OSIBISA MDKS 8001 (-71) UK

In retrospective probably the premiere "world music" album, at least the first truly successful one. Group founded in London 1969 by alredy experienced musicians from Ghana, Nigeria, Trinidad, Antigua, Aruba and Grenada. They've released thirtyfour albums up to 1997 through different settings and as far as I understand the band is still active in some form. This debute remains their most sold on release - #11 in UK and #55 on Billboard. Recorded in George Martins Air Studios and produced by Tony Visconti it's not only a blend of African and West Indian, but also a meeting between exotic tunes and well mannered British recording technique. To my ears the merging works well on all levels. Three of the cuts - "The Dawn", "Music For Gong Gong" and "Think About The People" - makes me think of early Santana. Very good but not unique at the time. The rest is more seminal - jazzy prog African style, not by coping or flashing the genre but actually being there. Fav tracks - "Ayiko Bia" and "Phallus C". This issue also tells a lot about how important the audio is. If it'd been bad here I probably wouldn't have listened this much. But the high quality studio and production combined with a top notch pressing makes it sound so good I can almost taste the music. So I spin it a lot, get aquainted and loving it. First US on Decca (DL 75285). MCA UK had a variety of label designs during the early seventies and it's not always easy to distinguish the timeline for an issue. This is probably one of the most confusing with three different designs having the first matrix (-1L/-1L). Two on the "dogbone" label - one pink/orange and one brown/red - plus this black/silver. After checking some mother/stampers I believe pink/orange was absolutely first while the two others came slightly after. The one shown here has thick unflexible vinyl and matt fold/out cover.