Category Archives: Mabu Vinyl
‘Searching For Sugar Man’ Wins Two Awards At Sundance Film Festival | PT Music
Press release for PT Music

Searching For Sugarman
In 2006 Swedish film producer Malik Bendjelloul visited Cape Town, South Africa as part of a world-spanning journey searching for inspiration for a new film. What he found was a story that was so unbelievable that if a scriptwriter had written it as a piece of fiction, it would have been rejected as being too far-fetched.
‘Searching For Sugar Man’ took three years to complete and was filmed in Cape Town and Detroit, and other South African and US locations. The film had its international premiere on Thursday 19th January 2012, at the Sundance Film Festival held in Park City, Utah, USA as a representative of the World Documentary section.
Synopsis from Sundance Filmguide:
“Rodriguez was the greatest ’70s U.S. rock icon who never was. His albums [Cold Fact and Coming From Reality] were critically well-received, but sales bombed, and he faded away into obscurity among rumors of a gruesome death. However, as fate would have it, a bootleg copy of his record made its way to South Africa, where his music became a phenomenal success. In a country suppressed by apartheid, his anti-establishment message connected with the people.
When his second album finally gets released on CD in South Africa, two fans take it as a sign, deciding to look into the mystery of how Rodriguez died and what happened to all of the profits from his album sales. Since very little information about the singer exists, they meet many obstacles until they uncover a shocking revelation that sets off a wild chain of events that has to be seen to be believed. ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ is a story of hope, inspiration, and the resonating power of music”.
After the initial screening, Chris Lee from the Daily Beast wrote: “Following the rise, seeming demise, and re-emergence of an obscure but influential Mexican-American folk singer named Rodriguez, the movie premiered Thursday to tears, cheers, and a standing ovation from festival attendees”.
‘Searching For Sugar Man’ garnered two awards, The ‘World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary’ and ‘World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit’. To receive both an audience award and a critics award is a very rare occurrence indeed and had only happened once before since Sundance was founded in 1981 by Robert Redford. It was also one the first films sold at the Festival, being snapped up by Sony Pictures Classics.
Rodriguez (who turns 70 this year in July) attended the festival and appeared with Malik Bendjelloul and Sugarman.org’s Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, after every screening. He also performed at the packed-out Sundance ASCAP Music Café. (see video below)
The Sundance Film Festival success of ‘Searching For Sugarman’ is another milestone in the strange and wonderful story of the man known, to his ever increasing fan base around the world, simply as Rodriguez.
Brian Currin
Sugarman.org
Sundance Press Release
http://press.sundance.org/38362?format=pdf&press=1
Sundance Filmguide
http://filmguide.sundance.org/film/120073/searching_for_sugar_man
Sundance ASCAP Music Café
Rodriguez In Weekend Argus, 26 February 2012
The Man Who Was Big In SA by Bianca Coleman, Weekend Argus, 26 February 2012
Shine A Little Light On Me by The Dominos
Colin wrote:
Do you perhaps know where I can get a copy of the hit by the South African group the Dominos called Shine A Little Light On Me. It was on the CBS label, and is from 1972.
I am prepared to pay for a copy.
Thanks
Colin
Brian replied:
Maybe try http://mabuvinyl.co.za
I don’t believe this song has been released digitally.
Rodriguez performance, Detroit 6/23
From Regan Rodriguez
Just an update – Hot on the heels of a sold out tour in Australia – Rodriguez will be performing at the Magic Stick in Detroit on Wednesday, June 23rd at 10pm. This performance was requested by the opening act Sleepy Sun, who worked with Rodriguez on his west coast tour last year, in their hometown of San Francisco. Backing Rodriguez for this performance are three musicians from Detroit who together form the band Cannon. This will be their first time performing with Rodriguez and the night will surely be one to remember, as everyone is excited about this.
