From South Africa To South Carolina Review
Gil Scott-Heron Record Featuring Johannesburg
May 9, 2009
'Johannesburg' opens From South Africa To South Carolina, an early anti-apartheid track, which was a decade ahead of its time in terms of its subject matter. The Midnight Band was now a tight and cohesive unit under Brian Jackson's stewardship, and they create a distinctive, funky, militant sound. Scott-Heron relates the struggles in Johannesburg to Detroit and New York, bringing the racial struggle back home, telling the listener it is not a distant problem: it is a global issue.
Gil Scott-Heron by this time was not seeking individual plaudits: he had messages and ideas he wished to convey, and he utilised the Midnight Band and Brian Jackson to convey these in the most effective ways they could muster. From South Africa To South Carolina is credited to Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, and Scott-Heron willingly takes a back foot on several tracks.
The first of these is 'A Toast To The People', on which Victor Brown's energetic vocals take the lead. A positive view of the future in which racial strife and violence has disappeared, and a toast can be raised to the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., and David Walker for their efforts in bringing about such harmony.
The First Minute Of A New Day
The title of Scott-Heron's previous album, 'Beginnings (The First Minute Of A New Day) features on From South Africa To South Carolina as a moody and soulful lament. Focused on Scott-Heron's electric piano and impassioned voice, the track wonders why exactly there is a need to struggle for equality and harmony. For Scott-Heron, he knows what is needed, but is unsure why others would prevent it. An engaging flute solo from Brian Jackson adds extra texture and emotion to the song.
'The Summer Of '42' showcases the musical chops of the Midnight Band, propelled by dynamic bass from Danny Bowens. The joint vocal from Scott-Heron and Brown adds energy and contrast, Scott-Heron's deep and near-spoken performance meshing effectively with Brown's soulful and widely-ranging voice.
'Essex, Part 1' also focuses more on the Midnight Band's musicality, albeit in a far more aggressive manner. Unlike the rest of the record, which finds its militant musical message in its lyrics, 'Essex, Part 1' does so with some challenging and aggressive improvisation, only briefly punctured by Brown's short vocal.
South Carolina (Barnwell)
From South Africa To South Carolina features Scott-Heron's first foray into anti-nuclear territory, a topic which would also result in future tracks 'Shut Um Down' and 'We Almost Lost Detroit'. 'South Carolina (Barnwell)' reflected Scott-Heron's worries over a nuclear plant being built in the area, which would later be proved as unsafe.
The track features a damning indictment of the protest culture which had begun to decline in America in the mid-70s. Nuclear power was not provoking the response Scott-Heron thought it deserved, and asks in the chorus 'Whatever happened to the people who gave a damn?/Or did that just apply to dying in the jungles of Vietnam?' This call to arms reflected the aggressive, socially-driven intentions of Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, who looked to deliver messages with their music.
Scott-Heron was also capable of producing less intense music as well, and 'A Lovely Day' finds his voice in fine and sweet form. The album closer, 'A Lovely Day' is a fine evocation of a beautiful spring morning, and the poetry that can arise from such natural splendour. The track ends the album on a high note, giving a sense of hope and calm after the intense and admirable work beforehand.
From South Africa To South Carolina was a comparative commercial success for Scott-Heron, making a slight dent on the pop charts. 'Johannesburg' became a song of growing importance as the international backlash over apartheid grew, and 'South Carolina (Barnwell)' grew in stature when a 1983 Senate hearing questioned the safety and quality of the site. Scott-Heron went on to make more commercial music, but From South Africa To South Carolina proved a successful combination of political intent and musical achievement.
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