AFRO-SPAZZ

How many African music collections thank Dr Demento in the credits?

The 1995 compilation "Money No Be Sand," on the Original Music label, is one of my favorite albums - it's completely bananas, another example of how Everything You Know Is Wrong. All Nigeria and Ghana rarities from the Sixties, it's nothing like the sterile "World Music" you'll hear oozing out of your local Starbucks. It's own liner notes describe it as "wild-and-woolly" (the review in The Beat magazine prefers the term "nutty.")

It's delights are endless: trashy garage-rock sung in tribal tongues, James Brown rip-offs (complete with, in the song "One Early Morning," a shockingly inept drum break), a cheerful calypso describing a political assassination, curious pidgin-English lyrics, and all manner of twisting and shaking awesomeness. Oh, and a Beatles cover performed on cowbells. Beyond essential.

"Money No Be Sand"

	1	Ewele Aya	BB Band / Prof. Y.S.	2:57
		2	Hold Me Tight Baby	Archibogs / Charles Iwegbue	2:45
		3	Look, Look, Look	Sound Makers / Godwin Omobuwa	2:50
		4	Weeya Weya	Tempos Band / E.T. Mensah	2:48
		5	Eje Ka Jo	Junkers / Jimi Solanke	2:58
		6	Money No Be Sand	Archibogs / Charles Iwegbue	2:57
		7	Cut Your Coat According to Your Size	Apolos Empire Rhythm Orchestra	2:50
		8	I Love You	Young Star Band / Pepsi-Orlando	2:56
		9	You Cheat Me You Cheat Me	Sound Makers / Godwin Omobuwa	2:55
		10	Shake It	Professional Beach Melodians	2:50
		11	President Tubman	Money Be No Sand	2:43
		12	Timber	Eric Akaeze / Azagas	3:01
		13	One Early Morning	BB Band / Prof. Y.S.	2:59
		14	Healthy Be Richman	Eric Akaeze / Azagas	3:04
		15	Jane	Junkers / Clint Eph. Sebastian	2:27
		16	Ride Your Donkey	Ramblers Dance Band	2:39
		17	Baby I Tire	Archibogs / Charles Iwegbue	2:56
		18	Lumumba Calypso	E.C. Arinze	2:42
		19	I Need Your Love	Top Aces / Eddie Okonta	3:00
		20	More Dollars	Eric Akaeze / Azagas	2:44
		21	The Bad Lit Road		2:58
		22	Because of Money	Tempos Band / E.T. Mensah	2:40
		23	Don't Let Me Down John Lennon / Paul McCartney	Charlotte Dada	4:25