The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Classic Albums > Compilations > Various Artists > Return Of The Tokoloshe Men!
Demented Sounds From The 60s Teen Scenes Of Jo’burg, Cape Town, Durban And Beyond!

Introduction
Return Of The Tokoloshe Men! is a sprawling six-disc excavation of South Africa’s wild and largely forgotten 1960s rock underground, capturing the demented energy of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and beyond during a period when local bands were feverishly absorbing British Invasion sounds and spitting them back out with raw, untamed urgency. Released in March 2020 on the UK’s Rubble label, this mammoth collection pulls together 166 tracks from the vaults, tracing an arc from primitive garage stompers and freak beat bangers to full-blown psychedelic explorations that rival anything happening in London or San Francisco at the time. The set takes its name from John Kongos’s 1971 hit “Tokoloshe Man,” and Kongos himself appears throughout in various incarnations, from his early days with the G-Men through his later psych projects like The Floribunda Rose and Scrugg.
What makes this collection so vital is how it reveals South Africa as a genuine hotbed of teenage rock rebellion, not just a distant echo of Anglo-American trends. The early discs bristle with covers of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, The Who and Manfred Mann, delivered with the kind of snarling intensity that defined the best garage rock anywhere. But as the set progresses through the decade, the music morphs into something stranger and more distinctly local, fuzzed-out psychedelia, proto-prog experiments, and acid-drenched freak-outs from bands like The Flames, Freedom’s Children, McCully Workshop and The Third Eye. It’s a testament to a scene that thrived against the odds, capturing a moment when South African youth were plugged into the global counterculture while forging their own hallucinogenic path through the veldt.
Tracks
Disc 1
- Them – One Time Too Many
- The A-Cads – Watch Your Step (Bobby Parker cover)
- The Upsetters – Daddy Rolling Stone (Otis Blackwell / The Who cover)
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – I Wanna Know
- The Invaders – Chief Bull
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – LSD (Manfred Mann cover) see comments
- The Invaders – No Money, No Honey (Ian & The Zodiacs cover)
- Tall Emma & His Skippers – Hammatan (from Ghana)
- The 004s – I’ve Got News For You
- The Mad Munks – Lucille (Little Richard cover)
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – Life Without You
- The Shake Spears – I Can Tell
- Johnny Kongos & The G-Men – It’s All Over Now (The Valentinos / The Rolling Stones cover)
- Danny Rivers & The Savages – Rhythm And Greens (The Shadows cover)
- The Navarones – Blue, Blue Feeling
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – When You Gonna Say
- The A-Cads – Down The Road Apiece (Will Bradley Trio / Amos Milburn / The Rolling Stones cover)
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – She’s Fine, She’s Mine
- The End – They Talk About You
- The Zombies – Let’s Have A Party (Elvis Presley cover)
- Hank Squires – I’ll Never Get Over You
- The News – Wild Face
- Them – I Want To Be Rich Again
- The Gonks – You Can’t Stop Me Loving You
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – I’m A Hog For You, Baby (The Coasters cover)
- The Shangaans – Yeh Girl
- The Etonians – Gates Of Eden
- The Kynd – Dimples (John Lee Hooker cover)
Disc 2
- The Gonks – Woman Yeah
- Them – It’s Day
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley cover)
- The A-Cads – Zip A Dee Doo Dah (Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye /
Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans cover) - Johnny Kongos & The G-Men – 900 Miles (Fiddlin’ John Carson cover)
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – Come On, Come On, Come On
- The A-Cads – Hubble Bubble, Toil And Trouble (Manfred Mann cover)
- Rigar 5 – A Flying Start
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Yours For The Picking
- The Dominos – Bye Bye Johnny
- The Bats – That’s Us
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Monkey Shine
- The Flames – Don’t Ask Me What I Say
- The Staccatos – The One To Lose
- The Kynd – I’m Talking About You (Chuck Berry cover, different to the Ray Charles song with a similar title)
- The Upsetters – Pain In My Heart (Otis Redding cover)
- The Kynd – Shy Girl
