Really cool import shipment just in! Limited copies of these great South African titles. Get em while you can, most will not be repressed.

RETRO FRESH is an imprint label dedicated to the preservation of classic South African pop & rock music from the late Sixties to the mid ’90s… each release, many available for the first time on cd, has been digitally remastered with bonus tracks including live, studio out takes, demos and unreleased songs. Where possible the original artwork has been retained but has been extended to include great pics, in-depth liner notes written by some of the country’s leading music journalists, rare memorabilia and artist commentary. All releases are artist approved.

Thanks for all guys, and don’t forget our two new ALIVE releases, Gyasi and El Perro! Both are blowing outta here faster than I could have imagined, get your copy before they are gone.

Suzy Shaw

NEWS ON THE POKORA BOOK! Yeah, I know, the endless sage. It’s printed, finally, and on our way to our Dutch distributor. Hang in there

NEW ARRIVALS

25121, 20401, 19983, 23324, 23325, 25184, 20057, 13493, 20404, 20411, 25114, 25115, 25116, 20406, 25119, 25118, 20408, 25122, 19283, 25183, 12043, 11153, 25120, 10630

CIRCUS -In the Arena (70s prog rock w rare photos and liners Label:FRESH Circus were one of the most exciting live progressive rock bands of the mid 70's. In lead singer Bernie Miller the group had a showman that rivaled Jagger, Freddy Mercury etc... add some of the hottest players in the country and some great songs like ‘Speed Queen,’ ‘Long legged lady’ and their heart-stopping version of ‘Conquistador’ and you get an album that 26 years later still sounds as majestic as it did back when it was released and ignored. Digitally re-mastered by the band themselves and packed with rare photos and incisive liner notes.” CD $14 SKU:25121

COOPER,JOHN & PHILIPPA,-The Cooperville Times (1969 like early Jefferson Airplane)-Label:FRESH Spooky psychedelic folk rock (1969) featuring the unmistakable guitar sounds of Julian Laxton (Freedom’s Children). Unquestionably one of the rarest South African albums ever: folk tinged psychedelia, featuring the whimsical vocals of John & Philipa Cooper with guitar by Julian Laxton, which has been hailed by collectors worldwide as comparable to the legendary Mellow Candle or early Jefferson Airplane. Brother/sister John & Philipa Cooper went to Britain shortly after the album was made, and there the story ends. Even so, this amazing album is considered in the same class as those by Billy Nichols, Duncan Browne and Blossom Toes. Well composed underground songs, folk rock, effects—an album full of ideas and masterfully played... it just has the right feel, with the combination of great songs and a '60s art-vibe. The perfect underground folk-rock album CD $14 SKU:20401

FLAMES - “Ummm! Ummm! Oh Yeah” + “That’s Enough” (DBL CD - Label:FRESH Throughout the '60s The Flames—featuring future Beach Boy Ricky Fataar along with his brothers Steve Fataar, Brother Fataar and Edries Fredericks— were South Africa's biggest selling band. This double disc set highlights the band's many hits from 1964 to 1966 and includes the "Ummm! Ummm! Oh Yeah" and "That's Enough" albums on Disc 1, and 16 non-album A & B sides singles on Disc 2. This release is a companion to the Retro best selling "Soulfire"/"Burning Soul" reissue. The “Ummm” album (1965) has some nice covers includes two Beatles tracks (‘No Reply’ and ‘Eight Days a Week’), a nice version of ‘You Better Move On,’ and ‘Talkin' Bout You,’ and several others. You have to admire a band like The Flames. An exceptionally talented outfit, the fact they were a non-white group (most of the members were of East Indian extraction), trying to make the big time in apartheid-era South Africa makes them even more special. Records by The Flames are highly collectable, not least because two of their members, Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin, joined The Beach Boys from 1971 to 1973, during which time the albums ‘So Tough’, ‘Holland’ and ‘In Concert’ were made and released CD $16 SKU:19983

