FROM ROCK 'N 'ROLL TO HARD CORE PUNK - UKZN ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

21 CHAPTER 2 AN HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO ROCK MUSIC IN DURBAN 1963-1985. Introduction It is generally agreed that Durban was the birthplace of rock' n'roll in South Africa 1. South Africa's earliest known exponent of rock'n'roll was Durban-born Dickie Loader, whose band, The Blue Jeans, was first formed in 1957. Dickie Loader, described as 'South Africa's original rocker,2, was born in 1945; he has had an illustrious musical career which began with The Blue Jeans and which still continues in the country music field. The Blue Jeans was the first significant rock'n'roll band in South Africa, and their repertoire consisted mainly of 'covers' of hit parade songs of the time, as well as originals mostly composed by Dickie Loader himself. The Blue Jeans' original line up consisted of Dickie Loader (guitar and vocals), Ian Wells (piano), Ray Boonzaier (bass guitar), Des Ray (saxophone) and Noel Glover on drums. The band was popular both· locally and nationally, and between 1962 and 1968, recorded nineteen singles and ten albums. Most exceptional was the fact that all the band members were still of school-going age when the band was formed. The Blue Jeans' style was typical 'fifties rock'n'roll, and their realistic imitations of hit parade material earned them a favoured place at the school dances and parties of the time. (Refer to cassette, Ex. 1) 1 South Africa's first rock'n'roll band, The Blue Jeans, was a Durban band, as is acknowledged by Chilvers and Jasiukowicz in their recent reference book entitled History of Contemporary Music of South Africa (Braamfontein' Toga Publishing), p. 74, 1994. . 2 G. Chilvers and T. Jasiukowicz, History of Contemporary Music of South Africa, p. 74.
22 The line-up of the band went through several mutations between 1963 and 1968, and included Graeme Beggs (bass guitar), Dave Pollecut (guitar), Don Christie (bass guitar), Adrian Agrella (bass guitar after Christie was killed in a car accident), Mike Slavin (guitar), Neil Herbert (guitar) and Howie Jones (drums). The Blue Jeans broke up in 1968 when Dickie Loader was involved in a serious car accident, and was not able to continue giving live performances. Nevertheless, Dickie continued to record both solo and with his wife, Coleen. In 1963, another important exponent of early South African rock'n'roll, Gene Rockwell, formed The Falcons (a renamed version of his teenage rock'n'roll band, The Blue Angels), which played Rockwell's 'gritty-blues-style songs 13 The Falcons were a Durban-based band, and spent much of the 1960s playing in popular Durban venues. The 1963 Falcons' line-up consisted of Gene Rockwell (guitar and vocals), George Usher (guitar), Clive Schweggman (guitar), George Heyns (bass) and Fred Rickson (drums). By 1964, the line-up had changed to Gene Rockwell (guitar and vocals), Andy van der Merwe (guitar), Eddie Burns (bass) and George Hill (drums). Besides recording a number of albums with The Falcons, Gene Rockwell also recorded numerous singles with various orchestras and backing groups, his most famous to date being Heart (recorded in 1965 and backed by the Dan Hill orchestra). Heart has proved to be the highest selling single (over two and a half million copies) for a white singer in the history of the South African rock industry 4 Gene Rockwell was, therefore, an important figure in the South African rock scene in the mid-1960s, and his success as a . 3 G Chilvers and T. Jasiukowicz, History of Contemporary Music of South Afrlca, p. 111. . 4 G. Chilvers & T. Jasiukowicz, History of Contemporary Music of South Afrlca, p. 111.
Page 1 and 2: Lindy van der Meulen FROM ROCK 'N '
Page 4 and 5: ABSTRACT This thesis introduces the
Page 8: INTRODUCTION Reasons for Research T
Page 11: Thus, my twenty year period spans a
Page 16: Theoretical Perspectives Broad Theo
Page 20: 13 rock musicians. Although I never
Page 25 and 26: 18 a culture not different from my
Page 27: Chapter 5 20 Chapter Five addresses
Page 31: 24 Africa. Although South Africa (o
Page 35: 28 venues opened up in Durban which
Page 38 and 39: 31 'sessions', and therefore were i
Page 40 and 41: 33 bills. The separation of populat
Page 43 and 44: 36 a 'golden decade' of opportuniti
Page 45: 38 would give to South African pop
Page 56 and 57: 49 have caused Durban rock bands to
Page 59: 52 During this period, the scope fo
Page 64: 43 57 If you make a jigsaw puzzle,
Page 69: 62 members. This did not seem to af
Page 78:
71 Durban Rag concert in early 1984
Page 82:
75 Usuals played mainly reggae and
Page 85 and 86:
78 The streetrockers played a comme
Page 87:
80 greatest gift to song - the orga
Page 90 and 91:
Figure 3. 83 The Mods From left to
Page 92:
Figure 5. 85 Young Fan in a Paper F
Page 95:
Figure 8 (please turn over). 88 Cro
Page 98 and 99:
Figure 10. 90 Wild Youth and Fans i
Page 101 and 102:
Figure 13. 93 Powerage From left to
Page 103:
95 CHAPTER 3 ROCK MUSIC IN DURBAN I
Page 107 and 108:
99 government and big business were
Page 109 and 110:
101 Britain, Durban youngsters stro
Page 114 and 115:
106 changing. We were lucky. We cam
Page 118:
110 Nothing really changed I'm glad
Page 123:
11 5 The Workers' resistance moveme
Page 127 and 128:
11 9 a final attempt to regain cont
Page 129:
121 Another song entitled 'System'
Page 133 and 134:
125 use of a maskanda-like guitar r
Page 138 and 139:
130 CHAPTER 4 WOMEN AND ROCK IN DUR
Page 140 and 141:
132 relationship of women to the ge
Page 142:
134 in the workplace [or band] .dO
Page 145:
137 family and band life. In practi
Page 153 and 154:
145 music and bitterly resented the
Page 156 and 157:
148 participate more actively in ro
Page 159 and 160:
..' 151 played by men (bass, electr
Page 161 and 162:
Conclusion 153 This chapter has exp
Page 164:
and when 156 less formally organize
Page 167 and 168:
159 South Africa). Durban record co
Page 169 and 170:
161 of Warner Brothers) and EMI. Th
Page 171 and 172:
163 Independent Record Companies an
Page 173:
165 local rock was inferior. Accord
Page 178:
170 strike one as particularly ente
Page 181:
CONCLUSION 173 CHAPTER 6 This thesi
Page 185 and 186:
2 Cullen, J. 'Bruce Springstein's A
Page 187 and 188:
4 Martin, D. (tiansl V. Morrison),
Page 189 and 190:
Newspapers and Magazines The Daily
Page 191:
8 ________• 'Love You A Little Mo
Page 194 and 195:
Interviews 11 Baney, Brian, A Stiff
Page 196 and 197:
13 11. Leopard, 'Underestimator', f
show all

FROM ROCK 'N 'ROLL TO HARD CORE PUNK - UKZN ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?