John Kongos
Encyclopedia
John Kongos is a singer-songwriter
. He is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, "He's Gonna Step On You Again
".
to pursue his musical career. His first UK based group, Floribunda Rose, formed in April 1967, comprised the British musician
s, Pete Clifford (guitar) (born Peter William Frederick Clifford, 10 May 1943, Whetstone
, North London
) and Jack Russell (bass, vocals) (born 29 April 1944, Caerleon
, South Wales
), who had come to South Africa in June 1965 with The 004; drummer Nick 'Doc' Dokter (born 24 July 1945, Kampen
, Overijssel
, Holland), a latter day member of 004; and the Cyprus
born keyboard player Chris Demetriou from John E Sharpe and the Squires. After one single, "Linda Loves Linda", Clifford returned to South Africa to join The Bats and Dokter moved to Canada and worked with Five Man Cargo. Drummer Henry Spinetti
joined and the remaining members recorded three singles as Scrugg.
After 18 months of gigging in Britain and Europe
with his bands
Floribunda Rose and Scrugg, and five singles later, he released his first solo album
, Confusions About a Goldfish (1970), on the Dawn
record label
.
He then concentrated on songwriting, and began to have major success in Germany
and other European countries (No 1 and Top 10 hits). He then moved to Fly Records
with whom he had two hit singles
– "He's Gonna Step On You Again
" (UK
No. 4, May 1971; U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
No. 70) and "Tokoloshe Man" (UK No. 4, November 1971). His second album Kongos made the Top 30 of the UK Albums Chart
, but subsequent singles, "Great White Lady" (1972), "Ride the Lightning" (1975) and "Higher than God's Hat" (1975), did not chart
. "Tomorrow I'll Go", which appeared on Kongos , was covered by New Zealand band The Human Instinct
on their 1970 album Stoned Guitar
, while ("Ride The Lightning" (1975) was covered by Sylvie Vartan
as "Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?" in France
and was Number 1 on that chart for several weeks in 1976.
"He's Gonna Step On You Again" is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song
to ever use a sample
.
Kongos continued to work in his own London studio as a record producer
, sound engineer, TV
jingle
and theme music
composer
, and songwriter
, as well as handling the programming of the Fairlight CMI
synthesizer
on Def Leppard
's 1983 album, Pyromania
.
He gained notoriety with a new musical generation in 1990, when Madchester
pioneers Happy Mondays
reworked "He's Gonna Step On You Again" into their baggy
era defining hit "Step On", which reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart
. In the same year they also covered
his "Tokoloshe Man", for the compilation album
, Rubáiyát
.
, Lavender Popcorn (2001).
The album Kongos (Elektra, 1972), plus his remaining singles first issued on Fly, appeared on the CD
Tokoloshe Man Plus, released by See For Miles Records
in 1988.
under the title, Kongos.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, "He's Gonna Step On You Again
He's Gonna Step On You Again
"He's Gonna Step On You Again" was a hit single, co-written by Christos Demetriou and performed by John Kongos in 1971.It is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song to have used a sample, however, according to the sleeve note of the CD reissue of the Kongos album, it is...
".
Career
Having had success in South Africa in the early 1960s with his band Johnny and the G-Men, as well as a solo artist, Kongos went to UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to pursue his musical career. His first UK based group, Floribunda Rose, formed in April 1967, comprised the British musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, Pete Clifford (guitar) (born Peter William Frederick Clifford, 10 May 1943, Whetstone
Whetstone
Whetstone may refer to:* Whetstone, a sharpening stone used for knives and other cutting tools* Whetstone , a benchmark for measuring computing power* Operation Whetstone, a nuclear test program in the 1960s- Places :United Kingdom...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
) and Jack Russell (bass, vocals) (born 29 April 1944, Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
), who had come to South Africa in June 1965 with The 004; drummer Nick 'Doc' Dokter (born 24 July 1945, Kampen
Kampen
Campen or Kampen may refer:* Campen, Germany, a village by the Ems estuary, northwestern Germany, home of the Campen Lighthouse* Kampen, Germany, a municipality on the island Sylt, Germany* Kampen, Overijssel, a town in the Netherlands...
, Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, Holland), a latter day member of 004; and the Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
born keyboard player Chris Demetriou from John E Sharpe and the Squires. After one single, "Linda Loves Linda", Clifford returned to South Africa to join The Bats and Dokter moved to Canada and worked with Five Man Cargo. Drummer Henry Spinetti
Henry Spinetti
Henry Spinetti is a Welsh-born session drummer whose playing has featured on a large number of prominent rock and pop albums. He is the younger brother of the actor, Victor Spinetti.-Career:...
joined and the remaining members recorded three singles as Scrugg.
After 18 months of gigging in Britain and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with his bands
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Floribunda Rose and Scrugg, and five singles later, he released his first solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Confusions About a Goldfish (1970), on the Dawn
Dawn Records
Dawn Records was a subsidiary of Pye Records. Active from 1970 to 1975, it was set up largely as Pye's 'underground and progressive' label, a rival of the EMI and Phonogram equivalents, Harvest and Vertigo....
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
He then concentrated on songwriting, and began to have major success in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and other European countries (No 1 and Top 10 hits). He then moved to Fly Records
Fly Records
Fly Records is a British independent record label, established in 1970 by the independent music publisher David Platz, and initially managed by Malcolm Jones from the offices of Essex Music in London.-History:...
with whom he had two hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
– "He's Gonna Step On You Again
He's Gonna Step On You Again
"He's Gonna Step On You Again" was a hit single, co-written by Christos Demetriou and performed by John Kongos in 1971.It is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song to have used a sample, however, according to the sleeve note of the CD reissue of the Kongos album, it is...
" (UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
No. 4, May 1971; U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
No. 70) and "Tokoloshe Man" (UK No. 4, November 1971). His second album Kongos made the Top 30 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, but subsequent singles, "Great White Lady" (1972), "Ride the Lightning" (1975) and "Higher than God's Hat" (1975), did not chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "Tomorrow I'll Go", which appeared on Kongos , was covered by New Zealand band The Human Instinct
The Human Instinct
The Human Instinct are a New Zealand blues rock band that has been active since the late 1960s. The band currently consists of Maurice Greer , Phil Pritchard , Joel Haines and Tony Baird...
on their 1970 album Stoned Guitar
Stoned Guitar
Stoned Guitar is the second album by New Zealand blues-rock band The Human Instinct. It was released in 1970.The cover features an adaptation of a painting by New Plymouth artist Michael Smither, "Two Rock Pools"....
, while ("Ride The Lightning" (1975) was covered by Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
as "Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?" in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and was Number 1 on that chart for several weeks in 1976.
"He's Gonna Step On You Again" is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
to ever use a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
.
Kongos continued to work in his own London studio as a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, sound engineer, TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
and theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, as well as handling the programming of the Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
on Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
's 1983 album, Pyromania
Pyromania (album)
Pyromania is the third studio album by British rock band Def Leppard, released on 20 January 1983. It featured new guitarist Phil Collen and was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The album charted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and #18 on the UK Albums Chart.The album was partially recorded with...
.
He gained notoriety with a new musical generation in 1990, when Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
pioneers Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
reworked "He's Gonna Step On You Again" into their baggy
Baggy
Baggy was a British dance-oriented music genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The scene was heavily influenced by Madchester, although it was not geographically confined to Manchester. Many Madchester bands could also be described as Baggy, and vice versa...
era defining hit "Step On", which reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In the same year they also covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
his "Tokoloshe Man", for the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Rubáiyát
Rubáiyát
Rubáiyát is a compilation album, released in 1990 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Elektra Records record label. The concept was to feature present-day Elektra artists covering songs from the historic catalogue of recordings of Elektra Records and its sister label Asylum Records.Two...
.
Discography
His 1966-1969 work (including his recordings with Floribunda Rose and Scrugg, and his solo album Confusions About a Goldfish) was released on a compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Lavender Popcorn (2001).
The album Kongos (Elektra, 1972), plus his remaining singles first issued on Fly, appeared on the CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
Tokoloshe Man Plus, released by See For Miles Records
See For Miles Records
See for Miles Records is a British record label which distributed some of the records of Dandelion Records on CD in the 1990s. The name hints both to its owner Colin Miles and The Who's "I Can See for Miles."...
in 1988.
Personal life
Kongos is married to Shelley and has four sons; Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Daniel, who work as a rock bandRock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
under the title, Kongos.
External links
- Official website
- Official MySpace page
- [ John Kongos biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- John Kongos at Amazon.com
- John Kongos on iTunes