Freedoms Children – Astra [LP 1970]

Tracks

1. Aileen [2.01]
2. The Homecoming [6.19]
3. The Kid He Came From Hazareth [5.24] 
4. Medals of Bravery [3.25]
5. Tribal Fence [4.12]
6. Gentle Beasts, Parts 1 & 2 [5.26]
7. Slowly Towards the North, Parts 1 & 2 [7.04]
8. Afterward [4.57]

Bonus tracks on 2005 CD re-issue:

9. The Coffee Song single a-side 1967
10. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction single b-side 1967
11. Little Games single b-side 1968

All songs written by Ramsey MacKay

Produced by Clive Calder and Freedoms Children

Musicians

• Julian Laxton: Guitar
• Ramsay MacKay: Bass
• Gerard Nel: Piano, Harpsichord, Bells
• Nic Martens: Organ, engineer
• Brian Davidson: Vocals
• Colin Pratley: Drums, Percussion

Release information

LP: 1970, Parlophone, PCSJ(D) 12066
8 Track: 1971 Parlophone X8-PCSJ-12066
LP: 1990, PVB Music, PVBC 7
Cassette: 1990, PVB Music, ZPVC 7
CD: 1993, TRC 029 unofficial German CD reissue
CD: 1997, 3eM, CDRED 619 official CD release, distributed by Gallo
CD: April 2005, RetroFresh, freshcd 145 official CD release

The Kid He Came From Hazareth was covered by Wildebeest and released on the Bushrock 1 album as ‘Russian And Chips’ (cleverly combined with a traditional Russian folk song). Piet Botha (Wildebeest bassist in the early ’80s) performed this song as an unplugged version on his Summer 2001 tour.

‘Russian and Chips‘ was covered by Jack Hammer (featuring Piet Botha) and released in April 2005 on the album The Pilgrim.

Slowly Towards The North was covered (and extended) by Hawk on their Live And Well LP in 1974. This track was also recorded live by Wildebeest and renamed ‘Pofadder’ when released on the Bushrock 1 album.

The Homecoming: An edited version (2:50) was released as a single in 1971.

A 16-minute live version of ‘The Homecoming’ (including a drum solo) was released on Galactic Vibes.

~ Brian Currin

“Tribal Fence” was composed by Ramsay MacKay and first recorded by Freedoms Children and released on their 1970 album Astra. It was recorded by Rabbitt on their A Croak And A Grunt In The Night album in 1977. The Rabbitt version featured the incredible vocal talents of Margaret Singana, who had been the lead singer on The Warrior album by Ipi ‘N Tombia in 1973.

Margaret Singana also recorded a very powerful version of “Tribal Fence” which was released as the title track of her album in 1977. The album was produced by Julian Laxton (from Freedoms Children) and Trevor Rabin (from Rabbitt).

The band Wildebeest recorded the song live and it appeared in 1981 on the Bushrock 1 album. “Tribal Fence” was recorded by Jack Hammer (whose founder Piet Botha had been in Wildebeest) and released on The Pilgrim album in April 2005.

Brian Currin