''Somewhere in Afrika'' is the eleventh album by
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's " For You", "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night". After forming in 1971 and with a ...
, released in
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...
.
It is their last studio album recorded for their long time record label
Bronze Records
Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm.
History
Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up ...
. They would record their next studio album, ''
Criminal Tango
''Criminal Tango'' is an album released in 1986 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band with Chris Thompson. Founding guitarist/vocalist Mick Rogers returned to the band for this album and is still an active member. The new bassist Steve Kinch joined th ...
'' for
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldw ...
. Bassist
Matt Irving joined the band, replacing
Pat King for this album.
Track listing
UK version
Side one
#"Tribal Statistics" (
Andy Qunta) – 4:16
#"Eyes of
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...
" (
Al Stewart
Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...
) – 3:28
#"Third World Service" (
Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More) (born 13 August 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, inc ...
) – 5:18
#"
Demolition Man" (
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-ear ...
) – 3:45
#"Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46
Side two
#
"Africa Suite" (Mann, Matt Irving, John Lingwood) – 8:36
#:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06
#:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36
#:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26
#:d) "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31
#"Redemption Song
"Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, '' Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...
(No Kwazulu)" (Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
) – 7:35
#"Somewhere in Africa" (Traditional; arranged by Mann and Lingwood) – 1:38
Bonus Tracks (1999 CD re-issue)
# "War Dream" (Mann, Lingwood, Steve Waller, Irving, Shona Laing) – 3:08
#"Holiday's Dream" (Mann, Irving, Lingwood, Waller) – 2:40
#"Redemption Song" (single version) (Bob Marley) – 4:14
#"Eyes of Nostradamus" (12" single version) (Stewart) – 4:42
#"Demolition Man" (single version/alternate mix) (Sumner) – 3:44
US version
The North American version of ''Somewhere in Afrika'' was reordered, and was substantially different from the European version. Several tracks were added, while others were altered or edited.
Added to the line-up were the songs "Runner" (the band's final Top 40 hit in the US to date) and "Rebel". "Runner" was included in the soundtracks of the films, ''The Philadelphia Experiment
The Philadelphia Experiment was an alleged event claimed to have been witnessed by an ex- merchant mariner named Carl M. Allen at the United States Navy's Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, sometime around ...
'' (1984) and '' Firstborn'' (1984). "Africa Suite" was altered to feature a completely different final section called "Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (which had appeared as a separate track on the European LP); the original final section of the suite (known as "Lalela") now appeared as a separate track earlier in the album's running order. Finally, the track "Redemption Song" was cut by over 3 minutes.
The label One Way Records added the original UK LP versions of "Third World Service" and "Redemption Song" to a CD reissue.
In the later program of MMEB remasters, "Runner" and "Rebel" were included on the 1999 reissue of "Criminal Tango".
Side one
#" Demolition Man" (Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-ear ...
) – 3:40
#"Runner
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
" ( Ian Thomas) – 4:40
#"Rebel" (Reg Laws) – 3:52
#"Eyes of Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...
" ( Stewart) – 3:28
#"Third World Service" (Moore
Moore may refer to:
People
* Moore (surname)
** List of people with surname Moore
* Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador
* Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army
* Moore Powell (died c. 1 ...
) – 3:24
Side two
#"Somewhere in Africa" (Trad arr Mann, Lingwood) – 1:38
#"Tribal Statistics" ( Qunta) – 4:16
# "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31
#"Redemption Song
"Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, '' Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...
(No Kwazulu)" (Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
) – 4:11
# "Africa Suite" (Mann, Irving, Lingwood) – 9:54
#:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06
#:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36
#:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26
#:d) "Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Mann) – 2:46
Bonus Tracks (One Way Records CD re-issue)
# "Third World Service" (long version) (Moore) – 5:17
#"Redemption Song" (long version) (Bob Marley) – 7:35
Original CD version
The first CD release includes the tracks from the original UK LP, but in a very different sequence. Later reissues reverted to the original UK LP tracklisting. On the 1999 re-issue, "Africa Suite" is one track, whereas on the later remaster (from the ''40th Anniversary Box Set'' and released as a standalone CD in 2016), all the sections have separate index tracks. The tracks "Runner" and "Rebel" were appended to the 1999 remaster of Criminal Tango
''Criminal Tango'' is an album released in 1986 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band with Chris Thompson. Founding guitarist/vocalist Mick Rogers returned to the band for this album and is still an active member. The new bassist Steve Kinch joined th ...
with the explanation ''"Although recorded for the U.S. 'Somewhere in Afrika' album, these two songs feature the return of Mick Rogers and fit more into the 'Tango' period than the Afrika one."''
#"Redemption Song
"Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, '' Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...
(No Kwazulu)" (Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
) – 7:35
#"Somewhere in Africa" (Traditional; arranged by Mann and Lingwood) – 1:38
#"Tribal Statistics" ( Andy Qunta) – 4:16
#"Africa Suite" (Mann, Matt Irving, John Lingwood) – 8:36
#:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06
#:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36
#:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26
#:d) "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31
#"Eyes of Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...
" (Al Stewart
Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...
) – 3:28
#" Demolition Man" (Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-ear ...
) – 3:45
#"Third World Service" (Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More) (born 13 August 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, inc ...
) – 5:18
#"Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46
Personnel
Musicians
* Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two diffe ...
– keyboards, synthesisers
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, vocals ("Brothers and Sisters of Azania" and its reprise in the 7 minute version of "Redemption Song")
* John Lingwood – drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
, percussion
* Steve Waller – vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
, guitar ("Eyes of Nostradamus", "Third World Service", "Demolition Man" and "To Bantustan?")
* Chris Thompson – vocals ("Runner", "Tribal Statistics", "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" and "Redemption Song")
* Matt Irving – bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
, programming (MC4)
* Shona Laing
Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She has had several hits in her native country, as well as a few minor international hits, most notably " (Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow". Laing contributed to Manfred ...
– vocals
* Trevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabin (; born ) is a South African rock musician and composer. Born into a musical family and raised in Johannesburg, Rabin took up the piano and guitar at an early age and became a session musician, playing and producing with a va ...
– lead guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
on "Redemption Song", guitar solo on "Runner"
* Mick Rogers – guitar, backing vocals on "Runner"
African vocals recorded in London
Chief Dawethi, Fats Mothya, Jabu Mbalu, Rufus Sefothuma, Zanty Lekau
Technical
* Manfred Mann – producer
* Lars Finnstrom – engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
* Terry Medhurst – engineer
* Martin Poole – cover art
Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ...
Charts
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Manfred Mann's Earth Band albums
1982 albums
Bronze Records albums
Arista Records albums