Rodriguez - Cold Fact

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez recorded Cold Fact - his debut album - in 1969, and released it in March 1970. It's crushingly good stuff, mixing soul, funk, rock and psychedelia and filled with tales of bad drugs, lost love, and itchy-footed songs about life in late 60s inner-city America. But the album sank without trace, thanks, in part, to some of Rodriguez's more idiosyncratic behavior, like performing at an industry showcase with his back to the audience throughout. As his music career became a memory, Rodriguez's legend was growing - on the other side of the world. While in the UK and US the album gained a cult status, in South Africa "Cold Fact" had become a major word of mouth success, eventually going double platinum. Eventually Rodriguez was tracked down, re-launching his career in the late 90s and selling out 5000 capacity venues in South Africa.