African Queens

For the television series, see African Queens (docu-series).

1977 studio album by the Ritchie Family

African Queens

Studio album by

the Ritchie Family

Released| 1977
Recorded| Sigma Sound Studios
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Genre| Disco
Label| Marlin
Producer| Jacques Morali
The Ritchie Family chronology
| Life Is Music
(1977)  | African Queens
(1977)  | American Generation
(1978)

|
|

African Queens is the fourth studio album recorded by American female vocal trio the Ritchie Family, released in 1977 on the Marlin label.

## History[edit]

The album features the track, "Quiet Village", which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Disco chart along with songs "African Queens" and "Summer Dance". "Quiet Village" also peaked at No. 68 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.

## Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]

The Bay State Banner wrote that "the music moves swiftly via massive string swoops and spurts of high hat drumming, jetting far away from present reality towards exotic distances only the world of fantasy can reckon."[2]

## Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and Phil Hurtt, except where noted

Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "African Queens (Nefertiti, Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba)"| 4:35
2.| "Theme of Nefertiti"| 1:30
3.| "Theme of Cleopatra"| 1:30
4.| "Theme of the Queen of Sheba"| 1:30
5.| "African Queens (reprise) (Nefertiti, Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba)"| 3:40

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "Summer Dance"|  | 5:28
7.| "Quiet Village"| Les Baxter| 5:45
8.| "Voodoo"|  | 5:35

## Personnel[edit]

* Gwendolyn Oliver, Cassandra Ann Wooten and Cheryl Mason Jacks \- Vocalists
* Russell Dabney - drums
* Alfonso Carey - Fender bass
* Jimmy Lee - lead guitar
* Rodger Lee - rhythm guitar
* Nathaniel "Crocket" Wilke - Fender Rhodes electric piano, clavinet
* Babatunde Olatunji - Ngoma drums, Shekere, bongos
* Ralph MacDonald - tambourines, triangle, bell tree, cowbell
* Mario Grillo - timbales
* Anthony Robinson - congas
* J.M. Diatta - ngoma drums
* Charles Payne - Djembe

## Production[edit]

* Jacques Morali - producer, rhythm, percussion and vocal arrangements
* Henri Belolo - executive producer
* Phil Hurtt - vocal arrangements
* Horace Ott - strings and horns arrangements
* Gerald Block - engineer
* Carla Bandini, Jeff Stewart - assistant engineers
* John Galluzzi - photographer

## Charts[edit]

Chart (1977)  | Peak
[3]

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 66
U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 164
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 57

Singles
Year  | Single  | Peak chart positions

|
|

R&B
[3] | US
Dan
[3]
1977  | "Quiet Village"  | 68  | 1
"African Queens"  | --
"Summer Dance"  | --

## References[edit]

1. ^ African Queens review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
2. ^ Freedberg, Mike (25 Aug 1977). "Record Reviews". Bay State Banner. No. 97\. p. 17.
3. ^ a b c The Ritchie Family > US Charts at AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 253\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

## External links[edit]

* African Queens at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

The Ritchie Family

Studio albums|

* Brazil
* Arabian Nights
* Life Is Music
* African Queens

Singles|

* "Brazil"
* "The Best Disco in Town"
* "Quiet Village"

Related articles|

* Jacques Morali

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