Legendary Springs garage band reveal the truth about ZX Dan.... Jonathan Handley (guitarist & songwriter, Dave Davies (vocalist). If you were tuned into South African music in the late `70s you couldn't help but remember a strange but compelling song called "ZX Dan" wafting across the pop airwaves. This tale of a travelling spaceman remains one of the greatest songs in the SA rock universe. Helmed by guitarist/song writer Jonathan Handley and vocalist Dave Davies, Radio Rats remain one of the most independent and enigmatic groups and in this highly amusing episode they wax lyrical about life in the East Rand, why drummers want to be guitarists, drive-ins and the lowdown on the making of the classic " Into the night we slide" album.

Step back into the sweltering heat of January 12, 1985, when South Africa stood on the edge of collapse—townships ablaze, a nation divided by the iron fist of Apartheid. Yet, from this cauldron of chaos rose a moment of pure, defiant hope: the Concert in the Park. In this heart-wrenching 40th-anniversary special, we relive the day when 120,000 black and white South Africans converged at Ellis Park, their voices merging in a thunderous cry for unity, healing, and hunger relief. Feel the tears well up as Johnny Clegg, Brenda Fassie, Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse, eVoid, Neil Johnson, Alex Jay, PJ Powers, Tim Parr, Heather Mac, Jarrod Aston, Erik & Lucien Windrich, and others recount the electric jolt of performing to a sea of faces—once segregated, now one. Hear Hilton Rosenthal’s voice tremble as he recalls the spark of inspiration that defied a nation’s skepticism, and let the raw joy of a peaceful revolution wash over you. This isn’t just a concert’s story—it’s the heartbeat of a rainbow nation daring to dream, a melody of resilience that still echoes through time. Prepare to be moved by a day that changed South Africa's future.

Lloyd Ross (founder/owner Shifty Studio/Records) and Warrick Sony (partner Shifty Studio/founder Kalahari Surfers) Throughout the turbulent Eighties Shifty Records forged an uncompromising, if solitary, trail through the South African music business. Founded by avid music fan, Lloyd Ross, the studio and its accompanying label was responsible for creating a tsunami of original independent music that reflected both the musical and social revolution happening on the streets. In this episode Lloyd, accompanied by longtime friend and compatriot, Warrick Sony, takes the listener on an often-hilarious joyride through the highs and lows of Shifty, featuring the music of the likes of Happy Ships, Corporal Punishment, Gereformeerde Blues Band, Sankomota, Kalahari Surfers, Cherry Faced Lurchers and many more.

Gary Rathbone talks up Spectres, ECC, and SA music in the 80s. Guitarist/drummer, singer, and writer, Gary Rathbone has spent the last 40 years skirting the parallel worlds of alternative rock and catchy jangly pop with bands like What Colors, The Aeroplanes, Urban Camouflage, The Spectres, The Weathervanes, and more recently, has struck out on his own with this brand of indie rock.

Most fans of South African rock will remember the incendiary assault of the Asylum Kids and Tribe After Tribe's fusion of sonic Afro grooves with jagged guitars - songs like the anthemic "Schoolboy", the revolutionary "Fight it with your mind" and the genre-bending cover of Dylan's "As I went out one morning". Songs that are part of a dark period of South Africa's painful transition, and the glue that held all these together was Robbi Robb. Part guitar visionary, shaman, agitator, and psychedelic poet, Robbi has been pushing the boundaries of music for over 40 years. In this episode of From the Hip, he shoots out a stream of consciousness that takes you on a trip into the mind of a true visionary.

Wendy opens up about fame in The Sweatband and her successful solo career. Catapulted into a helter skelter life of rock & roll at an early age, Wendy Oldfield has experienced multiple chart successes in the `80s with The Sweatband ("This Boy" and " Shape of her body") and over the next 3 decades career defining hits including " Acid Rain", " Miracle" and "Living in the real world". She has also collaborated with fellow musicians Robin Auld and Steve Newman. Fiercely independent she continues to push musical boundaries and is one of the most prolific artists in music today. In this episode Wendy reminisces about her baptism of fire in the Sweatband with the late John Mair, life in a band, going solo and why writing good songs is far more important than commercial success.

