"Osibisa/Woyaya" by OSIBISA – April 1971 and January 1972 UK Debut and Second Studio Albums on MCA Records – June 1971 and February 1972 in the USA on Decca (November 2004 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation – 2LPs onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters – Reissued December 2012) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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RATINGS: 

**** Material

***** Remasters

**** Presentation

"…The Beautiful Seven…"

Afro Rock, Afro Beat and Afro Funk owes a huge debt to the seven-piece OSIBISA – a band who followed in the Latin Rock footsteps of America's Santana in bringing another genre to the World Music stage in the early Seventies.

Three from Ghana and one each from Grenada, Antigua, Trinidad, and Nigeria – the beautiful seven (as they liked to call themselves) and their lengthy drums, brass, and funky rhythms songs (some with positive messages when they weren't making African noises) captivated audiences with their infectious sound. And resplendent in gorgeous ROGER DEAN gatefold artwork paintings and with Tull/Traffic-like Flute passages amidst the relentless Funky whacking of Tom Toms and Tablas - they also captured the eyes of Prog Rock fans too. OSIBISA kept going for over 40 years in one form or another but in truth are largely forgotten here in 2024. 

Even though MCA Records in those early Seventies years was more about Budgie, Wishbone Ash and bands like The Who - both Osibisa Afro-Rock albums charted well in the USA (No.55 and No.66 on Decca) whilst doing even better in a mucho-toured Blighty (No.11 in both cases, 1971 and 1972). 

This superb-sounding BGO Twofer 2CD Compilation therefore compiles both Osibisa's first two studio efforts and was first issued November 2004, then reissued December 2012 and seems to have been kept on catalogue ever since. To the beautiful seven details…

UK released 19 November 2004 (reissued 17 December 2012) - "Osibisa/Woyaya" by OSIBISA on Beats Goes On Records BGOCD646 (Barcode 5017261206466) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 2CDs (no Bonus tracks) that plays out as follows (song playing times from the CDs):

CD1 (41:07 minutes):

1. The Dawn (7:02 minutes) [Side 1]

2. Music For Gong Gong (5:29 minutes)

3. Ayiko Bia (7:52 minutes)

4. Akwaaba (4:19 minutes) [Side 2]

5. Oranges (4:40 minutes)

6. Phallus C (7:13 minutes)

7. Think About The People (4:26 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 7 are their debut album "Osibisa" – released April 1971 in the UK on MCA Records MDKS 8001 and June 1971 in the USA on Decca Records DL 75285. Produced by TONY VISCONTI (Engineered by Martin Rushent) – it peaked at No. 11 on the UK Rock LP charts (No. 55 in the USA on Billboard). 

CD2 (40:54 minutes):

1. Beautiful Seven (6:42 minutes) [Side 1] 

2. Y Sharp (6:20 minutes)

3. Spirits Up Above (7:18 minutes)

4. Survival (5:40 minutes) [Side 2]

5. Move On (5:08 minutes)

6. Rabiatu (5:07 minutes)

7. Woyaya (4:28 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 7 are their second studio album "Woyaya" – released January 1972 in the UK on MCA Records MDKS and February 1972 in the USA on Decca Records DL 75327. Produced by TONY VISCONTI (Engineered by John Punter) – it peaked at No. 11 on the UK Rock LP charts (No. 66 in the USA on Billboard).

OSIBISA:

TEDDY OSEI (from Ghana) – Tenor Sax, Flute, African Drums and Vocals on Tracks 1 to 3 on CD1

SOL AMARFIO (from Ghana) – Drummer

MAC TONTOH (From Ghana) – Trumpet, Flugel Horn and Kabasa

SPARTACUS R (from Grenada) – Bass Guitar and Assorted Percussion

WENDELL RICHARDSON (from Antigua) – Lead Guitar & Vocals on Track 7 on CD1

ROBERT BAILEY (from Trinidad) – Organ, Piano  & Timbales

LOUGHTY LASISI AMAO (from Nigeria) – Tenor Sax, Baritone & Congas

The outer card slipcase lends the release a classy feel, but you would have to say that despite photos of the inner gatefolds and the Richard Williams liner notes to "Woyaya" reproduced on the inner page spread – the August 2004 8-page liner notes from ALAN ROBINSON feel a tad slight. The band photos and credits make their way into the booklet, onto the rear inlay beneath the 2CD see-through tray and so on – but why don't we get the obvious – the two gatefold spreads showing the amazing ROGER DEAN artwork which when I was a teen back in the day was ALL YOU SAW. Dean was to Rock what Arthur Rackham was to Fantasy Books in the early part of the 20th Century - an illustrator whose work took LP artwork by storm. The beautiful and imaginative paintings are of course on the outer slipcase and reproduced on the opening page of the booklet – but it still feels like a trick was missed here (I recall Sounds and Melody Maker used to sell these Roger Dean images in their back pages as stand-alone posters such was their popularity). 

Robinson sets the World Music Scene explosion before Osibisa – The Beatles and Indian instruments on "Revolver" and "Sgt. Peppers" – Santana and its Latin grooves in 1969 and 1970 – and of course Africa and its influence in rhythms and tones - Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones and The Pipes of Pan at Joujouka (which would be released on Rolling Stones Records in 1973). Robinson explains how Jazz boys Teddy Osei, Sol Amarfio and Mac Tontoh joined forces in England to create the high life very dance-orientated African/Caribbean sound of Osibisa. It's well written, but as I say, I would have liked more, and the booklet has never been updated, despite reissues.