Thanks,
Regan
McCully Workshop’s 1975 album ‘Ages’ re-issued on CD with 7 rare bonus tracks
Release information:
LP: October 1975, EMI-Brigadiers, EMCJ(L) 11512,
CD: February 2010, Fresh Music, freshcd170
Tracks:
- Avenue * (T McCully) [4.00]
- 1623 * (R Wilson) [2.07]
- You (T McCully) [2.54]
- I Walked Alone (R Wilson) [3.32]
- Carbon Canyon (R Black) [2.47]
- Blues In C Minor (T McCully) [5.15]
recorded live at UCT in August 1975 - Step On Easy (T McCully) [2.40]
- Guinevere * (T McCully) [3.10]
- Goodbye Lonely Blues (T McCully) [2.55]
- The Plague (R Wilson) [2.55]
- In The Quiet Hours (R Wilson) [3.14]
- Forgot How To Smile (R Black) [2.35]
- Shingles (R Wilson) [3.40]
Bonus tracks on 2010 CD re-issue:
- Carnival (3.13)
- Got a good reason (2.51)
- I’m waiting (4.35)
- Inside (3.52)
- Rainbow Illusion (3.29)
- Gunpoint (2.54)
- Shamrock (2.50)
A selection of music reflecting different ages written and produced by McCully Workshop.
Musicians:
- Mike McCully: Drums, vocals
- Tully McCully: Vocals, bass, guitar
- Richard Black: Lead guitar, vocals
- Richard Wilson: Electric violin, mellotron, electric piano
- Leon Morten: Organ, synthesizer
* These tracks are available to buy as MP3 downloads from RhythmMusicStore.com.
Comments:
Ages was released in 1975 and reflected musical styles from the different ages of music and various influences can be heard: Uriah Heep, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, etc. The vocal harmonies are superb throughout. ’1623′ is a wonderful violin-led instrumental and the keyboard-dominated ‘Guinevere’ reached #10 on the LM Radio charts and the band even appeared on the very early days of South African TV playing this hit song.
Liner Notes for 2010 CD re-issue (uncut)
by Brian Currin
‘Ages’ is very much an album of its time, and it is also timeless. Released in October 1975, ‘Ages’ has many varied influences, and has a wide pop, folk, rock and blues appeal.
Before Ages
In 1965, the McCullagh brothers, Tully (born Terence on 31st May 1953) and Mike (born Michael on 7th April 1947) started as a folk-rock trio with Richard Hyam and called themselves the Blue Three. After a few personnel- and name-changes, they settled on McCully Workshop as they used to rehearse in Mrs McCullagh’s garage.
Their debut album ‘McCully Workshop Inc.’ was released in June 1970 and included the hit single ‘Why Can’t It Rain’. ‘Inc’ has been referred to as: “‘Sgt. Pepper’ influenced psychedelic music blended with R&B, garage punk tunes. Great songs, lovely vocals, strong harmonies, great distorted guitar work.”
After the ‘Inc’ album there was a deliberate move to do something different and progressive. The musical vibe at the time of the ‘Genesis’ album in 1971 was very brass influenced with bands like Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Traffic pushing the boundaries of Jazz and Rock.
McCully Workshop spent the next three to four years changing line-ups and playing live gigs. They moved away from the Brass-Rock sound of the ‘Genesis’ album and embraced the keyboards sounds which were becoming more popular then. The band went into Advision Studios in Long Street, Cape Town with Tully as engineer and producer. ‘Ages’ was recorded using a Studer 1 inch 4 track recorder.
The Recording Of Ages
“’Ages’ is a sort-of concept album”, remembers Mike McCully. In the early 70′s, the promise made by the improvisational bands in the late 60′s, like Cream, Iron Butterfly, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and many others, had started to bear fruit.It was a time of rock music becoming really heavy and progressive, but also a time of the Singer-Songwriters and Folk Rock.
Medieval themes, Lord Of The Rings and ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ styles were the order of the day. Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman had released an instrumental album about the ‘Six Wives Of Henry VIII’, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow had sang about ‘The Man On The Silver Mountain’ and Uriah Heep celebrated ‘The Magician’s Birthday’.
Mike McCully says that when McCully Workshop used to perform live around that time, the set list would include their arrangements of classical pieces like Bach’s ‘Toccata in D Minor’, Grieg’s ‘Hall Of The Mountain King’ and Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ (better known as the theme to ’2001: A Space Odyssey)’ alongside ‘Every Little Thing’ by The Beatles and ‘The Man From Afghanistan’ by Curtiss Maldoon. Quite an eclectic mix.