Music industry veteran Benjy Mudie does a deep dive into what makes the music world tick. From interviews with leading artists, songwriters, publishers, radio DJs, label insiders, and producers, to stories from nearly 50 years in music. Sometimes funny, and often irreverent and controversial. He'll take you inside the backrooms and the back stages of the South African music industry. The concerts, the parties, the politics, the hedonism, the highs and lows of a headlong career. Along the way, Benjy passes along advice on how to chart the stormy and ever-changing landscape of the modern music business. It's from the hip podcasting brought to you exclusively by Solid Gold Podcasts.

Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar nominee opens up about his career in music. As an internationally acclaimed artist, producer, singer, arranger, and songwriter Cedric Samson should be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to South African music. A child prodigy, his nearly 60-year career has seen him being creatively successful in many genres of music across the globe. In this episode, Cedric tells his story with a huge dollop of self-deprecating humour that will keep you in stitches.

Heather Mac (vocalist) and Tim Parr (guitarist) revisit Ella Mental 40 years on. 40 years ago, Ella Mental released their debut album "Uncomplicated Dreams". Fueled by smash singles and a devastating live show the band rapidly became one of the biggest rock bands in South African music history. Their incendiary performance at the legendary Concert in the Park in 1985 is still talked about to this day. In this episode founder members Heather Mac and Tim Parr take us on a journey through the heady 80`s...the clubs, the bands, the concerts, the fashions, the personalities, songwriting, their relocation to Ireland and the USA in pursuit of their rock and roll dream.

Inside the music industry with Hilton Rosenthal (Music Industry Excecutive) Hilton Rosenthal has done it all- a multi-talented music industry insider, he sketches out his rise from A&R executive to successful producer to concert visionary. Along the way his studio work with Johnny Clegg`s Juluka and Savuka produced multi-platinum albums globally and his contribution to the success of Paul Simon`s "Graceland" is immeasurable. A HUGE thank you to Scatterlings (Pty) Ltd that owns worldwide master rights to all Juluka recordings and all South African rights for the Johnny Clegg & Savuka recordings. for granting Solid Gold Podcasts the rights to use the music in this episode.

Neill Solomon explores his world of music, art, film and theatre. Neill Solomon journeys through fifty years of making original folk, rock, pop and world beat with side trips into performance theatre, painting, film soundtracks, the creative process and composition. His endless quest to use music as a tool of social awareness and change is inspiring and Neill also touched on poaching, freedom songs and refugees and how these causes have colored both his thinking and his art..

A hilarious Danny de Wet lets rip about the madness in the music. Danny de Wet is one funny guy...a natural storyteller of note, he has been, as he calls it, the `lead drummer` for some of the biggest South African bands in rock: eVoid , Petit Cheval., Electric Petals and Wonderboom plus a myriad of other outfits. He has also been a record company executive, tour manager, analytical chemist, club owner and author among other things. In this hilarious by-the-seat-of-your-pants episode, Danny brings the house down with his tales of life on the road, band politics rock excess and everything else in-between. A true one-of-a-kind legend, his stories will have you shaking with laughter and disbelief !

PJ Powers opens up about Hotline hits, fame, Mandela & The Queen, and more. My guest in this episode of From the Hip with Benjy Mudie hardly needs an introduction; she is one of South Africa's most successful musicians with over 40 years of hit-making under her belt and is responsible for some of the most iconic songs in our musical history including Jabulani, Feel So Strong, You're So Good to Me, World in Union, and many more. Singer, philanthropist, author, and human rights activist she is included in the prestigious list of the Top 100 Great South Africans and one of this country’s most recognizable and enduring performers. It is indeed a great pleasure to sit in conversation with PJ Powers.

