1976
Theme From “The Villagers” – Mick Jade (Mick Jade)
Mick Jade: all instruments / Ben Masinga: vocals
From the very early days of TV in South Africa, “The Villagers” was an SABC-TV series about life in the Village Reef goldmining community. The theme by Mick Jade was instantly recognisable thanks to the opening harmonica sound and the catchy tune and lyrics. Released as a single in 1976, but it never charted.
Venus – Stockley Sisters (Robert Van Leeuwen)
Avril and Miriam Stockley: vocals/ The Bassman: musical backing / Julian Laxton: engineer/ Allan Goldswain: producer
Great disco pop rock song, similar in style to Boney M, 5000 Volts and Tina Charles, which reached #5 on the Springbok Charts in November 1976.
Great cover of the Shocking Blue hit by Avril and Miriam Stockley (and long before Bananarama’s version). Dutch group Shocking Blue had a big hit with the original version of Venus. I vaguely remember another SA version by a group who called themselves Shocking Pink.
René Mullenders, The Netherlands, August 1999
“Venus” was inspired by The Banjo Song, recorded in 1963 by The Big Three.
Celebrate – The Julian Laxton Band (Julian Laxton)
Julian Laxton: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums/ Trevor Rabin: bass/ Eugene Havenga: vocals/ Arthur Stead: keyboards/ Neil Cloud: drums/ Crash Flash: drums
Also known as ‘Celebrate The Rain’, this is a funky, upbeat song of celebration.
1977
Conquistador – Circus (Reid / Brooker)
Bernie Millar: vocals/ Ron “Bones” Brettell: keyboards/ Wally Cullis: drums/ Sandy Robbie: guitar/ Gary van Zyl: bass
A brilliant version of the Procol Harum classic. From the In The Arena album.
Tribal Fence – Margaret Singana (Ramsay MacKay)
Incredibly powerful song from the pen of Ramsay MacKay combined with the vocal power of Lady Africa herself.
“Tribal Fence” was composed by Ramsay MacKay and first recorded by Freedoms Children and released on their 1970 album Astra. It was recorded by Rabbitt on their A Croak And A Grunt In The Night album in 1977. The Rabbitt version featured the incredible vocal talents of Margaret Singana, who had been the lead singer on The Warrior album by Ipi ‘N Tombia in 1973.
Margaret Singana also recorded a very powerful version of “Tribal Fence” which was released as the title track of her album in 1977. The album was produced by Julian Laxton (from Freedoms Children) and Trevor Rabin (from Rabbitt).
Brian Currin
The band Wildebeest recorded the song live and it appeared in 1981 on the Bushrock 1 album. “Tribal Fence” was recorded by Jack Hammer (whose founder Piet Botha had been in Wildebeest) and released on The Pilgrim album in April 2005.
Buccaneer – McCully Workshop (Mike McCullagh)
Tully McCully: vocals, bass/ Mike McCullagh: vocals, drums/ Richard Black: guitar/ Rupert Mellor: keyboards
A powerful pop/rock song with superb harmony vocals. Charted at #1 on the Springbok Radio Top 20 in November 1977 and stayed in the Top 20 for 15 weeks.To use a rock critic’s cliche, “a killer tune”.
Kurt Shoemaker, September 1999
1978
Substitute – Clout (Willie Wilson)
Glenda Hyam: vocals, keyboards/ Lee Tomlinson: bass, vocals/ Ingi Herbst: drums, vocals/ Cindy Alter: lead vocals, guitar/ Jenni Garson: guitar, vocals
plus Session musicians (all from Circus): Ron “Bones” Brettell: keyboards/ Wally Cullis: drums/ Sandy Robbie: guitar/ Gary van Zyl: bass
Clout were a 5-piece, all-girl group, though this cover version of an obscure Righteous Brothers’ song featured members of the band Circus. Read more about this song on the Clout page.
Born To Be Wild – Buffalo featuring Peter Vee (Mars Bonfire)
Peter Vee: vocals/ Malcolm Watson: guitars, percussion, vocals/ Mike Pilot: guitar/ Ashley Kelly: bass/ Glyn Storm: keyboards/ Tony Moore: drums, percussion/ Costa Anadiotis: synthesizers/ Julian Cohen: percussion, vocals/ Dennis East, Sue Smith: backing vocals
Excellent disco rock cover of the classic Steppenwolf song which coined the term “heavy metal”.