When asked about his favourite song on the ‘Ages’ album, Mike McCully says without hesitation: ‘I Walked Alone’. “This song had very difficult drumming, and I was influenced by Jim Keltner at the time. And the drumming on ‘Guinevere’ features double-tracked triplets”, continues Mike, “and live I used to play this with four sticks (a la John Bonham) for audio and visual effect.”
The album opener, ‘Avenue’ is a bass-driven rock track, which echoes ‘Salisbury’-era Uriah Heep, whilst ‘Carbon Canyon’ is an uptempo Steve Miller Band-influenced blues boogie with rollicking piano and cool guitar licks from Richard Black (born 9th December 1946) who had been playing guitar with various bands since the mid-60s. He had been in a rock power trio, Elephant, with George Wolfaardt (Abstract Truth) and Savvy Grande (Suck) and he brought his impressive rock credentials into McCully Workshop as a replacement to Bruce Gordon.
Black also brought his flute-playing skills to the ‘Ages’ album, and the flute adds an extra dimension to the Focus-inspired instrumental ‘Shingles’. ‘Step On Easy’ is influenced by Country Folk Rock, and would not have been out of place on a Stealers Wheel album. ‘Blues In C minor’ was recorded live at the Students Union Hall at the University Of Cape Town. It is a tongue-in-cheek improvisational live blues jam with Tully trying out his best Louis Armstrong impersonation. “It was a spoof song”, says Tully, “I would make up different lyrics every time I sang it”. Leon Morton’s organ-playing shines on this song.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer were a big influence on the recording sessions. Keyboardist Leon Morton loved Keith Emerson, Mike McCully rated Carl Palmer as a top drummer, and Tully McCully is a singing bassist, just like Greg Lake. Leon Morton used an Elka Rhapsody string synthesizer (also used by artists like Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream) extensively on the ‘Ages’ album, and the epic chords on ‘The Plague’ are thanks to this instrument.
Richard Wilson’s violin playing can be heard on a number of tracks on ‘Ages’ including a few of his own compositions. ’1623′ and ‘Shingles’ are among Tully’s favourite songs on the album.’Great medieval sounds, mixed in with Irish jigs”, says Tully. “They were very much in the style of that hit single ‘Jig-A-Jig’ from 70′s prog-rock band East Of Eden. We even used to play that song at our live performances”.
Richard Wilson was also a classically-trained pianist and his playing can be heard prominently on ‘Guinevere’. This song is a powerful prog-rock ballad that reached the LM Radio Top Ten. The vocal harmonies of Crocodile Harris can be heard on this track and it was performed live during the early days of South African TV.
McCully Workshop always prided themselves on their vocal harmonies, and were influenced by bands such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Yes, The Beach Boys, Uriah Heep, The Moody Blues and The Beatles. “We were always well-rehearsed with our vocal harmonies”, remembers Tully. ‘Forgot How To Smile’ was penned by Richard Black and Tully wanted to try something different with the vocals, so he put them through a guitar phase pedal!
On the subject of strange effects, the echo chamber for this album was the 18 by 12 foot corrugated iron water tank on the roof of the studio building. “We put a speaker on one side, and two mikes on the opposite side to create echo and reverb effects” says Tully. “Then one day a storm came and blew the water tank across the road on top of the building next door!” Unperturbed they strung cables across and continued to use it.
After Ages
Leon Morton left to pursue a career in banking, and Richard Wilson formed the Wright Brothers with Crocodile Harris and they had a hit with Tully’s compositon ‘Silver Bird’.
Rupert Mellor joined on keyboards and their biggest hit ‘Buccaneer’ lay just around the corner.
A new McCully Workshop album titled ‘Work-In-Progress’ is due for release in 2010.
35 years after ‘Ages’ the Workshop is still open for business.