éVoid come clean about Shadows and life on the fame rollercoaster in the 80s. This was an in-depth conversation with Lucien Windrich (éVoid guitarist and vocalist) and Erik Windrich (éVoid keyboardist and lead vocalist), the founding members of the iconic 1980s South African band éVoid. They pioneered an innovative fashion style adopted by legions of fans called 'fadgets' and embraced African and ethnographic musical influences, creating a unique 'ethnopop' fusion style. éVoid exploded in popularity in the early 1980s with hits like 'Shadows' and 'Taximan'. They also give some personal insights into the heady whirlwind period of éVoid mania', playing massive concerts like Ellis Park Stadium in 1984 and their move to the UK.

Cindy Alter unpacks her career from Clout to Nashville and back. Singer-songwriter Cindy Alter is no shrinking violet! With dollops of humour and candour, she reminisces about her time in South Africa's most successful pop export, Clout, scaling the heights of the global music business, travelling the world, and selling millions of records. Her band, Zia, were at the forefront of the Afro-pop movement of the 80's and enjoyed huge international success. Cindy comes out guns blazing about the insincerity and backstabbing of the music industry, her battle with the twin enemies of dread disease and indifference, and her move to Nashville to pursue her songwriting. This riveting tale of a rock and roll warrior survivor who has remained true to her heart and art is essential listening.

Trevor takes you on his journey to pop, rock, and film superstardom. Trevor Rabin has scaled the heights of pop superstardom with Rabbitt, global recognition and chart success with prog rock demi-gods YES, and conquered the highest echelons of the competitive Hollywood motion picture soundtrack world with nearly 50 blockbusters to his credit. This is the story of a Joburg boy's dream to achieve global recognition as a musician. Benjy and Trevor reconnect for the first time in 40 years, and they have a blast reliving his journey and also discussing his new album "Rio". You will hear hit songs from every part of his career, courtesy of Trevor.

South African music is blessed with a diversity of unique music styles and none more irresistible than the afro-funk sound of the '70s and '80s. In this episode, Benjy Mudie and the legendary music icon Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse talk about Sipho's early seminal bands, The Beaters and Harari, social consciousness, cultural liberation, and Paul Simon's Graceland album. They also explore the phenomenal success of Sipho's signature tune "Burnout" as well as the background to hit songs like "Shikisha", "Jive Soweto" and "Chant of the Marching".

In this episode, uber-producer Tully McCully waxes lyrical with Benjy Mudie about producing hard-to-categorize South African artists. He delves into the recording history of multiple award-winning songstress Lesley Rae Dowling, deep dives into the arcane and often psychotic world of rock outfit, Falling Mirror, the bizarre off-the-wall humour of writer, poet, and singer, Niki Daly, the McCully Workshop hit machine and the European success of Crocodile Harris. What these artists have in common is that their work has been touched by the alchemy of one of South Africa`s most creative producers and musicians. Tully has kindly authorized excerpts of key songs from the artist's career including a never-before-heard Falling Mirror song which was destined for a new album, the release cut short by guitarist Allan Faull's untimely passing.

The rise of Goth and Alternative music in '80s South Africa. In this episode, Rob McLennan, founder and frontman of South Africa's most successful Goth band, No Friends of Harry and legendary punk/alternative radio DJ, Barney Simon swap musical war stories with host Benjy Mudie about the rise of alternative music and culture in heady days of '80s South Africa.

The stories behind this iconic South African pop outfit's success. In this episode, Benjy Mudie shoots the breeze with John Leyden and Claire Johnston of Mango Groove about the band's phenomenal success in the early nineties. They explore the early days of the band, the recording of that iconic multi-platinum-selling first album, the high-profile international tours, the memorable videos, those quintessential pop singles, and the pressure of being arguably the most successful South African pop band of all time. Laced with loads of humour and incisive comments about culture, politics, fashion and music, Mango Groove's infectious and irresistible songs are ingrained in our national DNA. Still headlining concerts across the country to this day, Mango Groove remains a South African institution.