Continental Research Orchestra – Naboko Samba (Dub Version)
From Continental Research Orchestra – Naboko Samba
Released on Disques Dreyfus, 1986, France

Seriously, how is it even possible that this dub version of Naboko Samba ever got released ? No one gave it a proper listen before giving the green light ? It’s not as if it wasn’t release on a big label, Disques Dreyfus, a subdivision of Francis Dreyfus Music (on which was also released one of the most impeccably recorded live of the 1990’s, Michel Petrucciani’s Trio in Tokyo). Add to this that the people involved in the making of this record are all big names in the French musical industry: it was arranged by Claude Salmieri, who plays the drum on records by French chansons colossuses like France Gall, Michel Berger or Eddy Mitchell, recorded and mixed by Bernard Moulinier who worked with the likes of Charles Aznavour, Bernard Lavilliers or Alain Chamfort, and produced by Guy Pons, producer of Francis Cabrel‘s albums…

Whatever are the reasons behind this lack of control, we are so glad that what might be the most chaotic dub we ever heard made it to vinyl. The tune is switching from one part to an other every 20 seconds (including a slap bass solo, spoken word by Samba Coulibaly, fake field recordings of the jungle, a marimba solo, etc.) while the sound level literally jump from one height to an other. And that’s why we love it so much! Despite of the technical oddities, the tune is super addictive with its acid bassline and its nagging chorus (« Eh na bo’ ko Samba, na bo’ ko samba eh« ). A true banger with a (possibly unintentionally) punk attitude.

Many questions remains clueless : who is responsible for this out-of-control dub? And who is Samba Coulibaly? The mayor of a town in Ivory Coast? Is it his only record? And why did he call it Continental Research Orchestra?