Music Box 28/05/2022

Mulatu Astatke (Amharic: ሙላቱ አስታጥቄ; also written Astatqé on French releases) is arguably one of the most influential and legendary musicians from Ethiopia. During the 1960’s, he studied music abroad in London, Boston, and New York. He then returned home to Ethiopia armed with a love for jazz and Latin music. There he blended Ethiopian traditional music with the Latin-jazz he was so fond of to create a unique hybrid he called “Ethio-jazz”. This is Yègellé Tezeta (Amha Records, Ethiopia only 7” 1969). It was used in the brilliant 2005 film Broken Flowers, and can be found on that soundtrack LP (Decca 2005), as well as his own compilation LPs.

Deaf Wish (website) hail from Melbourne Australia, and this is The Rat Is Back, from their fourth LP Lithium Zion (Sub Pop 2018).

Our UK pop-psyche gem from 1969 is Stop by Irish group Pan Pipers, the B-side to their first of only two singles Money and Love (Pye 7” 1969). Which is a shame, as this is very good!

Next up, British folk rock group Steeleye Span, and their classic version of the old 19thC folk song All Around My Hat (Chrysalis 7” 1975), from their eight LP All Around My Hat (Chrysalis 1975). It reached No.5 on the UK charts, and deservedly so.

We conclude with a duo from Kate Bush - Oh England My Lionheart, from her second LP Lionheart (EMI 1978), then There Goes A Tenner (EMI 7” 1982), from her fourth LP The Dreaming (EMI 1978). Until next week ...