Ths month is the birthday of South African musician, John Kongos, born on August 6, 1945, in Johannesburg.
date & photographer unknown
I have written an article about Kongos before (link below), this is an extension of it. One of my favorite songs by him is Try to Touch Just One. The lyrics are simple but say a lot. The music is a brilliant example of progressive rock that goes through many chord and tempo changes with a marvelous three minute instrumental break at the end.
YouTube links:
Try to Touch Just One
Look at me, look at me
I am looking to you
Can you see, can you see
I'm not looking through you?
There's a man at your side
Do you know his name?
When you see so many
Do they look the same to you?
Open up your heart
Open up your door
If you ain't got no chair
You can live on the floor
Millions and millions
Trying to get by
Come on, look at one
Right in the eye
Try to touch just one
Try and try to touch just one
Try to touch just one
Try and try to touch just one
Look at me, look at me
I am looking to you
Can you see, can you see
I'm not looking through you?
There's a man at your side
Do you know his name?
When you see so many
Do they look the same to you?
I am looking to you
Can you see, can you see
I'm not looking through you?
There's a man at your side
Do you know his name?
When you see so many
Do they look the same to you?
Open up your heart
Open up your door
If you ain't got no chair
You can live on the floor
Millions and millions
Trying to get by
Come on, look at one
Right in the eye
Try to touch just one
Try and try to touch just one
Try to touch just one
Try and try to touch just one
Look at me, look at me
I am looking to you
Can you see, can you see
I'm not looking through you?
There's a man at your side
Do you know his name?
When you see so many
Do they look the same to you?
Kongos
began working in the music world in his teens, joining a band called
The Dukes. He then formed The G-Men, a beat group that proved very
popular, producing hits such as Johnny & The Mermaid and Tulips For Toinette in the days before the charts started. In 1966 he moved to England where he released a single called Flim Flam Pharisee before joining the band Floribunda Rose whose members included future Bats member Pete Clifford and Chris Demetriou who would work with John E. Sharpe & The Squires. From there he moved onto the band Scrugg. In 1970 Israeli born actress Daliah Lavi scored a number 9 hit in Germany with a German language cover of a song Kongos had written called Won’t You Join Me (the German version as called Willst Du Mit Mir Geh’n). This helped Kongos finance a recording studio in his basement and it was here that he recorded the demo of He's Gonna Step on You Again which came to the attention of Gus Dudgeon. Dudgeon had produced Space Oddity by David Bowie and was just starting on what would be a successful working relationship with Elton John. He's Gonna Step on You Again would reach number 4 in the UK and 70 in the US. His follow up, Tokoloshe Man would again hit number 4 in the UK. Both songs would later be covered by the Happy Mondays (He's Gonna Step on You Again going under the title Step On). His 4 sons would form the band Kongos and would have a number 31 hit in the US with Come With Me Now.
Viewfinder links:
Fandom ~ Scrugg
Jazz Rock Soul ~ Artists and Albums of the '70s and '80s
Rockasteria ~ John Kongos
SA Singles Charts ~ John Kongos (SA) YouTube links:
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