The South African organist Pops Mohamed released no less than five records on Rashid Vally’s As-Shams label between 1975 and 1976. Three of them under the project name Black Disco. »Black Disco« and »Black Disco 3« (it is an irony of music history that the missing one of the three records is not called »Black Disco 2« but »Night Express«) will be reissued by Afrodelic on September 6, 2024 on the basis of the original analogue master tapes. This will be the first time they are available outside South Africa. Colored vinyl editions of the records, limited to 100 copies, are available exclusively from HHV Records.
Riding the Blue with a Spiritual Feel
On »Black Disco« (1975), Pops Mohamed is joined by flautist and saxophonist Basil Coetzee, known for his collaboration with Abdullah Ibrahim, and bassist Sipho Gumede. This means that there are no drums on these recordings. The drum computer on Mohamed’s Yamaha organ provides the rhythm. The situation is different on »Black Disco 3« (1976), where Mohamed and Coetzee are backed by Peter Odendaal on bass and Monty Weber on drums. In addition to their own compositions, Black Disco always play versions of pop hits such as »My Girl«, »Ain’t No Sunshine« and »Whiter Shade of Pale«. However, the highlights are certainly the psychedelically drifting »Spiritual Feel« on »Black Disco« and its version »Spiritual Feel (Riding the Blue)« on »Black Disco 3«.
