Let's Do It Again: The Staple Singers' "Africa '80" Coming from Omnivore

Let’s Do It Again: The Staple Singers’ “Africa ’80” Coming from Omnivore

April 8, 2024 By Joe Marchese — No Comments

Fans of The Staple Singers are in for a treat. On May 10, Omnivore Recordings will reissue Africa 80, the live album from the legendary gospel-soul group documenting their first-ever tour of the continent.

Roebuck “Pops” Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to crusade for civil rights and share musical messages of power and positivity around the world. In the 1960s, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B, setting the stage for their commercial breakthrough at Stax Records. Following their celebrated tenure at the Memphis label which yielded such perennials as “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself,” they recorded for the Curtom and Warner Bros. labels, the latter as The Staples. That latter period of their career was explored by Omnivore in a series of expanded reissues in 2020. At Curtom, the Staples returned to the top of the charts with, appropriately, “Let’s Do It Again.”

In 1980, the Staples were engaged in a tour of Africa sponsored by the U.S. government. The set opened with Charlie Smalls’ rousing “Ease on Down the Road” from his Broadway musical The Wiz (which, as of this writing, is once again packing houses on Broadway) and continued with a clutch of Staples favorites including “Let’s Do it Again,” “Respect Yourself,” and “Touch a Hand, Make a Friend.” The group also brought their singular style to such varied standards as “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” “Come Go with Me,” and “A House Is Not a Home.” Mavis Staples previously covered the latter Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic on her 1969 Stax/Volt solo debut.

These tracks have previously been issued under a variety of titles on numerous labels, with the first U.S. release having arrived via Nashboro Records in 1983 as Swingline. Omnivore’s reissue promises to be the definitive edition. Africa 80 features restoration and mastering by Michael Graves and detailed, new liner notes from Tim Dillinger-Curenton. It will be available on May 10 in both CD and digital formats. You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Staple Singers, Africa 80 (Omnivore OV-544, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore)

Introduction
Ease On Down The Road
Let’s Do It Again
Respect Yourself
Come Go With Me
Why Am I Treated So Bad
A House Is Not A Home
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
He’s Alright
Touch A Hand, Make A Friend
Touch A Hand, Make A Friend (Reprise)

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Gospel, R&B/Soul

Tags:

The Staple Singers

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.