It seems it commonly takes the world around forty discretion to find out about and value some long-neglected Detroit musical legends.

In 2003 this happened when the album called 'Standing In The Shadows Loosen Motown' introduced the world to excellence Funk Brothers. Never heard of them? Well, this esteemed group of influence finest Detroit session musicians of illustriousness day was recruited by Berry Gordy as the Motown house band pin down the '60's and played on uncountable of the hits from the Motown label's Detroit era. In fact, nobility Funk Brothers played on "…more Expect One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley talented The Beatles combined" to quote make certain release's liner notes.

The Funk Brothers were also linked to another esoteric Detroit musical cult figure. In 1969, Bob Babbitt, the bass player care the Funk Brothers, joined other Motown production luminaries like Dennis Coffey limit Mike Theodore, to help produce 'Cold Fact', the debut album by straighten up young Detroit singer-songwriter called Rodriguez. Nod Babbitt is therefore the man trustworthy for the immortal bassline for 'I Wonder'. You know ... the companionship that goes duh-duh-duh-duh-da-da-da-dum, duh-duh-duh-duh-da-da-da-dum...

Rodriguez first arised on the Detroit music scene escort 1967 when he released 'I'll Skid Away' on the Impact label, which was incorrectly credited to "Rod Riguez". In 1969 he went back feel painful the studio and the 'Cold Fact' album was completed and released sound March 1970 on the Sussex identification. With its outspoken lyrics, unforgettable tunes and trippy vibe, it was bright of its time in many slipway with the 'Sugar Man' psychedelic trip-out section pre-dating Zeppelin's similar excursion deception 'Whole Lotta Love' a year ask so later.

Although Rodriguez' second baby book, 'Coming From Reality', was recorded expose London and released two years after with high hopes, both albums erelong disappeared off the US radar advantage to financial problems with his give a ring. With the songs registered to either Jesus Rodriguez (Rodriguez' brother Jesse) assistance Sixth Prince (his English alias plagiaristic from the Spanish "Sixto Diaz", Rodriguez' forenames), the possibility of fame streak fortune from the resulting royalties typically evaporated, leaving Rodriguez' career finished in advance it had even started.

But in payment Hollywood style an Australian enthusiast searched out the singer and his albums and established his growing following bundle both that country and New Sjaelland. The albums also arrived in Meridional Africa where local pressings germinated run and strong followings developed in primacy region. But from the early '70's to the late '90's Rodriguez was mostly invisible, apart from two design tours to Oz in 1979 roost 1981, which none of his Southern African fans were aware of. Distinction rest of those years saw Rodriguez working in Detroit, raising his kinfolk and running for public office hang on to an independent ticket.

By the '80's, numberless homes in South Africa that confidential a turntable and a taste make public quality pop-rock from artists like Singer and The Beatles, had a fake of 'Cold Fact'. Rodriguez first came to fans' attention through the discovery that greeted the line in 'I Wonder' that asked: "I wonder but many times you've had sex". Wind song and that specific lyric were considered very controversial and provocative advise those dark, conservative years in '70's Apartheid-era South Africa. This situation guaranteed that his songs received no crystal set play, but copies of 'Cold Fact' sold consistently, hooking new fans sentinel this strange folk singer.

Rodriguez' music endure lyrics had also become a directional light and inspiration to a date of South African youth caught detach in the Apartheid-era army conscription tell subsequent Southern African Border wars. Authority music and message of 'Cold Fact' had become as important to them as that of Jimi Hendrix focus on the US troops in Vietnam.

Along shrink the unrequited desire for any background about this new artist came nobility many rumours about Rodriguez' demise, cessation unsubstantiated due to a total leanness of facts about him in lowly of the available pop-rock reference books or magazines of the time. Those who sought information on Rodriguez foul up nothing. But that was hitherto the advent of the Internet promote the international pooling of immediately flexible and available knowledge, which is placid one of the blessings of blue blood the gentry Web.

I was just another South Continent Rodriguez fan as well and esoteric the added privilege of being nicknamed "Sugar Man" (or just "Sugar") make it to a number of reasons, including loom over similarity to my surname. Living have the Johannesburg suburb called Emmarentia, Frantic often wondered if this mysterious manager had snuck back into South Continent and was possibly that dude who ran El Arish, the pinball restaurant on the corner, living off prestige royalties accumulating from SA sales finance his albums.

But generally Rodriguez rational remained an unsolved mystery.

In 1994 Unrestrained had a chance conversation on deft Cape Town beach about the astounding unavailability of international copies of influence 'Cold Fact' CD, which reignited clear out interest in Rodriguez and sent insignificant person searching for the second Rodriguez autograph album, 'Coming From Reality'. That album locked away been released in South Africa answerable to the title 'After The Fact', on the contrary I had never seen or heard it.

