Rock Jive - Volume 1 (1952-1968)

December brings our now annual tradition of featuring end-of-year compilations appropriate for the holiday season. I'll open with a first volume of South African jive tracks loosely themed around rock n' roll. All tracks are digitized from 78 rpms sourced from the Flat International archive.

While jazz and swing were the dominant styles influencing South African music of the 1950s and 60s, the impact of rock music was inescapable. Rock was marginally adopted by some black South African musicians in the late 1950s, and yet the principle focus still remained with jazz, jive and kwela. Reasons for this are well outlined in Charles Hamm's essay "Rock 'n Roll in a Very Strange Society" in his book Putting Popular Music in its Place. For more on this subject also see our earlier post on the Bogard Brothers.

Not all the tracks in this compilation are strictly rock — many include elements of swing, ska, kwela, goema and majuba (or African Jazz). Simply, I built the comp from tracks that either included the word "rock" in the title or band name or where a name or title was similarly suggestive such as Slim Guitar and his Band or the Hot lips Band. Some gems include the Bank Robber's Rock by Kippie Moeketsi and his Hot Rocks and Zulu Rock by the African Symphonics featuring Ntemi and Shadrack Piliso.

I think you will find the compilation suitable for dancing.


ROCK JIVE - VOLUME 1
(Flat International / Electric Jive, FXEJ 13)

01) Cowboy Superman - Madlaka Dlaka (1952, Bantu Batho, BB 113)
02) African Symphonics - Zulu Rock (1957, Troubadour, AFC 491)
03) Benoni Rocket - I'm Gonna Rock (1961, New Sound,  GB 3278)
04) SDV Swing Band - Riverside Blues (c1966, Winner, OK 267)
05) Slim Guitar and his Band - Mapapi Busuku (1960, Zonk, TV 155)
06) Soweto Stokvel Septette - Eddie's Ska (1966, Stokvel, ST 002)
07) Black Notes - Funky Papa (c1965, Tempo, KT 567)
08) Billie the Kid and his Zombies - Magidasibekane (1959, Zonk, TV 134)
09) Joe's Jazz Band - Fly-By-Night (c1955, Philips, P30803H)
10) Hot Lips Band - Julia (c1953, Bantu Batho, BB 162)
11) Fanani Sibanda - Abanga Bani (c1953, Troubadour, AFC 151)
12) Kippie Moeketsi and his Hot Rocks - Bank Robber's Rock (1957, Troubadour, AFC 472)
13) Telegram Specials - Imfene (c1962, Goli Rand, RA 154)
14) Sophiatown Gaities - Mosadi Ola (c1956, Philips, SB 55)
15) Simon Hlatshwayo Crazy Crackers - Ama Crazy Crackers (c1956, Philips, SB 52)
16) Black Notes - Madison Time (c1965, Tempo, KT 567)
17) Slim Guitar and his Band - Ndlela Mbi (1960, Zonk, TV 155)
18) Benoni Rocket - Khumbula Leyomini (1961, New Sound, GB 3278)
19) Billie the Kid - Xmas Night Jump (c1960, Winner, OK 105)
20) Samuel Levuno - Vereeniging Jive (1968, Stokvel, ST 050)
21) Swingather's Band - Emazini (c1956, Bantu Batho, BB 1026)
22) Telegram Specials - Insizwa (c1962, Goli Rand, RA 154)