Brian Currin
December 2009
African Dope and Die Antwoord’s Sordid Past
From African Dope
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| How goes it Dopesters,
Welcome to 2010! Check out some of the story we’ve got up on our landing page right now: Ninja (the artist formerly known as Waddy, Watkin Tudor Jones, MC Totally Rad, etc.) has, and his latest project ‘Die Antwoord’ is currently artillery bombing the ‘interweb’ with their new, outlandish music videos. High speed Ninja raps over DJ Hi-Tek’s zef-rap-rave beats, with Yo-landi Visser’s ghoulish vocals stabbing the in-betweens. A dash of regtige-kommon-suid-afrikaanse styling. Web. Hit. Most people are sadly unaware of his previous incarnations, which are all in their own way as compelling and far ahead of their time as where the chameleon is today.Like 2003’s The Ziggurat – a 2CD hardcover graphic novel scifi fantasy produced in collaboration with Markus Wormstorm and Sibot. A genuine cult item, there are only 300 of the original run of 3000 limited edition, uniquely numbered copies left in the world, which you can only get in our online Dope Store. You can still download the entire 2nd album of the Ziggurat free by following this link. Watch the Constructus Corporation’s “How To Become A Better Person” self-help videos Here. Here (Part 2). And Here (Part 3). Check out the full article on our website, and grab all the Constructus Corporation, The Fantastic Kill, Cape of Good Dope 2 and more. Peace to ya, |
| Sent by African Dope Records, Cape Town, South Africa info |
Available at Rhythm Music Store
Watkin Tudor Jones – The Fantastic Kill
Pink Floyd Division Bell Faces and other collectables for sale at Mabu Vinyl

Gramophone needles, 25 metal boxes with 100 needles each, Tuck, Gallotone, Lipsilva, Meritone, Elkah
Contact mabu@sugarmusic.co.za
Forthcoming releases from Retro Fresh
From Fresh Music
Expect the third and final chapter of the Otis Waygood story in February –1971′s “Ten light claps and a scream” comes complete with a rare bonus track recorded in the UK plus some newly discovered photos and an updated biography…also in the loop at the same time is the third McCully Workshop album, “Ages”, recorded in 1975 with several non album bonus tracks. This album rounds off the McCully’s prog rock period and features some great guitar and flute interplay – a must for Workshop fans!
February/March will see the release of the legendary Wildebeest album “Bushrock 1’, featuring Freedom’s Children drummer Colin Pratley and Jackhammer’s Piet Botha. Recorded live in 1981, the album has long been a progressive rock gem with it’s thundering African percussion, swooping Celtic violin work and psych guitars….Finally we have managed to secure the rights to The Third Eye catalogue and will release the bands three albums ,”Awakening” (1969) , “Searching” (1969) and “Brother” (1970) on one extended double CD. Hailing from Durban The Third Eye is Hammond driven prog rock at it’s best, included will be rare photos, B sides and retrospective liner notes from the band members.
In late March/April the mythical Hammak “Live !” album will make it’s CD debut courtesy of band members Keith Lentin and Anton Fig. Regarded as one of the finest ‘jam ‘ albums in SA rock music this album has been on fan wish lists for over a decade…Coming on like the bastard child of Rare Earth meets Grand Funk Railroad “There’s a light, there’s a way” by The Invaders is earmarked for the end of April. Originally a mid 60′s pop band The Invaders mutated into heavy rockers by the beginning of the 70′s and created one of the finest albums in that genre.
April/May – The third Hawk album “Live and well” will include all the original tracks plus some bonus songs, new photos and an updated biography. Joining that will be the long awaited double cd set of 60′s South African ‘beat’ music featuring the likes of The A-Cads , Staccatos,John E Sharpe,Tidal Wave and many more…
If you have any suggestions for future Retro releases please email fresh@icon.co.za
Selected Retro Fresh albums available to download at Rhythm Music Store
‘God Shuffles His Beat’ Back In Stock at Mabu Vinyl
From Mabu Vinyl
Mabu Vinyl now has more CD stock of ‘God Shuffles His Beat’, the hot debut album from the new Cape Town group 7ft Soundsystem, which features Freshlyground vocalist Zolani Mahola on the first single off the album, the sure-fire summer radio smash hit, ‘Love Be The Power’.