- Mickie Most & His Playboys – Boney Maroney (Larry Williams cover, originally spelt as “Bony Moronie“)
- The Five – Come Back
- Ferdie And The Glookettes – Here Come De Glook (unlisted)
- The News – Why Do
- The Kynd – Hideaway (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich cover)
- The Hobos – Hasie (Bunny) see comments
- The 004s – It’s As Easy As That
- The Kynd – I’ve Been Wrong (The Hollies cover)
- Johnny Kongos & The G-Men – Money
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – I Gave My Love A Diamond
- The A-Cads – Sha-La-La-La-Lee
- The Shake Spears – Give It To Me
- The 004s – Parchman Farm
Disc 3
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Take It Easy
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – That’s What I Want
- The Bats – Get Your Baggies On
- The Anchor Beat Group – What A Day
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – Be Mine
- The Bats – The Chicken And The Hawk
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Back Door Man
- The A-Cads – In The Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett cover)
- The Invaders – Thinking About You
- The Bats – All I Got
- The Chequers – Bundu Beat
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Walking The Dog
- The Zeroes – Work All Day
- The 004s – I’ve Found Her
- The Hoochie Coochies – I’m A Boy (The Who cover)
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – I’m A Man
- Hank Squires – Sick And Tired
- The Difference – I Wonder Why
- The Vedettes – Please Don’t Feel Too Bad
- The Invaders – Painter Man (The Creation cover)
- The Shake Spears – What Happened
- The Etonians – Mr. Spaceman
- The Bats – Lean On Me
- The Kynd – Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry cover)
- Johnny Dean & The Apaches – Deep Feeling
- Bo Street Runners – One Girl To Love
- The Crescendoes – Oh! What A Fool
- The 004s – Beverley
- Johnny Kongos & The G-Men – Tobacco Road
- The Shangaans – Taboo
Disc 4
- The Shake Spears – How Does She Look
- The 004s – She’s Going Back Home Today
- Dunny & The Showmen – You Ain’t Got Enough Love
- The Bats – That’s How I Feel
- The Shake Spears – Mah Pah
- The Fireflies – Cathy Come Home
- The Leemen Ltd – Under My Thumb (The Rolling Stones cover)
- The Drifters – Ode To An Undertaker
- Finders Keepers – Orient Green
- The Bats – Stop Exchange
- The Staccatos – New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Bee Gees cover)
- Dave Anthony Quartet – Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James (Manfred Mann cover)
- The Bats – Listen To My Heart
- The Rising Sons – I Wanna Take You Home
- Una Valli and The Flames – Stop Thief!
- Freedom’s Children – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones cover)
- The Attraction – Tax Man (The Beatles cover)
- McCully Workshop – Fast Car
- Quentin E Klopjaeger – Lovers Lane-Wednesday
- The Staccatos – Spicks And Specks (Bee Gees cover)
- The Dominos – Tabatha Twitchit (The Dave Clark Five cover)
- Freedom’s Children – Little Games (The Yardbirds cover)
- The Flames – Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix cover)
- Finders Keepers – Reflections
- The Lunar 5 featuring Bernie Brown – Stone Free (Jimi Hendrix cover)
- McCully Workshop – Four Walls
- Birds Of A Feather – Love Is A Beautiful Thing
- Ray Coussins – Uptight (Stevie Wonder cover)
- Una Valli & The Peanut Butter Conspiracy – Yum Yum
- Birds Of A Feather – Come On Up
Disc 5
- The Floribunda Rose – One Way Street
- The Bats – It’s So Hard To Get Up In The Morning
- The Outlet – Lazy Life
- McCully Workshop – Seance
- The Square Set – Night Then Comes The Morning
- The Attraction – A Day In The Life (The Beatles cover)
- Quentin E Klopjaeger & The Gonks – Long Way Home
- The Flames – Streamliner
- Scrugg – I Wish I Was Five
- Allan Gold – Topsy Turvy
- The Bats – Waiting For You
- Quentin E Klopjaeger – Not Going To Mersey Square
- John & Philipa Cooper – The Mad Professor
- The Flames – Useless Illusions (based on Nights In White Satin by The Moody Blues)
- Humphrey – Down Down
- Quentin E Klopjaeger – Weatherman
- Emil Dean – Lonely Boy
- William E – Crazy How Love Slips Away
- Leemen Limited – Heartaches
- The Attraction – Moving Underground
- The Staccatos – Butchers And Bakers
- Scrugg – Sandwichboard Man
- The Third Eye – Valley Of Sadness (Aphrodite’s Child cover)
- John Phillips – Permutation Child
- Ronnie Cline’s Expressions – Jumbo
- The Influence – Dream Woman
- McCully Workshop – Head For The Moon
- Una Valli & The Peanut Butter Conspiracy – Nowhere To Run (Martha & The Vandellas cover)
