Rabbitt

Johannesburg-based group who evolved out of Conglomeration in 1975.

An earlier version of Rabbitt led by Trevor Rabin has been convened as a studio group to record a cover version of Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” (1972) for the South African market.

They also released a follow-up single “Backdoor Of My Heart” (1973). The version of Rabbitt that achieved huge success in South Africa were: Trevor Rabin (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Duncan Faure (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Neil Cloud (drums) and Ronnie Robot (Ronnie Friedman, bass).

They released two albums, Boys Will Be Boys (1977) and A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (1977) before Trevor Rabin left the group. The remaining three members released the album Rock Rabbitt (1977) but soon after they broke-up.

Their single “Charlie” (1975) is regarded as a classic South African pop song.

Radio Rats

Formed in Springs in 1977. Jonathan Handley (guitar, vocals), Dave Davies (lead vocals), Herbie Parkin (bass) and Niall Bell (drums).

Were signed by Jo’burg Records and released the album Into the Night We Slide and the single “ZX Dan” in 1978. “ZX Dan” was one of the top songs of the year on SABC’s Radio 5.

The band has continued to perform and record intermittently over the years with many changes in their line-up (especially drummers) but with the consistent front duo of Jonathan Handley and Dave Davies.

Ramsay MacKay

Singer-songwriter and bassist, born in Scotland in 1946 and moved to South Africa as a child. From 1966 to 1969 he was a member of Freedom’s Children.

Throughout the 1970s he was actively involved in making music with Colin Pratley and PaulClingman and also doing solo work. In 1978 he released the single “Silent Water” and in 1980 “Strange Light”.

In 1982 he released the album Suburbs of Ur.

He returned to Scotlandwhere he died in 2018.

 

Robin Auld

Singer songwriter who was born in Zambia and moved to Cape Town as a child. He was a member of the Lancaster Band in 1979 before joining Steve Walsh’s Root Rhythms.

He released a solo album, At the Corner, in 1983, then formed the band Z-Astaire (Auld on guitar and vocals, Michael Bush on drums, Murray Anderson on keyboards and Robert Hack on bass). They released two albums before Auld went solo again, with his biggest commercial success, Ocean Motion in 1985. It include the singles ‘Baby You’ve Been Good To Me’, ‘All Of Woman’ and ‘After The Fire’.

Auld has continued to release albums on a regular basis and continues to perform in South Africa and abroad.

Roger Lucey

Durban-based folk-rock singer who became popular on the live folk and club circuit in the mid to late 1970s.

His first album The Road Is Much Longer (1979) included outspoken political songs and was censored by the record company after receiving legal advice. A second album, Half Alive was released in 1980. The South African security police targeted Lucey, effectively putting an end to his career although he carried on in a part-time capacity for a few years, releasing two songs on Shifty Records compilations and re-emerging as Tighthead Fourie and the Loose Forwards in the mid-1980s.

After a break from music for a few years he released Running For Cover in 1991 and then another break before making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with Back In From The Anger (unreleased, 1996 by several songs from this album were included on the compilation 21 Years Down The Road released in 2000).

His story was featured in the documentary film Stopping The Music (2002). Since then he has continued to compose and perform both in South Africa and overseas and has released two further albums, Homeroad (2004) and Now Is The Time (2015).

Rush Hour

Formed in Johannesburg in 1987. Also known (during 1987 and 1988) as Passing Clouds and Peter And The Wolf.

The line up on their only album, The Perfect Way (1988), was Asval Ismail (keyboards), Martin Mitchell (bass, vocals), Andre Steenkamp (drums), Kevin Kruger (percussion), Estelle Kokot (lead vocals) and Jacques Lagesse (guitar, vocals).

Others who performed with the group included Jenna Lessing (vocals, flute), Karl Kikkilus (vocals, guitar) and Johnny Fourie.