Pat Thomas

Coming Home

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Original Ghanaian Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1967-1981 Ghanaian highlife master and “The Golden Voice Of Africa”, Pat Thomas, returns with his first full career retrospective on Strut this Autumn, covering his late ‘60s big band highlife recordings through to the “burger highlife” movement of the early ‘80s. Growing up with music around him (“my uncle, King Onyina, was an important highlife musician”), Thomas was inspired to become a singer after hearing vocalist Joss Aikins: “He sang with Broadway Dance Band and Decca in Ghana chose him to sing with any group that came into their studios.” When a new incarnation of Broadway Dance Band was created in ‘67, led by Ebo Taylor, Thomas received his first big break. “Ebo started to write new songs. I added the lyrics and sang them and it worked well.” The partnership with Taylor would become one of the enduring forces in Ghanaian music during the ‘70s, creating a fresh, progressive new highlife sound. They played with the Blue Monks band before, in 1974, forming Sweet Beans with the backing of Ghana’s Cocoa Marketing Board: “The album, ‘False Lover’, was the first under my own name and my first for Gapophone,” Pat reflects. “Reggae was “on” at that time - Jimmy Cliff was the guy - so I tried reggae fusions and brought in some soul.” The album established Thomas across Ghana. Sweet Beans disbanded but the musicians stayed together as Marijata. “The guys initially used Jewel Ackah as their vocalist but they involved me and I re-vocalled the album. This became the ‘Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata’ LP. At that time, I would go to George Prah at Gapophone to ask for money and he would say, ‘if you want me to pay you, go and write a song!’ So, tracks like ‘Coming Home’ came about that way, written on the spot.” A second Marijata album followed before a damaging coup in Ghana in 1979. “Jerry Rawlings’ “house-cleaning” was designed to stop corruption but it seriously damaged our country’s music culture.” Thomas left for Berlin and stayed true to his highlife roots, becoming the first Ghanaian to record highlife there. “In Ghana, people ex-pats living in Germany called themselves ‘burgers’, so the scene became ‘burger highlife’.” Thomas travelled to Togo and London, before settling in Canada: “I ended up there for ten years playing for universities, Ghanaian societies and festivals.”

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Release Date

06.10.2016

Cat No

STRUT 147LP

Tracklist

Track 1
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Contemporary Jazz
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2-LP
Pat Thomas
25.95 €
New Jazz Jungle: Remembering Feedback Moves
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Jazz
2-LP
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Pat Thomas
25.95 €
New Jazz Jungle: Remembering Feedback Moves
Afro Beat
2-CD
Pat Thomas
20.95 €
Coming Home Strut
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2-CD
Pat Thomas
20.95 €
Coming Home Strut
Afro Disco
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2-LP
Various / Kampire Presents
33.95 €
A Dancefloor In Ndola Strut
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Afro Music
2-LP
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Various / Kampire Presents
33.95 €
A Dancefloor In Ndola Strut
Afro Funk
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LP
Lafayette Afro Rock Band
27.95 €
Soul Makossa (Black Vinyl) Strut
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Afro Music
LP
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Lafayette Afro Rock Band
27.95 €
Soul Makossa (Black Vinyl) Strut
Afro Beat
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LP
Lafayette Afro Rock Band
27.95 €
Malik Strut
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Afro Music
LP
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Lafayette Afro Rock Band
27.95 €
Malik Strut
Afro Funk
LP
Lafayette Afro Rock Band
30.95 €
Soul Makossa (Transparent Blue Vinyl) Strut
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Afro Music
LP
Lafayette Afro Rock Band
30.95 €
Soul Makossa (Transparent Blue Vinyl) Strut
New Soul / R&B
LP
Nubiyan Twist
30.95 €
Find Your Flame Strut
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Funk/Soul
LP
Nubiyan Twist
30.95 €
Find Your Flame Strut
Afro Jazz
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2-LP
Idris Ackamoor / The Pyramids
31.95 €
Afro Futuristic Dreams Strut
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Afro Music
2-LP
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Idris Ackamoor / The Pyramids
31.95 €
Afro Futuristic Dreams Strut
DubStep
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12“
Bengal Sound
16.95 €
Red Diamond / Hurt Me Inna Mind
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12“
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Bengal Sound
16.95 €
Red Diamond / Hurt Me Inna Mind
DubStep
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2-12"
Martyn
34.95 €
Through Lines [Repress] 3024 Music
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Bass Music
2-12"
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Martyn
34.95 €
Through Lines [Repress] 3024 Music
DubStep
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12“
Kercha
16.95 €
Absurd DNO
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Bass Music
12“
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Kercha
16.95 €
Absurd DNO
DubStep
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12“
Sea Horse
19.95 €
Black Hole EP Bass Come Save Me
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Bass Music
12“
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Sea Horse
19.95 €
Black Hole EP Bass Come Save Me
Bass
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12"
Dbridge Vs Forest Drive West - Repress
16.95 €
Exitvs009 Exit
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Bass Music
12"
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Dbridge Vs Forest Drive West - Repress
16.95 €
Exitvs009 Exit
UK Garage
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12“
Overmono x The Streets
10.95 €
Turn The Page XL
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House
12“
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Overmono x The Streets
10.95 €
Turn The Page XL