Youssou N'Dour - The Lion (Vinyl LP | European Pressing | 1989)

Youssou N'Dour – The Lion is an album by the Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, released on Virgin in 1989 (Cat. no. 209 893 / V2584). It was his first album distributed worldwide and combines Senegalese mbalax with pop and rock. The musicians came from N'Dour's band Super Étoile de Dakar and from Peter Gabriel's band; Gabriel co-wrote and sang the duet “Shakin' The Tree” and produced it together with George Acogny. It was recorded at Real World Studios, among other places, and mixed at Studio Guillaume Tell. On offer is the 1989 European pressing with printed inner sleeve; the cover is still in its original shrink-wrap.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Virgin 209 893 / V2584
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: European pressing
• Country: Europe
• Released (this pressing): 1989
• Genre: World, Mbalax, Pop
• Inserts: Inner sleeve

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+

Condition graded according to the Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the copy on offer.

Tracklist

Side A

1. The Lion / Gaïende (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)
2. Shakin' The Tree (Peter Gabriel/Youssou N'Dour)
3. Kocc Barma (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)
4. Bamako (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)
5. The Truth (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)

Side B

1. Old Tucson (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)
2. Macoy (Youssou N'Dour)
3. My Daughter (Sama Doom) (David Sancious/Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)
4. Bes (Habib Faye/Youssou N'Dour)

Personnel

Youssou N'Dour (vocals) with musicians from Super Étoile de Dakar and from Peter Gabriel's band. Guest: Peter Gabriel (vocals on “Shakin' The Tree”). Production and arrangements: George Acogny; David Sancious (“The Truth”, “Bes”); Peter Gabriel and George Acogny (“Shakin' The Tree”). Recording: Rod Beale, Hugh Padgham (“Shakin' The Tree”).

Frequently asked questions

Is this the original pressing?
Yes. It is the 1989 European edition on Virgin (209 893 / V2584), pressed by Sonopress, with a printed inner sleeve with lyrics and credits.

What is mbalax?
Mbalax is the popular dance music of Senegal, shaped by the rhythms of the sabar drums. Youssou N'Dour made the style internationally known with Super Étoile de Dakar.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ (still in original shrink-wrap) mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means: record and cover show light signs of wear, and the record plays cleanly. The cover is still in its original shrink-wrap, but the record has already been taken out. We explain all grades on our Vinyl Grading page.

Are there more records by Youssou N'Dour?
We currently have no other records by Youssou N'Dour in the shop. You will find more music from Africa and around the world in our World category.