The complete works of Zambia’s legendary garage-, psych-, prog-, funk-,afro-rock ensemble. 1972-1977: WITCH’s five albums and rare 7” tracks presented as a 4 CD and 6LP box set. Restored and remastered from the original tapes. Out NOW.
WITCH is the best known Zamrock ensemble – they succeeded in releasing five albums in Zamrock’s 70s heyday. Although there have been two previous WITCH reissues by the Shadoks company, this 4 CD/6LP box set marks the first time that their entire catalog – including rare, 7″-only tracks, all restored and remastered from the original tapes – has been available outside of Zambia.
WITCH’s first two, self-produced albums – Introduction and In The Past, released in unison with the birth of the commercial Zambian recording industry – are exuberant experiments in garage rock, and are as influenced by the Rolling Stones as they are James Brown. Their third album, Lazy Bones!!, is the band’s masterpiece – a dark, brooding psychedelic opus that makes equal use of wah-wah and fuzz guitars, that relies as heavily on the stomping feel of hard rock as it does the syncopation of funk. The band’s last two albums – Lukombo Vibes and Including Janet, recorded after the band toured with Osibisa – make use of traditional Zambian rhythms and folk melodies. They are the most “afro-rock” of WITCH’s oeuvre.
These 54 rare and unreleased songs are presented as a 10″ x 6″ hardbound 4 CD box set with a 24 page booklet and as 6 LPs – each with the original cover art – housed in a slipcase box with a 16 page booklet. The 6 LP box set is limited to 1000 pieces. More photos of each format are below.
