There are regular, run-of-the mill albums, and there are those that carry a revolutionary edge and seem set to change the world. Sabbath’s first album had that chutzpah, as did the Pistols’ debut, and so does the Original Soundtrack from the film Soul To Soul. On 6th March 1971 a host of African American artists took their music to Ghana for what proved to be an extraordinary festival of music. It was a highly significant event; the black diaspora not only exploring personal roots, but musical roots, too. Not only was there a feeling that these artists were returning to their ancestral home, but the music was also returning to its original source. As such, the musical contained within these grooves is highly explosive, so handle with care.
This reissue of Soul To Soul alters the tracklist of the 1971 issue, some songs have been removed and others added, with the performances of each artist presented in blocks, rather than in a random fashion. This might be an anathema to those who remember the first pressing, yet few can have complaints about the expanded running time and when it comes to opening salvos, things don’t get much more vivacious than the three from Ike & Tina Turner. It’s the title-track that kicks things off, a slow builder that soon gets the blood rushing (at least in anyone with a pulse) and sets things up nicely for the rest of the disc. However, it’s the following ‘River Deep – Mountain High’ which threatens to blow the roof off with a spirited version that becomes even more vital by dint of being played live. Yet, soul is nothing if not versatile and ‘I Smell Trouble’ gets low down and dirty for a bad case of the blues; Tina is in fine voice, as is Ike who makes his guitar sing in the sweetest way.
Ike and Tina are undoubtedly a hard act to follow but if anyone could, it’s surely The Voices Of East Harlem, a collective who serve up a swirling fusion of soul, jazz and rock, and deliver it with a distinctly gospel quality. Despite each of these artists bringing a unique flavour to the concert, the shift between tracks feels seamless and when Les McCann and Eddie Harris join forces and deliver a slice of Urban Funk on ‘The Price You Gotta Pay To Be Free’, it makes perfect sense. This concert was a game changer, not only for the artists, but also for the crowd, and their ecstatic reaction is given prime position on this disc which makes it feel like an intimate affair (despite 100,000 people being present).
Many of these artists were previously unknown in Ghana before this concert (and in the pre-internet age, that means unknown), so the revelatory impact that The Staple Singers had on the crowd pours from the grooves. Likewise, Santana were a hitherto unfamiliar entity, yet their Latin-infused jazz/rock fusion would go on to have an exorbitant influence on Ghanaian music, and on the strength of ‘Jungle Strut’ it’s easy to hear why. In fact, the only artist who previously had any type of audience in Ghana was Wilson Pickett and to say his appearance verged on Beatlemania would be something of an understatement. With songs such as ‘In The Midnight Hour’ and ‘Funky Broadway’ at his disposal, he can’t really go wrong, whilst ‘1000 Dances’ finds the disc coming to a conclusion in some style.
The varied scope of soul means that there’s never any danger of things becoming staid, and makes this the type of album that can be consumed in one sitting. But one thing’s for sure, you’ll soon be hitting “play” again (and again).
- Soul To Soul is released via Liberation Hall.
Track List:
- Soul To Soul *
- River Deep – Mountain High *
- I Smell Trouble *
- Run, Shaker Life **
- Choose Your Seat and Set Down/Walk All Over God’s Heaven **
- The Price You Gotta Pay To Be Free ***
- When Will We Be Paid ****
- Are You Sure ****
- He’s Alright ****
- Jungle Strut *****
- Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen *****
- In The Midnight Hour ******
- Funky Broadway ******
- Land Of 1000 Dances ******
* Ike & Tina Turner
** The Voices Of East Harlem
***Les McCann & Eddie Harris
****The Staple Singers
*****Santana
******Wilson Pickett
