S/T by THE APOSTLES

The Apostles were disciples of a heavy kind of psychedelic soul/rock fusion. After The Funkees left for London, they stepped into the breach to become the champions of East Nigeria�s flourishing post-war music scene.Based in Aba, and led by guitarist and charismatic chancer Walton Arungwa, they laid down a couple of singles with the city�s newly-formed BEN label. EMI liked what they heard and in 1976 whisked the band to Lagos to record The Apostles with the legendary Emmanual Odenusi at the controls. A heavy mix of wailing guitar, swirling organ and James Brown-style vocals, it became a fixture in every east Nigerian home. �Never Too Late� sets the stage with a scorching lead break that most believe was played by guitar-slinger-for-hire, Felix �Feladay� Odey. Drummer Joel Madubuike and bass player Henry Tandu lay down the rock solid groove for Benji Davidson�s righteous organ lines in �Inflation� and �Highway to Success.� And each is invested with an urgency from battle-hardened vocals of Chyke Fussion, a vetran of the Biafra war. Don�t be fooled by the angelic white outfits worn on the cover of The Apostles. These guys were BAD. And �Never Too Late� could well be the best Afro Rock song ever recorded. - Peter Moore