Murphy Williams - She Is My Woman [Reissue Limited Edition] (1981/2017)

She Is My Woman is Murphy William’s loose, funky and spontaneous call to the dance floor. It’s an infectious collection of good-time tunes that the band seem to be enjoying as much as the listener. Williams was a stalwart of the Nigerian music scene, joining Godwin Omabuwa’s Cassanova Dandies at 17 before becoming one of the two lead vocalist of The Apostles from Aba. He was famous for his distinctive four octave voice, a voice that legendary label boss, Godwin Tabansi decided was perfectly suited to the new disco sound that was gripping Nigeria. The title track gets the party started with Felix Liberty providing the good-time guitar riffs, Friday Pozzo on congas and Sonny Enang keeping it light on keyboards. The vibe is tight and bright, breathy a breezy charm into disc-tied versions of Igbo folk songs ‘Selense’ and ‘Ima Obi O.’ The undoubted highlight of the album is ‘Get On Up’, a certifiable disco classic that would slay any dance floor anywhere in the world. It’s funky, it’s fun and by the time the lyrics implore the listener to get on up and dance their feet have already been convinced by the music. Put it on and it’s guaranteed to get any party started. - Peter Moore