Disc 6
- The Flames – Solitude
- Quentin E Klopjaeger – Chimes Of Ages Lost In Time
- The Staccatos – Imitations Of Love
- Scrugg – Lavender Popcorn
- John & Philipa Cooper – Gypsy Spell
- The Flames – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (The Supremes cover, based on the Vanilla Fudge arrangement)
- The Third Eye – Snow Child
- Candid Camera – Michaelangelo
- Scrugg – Only George
- Bryan Miller’s Destruction – Blue Machines And Dreams
- Humphrey – Time To Change
- The Omega Limited – The Boy And The Bee (The Gun cover)
- Dickie Loader – The Wind Keeps Howling
- John Phillips – The Bird With The Plastic Feathers
- Colored Rain – Planes Of Afterlife
- The Bats – Race With The Devil (The Gun cover)
- Aerophone – Of Tomorrow
- Tidal Wave – Spider Spider
- Dickie Loader featuring Freedom’s Children – The Eagle Has Landed
- The Wild Things – Groovin’ Is Easy
- Abstract Truth – Jersey Thursday
- Sharon Tandy – Daughter Of The Sun
- Dickie Loader & Friends – Hey Devil Woman
Playlist
A few missing tunes
Release information
6CD: March 2020, Rubble, RUB6CDBOX13 (UK) Discogs
Streaming / Download: February 2025, ODL (incomplete)
Streaming / Download: December 2025, Rubble (incomplete) reissued as “Tonkolosi Comeback!“
Comments
Dickie Loader
“The Eagle Has Landed” and “The Wind Keeps Howling” have been mislabelled as each other on Spotify.
Hasie
Spotify mislabels the track “Hasie” by The Hobos. It actually plays some other song entirely, that has not been identified.
John Kongos
John Kongos, of “Tokoloshe Man” (UK#4, 1971) and “He’s Gonna Step on You Again” (UK#4, 1971) fame, appears here in various guises: Johnny Kongos and the G-Men, The Floribunda Rose, and Scrugg.
L.S.D.
The title “L.S.D.” is really just a cheeky nod to the old British currency system, £sd – pounds, shillings and pence. That abbreviation came straight out of Latin (librae, solidi, denarii), and for decades it was how everyday transactions were written down in Britain. So when Manfred Mann dropped this track in 1965, the title would have been instantly familiar to anyone dealing with money, not some psychedelic reference.
The song itself plays with that idea of money and self‑interest in relationships, poking fun at how much the narrator would keep for himself versus what he’d share. Using “L.S.D.” as the title was a clever way to underline that theme – it’s about currency and value, not drugs – while still grabbing attention with an acronym that carried a bit of double meaning in the mid‑60s.
The riff for this song sounds similar to Frank Zappa’s “Willie The Pimp” from 1969.
Related Releases
More related releases
Tonkolosi Comeback!






Tracks
Same as “Return Of The Tokoloshe Men!” but with a few songs omitted.
Release information
Streaming / Download: December 2025, Rubble
Zulu Stomp!! – South Africa Garage Beats!!

Tracks
- The A-Cads – Watch Your Step
- The Upsetters – Daddy Rolling Stone
- Freedom’s Children – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – LSD
- Ronnie Singer – I Want You
- Bill Kimber And The Couriers – Come On, Come On, Come On
- The Bats – Get Your Baggies On
- The Invaders – Thinking About You
- The Hoochie Coochies – I’m A Boy
- The A-Cads – Road Runner
- The 004’s – I’ve Got News For You
- John E. Sharpe & The Squires – Walking The Dog
- The Zeroes – Work All Day (Sleep All Night)
- Johnny Kongos And The G-Men – 900 Miles
- The Navarones – Blue Blue Feeling
- The Kynd – Hideaway
- Hank Squires – Sick And Tired
- Finders Keepers – Man Of The Sea
Release information
LP, CD: May 2010, Nosmoke, NS007 LP (Portugal)
Savage Sounds From South Africa: Rare Sixties Beat-Garage Rock Growlers Beyond The Cape Of Good Hope

Tracks
- Them – One Time Too Many
- The Zeroes – Work All Day (Sleep All Night)
- Beau Brummell – Someone To Love*
- John E. Sharpe And The Squires – Yours For The Picking
- Group ’66 – I Know About Love
- Them – I Want To Be Rich Again
- The Gonks – Woman Yeah
- The Shangaans – Yeh Girl
- The Upsetters – Pain In My Heart
- The Hobos – If I Ever Saw You
- Them – It’s Day
- Birds Of A Feather – Come On Up
- The In-Crowd – Come Back
- The Difference – I Wonder Why
- John E. Sharpe And The Squires – Monkey Shine
- The Shangaans – Liwa Wechi (Lee-Wa Weck-Ee)
- The Zeroes – I Can’t Explain
- John E. Sharpe And The Squires – I’ll Explain
* On the Spotify playlist The Beau Brummells should actually be Beau Brummell (real name: Michael Bush). “Someone To Love” was on the b-side of his “My Little Girl” single in 1966.
