Osibisa -

Osibisa are an Afro-funk/jazz-rock band formed in London by four Ghanaian and three Caribbean musicians. Between 1971 and 1976, they made eight albums on MCA, Warner Bros., and Island, including the soundtrack to the second installment of the Super Fly franchise. Their first three albums feature cover illustrations by fantasy painter Roger Dean (Yes, Uriah Heep). Saxist/percussionist Loughty Amao also played in the jazz-rock supergroups Third World and Zzebra.

Members: Teddy Osai (lead vocals, flute, soprano saxophone, drums), Sol Amarfio (drums, backing vocals), Loughty Amao (percussion, tenor saxophone), Mac Tontoh (trumpet, 1969-2010), Spartacus R (bass, 1969-?), Robert Bailey (keyboards), Wendel Richardson (lead guitar, 1969-73, 1977-present), Kiki Gyan (keyboards, 1972-77), Dikoto Mendengue (bass, 1973-?), Daku “Potato” Adams (percussion), Kofi Ayivor (percussion, congas, 1973-77), Bessa Simons (keyboards), Kwame Yeboah (keyboards), Chris Jerome (keyboards), Gregg Koti Brown (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Kari Bannerman (lead guitar, backing vocals), Victor Mansah (bass), Emmanuel Rentzos (keyboards, backing vocals), Nii Okine (percussion, congas, backing vocals), Colin Graham (trumpet, backing vocals, 1983-?)

Background

Osibisa had its roots in The Star Gazers, a Fifties Ghanaian highlife band that featured saxophonist Teddy Osei (b. December 1, 1937) and drummer Solomon Amarfio (b. September 22, 1938). The pair later formed The Comets, which included Osei’s brother, trumpeter Mac Tontoh (b. December 25, 1940). In 1958, they scored a West African hit with “(I Feel) Pata Pata.”

In 1962, Osei won a scholarship to study music in London, where he assembled Cat’s Paw, an ethno-soul/rock band that presaged worldbeat. By 1969, he summoned Amarfio and Tontoh to London, where they formed Osibisa from a multi-national pool of talent: Antiguan guitarist/singer Wendell (Dell) Richardson, Nigerian percussionist/saxist Lasisi Amao, Grenadian bassist Roger “Spartacus” Bedeau, and Trinidadian keyboardist Robert Bailey.

Their name derived from osibisaba: the word for “highlife” in Fante, the language of central/south Ghana.

Osibisa

Osibisa released their self-titled debut album in June 1971 on MCA.

Across the album, Teddy Osei shares tenor with Loughty Amao (also baritone sax and congas) alongside Mac Tontoh’s trumpet, with Spartacus R (bass + percussion) and Sol Amarfio (drums) carrying the rhythm while Robert Bailey (piano/organ) and Wendell Richardson (guitar) shape the lead layer.

Osibisa opens with “The Dawn,” which starts on spoken narration, bird and animal sounds, and tribal percussion before double bass and organ take the center; shouts in an African dialect and a Santana-leaning guitar line set up a flute passage, and the track keeps pivoting through sectional turns without breaking its flow. “Music for Gong Gong” tightens the pace into a horn-forward run where sax and organ trade lead space, then drops into a percussive break and closes on a burst of dense percussion and whistles. “Ayiko Bia” begins as a call-and-response vocal contest, then transfers the same challenge into the instruments—guitar states a complex solo figure, bass and trumpet echo it in sequence as organ backs the exchanges, and drums and African percussion take the last round.

On side two, “Akwaaba” leans on wind parts and chant patterns with guitar and bass tracing the same contour before organ steps forward, “Oranges” shifts to a jazzier frame where winds and piano lead and a brief guitar passage rides dense percussion, “Phallus C” alternates a 9/8 riff with a 4/4 brass section and pushes into freer sax lines, and “Think About the People” closes with abrupt dynamic jumps—hard bursts, softer passages, and extended Hammond stretches—while the lyric turns toward pollution and daily conditions in Central Africa.

A1. “The Dawn” (7:24)
A2. “Music for Gong Gong” (4:19)
A3. “Ayiko Bia” (7:52)

B1. “Akwaaba” (5:27)
B2. “Oranges” (4:43)
B3. “Phallus C” (7:15)
B4. “Think About the People” (4:36)

Sessions occurred at Advision Studios in London with engineer Martin Rushent and producer Tony Visconti, who worked in sequence on albums by T. Rex (Electric Warrior) and Gentle Giant (Acquiring the Taste).

