Wovoka (album)

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Wovoka
Wovoka (album) cover.jpg
Studio album by
Redbone
ReleasedNovember 1973
RecordedJune–October 1973
Genre
Length34:25 (international release)
38:06 (UK release)
Label Epic
Producer Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas and Alex Kazanegras
Redbone chronology
Already Here
(1972)		Wovoka
(1973)		 Beaded Dreams Through Turquoise Eyes
(1974)
Singles from Wovoka
  1. "Come and Get Your Love" / "Day to Day Life"
    Released: 1974
  2. "We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee" / "Speakeasy"
    Released: 1973 [Europe only]
  3. "Wovoka" / "Sweet Lady of Love"
    Released: 1973

Wovoka is the fifth album by the Mexican-Native American rock band Redbone. [2] It was recorded between June and October 1973, and released in November 1973 on Epic Records. The album was produced by brothers Pat Vegas (bass, vocals) and Lolly Vegas (guitars, vocals), in addition to sound engineer Alex Kazanegras. It was the last Redbone album to feature Peter DePoe on drums. Wovoka was recorded with the help of multiple session musicians, including several additional backing vocalists. All main members of the band notably contributed to vocals. As with the band's other releases, Wovoka features songs with Native American themes; [2] each of the band members at the time had either Native American or Mexican heritage. The album is named after the Paiute religious leader Wovoka, who founded the ghost dance movement.

Contents

Wovoka peaked on the US Billboard 200 at number 66 in 1974. The single "Come and Get Your Love" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. [3] The single "We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee" topped the Belgian and Dutch charts in 1973, but was absent from the American release after it was deemed too offensive for some audiences.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Billboard Positive [5]
Record World Positive [6]

Billboard named Wovoka as a "top album pick" on November 24, 1973, suggesting that "Come and Get Your Love" should be played on radio and commenting: "...the Indian element is strong here and surges constantly through the music." [5] Record World also complimented the album for "mix[ing] modern melodies and harmonies with tribal rhythms without becoming excessively mannered or tedious." [6]

Track listing

LP

The track "We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee" was dropped from the US/Canadian release (KE 32462) due to its controversial theme. [7] The song did appear on the European release (EPC 65500), and was moderately successful on the continent (see main Redbone entry).

The LP version of "Come and Get Your Love" starts with a slow rendition of the chorus. This intro was cut from the single release.

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wovoka"Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas3:00
2."Sweet Lady of Love"L. Vegas3:01
3."Someday (A Good Song)"P. Vegas, Tony Bellamy4:12
4."Liquid Truth"L. Vegas5:03
5."We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee
[UK release only]"		P. Vegas, Sandy Baron 3:30
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Come and Get Your Love"L. Vegas4:59
7."Day to Day Life"P. Vegas, Bellamy2:42
8."Chant Wovoka / Clouds In My Sunshine"P. Vegas4:43
9."23rd and Mad"L. Vegas, Peter DePoe6:46

CD

Released on the Epic label in 1990, a track edit was made to the album. The track boundary on the short Chant Wovoka vocal was moved.

  1. "Wovoka" (P. Vegas/L. Vegas) – 3:00
  2. "Sweet Lady of Love" (L. Vegas) – 3:08
  3. "Someday (A Good Song)" (P. Vegas/T. Bellamy) – 4:12
  4. "Liquid Truth" (L. Vegas) – 5:03
  5. "Come and Get Your Love" (L. Vegas) – 5:01
  6. "Day to Day Life" / "Chant Wovoka" (P. Vegas/T. Bellamy) – 3:43
  7. "Clouds In My Sunshine" (P. Vegas) – 3:45
  8. "23rd and Mad" (L. Vegas/P. DePoe) - 6:49

Charts

Chart (1974)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [8] 66

Personnel

Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ Staebler, Christian; Paoloni, Sonia; Balahy, Thibault (2020). Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band. IDW Publishing. p. 158. ISBN   978-1684057146.
  2. 1 2 Berglund, Jeff; Johnson, Jan; Lee, Kimberli, eds. (2016). Indigenous Pop: Native American Music from Jazz to Hip Hop. University of Arizona Press. p. 100. ISBN   978-0-8165-0944-7.
  3. ↑ "Watch surreal animated official video for Redbone's classic hit "Come and Get Your Love" - Music News - ABC News Radio". ABC Audio. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ Wovoka at AllMusic
  5. 1 2 "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 47. November 24, 1973. p. 52. Retrieved August 8, 2025– via World Radio History.
  6. 1 2 "Album picks" (PDF). Record World. Vol. 29, no. 1381. December 8, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved August 8, 2025– via World Radio History.
  7. ↑ Chris Staebler. "1973 - Wounded Knee". The official Redbone site. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Redbone Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
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