From South Africa to South Carolina

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]

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]

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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