Almon Memela: Broken Shoes (1976)

Finally, herewith another holy grail the Electric Jive team has long been searching for. As Siemon said in his earlier post on Almon Memela's Funky Africa:  "The album is tight and excellent, but we might reserve the title of “holy grail” for Memela’s even scarcer album Broken Shoes (1976, Highway Soul, HSL 2009)… or at least until we listen to it!"

In my view Siemon, you will not be disappointed by these two fifteen-minute tracks of musical chemistry from guitar wizard Almon Memela and the stalwarts of Soweto's Pelican Club house band.

Memela's musical journey was a rich and diverse one. His earlier recordings start off with maskandi, move through penny-whistle and swing (I will share some 78rpm recordings at a later date), take a delightful diversion via Soul in the late 60s - you can find the A.M. Stragglers recording here. In the 70s Memela's music branched out into jazz, bump, mbaqanga and funk, to reach the pinnacle shared here with you today. You can read more about Memela and browse a partial discopgraphy on Flatint here.

Thank you Manzo for making it possible to access this crisp and clean recording.

Download link here

Best of Spokes and Reggie (c1961)

These artists need no introduction—Spokes Mashiyane and Reggie Msomi can be found countless times here at Electric Jive. The New Sound album featured today brings together a wonderful selection of early sax jives probably first issued on 78 rpm around 1959 and 1960. This compilation (c1961) follows two hit volumes also issued by Gallo: New Sounds of Africa Vol.1 (NSL 1001) and Vol.2 (NSL 1002). While those earlier LPs focus primarily on Spokes Mashiyane, Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks, this record may be the first 33 rpm to foreground the talents of Gallo producer Reggie Msomi. Of course, this disc is marked as "New Sound Vol. 3" but it is hard to know if it follows that earlier series or whether NSL 1004 and 1005 are its precursors. It may be possible that Reggie can be found on those "missing" LPs. His 1961 classic Twisting with Reggie (NSL 1007) can be heard here at Electric Jive. For a partial discography of Gallo's New Sound label check out flatint.

Spokes Mashiyane and His Big Five
01) Nyakaza Stan
02) Chukuchuku
03) Lova
04) Bochabela
05) Phatha Phatha No. 2
06) Mojira Special

Reggie Msomi
07) Phatha Phatha No. 2
08) One One
09) Dubula Magazini
10) Washesha Mfana
11) Dabuli Bayi
12) Oh! Mtwana

Spokes Mashiyane and Reggie Msomi
Best of Spokes and Reggie
c1961
New Sound
NSL 1005
ABC 21460/1

Sotho Vocal Jive - Top Hits Vol 2 (1977, Motella)

Back once more with a serious does of electric jive courtesy of the Matsuli archives. 

This LP was issued in 1977 on the Motella label and includes key vocalists and the backing

 band of mbaqanga's heyday. The compositions are all credited to Rupert Bopape and 

Marks Mankwane and the backing band is almost certainly the Makhona Tshole Band.

 I'm sure that fellow contributor Nick Lotay can help us out here with any clarifications!

Various Artists - Sotho Vocal Jive Vol 2 (Motella, 1977)

1. Mathari - Mbaqazo Boys

2. Sibata Simabifi -Mbaqazo Boys

3. Ditokolosi - Indoda Mbhodlomane Zezitombi Zomoya

4. Obadumedise - Indoda Mbhodlomane Zezitombi Zomoya

5. Moratoa Ke Batho - Irene & Sweet Melodians

6. Mmaditaba - Irene & Sweet Melodians

7. Mamokgadi - Izintombi Zo Moya

8. Ngoana O - Izintombi Zo Moya

9. Ntshwarele Ntate - Mahotella Queens

10. Nyalo Ea Tshwenya - Mahotella Queens

11. Hakena Sebaka - Mahotella Queens 

ENJOY: Mediafire Link