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN- Astra (70s South African psych ) Label:FRESH One of the weirdest and most-damaged records ever recorded! long lost reissue of the classic second LP (1970) by Freedom's Children, deemed by many to be their defining moment. Said Nic Martens, one of the engineers for Astra who also played organ on the album: "What many are unaware of, is that Astra was recorded from a Friday night, to the Monday morning… on a four track Studer, eight fader Siemans valve mixer, an echo plate, with some help from a Lesley amp and a modified echo box." Not only did the album capture for posterity the unique sounds, dubbed "astral music" or "acid rock," of arguably South Africa's finest band ever, but it also caught the mood of the drug-infused culture that had taken root on the southern tip of Africa in the post Woodstock love and peace era. From the driving lead of Julian's lead guitar, a perfect match for the amphetamine and speed culture of the day, to the surreal, trippy sound of the band that tuned into the growing use of LSD, Astra captured the mood and the sounds of the early 70s South African music scene. Formed at the height of the hated Apartheid era, Freedom's Children swiftly became South Africa's most innovative sons, incomparable to anyone both musically and politically during those turbulent years. Their explorative, sonic excursions pushed the musical envelope and broke down barriers, culminating in the groundbreaking Astra album, arguably one of the era's most overlooked recordings. A real complex, progressive underground album. Includes both sides of the band’s debut 1967 single (‘The Coffee Song’ b/w ‘Satisfaction) as well as the 1968 single track ‘Little Games’ as exclusive bonus tracks. Excellent liner notes continue the story of a truly important band. with bonus tracks CD $14 SKU:23324

FREEDOM’S CHILDREN- Galactic Vibes (1971S S AFRICAN HEAVY PSYCH ) W BONUS TRACKS - Label:FRESH Freedom's Children were the most important band South Africa ever produced, famous for their recipe of acid rock mixed with electronic experiments and tribal rhythms; here is the first-ever legitimate reissue of their third and last LP (Parlophone, 1971), which featured a 16-minute live for radio version of 'The Homecoming' (from their equally rare "Astra" LP)—a soaring , intense, wailing masterpiece, as well as the thud power rock of 'That Did It'; the rest of the record is often justifiably compared to Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma", with many "magic box" sounds finding their way into the mix ('Fields and Me' and 'The Crazy World of Pod' in partiular have strong Floyd elements at work); liner notes and photos have complete band history; includes an unreleased extended version of '1999' as a bonus track. The year was 1971, but the song was ‘1999’; the group was Freedom's Children, and the vibes were galactic. A many-layered album, almost to the point of being cluttered, but this is what makes it interesting. Each time you listen you can hear something new, be it a tone in Brian Davidson's wailing vocals, a riff from Julian Laxton's screaming guitar, a sequence of notes from Barry Irwin's booming bass, or the change from sticks to hands on Colin Pratley's awesome drumming. The album features some blistering, fuzz-edged guitars on the thundering ‘That Did It’ as well as the quieter and beautiful ‘Fields And Me.’ There is also the experimental keyboard piece, ‘The Crazy World Of Pod: Electronic Concerto.’ The orchestration on ‘About The Dove And His King’ adds beauty and sheen to what is a rough rock sound, due mainly to the inventive recording methods used. With layers of overdubs and no noise reduction, this method created what the sleeve notes describe as a "musical mystical mist of sound." An album that South Africans can be proud of, even thirty years later. It is a great musical achievement that can be hauled out again and again and simply marveled at. Includes an exclusive unreleased extended version of ‘1999’ as a bonus track. with bonus track CD $14 SKU:23325