Tracks 2, 9 & 10 are omitted from the YouTube playlist.
Release information
LP: 2003, Springbok Beat
Comments
The album cover is based on “Jungle Drums” by The Shangaans from 1965.

Summer Blonde Beach Party

Tracks
- The Fantastic Baggys – Papa Do Ron Ron (Jan & Dean cover, originally titled “New Girl In School”) see comments
- Group ’66 – I’m A Believer (The Monkees cover, written by Neil Diamond)
- Four Jacks And A Jill – You Baby (The Vogues / The Turtles cover)
- Los Toros – Mellow Yellow (Donovan cover) see comments
- Beau Brummell – The Great Pretender (The Platters cover)
- Jody Wayne – He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands (Rev. F. W. McGee (1929) / Laurie London (1957) cover)
- The Falling Leaves – Summer Blonde
- Los Toros – Dancing In The Street (Martha & The Vandellas cover)
- The Falling Leaves – I Can’t Control Myself (The Troggs cover)
- Jody Wayne – Hooray For Hazel (Tommy Roe cover)
- The Fantastic Baggys – Surfer Girl (The Beach Boys cover)
- Group ’66 – Save Me (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich cover)
- The Staccatos – Secret Love (Doris Day cover)
Spotify errors
All tracks on the Spotify album are mislabelled. The table below compares the listed Spotify tracks with the actual tracks and artists.
| # | Spotify (Title – Artist) | Actual (Title – Artist) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papa Do Ron Ron – Group ’66 | Papa Do Ron Ron – The Fantastic Baggys |
| 2 | I’m A Believer – Four Jacks And A Jill | I’m A Believer – Group ’66 |
| 3 | You Baby – Los Toros | You Baby – Four Jacks And A Jill |
| 4 | Mellow Yellow – Beau Brummell | Mellow Yellow – Los Toros |
| 5 | The Great Pretender – Jody Wayne | The Great Pretender – Beau Brummell |
| 6 | The Whole World In His Hands – The Falling Leaves | The Whole World In His Hands – Jody Wayne |
| 7 | Summer Blonde – Los Toros | Summer Blonde – The Falling Leaves |
| 8 | Dancing In The Streets – Falling Leaves | Dancing In The Street – Los Toros |
| 9 | I Can’t Control Myself – Group ’66 | I Can’t Control Myself – The Falling Leaves |
| 10 | Hooray For Hazel – The Fantastic Baggys | Hooray For Hazel – Jody Wayne |
| 11 | Save Me – Group ’66 | Surfer Girl – The Fantastic Baggys |
| 12 | Secret Love – The Staccatos | Save Me – Group ’66 |
| 13 | Track omitted | Secret Love – The Staccatos |
Release information
LP: 1967, Clairol Inc.
Streaming / Download: 2016, Black Cat Productions
Clairol TV Advert
Comments
[Papa Do Ron Ron] was recorded by a line-up of South African musicians. After the success in South Africa of the US band’s first hit, “Tell ‘Em I’m Surfing”, the local record label wanted more from the group, but none was forthcoming. So, they arranged to release material featuring local musicians and obtained permission to do so under the Fantastic Baggys’ name. The local musicians were from a band called The Falling Leaves.
John Samson, SA Singles Charts
[Los Toros was a] South African studio group featuring Peter Vee on lead vocals (and confirmed by Peter himself!).
Leon Rossouw
Group ’66 sometimes styled as Group 66 or Group “66”.
