Work for All
Encyclopedia
Work For All is a studio album
from Juluka
, a South Africa
n band led by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu
. It was first released in 1983 and rapidly achieved major success in South Africa where it is now remembered as a classic album in the history of South African music.
While Clegg is known for the sociopolitical bent of his lyrics, he perhaps reaches his most scathing and critical on Work for All. In "Bullets for Bafazane", he sings of the commonplace township violence in his country: "Shadow men from the outland come to town / Looking for Bafazane, they want to gun him down". There is a notable use of a mild profanity
, uncommon in Juluka lyrics, in "Gunship Ghetto", where Clegg sings in obvious frustration, "Crazy boy, your sister's crying / Tell me, where the hell have you been?"
Unfortunately, Work for All would be the last conventional studio album released by the '80s incarnation of Juluka. They would release a collection of singles and dance mixes, The International Tracks
, for audiences outside of South Africa more interested in the Africa
nized pop side of the band than their social and political commentary.
Total: 39:28
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from Juluka
Juluka
Juluka was a South African music band formed in 1969 by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. Juluka means "sweat", and was the name of a bull owned by Mchunu.-Career:...
, a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n band led by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu
Sipho Mchunu
Sipho Mchunu is a Zulu musician best known for his partnership with 'white Zulu' Johnny Clegg in the band Juluka from the 1970s to the 1990s. Mchunu's Zulu compositions, vocals and guitar work brought traditional Zulu styles such as maskanda and mbaqanga to a wider crossover audience both in South...
. It was first released in 1983 and rapidly achieved major success in South Africa where it is now remembered as a classic album in the history of South African music.
While Clegg is known for the sociopolitical bent of his lyrics, he perhaps reaches his most scathing and critical on Work for All. In "Bullets for Bafazane", he sings of the commonplace township violence in his country: "Shadow men from the outland come to town / Looking for Bafazane, they want to gun him down". There is a notable use of a mild profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, uncommon in Juluka lyrics, in "Gunship Ghetto", where Clegg sings in obvious frustration, "Crazy boy, your sister's crying / Tell me, where the hell have you been?"
Unfortunately, Work for All would be the last conventional studio album released by the '80s incarnation of Juluka. They would release a collection of singles and dance mixes, The International Tracks
The International Tracks
The International Tracks is a 1984 album collecting various singles and remixed tracks by Juluka, a South African band led by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. The songs on this album had all been previously released internationally but not in South Africa; hence the title...
, for audiences outside of South Africa more interested in the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
nized pop side of the band than their social and political commentary.
Track listing
- "December African Rain" – 4:20
- "Bullets for Bafazane" – 3:53
- "Mana Lapho" – 3:52
- "Baba Nango" – 3:46
- "Walima 'Mabele" – 4:17
- "Work For All" – 3:56
- "Gunship Ghetto" – 3:42
- "Woza Moya" – 3:34
- "Mdantsane (Mud Coloured Dusty Blood)" – 3:56
- "Mantombana" – 3:40
Total: 39:28