Joe Gad

The Roots Reggae Library brings to you Reggae music in unique collections. This edition features Joe Gad. The collection is unique because Joe Gad is fairly unknown and the recording of his only album is rare.

I got my hands on a copy of the only Joe Gad album available through Bid or Buy. Joe Gad & The Earth People present themselves as a very nice South African Reggae formation with a typical South African sound. I have not been able to find much other information on Joe Gad. Anyone who can tell me more about him is welcome to do so.

What I can tell from the vinyl cover are the names of all the Earth People. Of course there is Joe Gad on lead vocals. Don Mtipa plays the drums. George Marumo and Asher Legae are on the keyboards. The bass guitar is played by Gordon Mbelu. Reubin Moralana plays guitar and backing vocals are sung by Sylvester Mosia.

I apologize to all South Africans for cutting the Eastern edge off  South Africa in the Joe Gad profile picture. It was done to make the image look a bit more as it is supposed to be a proper cover image. As you can see it is simply taken of the only Joe Gad photo available to me.

Joe Gad - Rise Up Africa

01. Rise Up Africa

02. Murder No No

03. Rocka Reggae Music

04. Earth People

05. Sodom And Gomorrah

06. Upside Down

07. Just A Closer Walk

08. Rastaman

Unfortunately this is the only album ever recorded by Joe Gad and The Earth People. That is all the more reason to enjoy it to the max. On the cover, Joe Gad has written Afrika, rather than Africa. On the back of the vinyl cover the names of the Earth People are written in the map of Africa, in the same correspondence as how they are seen on the front. The first song on the album is called 'Rise Up Africa', thus the title track. The tune is high pitched and Joe sings about innocent blood that has been shed, and about going back to I & I original culture. The tone is set and the group will continue the same style throughout the album. I personally think 'Murder No No' is even more pleasant to listen to than the title track. "Jah give us this life to live, man took care for each other, no fuss and no fighting, come we live it pure and clean now". From one good swing to another in 'Rocka Reggae Music'. Joe likes a lot of different styles, Calypso for instance, but "Reggae is my number one". We all know that feeling now don't we? So rock and move with the beat of this track. The band of Joe Gad is called the 'Earth People'. Hear their plea! "We want go free, we are the earth people" because  "we rocka this ya Reggae so right, we do a this ya rhythm so good". Like Bob Marley they sing about the head corner stone. Clearly we don't want to go back to the time of 'Sodom And Gomorrah', so beware! Joe Gad calls to burn and run down Babylon. No more wickedness! The spelling of this track has been adjusted to fit others with the same name on the Roots Reggae Library. Gad sings about freedom in 'Upside Down'. This is not the most notable song from the album but it is still good to listen to. You can walk with Jah Jah in 'Just A Closer Walk' and he will tell you his wisdom. There's a nice ring to be heard through the melody of this song. "Government shall be no more" he sings in 'Just A Closer Walk'. Before you know the album is over, with the relatively short 'Rastaman'. Joe is a cautious man, "I'm a lion conqueror", a Natty Dread. And I am pretty sure that if this Natty Dread had made another album, it would have been another great one.

Studio Albums

««««« (1991) Rise Up Africa

Original Date Of Publishing: January 2017