FREEDOM’S CHILDREN- Battle Hymn of the Broken-Hearted 1968 (60S S AFRICAN PROG PSYCH) W bonus track Label:FRESH This is Freedom's Children's first album, recorded in 1968 in South Africa for EMI. This album has all the wonderful excesses of early progressive rock; the deep meaningful poetry, spoken words, majestic organ-playing, sound effects, choirs, long guitar solos, etc. Ramsay MacKay's unusual Scottish/South African accent guides us through this album of contrasts. From the country sounds of "Country Boy" to the Traffic-style rock of "Judas Queen," this album does not let up for a moment. It rocks, it soothes, it challenges, it even refreshes (thanks to the inclusion of an old Pepsi advertisement). A great album and a mind-blowing debut. CD $14 SKU:25184

HAWK- She Too Can Cry (1974 African psych gem) - Label:FRESH South Africa’s Led Zeppelin! What do you get when you cross Cream with traditional African tribal vocals and the deep baritone of a master storyteller? Or, what would it sound like if Led Zeppelin swapped out tales of Gollum and the evil one in the depths of Mordor for yarns about brave hunters and village-attacking elephants? It would sound something like South Africa’s Hawk (also known as Jo’burg Hawk). In truth though, even trying to draw any such parallels falls flat for we have never before or since seen the like of Hawk. Their contemporaries were bands such as Freedom’s Children, The Otis Waygood Band and Abstract Truth, all legends in their own right, but no other band flew as close to the African sun and captured its glorious warmth as Hawk did. Arriving on the scene in the early 1970s, Hawk’s unique mixture of progressive, psychedelic rock was informed by a deep reverence for their African roots CD $14 SKU:20057

HEDGEHOPPERS - Hey! (UK 60s pop psych ) Label:FRESH Includes bonus tracks, rare photos and comprehensive liner notes. UK 60s pop outfit (previously known as Hedgehoppers Anonymous) goes psych with elements of country rock, prog and jazz. After one-hit wonders Hedgehoppers Anonymous disbanded in the mid-60s, musicians headed by lead singer Phil Tunstall and Mick Matthews took on the name and found success in South Africa. The original Hedgehoppers Anonymous found fame with a protest song ‘It's Good News Week,’ which entered the Top 10 in 1965. Although the band were playing widely, they were enjoying limited success, until, by a stroke of luck, Decca in South Africa re-released some old tracks, leading to the offer of a tour there in 1969. While there, Matthews wrote the South African hit ‘Mary Mary.’ The revised line up, now called just Hedgehoppers, found unexpected success in South Africa between 1969-1971. With audiences growing, the band looked destined for continuing success. But hopes were dashed when Phil Tunstall died in a road accident, just as they were due to appear at South Africa's equivalent of Woodstock in May 1970. The band recruited singer Alan Avon to replace Tunstall, and an album “Hey!” was recorded for and released by CBS in 1971. Both it and the single from it did well in the South African charts. Sadly, another death hit the band when Bill Honeyman died in a second road accident in 1972; and the band lost heart, to fold shortly after. The re-release has been welcomed by rock music journalist and historian Nick Warburton, who said that the tracks are "…a masterful collection of soulful ballads and rock-orientated material, mixing covers of Stephen Stills's ‘Rock 'N' Roll Woman’ with a frantic take on George Gershwin's ‘Summertime,’ and Matthews' strong originals." Includes bonus tracks, rare photos and comprehensive liner notes. Tracklisting 1. Hey!; 2. Rock and Roll woman; 3. A song for Pete; 4. You bet Ill know better; 5. Caroline; 6. Shes been hurt; 7. Summertime; 8. Near her; 9. I’m going thataway; 10. Brother, where are you; 11. My friend John Carter the kind magician; 12. Here’s to the morning sun; 13. Man upstairs; 14. Man downstairs; 15. Mary, Mary; 16. Humpty Dumpty; Bonus tracks 17. Blue, blue, blue; 18. I on my way Ma. CD $14 SKU:13493