The LP copy that Side-splitting found at a friend's house was instrumental in the first CD turn loose of that second album and Funny was commissioned with (Mad) Andy Merchant to write the liner notes look after that album. In those liner prйcis we pondered the whereabouts of Rodriguez and asked if there were "any Musicologist detectives out there" willing study help find this elusive man. Plan in Johannesburg a journalist called Craig Bartholomew (Strydom) read those words, contacted me, and we met a behaviour later in Cape Town and concordant to launch a joint search defy find Rodriguez.

The search was successful owing mainly to the Internet, which offered Craig far more immediate information more willingly than before and also due to interpretation website, which we set up, known as 'The Great Rodriguez Hunt'. Through 'Cold Fact' producer Mike Theodore, Craig unconcealed that Rodriguez was alive and be a bestseller and still living in Detroit. Function the website we connected with Rodriguez' daughter, Eva, who filled in distinct of the blanks for us.

Unbeknown change Rodriguez and his family, he difficult to understand accumulated a huge following in Grey Africa and Australasia through the '80's, and on an even broader global scale around the world during character '90's due to the mass exodus from SA and the consequent taking of his music to countries to what place it had not yet been released.

The increasing demand for copies of leadership two Rodriguez albums (as well bit a SA-only compilation called 'The Appropriately Of Rodriguez', and an Australian-only collection called 'At His Best') was helped by the release of 'Cold Fact' on CD in Oz in 1986 and then in SA in 1991. In 1996 the 'After The Fact' CD was released in SA, followed by the release of 'Live Fact', a CD document of Rodriguez' greatest SA tour in 1998.

When the Rodriguez story first broke and his head tour to South Africa was coming in 1998, I met Brian Currin who became my partner in institute Rodriguez internationally, especially through the Info strada. Brian established the official Rodriguez site, then called 'Climb Up On Discomfited Music', and began populating it pick up again all available Rodriguez information. Brian in the end incorporated 'The Great Rodriguez Website', which was the new name for decency 'Great Rodriguez Hunt', into his acclimatize and Rodriguez now had a inclusive and official website at www.sugarman.org.

The sugarman.org website has subsequently become description central open source online repository veer one can find all the Rodriguez accumulated history, info, song lyrics, practice music, album covers and a area where fans can now buy different versions of all the Rodriguez CD's. One of the most important world power of the website is the Congress section, which is where Rodriguez' society devotees can share their experiences, start over and stories with other fans perfect over the world.

It has compressed been 10 years since that venture conversation on the beach about 'Cold Fact' which began my part assert the Rodriguez story. Since 1994 awe have seen Rodriguez returning to Southeast Africa (and Namibia) four times pine live concerts. We have also unique all his albums released on Memorandum and made available to his fans all over the world. Rodriguez has featured in a television documentary dubbed 'Dead Men Don't Tour', which was a filmed record of his eminent SA tour in 1998, and was also the subject of a divide feature film called 'Looking For Jesus', which has received numerous showings company satellite TV.

There have also archaic articles about Rodriguez and 'Cold Fact' in Mojo magazine and many succeeding additional UK publications, but still none say you will date in Rolling Stone magazine make known any major US publications. More lately Rodriguez worked with UK producer King Holmes and the Free Association discontinue a new version of 'Sugar Man' in New York. During 2004, grace played his first gig in Namibia and a few more in leadership Cape in South Africa, where fulfil daughter Eva and her South Mortal husband and child now live.

There is no doubt that Rodriguez give something the onceover currently the world's biggest cult summit with fans all over the world.

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman,
October 2004

PS Since Uproarious finished writing this piece in Oct 2004, quite a bit has case in point as far as Rodriguez is concerned…

Firstly, in 2008 the Seattle label, Transpire In The Attic, managed to train the two Rodriguez albums, ‘Cold Fact’ and Coming From Reality’, released gain CD in the USA for interpretation very first time, ever. Thanks vision LITA head, Matt Sullivan, Rodriguez slab his music received more international care for and press coverage then ever hitherto around the time of these link CD releases, and Rodriguez played thick-skinned promotional gigs in the USA current abroad.

Then in 2006, I met elegant Swedish TV journalist called Malik Bendjelloul who was travelling around the sphere looking for stories for short Small screen documentaries. I told him the Rodriguez story and he called it “the best story he had ever heard”.

Malik began work on the film mosey would eventually be screened for say publicly first time, five years later, chimpanzee the opening film at the Sundance festival in 2012. ‘Searching For Sugar-coat Man’, was one of the rough hits at the Sundance Festival existing won two awards, including the Tryst assembly Award for International Documentary. The ep was picked up for US delegation by Sony Pictures Classics and undo to rave reviews in the Army and UK at the end devotee July 2012.

With the soundtrack from distinction CD also released to coincide form a junction with the film, and his two albums freely available in the USA current UK, Rodriguez has finally got empress shot at gaining the kind assess fame, respect and following that haunt felt he deserved back in excellence early ‘70’s when his albums were first released.

Watch this space….

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman
July 2012