Dub Bazaar

African Head Charge made a triumphant return in July with A Trip To Boltatanga, their first album in twelve years and also marking a return to the On-U Sound label.

Initially an experimental project for Adrian Sherwood, the involvement of Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah from the outset gained increasing significance to the extent that African Head Charge is Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, with a (r)evolving cast of musicians.

After 12 years working with Adrian Sherwood, Noah stepped away from On-U Sound after 1993's In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land for a few self-produced albums. Following a brief return to On-U in 1998 for a collaborative album with Professor Stretch, Noah and Sherwood were reunited fully for 2005's Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa. That partnership has continued to the present day.

 

A Trip To Boltatanga is an astonishing album, containing all of the elements that define African Head Charge's signature sound, not least Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah's superlative hand drumming, as mesmerising now as when I first heard African Head Charge in the late 1980s. At the same time, it's a very contemporary sounding record, with songs and rhythms that could very easily sit on an electronica compilation, Asalatua, the title track and closer Microdosing being cases in point.

An essential purchase, in other words, and available on vinyl, CD and digital formats to suit your taste.

 

On-U Sound has also made several African Head Charge albums and compilations of rarities and unused music available via Bandcamp. To be honest, I'd recommend them all but here's a selection of African Head Charge songs spanning 1981 to 2011 to give you a flavour, split into two vinyl facsimile sides. 

 

If this is your first exposure to Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah's brilliance, there's an enjoyable interview with Dangerous Minds from earlier this year where Noah (born Burnell Ralston Anderson) talks about his upbringing in Jamaica, his move to England and subsequent relocation to Ghana in the 1990s and how the latter has furthered his own musical journey and education. A fascinating read.

Side One

1) Ready You Ready Part 2 (Album Version) (2005)

2) Who Are You? (Version) (2003) 

3) Heading To Glory (Album Version) (1993)

4) Dervish Dub (1990)

5) Far Away Chant (ft. Prince Far-I) (1981)

Side Two

1) Dinosaur's Lament (1982)

2) The Best Way (2011)

3) Fullness (1994)

4) Some Bizarre (1986)

5) Ethiopian Praises (1990)

1981: My Life In A Hole In The Ground: A5

1982: Environmental Studies: B1

1986: Off The Beaten Track: B4

1990: Songs Of Praise: B5

1993: In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land: A3

1994: Touch I EP: B3

2003: Shrunken Head: A2

2005: Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa: A1

2011: Voodoo Of The Godsent: B2

2020: Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi: A4

Side One (20:56) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (21:42) (KF) (Mega)

He Who Seeks Only Vanity And No Love For Humanity Shall Fade Away

One of my music reissue highlights of 2021 was New Age Steppers career-spanning box set, Stepping Into A New Age 1980-2012. In addition to their three albums from the 1980s and the 2012 reunion, there's an additional album of previously unreleased dubs and outtakes. 

I was only really familiar with their debut self-titled album and follow-up Action Battlefield, both from 1981, so it was a delight to immerse myself in the set as as whole and it's one that I've repeatedly come back to in the past year. The much-missed Ari Up and Bim Sherman add a unique vocal edge, as does Denise Sherwood and the then-teenage Neneh Cherry. Musically it's all underpinned by a red hot line-up variously including Style Scott, Bruce Smith, George Oban, Viv Albertine, Skip McDonald, Nick Coplowe and Doctor Pablo, and (of course) Adrian Sherwood at the controls.

 

You can buy the individual albums on vinyl or digital formats, or the 5-disc box set on vinyl, digital or CD via Bandcamp. Well worth every penny, as today's selection hopefully demonstrates.

Side One

1) Fade Away (Album Version) (1981)

2) I Scream (Rimshot) (1981)

3) 5 Dog Race (1983)

4) Love Forever (1981) 

Side Two

1) Abderhamane's Demise (Album Version) (1981)

2) The Worst Of Me (ft. Denise Sherwood) (2012)

3) Wide World Version (Dub By Adrian Sherwood) (Cover of 'My Whole World' by Bim Sherman) (1981)

4) Vice Of My Enemies (ft. Bim Sherman) (1983)

5) My Love (Album Version) (Cover of The Gaylads) (ft. Neneh Cherry & Bim Sherman) (1981)

 

1981: The New Age Steppers: A1, A4, B1

1981: Action Battlefield: B5

1983: Foundation Steppers: A3, B4

2004: Action Battlefield (Japan-only bonus tracks): B3

2012: Love Forever: B2

2021: Avant Gardening: A2, B3

Side One (21:15)

Side Two (22:01)

It's Like I'm All Wide Awake In A Dream

Bim Sherman, born in 1952 and named Jarrett Lloyd Tomlinson Vincent, passed on 17th November 2000. It's hard to believe it's been so long as his music is never far from my ears. As mentioned yesterday, I've been steadily updating and expanding my On-U Sound collection each Bandcamp Friday and, inevitably, that has meant more Bim Sherman, who was a frequent collaborator with Adrian Sherwood and the On-U stable.