IMPI-ST (Rare sole 1971 album by African influenced prog rock band)Label:FRESH Not much information out there about this rare one-off 1971 album (released by CBS back in the day); African influenced progressive rock, by some or all of the members of the South African band the Bats. There are the occasional flashes of pastoral flute/pennywhistle tinged folk mixed with psych guitar, jazz rock brass, soulful vocals and thundering percussion. Comparisons with Vertigo bands Jade Warrior, early Gravy Train and Assegai and bands like Chicago and Greatest Show on Earth. As for the Bats: It all started in 1964 when Eddie Eckstein, Paul Ditchfield, Pete Clifford and the late Barry Jarman, burst onto the local scene and became, to many ardent followers, South Africa's answer to the Beatles. They toured for more than a year (1966) in the UK, sharing the stage with the Kinks, the Troggs, the Zombies, etc. They had a string of successful singles and LPs on CBS, before going through the temporary identity crisis that resulted in the Impi album CD $14 SKU:20404

INVADERS - There’s A Light , There’s A Way (70s African fuzz ) - Label:FRESH South African rock classic from 1971, filled with fuzz psych guitars, funky organ riffs, and great vocals: it sounds like these guys had been listening to Rare Earth, and judging by the guitar solos, maybe some Jimi Hendrix as well!. Errol Gobey (rhythm guitar, vocals) recalls: “It was a lot of hard work and we had very little sleep. In October 1966, we decided to visit Cape Town. The audience loved us, they went crazy, they wouldn’t let us off the stage! Our name spread quickly throughout the Cape. Somehow Trutone Records, which had a branch in the Cape, got to hear about us. One day we were travelling on the N2 in our panel van. We had ‘The Invaders’ painted in huge letters on the side. A white car pulled alongside us and asked us to pull over. We thought we were in trouble and were going to get a fine of some sort. A white guy approached us and asked us if we were interested in a recording contract. We immediately answered, ‘Yes!’” In 1969, the Invaders decided to try to break into the overseas market. They toured in Europe for two months (Germany, Holland, and England); but they had endless hassles and red tape trying to get work permits. The constant hurdles made them decide to go home. In April 1971, shortly after this album was released, The Invaders disbanded “for religious reasons,” (according to Gobey). The CD version has two bonus tracks—covers of ‘Born on the Bayou’ and (strangely) the Creation’s ‘Painter Man.’CD $14 SKU:12043

MACKAY,DUNCAN-SCORE (70s prog w bonus track)Label:FRESH Rock keyboard genius Duncan Mackay hooks up with heavyweight players like John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia), Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel) and the London Symphony Orchestra on his second album "Score". Released in 1977, it marks a departure from the all-instrumental direction of his debut "Chimera" to a more traditionally structured rock album without losing his prog rock virtuosity. Highlighted by soaring vocals, stellar playing and sweeping epic songs, "Score" is a welcome addition to Duncan's musical legacy." CD $14 SKU:20411

MCCULLY WORKSHOP INC-ST(S. African 60's psych KINKS, YARDBIRDS,PRETTY THINGS style ) Label:FRESH Excellent debut album (the first of four albums by this group), a real rarity, originally issued on Trutone in South Africa in 1969; a great album with an early Pretty Things vibe. I absolutely don’t understand everyone saying that this record has a heavy Sgt. Pepper influence (for example, The Psychedelic-Music.com website had this to say about the record: "Of all the albums we've heard from South Africa this one scores top! What a beautiful masterpiece. Pepper-influenced underground music with great songs, lovely vocals, strong harmonies, great distorted guitar work."). Even the band say that the “Inc.” album shows a variety of styles and influences, including The Beatles, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd. “'Sgt Pepper' was very important, as were the pop charts at the time”, recalls Tully. Another big influence, according to Tully, was The Moody Blues 'Threshold Of A Dream' which was released in April 1969. That’s fine and well, but to me, it sounds like psych blended with R&B; it’s loaded with garage punk tunes—great songs, with strong harmonies and super distorted guitar-work; booklet includes liner notes about the album with quotes from the band about this, their stellar debut.
CD $14 SKU:25114

