Do The Beat / Baby Baba Boogie

Released in 1979 on the Mercury label, this 12-inch single represents a cross-cultural intersection of late-seventies groove-based music. The record pairs the West African highlife-funk fusion of the Ghanaian group Super Sweet Talks, led by A.B. Crentsil, with the American R&B and funk sound of The Gap Band. It was produced during a period when international music markets were increasingly exploring the integration of global dance rhythms into the disco and funk mainstream.

The design of this release reflects the standard functional aesthetic of Mercury's international distribution arm during the late 1970s. By placing these distinct acts on a single split release, the label intended to appeal to the burgeoning global disco market, which was hungry for high-tempo, bass-driven tracks suitable for club play. While neither track became a defining chart hit for the artists involved, the record serves as a notable artifact of the era's experimental approach to global music distribution.