Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Soul Makossa
Company: Mainstream
Catalog: MRL 394
Year: 1972
Grade (cover/record): NM/NM
Comments: still in shrink wrap
Available: 1
Price: $75.00
In spite of the international name, Afrique (French for Africa) was a New
York-based studio entity. Led by sessions bassist Chuck Rainey and
guitarist David T. Walker, in 1973 the 13 member band was signed by the
Detroit-based Mainstream label. Released as an unlikely single, the group
enjoyed a fluke hit with an instrumental remake of Manu Dibango's
"Soul Makossa". With the single just missing the top-40,
Mainstream rushed the band back into the studio to record an album of
similar styled instrumentals. Released with the clever title "Soul
Makossa" the rest of the set was little more than
anonymous soul and disco-influenced fodder ("Kissing My Love",
"House of Rising Funk" and "Let Me Do My Thing").
While Walker and fellow guitarist Arthur Wright came up with a couple of
entertaining segments ("Let Me Do My Thing"), there just wasn't
much to be heard that was original (did you really need another
instrumental version of "Sleepwalk"?). Propelled by the title
track, the parent album proved a minor hit, reaching #152 on the charts.
"Soul Makossa" track listing:
While most bands would have struggled on with a pathetic follow up,
Afrique at least had the sense to call it quits after one LP.