''Somewhere in Afrika'' is the eleventh album by

Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's " For You", "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night". After forming in 1971 and with a ...

, released in 1982. It is their last studio album recorded for their long time record label

Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm. History Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up ...

. They would record their next studio album, ''

Criminal Tango ''Criminal Tango'' is an album released in 1986 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band with Chris Thompson. Founding guitarist/vocalist Mick Rogers returned to the band for this album and is still an active member. The new bassist Steve Kinch joined th ...

'' for

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...

. Bassist

Matt Irving Matt Irving (born Glasgow, Scotland; 16 March 1950 – 3 April 2015) was a Scottish musician ( keyboards, accordion, bass guitar, vocals). Irving was the bass guitar player for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1981 and 1986. He featured on ...

joined the band, replacing

Pat King Patrick John King (1944 – January 25, 2022) also known as Speedy King, was a Scottish bassist, best known for his association with Manfred Mann's Earth Band. History King was born in Aberdeen in 1944 and raised in Fraserburgh, Scotland. Aft ...

for this album.

Track listing

UK version

Side one

#"Tribal Statistics" ( Andy Qunta) – 4:16 #"Eyes of

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...

" ( Al Stewart) – 3:28 #"Third World Service" (

Anthony Moore Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More) (born 13 August 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, inc ...

) – 5:18 #" Demolition Man" ( Sting) – 3:45 #"Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46

Side two

"Africa Suite" (Mann,

, John Lingwood) – 8:36 #:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06 #:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36 #:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26 #:d) "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31 #"

Redemption Song "Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, ''Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...

(No Kwazulu)" (

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

) – 7:35 #"Somewhere in Africa" (Traditional; arranged by Mann and Lingwood) – 1:38

Bonus Tracks (1999 CD re-issue)

"War Dream" (Mann, Lingwood, Steve Waller, Irving, Shona Laing) – 3:08 #"Holiday's Dream" (Mann, Irving, Lingwood, Waller) – 2:40 #"Redemption Song" (single version) (Bob Marley) – 4:14 #"Eyes of Nostradamus" (12" single version) (Stewart) – 4:42 #"Demolition Man" (single version/alternate mix) (Sumner) – 3:44

US version

The North American version of ''Somewhere in Afrika'' was reordered, and was substantially different from the European version. Several tracks were added, while others were altered or edited. Added to the line-up were the songs "Runner" (the band's final Top 40 hit in the US to date) and "Rebel". "Runner" was included in the soundtracks of the films, '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984) and ''

Firstborn A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth. Historically, the role of the firstborn child has been socially significant, particularly for a firstb ...

'' (1984). "Africa Suite" was altered to feature a completely different final section called "Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (which had appeared as a separate track on the European LP); the original final section of the suite (known as "Lalela") now appeared as a separate track earlier in the album's running order. Finally, the track "Redemption Song" was cut by over 3 minutes. The label One Way Records added the original UK LP versions of "Third World Service" and "Redemption Song" to a CD reissue. In the later program of MMEB remasters, "Runner" and "Rebel" were included on the 1999 reissue of "Criminal Tango".

Side one

#" Demolition Man" ( Sting) – 3:40 #"

Runner Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

" ( Ian Thomas) – 4:40 #"Rebel" (Reg Laws) – 3:52 #"Eyes of

" ( Stewart) – 3:28 #"Third World Service" ( Moore) – 3:24

Side two

#"Somewhere in Africa" (Trad arr Mann, Lingwood) – 1:38 #"Tribal Statistics" ( Qunta) – 4:16 # "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31 #"

(No Kwazulu)" (

) – 4:11 #

"Africa Suite" (Mann, Irving, Lingwood) – 9:54 #:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06 #:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36 #:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26 #:d) "Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Mann) – 2:46

Bonus Tracks (One Way Records CD re-issue)

"Third World Service" (long version) (Moore) – 5:17 #"Redemption Song" (long version) (Bob Marley) – 7:35

Original CD version

The first CD release includes the tracks from the original UK LP, but in a very different sequence. Later reissues reverted to the original UK LP tracklisting. On the 1999 re-issue, "Africa Suite" is one track, whereas on the later remaster (from the ''40th Anniversary Box Set'' and released as a standalone CD in 2016), all the sections have separate index tracks. The tracks "Runner" and "Rebel" were appended to the 1999 remaster of

with the explanation ''"Although recorded for the U.S. 'Somewhere in Afrika' album, these two songs feature the return of Mick Rogers and fit more into the 'Tango' period than the Afrika one."'' #"

(No Kwazulu)" (

) – 7:35 #"Somewhere in Africa" (Traditional; arranged by Mann and Lingwood) – 1:38 #"Tribal Statistics" ( Andy Qunta) – 4:16 #"Africa Suite" (Mann, Matt Irving, John Lingwood) – 8:36 #:a) "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" (Mann) – 3:06 #:b) "To Bantustan?" (Mann) – 2:36 #:c) "Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?)" (Mann, Irving) – 1:26 #:d) "Lalela" (Mann, Lingwood) – 1:31 #"Eyes of

" ( Al Stewart) – 3:28 #" Demolition Man" ( Sting) – 3:45 #"Third World Service" (

) – 5:18 #"Brothers and Sisters of Azania" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46

Personnel

Musicians

Manfred Mann Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two diffe ...

– keyboards,

synthesisers A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

, vocals ("Brothers and Sisters of Azania" and its reprise in the 7 minute version of "Redemption Song") * John Lingwood – drums, percussion *

Steve Waller Stephen Charles Waller (30 June 1951 – 6 February 2000) was a British musician best known as the lead guitarist and a vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1979 and 1983. He featured on the albums ''Angel Station'', ''Chance (Manfred ...

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, guitar ("Eyes of Nostradamus", "Third World Service", "Demolition Man" and "To Bantustan?") * Chris Thompson – vocals ("Runner", "Tribal Statistics", "Brothers and Sisters of Africa" and "Redemption Song") *

– bass, programming (MC4) *

Shona Laing Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She has had several hits in her native country, as well as a few minor international hits, most notably " (Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow". Laing contributed to Manfred ...

– vocals *

Trevor Rabin Trevor Charles Rabin (; born ) is a South African rock musician and composer. Born into a musical family and raised in Johannesburg, Rabin took up the piano and guitar at an early age and became a session musician, playing and producing with a va ...

– lead

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

on "Redemption Song", guitar solo on "Runner" * Mick Rogers – guitar, backing vocals on "Runner"

African vocals recorded in London

Chief Dawethi, Fats Mothya, Jabu Mbalu, Rufus Sefothuma, Zanty Lekau

Technical

* Manfred Mann – producer * Lars Finnstrom –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

* Terry Medhurst – engineer * Martin Poole – cover art

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control Manfred Mann's Earth Band albums 1982 albums Bronze Records albums Arista Records albums