Tu t'appelles comment ?

Serge Gainsbourg: Melody
From Histoire de Melody Nelson (Philips, 1971)

Jean-Claude Vannier: Je M'Appelle Geraldine
From L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches (reed. Finders Keepers, 1972)





I usually post anything about french scene. But we like here bring together two albums. Sometimes we do something in a subjective way. So back in France with two greats musicians well-known all around the world. Like everywhere in the world, 1971 is an exciting year in France. Recently, friends were speaking about Dashiell Hedayat. This year, while Gong was recording the album 'Camembert Electrique', with Gong members Dashiell was the author of his second album called 'Obsolete'. An excellent one above all known for the strongly psychedelic rock tune Chrysler Rose. Listen this tune on his myspace page. There's many others exemple to describe what was rock scene in France this year. I read they were influenced by british rock of that time, groups such as King Crimson. But with listining this both album, Histoire de Melody Nelson and L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches, I feel like I was listening to Electric Prunes, David Axelrod's Song of Innocence, The Beatles's Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band or Frank Zappa.

The entire Jean Claude Vannier's album is inspired by his work he did with Serge Gainsbourg in 1971. The tune 'Je M'Appelle Geraldine', availabe on L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches, is taken from Point d'Interrogation recorded in 1966. It's a super-rare 7" EP from this radio show on France Inter, french national public radio.

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Sorry. I try to post mp3s on divshare.net but I don't understand what the thing I could do with the code when I click 'Generate A New Key'. Well sometimes divshare links is right, sometimes it's wrong, so I prefer let yousendit link.

roots of assagai's rock

Jade Warrior: Telephone Girl and Barazinbar
From Jade Warrior on Vertigo (1971) and Released on Vertigo (1971)

Oliver, I read your advise. I'll use divshare for the next post. Thanks for the add.

When they came out in London in the early 70s, many of black musicians were received by british rock scene. Fela Kuti worked with Ginger Baker near 1971. It's difficult to assure that the Jimi Hendrix's Jam 'Room Full of Mirrors' with guest percussionist Rocki Dzidzornu, or the Woodstock repetition - Diamonds in the Dust - are one of the first Afro-rock recording. But we can imagine that the Band-Aid project with Arthur Lee, Hendrix, Steve Winwood and African percusisionist Rebop was an official request. In 1970 Steve Winwood appeared on the Ginger Baker's Air Force [youtube] first album. This tune recall me Demon Fuzz. Anyway, Remi Kabaka, also known to have joined Steve Winwood and Abdul Lasisi Amao for the Third World project, played drums on Ginger Baker's Air Force.

Originally written by Jade Warrior, the tune 'Telephone Girl' introduce Assagai's first album. Heavy fuzzy sounds like a funky afro rock stuff. The instrumental 'Barazinbar' is a fifties minutes one which I think was extremely well arranged by Assagai. See the Captain Planet's post to listen 'Baranzinbar' covered by Assagai. All Jade Warrior's members are credited to the Assagai second album 'Zimbabwe'. Cover art was designed by Roger Dean, same designer for Osibisa and Budgie. Just see this interesting similitude between this both cover art Osibisa and Zimbabwe. I read on this site that Assagai was the only 'African band' signed by Vertigo. The site adds "Jade Warrior put together some demonstration material, shopped it around, and were signed to a record deal with Vertigo in 1970 or 1971. According to Glyn Havard, this signing was due in part to the fact they were being managed by Mother Mistro, the same company which was managing the "Afro-rock" band Assagai which was being actively pursued by Vertigo."

While Jade Warrior was recording his first album they met future Assagai's members Dudu Pukwana, Louis Moholo, Mongezi Feza and Fred Coker. They all came from avant-garde and afro-jazz scene. With the worlwide success of Osibisa first album, also recorded at Air Studios, London, and released in 1971, produced by Tony Visconti, the concept was to put together rock and afro-jazz stuff.

Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road

Bappi Lahiri & Salma Agha: Come Closer
From Indiavision (Buda Musique, 2005)

Vern Blair Debate: Ooh Ah Ee
From The World's Rarest Funk 45s (Quantic, 2006)

Robert Wyatt: Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road
From Rock Bottom (Hannibal, 1974)

Mulatu Astatqe: Netsanet
From Ethiopiques Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz 1969-1974 (Buda Musique, 1998)

Nothing really coherent between these Bollywood Disco, Deep Funk, Prog-Rock and Ethiopian Groove tunes. No have the time to post something as usual. I only hope you'll enjoy the psychedelic sound. Ten years ago, a cousin offered me Rock Bottom and wow! still today I don't really hate listen it again and again. It is the second Robert Wyatt album solo. Maybe his greatest one for the former drummer of Soft Machine...

Afro Fuzz Psych Sound

Demon Fuzz: Past Present And Future and Disillusioned
From Afreaka! (Dawn(UK)/Janus(US), 1970)

Fu@# ! Yousendit change his link's properties. Please, click on the link to get the tracks. I'll see how to settle with later.

Sorry, didn't be there for a time, I was searching some good tunes for you. Above all, I wanted to react on what cHUCk dA fONk tell me few days ago "Adlib, more cowbells please!". By chance I find Demon Fuzz Afreaka!'s album. Perhaps you discover it with djmaru's great post. --- Just djmaru wrote some errors, I forgive him ;) ---

"Released in November 1970, their sole album, the extraodinary Afreaka!, saw them mash up and master various musical genres - stoned psychedelic soul, Afro jazz, blackacid rock/blues, dub-heavy funk, free festival-era progressive rock. (...) But despite the heady nature of their rampant musical cross-pollination, and the notwithstanding a vigoros live schedule that saw them participate in many of the leading UK underground of the era. (...) In common with various other rock-oriented, British black music acts of the time (Black Velvet, Assagai, Cymande, Noir), the band faded from view almost before anyone had noticed them, leaving the lighter, more upbeat Osibisa as the token UK-based act to introduce African rythms into the mainstram music scene." (by David Wells, June 2005)

Enjoy !!!