The River (live from Greenbelt)

The River (live from Greenbelt)
1991 What? Records
London, England, United Kingdom

Side 1:

1. Iona – Iona
2. Martyn Joseph – Power of Your Love
3. Martyn Joseph – 4 the $
4. Armstrong – Ain’t No Honor
5. Armstrong – His Love
6. Sam Hill – What Are You telling Me
7. Sam Hill – Now Then Forever
8. The Woebeggones – I Hear a Train Coming (traditional)

Side 2:

1. River City People – Huskerson Street
2. River City People – Every Day I Carry the Blame
3. River City People – Hush Little Baby (traditional)
4. Nanette Williams – My Baby Just Cares for Me
5. Nanette Williams – Swing Low Medley (traditional)
6. Ben Okafor – No Matter What It Is
7. Ben Okafor -Stay Here With Me
8. Mechanic Manyeruke Et Al – O When the Saints (traditional)

This is technically a release from a label – a small label, but one with major national distribution. What? Records is known for releasing classics by Iona, Tonio K, Dave Perkins, Ideola, and others. But I can’t find this release listed anywhere online. It also appears to have some underground-ish acts on it. All tracks were recorded live at the 1990 Greenbelt Festival.

• We all know who Iona is, and they deliver a very Celtic ethereal live track here.
• Martyn Joseph is probably more well known over in the UK than here; he plays two acoustic songs from a couple of his late 80s albums.
• I can’t find out exactly who Armstrong is – solo act or band? There are two acoustic tracks with male vocals that have a bit of grit and soul.
• Sam Hill plays a couple of acoustic tracks as well, one from Thunder and Rain.
• The Woebeggones appear to be a band that formed to play at Greenbelt festivals and grew from there. They perform a down home cover of a gospel classic here – something you will see many artists did for this compilation.
• River City People play two songs off of their EMI debut along with a traditional song
• Nannette Welmans, who seems to be known for funk/pop music at this time, covers a jazz standard and a gospel standard in a very jazzy style that Norah Jones would popularize years later.
• Ben Okafor plays live versions of two of his songs from two late 80s albums.
• Mechanic Manyeruke closes out the live set with a traditional jazz standard as well.

Return of the Beat Menace

Return of the Beat Menace
1989 Cheep Records
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Side 1:

1. Big Sur – Catch Me I’m Falling
2. Big Sur – Caught in the Motion
3. GoGo Street – Uncrossable Miles
4. GoGo Street – Cross My Heart
5. GoGo Street – Dreaming of a Neverland
6. Ben Okafor – Wake Up
7. Ben Okafor – Oke Na Ngwele

Side 2:

1. Ben Okafor – Living In a Suitcase
2. The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus – Man of Sorrows
3. The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus – Shadowlands
4. The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus – Hymn to Dionysus
5. The Free Zone – Let Them Eat Progress
6. The Free Zone – Antidote
7. The Free Zone – When the Countdown Starts

This compilation is a collection of bands from the United Kingdom that were on Cheep Records, as well as a few others. Big Sur features Andy Thornton formerly of Rattling the Cage. They apparently signed with Chrysalis Records and released a single called “Please Stay” before breaking up in 1989, when Thornton joined the Late Late Service alternative worship movement. They play a sophisticated  alternative / new wave sound. Both of these songs were on their 1988 cassette Doing the Rounds. GoGo Street had at least one release on Cheep Records. The three songs here are from their 1988 self-titled Cheep Records full length tape. They also play a sophisticated alternative rock sound, like Big Sur but still distinctly different as well. Ben Okafor is a well known and respected Reggae artist. The first two songs here are from his 1989 album Nkiru, while the third was probably unreleased at the time, but was later released in 1992 on Generation. The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus is an avant-garde / experimental band. The three songs here were later released by them in 1991 on Mirror. The Free Zone is an alternative electronic new wave band that was basically the main band on Cheep Records. The first song on here also appeared on their 1990 album Mammon, but the other two appear to be only on this compilation.

Ben Okafor – Children of the World

Ben Okafor
Children of the World
1985 Ears & Eyes Production (EEC 047)
Leeds, England, United Kingdom

Ben Okafor – Lead vocals, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion
Neville King – Keyboards
Anthony Bartley – Bass guitar
Conrad Kelly – Drums, percussion

Side 1:

1. What Could It Be
2. Why?
3. Children of the World
4. Who is Jesus

Side 2:

1. I Love You
2. Just As I Am
3. Messiah Man
4. Jah Man

Ben Okafor is fairly well-known in many music circles. If you haven’t heard of him, well… that is your fault. From what I can tell, this is possibly his first album that he recorded, which was not too long after he moved from Nigeria to the UK. He is a fan of Bob Marley, and Marley’s influence shows on this tape. Okafor continued to develop his own style after this. This tape was produced by early UB40 producer Bob Lamb, so you can hear that influence as well. This was also released on vinyl (and that version seems to be easier to find). This is African roots reggae at its finest. Okafor went on to have albums released by Plankton Records, R.E.X. Music, and many others.