I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) (1977) A cover of John Russell’s “I Never Loved A Woman The Way I Love You” from 1976. It is not the Aretha Franklin song from 1967.
Light Up The Light (1973)
Stand By Your Man (1975) Tammy Wynette cover
Where Is The Love (1975)
Tribal Fence (1977) originally by Freedoms Children in 1970, also recorded by Rabbitt featuring Margaret as guest vocalist
Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (1976) Creedence Clearwater Revival cover
A powerful compilation from the soulful voice of Margaret Singana. Different to the 1973 album with the same title. Margaret has covered a number of classic South African rock tracks, including Freedoms Children’s ‘Tribal Fence’, The Julian Laxton Band’s ‘Johannesburg’ and Hawk’s ‘Orang Outang’.
She is probably most famous for ‘Mama Tembu’s Wedding’ from ‘Ipi ‘N Tombia’ and also the brilliant theme song from the Shaka Zulu TV series, ‘We Are Growing’. This song went to number 1 in The Netherlands in 1989.
Patric van Blerk wrote a few songs for her and also produced most of her albums. Trevor Rabin makes an appearance on some of her songs as well.
There are also some very strong soul songs on this CD including ‘I Never Loved A Man’ (sounds nothing like the Aretha Franklin song with the same title, actually a cover of John Russell’s ‘I Never Loved A Woman’), Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ and Tammy Wynette’s ‘Stand Up Like A Man’ (done in a reggae-style).
So if you enjoy strong female vocals with a touch of rock, a bit of Africa and a lot of soul, then ‘Lady Africa’ is for you.
This classic album been released at least 4 times with different track listings. It was first released in 1972 in South Africa. It was then released in 1973 in Europe with a slightly different track list and credited to Jo’Burg Hawk. In 1998 an unofficial CD was released by the Never Never Land label in Japan with a different cover and track list. In January 2004 Retrofresh released a CD of the European version with bonus tracks.
The album cover was a gatefold with the image actually sideways. It is shown here in the “wrong” position for better effect. Cover painting was by B. Funnêll. The European album release has the same cover, but “Hawk” is replaced with “Jo’Burg Hawk”.
Tracks
Africa (Ornellas) [2.48]
Dark Side Of The Moon (R Mackay) [2.54]
Predictions (Kahn/Ornellas) [5.15]
The Rolling Of The Bones (R Mackay) [2.40]
Elegy For Eden (R Mackay) [2.34]
War Talk (Kahn/Ornellas) [2.39]
My Spear (R Mackay) [2.01]
This Elephant Must Die (R Mackay) [3.00]
The Return (Kahn) [2.41]
White Bird Of Peace (Kahn/Ornellas) [3.28]
Uvuyo (D Ornellas/M Kahn/R Mackay) [3.11] listed as Jabula on inside sleeve
June Dyer was born in Durban on 19 June 1942. She was not deterred by the fact that she was almost totally deaf from the age of 10, and mastered lip reading and getting the music beat by holding the piano or bass. June won several talent competitions and eventually caught the eye of talent scout, Alan Marshall. She passed away 14 January 2011.
“Ain’t Necessarily So / Take Five” not available on Spotify.
Musicians
Ken E Henson: guitar, sitar, vocals
Robbie Pavid: percussion
Brian Gibson: bass, vocals
Sean Bergin: sax, flute
Release information
LP: 1970, Uptight, STIC 101 CD: 2005, Mason Records, MR 56409 (unofficial release, included all tracks from Silver Trees as bonus tracks, except for “All The Same”) CD: 2005, RetroFresh, freshcd146 (omitted “Ain’t Necessarily So / Take Five”, included all tracks from Silver Trees) LP & CD: 2009, Shadoks (Germany), SHADOKS 111
The album ‘Totum’ was recorded in Johannesburg over a single weekend using a 4-track machine. The album was released in early 1970. “According to today’s standards it’s pretty rough,” says Henson, “but I guess it was an honest interpretation of what we were doing.”