Buffalo’s “Born To Be Wild” was originally part of a 14-minute-plus medley. It was released as a single in 1978 edited to just under 4 minutes. A different edit of 7:48 was released as a 12″ single, pressed on green vinyl. “The Best Of Buffalo” album featured a 5 minute edit from the medley.
“Born To Be Wild” was written by Mars Bonfire (Dennis Edmonton, born: Dennis Eugene McCrohan), but only released by him in May 1968. Steppenwolf released the iconic version to an unsuspecting world on 29 January 1968. It become an instant classic after being featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider. The song has been covered by many, many artists over the years.
Brian Currin
Reflections (The Good, The Bad & The Ugly) Of My Life – Neil Cloud (Campbell / McAleese / Morricone)
Neil Cloud: drums, percussion, vocals/ Johnny Boshoff: bass, keyboards/ Lionel Martin: keyboards/ René Veldsman: vocals/ Malcolm “Funk” Watson: guitars/ Erwin Keiles: guitars/ John Galanakis: synthesizers/ Ashley Kelly: bass/ Israela Weisser: violin/ Chris Boyle, Lofty Schultz, Hansel van Brugham, Eric Norgate & John Davies: brass
An interesting mix of the Marmalade’s 1970 UK #3 hit ‘Reflections Of My Life‘ and Ennio Morricone’s theme from the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly“. Works for me. This track took up the whole of one side of the St. Cloux album which came pressed on yellow see-through vinyl.
An extracted single edit of this track was played on Radio 5 during 1978/79.
ZX Dan – Radio Rats (Jonathan Handley)
Jonathan Handley: vocals, guitar/ David Davies: vocals/ Herbie Parkin: bass/ Leonard Dixon: drums
The Radio Rats formed in Springs on the East Rand in 1977 and were the first group signed by Patric van Blerk’s Jo’burg Records. “ZX Dan”, their debut single, is a wonderful piece of new wave space-rock, covering a similar theme to David Bowie’s 1972 smash hit, “Starman“.
“ZX Dan” was released on their debut album Into The Night We Slide in 1978 and was a huge SA hit. “ZX Dan” went to Number 2 on the Radio 5 charts in January 1979 and is still considered one of South Africa’s greatest pop/rock songs of all-time.
Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner – Kenny Henson’s Harambee (Warren Zevon / David Lindell)
Kenny Henson: Guitars, Bass, Elka, Mini Korg, A.R.P. Odyssey, Marimba, Glockenspiel, Percussion, Vocals/ Colin Pratley: Drums, African Drums, Tympani, Congas, Percussion/ Rheta–Louise Malherbe: Piano/ John Oakley-Smith: Piano, Organ, Backing Vocals
“Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner” is a cover of a Warren Zevon tune. One of the great story-telling songs, in the vein of Stan Ridgway’s “Camouflage” and “Cortez The Killer” by Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
It was recorded by Kenny Henson’s Harambee and originally released on Giving A Little Away. This song also appears on the Finch & Henson compilations Oh Brother (1982) and Free And Easy (1993). Brian Finch’s involvement is uncertain, however, as he is not credited on the Giving A Little Away album.I remember seeing Jack Hammer play this song live a couple of times.
Brian Currin
1979
Jo Bangles – Baxtop (Larry Amos)
Larry Amos: vocals, lead, acoustic & slide guitars/ Tim Parr: Guitars, backing vocals/ Fuzzy Marcus: Bass, vocals, harmonica/ Bruce Williams: Drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, vocals
A short introduction that could easily have dripped from Chic’s Nile Rodger’s guitar then BAM! you’re into the slickest, funkiest piece of music ever to emanate from the tip of Africa, or most places on the globe, for that matter. With it’s wicked bass line, tight production and outstanding vocals, “Jo Bangles” is a track designed to be played loud.
John Samson, August 2000
You’re Living Inside My Head – John Ireland (John Ireland)
John Ireland: vocals, keyboards/ Jethro Butow: guitars/ Gerald Stockton: bass/ Richard Pickett: drums
A wonderful adaption of the Greensleeves melody, supposedly composed by Henry VIII (he of the 6 wives). If you like that whistling sound in the ‘X-Files theme’ you’ll love this song.