Brian Currin
Related Playlists
Hazy Reflections – South African Rock from the ’60s
Mixcloud Mix, October 2016

Tracks
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – Johnny B Goode
- The Upsetters – Daddy Rolling Stone
- The Zeroes – Work All Day (Sleep All Night) (The Mark Four cover)
- Bowman Hawk – Rave On see comments
- The Shekels – A Hard Day’s Night
- Una Valli & The Flames – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
- John E Sharpe & The Squires – LSD
- John E Sharpe & The Squires – Walking The Dog
- Mickie Most – Money Honey
- The A-Cads – Hungry For Love
- The Navarones – Blue Blue Feeling
- The Hoochie Coochies – I’m A Boy
- The A-Cads – Road Runner
- The 004’s – I’ve Got News For You
- Ronnie Singer – I Want You
- Bryan Miller’s Destruction – Hazy Reflections
- The Gonks – Woman Yeah
- The Fireflies – Cathy Come Home
- The Idiots – Magic Dragon
- The In Set – Morning Dew
- The Third Eye – Fire
- The Bats – Race With The Devil
- John & Philipa Cooper – The Mad Professor
- McCully Workshop – The Circus
- The Third Eye – Apricot Brandy
Comments
“Rave On” is a 1965 cover of the Sonny West song from February 1958. Buddy Holly released his version in April 1958 and it charted at #37 in the US and #5 in the UK. Bowman Hawk was actually Beau Brummell (born Michael Bush in 1942).
Get Your Baggies On – South African Surf Rock
Please note: Some tracks in this Spotify playlist are incorrectly named. The correct titles and artists are:
- “Papa Do Ron Ron” – The Fantastic Baggys
- “I’m A Believer” – Group 66
- “Summer Blonde” – The Falling Leaves
- “Hooray For Hazel” – Jody Wayne
Additionally, “Save Me” is actually “Surfer Girl” – The Fantastic Baggys
It’s A Groove – South African Soul, Blues & Rock ‘n Roll from the 1960s
Tokoloshe Men & Daughters Of The Sun
Inspired by by the “Return Of The Tokoloshe Men!” 6CD set.

Tracks
- Hawk – African Day (spoken intro)
- John Kongos – Tokoloshe Man
- Sharon Tandy – Daughter of the Sun
- The Beaters – Pictures of Matchstick Men (Status Quo cover)
- Una Valli – Do-wah-diddy (The Exciters / Manfred Mann cover)
- The Shake Spears – The Saint (Edwin Astley cover)
- The Hobos – Hasie (Nico Carstens cover)
- Them – One Time Too Many
- Leeman Ltd – Under My Thumb (The Rolling Stones cover)
- Humphrey – Down Down
- Wanda Arletti – Take Another Little Piece of My Heart (Erma Franklin / Janis Joplin cover)
- Dickie Loader & Friends – Hey Devil Woman
- Mercia Love – Rescue Me (Fontella Bass cover)
- Una Valli with The Flames – Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones cover)
- The Kynd – Shy Girl
- The Zombies – Let’s Have A Party (Wanda Jackson / Elvis Presley cover)
- The Upsetters – Daddy Rolling Stone (Otis Blackwell / The Who cover)
- Mickie Most & His Playboys – Boney Maroney (Larry Williams cover)
- The Attraction – Tax Man (The Beatles cover)
- Otis Waygood Blues Band – You’re Late Miss Kate (Jimmy Dee cover)
- The Lunar 5 featuring Bernie Brown – Stone Free (Jimi Hendrix cover)
- The Wild Things – Groovin’ Is Easy (The Electric Flag cover)
- June Dyer – Lawdie Miss Claudie (Larry Williams cover)
- The Zeroes – I Can’t Explain (The Who cover)
- Omega Limited – Black Night (Deep Purple cover)
- The Sounds Of Brass – I (Who Have Nothing) (Shirley Bassey cover)
- The Attraction – Evil Ways (Willie Bobo / Santana cover)
- The Dream Merchants – Land Of Milk & Honey (The Vogues cover)
- The Flames – Hold On I’m Coming (Sam & Dave cover)
- The Invaders – Born On The Bayou (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
- The Hoochie Coochies – I’m A Boy (The Who cover)
- Gene Rockwell – Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks cover)
- Music Corporation – Get It
- The Bats – Hold Your Head Up (Argent cover)
- The A-Cads – Road Runner (Bo Diddley cover)
- Bill Kimber & The Couriers – Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry cover)
- John E Sharpe & The Squires – Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover)
- June Dyer – Oobie Doobie (Roy Orbison cover)
- The Flames – Streamliner
- The Third Eye – All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix / The Alan Bown cover)
- Freedoms Children – Judas Queen
- Suck – The Whip
- The Staccatos – Shake Your Money Maker (Elmore James cover)
- Wanda Arletti – Love Power
- The Mad Munks – Lucille (Little Richard cover)
Not all songs are available on Spotify. The playlist has been expanded to over 4 hours.
