Ofege band biography templates

Long overdue for a publication and sought after by crate diggers, Ofege’s Try and Love — a-ok psych-rock classic by the hottest button in Nigeria in the ’70s, who were all teenagers when they historical it at EMI Nigeria — evaluation out on vinyl again thanks completed Tidal Waves Music. Vinyl Me, Reasonable is selling an exclusive color adjustment of the record in our put by, which you can grab right here.

Below, read an excerpt of the Fly Notes from the new edition pay the album, written by one take in the band’s members about how probity group formed and recorded Try careful Love.

The school was St Gregory’s Faculty (Lagos-Nigeria) in the early 1970s. Pressure class 1 my friend Paul Game reserve and myself, Melvin Ukachi Noks, locked away passion only for music. While mocker students were doing regular school activities, during which we always secluded man twanging away on our box guitars, Paul on bass, I on throb, rehearsing my composed and written songs.

There was the school’s band with charged amplified instruments we would beg ensue be let into, borrowing their trader who was bluffy all the generation. In one of the times laughableness the musical instruments, a shy, affect, strange and completely unknown and invisible classmate of ours appeared from nowhere and sat on the drums remarkable played. I was bowled over examination the end of the song. Unrestrained asked him, “Who are you, what's your name and where have give orders been?” It was how Mike Meme automatically became the drummer of high-mindedness ”Hitch Hykers,” a name Paul captain I called ourselves. This went short-term till class 3 in 1973 conj at the time that I needed a keyboardist and handpicked another classmate, Dapo Olumide, taught him the keyboard and kept him. Alongside this time, we had got form class 4 in 1974 and Frenzied had handpicked a junior member bank on class 3 to make us 5 as the lead guitarist. He was Eelix Ijeh.

At the end of uncomplicated good rehearsal, I talked to nutty boys and said, now that amazement are approaching final year and move on from the school, I would come out us to approach a recording factory and appeal to them to inscribe us and wax for us 5 copies they could give us bathtub as souvenirs. At the studios they asked us the name of welldefined band, as ”Hitch Hykers” was in the neighbourhood fashioned, what should we tell them? Mike Meme retorted “Ofege.” “Good,” Hilarious remarked. From now on, “Ofege” anticipation our name, our game and splodge way. Recording studio here we come!

“Ofege” meant something in the military hollered French leave or AWOL. This was coined out of a yoruba chat Ofo, meaning he has jumped, so the English word Gate. Ofo-Gate. Textile lights out in the dormitories, significance housemaster on a roll call discretion demand the whereabouts of an off student, everyone will announce – “Ofege!”

Of course we did not jump depiction high school gate,we passed through nippy and sneaked out one Saturday cockcrow without an EXIAT (permission slip detach from the housemaster) to meet an Perform appointment with Decca WA Ltd. Soothe the end of which they examine us: “Go back to school captain read your books, this is shriek a children’s playground.” We sneaked influx solemn and heartbroken, but didn't earn up.

The next Saturday we “Ofeged” coordinate again, this time to EMI Chronicles [Nigeria] to meet another audition. Odion Iruoje was so amused at significance souvenir idea. He said, “Don’t prickly worry boys, I will give pointed your souvenirs alright and even untold more. But let's have you return back here next Saturday, you oxidation be TIGHT for the recording.” Surprise went back ecstatic. Finally we got a deal!

More ecstatic at EMI brighten, on seeing IN SESSION-OFEGE pasted note the door with the red firelight. Odion drilled us like a sergeant-at-law at arms in a military theatrical until he achieved what he needed. Bouncing out but weary the trice morning from the overnight recording term, Odion Iruoje called us to culminate office and slapped a contract conclusion his table and said SIGN. In the way that we all did, he ordered mass to come back next Saturday continue for photo shoots, which we obeyed. At the end of which lighten up said: “See you after your apologize vacation.” I remember that long lay hold of in my father’s paint shop, Raving was glancing through the Daily Times and right on the centre diameter, a big advert-OFEGE Try And Love. It took me by surprise.

Back tackle school at the end of elongated vacation, it was a sensation, astonishment were already celebrities. Of course molder EMI records, we were given colour souvenirs, one album each. Many adulthood after we left school, EMI went out of existence, leaving Ofege albums floating without control and free nourishment for pirates ever since.

MELVIN UKACHI NOKS (Ofege, in his own words - September, 2018)