The first issue of the SA Rock Digest went out on the 27th January 1999 to 15 subscribers in a plain text email.
It grew out of conversation in 1998 between Brian Currin and Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, who had both been involved in the amazing Rodriguez story.
“What do we do now?”.
“How about remembering South Africa’s Legends of Rock?”.
So we did.
In this issue:
Introduction
Memories are made of this
Freedoms Children
Where’s my Tuxx?
Lost drummer?
Info wanted
The Hidden Years
Japanese pressings of SA Rock Classics?!?
The A-Cads, anyone?
Top Ten favourite SA rock songs
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome…
This is a discussion forum for anything about
South African rock music; past, present and future.
Read it, digest it, enjoy it, add your comments and tell your
friends….
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MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
I am a South African who was a teenager in the early 70’s
and remember going to Ciro’s in Jhb to see bands like Clout
and Ballyhoo by train, as I was not old enough to drive (or
drink for that matter). I currently live in California and met
up with an old friend and started reminiscing about the good
old days in SA and started remembering all those great bands
that unfortunately never gained the recognition they deserved.
Memories of Saturday morning concerts at the Coliseum, as well
as the Ellis Park and later Free People Concerts came flooding
back.
— Craig B
I am glad I survived the 70’s and 80’s. Anybody that used to
go to the Canterbury Inn, Stealers, Hout Bay Hotel, Mowbray
Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel and 1886 will know what I mean.
South Africa had some good bands and I am glad I had the
opportunity to experience most of them first hand.
— Piet Obermeyer
{Brian “nostalgia rules” Currin: I was in the army at Youngsfield
in CT in the late 70s and remember seeing McCully Workshop at the
Canterbury Inn, Charles G and John T at Stealers, Baxtop at the
Chelsea, Joe Parker at the Century Hotel, Omega Ltd at the Clifton,
Ballyhoo at the Rotunda, oh the memories….}
You may recall the great Israeli band, Jericho? I had a
wonderful opportunity to see them rehearsing with Hawk in the
Sandown Town Hall in 1971. The following day, they both
featured in an open-air concert with the likes of Freedom’s
Children, Razamatazz and a whole bunch of great bands.
Those were the days, my friend…..! By the way, both Jericho
albums have been available on CD (Repertoire) for about five
years.
And the days at the Branch Office restaurant in Jeppe Street,
Jhb? Duncan MacKay was the greatest thing since multi-speed
vibrators – SA’s answer to Rick Wakeman, Lee Michaels and
Rick van der Linden!
— Leon Economides
TIDAL WAVE are remembered primarily for the vastly and
incomprehensibly over-rated “Spider Spider” and the indifferent
“Mango Mango”. The B-side to “Spider” was infinitely better
(“Man on a String”) but their best ever (again in my humble view)
was “WITH TEARS IN MY EYES” which was vaguely popular in
late 1969 (pre-“Spider”) but which is extremely hard to find;
frustrating for me as it is well within my personal top 40.
In Kimberley in 1971 Tidal Wave and Otis Waygood appeared as a
double bill. Probably the second best concert I’ve attended.
(The best was undoubtedly Barclay James Harvest who were less
remarkable after the departure of Woolly Wolstenholme).
Tidal Wave – in concert – were asked to do “TEARS” but declined,
saying acoustics not right and a full orchestra needed to do it
justice. Oh, I think they had members who hailed from (the then)
Rhodesia.
— Peter Alston
I have lived in California since 1990 and have explored other business
ventures but over the last few years developed a keen interest in Rock
and Roll collectibles and memorabilia. I’ve also been having flashbacks
to my teens and have wonderful memories of the South African music
scene in the 70’s and early 80’s.
Thanks again for you excellent sites and if you or anyone else you
know ever needs help locating music gear or related items I would
gladly do research or send info (I know how expensive equipment is
in SA)
— Craig Ballen
“CBallen777@aol.com”
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FREEDOMS CHILDREN
(Freedoms Children) is perhaps most closely associated with the ASTRA
album (1970/1). Less frequently encountered or spoken of is its
predecessor KAFKAESQUE which includes such marvellous numbers (apart
from the title track) as “Mrs Browning” and their best ever – in my
humble view – “Eclipse”. Another song of merit was the appropriately
(for now) titled “1999” which the lead singer tried to revive last year
apparently without much success.
— Peter Alston
{Brian “detail nut and trivia freak” Currin: Kafkaesque (the album) was
actually titled “Battle Hymn Of The Broken-Hearted Horde” and was
released in 1968. “1999” comes from the “Galactic Vibes” album in 1972.}
Read more about these albums at:
Battle Hymn (including sleeve notes)
http://www.rock.co.za/files/battlehymn.html
Galactic Vibes
http://www.rock.co.za/files/vibes.html
Astra (including cover scan)
http://www.rock.co.za/files/astra.html
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WHERE’S MY TUXX?
I’m interested in finding out what happend to the black guy
in Just Jinger. His name was Tuxx and I think he played bass,
it was supposed to be the beginning of inter-racial rock but
as soon as JJ got popular the guy just disappeared and there
has been no trace of him since, there has been rumours of him
disappearing to Zimbabwe and also rumours of him and cocaine.
