Monday, October 12, 2009

Ofege - Try And Love (Nigeria 1973)

Ofege - Try and Love (Nigeria 1973)

Formed: Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Members:
* Melvin "Noks" Ukachi (vocals),
* Soga Benson (guitar),
* Dapo Olumide (keyboards),
* Paul Allade (bass, vocals),
* M-Ike Meme (drums, vocals),
* Felix Inneh (percussions).

Tracks:
A1. Nobody Fails
A2. Whizzy Ilabo
A3. Gbe Mi Lo
A4. Try and Love
B1. It's Not Easy
B2. Ofege
B3. You Say No
B4. Lead Me On

Nigerian high school students. Afrobeat/pop with psych-fuzz guitar solos. Very very catchy stuff! It may sound a little slight at first, but the tunes really grow on you, and the grooves are as irresistable as a Fela record. This one goes for hundreds of bucks on eBay. One track from this album appears on the African volume of the Peace, Love, and Poetry series.
~ Internet Source.
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Ofege was formed by a bunch of teenage hipsters at the prestigious St. Gregory's College in the Obalende area of Lagos. Comband Razor described them as "a cross between the Bay City Rollers and Santana". He also said "It's clear that for Ofege, songs were largely incidental, little more than excuses to launch into insane, distorted guitar solos. It's also very clear that they smoked a lot of weed."
"The Last Of The Origins" is a great rock record with a rather psychedelic approach. The rhythm section is attractive and complex and has African inspirations. The songs themselves aren’t really great lyrically, but the drive is incredible, and everywhere they can they add attention to instrumental parts where the organ, in a psychedelic way takes care of mind-losing groove, while fuzz guitars soar and improvise. The vocals can be post-60s, a bit Stones like or just leave themselves flooding with the psychedelic drive.
"Try and Love" from the same year was published actually before "The Last of the Origins". "Nobody Fails" continues in the same vain, with slight what I called post-60s harmony vocals (also especially “It’s not easy” has such vocals). Also here in this song the fuzz breaks out/breaks free, wild and uncompromising, while the rhythms in an African way are repeated and smoothly carry the song. Also here the bits of funky elements are completely dissolved in the psychedelic effect of all. The rhythms are complex and groovy.
It took some years before other albums appeared. Some members still had to finish university...
~ by psychemusic.org.

Download links:
http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/BBGSBCI7/Ofege_-_Try_and_Love__Nigeria_1973_.rar_links

... and also...

http://www.multiupload.com/TLXW2WRIMN
Ofege - Try and Love (Nigeria 1973).rar (67.69 MB)
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10 comments:

Record Fiend said...

I greatly appreciate you making this album available. I like the band Blo, so I think that I'll dig this, too. You have a great blog, and I've put it on my Recommended list. Stop by my place sometime. If it meets with your approval, I'd appreciate you posting a link to my blog as well. Thanks.

Regards,

RF

Unknown said...

Thanks a lot!

Dope album.

Marty aka Marty Mcfly said...

Thanks a million!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful. Thank you a million times over.

Anonymous said...

This is available as a legit reissue on Academy Lps - vinyl/CD/download.

bathmate said...

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Ex Gregorian said...

Thank you for the write up. However i would like to make a correction to the band line up.
Soga Benson was actually the lead guitarist while Felix Inneh was the percussionist.
The correct band line up should be as follows:
Members:
* Melvin "Noks" Ukachi (vocals),
* Soga Benson (guitar),
* Dapo Olumide (keyboards),
* Paul Allade (bass, vocals),
* M-Ike Meme (drums, vocals),
* Felix Inneh (percussions)
You may wish to effect the necessary correction to your post for posterity's sake. If yo check the album credits you will find that nowhere is Felix credited with playing the guitar.
I am an ex Gregorian from the 1969/1970 set so i know what i'm talking about.
Thank you.

Ex Gregorian said...

Thank you for the write up. However i would like to make a correction to the band line up.
Soga Benson was actually the lead guitarist while Felix Inneh was the percussionist.
The correct band line up should be as follows:
Members:
* Melvin "Noks" Ukachi (vocals),
* Soga Benson (guitar),
* Dapo Olumide (keyboards),
* Paul Allade (bass, vocals),
* M-Ike Meme (drums, vocals),
* Felix Inneh (percussions)
You may wish to effect the necessary correction to your post for posterity's sake. If yo check the album credits you will find that nowhere is Felix credited with playing the guitar.
I am an ex Gregorian from the 1969/1970 set so i know what i'm talking about.
Thank you.

alfaios said...

We all have to thank you Ex Gregorian for your correction!

Anonymous said...

It's not easy.. Thank you so much