But what BGO did get right is the Audio - Remasters by ANDREW THOMPSON from original MCA Recordings tapes. As all the music is Drums and Bass and Brass punching through the relentless rhythms – clarity is of the Funky essence – and that’s what you get on every number. When the Guitar Afro Funk of "Ayiko Bia" kicks in – you feel it. Over on CD2 is the same – the superbly musical "Y Sharp" feeling like a revelation you needed reacquaintance with. To the musical love…

In a nutshell – for me the "Osibisa" debut is good to very good – but the follow-up "Woyaya" shows a maturity and brilliance that has lasted far better than its predecessor. The opening track has Teddy explaining (talking against crickets and morning sounds) that Osibisa soundscapes are "…criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness…" as the opening number "The Dawn" works its way across your speakers for a leisurely seven minutes. An instrument showcase, "The Dawn" pushes out Bass, Percussion, and strummed guitars at first – but then spacey flute passages soon kick in after which comes killer Brass and Organ that suddenly makes it feel Earth, Wind & Fire had a baby with The Graham Bond Organization. As it fades out, Teddy does that breathy thing Ian Anderson does when he's playing Flute for Jethro Tull. 

At a relatively short five-minutes-plus and with its Brass-friendly upbeat groove, "Music For Gong Gong" was an obvious album sampler so it got released in Germany as a 45-single from the album in that eye-catching Roger Dean artwork. The first British 45 wouldn’t arrive until January 1972 when MCA put "Music For Gong Gong" on the A-side with "Woyaya" on the flip (MCA Records MKS 5079) – clearly an error as the US 45 gets it right with "Woyaya" on the A-side (Decca 32920). African rhythms and vocals kick in for "Ayiko Bia" as does Wendell Richardson giving it some very Santana-like guitar soloing – sounds great. I remember when we played this at Reckless Records in Soho – its hybrid Jazz meets Africa meets Funk meets Drums and Whistles fest getting punters to the counter demanding to know what 80ts African album this was. 1971 mate! There you go!

Side 2 gets all happy with "Akwaaba" – a sexily commercial brass and pumping Bass dancer – like Greenslade getting down with its inner Todd Rundgren. Keeping on with commercial – the almost piano-poppy "Oranges" feels like it might have dropped in from another recording session. Panning the brass across the speakers dates the instrumental a tad but there is some lovely Herb Alpert-type trumpet fills. Thinking you are better than me obsesses the vocals of "Phallus C" – a play on words. And again – great Afro Funk passages if you isolate them. A mellow almost Donny Hathaway meets Santana moment finishes the debut – Guitarist Wendall Richardson asking us to stop and think about the world and pollution and the system and their combined effect on people - "Think About The People". 

"Woyaya" was a huge leap for the band - a maturity in songs and approach. Bowie's main man Producer TONY VISCONTI once again helmed recordings and as you can hear his skill from the crystal clear opening minute-and-a-half of "Beautiful Seven" - where rain, lightning, bass, piano, flute and guitar all melt into one lovely slow sexy groove - Visconti had their vibe down. As the drums and voices float around your speakers - the message of positivity is sounded large. "Y Sharp" sports a lovely melodious opening brass arrangement and tinkers along like that (can't help thinking an edit of its six minutes) might have made an interesting instrumental 45). Soulful and Bluesy organ opens "Spirits Up Above" where it feels like Billy Preston has joined Malo for a chill-out. Gorgeous tune and cool audio too. 

Side 2 opens with banter between the band and producer before they start African cat calls and a pulsating drum beat that feels like someone is going to be roasted over a bonfire in a Ray Harryhausen Lost World movie. But then something brill happens - at almost two minutes in "Survival" suddenly goes into a fantastic Brass and Funk and Voices groove. You can't help thinking that an edit-out of the superfluous beginning would have served the song better - maybe have been a single Pans People could have hot-pants'd to on Top Of The Pops - Sax solo at the close too. "Move On" indulges in an 'Osibisa' chant up to about 45-seconds to once again go into a African meets West funk - lyrics about progressing but getting nowhere. "Rabiatu" opens with clear Bass notes only to be quickly joined by a nice Brass and Drums dancer that feels like Santana living in Ghana. And it all comes to a close with the vocals of "Woyaya" - a song someone thought would make a single because of its happy-upbeat message (heaven knows how we will get there). A sweet end to a highly stylised listen - but revelatory for it too. 

For further investigation of OSIBISA, Beat Goes On (BGO) of the UK also reissued studio album number three - "Heads" – originally released September 1972 in the UK on MCA Records MDKS 8007 (October 1972 in the USA on Decca DL 75368). That Remaster issued 15 November 2005 on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD690 (Barcode 5017261206909) is also still widely available.

African Funk Beat purveyors OSIBISA are a forgotten musical phenomenon in 2024 – their self-titled debut from the spring of 1971 now closing in on 55-years ago. But like Santana, Earth, Wind & Fire, Malo, War and even Blaxploitation Soundtracks – the Funky earthy positive-vibe cocktail stills draws music lovers in like moths to a rhythm flame. 

Resplendent in its card slipcase and sporting Spirits Up Above audio – BGOCD646 is a 2CD twofer you might want to seek out and then buy-in ice-packs for your aching limbs. Enjoy…