The Big Beats

July 16, 2023, 1:00 am
Filed under: Ghana

This record had been on my Want List for very long time…

The Big Beats were from Ghana. The band was led by Linden Lee. According to Discogs, Andrew “Mad Man Jaga” Daboh was also in the band. From the liner notes of Soundway Records’ Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-81 compilation:

The Big Beats were a band formed mostly from the popular soul band El Pollos’ second band, The Triffids. They played for some time in Lagos where they perfected their afro-beat style, returning to Ghana and recording two 45s for the Polydor label: “Mi Nsumõõ Bo Dõnn” (“I Don’t Love You Anymore”) was the B side to the hit single “Kyenkyema” which became a by-word in 70’s Ghana for anything old, outdated or decrepit. Their other release, “Afro-Pride” / “Kwemo Nahi”, was released simultaneously but didn’t sell anything like as well.

The A side of their second single – “Kwemõ Na Ahi” – is on the Vis-A-Vis DJs – AfroFunk Showcase Vol.2 compilation that was put out by the apparently now defunct Overtone Records. The B side of that single was on Superfly Records’ The Afrofunk Expressway Vol. 2 – which the existence of has been all but scrubbed from the internet with the exception of the track list.

If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.

Catalog number 2080103 only Polydor of Ghana, released 1972.