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
Released	November 1975
Recorded	June–July 1975
Studio	D&B Sound in Silver Spring, Maryland
Label	Arista
Producer	Perpis-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
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[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

• Gil Scott-Heron - vocals, electric piano
• Brian Jackson - vocals, flute, keyboards, synthesizer
• Victor Brown - vocals, tambourine, bells
• Bilal Sunni Ali - saxophone, flute, harmonica
• Danny Bowens - bass
• Bob Adams - drums
• Charlie Saunders - congas, Chinese drum
• Barnett Williams - congas, djembe drums, shekere
• Adenola - congas

"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

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