Troll
04-15-2006, 2:09pm
The first band was called Renegades and then it was called The "Phantoms" and within a year after the first of many line up changes, the Comanches. Johan Du Plooy joined first on piano and then on rhythm guitar. "John was never going to be the lead singer," Borthwick recalls. "Even back then he was more interested in making music itself than performing; he didn't want to be the star. The Comanches went through quite a few permutations," says Borthwick. "Even in such a restricted enviroment, it was extraordinary how many allegiances were regularly being broken and reformed." In 1965, the band rechristened itself as the "Visions," with Robert John "Mutt" Lange on lead guitar, Vernon "Bird" Loker on rhythm, Raymond "Compost" Arenstein on bass, and James Borthwick on drums. "James said it was when they renamed themselves "Visions" that his and Mutt's friendship intensified. James disagrees with Johan's memory of Mutt's vocal prowess. "Central to our musical tastes and ambitions was vocal harmony, and Mutt and I had voices that blended perfectly. The rough,m gravelly voice he later became known for was only cultivated in the seventies. Mutt had an excellent voice and ear for harmony, and notwithstanding his tireless capacity for working hard on the songs we sang, and the fact that none of us could read music, he was without question a natural musician.
They spent hours and hours practicing in Mutt's room, perfecting there blending of voices. We chose songs that put this to good effect, rarely singing songs that needed a lead singer. Like other school boy bands of that time, we were convinced that we were gonna hit the bigtime, as soon as we could afford the gear. They played pop hits by The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Searchers, The Everly Brothers, the Who, Herman's Hermits, the Beach Boys, The Hollies, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, the Yardbirds, the Byrds, the Zombies, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, and Manfred Mann(an expat South African).
Despite their radio ban, the school did allow the band to practice and even to play at school functions. Dancing,however,was not permitted.
"There was another Belfast institution that had some bearing on "Mutt's" perfectionism," says James. The school cadet band, which was very prestigous as it had , against all odds, won many competitions. It was not easy to get into the band. James auditioned as a bugle player in 1961, and became a drummer in 1964. Mutt joined in 1965 and played the tenor drum, that had entailed a lot of twirling and flash. What was significant about the band was the bandmaster. Although he knew very little about music, he was a slave driver. We practiced for hours and hours, through freezing winter, before school, during school breaks, and after school hours. We were also expected to attend a band camp during our vacation. All of us learned, allbeit forcibly, how to work as a team and what it meant, to strive for perfection.
"There was another Belfast Institution that had some bearing on "Mutts" perfectionism," James said. The school cadet band, which was very prestigous as it had, against all odds, won many competitions it was not easy to get in. James auditioned as a bugle player in 1961, and became a drummer in 1964, Mutt joined in 1965 and played the tenor drum, that had entailed alot of twirling and flash. What was significant about the band was bandmaster. Although he knew very little about music, he was a slave driver. We practiced for hours and hours, through freezing winter, before school, during school breaks, and after school hours. We were also expected to attend a band camp during our vacation. All of us learned, allbeit forcibly, how to work as a team and what it meant to strive for perfection. During the school holidays, Mutt often travelled from klerksdorp to Jahannesburg to stay with his aunt, who lived in a grand old house in the very up market suburb of Houghton. He stayed with aunt whndo was a wealthy widow and something of an eccentric. Her husband had been an executive of the giant Anglo-American corporation. His Aunt would drive around town in an old Rover packed full of her dogs, who were various shapes and sizes, who had scratched the wood and paintwork to smithereens. There was an old steinway grand piano, which Mutt would tinker on. Mutt was always experimenting with music. A morning while staying in Klerksdorp, James Borthwick, had woke to hear his friend playing "Little Red Rooster" on his dads cello.
Found this on cmt message board.
They spent hours and hours practicing in Mutt's room, perfecting there blending of voices. We chose songs that put this to good effect, rarely singing songs that needed a lead singer. Like other school boy bands of that time, we were convinced that we were gonna hit the bigtime, as soon as we could afford the gear. They played pop hits by The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Searchers, The Everly Brothers, the Who, Herman's Hermits, the Beach Boys, The Hollies, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, the Yardbirds, the Byrds, the Zombies, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, and Manfred Mann(an expat South African).
Despite their radio ban, the school did allow the band to practice and even to play at school functions. Dancing,however,was not permitted.
"There was another Belfast institution that had some bearing on "Mutt's" perfectionism," says James. The school cadet band, which was very prestigous as it had , against all odds, won many competitions. It was not easy to get into the band. James auditioned as a bugle player in 1961, and became a drummer in 1964. Mutt joined in 1965 and played the tenor drum, that had entailed a lot of twirling and flash. What was significant about the band was the bandmaster. Although he knew very little about music, he was a slave driver. We practiced for hours and hours, through freezing winter, before school, during school breaks, and after school hours. We were also expected to attend a band camp during our vacation. All of us learned, allbeit forcibly, how to work as a team and what it meant, to strive for perfection.
"There was another Belfast Institution that had some bearing on "Mutts" perfectionism," James said. The school cadet band, which was very prestigous as it had, against all odds, won many competitions it was not easy to get in. James auditioned as a bugle player in 1961, and became a drummer in 1964, Mutt joined in 1965 and played the tenor drum, that had entailed alot of twirling and flash. What was significant about the band was bandmaster. Although he knew very little about music, he was a slave driver. We practiced for hours and hours, through freezing winter, before school, during school breaks, and after school hours. We were also expected to attend a band camp during our vacation. All of us learned, allbeit forcibly, how to work as a team and what it meant to strive for perfection. During the school holidays, Mutt often travelled from klerksdorp to Jahannesburg to stay with his aunt, who lived in a grand old house in the very up market suburb of Houghton. He stayed with aunt whndo was a wealthy widow and something of an eccentric. Her husband had been an executive of the giant Anglo-American corporation. His Aunt would drive around town in an old Rover packed full of her dogs, who were various shapes and sizes, who had scratched the wood and paintwork to smithereens. There was an old steinway grand piano, which Mutt would tinker on. Mutt was always experimenting with music. A morning while staying in Klerksdorp, James Borthwick, had woke to hear his friend playing "Little Red Rooster" on his dads cello.
Found this on cmt message board.