What Am I Creating? An expanded Web Presence for HOT R.S.

The late 1970s was a golden age for disco music internationally, dominated by iconic artists like The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Chic, Gloria Gaynor, and Village People. While the focus was often on rhythm and groove, South Africa took a distinctive turn, infusing disco with a harder edge.

A number of classic hard rock and heavy metal songs received the disco treatment. Paul Ryan’s timeless “Eloise” was extended to an epic 17-minute rendition by Zane Cronjé’s Rouge, while Hot R.S. masterfully blended Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” with Frankie Vaughan’s “Garden of Eden.” Peter Vee’s Buffalo also joined the fray, covering Steppenwolf’s heavy metal anthem “Born To Be Wild.”

Ex-Rabbitt Trevor Rabin with his Disco Rock Machine recorded the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ while his colleague, Neil Cloud (Rabbitt’s drummer), combined the Marmalade’s 1970 UK #3 hit ‘Reflections Of My Life‘ and Ennio Morricone’s theme from the Clint Eastwood movie “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly“ into a 17-minute-plus masterpiece of disco magic.

My personal journey with this unique sound began in 1977 while serving in the army. I was captivated by Hot R.S.’s “House of the Rising Sun“, a 14-minute-plus disco rock extravaganza featuring René Veldsman’s Donna Summer-inspired vocals. This was followed by the groundbreaking “Forbidden Fruit” in 1978, which showcased the ingenious fusion of Iron Butterfly and Frankie Vaughan mentioned earlier.

When I co-founded the South African Rock Encyclopedia website with Stephen “Sugar” Segerman in 1999, Hot R.S. was one of our earliest entries. Inspired by their legacy, and my continuing love for Disco Rock, I decided to expand their entry and create a dedicated website to delve deeper into their music, featuring updated information, enhanced visuals, Spotify playlists, and more.