Run Ra - Egypt 1971

Strut

£28.78

Release date: 13th November 2020
Formats: 4CD
Label: Strut
Catalogue Number: STRUT209CD
Barcode: 4062548012156
Genre: Jazz

Strut present the 4CD edition of Sun Ra’s ‘Egypt 1971’, documenting Sun Ra’s first trip to Egypt with his Arkestra in December 1971.

In the years leading up to 1971, Sun Ra wrote many compositions and poems specifically inspired by the ancient African Kingdoms and many others with associated mythological and heliocentric connotations. As such, a visit to Egypt and the opportunity for the Arkestra to play there was a matter of necessity. Ra’s first ever concerts outside of the US had occurred in late summer and autumn of 1970 with performances in France, Germany and the UK and a second European tour was arranged for late 1971. At the end of that second tour, Ra caught wind of cheap flights from Denmark to Cairo.

This release comprises recordings made by Arkestra member Thomas “Bugs” Hunter made in December 1971 in the streets around the Mena House Hotel, Giza, from a concert held at the house of Goethe Institute ex-pat Hartmut Geerken in Heliopolis, from a live Cairo TV channel broadcast and a concert at the Ballon Theatre in Cairo.

The impact and significance of these few weeks upon Sun Ra can be measured by the growth and development of his output over the next few years; the immediate post-Egypt period included new studio and live recordings on the Saturn, Blue Thumb, Atlantic and Impulse labels and the ‘Space Is The Place’ movie. Ra also edited the three LPs of the ‘Live In Egypt’ series which were subsequently released on his Saturn record label and its affiliated twin, Thoth Intergalactic: ‘Dark Myth Equation Visitation’, ‘Nidhamu’ and ‘Horizon’.

These three albums are now reissued as single LP editions in their original artwork. The 4CD set features these albums alongside previously unreleased material from the December 1971 recordings. All tracks are remastered from the original tapes and the CD set also features a 24-page booklet featuring new sleeve notes and rare photos by Hartmut Geerken and background information on the recordings by Paul Griffiths.

• Definitive document of Sun Ra’s visit to Egypt in 1971

• CD includes 20 previously unreleased tracks

• CD includes 24pp booklet featuring new liner notes by Hartmut Geerken and Paul Griffiths

• All tracks remastered from original tapes by Technology Works.

Tracklisting:
CD 1
SUN RA AND HIS ASTRO-INTER-GALACTIC-INFINITY-ARKESTRA – LIVE IN EGYPT VOL. 1 (NATURE’S GOD) / (DARK MYTH EQUATION VISITATION)

1. Discipline No. 27
2. Interview With Ra
3. Solar Ship Voyage
4. Interview With Ra (Concluded)
5. Cosmo-Darkness
6. The Light Thereof
7. Friendly Galaxy No. 2
8. To Nature’s God
9. Why Go To The Moon?

Sun Ra And His Astro-Inter-Galactic-Infinity-Arkestra – Nidhamu (Live In Egypt Vol. Ii) (Original Album)

10. Space Loneliness No. 2
11. Discipline No. 11
12. Discipline No. 15
13. Nidhamu
________________

CD 2

Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Horizon (Original Album)

1. Starwatchers / Theme Of The Stargazers
2. Discipline No. 2
3. Shadow World
4. Third Planet
5. Space Is The Place
6. Horizon
7. Discipline No. 8
8. We’ll Wait For You
9. The Satellites Are Spinning
10. Enlightenment
11. Love In Outer Space

CD 3

Unreleased Recordings 1

1. Next Stop Mars
2. Pleiades
3. We’ll Wait For You
4. The Bridge
5. Nidhamu (Part 1)
6. Nidhamu (Part 2)
7. Discipline No. 27
8. They’ll Come Back

____________________

CD 4

Unreleased Recordings 2

1. Calling Planet Earth
2. Imagination
3. Discipline
4. Angels And Demons At Play
5. We Sing This Song
6. Space Is The Place
7. Organ Interlude
8. Angels And Demons At Play
9. Egyptian Oasis
10. Egyptian Oasis 2
11. Space Is The Place
12. Neptune