John Ireland (real name: John Griffith) studied medicine at Wits with Jonathan “Radio Rat” Handley and became a Doctor in Johannesburg.
Better The Devil You Know – Stingray (Dennis East / Mike Pilot)
Dennis East: vocals/ Mike Pilot: guitar, vocals/ Danny Anthill: keyboards, flute/ Allan Goldswain: keyboards/ Shaun Wright: drums, percussion/ Eddie Boyle: bass
Rousing pop-rock from SA’s own supergroup. This song reached #4 on the Springbok Charts.
1980
Paradise Road – Joy (Fransua Roos / Patric van Blerk)
Felicia Marion, Thoka Ndlozi and Anneline Malebo: vocals
This song stayed at #1 on the Springbok Radio charts for nine consecutive weeks. It also went to #1 on Radio 5.
“Paradise Road” was a song of hope and a lot of people received it as a prophetic word.
Felicia Marion, IOL, September 2014
1981
Grips Of Emotion – Lesley Rae Dowling (Tully McCully / Lesley Rae Dowling)
Lesley Rae Dowling: vocals, keyboards/ Tully McCully: guitars, bass/ Richard Pickett: drums/ Jethro Butow: guitar solo
Powerful rock voice and a great guitar solo from Jethro Butow.
So Cold – Hotline (PJ Powers)
PJ Powers: vocals/ Alistair Coakley: lead guitar/ George van Dyk: bass/ Patrick van Rensburg: drums/ Geoff Sedgwick: keyboards
I first heard this song on the b-side of the “You’re So Good To Me” 7″ single that I bought in 1981, maybe early 1982. Blew me away with its driving rock energy, very much in contrast to the power ballad on the a-side. “So Cold” was also released on the album “Burnout“.
Man On The Moon – Ballyhoo (Shane Mahoney / Attie Van Wyk)
Ralph Martin: vocals, guitar/ Attie Van Wyk: keyboards, vocals/ Fergie Ferguson: vocals, bass/ Derek Drain: vocals, percussion/ Franco del Mei: drums
‘Man On The Moon’ was a huge hit, reaching the top spot on the Springbok Top 20, and deservedly so. It is a great track, with a strong tune, great vocals & harmonies and some excellent guitar work. Addressing the old problem of trying to “choose between one of two pretty ladies” to the Man on the Moon, this classic song should be familiar to most South Africans.
John Samson, July 2000
1982
Rock Steady – Harari (Charlie Ndlovu / Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse)
Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse: drums, flute, keyboards/ Charles “Babas” Ndlovu: keyboards/ Thelma “Ndo” Segonah: keyboards/ Condry “Magic Fingers” Ziqubu: guitars/ Branny “Mzi” Ledwaba: percussion/ Mzwandile “Zandi” Kente: bass/ Isaac “Madala” Mofokeng: vocals/ Lionel Petersen: vocals/ Sipho “Master Blaster” Gumede: bass/ Alistair Coakley (from Hotline): guitar
If Toto had come from Africa, and not just sang about it, they would have sounded like this.
The Bushman – Steve Kekana (Russel Kramer)
Catchy, synthesizer-driven dance track. This is real Afropop, mixing Western dance keyboard sounds and traditional African instruments with the incredible voice of Steve Kekana. Also features the voice of N!xau ǂToma (who played the Bushman, Xixo, in the Jamie Uys film, The Gods Must Be Crazy).
The full-length version of this track is on the ‘No Going Back’ album released in 1982. An edited version was released on ‘The English Album’ in 1999, which omits the Bushman spoken section.
