The Sweet Talks

Biography

The Sweet Talks were a pioneering Ghanaian highlife band formed in late 1973 in Tema, Ghana, by key founders A.B. Crentsil and Smart Nkansah (guitar), along with vocalist Pope Flynn. Initially serving as the resident band at the Talk of the Town Hotel in Tema, the group blended Ghanaian cultural music with covers of Western hits, drawing from Crentsil's roots in Western Region styles like osode and palm wine music, which he absorbed while working as a railwayman and singing with local bands such as the Eldoradoes and Medican Lantics.[1][3][6] Their breakthrough came with the 1975 single 'Adam and Eve,' followed by acclaimed albums like The Kusum Beat (1976), updating northern Ghanaian traditions with percussion and xylophones, and Spiritual Ghana (1977), rooted in osode highlife rhythms, establishing them as leaders in revitalizing highlife amid foreign music influences.[1][4][7]

The band's lineup evolved with the addition of vocalist Jewel Ackah and, in 1979, guitarist Eric Agyeman replacing Nkansah, who departed before a U.S. tour. They recorded Hollywood Highlife Party in Los Angeles with producer Wayne Henderson of the Crusaders and backed acts like the Commodores, but internal disputes led to disbandment upon return to Ghana.[1][4][7] Crentsil reformed as Super Sweet Talks International, releasing works like The Lord's Prayer and Tantie Alaba in Ivory Coast, while ex-members pursued ventures such as Nkansah's Sunsum Band and Agyeman's Kokroko. Known for their husky vocals, rootsy guitar highlife, and role as a training ground for Ghanaian talent, the Sweet Talks left a legacy as a highlife institution despite lineup changes and imitators.[1][3][4]

Active primarily in the 1970s, the band attracted international attention through U.S. tours and recordings, influencing Ghanaian music by rescuing highlife from decline and spawning successful offshoots, though they disbanded amid typical African music scene tensions.[1][5][7]

Fun Facts

• The band originated as the official group of a Ghanaian glass factory before gaining sponsorship from the Talk of the Town club.[3][5]
• They recorded Hollywood Highlife Party in the U.S. while backing the Commodores and working with Crusaders' Wayne Henderson, but disliked the 'Californian winter'.[1][7]
• Sweet Talks served as a 'training-ground for Ghanaian highlifers,' spawning imitators like Sweet Beans and Talkative Sweets, but remained the original institution.[1]
• Their 1975 hit 'Adam and Eve' nearly single-handedly rescued highlife in Ghana from foreign music dominance.[7]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Roots styles (osode and palm wine) - Early musical influences on A.B. Crentsil from Western Region traditions (Inspired Ghanaian cultural music in early Sweet Talks repertoire) [Pre-1973]

Key Collaborators

• A.B. Crentsil - Co-founder, lead vocalist, joint leader (All major albums including The Kusum Beat, Spiritual Ghana) [1973-1979]
• Smart Nkansah - Co-founder, lead guitarist (Adam and Eve, The Kusum Beat) [1973-1979]
• Pope Flynn - Founding vocalist (Western covers) (Early residency and hits) [1973-1979]
• Eric Agyeman - Replacement lead guitarist and arranger (Hollywood Highlife Party) [1979]
• Jewel Ackah - Vocalist who joined early (1970s albums) [Mid-1970s]
• Wayne Henderson - Producer for U.S. recordings (Hollywood Highlife Party) [1979]

Artists Influenced

• Smart Nkansah (Sunsum Band) - Ex-member formed successful band post-departure (Disco Spiritual (1981), Odo (1985)) [Post-1979]
• Eric Agyeman (Kokroko) - Ex-guitarist formed own band after brief Super Brain stint (Kokroko group) [1984 onward]
• Jewel Ackah - Ex-vocalist reformed short-lived Sweet Talks in Ivory Coast (Second incarnation of band) [Early 1980s]

External Links

• Spotify