I need some unusual help.
I recover audio recordings for a living, and usually I can trace recordings (especially unmarked cassette or reel tape recordings) back to an artist or album, by title, track list layout, or just searching online.
But I've had one recording on a personal reel tape that was made sometime in late 1977, that I just can't identify. Unfortunately, the customer (who was a great friend and who got me started in audio recovery) died a couple of years ago and I haven't had a chance to follow up until I imported the tracks into Helium.
I've been posting for a few years (since 1998) in various places trying to find the group involved, and searching online music dbs, but no luck. So I thought I'd try here, on the premise that the track titles might jog someone's memory. Or I can provide sound samples on my website, if that might help.
The material is an all-male American a capella group (sounds like either 4 or 5 members, there's no additional remixing that I can detect), singing a total of 29 songs. These are all 'Doo-wop' type songs, Most appear to be studio recordings, with a single take (no remixes, I don't think) using live mics. There are 2 outdoor (live concert) recordings, but there's no introduction or identification of the venue or audience.
The first 5 tracks are:
Wimbawe (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
Love Potion Number 9
A Million Ways
Something About You
Duke of Earl (live recording, unknown venue)
The really interesting thing, is that the intro to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is done with the performers making jungle noises and calls for about 45 seconds before the actual song starts. So it's REALLY unusual.
I've searched the net for 9 years looking for the group, and I've come up blank with all the usual (and some unusual) discography and playlist sites; even the Gallo recording archive couldn't help me. I even got in touch with legal representatives of Solomon Linda - the guy who wrote Mbube (Wimbawe) in the first place, but they weren't able to help either. They were able to say that the group definitely sounds American, not African.
But maybe someone in this forum might be able to recognise the playlist and let me know any ideas or suggestions?
The full album track list follows (I believe it's in the correct order, as the tape recording clearly has vinyl lead-in and lead-out noise about every 6 tracks, so it's probably from a double LP).
Thanks in advance for any ideas, comments, or suggestions!
Cheers,
PC Pete
P.S. If anyone's interested in the story of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and how the dude was just so screwed by copyright, check out http://www.3rdearmusic.com/forum/mbube2.html Don't worry, I'm not a wierdo, I just found the story quite intense.
Track Listing: (Note some song names are unknown, so I've taken the title
from the lyrics)
1) Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
2) Love Potion #9
3) A Million Ways
4) Something About You
5) Duke Of Earl
6) Rock and Roll Lullaby
7) Find Out What I Love
My Steel Heart
9) Up On The Roof
10) Me And The Boys
11) I'm Not That Kind Of Man
12) Silhouettes On The Shade
13) A Town Without Pity
14) Begone Prince of Darkness
15) I'll Take Romance
16) Buzz, Buzz, Buzz
17) Walk The Line To The Roof
18) People Walk With The Angels
19) Don't Forget Your Dancing Shoes
20) Please Don't Leave This Way
21) You're Never Satisfied
22) Hooee, Oh Gee, Oh My
23) Take Me To Your Heart
24) Oh, No
25) That Boy
26) Just A Stepping Stone
27) You Can Make It
28) Emotion
29) Samba
Glad I could help.