Lyrics
In nineteen twenty five
A Bushman came alive
Taught himself to shoot
With a bow and arrow
His will to stay alive
Was burning him inside
Day by day he’d hunt
In search of wildlife
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
He fights like a man should do
He strives like a man should do
He never cries
He never lies
He’s just a simple man
He lives under a tree
Hides himself and sleeps
His mind is tuned
To be aware of danger
He never makes mistakes
Survival is his way
At night he plays a song
On a wooden kalimba
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
He fights like a man should do
He strives like a man should do
He never cries
He never lies
He’s just a simple man
All he wants to be is friendly
But nobody understands him
He’s never seen the world
He’s living in
It makes me so sad
(Bushman monologue: N!xau ǂToma, from the Jamie Uys film, The Gods Must Be Crazy, edited out of most versions)
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
The sun was beating down
His feet were bare and strong
He’d walk for miles and miles
No heat exhaustion
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
Wo-ho, wo-ho, the Bushman
Give Me The Good News – Crocodile Harris (Tully McCully)
Crocodile Harris (Robin Graham): vocals, piano/ Tully McCully (Terence McCullagh): bass, drums, harmony vocals
Brilliant song, a classic. Sold 650 000 copies in France and won the Midem trophy for Best Ballad of the Year in 1983. Approx 6 000 copies sold in South Africa. It was featured on a soap opera [in Brazil] called (if I’m not mistaken) “Cocktail” and it was aired in 1983 or 1984 by Globo Television (the 4th largest TV network in the world).
Eduardo, February 2001
Some sources list the composers as Crocodile Harris and Geoff Coxall, but Spotify shows Tully McCully as composer and lyricist, as well as producer.
Lyrics
If we accept the word forever
Maybe we should live together
And not be scared to watch
The late night news
You can’t use guns to build a nation
A bullet never was creation
Give, give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
If I accept the word tomorrow
Can I file away my sorrow
And not be scared to watch
The late night news
You can’t use force to sell a promise
Dictatorship was never honest
Give, give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
Give, please give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
If I accept the word forever
Maybe we should live together
And not be scared to watch
The late night news
You can’t use guns to build a nation
A bullet never was creation
Give, give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
Give, please give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
Give, give me the good news
War’s the one game where we all lose
Give me the good news
You’re So Good To Me – Hotline (PJ Powers)
PJ Powers: vocals/ Alistair Coakley: lead guitar/ George van Dyk: bass/ Patrick van Rensburg: drums/ Geoff Sedgwick: keyboards
“… I’m not supposed to be alone with you…” sings the 21 year-old PJ Powers (born Penelope Jane Dunlop in Durban on 16 July 1960). Is he married? Or is she? Possibly a same-sex liaison, or more likely the lyrics refer to an interracial relationship which was illegal under the Apartheid system of the time. A powerful song which never fails to stir the emotions. First released on the Burnout album in 1981, and again on the Help album in 1982.
‘You’re So Good To Me’ was a South African #8 hit in February 1982.
Help – Hotline (Lennon / McCartney)
PJ Powers: vocals/ Alistair Coakley: lead guitar/ George van Dyk: bass/ Larry Rose: drums/ Ron “Bones” Brettell: keyboards
Powerful, explosive title track from the Help album.
Forget the edited version on the ‘Best of…’ CD, the full-length album version is the one to hear… literally gives me a shivering chill — possibly the best Beatles cover I’ve ever heard, certainly one of the few at the top.
Kurt Shoemaker, September 1999
1983
Shadows – éVoid (Lucien and Erik Windrich)
Lucien Windrich: vocals, guitars/ Erik Windrich: vocals, keyboards, bass synthesizers/ Wayne Harker: drums
‘Shadows’ is a song full of feelings and texture. It seems to glide out the speakers at you and transports you through the air above “the Bhundu Bush of Africa”. A timeless SA classic.
John Samson, September 2000
Hey Boy – Via Afrika (Veldsman / Crouse / Rowe)
René Veldsman: vocals, bass/ Lukas Crouse: keyboards, backing vocals/ Michele Rowe: percussion
African rhythms and rock meet in a joyful fusion.
1984
See Yourself (Clowns) – Ella Mental (Tim Parr)
Heather Mac: vocals/ Tim Parr: guitar, vocals/ Adrian Levi: bass/ Hermann Eugster: drums
Excellent song from Heather Mac and the band.
Mysteries and Jealousies – The Helicopters (Bernard Binns)
B.D.A. Binns: vocals, guitars/ John Mason: keyboard/ Nick Matzukis: drums/ Paul Hughes: guitars, sequencers/ Alistair Broadhead: bass
I was listening to ‘Mysteries and Jealousies’ a while back and I was stuck with the fact that here was a perfectly excellent tune, you can dance to it, the melody sticks in my head, I give it a 10 as they used to say on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand show about a song’s dance-ability, it is perfectly in keeping with the radio style of its day, and yet it was not picked up for UK or USA release. I felt the frustration in small degree SA musicians must feel, to work so hard and create something so perfectly hit-worthy, and to succeed with it in one’s own country, but not far beyond.