Today's selection is a fairly random collection of (mostly) Bim Sherman guest spots and team ups, showcasing that whether it's a full vocal or merely oohs and aahs, he would lift any song that he appeared on. A unique and much-missed talent.

 

1) It Must Be A Dream / Dreaming Dub: Bim Sherman (1980)

2) My Woman (Groove Corporation Mix): Bim Sherman (1997)

3) Too Much Workload: Singers & Players ft. Bim Sherman (1982) 

4) Island Paradise (White Mix): Jah Wobble ft. Bim Sherman (1987)

5) My Sunshine (Tony Assassin Mix): Block 16 ft. Bim Sherman (2002)

6) Freaks Of Nature (Natural Dub Mix By Youth & Ott): Dub Trees ft. Bim Sherman (2000)

7) Nu Rizla: Adrian Sherwood ft. Bim Sherman (2006)

8) Repetitive Beats (Mind & Movement Control - On-U Sound) (Remix By Adrian Sherwood & Skip McDonald): Retribution ft. Bim Sherman & Little Axe (1994)

9) Solid As A Rock (Hexadecimal Edit By Steve Osborne): Bim Sherman (1996)

10) Can't Stop Jumping (10" Version By Adrian Sherwood): Dub Syndicate ft. Bim Sherman (1983)

 

It's Like I'm All Wide Awake In A Dream (54:00)

Wise Up!

Side 2 of a mixtape, recorded December 1991 to January 1992. I'd clearly recently bought Keeping The Faith: A Creation Dance Compilation, as it features heavily on both sides. I'd also taken delivery of a box of stuff that I'd picked up during my short time living and working in Perth, which I'd packaged and shipped home via sea- and land-mail services at the end of my year in Australia. I think it took about three months to reach me but it was like an early Christmas, especially the small selection of vinyl that I'd bought over there. The Soft Cell and Cabaret Voltaire tracks definitely came from that shipment. The Julian Cope track was the third of a trilogy of Hugo Nicolson remixes, this one in a lovely picture disc in yellow packaging. A bastard to store without damaging, especially with the number of short-term rents and constant moves I had in the 1990s, it has to be said. Very few of these songs could be found on the college jukebox or were being played out in the clubs that I was going to at the time. I was probably going to the wrong clubs...

 

1) Philly (Jamorphous Mix): Fluke (1990)

2) Time Beats (Album Version): Cabaret Voltaire ft. Lorita Grahame (1990)

3) Acid Love (Original Mix By Adam & Eve): The Beloved (1988) 

4) Memorabilia (12" Version By Daniel Miller): Soft Cell (1981)

5) Hypnotonic (Promo 12" Version): Hypnotone ft. Carlos (2 Supreme) (1991)

6) Heed: Of Penetration And The City Dweller (Head Remix By Hugo Nicolson): Julian Cope (1991)

7) Repetition (Dub): Tackhead (1990)

8) W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix): Happy Mondays (1989)

 

Side Two (45:49)

 

"...mash all of the pedals, turn all those knobs..."

Ride On (Fight On) (2 Meter Sessions, Dutch TV) (You Tube): Little Axe (1996)

 

Gospel dub blues from Skip McDonald. It was the Adrian Sherwood/ON-U Sound connection that originally drew me in, although it was 2002 before a Little Axe album was widely released on Sherwood's label. 1994's The Wolf That House Built had originally started life as a McDonald solo album, Blues Continually, issued as a white label on On-U back in 1993. Later that same year, it was re-sequenced with additional tracks and issued in Japan as a Little Axe album called Never Turn Back. It was then re-compiled and reissued in the UK as The Wolf That House Built.

 

The lead single was Ride On (Fight On), with a couple of excellent remixes by Fluke across the 10" & CD single releases. Sadly, the song - or album - didn't trouble the charts but Moby was possibly taking notes...

 

Little Axe performed Ride On (Fight On) as a live medley on Channel 4's White Room in 1995, but this version from Dutch TV the following year is much better, with pretty much the same line-up as on the album:

 

Skip McDonald: vocals & guitar

Saz Bell & Kevin Gibbs: vocals

Alan Glen: guitar & harmonica

Doug Wimbish: bass

Scott Firth: bass

Keith LeBlanc: drums

Adrian Sherwood: on the mix

 

Ride On (Fight On) (Fluke Mid-Fi Surprise) (You Tube): Little Axe (1994)