In a newspaper review reporter Carl Coleman had this say about the release of Abstract Truth’s debut album: “Sean, Brian, Robbie and Ken have lifted South African pop from the syrupy blare of bubblegum music to new heights of progressive pop. What an achievement!”
The Freak Emporium online store had this brief review of ‘Totum’ on their website: “Excellent early ’70s melodic wistful freak rock blends with African sounds featuring assorted instruments: keyboards, flutes, electric guitars, saxophone, percussion, etc. A refreshing approach.”
Most of ‘Totum’ consists of unusual reworkings of jazz, folk and blues songs. The only band composition is the sitar-drenched ‘Total Totum/Acid Raga’. Donovan, Dylan, Gershwin, Simon and Garfunkel and others all get given the special Abstract Truth treatment that is reminiscent of early King Crimson in places.
Ramases, born Kimberley Barrington Frost (1 January 1934 to 2 December 1976), was a British psychedelic musician who released two cult albums in the early 1970s.
In the 18 months I worked at EMI South Africa the group I believed the most in was Freedom’s Children——this is with the line up of Julian Laxton, Colin Pratley, Ramsay Mackay and Brian Davidson. In fact I believed so much in them that I came close to leaving EMI to manage the group full time with a view to trying to get them to London to “make it” on the world stage, so to speak. In those days, however, there were all sorts of obstacles with work permits, UK Musicians Union, SA Exchange Control, etc, not to mention the fact that I was only 23, had no capital and had virtually no contacts anywhere outside of SA……..so nothing came of this particular “dream” and sadly the limitations of their having to try and evolve creatively within the narrow confines of the SA music scene at that time, coupled with personal differences some of the members were having, ultimately led to the disintegration of what in my opinion was then and probably still is today (30 years later) the only SA rock group that given the right circumstances in the right geographical location, could have become an internationally successful rock band just by being themselves and doing what they did.
LP: 1970, Parlophone, PCSJ(D) 12066 8 Track: 1971 Parlophone X8-PCSJ-12066 LP: 1990, PVB Music, PVBC 7 Cassette: 1990, PVB Music, ZPVC 7 CD: 1993, TRC 029 unofficial German CD re-issue CD: 1997, 3eM, CDRED 619 official CD release, distributed by Gallo CD: April 2005, RetroFresh, freshcd 145 official CD release
The Kid He Came From Hazareth was covered by Wildebeest and released on the Bushrock 1 album as ‘Russian And Chips’ (cleverly combined with a traditional Russian folk song). Piet Botha (Wildebeest bassist in the early ’80s) performed this song as an unplugged version on his Summer 2001 tour.
‘Russian and Chips‘ was covered by Jack Hammer (featuring Piet Botha) and released in April 2005 on the album The Pilgrim.
Tribal Fence was covered by Rabbitt (featuring Margaret Singana) on their A Croak And A Grunt In The Night album. Margaret Singana herself also recorded a very powerful version of ‘Tribal Fence’ which was released on the Lady Africa compilation CD. ‘Tribal Fence’ was also recorded live by Wildebeest (featuring Piet Botha) and released on the Bushrock 1 album in 1981. In April 2005 ‘Tribal Fence’ was covered by Jack Hammer (again featuring Piet Botha) and released on The Pilgrim.
Slowly Towards The North was covered (and extended) by Hawk on their Live And Well LP in 1974. This track was also recorded live by Wildebeest and renamed ‘Pofadder’ when released on the Bushrock 1 album.
The Homecoming: An edited version (2:50) was released as a single in 1971.
A 16-minute live version of ‘The Homecoming’ (including a drum solo) was released on Galactic Vibes.