The man behind the 7ft Soundsystem project is Cape Town musician and producer, Yves Adler, who was a founder member of the indie-ska group, Seventh Son’.
‘Love Be The Power’ picked up a ton of interest when it first appeared as a free edited download on the Channel 24 website. As a result, the first batch of CD copies of ‘God Shuffles His Beat’ sold out soon after arriving in stock at Mabu Vinyl
“Freshlyground’s Zolani Mahola adds her sublime siren call to this summery brass ‘n bass filtered first single off Mother City musician Yves Adler’s new album, ‘God Shuffles His Beat’.” (Channel 24).
Listen to the mp3 of ‘Love Be The Power’ at: http://www.channel24.co.za/Content/Music/MP3/740/d56e56d224f9470ba7d34cd789148af0/17-11-2009-01-24/7FT_Soundsystem_-_Love_Be_The_Power
Buy ‘Love Be The Power’ and other tracks off ‘God Shuffles His Beat’ at
http://rhythmmusicstore.com/music/6100/7ft-Soundsystem/God-Shuffles-His-Beat
Buy the ‘God Shuffles His Beat’ CD at Mabu Vinyl in Rheede Street in Gardens.
“Just do it!” – Tiger Van Der Westhuizen.
iFIX iphone and ipod Repairs at Mabu Vinyl
Looking for someone to repair your iphone or ipod? Try iFIX ipod and iphone repairs in Cape Town and in Johannesburg – Mabu Vinyl is the Cape Town drop-off and collection point for iFIX – all the details at: http://ifixipods.co.za
SA Rock Digest Archives (1999-2004)
Back Issue Archive
Stephen Timm presents Myrid Ambre Live At Mabu Vinyl
hello.there.
i.will.be.performing.a.live.set.of.my.electronica.music.
on.wednesday.28.october.6pm.at.the.record.store.mabu.vinyl.
at.2.rheede.street.gardens.cape.town.
there.will.be.cd.giveaways.hope.to.see.you.all.there.
Stephen Timm
for.more.information.
email stephentimm.
phone.083 330 4013.
website.www.myspace.com/myridambre.
Myrid Ambre available to download at RhythmMusicStore.com
Cape Town Folk Scene: 1965 – 1967
Discography: (1965 – 1967)
by Tertius Louw
Seven Singles
Folk records D77-1 : Skampi Mike and John – Island in the sun/John B sails
-2 : The Kingsmen – Yesterday/Drifting is my trade
-3 : Niki Daly – A walk in the rain/Sandy
-4 : The Folk 66 Singers – Walk right in/This old riverboat
-5 : The Sandpipers – Last year next year/Babe I’m gonna leave you
Continental PD 7-8884 : Pamela Dean & The Garnets with the Sapphires – Lucky old sun/Now
Columbia DSA 677 : The Sandpipers – Last year next year/Island in the sun
Extended Play Singles
Folk records FEP 1 : Pierre Malherbe – ‘ Pierre Sings’
2 : no information
3: Gail Armstrong and Ginny Farina – ‘Gail and Ginny’
Albums
Folk records LP 661 : Folk 66 feat The Kingsmen/Garnets/Lynette Goosen/John Mitchell/Others
662 : Folk 66 feat The Folk 66 Singers/Gail and Ginny/Rob Bolin/Sandpipers/Sean and Maurice/Other
663 : Rod Bolin
671 : The Sandpipers
Mabu Vinyl now in Rheede Street
Mabu Vinyl, the well-known music shop in Cape Town, will soon be celebrating its two-year anniversary in its more spacious new premises at 2 Rheede Street in Gardens. The shop is situated just off the corner of Kloof Street (next door to A&A Furnishers), and is just a “muffin’s throw away” from Vida e Caffé, the very popular nearby coffee shop in Kloof Street.
Mabu Vinyl carries a large selection of new and second hand items including LP records, 12” singles, 7” singles, 78’s, CD’s, DVD’s, cassette tapes, videos, books, T-shirts, comics, magazines, and even a selection of refurbished turntables and hi-fi’s. Mabu Vinyl buys, sells and trades in all and any of these items. The shop also carries a range of independent CD releases by a range of South African artists.