MCCULLY WORKSHOP INC-AGES (S.African 60's psych KINKS,YARDBIRDS, PRETTY THINGS style ) Label:FRESH In the early 70’s, the promise made by the improvisational bands in the late 60’s like Cream, Iron Butterfly, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and many others, had started to bear fruit. It was a time of rock music becoming really heavy and progressive, but also a time of the Singer-Songwriters and Folk Rock. Medieval themes á la Lord Of The Rings and ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ were the order of the day. Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman had released an instrumental album about the ‘Six Wives Of Henry VIII’, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow had sang about ‘The Man On The Silver Mountain’ and Uriah Heep celebrated ‘The Magician’s Birthday’. When McCully Workshop used to perform live around that time, the set list would include their arrangements of classical pieces like Bach’s ‘Toccata in D Minor’, Grieg’s ‘Hall Of The Mountain King’ and Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ (better known as the theme to ‘2001: A Space Odyssey)’ alongside ‘Every Little Thing’ by The Beatles and ‘The Man From Afghanistan’ by Curtiss Maldoon. Quite an eclectic mix. The “Ages” album (EMI, 1975) was born from this mixture of elements. The album opener, ‘Avenue’ is a bass-driven rock track, which echoes ‘Salisbury’-era Uriah Heep, whilst ‘Carbon Canyon’ is an up-tempo Steve Miller Band-influenced blues boogie with rollicking piano and cool guitar licks from Richard Black, who had been in rock power trio Elephant, with George Wolfaardt (Abstract Truth) and Savvy Grande (Suck). When asked about his favourite song on the ‘Ages’ album, Mike McCully says without hesitation: ‘I Walked Alone’. “This song had very difficult drumming, and I was influenced by Jim Keltner at the time. And the drumming on ‘Guinevere’ features double-tracked triplets... I used to play this with four sticks (a la John Bonham) for audio and visual effect.” Includes seven previously unavailable bonus tracks, updated liner notes and photos. CD $14 SKU:25115

MCCULLY WORKSHOP INC-Best of(S African 60's psych KINKS, YARDBIRDS, PRETTY THINGS style ) Label:FRESH McCully Workshop, arguably South Africa's top psychedelic progressive bands, dominated the airwaves in the 70's with six songs in that nation’s top 10, ('Why Can't It Rain', 'Birds Flying High', 'Sweet Fields Of Green', 'Guinevere') including two number ones ('Buccaneer', 'Chinese Junkman'). Known for always recording and producing their own material they were innovative in the extreme and were a loss to the industry when they disbanded in 1979 (although all members pursued lucrative solo careers). Perhaps the highlight of their career was their run at the "Canterbury Inn" in Rondebosch, Cape Town from 1977 to 1979, during which they showcased all their original hits along with rocking covers of groups like Jethro Tull, Supertramp and many others. In addition to their music, they were almost infamous for their irreverent comedy, ripping off all the celebs and politicians of the time (including Tully's notorious Vorster!). In December 2004 the group was persuaded to get back in the studio where they wrote and recorded 'Reaching For A Dream' due to their affiliation to the Reach for a Dream Foundation, included herein. All the band’s key tracks are now available in this expanded version of their own self-released disc from the days of yore; with liner notes and rare photosCD $14 SKU:25116