1 A Madman’s Cry by Otis Waygood 2 Blue Wednesday Speaks by Abstract Truth 3 Eclipse by Freedoms Children 4 Astral III by Invaders 5 (We All) Look For The Sun by McCully Workshop 6 Sea Horse by Freedoms Children 7 The Whip by Suck 8 African Day (excerpt) by Hawk 9 Retain Your Half-Ticket by Third Eye 10 Morpheus (excerpt) by Duncan Mackay 11 Tribal Fence by Freedoms Children 12 Orang Otang by Harambee 13 In Spite Of It All by Circus 14 Desert (excerpt) by Steve Linnegar’s Snakeshed
African Daze Vol 2 – More South African Prog Rock
Track List
1 The Crazy World Of Pod: electronic concerto by Freedoms Children 2 2001 Space Odyssey (Deodato cover) by McCully Workshop 3 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson cover) by Suck 4 Medals Of Bravery by Freedoms Children 5 Judas by David’s Confession 6 Pharaoh’s Tomb by Titus 7 Mumbo Jumbo by Ramsay Mackay 8 Silver Trees by Abstract Truth 9 Slowly Towards The North (Freedoms Children cover) by Jack Hammer 10 Orang Otang by Hawk 11 The Bridge by Julian Laxton 12 Useless Illusions (based on Nights In White Satin) by The Flames 13 Caterpillar by The Third Eye 14 Sirius II by Duncan Mackay 15 In The Sun by Otis Waygood 16 Avenue by McCully Workshop 17 Silent Water by Ramsay Mackay 18 Hunter by Hawk 19 I Need You by The Invaders 20 I Left My Skull In San Francisco by Otis Waygood 21 Apricot Brandy (Rhinoceros cover) by The Third Eye 22 In A Space by Abstract Truth 23 Season Of The Witch (incl drum solo) (Donovan cover) by Suck
1. Bus Station – Fly Paper Jet 2. Hammerhead Hotel – Falling Mirror 3. Alison – Dolly Rockers 4. Getting Better – Scabby Annie 5. Shock Time For Rock – The Popguns 6. Morrison Hotel – Jack Hammer 7. Werewolf In The House – Falling Mirror 8. Kamikasi – McCully Workshop 9. Mucking About In The Dungeons All Day – Radio Rats 10. Monster From The Bog – Psycho Reptiles 11. Bellville Rock City – New World Inside 12. Psycho Bitch – Toxic Shame 13. Boxstar Kitty – Three Bored White Guys 14. Blue Eyed Devil – Th’ Damned Crows 15. Psycho-Babble – Lancaster Band 16. Britney Spears – Tweak 17. Babydoll Blues – The Ragdolls 18. Psycho – Them Tornados 19. Woo Hoo! – Fire Through The Window 20. Baby Girl You’re Gonna Burn! – Peachy Keen 21. Drakilla – The Psykotix 22. Surfin’ With The Goth Gang – Martin Rocka And The Sick Shop 23. Krokodil – Retro Dizzy 24. Buccaneer – Moyawetu 25. Beethoven Is Dying – Koos Kombuis En Die Warmblankes 26. Only Yesterday – Sharkbrother 27. Boomtown Hotel – Valiant Swart 28. Kitchener – Piet Botha 29. Praha Paradise (2007 version) – Ernestine Deane feat Tim Parr 30. Die Gipsy In Jou Oë – Anna Davel 31. Farewell To Gypsy – Bonekey
Join me on my Vagabond Blues show on www.AllJazzRadio.co.za every Thursday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm (SA time). I play a broad spectrum of music in the blues genre, with a special focus on South African blues. – Brian Currin
Extract from an article I wrote in February 2007
I was born in South Africa 4 days after “The Day The Music Died” according to Don McLean (you work it out!). I was born and bred in a home filled with music (mainly Church Hymns and Showtunes) but soon discovered in my pre-teen years that I had absolutely no talent for singing or playing an instrument. I do play a mean air guitar solo though – I usually play a Black Fender Stratocaster Original Air Guitar. I also play Air Organ – a Hammond B3 of course – and recently I’ve started learning to play Air Harmonica.
Since I had this overwhelming passion for music, but not the skills to perform it, I started collecting music as well as information about music and also statistics and lists. Finding musical information in Apartheid-era South Africa was difficult to say the least, but my passion knew no bounds and I persevered.
