Coming Home: Original Ghanaian Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1964-1981

Gatefold 180 gram vinyl 3xLP + 2xCD

Original Ghanaian Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1967-1981 ?

Ghanaian highlife master and “The Golden Voice Of Africa”, Pat Thomas,returns with his first full career retrospective on Strut this Autumn, covering his late ‘60s big band highlife recordings through to the “burger highlife” movement of the early ‘80s. Growing up with music around him (“my uncle, King Onyina, was an important highlife musician”), Thomas was inspired to become a singer after hearing vocalist Joss Aikins: “He sang with Broadway Dance Band and Decca in Ghana chose him to sing with any group that came into their studios.” When a new incarnation of Broadway Dance Band was created in ‘67, led by Ebo Taylor, Thomas received his first big break. “Ebo started to write new songs. I added the lyrics and sang them and it worked well.” The partnership with Taylor would become one of the enduring forces in Ghanaian music during the ‘70s, creating a fresh, progressive new highlife sound. They played with the Blue Monks band before, in 1974, forming Sweet Beans with the backing of Ghana’s Cocoa Marketing Board: “The album, ‘False Lover’, was the first under my own name and my first for Gapophone,” Pat reflects. “Reggae was “on” at that time - Jimmy Cliff was the guy - so I tried reggae fusions and brought in some soul.” The album established Thomas across Ghana. Sweet Beans disbanded but the musicians stayed together as Marijata. “The guys initially used Jewel Ackah as their vocalist but they involved me and I re-vocalled the album. This became the ‘Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata’ LP. At that time, I would go to George Prah at Gapophone to ask for money and he would say, ‘if you want me to pay you, go and write a song!’ So, tracks like ‘Coming Home’ came about that way, written on the spot.” A second Marijata album followed before a damaging coup in Ghana in 1979. “Jerry Rawlings’ “house-cleaning” was designed to stop corruption but it seriously damaged our country’s music culture.” Thomas left for Berlin and stayed true to his highlife roots, becoming the first Ghanaian to record highlife there. “In Ghana, people ex-pats living in Germany called themselves ‘burgers’, so the scene became ‘burger highlife’.” Thomas travelled to Togo and London, before settling in Canada: “I ended up there for ten years playing for universities, Ghanaian societies and festivals.”

Pat is now back with Kwashibu Area Band and touring worldwide: “Today, highlife has become the world’s music and I am proud to still bring it to so many people.” ‘Coming Home’ is released on 2CD, 3LP and digital and features exclusive photos and a full interview with Pat Thomas.
First ever career retrospective of key Ghanaian highlife figure
Covers ‘60s highlife to heavy ‘70s Afrobeat and later highlife disco period
full official release, produced in conjunction with Pat Thomas. Many tracks released internationally for the first time
includes two previously unreleased tracks: ‘No Money, No Love’ and ‘Sack The Devils’ recorded with Ebo Taylor
touring around album globally with Kwashibu Area Band during 2016-7

Item détails
Artist : Pat Thomas
Title : Coming Home: Original Ghanaian Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1964-1981
Label : Strut
Réf. label : STRUT 147LP
Genre : Afro
Country : UK
Year : 2016
Format : 3xLP
Origine : Original
Record Condition : MINT
Sleeve Condition : SEALED
Second hand : Non
Price : 36,00 EUR
Out of Stock
Tracklist

Side 1
1. Ogyatanaa Show Band - (Super) Yaa Amponsah (with Pat Thomas)
2. Pat Thomas & The Black Berets - Obra A Yebo Yi
3. Pat Thomas & The Big '7' - Eye Colo
4. Pat Thomas - Awurade Mpaebo
5. Pat Thomas & The Sweet Beans - Merebre
Side 2
1. Pat Thomas & The Sweet Beans - Revolution
2. Pat Thomas - We Are Coming Home
3. Pat Thomas - Let's Think It Over
4. Pat Thomas & The Sweet Beans - Set Me Free
Side 3
1. Ebo Taylor - No Money, No Love (feat Pat Thomas - previously unreleased)
2. Ebo Taylor - Sack The Devils (feat Pat Thomas - previously unreleased)
3. Pat Thomas & Ebo Taylor - Ma Huno
Side 4
1. Pat Thomas - Mewo Akoma
2. Pat Thomas - Gyae Su
Side 5
1. Pat Thomas - Yamona
2. Pat Thomas & Marijata - I Need More
Side 6
1. Super Sounds - Who's Free
2. Pat Thomas - Mpaebo

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