This album is a must for all roots reggae fans. Want Some Freedom collects most of the very rare recordings by the mid-70's group that introduced the world to teenagers Sugar Minott, Tony Tuff, and Derrick Howard. Sixteen tracks, including 3 dub versions, show why these talented singers all went on to bigger and better things in reggae.

The African Brothers were founded in 1969 by teenagers Sugar Minott, Tony Tuft, and Derrick Howard (a.k.a. Eric Bubbles). As Howard tells it, “I went to play ball one evening, and who do I hear—the mellow man himself—Sugar Minott doing a song and Tony play guitar, and my ears pick up and me like it. I say, ‘This guy sound good’ so me go over to them . . . and I asked them to form a group.” The three youths became fast friends and musical collaborators. “Well, we grew up together from youth days. And we all went to school, live in the same house. Sugar mother used to take care of us like her son’ we grew together like a family, so it’s like a family thing.”

Influenced by the Abyssinians, the Heptones, the Gaylads, and other popular Jamaican singing trios of the time, the African Brothers went on to cut many classic songs throughout the seventies, first for other producers, and eventually, on their own. They were equally adept at singing roots & culture tunes and love songs, and they had hits with both. Diverse platters such as “Lead Us Father,” “Righteous Kingdom,” “Torturing,” and “Party Night” became hits in yard and in the U.K. as well.

One song that never broke as big as it could have was this album’s title track, “Want Some Freedom.” Political divisions in Kingston kept the song down. Bubbles explains: “There was a brother on the corner where we were, he used to work big in the Labor Party (JLP), named Bruce. He wanted to take the song to a high level and they could use the song. We were living mostly in a PNP (People’s National Party) stronghold, and people know Bruce, cause he’s a big man on the corner, and people say that we can’t give him that song, that he can’t use that song . . . you couldn’t wear red if you’re downtown, and you couldn’t wear green if you’re uptown, you know what I’m trying to say?” Amidst veiled threats of harm, the group decided not to let him use the song. So while the single garnered decent sales, it never got the chance to become a smash hit the way it would have if it has been used as an anthem by a major political party.

Most of these songs have never appeared on disc before, and amazingly, thirty-two years after the group’s inception, Want Some Freedom becomes the first official African Brothers full-length release. The timing couldn’t be better, as people today seem more receptive to the positive messages of roots & culture artists than ever before. Says Bubbles, “Even Bob (Marley), he put out some songs and people weren’t going for the message like how them go for it now. If you were looking for monetary (reward) at that time, it wouldn’t be there. But the work was there, and we were satisfied with that. It would live on, living on all this time until now.” Enjoy!

The African Brothers are:

Tony Tuff: lead & harmony vocals
Sugar Minott: harmony & lead vocals
Derrick Howard (a.k.a. Eric Bubbles): harmony & lead vocals

Drums: Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Carlton Barrett, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Max Edwards
Bass: Fully Fullwood, Robbie Shakespeare, Lloyd Parks, Leroy Sibbles, Aston Barrett, Mike Williams
Guitar: Earl “Chinna” Smith, Tony Chin, Hux Brown, Eric “Bingy Bunny” Lamont, Dwight Pinkney
Keyboards: Keith Sterling, Earl “Way” Lindo, Robbie Lynn
Horns: Roland Alphonse, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordin, Baba Brooks
Flute: Tommy McCook
Percussion: Count Ossie, Bongo Herman

Produced by : The African Brothers
Additional production: Rupie Edwards, Micron Music, Randy’s at Channel One, Randy’s, Harry J’s

Executive Producers: Micharl Goldwasser, Lem Oppenheimer, Eric Smith & Remy Gerstein

Recorded circa 1970-1978

Give thanks to Erik Gunderson and Retsu Takahashi for their many hours of hard work.

Due to the rare nature of these recordings, they have been digitally remastered to achieve the highest sound quality possible. In some cases, we have opted to preserve the integrity of the music at the risk of leaving in some extraneous noise.