This is one of my favorite love songs sung by a South African singer: “Darling it’s wonderful, to be in love with you.”
1. Virginia Lee – Darling it’s wonderful
I heard this song in Salisbury in the late 60′s and I could only remember the first part. It was so wonderful to find it on the internet last week. It is such a lovely love song. Thank you to whoever posted it.
2. Min Shaw – Ek is baie lief vir jou
I first heard Min sing at the Bulawayo Trade Fair. She was dancing around on the stage, with a long pony tail that was swirling around as she moved. She gave me a signed postcard, which I showed off at the work. Many years later we met her in Johannesburg. She is a very nice person.
3. Dickie Loader and the Blue Jeans – Sea of heartbreak
When I heard this song on the radio in Bulawayo, I longed to be in Durban. To hear the waves crashing in the beginning of the song was so exciting. Many years later in Canada I heard this song by Canadian and American singers. I guess a lot of the South African singers covered American hits.
4. Jeremy Taylor – Ag Pleez Deddy
This version has all the verses that I heard as a kid in Bulawayo. Some of those words we don’t use anymore. It is like when I came to Canada, I was used to the term ‘Cowboys and Indians’ but we are not allowed to say that anymore. They are ‘First Nation.’
5. Gene Rockwell – Heart
This was a hit song when I was a teenager in Bulawayo. Many years later I listened to him singing at Gold Reef City (I think). He sang ‘Some broken hearts never mend.’ When he came to the line: ‘But in the middle of loves embrace’ he laughed and sang: ‘I saw my wif’e’s face!’
6. Jody Wayne – Patches
I heard him singing at a shopping centre somewhere on the Rand, and promoting his records.
7. Barbara Ray – I need you (honest I do)
I saw her film in a cinema singing ‘I don’t wanna play house’ but I never saw her in person.
8. Bles Bridges – You
He was very popular. I saw him in a movie where the funny guy was fighting over the rose. He used to sing ‘Room full of roses’ and give a rose to certain women. In the movie a guy dresses up as a woman and wants a rose.
9. Gé Korsten – Liefling
He was very popular.
10. Four Jacks and a Jill – Jimmy come lately
I heard them in the large city hall in Bulawayo in the late 60′s. Many years later we met them in Germiston. She is a very nice lady.
11. Billy Forrest – Blue Train
When I was 18, Ruth Jennings played me a record of him singing ‘Burning Bridges behind me.’ I see he has aged a lot since the 60′s. I guess we all have.
12. Bobby Angel – Living on love
I remember seeing him on TV singing: ‘The fighting side of me.’
13. Gert Potgieter – Yellow Bird
The first time I heard this song was by this gentleman, then I later heard he died in a car accident.
14. Lance James – He stopped loving her today
I heard Lance sing: ‘Tennessee Waltz’ at a showground in Middelburg. I sent him a tape once of some of my songs, and he said he liked them. That was nice of him.
15. Des and Dawn Lindberg – 16 Rietfonteins
I was in Matopos doing survey work when I heard him on the radio singing : ‘Rambling Boy.’ Many years later I saw him at Damelin College where his son was doing school.
16. Heidi
This was a hit TV show back in the 70′s. Evrybody stopped what they were doing to watch it. It was like it captured the hearts of the people.
17. Al Debbo – Love came to stay
We have a movie where he acts as a funny man. He is hilarious. The guy playing the piano accordian is Nico Carstens. He was to South Africa as what Walter Ostanek is to polka music in Canada.
18. Charles Jacobie – Mocking Bird Song
I loved his singing when I heard him in Rhodesia. I remember reading about him in the Personality Magazine about how his wife made all his fancy western clothes.
19. Mickie Most – Johnny B. Goode
This song made a big impression on me when I was a teenager. My brother told me that when they performed at the Bulawayo city hall, the kids went crazy over him. Some years later we met him on the street in Margate. He went back to England and managed many of the famous British pop singers.
20. Nick Taylor – Stille Rivierstroom
When I was in Gwelo, the young people were raving about him.
21. South African Singer – Carike Keuzenkamp – Trekliedjie
I remember seeing her on TV singing the Heidi song.
22. John Hitchcock – singer, piano player and preacher
John was originally from South Africa, but back in the 70′s John invited me to sing at his church in Fort Victoria. He later made a few LP records in South Africa. Since then he moved to the United States.
23. Yan Venter – singer and preacher
Jan (Yan in America) was originally from South Africa, but I met Yan in Fort Victoria and have one of his LP records in my possession. Dr. Yan now concentrates on preaching in America and around the world. A few years back, he invited me to come and sing at his meetings in the Bronx, New York. It was a nice experience. Thanks Yan.
24. Don Foster – When you’re in love
I have decided to put myself down as a South African singer because I lived there for about eighteen years altogether, and wrote about a hundred songs there. This one I wrote while working as a security guard at Dorbyl steel factory in Germiston. It was on a weekend. It was a lovely warm day as I did a patrol around the grounds, I was longing to be with my wife and kids. Just like the song says, the sun was shining and there was a clear blue sky. The birds were singing, and so on.
Don Foster – It was the rapture
In 1976 we visited the USA, and in 1977 I had a dream one night, then the next morning I wrote the song. In America someone gave us a Chev Malibu, so that is why that car name was in the dream and the song. We were living at Elandshof in Germiston when I had the dream.
25. Pierre Van Staden
Many years ago I heard this man sing in a coffee bar in Cape Town, and he wrote one of the best songs I have ever heard.
26. Jason Zeeman – All things new
My friend Jason Zeeman has shared this song with me on Facebook, and he had 10 songs available for sale on itunes.
27. Cezanne Zeeman – Country song
Here is Jason’s wife doing this one. Well done. They are currently on a world tour.
28. Cathy Viljoen – Someday my ship will sail
I heard her sing this number in Germiston in the mid eighties.
29. Tommy Archibald – Journey
Tommy got saved in South Africa, and lived there a while.
30. Pete Shout and the Bedrock Band
Pete is originally from Rhodesia, now living in Cape Town.
31. Dan Shout – Saxophone
Dan is also from Rhodesia, now also in Cape Town.
32. Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Swing low sweet chariot
33. Ben E. Madison – Groen koring lande
34. Rooies – Hou my vas en stoot my stadig
35. Ken Mullan – Silver haired Daddy of mine
I remember hearing this gentleman sing at Wemmer Pan once back in the 80’s, and I was very impressed. He was so good looking, and had such a nice personality. Thanks Ken.
There are so many South African singers, that I have just listed some of the ones that I am familiar with. Among the black people there are hundreds of groups, of many different languages.
I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to: http://countrygospelandbible.com/