Kurt Shoemaker, Texas, January 2000
1985
As I Went Out One Morning (Damsel) – Tribe After Tribe (Bob Dylan)
Robbi Robb: vocals, guitars/ Fuzzy Marcus: bass/ Neils Jensen: keyboards/ Bruce Williams: drums
A great reworking of a Bob Dylan track, never has Bob sounded like this.
Superstar – Stewart Irving (Mark Gray)
Ballyhoo lead vocalist goes solo. ‘Superstar’ was written by Mark Gray from US group Exile and reached number 6 on the Radio 5 charts.
Johnny Calls The Chemist – Falling Mirror (Nielen Mirror / Allan Faull) [4.48]
Nielen Mirror: vocals/ Allan Faull: guitars/ Tully McCully: bass, keyboards, drums, backing vocals
The key track on the album of the same title and a mini-epic all on its own, written by Nielen and Allan in less than 30 minutes. Tully and Allan worked hard on the song, shifting keys and adding bridges to make it more interesting. Nielen explained that “Johnny calls the chemist, but the chemist doesn’t come” refers to his approaches to Collette (a pharmacist) and her rejecting of his advances.
For these vocals, Nielen deliberately mimicked Bob Dylan, just as John Lennon had done on ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’, the Beatles tribute to Dylan. Allan’s lovely guitar sound on this song leaves it sounding as gentle as a Bread song, but the lyrics are something quite removed from “Baby I’m-A Want You“, which it slightly echoes.
Stephen Segerman, February 2001
Lyrics
Johnny calls the chemist, but the chemist doesn’t come.
Her mind is in the twilight and Johnny hears the hum
He wonders if she’ll hear him, in a night that’s full of sound
It could be that she loves him but the love is underground
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
He shoots a mental arrow from the bow of his mind
And piercing through her consciousness he wonders what he’ll find
She’s moving to her lover as he stretches on the bed
And pulling back the cover thinks of Johnny boy instead,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
She’s making little headway, in a passage flicks a light
A lone car on the highway, calls for Johnny in the night,
She feels the silent offering that he’s making to the sky
And wonders if he’ll hear her ’cause she’s just about to die
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Slipping to unconsciousness she meets him in the air
He’s burning her with fire, she overcomes the fear,
She sits quite still and takes it ’cause she knows it’s for her good
Even though she finds him wicked, she just stays there like she should
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Johnny’s travelling faster, he’s spinning in her head
Make no mistake about it, their history will be read
Then Johnny calls the chemist but the chemist doesn’t come
She’s back inside the twilight and Johnny hears the hum…
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
But the chemist doesn’t come.
But the chemist doesn’t come.
In March 2001 Wonderboom released a looser, rockier interpretation of this classic song. The lyrics have been mildly adjusted to exclude some dubious concepts.
Lyrics (Wonderboom version)
Johnny calls the chemist, the chemist doesn’t come.
Her mind is in the twilight and Johnny hears the hum
He wonders if she’ll hear him, in a night that’s full of sound
It could be that she loves him but the love is underground
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
He shoots a mental arrow from the bow of his mind
And piercing through her consciousness he wonders what he’ll find
She’s making little headway, in a passage flicks a light
A lone car on the highway, calls for Johnny in the night
She feels the silent offering that he’s making to the sky
And wonders if he’ll hear her ’cause she’s just about to die
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Sliding to unconsciousness she meets him in the air
He’s burning her with fire, she overcomes the fear,
Johnny’s travelling faster, he’s spinning in her head
Make no mistake about it, their history will be read
Then Johnny calls the chemist but the chemist doesn’t come
She’s back inside the twilight and Johnny hears the hum…
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
Johnny calls the chemist,
But the chemist doesn’t come.
Capturing the spirit of the original, Robin Auld added his distinctive stamp with his gruff vocals and a standout distorted blues guitar solo on this version released in May 2025.