Osibisa features a gatefold cover illustration by Roger Dean, whose fantasy imagery also graces 1971 covers for Yes (Fragile) and Atomic Rooster (In Hearing of Atomic Rooster). Shep Sherbell supplied the photography.

The gatefold spreads into a continuous, sunset-toned fantasy landscape, with orange ground under a pink-to-gold sky streaked by smoky clouds and backed by distant low hills. The Osibisa logo floats near the upper middle, hovering above the scene. On the right, two hybrid creatures combine elephant heads with tusks and large, translucent insect wings: one dominates the upper right, flying toward the viewer with wings flared wide, while the second sits lower right on the horizon line with wings extended like a grounded glider. On the left, tall reed-like plants fill the foreground as a long-necked, scaled creature with a frilled dragon/lizard head rises among them, facing into the spread. Near the middle distance, a dark, knotted tree mass anchors the center, with scrubby silhouettes fading into the haze and reinforcing the depth across the fold. The overall effect is a warm, surreal savanna tableau where the winged-elephant motifs, echoing the front cover, appear both in motion and at rest within the same panoramic scene.

Wɔyaya

Osibisa released their second album, Wɔyaya, in December 1971 on MCA.

Wɔyaya retains the seven musicians from the prior album and keeps the same division of labor: Richardson/Bailey at the front; Osei/Amao trading tenor and flute with Amao also on baritone sax and congas; Tontoh on trumpet/flugelhorn; Spartacus R and Amarfio anchoring bass and drums with added percussion (plus mbira for Spartacus R).

Woyaya opens “Beautiful Seven” with thunder and rain, a flute lead, and a slow chant figure over congas, then lifts the tempo into a faster run where percussion and flute push the center before the arrangement circles back to the opening flute. “Y Sharp” comes in hot on blasting horns and fast, insistent rhythm, with electric piano entering mid-track and guitar surfacing later as the parts stack and release in short bursts. “Spirits Up Above” starts relaxed on organ, then shifts gears into a longer sequence where piano, drums, and horns raise the intensity and guitar takes the late lead after the tempo tightens.

Side two opens “Survival” on vocal exclamations and dense percussion before a quick tempo jump brings in vocal lines, horns, and organ, capped by a late sax feature. “Move On” rides a bass-and-percussion front end with lyrics over a steady pulse, “Rabiatu” builds from bass and drums into fuller ensemble passages, then drops back into a percussion break with whistles cueing a final crescendo, and “Wɔyaya” closes on organ, drums, vocals, and flute in a slower, sing-along frame.

A1. “Beautiful Seven” (6:42)
A2. “Y Sharp” (6:20)
A3. “Spirits Up Above” (6:50)

B1. “Survival” (6:07)
B2. “Move On” (4:42)
B3. “Rabiatu” (5:07)
B4. “Wɔyaya” (4:28)

Sessions occurred at Air Studios in London with engineer John Punter and producer Tony Visconti, who followed Wɔyaya with his 1972 production for T. Rex (The Slider).

Wɔyaya again uses cover art by Roger Dean, whose 1972 sleeve work also includes Gentle Giant (Octopus), Yes (Close to the Edge), and Uriah Heep (The Magician’s Birthday); Robert Ellis and Shepard Sherbell supplied the photography.

The gatefold opens onto a bright, green wetland scene under a clear blue sky, with low tree islands and mangrove-like root lattices stretching across the middle distance and faint blue mountains on the far left horizon. In the left foreground, a thick, dark tree trunk rises into a leafy canopy, and a large green lizard perches on a rounded stump, looking out over the plain. Along the bottom edge, the waterline cuts across the image in teal bands, where tangled roots and stilts frame two bulky, horned, reptile-like creatures sprawled across the mangroves. Dominating the right half, a red, tusked elephant hybrid hovers in midair with long, translucent insect wings splayed wide, its body angled forward as if swooping over the swamp.

Despite its common spelling with a standard “o,” the correct spelling is Wɔyaya (with an open “o”). The word means “We are going” in the Ga language spoken by the Ga-Dangme people of Ghana.

Art Garfunkel covered “Wɔyaya” on his 1973 solo debut Angel Clare. The 5th Dimension covered the song on their concurrent album Living Together, Growing Together. “Wɔyaya” also served as the theme to Osofo Dadzie (Daddy’s Girl), a Ghanaian drama series that ran from 1972 to 1981 on the GTV network.

Heads

Osibisa released their third album, Heads, in September 1972 on MCA.

