CANYON

Circa: 1974 - 1975
Home town:
Members:

• Colin Rodger - Lead guitar & vocals
• Steve Richardson - Rhythm guitar & vocals
• Bas Mollenkramer - Bass guitar & vocals

The band played the Churchill School dance in 1974 and it is believed that a tape of the performance was recorded. If anyone out there still has a copy, please contact the website maintainer! The band's "finest hour" was probably playing alongside HOLY BLACK at a New Year's Eve gig in 1974/75 at the University of Rhodesia.

CHAIN REACTION 

Circa:  1967 - 1969
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Leon Benatar - Vocals & light percussion
• Ray Codron - Piano
• Sam Halfon - Drums

This three-piece was formed in 1967 and played at various school and Betar socials.  The highlight of their short career was "playing at Marcia Ozdoba's party"!  

CHANTELLES  

Circa:  1963
Home town:  Bulawayo
Members:

• Mike Westcott - Vocals
• Rick Rickards - Vocals
• Pat Ravenor - Lead guitar
• Duncan Harvey - Rhythm guitar
• Pete Lubbe - Bass
• Henry Ross - Drums

This band, believed to be the first multiracial group in Rhodesia, was made up entirely of Teacher Training College (TTC) students.  They had the distinction of winning the International Rock Band contest at the 1963 Rhodesia Trade Fair in Bulawayo.  

CHEQUERS  

Circa: 1959 - 1965
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Tommy Coulter  - Vocals (Replaced by Jack McGroaty - See also APACHES, FUGITIVES, STEREOS & DRIFTERS)
• Duncan Harvey - Lead guitar (Replaced by John Hodgkinson)
• John Heather - Rhythm guitar/vocals
• Alan Barton - Bass (Replaced by Richard McAlpine)
• Lee Heather - Drums (Duncan Harvey left band at an early stage)

THE CHEQUERS 'DO' THE KAMFINSA (1962)

(Left - Right:  John Heather, John  Hodgkinson, Jack McGroaty, Alan Barton and Lee Heather - obscured on drums at back).

The CHEQUERS, started by Lee and John Heather together with Alan Barton whilst still Churchill schoolboys in 1961,  were extremely popular in their heyday playing regularly at venues such as the Kamfinsa Hotel, La Boheme Night Club, Le Coq D'Or, Sarum, Kenya Coffee Lounge, Drill Hall and SOE Hall.  In 1964 the band did a professional stint in South Africa playing in Johannesburg, as well as enjoying a residency at the Grand Prix Night Club in Cape Town for the year.

In subsequent years Lee Heather, and brother Neil, have enjoyed writing work for theatre.  They have had a number of musicals in the West End and New York with one of their most recent achievements being the release of "The Big Finish".  Should you like to read more on this topic please go to:  www.thebigfinish.co.uk

Alan Barton relocated to Cape Town where he still lives but is no longer involved in music.

Recordings:

• Give Me A Chance (7" single)
• Bundu Beat (Elpee) (Brigadier Records, South Africa)

CHROME PLATED MEGAPHONE OF DESTINY  

Circa: 1968
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Simon French (Part-time lead vocalist)
• Frank Dolaghan - Lead guitar
• Keith Rivers - Bass guitar
• Stuart Palmer - Drums

The formation of the CHROME PLATED MEGAPHONE OF DESTINY grew out of the demise of A VACANT LOT.  The band was not in existence for any length of time before its various members moved onto other ventures.

SEPTEMBER 1968 - CHROME PLATED MEGAPHONE OF DESTINY

See also A VACANT LOT in the BANDS Section.

CLAN 

Circa:  1967 - 1968
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Bill Bain - Lead guitar

CLASSIC FOUR  

Circa:  1974 - 1975
Home town:  Bulawayo

Members:

• Rob Walmsley - Organ
• Adrian King - Guitar
• Richard Bridgeford - Bass guitar
• Peter Price - Drums

Replacement members:

• Andy Demetriou -
• John Edwards - Bass (See also IN THE TRADITION)

The Classic Four were a popular function band in the mid-70's and made one local television appearance where they performed a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Sunshine Of My Life".  In 1974 Richard and Peter left the band and relocated to South Africa where they joined SHALIMA.

CLAXTON MOOD 

Circa:  1968
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Les Connellan - Vocals & harp
• Taffy Whelan - Guitar & vocals
• Ronnie Dean - Guitar
• Alec Wilson - Bass & vocals
• Tich Holmes - Drums & vocals

Claxton Mood was the inspiration of Taffy Whelan after his previous band, A VACANT LOT, had broken up.  Claxton Mood quickly won followers and friends through their regular gigs, as well as their touring throughout the country.  The band even managed to fit in a gigging trip to Beira in Mozambique, an "experience" which left them with many a memory!

(See also IN THE TRADITION for an update on the former band members' current activities).  

CLOUD 99 (Added 09/05/06)

Circa:  1977

Participated in the Texan Rock Band Competition at Trade Fair Rhodesia in 1977.

COLD SHOULDER (Added 15/08/05)

Circa: 1970 - 1971
Home town: Bulawayo
Members:

• Ivan Frost - Vocals & drums
• Lionel Frost - Guitar & keyboards
• David Frost - Bass

Cold Shoulder was shaped from the ashes of the BELIEVERS, a local Gospel group led by Don Foster.  Their first gig was at the McDonald Hall in Kingsdale and, in the words of one of the band members, "a huge crowd turned up, outnumbering the band, according to some estimates!".  But, eighteen months of toil and dedication saw the band aspire to the lofty heights of the Talk Of The Town stage, the pinnacle of their success.  In the intervening months they had built up a reputation by playing at school leavers' dances, TTC pyjama parties and Texan Rock Band contests.  At one stage they even played a rare gig at the Lido Hotel. 

The band never owned their own organ, so had to fetch and carry a monster Gulbransen organ whenever they gigged.  For this reason they fancied playing shared gigs because it meant the convenience of borrowing equipment - especially the organ! On one such occasion they shared a platform with Harm's Way at the Harker Hall.  The band were never daunted by complex material and even set about doing Santana covers as a trio - how's that for "stretch"?  The band thought they were on to something really big when they were invited to participate in one of Giga's Woodstock Promotion' events at the Bulawayo showgrounds.    There was great excitement in the air as the headline act was the amazing South African group, Omega Limited.  To the Frost brothers, the names of Cold Shoulder and Omega Limited just rolled off the tongue and they went for broke (that is, hoping to "sell" themselves to Omega Limited as a more-than-adequate support touring band) by laying a King Crimson cover - "20th Century Schizoid Man" - on them.  Cold Shoulder are still "waiting for the call"!!  With heavy hearts, Cold Shoulder disbanded in 1972 when Lionel Frost commenced studies at the University of Cape Town.  Ivan Frost went on to play with Classic Four (replacing Peter Price) for a time before also leaving the country.

Today, all three brothers reside in Australia where they are still engaged in musical pursuits of one kind or another.  Cold Shoulder even re-grouped for a one-off gig at a pub night in Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 1991.  And just to complete history, on this occasion the band went out as they had originally come in - with the band outnumbering the crowd!

COLLECTION 

Circa:
Home town: Bulawayo
Members:

• Colin Payne - Lead guitar & lead vocals
• Rudi Goema - Keyboards & trumpet
• Paul Amato - Guitar/Saxophone & flute
• Bernie Alan-Brown - Saxophones
• Adrian King - Guitar

In 1969, Colin Payne, Adrian King and Paul Amato left. With replacements the new line-up became:

• Ronnie Robshaw - Guitar
• Jock Cameron - bass (Ex-TALL BOYS)
• Rob Cushman - Saxophone
• Mike Westcott - Vocals

Read all about the Collection's 2003 Reunion at Kloof, Durban, on 16 August, 2003, under the Special Events page!

The band's line-up on this winning occasion was:

• Colin Payne - Vocals

• Andy Demetriou - Lead guitar/flute & saxophone

• Adrian King - Rhythm guitar

• Jock Cameron - Bass guitar

• Rob Walmsley - Organ/Rhythm guitar & trumpet

• Bernie Alan Brown - Sax & trombone

• Peter Price - Drums

Rob "Bungi" Robshaw & Jock Cameron

The Original Collection
Rudi Gouma. Hugo Ripstra, Adrian King, Colin Payne, Ron "Bungi" Robshaw, Jock Cameron.
 

CORONETS

Circa:1962
Home town:  Bulawayo
Members:

• Mel French - Bass guitar (See also DRIFTERS)
• Ronnie Coronel - Drums (Band leader)

CORSAIRS (See also THE SAINTS)

Circa:  1960's - 1970's
Home town:  Gwelo/Bulawayo
Members:

• Dennis Clark - Piano/double bass
• Eric Budd - Drums
• Roy Clark - Saxophone/clarinet
• Brian Luff - Guitar
• Don Lord - Saxophone 
• Alan Henderson - Drums

Additional musicians:

• Peter Poole - Double bass

The CORSAIRS were extremely well known in Gwelo due to their eight year residency at the MIDLANDS HOTEL where they were often sighted in the Grill Room!

COUNTDOWN 

Circa: 1982 - 1984
Home town:
Members:

• Valerie du Rand - Vocals
• Johnny Joubert - Guitar
• Rory McKenzie - Keyboards
• Rudi Goema - Keyboards (joined band after its formation)
• Mark Price - Bass
• Frank Reynolds - Drums

This band is best remembered for their performances at Z INTERNATIONAL in the Trade Fair Rhodesia grounds. The band later became SPECIAL FX. 

COUNTDOWN between sets at Z International, Bulawayo, circa 1981 

COUNTDOWN on stage at  Z International, Bulawayo, circa 1981

CYCLONES

Circa: Formed in October 1959
Home town: Salisbury
Members:

• Jack Hobbs - Lead guitar (Band leader)
• Clive Miles - Vocals
• Doug Gillingham - Bass
• Tony Hobbs - Rhythm guitar
• Barry Taylor - Drums
• Dyllis Stephens - Vocals
• Errol Hickey - Vocals 

Really early days of THE CYCLONES!

(From Left to Right:  Jack Hobbs/Clive Miles/Barry Taylor & Vic "Magoo" Zeil)

The CYCLONES - A Friday night at the Hatfield Hall

The Cyclones, billed as Salisbury's first rock band, were also the band of that genre to appear on Rhodesia Television's TEEN TIME programme presented by Martin Locke. In 1960 the band cut an album on the CBS label and two seven singles made the local hit parade. The band won a number of competitions and appeared at Rock Sessions throughout the country.

More early CYLONES' days

 Left to Right:  Clive Miles (vocals)/Doug Gllingham (Hohner bass)/Barry Taylor & Jack Hobbs 

The CYCLONES on Rhodesia Television's "Teen Time" show 

 The CYCLONES take it to the people! 

Barry Taylor on drums 

CYCLONES with Errol Hickey on extreme right