Saturday, March 19, 2016

Day 140 of 365 Day Jamaican Music Challenge - Bongo Herman - Thunder Storm Part 2

We're gonna wrap-up the week with another early reggae track and this one has an interesting history... The Abyssinians, the vocal trio featuring Bernard Collins, Donald Manning and Lynford Manning, got together in 1968.  Deeply influenced by their Rastafari faith, they went to Studio One in March of 1969 to record their classic "Satta Massagana," a tune partially sung in Ethiopian Amharic.  After the session was over Coxsone Dodd couldn't see any commercial potential so he tossed the tape up on a shelf and there it sat for two years.  In 1971, the Abyssinians bought the master tape from Dodd for £90, released it on their own Clinch label and it became a huge success!  While today's tune is not Satta Massagana it is the b-side version off the very same record and it's called "Thunder Storm Part 2" by the legendary drummer and percussionist Bongo Herman... enjoy!

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