Heads retains five musicians from the prior album (Richardson, Bailey, Spartacus R, Amao, Tontoh) and widens Bailey’s role to include electric piano and Moog plus additional instruments/voices; Richardson adds acoustic guitar; Tontoh expands brass options to include cornet; Spartacus R adds kalimba.

Heads opens with “Kokorokoo,” framed as a new-day prelude via rooster sound, then moves into Hammond-heavy interplay where vocal dialogue and instrument responses cycle against a native chorus. “Wango Wango” shifts into a more streamlined vocal approach, while “So So Mi La So” returns to an instrumental focus with psychedelic guitar, flute, and elaborate percussion in tight alignment.

“Sweet America” brings flute and Hammond together but repeats its core figure with minimal change, then “Ye Tie Wo” resets the atmosphere with jungle sounds, extraordinary percussion, and contrapuntal vocals. Side two peaks on “Che Che Kule,” which folds African patterns into Arabic-tinged phrases and stacks shouts, effects, and high-intensity percussion, then “Mentumi” and “Sweet Sounds” keep the cadence light but lean on repetition, and “Do You Know” closes as a slower ballad where rock parts sit forward and the earlier rhythmic vocabulary drops back.

A1. “Kokorokoo” (4:56)
A2. “Wango Wango” (4:31)
A3. “So So Mi La So” (3:13)
A4. “Sweet America” (4:21)
A5. “Ye Tie Wo” (4:12)

B1. “Che Che Kule” (6:32)
B2. “Mentumi” (3:40)
B3. “Sweet Sounds” (5:06)
B4. “Do You Know” (4:44)

John Punter produced and engineered the album in July–August 1972 at AIR Studios, where he oversaw subsequent efforts by Bryan Ferry (These Foolish Things) and Roxy Music (For Your Pleasure).

-Wendell Richardson – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
-Robert Bailey – organ, piano, electric piano, moog synthesizer, acoustic guitar, timbales, vocals, bass
-Spartacus R – bass guitar, kalimba, percussion
-Loughty Amao – congas, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, vocals
-Mac Tontoh – cornet, trumpet, flugelhorn, cow horn, cabasa

Abdul Mati Klarwein supplied the cover art with cover design by David Howells and Carol Smither. The gatefold opens on a flat, sky-blue field crossed by radiating dotted lines that read like beams or signal paths, fanning outward from the left. On the far left panel, a large, close-up profile of a smooth, red-painted face looks inward across the fold, with the dotted rays projecting from the head into the open space. Near the bottom left corner, a smaller head pops up in the same red treatment, mouth open in a shout, intensifying the sense of broadcast or call-and-response. The right panel is dominated by a surreal, red elephant head turned toward the viewer, with long white tusks and a curled, tail-like trunk; embedded around the face and trunk are multiple portrait heads, arranged like medallions or growths along the elephant’s form. The Osibisa logo sits in the upper right, completing an image that blends iconography of transmission, identity, and the band’s recurring elephant motif into a single, confrontational tableau.

Happy Children

Osibisa released their fourth album, Happy Children, in late 1973 on Warner Bros.

Happy Children retains one musician from the prior album (Tontoh) and resets the band around returning Osei and Amarfio, new bassist Jean Dikoto Mandengue, new conga player Kofi Ayivor, and keyboardist Jean-Alain Roussel, with a broad Osibisa group credit for composing/arranging/performance and added percussion colors.

Happy Children opens in a call-and-response party setup, then the title track locks into clipped clavinet figures and brass lines built from simple riffs and vocal chants. “We Want to Know (Mo)” drops the tempo, keeps percussion forward, and leans on bass movement and clavinet shimmer as the parts cycle in longer phrases. “Kotoku” runs as an instrumental breather, paced and laid back, with muted trumpet haze and carefully placed percussion details. “Take Your Trouble… Go” puts guitar up front for a harder edge, with electric piano glitter around the main figure and a late percussive workout that strips the arrangement to rhythm.

Side two turns “Adwoa” into a vocal-heavy cut with string-synth bed and small flute touches, then “Bassa-Bassa” opens on a 9/8 pattern with bass leading and chants, organ, piano, and brass entering in quick layers; the riff breaks on a semi-tone figure with wobbly organ before the pulse snaps back. “Somaja” centers tribal chanting and dense percussion in a more traditional frame, and “Fire” closes on a jammy build with shimmering electric piano and a mid-track bass feature.

