🎵 AotW AOTW: Letta Mbulu - LETTA (SP-4688)

[Captain Bacardi]

Letta Mbulu
LETTA
A&M SP-4688

Released 1978

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette/CD (Japan)

Produced by Herb Alpert, Stewart Levine and Caiphus Semenya

Songs:

• 1. Open Up Your Heart (Caiphus Semenya/Arthur Adams) - 4:04
  2. Buza (There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel) (Letta Mbulu/Lamont Dozier) - 3:43
  3. I Need You (Caiphus Semenya/Letta Mbulu) - 5:10
  4. Baile Baneso (Caiphus Semenya) - 4:27
  5. I Can Depend On You (Arthur Adams/Letta Mbulu/Caiphus Semenya) - 3:41
  6. Hareje (Caiphus Semenya) - 4:27
  7. Mamani (Caiphus Semenya) - 7:54
  
  Rhythm and Background Vocals Arranged by Caiphus Semenya
  Horns and Strings Arranged and Orchestrated by Paul Riser
  String Contractor: McKinley T. Jackson
  Horns on "Baile Baneso", "I Need You" and "Hareje" Arranged by Caiphus Semenya and Orchestrated by Donald Cooke

Musicians:
Letta Mbulu - Vocals
Arthur Adams - Guitar
Mitch Holder - Guitar
Robert Popwell - Bass
Hotep Cecil Barnard - Electric & Acoustic Piano
James Gadson - Drums
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Lee Ritenour - Guitar (3, 5)
Michael Boddicker - Synthesizer (3, 4, 6)
Caiphus Semenya - Vocal (5)
Trumpets: Steve Madaio, Oscar Brashear, Gary Grant, Charles Findley
Trombones: Lew McCreary, Charles Loper, George Bohanon
Saxes: Jim Horn, Herman Riley, Ernie Watts, Earle Dumler, William Green
French Horns: Henry Sigismonti, David A. Duke, Arthur Maebe, Vincent DeRosa
Background Vocals: "The Waters" - Julia Tillman, Maxine Willard, Luther Waters and Oren Waters, Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya

Ms. Mbulu is singing in the following languages and rhythms:
"Buza" - Xhosa (L), Mbaqanga (R)
"I Need You" - Sesotho (L), Timiti (R)
"Baile Baneso" - Sesotho (L), Mbaqanga (R)
"Hareje" - Sesotho (L), Dikosha (R)
"Mamani" - Seshangane (L), Madiba (R)

Recorded at A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Recording and Remixing Engineer: Don Hahn
Assistant Engineer: Derek duNann
Mastered at A&M Recording Studios by Bernie Grundman

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Phil Shima
Photography: Charles Bush
Background & Apparel Design: Mac James




Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mr Bill]

A little less even than her previous A&M effort, There's Music In The Air, but a swell slab of vinyl none-the-less.

My faves (while not as numerous as those on the aforementioned preceding LP) are "Open Up Your Heart" and "I Can Depend On You."

WIth Herb Alpert producing I keep this lumped together (when I have working turbtable) with the two Alpert/Masekela collaborations and the Alpert-produced Adams and Badrena LPs (I Love, Love, Love, Love My Lady and Manolo respectively) as well as There's Music In The Air. I always insist it's important to note that Herb Alpert tried introducing the "African influence" at least a half decade before Paul Simon introduced American audiences to the vocal finesse of Ladysmith Black Mambazo with his Graceland LP...

--Mr. Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

The second offering by Letta Mbulu is more of the African/Pop mix, although a bit more refined than her first album. The album opens with a nice pop affair with "Open Up Your Heart". I think Letta shows her powerful voice well on this song. The next two songs have more energy to them, with "I Need You" setting a steady groove. My favorite song is the groovin' "Hareje". The album closes with a melancholy, ethereal chant on "Mamani". The one song I couldn't stand at all is "I Can Depend On You", which seemed to be the obligatory let's-give-them-something-to-dance-to song. Too disco-y for me. But other than that, a pleasant album. 3 & 1/2 stars.



Capt. Bacardi