"Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)" was a 1977 single for Chicago band Weapons of Peace. It became a chart hit for them that year.
Background "Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)" was written by Caiphus Semenya, Gerald Fried and Quincy Jones. It recorded by Weapons of Peace and released on Playboy in 1977. It was their version of the TV series, Roots theme.MusicVF.com - Roots Mural Theme/Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) By: Weapons of Peace The A side was produced by Bill Traut and Finis Henderson Jr., and the strings were arranged by Richard Evans.Celebri - Weapons Of Peace Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) / This Life's (About To Get Me Down), Lieder, #1 Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) The B side "This Life's (About to Get Me Down)" was written by Charles Franklin and Finis Henderson. It was produced by Hillery Johnson.Celebri - Weapons Of Peace Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) / This Life's (About To Get Me Down), Lieder, #2 This Life's (About To Get Me Down)
The single was the first Playboy single to get pushed by the CBS distribution network.Cash Box, April 9, 1977 - Page 12 SINGLES REVIEWS, picks of the week, WEAPONS OF PEACE (Playboy/CBS 6101) Roots Mural Theme/Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)
While the single was in the chart, the Quincy Jones version was also in the same chart.Cash Box, April 26, 1977 - Page 43 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B, March 26, 1977 86, "ROOTS" MURAL THEME/MANY RAINS AGO (OLUWA) WEAPONS OF PEACE (Playboy P6101), 3/19 _, Weeks On Chart 1Cash Box, April 26, 1977 - Page 43 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B, March 26, 1977 62 "ROOTS" MEDLEY QUINCY JONES (A&M 1909), 3/19 73, Weeks On Chart 3
Reception The single was an R&B Pick of the Week in the 19 March issue of Record World. Columnist Dede Dabney had it as a sleeper in one of her three picks of the week in the issue. She suggested that the song which Quincy Jones had a hand in writing should be listened to and it was destined to cause an explosive reaction.Record World, March 19, 1977 - Page 46 SOUL TRUTH By DEDE DABNEY, R&B PICKS OF THE WEEK, SLEEPER, WEAPONS OF PEACE, "ROOTS MURAL/MANY RAINS AGO (OLUWA)"
It was reported in the Chicago Chatter section of the 2 April issue of Cash Box that info provided by Singer One Stop For Ops' Gus Tartol had the single as one of the hot juke box singles of the week.Cash Box, April 2, 1977 - Page 54 CHICAGO CHATTER, ON THE SINGLES SCENE
The single was of one the Picks of the Week in the 9 April issue of Cash Box. At the time the single was already making itself known on the charts. The reviewer said that while preserving the quality of the theme, the release was a record for record's sake interpretation of the familiar theme .Cash Box, April 9, 1977 - Page 12 SINGLES REVIEWS, picks of the week, WEAPONS OF PEACE (Playboy/CBS 6101) Roots Mural Theme/Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)
Along with "Just Can't Be That Way (Ruth's Song)", "Roots (Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)" were the picks when the Weapons of Peace album was reissued on Playboy PZ 34747 in 1977 and reviewed in the 25 June issue of Billboard.Discogs - Weapons Of Peace – Weapons Of PeaceBillboard, June 25, 1977 - Page 74 Billboard LPs * Continued from page 72, soul, WEAPONS Of PEACE, Playboy P134747 (CBS)
Airplay For the week of 2 April, Cash Box reported that the single had been added to the playlist of WGIV in Charlotte.Cash Box, April 2, 1977 - Page 44 ADDITIONS TO R&B PLAYLISTS, WGIV — Charlotte — Manny Clark, Roots — Weapons of Peace - Playboy It was reported by Cash Box in the 9 April issue that the single was added to the R&B playlist of WAMO in Pittsburgh,Cash Box, April 9, 1977 - Page 44 ADDITIONS TO R&B PLAYLISTS, WAMO — PITTSBURGH — Matt Leadbetter, Roots — Weapons of Peace — Playboy and a new addition to the playlist of R&B station WSOK in Savannah.Cash Box, April 9, 1977 - Page 46 R&B Station New Additions, WSOK — SAVANNAH — Elliott Nealy, Roots — Weapons of Peace — Playboy For the week of 16 April as shown by Cash Box, the single had been added to the R&B playlist of KOWH in Omaha.Cash Box, April 16, 1977 - Page 44 ADDITIONS TO R&B PLAYLISTS, KOWH — OMAHA — Mike Jones, Roots — Weapons of Peace — Playboy
Charts The record debuted at no. 92 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart for the week of 9 April.Billboard, April 9, 1077 - Page 56 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, This Week 92, NEW SNTRY It peaked at no. 90 the following week, its last week of charting.Records And Charts - Rhythm & Blues chart run Weapons Of Peace Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago
For the week of 26 April, "Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)" made its debut at no. 86 in the Cash Box Top 100 R&B chart.Cash Box, April 26, 1977 - Page 43 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B, March 26, 1977 86, 3/19 _, Weeks On Chart 1 At week three on the week of 9 April, it peaked at no. 70Cash Box, April 9, 1977 - Page 46 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B, April 9, 1977 70, 4/2 74, Weeks On Chart 3 and held that position for another week.Cash Box, April 16, 1977 - Page 45 CASH BOX Top 100 R&B, April 16, 1977 70, 4/9 70, Weeks On Chart 4Cash Box, April 23, 1977 - Page 47 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B, April 23, 1977
References
External links Discogs - Weapons Of Peace – Roots Mural Theme / Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) / This Life's (About To Get Me Down)