In 1973 I heard the ‘Made in Japan’ version of ‘Smoke Of The Water’ by Deep Purple and my fate as a Rock Fan was sealed. I always thought that when I grew up I would lose my love of Rock and get into Classical and Jazz as “older” people did. Never happened! What did happen is that I just added and added more styles, types and genres to my musical tastes, though Classic Rock is still my first love and Deep Purple is still my favourite group. After listening to Purple and Zeppelin and Tull and Clapton and such-like I wanted to hear the original blues that inspired them … and a whole new world of discovering the Blues masters opened up for me.
Blues From The Deep South (Of Africa)
Because of South Africa’s unique geographical position and cosmopolitan population, there is really no such thing as a single defining style of “South African Music”. We seem to have everything here on the Southern Tip of Africa including African Tribal music, Zulu Township Jazz, Country and Western, Death Metal, Electronica and so much more, all with their own clearly-defined (and sometimes overlapping) niche markets. However the blues seems to be very popular in South Africa amongst most population groups, though I’ve never seen any research to support this theory of mine.
Blues in South Africa includes a wide variety of genres including Jazz Blues, Folk Blues, Traditional Blues, Blues Rock, Acoustic Blues and even blues sung in the language of Afrikaans which for want of a better name we will call Afrikaans Blues. So really South African Blues is just a term to mean Blues played by South African musicians. Cover versions of old blues classics abound, but there are also a large number of original compositions written in a variety of blues styles. Very few South African Blues musicians actually concentrate on playing the Blues exclusively, but rather play a mix of Blues, Rock, Blues-Rock and Country Rock.
Join me on my Vagabond Blues show on www.AllJazzRadio.co.za every Thursday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm (SA time). I play a broad spectrum of music in the blues genre, with a special focus on South African blues. – Brian Currin
It was reported by many reviewers and re-issue liner note writers that the real name of the artist known as Ramases (who recorded the cult classic album Space Hymns in 1971) was Martin Raphael.
However in May 2012, Dorothy, better known to Ramases fans as Sel (or Selket), advised that her late husband, Ramases (real name Barrington Frost) and Martin Raphael were not the same person.
I would like to clear up the confusion between Ramases (Barrington Frost), born in Sheffield, and Martin Raphael who played the sitar on Space Hymns. I do not know where he was born or where he lived. I wish to confirm that Ramases and Martin Raphael were not the same person. I do not know how this misunderstanding has come about. I would be interested to hear any comments. Love and light from Selket. (Dorothy Frost, wife of Ramases)
Dorothy’s message was posted on the Space Hymns website and Facebook Page, and actor and musician, Peter Stormare responded with some information after listening to the studio out-take tapes.
Martin Raphael’s nickname was Ralph to start with….
On one of the out-takes the engineer… (Gouldman, I think) talks over the intercom to the guy on the floor … you think it’s to Ram but actually Ram isn’t even there … it’s an overdub… (track is obviously Molecular Delusion, Mr Raphael’s only contribution).
“Hey Ralph” And it sounds as if Ram is replying, but that’s a previous take…
It’s very clear on our out-take…
“Ralph” Martin Raphael is then the only one talking…
Ram did show and sing him the chord-changes, but when the sitar is laid down on the next take Ram has left.
Also the famous “Fuck” heard on Molecular Delusions is clearly not Ram but Martin Raphael … he thought the chorus was coming and plays that note but there is still 8 bars of verse to go … he goes back to the verse after a bar.
In 2006 Swedish film producer Malik Bendjelloul visited Cape Town, South Africa as part of a world-spanning journey searching for inspiration for a new film. What he found was a story that was so unbelievable that if a scriptwriter had written it as a piece of fiction, it would have been rejected as being too far-fetched.
‘Searching For Sugar Man’ took three years to complete and was filmed in Cape Town and Detroit, and other South African and US locations. The film had its international premiere on Thursday 19th January 2012, at the Sundance Film Festival held in Park City, Utah, USA as a representative of the World Documentary section.
“Rodriguez was the greatest ’70s U.S. rock icon who never was. His albums [Cold Fact and Coming From Reality] were critically well-received, but sales bombed, and he faded away into obscurity among rumors of a gruesome death. However, as fate would have it, a bootleg copy of his record made its way to South Africa, where his music became a phenomenal success. In a country suppressed by apartheid, his anti-establishment message connected with the people.
