GREAT AFRICAN SPIRITUALS

 

Another obscurity.  The Great African Spirituals label ran to at least a couple of singles: both of them were by the Eden Revival Church And Band, and both were from 1971.  Catalogue numbers were in a GAS-00 series.  GAS-01 was 'Yi Onyankopon aye' b/w 'Momma Yentie Onyame N'asem', while GAS-02 was 'Eha Mpo Ni Na Osoro Ho' b/w 'Okristone Ma W'ani Nna Onyame So'.  Pressing of both was by Orlake.  As the headquarters of the Eden Revival Church were (and still are) in Ghana it's possible that the singles were made here but were intended for sale in that country; that said, according to a list of Black & Independent Churches in Britain which was published in a 2010 book by Roswith I. H. Gerloff the Church had a presence in this country, so they may well have been intended for sale here - my copies of both were sourced here.  The songs on both records are rhythmical and upbeat, with saxophone and trumpet solos.  If anybody is aware of any other GASes, I'd be pleased to hear from them.




Copyright 2017 Robert Lyons.