A1. “Happy Children” (6:32)
A2. “We Want to Know (Mo)” (5:59)
A3. “Kotoku” (2:41)
A4. “Take Your Trouble…. Go” (4:03)

B1. “Adwoa” (3:59)
B2. “Bassa-Bassa” (4:54)
B3. “Somaja” (3:30)
B4. “Fire” (5:26)

Osibisa recorded the album in September 1973 at Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park, London. Peter Gallen produced the sessions with recording engineering by Ashley Howe.

Jeff Schrier supplied the illustration: a densely detailed, Afro-fantasy tableau built around a large, stylized mask-face rendered in golds and oranges, set inside a patterned circular frame like a ceremonial halo. The Osibisa logo sits on the figure’s forehead beneath a stacked, totem-like ornament, while the album title curves across the top. At the bottom center, a small child-like figure stands in front of a black circular opening, framed by ribboned shapes and radiating decorative elements that extend outward like sun points. Two dancers flank the central circle at left and right, posed in motion with feathered headpieces and patterned garments, while additional profile faces and abstract, textile-like motifs fill the margins. The palette runs hot—gold, magenta, purple, and red—laid over fine linework and repeating geometric borders that emphasize symmetry and ritual iconography.

Super Fly T.N.T. (OST)

In October 1973, Buddah Records issued Super Fly T.N.T., Osibisa’s soundtrack to the American blaxploitation crime drama by director/actor Ron O’Neal, who reprised his titular role from the 1972 blockbuster Super Fly (which spawned a chart-topping soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield).

Picking up from its predecessor, Super Fly T.N.T. follows Youngblood (O’Neal) after his exit from the New York drug trade, now living in Rome with Georgia (Sheila Frazier) until Dr. Lamine Sonko (Roscoe Lee Browne) pulls him into an African conflict. Priest drifts through poker games and social dinners, ignores Sonko, clashes with Jordan Gaines (Robert Guillaume), then pivots after an assassination attempt and brokers weapons through Matty Smith (Jacques Sernas) before soldiers detain and beat him on arrival. Priest escapes confinement, kills two guards, breaks into open daylight amid a gathered crowd, then returns to reunite with Georgia; the film also includes Lefebre (William Berger) and Lisa (Olga Bisera), with O’Neal directing for Paramount Pictures.

Super Fly T.N.T. retains two musicians from the prior album (Tontoh, Bailey) and builds a seven-piece soundtrack lineup by adding Osei, Amarfio, Ayivor, Jean Mendengue (bass), and Gordon Hunte (guitar), with multiple members also credited for vocals and percussion.

A1. “T.N.T.” (6:51)
A2. “Superfly Man” (3:56)
A3. “Prophets” (5:25)
A4. “The Vicarage” (3:32)
A5. “Oye Mama” (3:26)

B1. “Brotherhood” (4:12)
B2. “Come Closer (If You’re a Man)” (5:23)
B3. “Kelele” (5:37)
B4. “La Ila I La La” (7:35)

Peter Gallen produced the sessions with recording engineering by Bernie O’Gorman, and Mike Gibbs supplied the brass arrangements.

Osibirock

Osibisa released their fifth album, Osibirock, in August 1974 on Warner Bros.

Osibirock retains five musicians from the prior album and adds Kiki Gyan (keyboards) and Paul Golly (guitar). Osei’s credit expands to include soprano sax and production; the percussion-heavy base remains with Ayivor and Jean Dikoto Mandengue alongside Amarfio and Tontoh.

Osibirock splits its material between light, shuffle-driven vocal cuts and longer, percussion-forward workouts. “Who’s Got the Paper” lands as a breezy, kid-singalong-styled opener with a simple dance pulse, and the title track runs a similar shuffle under playful, comedic lyric turns. “Why” starts in a slower lane, then opens out into a wilder second half as the band stacks contrasting sections and lets the rhythm and lead parts climb in intensity.

A live take of “Kelele” centers call-and-response vocals over the kind of interlocked percussion pattern the band rides best, and the brief “Atinga Bells” flashes an instrumental idea, then exits almost immediately. Side two tightens the focus: “African Jive” hits at a fast clip and keeps pushing, “We Belong” eases the pace, “Komfo (High Priest)” slows further before a late surge, “Kangaroo” keeps a brisk tempo with a Latin-leaning bounce, and “Home Affairs” returns to the high-speed template with a similar drive to “African Jive.”

