Formed in Johannesburg in 1978 by Larry Amos (guitars, vocals), Tim Parr (guitar, vocals), Robbie Whitelaw (bass) and Pierre de Vos (drums). Before their first gig Fuzzy Marcus replaced Robbie Whitelaw because Robbie had to go to the army.
Later Bruce Williams replaced Pierre de Vos. In 1979 they won the SABC’s Battle of the Bands competition and they released their only album Work It Out.
They released two singles from the album “Jo Bangles” and “Take Me To Your Heart”.
They were the first South African band signed by Benji Mudie at WEA Records. Money issues and internal disagreements led to the band breaking up in 1980.
Formed in Johannesburg in 1983 out of the Tim Parr Band. Tim Parr (guitar, vocals), Heather Mac (vocals), Adrian Levi (bass), Herman Eugster (drums).
They released the album Uncomplicated Dream in 1984 and rose to prominence with 3 singles which received widespread radio play in South Africa: “Pressure” (1984), “See Yourself (Clowns) (1984) and “30 Million Lonely People” (1985).
In 1986 the group moved to Ireland in the hope of making it internationally but within six months Adrian Levi and Herman Eugster had left. Irish musicians were brought in and the album Ella Mental was recorded and released in the USA in 1989. 1989 also saw the release of three singles from the album. However their releases were not met with much success and the band broke up shortly after.
Johannesburg-based guitarist and vocalist. A founding member of Baxtop, formed in 1978 alongside Larry Amos, the band won the SABC Battle of the Bands in 1979 and released the album Work It Out on WEA Records. When Baxtop dissolved, Parr formed the Tim Parr Band.
In 1981 he spotted vocalist Heather Mac performing at folk club Mangles in Braamfontein and invited her to collaborate. From this partnership grew Ella Mental, who formed fully in 1983 with Heather Mac (vocals), Adrian Levi (bass) and Hermann Eugster (drums). The band released the album Uncomplicated Dreams in 1984 on EMI and became one of the decade’s most acclaimed South African acts, with singles including “Pressure” (1984), “See Yourself (Clowns)” (1984) and “30 Million Lonely People” (1985). The band relocated to Ireland in 1986 and subsequently recorded their second album in Los Angeles with producer Stewart Levine, releasing it on Warner Brothers internationally in 1989. Ella Mental disbanded in 1992.
On returning to South Africa, Parr formed the Zap Dragons, who released Zap Dragons Live in 1990. His solo album Still Standing followed in 1996. He has continued to perform and record, releasing the EP Revolution in 2021 and Malachi’s Dream in 2025. He is based in Cape Town, where he performs with the Greenworld Collective.
