The Grasshoppers - Roadbump (Skyline 1975)

Electricjive started out seven years ago and over this time it's become a key reference point for out of print South African music. Despite posting less frequently we hope to continue our tradition of sharing material integral to the musical tapestry of South Africa and beyond.

And so back to 1975 and today's share which comes from a young group called the Grasshoppers playing organ-led soul grooves laced with guitar. It's difficult to tell what the commercial pressures behind the album were and how much artistic control the group had. They were lucky enough to get a record deal but I suspect the producer and record label were looking for a particular sound - in line with the soul and bump-jive sounds of 1975. But it's a slow burner so hoping you enjoy the journey.

The Grasshoppers - Roadbump (SK80151, Skyline 1975)
01. Roadbump
02. Vicks for Sale
03. You Again
04. Idelines Love
05. Philip on the Way
06. Sick Somebody
07. Send it Back
08. My Darling
09. Funny Game
10. Togetherness
11. I Am There
12. Home Again
13. Day Off
14. Siwelile

Philip "Skhiye" Ngubane (Lead Guitar), DeVilliers "Vics" Mkwayi (Bass), Rusters "Funny Funny" Mbata (Organ), Ndodeni "Mishak" Msimango (Drums), Thomas "Mishak" Msimango (drums)
Produced by Thomas Mdakane

Enjoy via Mediafire

Black Ink: Harari do the soul bump jive (1975)

Not long before an extended  tour of Swaziland and Rhodesia in 1976 where "The Beaters" become "Harari", Selby Ntuli, Alec Khaoli and Sipho Mabuse pulled together this above-average once-off soul-bump-jive recording.

Though responding to the huge mid-seventies public demand for bump-jive, the rock and soul roots of the Beaters are evident in five mellow but grooving tracks. The Beaters re-visited the bump-jive tradition with "Whats Happening" on their 1978 big-hit album "Harari" - which you can find here. You can also read more of "The Beaters" and the 1976 breakaway to form "Saitana", and hear that album here.

Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse's flute work floats melodically over unhurried base and rhythm riffs that invite you to put aside your worries and chill a little. In addition to the fore-fronted flute, the opening track, "Kugugsaothandayo" does feature some interesting snatches of vuvuzela-like interludes. "Bongo Bump" showcases guitar-led soul-rock influences, Enjoy!

1. Kugugaotahndayo (15:41)
2. Sipo's Joint (2:43)
3. Selby's Mood (5:01)
4. Our Children (2:49)
5. Bongo Bump (4:55)

Mediafire download here

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

Bra Sello - The Battle of Disco (1977)

Today we feature Bra Sello Mmutung's ironically titled: The Battle of Disco. Recorded in 1977, the LP features two long, single-sided tracks stylistically in the bump jive form. Perhaps its his pensive expression on the cover or the music itself, which, though wonderfully mellow, nostalgically refers back to an earlier time. Ironic, for sure, in that bump jive as a style can be traced back to Abdullah Ibrahim's Mannenburg (The Sun, SRK 786134) recorded a mere three years before this LP in 1974. Maybe Bra Sello's "battle" is more a generational critique of the coming disco soul jive explosion that was already sweeping younger consumers and would dominate record sales in South Africa until at least the early 1980s. Ironic also in that Bra Sello helped build the mbaqanga dance sound with hits like Lulu Come Back that led to the disco soul era. The album could also be viewed as a lament for the big band sounds of the majuba era. A lament, however, that certainly is uplifting!

Bra Sello Mmutung can be heard on the 1967 compilation Modern Sax Stars and the 1975 album Butterfly here at Electric Jive.

BRA SELLO
The Battle of Disco
1977
Soweto
SWA 14018

Reggae Special ala Bump Disco Soul Jive (1975)

Another one of those albums where cover and content do not quite add up - but upon playing it for the fist time I was just as happy to discover the unexpected. By 1975 reggae was gaining huge traction in urban South Africa - the message and the 60s ska residues made for a perfect fit. In real terms though, the marketing departments pretty much got ahead of the local musicians.