Makin’ Out With Granny (Psychotic Remix) – Falling Mirror (Nielen Mirror / Allan Faull) [5.03]
Nielen Mirror: vocals/ Allan Faull: guitars/ Tully McCully: bass, keyboards, drums, backing vocals
The original version of this classic song was released in 1979 on the Zen Boulders album. It was re-recorded in 1985 and released as a 12″ single. It appeared on the Johnny Calls The Chemist album in 1986.
Although this song had no relevance to the rest of the ‘Johnny Calls The Chemist‘ album, Tully McCully and Benjy Mudie felt it should be on the album and it is loopy enough to add rather then detract from the overall feel of the album.
Stephen Segerman, February 2001
The song refers to a store-robbing, shotgun-wielding Granny (“called Marina”) who hangs out with her nephew Will, as he explains: “But I’m not William Shakespeare, he wrote a lot of books, Elizabethan England, has turned us into crooks”. (?) But this is not a happy gang “Now listen shopkeeper, I hope you’re thinking straight, you know my mind is wounded, and my Granny’s filled with hate”. Not the kind of couple you’d want to “Make out with”.
1985 version
1979 version
1986
We Are Growing – Margaret Singana (Patrick Van Blerk / Julian Laxton / Margaret Singana / Dave Pollecutt)
A classic Afropop tune, from the Shaka Zulu TV series in 1986. It reached #1 in The Netherlands in 1989. It was based on “Pass The Calabash (Hamba Bikele)” from Singana’s 1977 album Tribal Fence.
This Boy – Sweatband (John Mair)
Wendy Oldfield: vocals/ John Mair: guitars/ Dieter Stutz: bass, keyboards/ Leslie Cook: drums
Wendy Oldfield and Johnny Mair’s classic song, brilliant guitar.
1987
Scatterlings Of Africa – Savuka (Johnny Clegg)
Ethnic rock at its finest. This is a re-recording of the Juluka track from 1983. “Savuka” means “we have arisen” in Zulu.
Weeping – Bright Blue (Dan Heymann)
Tom Fox: guitar, vocals/ Ian Cohen: bass, vocals/ Peter Cohen: drums, backing vocals/ Dan Heymann: keyboards/ Basil Coetzee: sax
‘Weeping’ (voted the number 1 song of the previous century, on the Amuzine / SA Rock Digest poll) is the highlight of the album, The Rising Tide. It still amazes me that the SABC did not ban it for it’s blatant musical reference to ‘N’Kosi Sikelel’ iAfrica’, let alone for it’s political charged lyrics, yet this powerful track reached number 1 on the Radio 5 charts. This is a big song in the same way that Bohemian Rhapsody is big, but without the obscure lyrics.
John Samson, July 2000
Lyrics
I knew a man who lived in fear
it was huge it was angry
it was drawing near
Behind his house a secret place
was the shadow of the demon
he could never face.
He built a wall of steel and flame
and men with guns to keep it tame
Then standing back he made it plain
that the nightmare would never ever rise again
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.
It doesn’t matter now it’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
SAX SOLO – Basil Coetzee
And then one day the neighbours came
they were curious to know about thesmoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
but of course there was nothing to beheard at all
“My friends”, he said, “we’ve reached our goal
the threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I’ll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain”.
It doesn’t matter now it’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
SAX
It doesn’t matter now it’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
1988
Monster From The Bog – Psycho Reptiles
Mike Seale: guitar, vocals/ Adrian Hamilton: keyboards/ Sarah Pontin: saxophone/ Paul Toomer: drums/ Graham Seale: bass
“Quirky fusion of Ska, bluebeat, pop and rock” says Benjy Mudie and we agree.
1989
Dance Sum More – Mango Groove (Leyden / Botha / Lerole / Lewis / Mtswala)
“Big Voice Jack” Lerole: vocals/ John Leyden: bass, vocals/ Gavin Stevens: drums, percussion/ George Lewis: guitar/ Alan Lazar: keyboards/ Claire Johnston: vocals/ tenor sax, vocals/ Mduduzi Magwaza: pennywhistle, alto saxophone/ Banza Kgasoane: trumpet/ Beulah Hashe, Marilyn Nokwe, Phumzile Ntuli: vocals
Funky ethnic pop-rock, catchy, cool…
“Dance to it, man, what’s the matter with you…?”
