AFRIKA BAMBAATAA

THE LIGHT

 Disc one :
  1/  The Light                                  (Bambaataa,Robie)             3.12
  2/  Reckless                                   (Robie,Bambaataa)             5.21
  3/  Radical Music : Revolutionary Dance        (Bambaataa,Robie)             4.22
  4/  Something He Can Feel                      (Mayfield)                    5.53
  5/  Shout It Out                               (Kidd,Smith,Ryan)             6.18
  6/  Clean Up Your Act                          (Clinton,BC,Berger,BL,AB)     6.15
  7/  Zouk Your Body                             (AB,SD,RS,YM,BL)              6.33
  8/  World Racial War                           (Bambaataa,Laswell,Collins)   6.27
  9/  Sho Nuff Funky                             (Kidd,Bambaataa,Brown)        4.48

 Disc two :
  1/  Shout It Out                               (Kidd,Smith,Ryan)             6.18
  2/  Sho Nuff Funky                             (Kidd,Bambaataa,Brown)        15.23

          Recorded at Quad Recording and The Power Station
          Engineer at Quad Recording: Robert Musso
          Engineer at The Power Station: Jason Corsaro
          Tracks 1-4 produced and arranged by John Robie
          Tracks 5 and 9 produced by Afrika "Zulu" Bambaataa and Max "GoGo" Kidd
          Tracks 6-8 produced and arranged by Afrika Bambaataa and Bill
            Laswell/Material
          Mixed by Jason Corsaro at The Power Station
          Assistant engineer: Steve Boyer

Afrika Bambaataa: vocals (1,2,3,4,6,7,8), programming (1,2,3,4); John Robie (1,2,3,4): programming; UB40 (2): all instruments, vocals; Malibu (2,3): vocals; Lizzie Tear (2): vocals; Tim Hutton (3): vocals; Steve Greenfield (4): tenor & alto sax; Laurie Frink (4): trumpet; Dale Kleps (4): baritone sax; Nona Hendrix, Boy George and Funk Queens (4): vocals; Mike Hughs and Maceo Bond (5,9): keyboards; Roland "Krooner" Smith (5,9): congas; Glen Ellis (5,9): bass guitar; Girard "Funky Finger" Butler (5,9): lead guitar; Ricky "Sugar Foot" Whelman (5,9): drums; Quinten "Dougie" Ivy: percussion (5,9), vocals (9); Big Bernie Cowan (5,9): trumpet; Kasanova "Kev" Wilson: percussion (5,9), vocals (9); Yogi Horton (6): drums; Bootsy Collins: bass (6), guitar (6,7,8), vocals (6,7,8); Nicky Skopelitis (6,7,8): Fairlight drums; Bill Laswell (6,7,8): bass; Aiyb Dieng (6,7,8): percussion; Jeff Bova (6,7,8): synthesizers; George Clinton (6,7,8): vocals; Kid Dust (6,9): vocals; Double Cross (6): vocals; Sly Dunbar: Simmons drums (7), percussion (8); Robbie Shakespeare (7): bass; Bernie Worrell (7,8): organ; Yellowman (7): vocals; Sly "Mudbone" Fox (8): vocals; Bernard Fowler (8): vocals; Slug-Go, Harmony, Tashan and Family (9): vocals.

Material strings on tracks 6-8 arranged and conducted by Karl Berger.

          1988 - EMI (UK), EMC 3545 (2 x 12")
          1988 - Capitol/EMI (USA), C1-90157 (Vinyl)
          1988 - Capitol Records (UK), CDP 7 90157 2 (CD)

Note: The Capitol vinyl version doesn't include the second record.

REVIEWS :

Diverse personalities and styles are the hook for this 1988 album, which isn't a Bambaataa project, but a group effort with some Bambaataa involvement. The guest list ranges from Boy George to George Clinton, Yellowman, UB40 and Bootsy Collins, with Bambaataa offering a brief, rather formulaic rap on UB40's "Reckless" and "Shout It Out." This was a mildly entertaining effort, but so varied that there was no cohesion or unified focus.

Ron Wynn (courtesy of the All Music Guide by way of the Get Music website)