A1. “Who’s Got the Paper” (2:27)
A2. “Why” (5:35)
A3. “Osibirock” (3:02)
A4. “Kelele” (5:20)
A5. “Atinga Bells” (0:35)

B1. “African Jive” (4:00)
B2. “We Belong” (4:21)
B3. “Komfo (High Priest)” (4:47)
B4. “Kangaroo” (2:50)
B5. “Home Affairs” (4:57)

Recorded summer 1974, the sessions split between Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire and Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park, London. Peter Gallen handled production, with Osibisa credited for arrangements and composition.

The cover depicts a dense, nocturnal jungle scene framed by overlapping palm fronds and thorny, lattice-like foliage that closes in from both sides. A pale, hazy sky opens at the top center, where a flat red sun hangs above the treeline beneath the title and the Osibisa logo. The foreground is packed with tall grasses, broad leaves, and scattered blooms—cream and pink flowers rising on thin stems, plus clusters of small red buds deeper in the thicket. Near the bottom center, a small, shadowed human figure stands partially hidden in the undergrowth, holding a spotted, leopard-like animal, adding a quiet narrative note within the otherwise still, overgrown landscape.

Welcome Home

Osibisa released their sixth album, Welcome Home, in November 1975 on Bronze/Island.

Welcome Home retains six musicians from the prior album, adds Mike Odumosu on bass, and brings Richardson back into the lineup. Songwriting/arranging credits concentrate around Osei, Tontoh, and Amarfio; Tontoh and Gyan expand their instrument lists (kalimba/didgeridoo for Tontoh; Clavinet for Gyan).

On Welcome Home, “Sunshine Day” runs on a bright, repetitive riff and a forward electric-piano lead that takes an extended solo turn while horns and percussion keep the pulse tight. The title track drops into a softer, acoustic frame where the vocal sits up front and flute lines answer the phrases. “Densu” stays chant-driven, cycling a single vocal figure with the band locked to a steady percussion bed. “Chooboi (Heave Ho!)” builds an instrumental theme around stacked harmonies, brass calls, and organ swells, with chanted accents stitched through the changes.

Side two opens with shorter, plainspoken songs (“Do It (Like It Is),” “Right Now”), then “Seaside – Meditation” expands into the album’s most involved instrumental: electric piano lays a repeating pattern, percussion layers interlock, and guitar steps out for a sustained lead over shifting rhythmic emphasis. “Uhuru” holds to a main idea, then lets the ensemble loosen into improvisation, and “Kolomashie” closes on a traditional vocal-and-percussion setting that keeps the arrangement spare.

A1. “Sunshine Day” (4:55)
A2. “Welcome Home” (4:17)
A3. “Densu” (5:22)
A4. “Chooboi (Heave Ho!)” (5:09)

B1. “Do It (Like It Is)” (4:11)
B2. “Right Now” (3:12)
B3. “Seaside – Meditation” (5:13)
B4. “Uhuru” (3:27)
B5. “Kolomashie” (4:32)

Bronz founder Gerry Bron produced the album with recording engineer Ashley Howe, a concurrent soundman for Babe Ruth and Snafu.

-Teddy Osei – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, drums, vocals
-Mac Tontoh – trumpet, flugelhorn, kalimba, didgeridoo, percussion
-Sol (Rhythm Man) Amarfio – drums, bongos, bells
-Kofi Ayivor – congas, percussion
-Wendell Richardson – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
-Kiki Gyan – organ, piano, Clavinet
-Mike Odumosu – bass guitar, vocals

Ian Emes supplied the cover art, which bursts with a crowded, jungle-set celebration, packed edge to edge with foliage, bright feathers, and performers posed like a marching troupe mid-dance. The Osibisa logo floats at the top, while “Welcome Home” curls in ornate lettering at the bottom. Across the center, a group of costumed figures wear elaborate headdresses, masks, and body ornaments—plumes in white, yellow, red, and blue—while holding or playing instruments and props: a tall, multi-pipe horn cluster, a long vertical stringed instrument, hand percussion, and a set of panpipes. Two figures on the right dominate the foreground, one seated and blowing panpipes, another standing behind him lifting a huge, curved tusk-like horn form that arcs over their heads. Red birds sweep across the lower center in a diagonal flock, and smaller surreal details—bright flowers, patterned objects, and animal shapes tucked into the undergrowth—add to the sense of nonstop motion and ritual pageantry.

“Sunshine Day” reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart.

Ojah Awake

Osibisa released their seventh album, Ojah Awake, in 1976 on Bronze/Island.