NATIONAL WAKE- ST (80s South African punk)Label:FRESH The scene for developing free-thinking rock music in South Africa was a struggle against social and political barriers unlike any place else in the world at that time, except perhaps for the Eastern Block countries then under the thumb of USSR era communism. This is a story of struggle, the sum total of which reaches far beyond the music: National Wake, the band Ian Kadey led in the late 70s and early 80s, were South Africa's first, and indeed only, multiracial punk band. And yet Kadey had kept this unique story to himself, partly because he thought no one was interested (National Wake split in 1982 just after putting out their solitary release, an album of which only 500 copies were pressed), but also, Kadey says, because "it was too painful for me, so I just buried it". The band's two black members, brothers Gary and Punka Khoza had subsequently died: the former had struggled with mental illness and killed himself; the latter died from an Aids-related illness. " Kadey formed National Wake in the aftermath of the Soweto uprising of 1976 – "one of the conditions of living in a repressive state like that is that it just seems impossible to do anything about it, there's a kind of paralysis, but that was a real 'get up, stand up' moment: look at these kids, it's time to take up the fight" – their sound influenced by British and American punk and Bob Marley. If the South African authorities had somehow managed to overlook Bob Marley, they didn't miss National Wake, whose songs didn't exactly cloak their political message in layers of impenetrable metaphor. In three minutes, the band's signature tune 'International News' manages to decry state censorship, the war in Angola and what guitarist Steve Moni calls "the ostrich life of suburban South Africa, just spending your time deliberately trying not to notice things". They seem to have been viewed with a certain awe even by rival punk bands: "They had an aura, like wanted men," says Michael Flek, frontman of South Africa's first punk band Wild Youth. "When they showed up it was like the revolutionaries had arrived” CD $14 SKU:20406

RABBITT -A Croak and a Grunts (1975 S African Beatlesque glam rock) -Label:FRESH Glam rock from this South Afrcian band, who dominated that nation’s charts in the 1970’s. "If you are interested in the music of Trevor Rabin, South African rock or are partial to 70's glam rock with Beatlesque influences then this album is certainly worth a listen. Rabin fans see this album as a great milestone in his development as musician, composer and producer. Back in 1977 it was a huge musical happening for South Africans of European descent. In cloistered, apartheid South Africa, this was the country's closest experience of rock mania, with sold out concerts, teen girl hysteria and the fastest selling album in the history of South African rock music. On many a girl's school bag or book the statement "Rabbitt rules okay" was adorned. Rabbitt dominated the pop charts, the awards and entertainment news for that strange, tumultuous South African period of 1976 to 1979. "The title 'TC Rabin in D minor', the opening Brian May-like instrumental track, conveys the supreme confidence of Trevor and this band - and when you hear Rabin's powerful multi-layered guitar you realize this is indeed special as it segues into the ballad with strings and the plaintive singing of 'I sleep alone.' Then the drums kick in and the title track punches in. You are aware of slick 70's production and expressive guitar which ends with an extensive wah-wah inflected solo over Rabin's characteristic use of a full studio of strings.” Singer and lead guitarist Trevor Rabin later became a member of Yes — and then a prolific film composer for Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon, Flyboys, National Treasure, Remember the Titans and others. Singer, guitarist and keyboardist Duncan Faure went on to join the Bay City Rollers. CD $14 SKU:25119

RABBITT - Boys Will Be Boys (1975 S African Beatlesque glam rock, really good! ) -Label:FRESH Debut studio album by South African rock band Rabbitt, released in 1975 on Jo'Burg Records. The album reached gold certification in the country faster than any other previously released album in South Africa at the time. It also earned the group a Sarie Award in the Best Contemporary Pop category.” Includes their 1972 single cover version of the Jethro Tull classic 'Locomotive Breath’. Singer and lead guitarist Trevor Rabin later became a member of Yes — and then a prolific film composer for Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon, Flyboys, National Treasure, Remember the Titans and others. Singer, guitarist and keyboardist Duncan Faure went on to join the Bay City Rollers. "'Boys Will Be Boys' rocks. It is not raw rock, but rather has the polished production I associate with their sound (at times reminiscent of 10cc). It has creative songs and wonderful musicianship. Six of the ten songs from 'Boys Will Be Boys’ were hits. The four songs on 'Boys Will Be Boys' that were not hits mostly git up and go. Songs like 'Something's Going Wrong with My Baby' and 'Looking for the Man' add jump to the album. Overall, 'Boys Will Be Boys' is like a 33 minute rocking live set that also has a few slow numbers thrown in for close dancing. CD $14 SKU:25118