Mabu Vinyl grew out of the well-known Kloof Street bric-a-brac store, Kloofmart, which was run for many years by Johan Vosloo in the premises now occupied by Vida e Caffé. Jacques Vosloo, the owner’s son, started the record store in the back section of Kloofmart before the store moved to its next premises a few shops away, next to the other well-known Kloof Street music shop, High Five.
Then in October 2003, Mabu Vinyl again moved further down the road into its next premises in Buitenkloof Centre on the corner of Kloof and Buitensingel Streets. Soon after, Stephen Segerman joined Jacques in the store, adding a stock of CD’s, tapes, and DVD’s to the already huge selection of records that fills every corner of this eclectically decorated store.
The new Mabu Vinyl store has something for everyone with hundreds of 7″ singles, 12″ dance singles (for the many club DJ’s who frequent Mabu), and a broad range of rock, pop, jazz, soul, country, comedy, blues, soundtrack, South African and classical LP records. There is also a wide range of new and used CD’s, DVD’s, cassette tapes and books, mostly at reduced or sale prices, and the shop has many regular customers who love to take a few hours to browse through the many music items on display.
Parking for the new Mabu Vinyl store is available downstairs in the Rheede Centre parking garage, or at the nearby Kwikspar or Lifestyle centres in Kloof Street.
website: http://mabuvinyl.co.za
Rodriguez South African Tour September 2009
The Living Legend
Rodriguez
SA Tour – September 2009
With opening act: AcousticA
13 – Cape Town – Willowbridge Barnyard
18 – Plett Barnyard
19 – Mosselbay Barnyard
27 – Pretoria – Menlyn Barnyard
28 – JHB – Broadacres Barnyard
Rodriguez is currently one of the world’s biggest cult musicians with fans all over the world from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, to UK and across the USA. However, it was not until 12 years ago, when he was rediscovered working on a building site by local journalists Stephen Segerman and Craig Bartholomew; did the songwriter and singer of “Sugar Man” and “I Wonder” realise that his defining album “Cold Fact” (1970) had become a cult classic and that he was a beacon of revolution for the people of South Africa. Rodriguez had completely turned his back on the music industry after his albums “Cold Fact” and “Coming From Reality” (1971) were unsuccessful.
While his music career faded to little more than a memory in his life, Rodriguez lived an unobtrusive existence, unaware that his legend continued to grow in the Southern Hemisphere. “Cold Fact” became a word of mouth success especially amongst the youth in the South African armed forces that identified with his counter-cultural bent. Many thought Rodriguez was dead and his album went platinum in South Africa without him ever earning one cent. Today Rodriguez is spoken of in the same reverent tones as The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.
Since 1997, when he was “rediscovered”, Rodriguez returned to South Africa and Namibia four times and his albums have been released on CD worldwide. In 1998 Rodriguez featured in a television documentary “Dead Men Don’t Tour”. After more than 35 years it seems that the wheel of fortune is finally turning and Rodriguez’s fame is rapidly growing in his home town Detroit and throughout the USA. His albums have been re-released and there is a documentary movie being made about the “Sugarman” himself.
The shows promise to be spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime events, not to be missed. It’s not every day that one gets to witness such a “Living Legend.”
****************
Acoustica – In 2004, Rodriquez surprised an unknown local band by appearing unexpectedly at their “Tribute To Rodriguez” show in Sedgefield, South Africa. He appreciated the enthusiasm and hard work of the band and invited them to perform with him in 4 sold-out concerts in the Garden Route. At the time, the gentle soft-spoken musician said, “I’m supporting the musicians who support me but they’re doing it better than me.” Rodriguez, is returning to South Africa once again and will be performing with one of the musicians, Graham Sindall-Gillot, from the original Rodriguez Tribute band. Graham is now the leader of the support band and opening act “Acoustica.”
For more information:
Book online:
www.barnyardtheatres.co.za
Downloads:
www.RhythmMusicStore.com























