The Black Hippies
Academy The Black Hippies (ZM,1977,re.2014)****’
I’d like to mention the reissue of this lost classic Afrorock record. Once more a release like this proves how good these rock bands were and that there was an acid rock scene. The vocals are in English, there’s a well produced sound, slightly funky electric guitar rhythms, fast accents of polyrhythms on drums, various longer and slower fuzz solos and taking a time to develop its instrumental strength and the solos as well, with also a moody or slightly rocking organ, a perfect additional psych contrast to the tracks and band sound. A must-have of African rock.
The band did make another reissue under the name of Pazy & The Black Hippies, but that’s more reggae related.
Label’s description: “Pazy (real name Joseph Etinagbedia) started playing music in the Fire Flies in the city of Warri in Nigeria in 1973. The area was in the midst of an oil boom, and like most bands on that scene, the Fire Flies played American and European pop hits mixed with Jazz and Highlife for the largely expat audiences in local clubs. Along with an influx of foreigners, the oil boom also gave rise to an emerging Nigerian youth market, and soon Pazy formed the Black Hippies to play the uniquely African style of hard rock that was favored by this new audience.
They quickly found success and were appearing alongside other Warri-based artists such as Tony Grey. In short time, they came to the attention of EMI and their legendary producer Odion Iruoje, who recorded this album. By the time it was released in 1977, though, Disco and Funk were starting to take over and the hard fuzzy rock of The Black Hippies first album was somewhat behind the times. As a result, the album was barely released and is now virtually unfindable, unseen by all but a few of the most hardcore collectors. Pazy would go on to form a new line up of the Black Hippies that played mostly Reggae but this remains by far the best album.
Featuring whiplash funk drumming, searing fuzz guitar, raw vocals and that uniquely West African organ sound, The Black Hippies first album is a definitive classic of the genre.”
