Sun Ra - I, Pharaoh (1980)

Another Saturn rarity compliments of our friend, Paul W. The title track is a 27 minute recitation delivered over the hypnotic flute and drums of The Mayan Temples. If you picked up Bumkuncha's post of A Quiet Place In The Universe you will remember I, Pharaoh recited over a different instrumental framework, Friendly Galaxy Number 2.

Both versions feature Ra's heavily overdriven , distorted vocals developing a cosmo myth of accursed immortality. In it Ra plays the role of Pharaoh looking back to a time when "My kingdom was splendid, without compare," lamenting that the "nations of the world destroyed my kingdom, enslaved my people, now I, Pharaoh, am all alone" and complaining that while "they got a Christmas Day, they got an Easter Day" yet "they never give me no glory, they never tell my story." The "one thing" Pharaoh still got left is "the secret of immortality."

This short album is filled out with Rumpelstiltskin featuring Ra alone on piano and the Arkestra standard Images featuring Ra on organ playing behind John Gilmore's tenor.

-portions from Blutopia by Graham Lock

I, Pharaoh has some fine material, but the less than perfect sound quality detracts somewhat from the experience. "Rumpelstiltskin" is a solo piano piece that starts out pretty noisy but gets quite pretty fairly quickly. Ra switches to organ for "Images," where he is joined by a swinging horn section with prominent baritone sax and flutes. Then it's time for a fantastic Gilmore tenor solo. The beginning sounds like he's practically unaccompanied, but that's just a problem with the instruments being poorly recorded (the bass is particularly difficult to hear). Ra's organ joins in for the comping, but this one belongs to John Gilmore. "I, Pharaoh" is a side-long cut with that great mysterious vibe featuring wonderful flutes over percussion and a spare baritone horn line. Then Ra delivers a long vocal/recitation on Egypt and the Pharaohs. Again, sound quality detracts somewhat, but pieces like this, where Ra blends history and myth, are always interesting. I, Pharaoh is a decent album, but probably not worth the prohibitive cost of most Saturn LP's to all but the most serious Sun Ra fans.

Sean Westergaard//AMG

Sun Ra (p, org, syn, declamation); Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb); James Jacson (bsn, fl, Inf-d); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl, perc) Steve Clarke (eb); Richard Williams (b); Luqman Ali (d); Atakatune (cga, perc); June Tyson (voc). 

Live, 1979

El Saturn 6680, I, Pharoah, was issued in 1980.  According to Tilman Stahl, it was recorded in 1979 (a recording date of June 6, 1980, hasn't been absolutely ruled out, though).  Personnel from Stahl's discography.  "I, Pharaoh" is a recitation backed by the processional usually known as "The Mayan Temples."

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

I, Pharaoh

El Saturn 6680

1. Rumpelstiltskin 4:20

2. Images 8:02

3. I, Pharoah - The Mayan temples 27:51

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