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Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 12:46 am
by Chino
Who was Lion Zion? An american singer?
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:03 am
by cong bunny
From memory an American Singer who came to black Ark with songs he wanted Lee Perry to produce.
The resulting album was Reggae in America and presumably had a bit of post production done on it in America.
It’s a great album, it has an almost folk feel to it in places, especially in Lion’s lyrics, it also has a Jamaican choir in it too (again from memory) which lends some of the songs a very different sound.
David Katz pretty much panned the album in his people funny boy book (or at least said that Lion’s vocals weren’t up to Perry’s Tunes), but I feel it is one of the most interesting works that Perry got involved in.
It’s a shame that it isn’t widely available. Great songs on it.
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:41 am
by blackarkrock
Recorded by Lee Perry at the Black Ark in 1976, but as cong bunny says, finished elsewhere.
It doesn´t sound very Black Arky at all, except for Who Killed The Buffalo / Buffalo Dub (if I remember the titles correctly), which are very good!. The rest is so-so...
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:11 pm
by sleng teng
They may re-relase it someday as they did with the Natives album...
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:39 pm
by sleng teng
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 2:07 pm
by Visitor
IMO this very recognizable black ark sound compare for example "War Inna Babylon" its from same era... Although this is lacking the final mix down by Scratch.
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:01 pm
by Congo Bunny
Yeah I find it very Lee Perry/Black Ark sounding also, but with an almost pop/folk twist to the production, which means that peeps are quite right to say it doesn’t sound Perry-ish (enough Caveats?)
Katz says of Lion Zion (Paraphrased) “He was a black American singer, who operated a record shop on the East Coast and was involved in the production of a small reggae magazine. Perry’s wife met him a few times in a New York record shop and said come to Jamaica, so he did bare foot! Perry created the rhythms for the songs (on Reggae in America) which Zion had written.”
Personally I love Zion’s Lyrics they are anti establishment, revolutionary and witty.
Seems there was a Jamaican and an American choir singing on the album, although Katz doesn’t say where their parts were recorded.
If you can get this album and you’re a fan of Perry you should get it, because it helps to complete the picture of the man and really is a great album. However if it’s costly and money is tight it may well cause disappointment. Personally I love it and I’d love to see it re-released
Re: Who was Lion Zion?
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:50 pm
by mr mountain
As On The LP-
Lion Zion- Lead Vocals
David Madden- Trumpet
Glen DaCosta- Tenor Sax
Vin Gordon- Trombone
Keith Sterling- Piano,Organ
Fil Callender- R,Guitar
Anthony Creary- Drums
Lloyd Parks- Bass
Voices Of The Oakland Black Ensemble
(Oakland Calif) "American Revolution"
Conducted By Phillip Reedey
Riva Florida (Soloist)
National Dance Theatre Singers(of Jamaica) "Turn Toward's The Sun"
Barry & Earl-Supporting Voices "who Killed The Buffalo"&"Gas Guzzler"
Ron Stallings-(flute) "Beautiful Day"& (Saxaphone) "Reggae In America"
Carlyle (Steel Drums) "Gas Guzzler"
Leslie Hart-Hammond (Voice) "Beautiful Day"
Steve Grushkin (Lead Guitar) "Arise America"
-recorded in "The Black Ark" Kgn.Ja
engineered & mixed by Lee Scratch Perry
and Freeway Recording-Oakland,Calif
eng.B.Dangerfield asst, Ron Hatiz
Mastered By C.B.S, San Francisco
eng, Phil Brown
House Of Natty Records
hope this helps a bit