This album is not reggae, but three tracks of looping, loping bump jive and disco soul, to be filed on the same digital shelf that contains the best that Movers and the Nzimande All Stars were producing around the same time. Later this year I will share another "Reggae Revolution" album from 1976 which is more funk and soul than reggae, but tasty nonetheless.

The first track "Reggae Special" is more than ten minutes of lead-guitar and sax-led, bass-fed elliptical, funky off-centre driving bump-jive rhythm. "Springbok Dance" starts off almost exactly like that much-loved Bump Jive No. 6 from the Movers in which all the members of the band are introduced. Soon enough it swings into a more soul-centred funky guitar-led instrumental. "Bump Jive No 3" picks up on the overall theme. This is a clean and clear recording. Get it and enjoy it while you can.

Reggae Special: David Thekwane and the Brothers (1975)
SSL 0103

1. Reggae Special (10:25)
2. Springbok Dance (4:11)
3. Bump Jive No. 3 (9:42)

Mediafire here

Rapidshare here

Bra Sello - Butterfly (1975)

It has been a while since we enjoyed some soul-filled looping bump-jive. This long-player has one 28"30' long rich and variously embellished track that stretches across both sides - swirling keyboards, Bra Sello's saxophone and flute, lead guitar, vocals, and walking bass-lines that meander mbaqanga-like around drums and rhythm guitar.

Produced by Cambridge Matiwane and recorded in 1975 on the Soweto label, this album is Selby "Sello" Mmutung's take on the soul-bump-jive genre just before it veered more towards disco. Bra Sello already features on Electric Jive in Siemon Allen's popular Disco Soul Jive compilation here; and Nick Lotay's posting of Mahlatini's 1978 mbaqanga offering, Kudala Besibiza here. Bra Sello also features on the highly popular Pull-Up compilation of 78rpm recordings, shared here.

Rapidshare here

Mediafire here

The Brothers - Khwezi Station No.7 (1976)

Today I am having a lazy afternoon watching the sunset over Johannesburg and listening to The Brothers perform Khwezi Station No.7. This is one of those albums that has sat on my "current" record shelf in a stash of interesting items for the better part of two years.

This great 1976 recording features four extended up-tempo tracks produced by David Thekwane that most definitely come out of the bump jive tradition. Certainly the opening track, Special Job, has glimpses of Abdullah Ibrahim's 1974 classic Mannenburg.

It is not clear to me whether The Brothers have any relation to the later group of the same name featuring Tete Mbambisa, Duke Makasi and Victor Ntoni, that recorded for Rashid Vally's Roots label fourteen years later in 1990. Having not heard the later I can't say, but if you recognize a connection drop us a line.

Put this album in your car... this is great road music!

THE BROTHERS
Khwezi Station No.7
Up Up Up
UPL 5012

Bumping, Moving and Grooving into Zone One

This one goes out to all you lovers of the jazz fusion and bump sounds of the Movers, the Drive and the Mover's organist Sankie Chounyane. I've posted previously on theses groups at matsuli as well as here at electricjive. Siemon has a detailed discography of the Movers at flatinternational and I've detailed the Drive discography in an earlier post here at electricjive.

Various Artists - Zone One (1976, SoulSoul, SSL123)
1. Zone One - The Movers
2. Don't Touch - The Movers
3. Zone No 6 (Part 1) - The Drive
4. My Dreams (Part 1) - The Drive
5. Jacaranda No 15 (Part 1) - Sankie and the New Time Boys
6. N-U-10 - The Movers
7. Traffic Ticket - The Movers
8. Help Me - The Movers
9. Zone No 6 (Part 2) - The Drive
10. My Dreams (Part 2) - The Drive
11. Jacaranda No 15 (Part 2) - Sankie and the New Time Boys
12. Spy - The Movers

ENJOY!
MF / RS