— Craig Gibbs
{Brian “Just Jinger fan” Currin: Pri$m (a Digest member) has
a great Just Jinger site at:
home.pix.za/gk/prism/sites/jjinger/ }
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LOST DRUMMER?
…does anybody happen to know anything about a drummer called
Tony Awin? He was a South African-born drummer who moved to the
UK in the early 70’s and featured with a power rock trio called
Incredible Hog. They released a single excellent album, also
available on CD, called “Volume 1”, and split in 1973. They did
write enough material for a second album, but this never materialised.
I’ve subsequently heard that an unknown German label managed to get
hold of these “lost tapes” and is in the process of putting together
a CD of this material. I’d really like to get a chance to interview
Tony about these “lost tapes” as well as about the band, so if
anybody can help, I’d be extremely grateful.
— Leon Economides
{Brian “prog-rock” Currin: listen to Leon and Phil Wright on Dinosaur
Days on 5FM, Sunday nights from 11.30pm, great stuff!}
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INFO WANTED
The BAND: FACTORY
The year: Hmm about 1985 somewhere
The song: I want to fly in a 747
Name of the album: ?????
Lead Guitar: Andre Meyer
Song was played on the Martin Bailie show a lot on Radio 5.
I think he might have even had a hand in putting the album together.
I HAD this LP – but when I left South Africa it stayed behind.
Does anybody know if there is a CD version of this album and if
I can purchase it online?
I have tried One World already – its not on there.
Thanks for any help.
— Nico
{SA’s premier on-line CD store:
oneworld.co.za }
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THE HIDDEN YEARS
(extract from long posting on message board)
The irony is that if we do not [remember the music], the apartheid
security establishment would have had the last laugh! Their aim –
to prevent us from listening to ourselves – would have been achieved.
— David Marks, Third Ear Music’s Hidden Years Project
{Brian “Zappa fan” Currin: Great comment Dave! I remember receiving
lectures in the army on the evils of playing records backwards (!)
and how corrupt Zappa was, etc, etc…}
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JAPANESE PRESSINGS OF SA ROCK CLASSICS?!?
(extract from posting on message board)
…Suck, Abstract Truth’s Totem, Duncan MacKay’s Chimera,
Otis Waygood’s Ten Light Claps and another great SA hard
rocking band, Wildebeest, with their Bushrock Live album,
have all been released in Japan on a label called Never
Never Land, supposedly taken from the Pink Fairies album
of the same name! These discs have obviously been mastered
from vinyl, but they are of very good quality and the sleeves
have been very professionally reproduced in a unique “mini LP”
format, very different to a normal CD.
— Leon Economides
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THE A-CADS
What about the A-Cads, circa 1965? I may be biased (I was the
guitar player), but they were considered to be an exceptionally
heavy-duty band at the time.
— Richard Laws
Not many people realise that the A-CADS were a SA group. They had
a one-hit wonder with “Hungry for Love”. Before that I believe
they provided backing vocals to another outfit, whose name escapes me.
— Peter Alston
{Brian “hungry for love” Currin: Dick Laws, the guitarist, backed Tommy Roe
on his 1969 SA tour.}
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TOP TEN FAVOURITE SA ROCK SONGS
Here is a list of my favourite SA rock songs, as of this moment!
(in alphabetical order):
1. Cape Axe – Jorge Carlos
2. Eclipse – Freedoms Children
3. Goeie Nag Generaal – Piet Botha
4. Making Out With Granny – Falling Mirror
5. Sarajevo – Jack Hammer
6. Sex – Pressure Cookies (featuring Willem Moller)
7. So Cold – Hotline
8. Sugar Man – Just Jinger
9. The Thin Red Line – Julian Laxton
10.Who Killed Kurt Cobain – Koos Kombuis
Subject to change without notice.
Send me your lists and I’ll post them here.
The “rock” genre is wide-open, so don’t get bogged down too much –
if you like a song, say so…
My favourite POP song list is of course, very different to this list.
Coming soon: The South African Rock List site – watch this space for
details.
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The SA Rock Digest is compiled by Brian “Vagabond” Currin from the
“Too Good To Be Forgotten” internet message board and e-mails from
various Digest members.
Any suggestions on format or content will be gratefully received, but
may be ignored. 8)
Want to know more about me, my websites and my love for music? Go to:
http://rock.co.za/files/
Post a message on the “Too Good To Be Forgotten” message board at:
insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb311757
Want up-to-date news, reviews and interviews on South African and
international music, with a healthy dose of humour? Visit Sugar’s
Amuzine site at:
http://www.rock.co.za/amuzine/
Want to unsubscribe from this e-mag?
I hope not, but if you really must, then just send me an e-mail,
saying “I’m bored” or “get my out of here” or “I’ve had enough”
or whatever, I’ll get the idea, eventually.
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If we had had Spotify back then, we would have included a playlist something like this:
Sugar Music 