When his second album finally gets released on CD in South Africa, two fans take it as a sign, deciding to look into the mystery of how Rodriguez died and what happened to all of the profits from his album sales. Since very little information about the singer exists, they meet many obstacles until they uncover a shocking revelation that sets off a wild chain of events that has to be seen to be believed. ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ is a story of hope, inspiration, and the resonating power of music”.
After the initial screening, Chris Lee from the Daily Beast wrote: “Following the rise, seeming demise, and re-emergence of an obscure but influential Mexican-American folk singer named Rodriguez, the movie premiered Thursday to tears, cheers, and a standing ovation from festival attendees”.
‘Searching For Sugar Man’ garnered two awards, The ‘World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary’ and ‘World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit’. To receive both an audience award and a critics award is a very rare occurrence indeed and had only happened once before since Sundance was founded in 1981 by Robert Redford. It was also one the first films sold at the Festival, being snapped up by Sony Pictures Classics.
Rodriguez (who turns 70 this year in July) attended the festival and appeared with Malik Bendjelloul and Sugarman.org’s Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, after every screening. He also performed at the packed-out Sundance ASCAP Music Café. (see video below)
The Sundance Film Festival success of ‘Searching For Sugarman’ is another milestone in the strange and wonderful story of the man known, to his ever increasing fan base around the world, simply as Rodriguez.
As a teenager in the 70’s I compiled cassette tapes of my favourite songs. Much later on I compiled CD-Rs, and even later iTunes playlists on my computer.
And now YouTube videos on a WordPress blog.
So I am still doing the same thing I always loved, making my own compilations, just the technology has changed.
Greetings Brian, I am a fan of SA music, particularly 60’s & 70’s. Over the years I have collected a lot of MP3’s but am still missing some classics i.e
The Staccatos
Billy Forrest
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
The Gonks
The Dealians
Omega Limited
Bernie Brown
Neville Whitmill
The A-Cads
I would dearly love to obtain the music above and have no problem about purchasing these MP3’s but would like you to advise me how I can do this? Please help!
Thanks
Gary
Brian wrote:
Most of this music is very hard to find on CD and even more difficult as legal MP3 downloads.
Original vinyl albums can often be found at Mabu Vinyl.
More info on most of these artists can be found on the SA Rock Encyclopedia website:
Music Fan, Anton van Staden, has scanned this booklet issued by LM Radio reflecting their top hits of 1973.
The back cover was dedicated to an advert for a famous cigarette brand, but since I am not sure of the legalities of advertising tobacco products, I decided to omit it.
Extracts below are taken from sleeve notes for the Hits Of LM Radio 2CD set released by PT Music in 2009.
Do you remember a time in South Africa when there was no TV and no internet? Hard to believe that there ever was such a time, and that listening to the radio was actually one of the best ways to discover the latest and greatest music. The DJ’s cared about the music and they even had theme tunes. Springbok Radio was OK, but the station that teenagers really embraced with enthusiasm was LM Radio, based out of Lourenco Marques in neighbouring Mozambique.
LM Radio was privately owned and operated, and served a vast audience of young people by transmitting pop and rock music which was not heard on the state-controlled SABC stations. The music was everything and DJs like David Gresham, Darryl Jooste, Long John Berks, Peter De Nobrega (and many, many more), were real personalities who played music that they really liked and the fans appreciated it.
The radio station in Lourenco Marques first started broadcasting in the 1930s, but it was in the late 1950s that it underwent a major format change to cater for the younger generation.
The LMRadio.org website says it best; “LM Radio, as it was popularly known, was renowned for its Top Twenty chart show, the LM Hit Parade, and played a major role in promoting South African artists and their music.”
In 1975 LM Radio became Radio 5, and then 5FM, but the spark of independence was no longer there and whole generations have grown up in South Africa without hearing music radio at its best. – Brian Currin
Sugar Music 