A conglomerate of US musicians based in France between 1971 and 1979, the Lafayette Afro Rock Band was originally formed as the Bobby Boyd Congress in 1970 before escaping the crowded US funk scene to relocate to France a year later. Re-naming themselves as Ice, they began performing regularly in the North African Barbès district of Paris and caught the eye of producer Pierre “Berjot” Jaubert, before becoming the house session band at his independent Parisound studio.

The influence of their surroundings and the release of Manu Dibango’s seismic ‘Soul Makossa’ (recorded in Paris in 1972) triggered a new identity for the band and the Lafayette Afro Rock Band was born. The two Lafayette albums recorded during 1974 and 1975, ‘Soul Makossa’ and ‘Malik’, found the band at the peak of their powers, whipping up a heavyweight funk-rock fusion led by Frank Abel’s trademark “magic bag” vocoder. Both albums only achieved specialist sales on release but have both endured as underground favourites for vinyl collectors and as a significant source for samples. Everyone from Jay-Z and Janet Jackson to Public Enemy, LL Cool J and Wreckx ‘N’ Effect have plundered the Lafayettes in recent times.

The band also backed a number of other artists whilst in Paris, including jazz legend Mal Waldron, Chicago bluesman Sunnyland Slim and disco tracks for Becky Bell and Chantal Curtis, including her ’79 hit, ‘Get Another Love’. The band finally split in 1982.

DARKEST LIGHT: THE BEST OF THE LAFAYETTE AFRO ROCK BAND was originally released on Strut in 1999 and tells the story of the band from their early days as Ice including the key tracks from their two landmark albums ‘Malik’ and ‘Soul Makossa / Voodounon’. The album also features tracks recorded under one-off pseudonyms for the Japanese market, Crispy & Co. and Captain Dax.

This updated edition of the compilation features two tracks previously unavailable on CD, including an epic early Ice cut, ‘There’s Time To Change’. The CD package features a 12-page booklet including the original compilation sleeve notes by James Maycock along with rare photos of the band at Parisound studios.

For more info check: www.lafayetteafrorockband.com