Artist:Johnny Wakelin
Song:Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)
Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day Vol. 15
This 1974 tribute to Muhammad Ali was a top ten hit in England and a top 30 hit in the US. It was Johnny Wakelin's only big hit. He did have a second hit in England. You might think this was a fluke hit but I will explain why it wasn't. Wakelin was born in Brighton, England in 1939. He was performing in local clubs when Pye Records producer Robin Blanchflower heard Wakelin perform the song Black Superman and thought it could be a hit. Blanchflower was the producer of the worldwide hit Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas. That shows that Blanchflower had good instincts and why Black Superman was not a fluke. Blanchflower wisely released Black Superman in Oct. 1974 after Ali beat George Foreman in Rumble in the Jungle. So most listeners thought the record was a tribute to Ali's Rumble in the Jungle win. But Wakelin wrote it in 1972. Black Superman reached #7 on the British Singles chart and #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wakelin's single In Zaire reached #4 on the British Singles because he performed it on Top of the Pops. Wakelin called his band The Kinshasa Band so he wanted an African vibe. Wakelin released three albums on Pye. They have not been released on CD. You can get Black Superman on this Rhino various artists CD. Wakelin released an album in 2006 but it looks like he's retired. Here's a video for Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) by Johnny Wakelin.
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