From South Africa to South Carolina
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| From South Africa to South Carolina | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1975 | |||
| Recorded | June–July 1975 | |||
| Studio | D&B Sound, Silver Spring, Maryland | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Perpis-Fall Music, Inc., Jose Williams, Midnight Band | |||
| Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson chronology | ||||
| ||||
From South Africa to South Carolina is a studio album by the American vocalist Gil Scott-Heron and the keyboardist Brian Jackson.[1][2] It was released in November 1975 by Arista Records.[3] Scott-Heron performed "Johannesburg" and "A Lovely Day" on Saturday Night Live in December 1975.[4] The album was reissued in the late 1990s via Scott-Heron's Rumal-Gia label, distributed by TVT Records.[5]
The album peaked at No. 103 on the Billboard 200.[6] "Johannesburg" was a moderate "disco" hit.[7]
The music was provided by the Midnight Band, led by Jackson.[8]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[10] |
| The Commercial Appeal |  [11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
The Houston Press, reviewing a reissue, wrote that the album's "best moments are the beautiful lament 'Beginnings', which is rife with bittersweet harmonies, and 'A Lovely Day', a light, poppish, medium-tempo number that builds to a smart climax."[14] The Chicago Tribune thought that it was one of a handful of albums that "brought a new depth and political consciousness to the urban vision of the '70s."[15] The Wire praised "Essex", calling the song "probably the most out thing this team ever tried: freeform intro, mordantly twining vocals, Jackson's darting, flickering flute."[16]