TIDAL WAVE-Spider Spider-Best Of The Tidal Wave (S African psych pop 1969) Label:FRESH The Tidal Wave were one of South Africa's foremost exponents of psych influenced pop music in the late 60's and early 70's with hits like ‘Spider Spider’ (1969) and ‘Mango Mango’ (1970) and ‘With Tears in My Eyes.’ Although they existed for a relatively short time, the band is regarded by many as the bridge between pop and the then developing 'underground' South African rock scene. This compilation gathers together for the first time all the hit singles, B-sides and rarities. Yes, they did play pop and had a few hits, which were featured on the top radio stations at the time, Springbok Radio and LM Radio. However Tidal Wave also played very interesting psychedelic pop rock enhanced by the fuzz guitar sounds of Mike Pilot. There is a wide variety of music styles covered on this Tidal Wave retrospective. Lovers of end-of-the-sixties psychedelic pop and rock will discover many hidden gems, including the progressive rock sounds of ‘Get It Out Of Your System’ which would not have been out of place on an Abstract Truth album. This disc also includes the funky soul sounds of ‘Town Girl’, featuring Peter Vee’s lead vocal, which was previously unreleased. Tidal Wave is fondly remembered by many and now all their music—the hits, misses and rarities can be found in one place. CD $14 SKU:20408

WAYGOOD, OTIS BLUES BANDST (1969 acid blues from South Africa)Label:FRESH Excellent album from one of South Africa's best kept secrets, this is slow acid blues with amazing fuzz guitars and gentle passages with flute playing to die for. Long extended jams on certain tracks get heavier and heavier. The first nine tracks on this disc are their complete Parlophone label album from 1970, including their classic takes on traditional tunes 'Watch 'n Chain' and 'I Can't Keep From Crying', plus their burning version of 'Fever'—not blues rock as one might think—it's bluesy no doubt, but with flute and saxophone giving a hippie jamming Sweetwater vibe to the proceedings; three bonus tracks are from their jazzier 1971 Parlophone album "Ten Claps and a Scream"; liner notes and photos have complete band history. They came from Rhodesia in 1969 and had people freaking out straight away at their high-octane live shows; by 1971 they were gone—and rock in Africa was never the same again! CD $14 SKU:11153

WAYGOOD, OTIS BLUES BAND-Ten Light Claps And A Scream(1969 acid blues from South Africa)Label:FRESH One of the lost treasures of EMI-Parlophone’s heavy rock catalog, the third and final LP from South Africa’s Otis Waygood has finally been presented on its own, thanks to the folks at Fresh Music. Originally released in 1971, Ten Light Claps and a Scream smacks of the influence of England’s heavy psych movement, particularly the rumble of such bands as Bloodwyn Pig and the Groundhogs. Otis delivered the rock with a little more bite, thanks to the band’s unbridled devotion to the blues and the killer production of South African rock mavens Julian Laxton of the South African prog group Freedom’s Children and Johannesburg-born, UK-based record executive Clive Calder. Laxton made plentiful use of his famous "magic box": a kind of phasing/echo machine he'd built and used on stage with Freedom's Children. Any fan of old, loud, trippy acid rock from the Vietnam era would be wise to check out this onetime collector’s item from one of the era’s great, unsung acts. This version includes all the original songs and a rare 1977 bonus track, plus updated liner notes and some newly discovered photos. CD $14 SKU:25120

