The African fuzz thread
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 12:36 am
Seeing the enthusiastic response to Dullboy's thread (http://stompboxes.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17973) I figured it was time we did a full-blown thread on African fuzz. The Mexican fuzz thread from way back (http://stompboxes.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14338) turned up some great stuff, and I'm hoping we might be able to do the same here.
So, Africa in the 1970s - post-colonial civil wars, bad shit everywhere, but oil money is also starting to flow and musicians are travelling in and out and regional scenes are beginning to emerge. And fuzz is right in the forefront.
The two biggest scenes are in Zambia ("Zamrock") and Nigeria. In Zambia the biggest influences are said to be Hendrix and James Brown, so you hear a lot of fuzz and a lot of wah, which is never a bad thing.
In Nigeria it's Ginger Baker, who fled London and landed in Lagos. He may have created chaos everywhere he went, but mostly Ginger created - he made shit happen. He played and toured with Nigerian musicians and built a state-of-the-art studio, ARC, in Lagos. EMI followed suit and built their own studio in Lagos - "Band on the Run" was recorded there - so there was some pretty good equipment floating around. They probably had a decent stash of fuzz boxes, so don't assume all the fuzz you hear is home brewed or shipped in from Japan.
As for the music, the psychedelic influence is obvious: Traffic, Cream, Hendrix. But it's invariably given an African twist and the fuzz sounds, whatever they are, are awesome. A lot of this stuff has popped up on compilations, mostly from Soundway Records in the UK. "The World Ends" is a particularly good one.
Zamrock
Witch, “Motherless Child” (1975). Everything off the album "Lazy Bones!!" rocks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quVIdjCfXpg
Chrissy Zebby Tembo, “Oh Yeh Yeh” (1974). The whole "My Ancestors" album is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdORKBV6Hz0
Salty Dog, “Fast” (1976).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxlVjx-Dmac
Ngozi Family, “Day of Judgement” (1976). Again, the whole album is worth tracking down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzwFtRaB4Fk
Nigeria
Blo, "Time to Face the Sun" (1973). These guys played with Ginger and Fela before branching out on their own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wcGNCjGc_4
The Hykkers, “Deiyo Deiyo” (early 70s). Fuzz and wah tone here is flat-out genius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KseuYtG2lH0
Colomach, "Ottoto Shamoleda" (1974).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paWtTjeOKOY
The Semi Colon, "Isi Agboncha" (early 70s).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdsNtLCP1do
Ofege, “In Concert” (1973). Nigerian high school students find fuzz boxes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrQ2KQsVoJ0
“In the Jungle”, the Hygrades (1972). Instrumental version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEvDgglibk
Honorary mention
Have to give an honorary shout-out to Demon Fuzz, too, a seven-piece band from the UK made up of African immigrants. They were playing soul music until they took a trip to Morocco and came back with blown minds and a taste for psychedelic jams. They only did one album, "Afreaka!", but it's amazing.
Demon Fuzz, “Past, Present and Future” (1970).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwv6iQ4SbDU
So, Africa in the 1970s - post-colonial civil wars, bad shit everywhere, but oil money is also starting to flow and musicians are travelling in and out and regional scenes are beginning to emerge. And fuzz is right in the forefront.
The two biggest scenes are in Zambia ("Zamrock") and Nigeria. In Zambia the biggest influences are said to be Hendrix and James Brown, so you hear a lot of fuzz and a lot of wah, which is never a bad thing.
In Nigeria it's Ginger Baker, who fled London and landed in Lagos. He may have created chaos everywhere he went, but mostly Ginger created - he made shit happen. He played and toured with Nigerian musicians and built a state-of-the-art studio, ARC, in Lagos. EMI followed suit and built their own studio in Lagos - "Band on the Run" was recorded there - so there was some pretty good equipment floating around. They probably had a decent stash of fuzz boxes, so don't assume all the fuzz you hear is home brewed or shipped in from Japan.
As for the music, the psychedelic influence is obvious: Traffic, Cream, Hendrix. But it's invariably given an African twist and the fuzz sounds, whatever they are, are awesome. A lot of this stuff has popped up on compilations, mostly from Soundway Records in the UK. "The World Ends" is a particularly good one.
Zamrock
Witch, “Motherless Child” (1975). Everything off the album "Lazy Bones!!" rocks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quVIdjCfXpg
Chrissy Zebby Tembo, “Oh Yeh Yeh” (1974). The whole "My Ancestors" album is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdORKBV6Hz0
Salty Dog, “Fast” (1976).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxlVjx-Dmac
Ngozi Family, “Day of Judgement” (1976). Again, the whole album is worth tracking down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzwFtRaB4Fk
Nigeria
Blo, "Time to Face the Sun" (1973). These guys played with Ginger and Fela before branching out on their own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wcGNCjGc_4
The Hykkers, “Deiyo Deiyo” (early 70s). Fuzz and wah tone here is flat-out genius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KseuYtG2lH0
Colomach, "Ottoto Shamoleda" (1974).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paWtTjeOKOY
The Semi Colon, "Isi Agboncha" (early 70s).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdsNtLCP1do
Ofege, “In Concert” (1973). Nigerian high school students find fuzz boxes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrQ2KQsVoJ0
“In the Jungle”, the Hygrades (1972). Instrumental version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEvDgglibk
Honorary mention
Have to give an honorary shout-out to Demon Fuzz, too, a seven-piece band from the UK made up of African immigrants. They were playing soul music until they took a trip to Morocco and came back with blown minds and a taste for psychedelic jams. They only did one album, "Afreaka!", but it's amazing.
Demon Fuzz, “Past, Present and Future” (1970).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwv6iQ4SbDU