Ojah Awake retains the seven musicians from the prior album and adds guests: Jake Solo on guitar for “The Coffee Song” and “The Warrior,” and Graham Smith on violin for “Cherryfield.” Core roles stay in place (Osei leading horns/flute/drums; Tontoh on brass + auxiliary percussion; Gyan on keys including Moog; Richardson on guitar; Odumosu on bass; Ayivor and Amarfio on congas/drums with added percussion; group backing vocals).

On Ojah Awake, Osibisa opens with two covers that lean into light, front-porch bounce and quick choruses: “The Coffee Song” plays its humor straight with sing-song lines about Brazil and everyday drinks, and “The Warrior” stays concise and radio-shaped. The first side turns more substantial once “Flying Bird (Anoma)” settles into a relaxed ballad frame, where muted trumpet and close backing harmonies soften the edges and hold the tempo back. “Dance the Body Music” locks to a straight, brisk dance-floor pulse and keeps the structure simple. Side two returns to the band’s familiar call-and-response engine: the title track carries a West African sing-along feel, and “Sakabo” drives hardest, with uplift chants over sharp brass stabs and a guitar part that stays active through the changes.

A1. “The Coffee Song” (3:14) – Bob Hilliard, Richard Miles
A2. “The Warrior” (3:43) – Bertha Egnos, Gail Lakier
A3. “Flying Bird” (4:40)
A4. “Cherryfield” (4:30)
A5. “Dance the Body Music” (3:48)

B1. “Ojah Awake” (4:52)
B2. “Keep on Trying” (5:17)
B3. “Hamahan” (6:04)
B4. “Sakabo” (3:58)

Recorded at the Roundhouse Recording Studios in London in 1976, the sessions pair producer Gerry Bron with engineer Ashley Howe, with Teddy Osei credited as assistant and additional assistance from John Gallen, Mark Deamley, Peter Gallen, and Trevor Hallesy.

Graham Hughes supplied photography and the artwork concept, with remastering credited to Mike Brown and Robert M Corich.

Black Magic Night – Live at The Royal Festival Hall

In November 1977, Osibisa released Black Magic Night – Live at The Royal Festival Hall, a two-record document of their July 19 showcase at the famed London venue.

Black Magic Night retains five musicians from the prior album and welcomes keyboardist Robert Bailey, conga and percussion player Daku (Potato) Adams, and a backing vocal section led by Sonia Lekhela with Ntobi Mdudu, Tiny Conco, and Linda Conco. Teddy Osei leads the set on tenor and soprano saxophones with flute, African drums, and lead vocals as Mac Tontoh answers on trumpet and flugelhorn with kabassa, bells, rattles, African xylophone, and vocals. Sol (Rhythm Man) Amarfio drives drums with cowbells and congas while Wendell Richardson shifts between guitars, Dondo drum, and lead vocals, and Mike Odumosu anchors bass guitar with bells and vocals as Bailey fills the keyboard chair.

Black Magic Night: Live at the Royal Festival Hall centers on early material played with mostly straight stage power: the band runs through the long opening atmospheres, then treats “Beautiful Seven” as a doorway, cutting from its introductory stretch into the faster lift of “Y Sharp.” “Woyaya” stretches into a drawn-out crowd chant, while “Fire” leans harder on clipped bass-and-keyboard patterns and brisk, repeat-cycle momentum. “Living Loving Feeling” slots in as a newer, tighter mid-set piece, and “Sunshine Day” lands with a disco-locked pulse that keeps the band’s horns and percussion busy above the beat.

A1. “The Dawn” (6:20)
A2. “Welcome Home” (4:15)
A3. “Ayiko Bia” (7:27)

B1. “Living Loving Feeling” (5:25)
B2. “Woyaya” (6:07)
B3. “Spirits Up Above” (7:40) – Roland Kirk

C1. “Kelele” (6:58)
C2. “Fire” (6:54)
C3. “Music for Gong Gong” (7:37)

D1. “Beautiful Seven Y Sharp” (8:06)
D2. “Sunshine Day” (6:57)
D3. “Encore–Survival” (4:49)

Recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall in London on July 19, 1977 with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, the album was mixed at the Roundhouse Recording Studio in London and produced by Gerry Bron, with engineering by Ashley Howe and P.A. mix by Tony Meape. Bronze issued the set as BRON 506 and later reissued it as a 2-CD edition in 1993 via Castle Communications (CBC 8046).

Steve Lewis supplied the photography, with art direction by Paul Bevoir, cover by David Shortt, and artwork by Leaderline Artists; compilation remastering is credited to Robert M. Corich and John Dawson Reed.

Discography: