John Theodore Kongos was born September 6th, 1945, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Growing up in the Rock age meant non-stop listening to the radio, following the current trends, be it in clothes, speech or music, imported from England and America, until John became absorbed with it, eventually buying a guitar.

After forming group after group, he became frustrated and took stock of the situation. There was no satisfaction in blatantly copying, note for note, arrangements from the current, trendy, 'chart-bound-whatever', and of chorus girl-like routines. Imitating, borrowing, stealing, emulating every step. It was good groundwork, and as such was valid, but lacked originality. It was time to move to the epicentre of this new cultural phenomenon – London.

In 1963 at eighteen years old John took a three-month holiday in London, gorging on clubs that featured live music, watching, listening, thinking and planning. When it was over he went back to South Africa but was determined to return to England, doing so a few years later.

John’s determination paid off, his first single ‘I Love Mary’ was released on Piccadilly Records, an a few years later he released a single and album on Dawn Records – an imprint of Pye records – probably best known for Mungo Jerry’s ‘In The Summertime’ hit single. But hitting the charts was to elude John for a few years more, until he later signed to Tuesday Productions, the production company run by publisher David Platz and producer Gus Dudgeon.

John and his girlfriend had bought a house in Mortlake, chosen mainly because of the size of the basement ... 20' x 20'. An ideal size for a recording studio. Bit by bit a piano, microphones, guitars and a vast collection of crude African tribal drums and percussion instruments populated the studio. Eventually John invested in a Studer 8-track for his studio and he now had what many musicians would give anything for, a complete recording studio, just one flight of stairs down.

With enough musicians, a producer, a co-writer (Chris Demetriou), and with more than enough drums, the basement took on the shape of a professional studio.

It was with Chris Demetriou that John had previously been toying with the idea of a very primitive rhythmic track. It was suggested that a demo recording be made there and then. Mics were placed in position, and the machine was switched on. John played lead guitar and sang, against the most exciting, pounding, African drum/percussion rhythm section that is rarely captured on tape. the spontaneity blasted its way through, beautiful, crude, and loud.

John had invited a few people to the house to look at it and listen to his recording. Among them was Gus Dudgeon. Gus had recently provided David Bowie with his first hit record, ‘Space Oddity’, and after hearing the playback was a combination of total madness and utter amazement. The potential on that one single tape was unbelievable.

Gus suggested that it be taken, as soon as possible, to Trident Studios. The 16-track machine was booked and the single track was then transferred onto it. John signed to Tuesday Productions on the 7th December 1970, and initial recordings immediately took place; bass, rhythm guitar, drums, more percussion, more voices, and finally a Moog embellished the basic recording. The single was finally completed in March 1971.

With the snappy title ‘He’s Gonna Step On You Again’ John’s debut single for the newly created Fly Records was released on the 30th April 1971. Fly Records had broken Marc Bolan’s T. Rex with ‘Ride A White Swan’ and slowly but surely John’s hooky new sound started to penetrate the public as an earworm. In the week of the 22nd of May it cracked the UK national singles Top 50 – just – at #47. On the 27th June it peaked at #4, staying in the Top 50 for a further seven weeks. Not only had John cracked the Top 5 in the UK, the single charted in Europe and peaked at #2 in his homeland South Africa – and Australia too.

John’s follow up single ‘Tokoloshe Man’ was released on November the 5th also peaking the UK at #4

Fly Records released John’s debut album ‘KONGOS’ on the 26th of November going Top 30.

John had also created a genre of sorts as other artists ‘inspired’ by John’s recordings, offering singles with a percussive African vibe. With the onslaught of Glam Rock John’s further singles failed to match his early singles success. At the turn of the Nineties, the Madchester phenomenon Happy Mondays covered ‘Step On’ and their single peaked at #5 in the UK in April 1990, popping in and out of the UK Top 100 singles until January 1991!

Happy Mondays followed up recording ‘Tokoloshe Man’ putting it on the B side of their November 1991 hit single ‘Judge Fudge’.

JOHN KONGOS ‘He’s Gonna Step On You Again’ & ‘Tokoloshe Man’ Publishing: Tapestry Music / admin. Bucks Music Group

Master Recording; Tuesday Productions / admin. Bucks Records