MANKEY, EARL - Mau Mau/Crazy orig 1978 pressing! w pic slv. POWER POP PIC SLV - 45 RPM

(Orig pressing of BOMP spinoff label, Exhibit J) rare by legendary producer in this one short song, there is enough pure-pop majesty to fill your week's quota of such grand music.

Earle Mankey was a founding member of the odd new-wave 80's band, Sparks. Mankey has some serious production credits to his name too, including Concrete Blonde's first album. "Mau Mau" begins with a jungle drum beat and a chorus of low voiced fellows singing "Ugachukka, ugachukka" over and over again. The song makes an abrupt left turn when Mankey begins singing about an African "...who can take his love any way he can, by the point of spear, by the point of knife" in his distant pop voice over a tinkley synth sound.

Mankey builds layer upon layer in the chorus, with guitars ultimately building to a "Baba O'Rielly" guitar riff. You don't find sublime pop-rock like this everyday, but when you do, it's quite a treat. -- Doug Cornell,