News

Fans of Nigerian musical maverick Fela Kuti have something to celebrate: a whole bunch of Fela-related reissues are coming in the next few weeks from Knitting Factory Records.

The blog Altered States reports that a multi-LP vinyl box set will street on February 1. Consisting of six of Fela’s albums – 1975’s Everything Scatter and Expensive Shit, 1977’s Fear Not for Man and Sorrow Tears and Blood, Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (1986) and Beasts of No Nation (1989) – in reproductions of their original packaging and labels, and featuring a vintage poster replica and a 12-page booklet featuring liner notes and essays from journalist Chris May and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, drummer for the hip-hop group The Roots and curator of the set.

Additionally, there are several Amazon listings for straight reissues of several Fela records (including some of the material from the vinyl box and a few two-fers) on January 18. (The final listing is erroneously listed as having come out last January 18.) Those order links are after the jump, along with track lists for all of the new sets.

Fela Kuti, Vinyl Box Set 1 Curated by ?uestlove of The Roots (Knitting Factory Records, 2011)

LP 1: Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa ’70, Everything Scatter (Coconut PMLP-1000 (Nigeria), 1975)

1. Everything Scatter
2. Who No Know Go Know

LP 2: Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa ’70, Expensive Shit (Soundwork Shop SWS-100 (Nigeria), 1975)

1. Expensive Shit
2. Water No Get Enemy

LP 3: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Africa ’70, Fear Not for Man (Decca Afrodisia DWAPS-2035 (Nigeria), 1977)

1. Fear Not for Man
2. Palm-Wine Sound

LP 4: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Africa ’70, Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Kalakuta KK-001A (Nigeria), 1977)

1. Sorrow, Tears and Blood
2. Colonial Mentality

LP 5: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Barclay 831 325-1 (FR), 1986)

1. Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Instrumental)
2. Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Vocal)
3. Look and Laugh (Instrumental)
4. Look and Laugh (Vocal)

LP 6: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Beasts of No Nation (Kalakuta K-008 (Nigeria), 1988)

1. Beasts of No Nation (Instrumental)
2. Beasts of No Nation (Vocal)

Fela Anikupalo-Kuti and Africa ’70, Coffin for Head of State / Unknown Soldier (Knitting Factory 1021, 2011)

1. Coffin for Head of State (Instrumental)
2. Coffin for Head of State (Vocal)
3. Unknown Soldier (Instrumental)
4. Unknown Soldier (Vocal)

Tracks 1-2 released as Coffin for Head of State (Kalakuta KALP-003 (Nigeria), 1981)
Tracks 3-4 released as Unknown Soldier (Phonodisk Skylark SKLP-003A (Nigeria), 1979)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Knitting Factory 1022, 2011 – originally released as Barclay 831 325-1 (FR), 1986)

1. Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Instrumental)
2. Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense (Vocal)
3. Look and Laugh (Instrumental)
4. Look and Laugh (Vocal)

Fela Anikulap0-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Original Suffer Head / Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Africa ’70 I.T.T. (Knitting Factory 1023, 2011)

1. Original Suffer Head
2. Power Show
3. I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) (Instrumental)
4. I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) (Vocal)

Tracks 1-2 released as Original Suffer Head (Lagos International 2 (Nigeria, 1981)
Tracks 3-4 released as I.T.T. (Kalakuta (Nigeria), 1979)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Live in Amsterdam – Music is the Weapon (Knitting Factory 1024, 2011 – originally released as EMI FELA-2401293 (U.K.), 1984)

1. M.O.P. (Movement of the People – Political Statement Number 1)
2. You Gimme Shit I Give You Shit
3. Custom Check Point

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Army Arrangement (Knitting Factory 1025, 2011 – originally released as Celluloid CELL-6109 (U.S.), 1985)

1. Army Arrangement
2. Government Chicken Boy

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Beasts of No Nation / O.D.O.O. (Knitting Factory 1026, 2011)

1. Beasts of No Nation (Instrumental)
2. Beasts of No Nation (Vocal)
3. Overtake Don Overtake Overtake (Instrumental)
4. Overtake Don Overtake Overtake (Vocal)

Tracks 1-2 released as Beasts of No Nation (Kalakuta K-008 (Nigeria), 1988)
Tracks 3-4 released as O.D.O.O. (Kalakuta K-009 (Nigeria), 1989)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Egypt ’80, Underground System / C.B.B. (Knitting Factory 1027, 2011)

1. Underground System
2. Pansa Pansa
3. Confusion Break Bones (Instrumental)
4. Confusion Break Bones (Vocal)

Tracks 1-2 released as Underground System (Kalakuta KALP-013 (Nigeria), 1992)
Tracks 3-4 released as C.B.B. (Kalakuta K-0010 (Nigeria), 1990)