Highlife-Jazz and Afro-Soul (1963 - 1969)

Highlife-Jazz and Afro-Soul (1963 - 1969)

Artist

Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos

Label

Knitting Factory Records

Catalogue number

KFR1134-2

Release date

  • CD, 3×CD
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A compilation of some of Fela’s pre-Afrobeat singles, recorded between 1963 and 1968. Fela called the music “highlife jazz.” It is uncomplicated, good-time dance music inhabiting a different space than the gritty recordings of the 1970s onwards - though even at his most political, Fela always remained supremely danceable (he might have regarded the title of Funkadelic’s 1970 album Free Your Ass And Your Mind Will Follow as simplistic, but he would likely have agreed with the sentiment). By the time of these Koola Lobitos sides, two of the musicians who would be longstanding cornerstones of Fela’s bands had come aboard: drummer Tony Allen, bandleader until he quit Afrika 70 in 1978, and baritone saxophonist Lekan Animashaun, who took over as bandleader from Allen. Another important Afrobeat pioneer, trumpeter Tunde Williams, joined Koola Lobitos in 1967. Six of the album’s tracks were in 2001 added to the Wrasse (UK) reissue of the Sterns (UK) CD The ’69 Los Angeles Sessions.

TRACKLISTING DISC 1

  1. Bonfo
  2. Fere
  3. Onifere No. 2
  4. Oyejo
  5. Oloruka
  6. Awo
  7. Great Kids
  8. Amaechi’s Blues
  9. Yese
  10. Egbin
  11. Orise
  12. Eke
  13. V.C. 7
  14. I Know Your Feeling

DISC 2

  1. Signature Tune
  2. It’s Highlife Time
  3. Lagos Baby
  4. Omuti
  5. Ololufe
  6. Araba’s Delight
  7. Wa Dele
  8. Lai Se
  9. Mi O Mo
  10. Obinrin Le
  11. Omo Ejo

DISC 3

  1. Everyday I Got My Blues (Live)
  2. Moti Gbrokan (Live)
  3. Waka Waka (Live)
  4. Ako (Live)
  5. Ororuka (Live)
  6. Lai Se (Live)
  7. Onidodo
  8. Ajo
  9. Abiara
  10. Se E Tun De
  11. Waka Waka
  12. My Baby Don Love Me
  13. Home Cooking
#
Track
Artist
Time
01
Bonfo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:15
02
Fere
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:56
03
Onifere No.2
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:14
04
Oyejo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:25
05
Oloruka
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:07
06
Awo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:12
07
Great Kids
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:08
08
Amaechi's Blues
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:42
09
Yese
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:05
10
Egbin
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:02:59
11
Orise
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:27
12
Eke
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:16
13
V.C. 7
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:33
14
I Know Your Feeling
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:04
15
Signature Tune
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:00:26
16
It's Highlife Time
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:23
17
Lagos Baby
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:35
18
Omuti
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:53
19
Ololufe
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:17
20
Araba's Delight
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:58
21
Wa Dele
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:08
22
Lai Se
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:14
23
Mi O Mo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:43
24
Obinrin Le
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:04:49
25
Omo Ejo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:02
26
Everyday I Got My Blues
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:39
27
Moti Gbrokan
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:06:15
28
Waka Waka
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:45
29
Ako
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:07:30
30
Ororuka
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:06
31
Lai Se
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:05:42
32
Onidodo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:05
33
Alagbara
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:13
34
Ajo
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:45
35
Abiara
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:00
36
Se E Tun De
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:19
37
Waka Waka
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:24
38
My Baby Don Love Me
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:20
39
Home Cooking
Fela Kuti & His Koola Lobitos
00:03:07