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The Black Mikado
The Black Mikado
Cast recording by Original London Cast
Released	1975
Recorded	October 1975
Studio	Basing Street, Island
Length	56:25
Label	Transatlantic
Producer	Dave Bloxham
Singles from The Black Mikado
	"The Sun and I"; Released: 1975; "So Please You Sir"; Released: 1975; "Tit Willow" b/w "I've Got a Little List"; Released: 1975;

The Black Mikado is a musical comedy, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, adapted by Janos Bajtala, George Larnyoh and Eddie Quansah from W. S. Gilbert's original 1885 libretto and Arthur Sullivan's score. The show premiered on 24 April 1975 at the Cambridge Theatre in London, where it ran for 472 performances before going on a national tour. A cast album was produced in October 1975 featuring 12 of the show's songs, and a medley of numbers from the finale of act one. It was recorded at Basing Street Studios in London, then finished at Island Studios.

In 1976 a production of the musical was mounted in Soweto, South Africa, where it played at the Diepkloof Hall.^[3] Another cast album was recorded for this production.

Musical numbers

The numbers listed in the 1975 and 1976 recordings were as follows. The show had additional musical numbers.^[4]

Singles

Three singles were issued alongside the London cast recording. The first of these is a single edit of "The Sun Whose Rays...", with the instrumental bridge after the second chorus excised. A second single features only the "Oh Fool, That Fleest My Hallowed Joys!" part of "Finale Act One" as its B-side. Finally two new studio recordings were made by Derek Griffiths with a different arrangement of "Tit Willow", and "I've Got a Little List", which is not on the soundtrack album.

London cast recording

Track listing

All tracks are written by George Larnyoh, Eddie Quansah, Bajtala János, and Dave Bloxham. Adapted from lyrics by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan

Side one
No.	Title	Performed by	Length
1.	"If You Want to Know Who We Are" (Gentlemen of Japan)	Carl Andrews, Anthony D Clarke, Ray Evans, Les Saxon, Reg Tribe, Eddie Tagoe, Trevor Ward, and Ken Herbert Gentlemen of Japan	2:32
2.	"A Wand'ring Minstrel I" (Shreds And Patches)	Norman Beaton Nanki-Poo and Gentlemen of Japan	5:20
3.	"Behold the Lord High Executioner" (Taken From The County Jail)	Derek Griffiths Ko-Ko and Gentlemen of Japan	2:19
4.	"Three Little Maids from School" (Filled to the Brim with Girlish Glee)	Patricia Ebigwei, Jenny McGusty, and Floella Benjamin, with Ester Byrde, Glenna Forster Jones, Sallimatu Kamara, Eva Lewis, Agnes Stanley, Joanne White, and Rosita Yarboy Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, and Ladies of Japan	1:58
5.	"So Please You Sir We Much Regret" (Youth of Course Must Have Its Fling)	Patricia Ebigwei, Jenny McGusty, Floella Benjamin, and Michael Denison Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, and Pooh-Bah, with Ladies of Japan	2:40
6.	"Finale. Act One" (With Aspect Stern and Gloomy Stride; The Threatened Cloud Has Passed Away; Long Life to You; Your Revels Cease/Oh Fool, That Fleest My Hallowed Joys!; For He's Going to Marry Yum-Yum; The Hour of Gladness Is Dead and Gone/O Ni! Bikkuri Shakkuri To!; We Do Not Heed Their Dismal Sound/Ye Torrents Roar)	Michael Denison, Derek Griffiths, Norman Beaton, Vernon Nesbeth, Floella Benjamiyn, Jenny McGusty, Patricia Ebigwei, and Anita Tucker Full Company excluding Mikado	16:07
Total length:			30:56

Side two
No.	Title	Performed by	Length
7.	"The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze" (The Sun and I)	Patricia Ebigwei Yum-Yum	5:18
8.	"Mi-Ya-Sa-Ma, Mi-Ya-Sa-Ma" (From Every Kind of Man)	Val Pringle and Anita Tucker The Mikado and Katisha, with the Ladies and Gentlemen of Japan	1:23
9.	"A More Humane Mikado" (My Object All Sublime)	Val Pringle The Mikado, with Ladies and Gentlemen of Japan	6:38
10.	"The Criminal Cried" (Snicker Snee)	Floella Benjamin, Derek Griffiths, and Michael Denison Pitti-Sing, Ko-Ko, and Pooh-Bah, with Ladies and Gentlemen of Japan	3:35
11.	"The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring"	Norman Beaton, Derek Griffiths, Patricia Ebigwei, Floella Benjamin, and Michael Denison Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko, Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, and Pooh-Bah	1:39
12.	"On a Tree by a River" (Tit Willow)	Derek Griffiths Ko-Ko	2:56
13.	"Alone and Yet Alive" (Hearts Do Not Break)	Anita Tucker Katisha	4:00
Total length:			25:29

Personnel

The Titipu Town Band

GEP Horns

Eddie Quansah: Trumpet, flugel and French horn, additional percussion, and music adaptation
George Larnyoh: Alto Sax and music adaptation
Peter Vanderpuije: Baritone sax

Juice

Willie Cheetham: Percussion
Janos Bajtala: Keyboards and music adaptation
Graeme Morgan: Drums
John Varnom: Lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitar
Colin Vallance: Bass guitar

