Take off

With covers like this there is little need for a lot of words. And I am not just referring to the stewardess on the front, but also to the sleeve notes on the back. They are included in a slightly larger form than usual.
All four titles on this EP are by The Springbok Dance Band. The vinyl of this EP seems to have suffered some water damage which has left its mark clearly on the left channel. As the records were intended for mono playing I have copied the right channel to the left where the noise gets too much.

Philips 420.006 PE

The second EP has tracks by two bands: The Black Beats led by King Bruce and E.K.'s Band led by E.K. Nyame (see this earlier post). Again I refer to the sleeve notes, - although these are a bit silly, if you ask me....

HMV 7 EGC 8

E.K.'s No.1 Band

"E.K. Nyame was born in 1927 in Ghana. He revolutionised West African music in the 1950s, as he not only updated the Highlife music of the Palm-Wine groups, but also combined it with the acting of the local concert groups" (John Collins, African Pop Roots, The Inside Rhythms of Africa, 1985).

This may still sound a bit vague, but I gather that E.K. Nyame played a major part in getting rid of western ballroom music (foxtrot, quickstep, waltz etc.) in concert parties and gradually replacing it with highlife music based on the guitar music of the palm-wine bars. He also slowly introduced more Twi into the shows.

It is not surprising that he became Kwame Nkrumah's favourite musician. E.K. in turn supported Nkrumah in songs and plays. He told John Collins he had composed 40 songs in praise of Nkrumah. With the decline of Nkrumah's rule in the 1960s, E.K.'s songs were used by the opposition.
E.K. Nyame died in 1977.

Here are two singles, released in the Philips label, of E.K.'s No.1 Band. I'm not sure if this means there was also a No.2 Band (there ís a K.K.'s No.2 Band, but I think they are from a later date). But I prefer to think this was meant as a qualification or ranking....

Philips PF 383571
Philips PF 382418