Somewhere in Africa

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Somewhere in Africa
Studio album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Publication
(s)

November 15, 1982

admission

1981/1982

Label (s) Bronze Records

Format (s)

LP

Genre (s)

Rock , progressive rock

Title (number)

8th

running time

39:22

occupation

production

Manfred Mann

Studio (s)

Workhouse II, London - Mastersounds (Sweden) - Underhill Studios

chronology
Chance (1980) Somewhere in Africa Budapest Live (1984)

Somewhere in Africa is a concept album about South Africa at the time of Apartheid the British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band . It was released in Germany in November 1982, in the United Kingdom in February 1983, and in an alternative version in the United States in November 1983.

The album

Homelands (Bantustans) during apartheid

On Somewhere in Afrika Manfred Mann deals with his native country South Africa and the effects of the apartheid ruling then there. Above all, the Bantustans , South Africa's internationally not recognized deportation states, are discussed. The African chants on the album were recorded on location by Matt Irving and later mixed in in the studio. The album contains the usual cover versions of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, such as Demolition Man by Sting , Nostradamus by Al Stewart and Bob Marley's Redemption Song , with the latter incorporating the rejection of the Bantustans - namely KwaZulu , Bophuthatswana and Transkei . Throughout the album there are always keywords from the Zulu and Xhosa languages ​​such as Azania (South Africa), Amandla (power) and Awethu (belongs to us).

The back of the album cover shows a map of South Africa with the Bantustans, a different version was chosen for publication there.

reception

Somewhere in Africa reached 8th place in Germany and 40th place in the USA.

Mike DeGagne from allmusic thinks that the album deserves a much higher place in the USA and that Lalela and Koze Kobenini , parts of the Africa Suite , convey Mann's love for his birthplace without appearing artificial.

Track list

page 1
  1. Tribal Statistics (Qunta) - 4:16
  2. Eyes of Nostradamus ( Al Stewart ) - 3:28
  3. Third World Service ( Anthony Moore ) - 5:18
  4. Demolition Man ( Sting ) - 3:45
  5. Brothers and Sisters of Azania (male) - 2:46
Page 2
  2. Africa Suite (Mann, Irving, Lingwood) - 8:36
    a) Brothers and Sisters of Africa (male) - 3:06
    b) To Bantustan? (Man) - 2:36
    c) Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?) (Man, Irving) - 1:26
    d) Lalela (Mann, Lingwood) - 1:31
  3. Redemption Song (No Kwazulu) ( Bob Marley ) - 7:35
  4. Somewhere in Africa (Traditional, arranged by Mann and Lingwood) - 1:38

In the USA, the album was only released in November 1983 with a different track composition.

page 1
  1. Demolition Man (Sting) - 3:40
  2. Runner ( Ian Thomas ) - 4:40
  3. Rebel (Reg Laws) - 3:52
  4. Eyes of Nostradamus (Al Stewart) - 3:28
  5. Third World Service (Anthony Moore) - 3:24
Page 2
  1. Somewhere in Africa (Trad arr Mann, Lingwood) - 1:38
  2. Tribal Statistics (Qunta) - 4:16
  3. Lalela (male, Lingwood) - 1:31
  4. Redemption Song (No Kwazulu) (Bob Marley) - 4:11
  6. Africa Suite (Mann, Irving, Lingwood) - 9:54
    a) Brothers and Sisters of Africa (male) - 3:06
    b) To Bantustan? (Man) - 2:36
    c) Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?) (Man, Irving) - 1:26
    d) Brothers and Sisters of Azania (male) - 2:46

The CD release from 1999 contains the following additional titles.

  1. War Dream (Mann, Lingwood, Waller, Irving, Laing) - 3:08
  2. Holiday's Dream (Mann, Irving, Lingwood, Waller) - 2:40
  3. Redemption Song (single version) (Marley) - 4:14
  4. Eyes of Nostradamus (maxi single version) (Stewart) - 3:44
  5. Demolition Man (single version / alternative mix) (Sting) - 3:44

proof

  1. ↑ a b Release dates of the Earthband albums
  2. ↑ Somewhere in Africa in the German charts
  3. ↑ Somewhere in Africa in the US charts on Allmusic (English)
  4. ↑ Somewhere in Africa on Allmusic (English)
  5. ↑ USA publication at discogs
  6. ↑ CD release at discogs

Web links