Production and technical

Music production: Dave Bloxham
Executive producer: James Verner
Engineer: Phil Ault
Assistant engineer: Barry Sage^[5]

South African cast recording

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Performed by
1.	"If You Want to Know Who We Are"	Philip Malela, Steve Mofokeng, Ernest Mokone, Gobi Martin, Shadrack Moyo Gentlemen Of Japan
2.	"A Wand'ring Minstrel I"	Leslie Mongezi Nanki-Poo and Gentlemen of Japan
3.	"Behold the Lord High Executioner and Taken from a County Jail"	Sammy Brown Ko-Ko and Gentlemen of Japan
4.	"Three Little Maids from School"	Lorraine Klaasen, Sue Kiel, and Barrie Shah, with Harriet Matiwane, Felicia Nkomo, Felicia Marion, and Caroline Perry Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, and the Ladies of Japan
5.	"So Please You Sir, We Much Regret"	Des Lindberg Van Der Pooh Bah and the Ladies of Japan
6.	"The Final Act I" (including: A) The Threatened Cloud Has Passed Away B) Long Life to You C) Your Revels Cease and Oh Fool D) For He's Gone and Married Yum-Yum E) The Hour of Gladness Is Dead and Gone F) We Do Not Heed Their Dismal Sound)	Tandie Klaasen Katisha and The Company

Side two
No.	Title	Performed by
7.	"Braid the Raven Hair"	Barrie Shah Pitti-Sing and the Ladies of Japan
8.	"The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze"	Lorraine Klaasen Yum-Yum and the Ladies of Japan
9.	"Entrance of the Mikado and His Daughter in Law Elect"	Ben Masinga and Tandie Klaasen The Mikado, Katisha, and the Company
10.	"See How the Fates Their Gifts Allot"	Ben Masinga, Des Lindberg, and Tandie Klassen The Mikado, Van Der Pooh Bah, Katisha, and The Company
11.	"The Flowers That Bloom the Spring"	Leslie Mongezi, Sammy Brown, Barrie Shah, Sue Kiel, Lorraine Klassen, and Des Lindberg Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko, Pitti-Sing, Peep-Bo, Yum-Yum, and Van Der Pooh Bah
12.	"Tit Willow"	Sammy Brown Ko-Ko
13.	"Drum Celebration"	The Company
14.	"Reprises: Wandr'ing Minstrel and Tit Willow"	The Company

Personnel

Production and technical

Produced, directed, designed and choreographed: Dawn Lindberg
Musical director: Gerry Collins
Vocal director: Irene Frangs
Musical adaptation: Eddie Quansah, George Larnyoh, Janos Bajtala
Musical production: Dave Bloxham
Recording engineer: Julian Laxton, Meyer Van Rensburg

The Titipu Town Band: Spirits Rejoice

Gilbert Matthews: Drums
Sipho Gumede: Bass
Duke Makasi: Sax
George Tyefumani: Trumpet
Russell Herman: Guitar
Merwyn Africa: Keyboard
Gerry Collins: Conductor and special keyboard
Irene Frangs: Extra vocals
Gene Peterson: Additional brass, trumpet and flugelhorn
Ron Francetti: Tenor sax^[6]

Discography

Albums

Year	Country	Title	Label	Cat. No.
1975	England	The Black Mikado	Transatlantic	TRA 300
1976	South Africa	Des and Dawn Lindberg Present the South African Cast Recording of The Black Mikado	RPM	RPM 1111

Singles

Year	A-side	B-side	Label	Cat. No.
1975	"The Sun and I" Black Mikado London Cast featuring Pat Ebigwei	"Three Little Maids from School" Black Mikado London Cast	Transatlantic	BIG 530
	"So Please You Sir" Black Mikado London Cast	"An Excerpt from Finale Act 1 (Oh Fool, That Fleest My Hallowed Joys!)" Black Mikado London Cast featuring Anita Tucker		BIG 531
	"Tit Willow" Derek Griffiths With Black Mikado London Cast	"I've Got a Little List" Derek Griffiths with Black Mikado London Cast		BIG 533

References

^ "Studio Diary". International Musician And Recording World. United Kingdom: Cover Publications Ltd, Northern & Shell Ltd. October 1975. p. 79. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
^ "Wakeman At Island" (PDF). Beat Instrumental & International Recording Studio. No. 149. United Kingdom: Beat Publications. October 1975. p. 98. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
^ Lindberg, Des and Dawn. Des and Dawn Lindberg: Theatre Productions, accessed 26 November 2009
^ Shepherd, Marc. "The Black Mikado (1975)", A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 25 November 2001, accessed 23 November 2009
^ Sage, Barry (2020). "Complete Discography 1973 - 2020" (PDF). Angela & Barry - Composición y Producción Musical. Chile. p. 8. Retrieved 22 October 2024. Music Recording – Artist: The Black Mikado; Title: Soundtrack to Opera (Theatre cast); Format: LP; Role: Assistant Engineer; Year: 1976; Country: UK
^ "Vinyl Album - Various Artists - Des And Dawn Lindberg Present The South African Cast Recording Of The Black Mikado - RPM - South Africa". 45worlds. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2024.