Julian Laxton

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Julian Laxton

Legend of South African Music

Biography

Julian Laxton, a true musical visionary, was born 17 July 1944 and left an enduring legacy. His journey began in the 1960s with Them and Mel, Mel and Julian, followed by iconic bands like Freedoms Children, Hawk, and the Julian Laxton Band. Hits like “Celebrate the Rain” and “Blue Water” became anthems, solidifying his place in South African music history.

Beyond his stage performances, Laxton excelled in music production, earning accolades like the prestigious Sarie award for recording engineering. His production credits include renowned artists such as Rabbitt, Stingray, and Margaret Singana. His talent extended to film and TV, where he contributed to iconic scores like “Shaka Zulu” and captivated audiences in shows like “The Legend of Clapton.”

Sadly, Julian Laxton passed away on 9 September 2023. His contributions to the South African music industry will forever be remembered.

Discography

Julian Laxton – A Selection

A collection of songs featuring Julian Laxton in various roles: musician, composer, engineer, producer, and more. Please note, many recordings are not included as they are not available on Spotify.

This playlist is extensive but not exhaustive, and the order is random.

Albums (selected)

KEY
Title – Artist (Year) comments

• Songs About Mines. People, Places & One Train – Mel & Mel (1965) guitar
• One More Town – Mel, Mel & Julian (1966)
• Miscellanea – Mel, Mel & Julian (1967)
• Battle Hymn Of The Broken-Hearted Horde – Freedoms Children (1969)
• Astra – Freedoms Children (1970)
• Time To Suck – Suck (1970) producer
• Ten Light Claps And A Scream – Otis Waygood (1971) producer
• Galactic Vibes – Freedoms Children (1972)
• Africa She Too Can Cry – Hawk (1972)
• Live And Well – Hawk (1974)
• Boys Will Be Boys! – Rabbitt (1975) producer, engineer
• Celebration – The Julian Laxton Band (1977)
• A Croak And A Grunt In The Night – Rabbitt (1977) remix engineer
• Rock Rabbitt – Rabbitt (1977) producer
• Dazz – City Soul (1977) producer, guitar, bass, keyboards
• Takin’ Me Back – Sweet Chocolate (1979) producer
• Operation Stingray – Stingray (1981) producer
• The Suburbs Of Ur – Ramsay MacKay (1982) engineer
• Sithethelele (1985)
• The Julian Laxton Collection (1994) compilation
• Lady Africa – Margaret Singana (1996) compilation
• Classical Music Lullabies – Majors For Minors (1996) producer, arranger, performer
• Symphony Of Sleep – Majors For Minors (2000) producer
• Ethnic / Schmethnic – Mel, Mel & Julian (2002) compilation of tracks from 1965 to 1967
• Electric – Julian Laxton (2014)

Singles (selected)

KEY
A-Side / B-Side – Artist (Year) comments

• I Want To Be Rich Again / I Miss Her – Them (1965) guitar
• One Time Too Many / It’s Day – Them (1965) guitar
• Kafkasque – Freedoms Children (1968)
• Eclipse – Freedoms Children (1969)
• 1999 / Medals of Bravery – Freedoms Children (1970)
• The Homecoming / Sea Horse – Freedoms Children (1971)
• It’s Summertime Again / Chimbombay – Gentle People (1971) engineer, guitar. Springbok Radio #20 in December 1971. Reached #5 on LM Radio.
• Sabre Dance / Chimbombay – Julian Laxton (One Man Guitar Band) (1972) A-side written by Aram Khachaturian, arranged by Chris Kritzinger and Julian Laxton
• The Return / The Rolling Of The Bones (1972) – Hawk
• Orang Outang / Uvuyo (1972) – Hawk
• Kalahari Dry / The Return 1972) – Hawk
• Orang Otang / Dark Side Of The Moon (1972) – Jo’Burg Hawk UK release
• If I Were A Carpenter / Mother Loves Her Son – Omega Limited (1974) arranger, producer
• Charlie / Looking For The Man – Rabbitt (1975) producer, engineer; Springbok #9 in July 1976, Radio 5 #8 in 1976
• Something’s Going Wrong With My Baby / Charlie – Rabbitt (1975) producer, engineer
• Baby’s Leaving / Hard Ride – Rabbitt (1976) producer, engineer
• Hard Ride / Charlie – Rabbitt (1976) producer, engineer
• Hold On To Love / Working For The People – Rabbitt (1976) remix engineer
• Sugar Pie / Dingley’s Bookshop – Rabbitt (1976) remix engineer
• Back In Your Arms / Let’s Move It – Stone and Anvil (1976) engineer
• Venus / Running Free – Stockley Sisters (1976) engineer. Springbok Radio #5 in 1976
• Celebrate / Children Of The Sunshine – The Julian Laxton Band (1976) Springbok Radio #10 in August 1976. Reached #2 on Radio 5.
• (Take Me Back To) Blue Water / (Take Me Back To) Blue Water (Disco Version) – The Julian Laxton Band (1976) Springbok Radio #7 in January 1977. Reached #1 on Radio 5.
• Eventides / Charlie – Rabbitt (1977) producer, engineer
• Everybody’s Cheating / Gift Of Love – Rabbitt (1977) remix engineer
• Hold On To Love / Working For The People – Rabbitt (1977) remix engineer
• Gettin’ Thru To You / Hello And Welcome Home – Rabbitt (1977) producer; Springbok #15 in December 1977
• Hello And Welcome Home / Teenage Love (Gettin’ Thru To You) – Rabbitt (1977) producer
• Down The Line / Down The Line (Disco Version) – The Julian Laxton Band (1977)
• Magnolia (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers cover) / U.F.O. – Brian Davidson (1977) arranger, producer
• Fooled Around And Fell In Love (Elvin Bishop cover) / Johannesburg – The Julian Laxton Band (1977) Springbok Radio #13 in April 1978. Reached #8 on Radio 5.
• 1-9-6-0 / I Get High – The Julian Laxton Band (1978)
• I Love You Love Me / Tonite I Feel Like Dancin’ – Cedric Samson (1978) executive producer
• (Come Join My Band) Make A Stand For Love / Don’t Close Your Mind – The Julian Laxton Band (1981)
• Merry-Go-Round / Don’t Close Your Mind – The Julian Laxton Band (1981)
• The Heart Of Africa (Is Beating) / The Pulse Of Africa – The Last Born (1983) producer
• Time Is Tight (A Go-Go Mixx) / Times Is Tuff (Tighter-Than-Time) – Julian Laxton (1985)
• We Are Growing (main theme from Shaka Zulu TV series) / We Are Growing (Shaka Zulu Mix) (1986) – Margaret Singana
• Naked – Julian Laxton featuring Jiana (2019)
• Queen Of Hearts – Julian Laxton featuring Jiana (2022) Juice Newton cover

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