WILDEBEEST- Bushrock 1 (1981 S African prog)Label:FRESH Recorded in 1981, “Bushrock 1” is the sound of a truly African progressive rock band in full flight: thundering African percussion, hard rock guitars, swirling Celtic violin and soaring vocals all combine to form a heady musical brew. The "Bushrock" concept was ex Freedom’s Children drummer Colin Pratley's brainchild. On Wildebeest's live set “Bushrock 1,” the audience is advised to "settle back and relax"— then the music grabs you, throws you around, and does not let up through nine songs and nearly 45 minutes of adventurous rock. Take a sharp guitarist (Boet Faber), a thundering, driving bassist (Piet Botha), add an exuberantly talented drummer (Colin Pratley) and a rocking violin (Dave Tarr), sweeten with some lovely female vocals (Karlien van Niekerk), crank up the volume, and you’ve got the basis of Wildebeest's thundering, stampeding rock album. The songs are primarily driven by beat and rhythm—Piet's bass punctuates and emphasizes as it drives along, the rock steady and creative drumming is ever present, and the violin becomes an essential rock instrument. Then the guitar sears and soars. Masterful rock, with the great Colin Pratley flailing away on the drums. I think of it as Progressive Jungle Music.” The album was recorded live in 1981, and before that makes you pause, remember that the concept of energetic jungle rock music has rarely been better served before or since; the album features two different “covers” of Freedom’s Children tunes from their classic “Astra” album... not a surprise really, as Tarr and Pratley were both former members of that band. CD $14 SKU:25122

ASTRAL DAZE - VA 4 (tracks from the heydays of South African psych)Label:FRESH MORE SNAPSHOTS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ROCK UNDERGROUND' - The fourth part of this compilation series features 19 classic, rare and obscure tracks from the heydays of South African psychedelic rock. COMP CD $15 SKU:19283

ASTRAL DAZE - VA VOL 1 (70 s Psychedelic South African Rock) - Label:FRESH This collection brings together rarities from artists we know (tracks from Abstract Truth, Suck, Otis Waygood, Freedom’s Children, John & Philipa Cooper, McCully Workshop, Third Eye, and Hawk), as well as others we’ve not heard before, like Omega Ltd., the Bats, the Fireflies, the Idiots, Tidal Wave, and the Invaders. Although the South African rock movement of the late sixties and early seventies was not a major commercial success, it's participants heralded an exciting new age in South African rock and started a movement aimed at changing the musical tastes of fans in a spectacular way. Stadium concerts became the vehicle for feeding the youth with heavier rock sounds, and behind studio glass were producers like Clive Calder, Billy Forrest, Graham Beggs and Selwyn Miller who acted as change agents to transform conventional pop into heavier 4 to 5 minute songs. The movement's struggle for recognition through airplay remained unanswered and only the true fans of rock knew about their existence. COMP CD $15 SKU:25183

SLOWLY FROM THE SOUTH - VA DBL CD (proggy gems and post psych rock from South Africa 70s and 80s) DBL CD Label:FRESH A two disc compilation of South African rock from 1970-2008, including many artists previously unavailable on CD. “In the early 70’s South Africa was in it’s third decade of self inflicted political and cultural isolation. Despite a concerted effort by the then Nationalist government to ‘protect the youth’ by blocking the flow of progressive cultural ideas via a series of bannings, restrictions and high import tariffs, rock music per se, and all it represented, managed to reach these Southern shores and inseminate a flowering home grown rock revolution. Although some groups simply emulated the sounds of their international counterparts, other South African bands embraced their African roots, drawing on home grown melodic and rhythmic structures, meshing them with European influences and producing a heady variant of progressive music that fits snugly alongside their international compatriots. “Slowly From the South” showcases the cream of South African prog rock of the last 40 years. Tucked inside you will hear the music of some of South Africa’s heavyweight musical sons & daughters—some familiar and others only recognised in name but never heard outside these southern shores, until now. It is the culmination of close to two years of research and planning, tracking down long lost masters, photos and information. This double disc compilation is unique. It is the first indigenous compilation that showcases the South African musicians who explored both jazz and prog rock genres during the seventies and beyond. This official release is artist and label approved, and includes rare artist photos and information.
COMP CD $15 SKU:10630