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Thursday 30 April 2020

Searching For Sugarman (Sixto Rodriguez)


I've just watched a great documentary on Netflix 'Searching For Sugarman' from 2012.  it's about an artist called Rodriguez who released 2 albums on Buddah subsidiary Sussex in 1970 and 1971.

He released a 45 in 1967 on Impact before his 2 Sussex albums. The first one was recorded in Detroit produced and arranged by Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore and features Bob Babbitt and The Detroit Symphony. The second was recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London and produced by ex actor Steve Rowland.

Not 'strictly' soul but a mix of folk/blues/soul and similar to what Bill Withers was putting out at the time but more down to earth and socio-political, which is probably why it didn't sell. 

His 2 original albums sank without trace in US and now command 'silly money £200-£500.  But as you will discover if you watch the documentary he became a cult figure in South Africa.  It's a similar story to Northern Soul heroes discovering for the first time that their music is appreciated in a far off land which they thought had been forgotten.

His album have subsequently been reissued.

Anyway it's a good watch and gets an 8.2 rating on IMDB.

Some background info at Sugarman.org

Here's a trailer.




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