From South Africa to South Carolina
Studio album by
Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson
ReleasedNovember 1975
RecordedJune–July 1975
StudioD&B Sound in Silver Spring, Maryland
LabelArista
ProducerPerpis-Fall Music, Inc., Jose Williams, Midnight Band
Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson chronology
The First Minute of a New Day
(1975)		 From South Africa to South Carolina
(1975)		 It's Your World
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[2]
The Commercial Appeal[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

From South Africa to South Carolina is a studio album by the American vocalist Gil Scott-Heron and the keyboardist Brian Jackson.[6][7] It was released in November 1975 by Arista Records.[8] Scott-Heron performed "Johannesburg" and "A Lovely Day" on Saturday Night Live in December 1975.[9] The album was reissued in the late 1990s via Scott-Heron's Rumal-Gia label, distributed by TVT Records.[10]

The album peaked at No. 103 on the Billboard 200.[11] "Johannesburg" was a moderate "disco" hit.[12]

Production

The music was provided by the Midnight Band, led by Jackson.[13]

Critical reception

The Houston Press, reviewing a reissue, wrote that the album's "best moments are the beautiful lament 'Beginnings', which is rife with bittersweet harmonies, and 'A Lovely Day', a light, poppish, medium-tempo number that builds to a smart climax."[14] The Chicago Tribune thought that it was one of a handful of albums that "brought a new depth and political consciousness to the urban vision of the '70s."[15] The Wire praised "Essex", calling the song "probably the most out thing this team ever tried: freeform intro, mordantly twining vocals, Jackson's darting, flickering flute."[16]

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Johannesburg" 4:52
  2. "A Toast to the People" 5:47
  3. "The Summer of '42" 4:42
  4. "Beginnings (The First Minute of a New Day)" 6:23
Side two
  1. "South Carolina (Barnwell)" 3:45
  2. "Essex" 9:17
  3. "Fell Together" 4:30
  4. "A Lovely Day" 3:29

Bonus tracks

CD reissue bonus tracks

  1. "South Carolina (Barnwell)" (Live from the No Nukes concert at Madison Square Garden) 6:29
  2. "Save the Children" (Live from Blues Alley, Washington DC) 4:23
  3. "Johannesburg" (Live from Gil Scott-Heron: Black Wax) 11:14
  4. "Let Me See Your I.D." (from Sun City: Artists Against Apartheid) 7:30

Personnel

"Let Me See Your I.D." performed by Big Youth, Ray Barretto, Brian Jackson, Duke Bootee, Peter Garrett, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Gil Scott-Heron

References

  1. ↑ "From South Africa to South Carolina - Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ↑ Ellis, Bill (August 1, 1998). "Recordings". The Commercial Appeal. p. C3.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. pp. 304–305.
  5. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 622.
  6. ↑ "Gil Scott-Heron | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Harrington, Richard (3 June 1998). "At Last, the Word Is Out; The Influential Scott-Heron, Finally on CD". The Washington Post. p. D5.
  8. ↑ "New LP/Tape Releases". Billboard. November 15, 1975. p. 68.
  9. ↑ "Season 1: Episode 7", Saturday Night Live Transcripts.
  10. ↑ Fischer, Doug (14 Jan 1999). "Hip-hop grandmaster still offers hope". Windsor Star. p. E3.
  11. ↑ "Gil Scott-Heron". Billboard.
  12. ↑ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 859.
  13. ↑ "Gil Scott-Heron obituary". The Guardian. May 29, 2011.
  14. ↑ MacArthur, Paul J. (September 3, 1998). "Catching Up with Gil". Houston Press.
  15. ↑ Kot, Greg (9 October 1998). "SONG POET". chicagotribune.com.
  16. ↑ "Essays - In Writing - The Wire". www.thewire.co.uk.
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