Jack Lerole
Encyclopedia
Aaron "Big Voice" Jack Lerole (c. 1940 - 12 March 2003) was a South African penny whistle player and singer, a leading performer in the kwela
style of music in the 1950s, and best remembered in the UK
as the leader of 'Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes', who had an international hit
in 1958 with "Tom Hark".
near Johannesburg
, and in his early teens
performed on the whistle as a street musician with his brother Elias Lerole. They were joined by David Ramosa and Zeph Nkabinde, and to counter gang attacks carried tomahawks
with them when they played. Unlike earlier kwela groups, they added guitar and vocal
harmonies
to the penny whistle sound. The group went under various names, including the Alex Shamba Boys, Alexandra Black Mambazo, and Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes. (A 'jive flute' being a penny whistle.)
In 1956, they were signed by EMI
South Africa's 'black music' producer Rupert Bopape, and recorded
a number of tunes including "Tom Hark" - either a mishearing of "Tomahawk", or a play on words
by the record label
. The tune (which was based on a 1927 melody by Herbert Farjeon
for I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales
) was picked up in the UK and used as the theme music
for a TV
show
, The Killing Stones. It was released as a single
, and rose to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
in April 1958, eventually selling an estimated three million copies worldwide. It was subsequently covered by various artists including Millie Small in 1964, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
(also 1964), and The Piranhas
in 1980. Much later, in 2009, Lerole's version of the tune was used for the opening credits to Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
. The song is also a popular fanfare for English football clubs.
Although it introduced South African township music to an international audience, it was only fairly popular in the country itself, and the musicians received no financial reward from its success. In South Africa, the group became best known as Alexandra Black Mambazo, and began playing dance halls around the Johannesburg area. They developed vocal as well as instrumental routines, and Lerole developed a deep rasping voice, becoming the first "groaner". However, the forced groaning put extreme pressure on his voice and his vocal chords ended being damaged permanently. His bandmate Zeph Nkabinde eventually became a groaner, but it was Zeph's younger brother Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde that became the most famous groaner of them all.
In 1963 Lerole left the group, and started recording solo as "Big Voice Jack". His breakthrough as a solo performer was the single, "Blues Ngaphansi", which made him a national star. As the "mbaqanga
" style developed, he took up the saxophone
in place of the penny whistle, and his popularity was overtaken by younger singers. He continued to record, however, and produced such hits as "Cherry Beat", "Big Voice Jack", "Tully La Fluter" and "Bongo Twang Jive". He flitted from company to company, rejoining his old producer Rupert Bopape now at Gallo Africa
's Mavuthela Music Company along the way (for two years - 1966 to 1968). During the 1970s, he experienced a revival and toured in a leading role with several South African musical productions. He also became a founding member of the group Mango Groove in the mid 1980s.
In the early 1990s, South African-born producer Chris du Plessis made a documentary film
, The Whistlers, about the music, and as a result the original members of Alex Black Mambazo reunited to perform in clubs. Brad Holmes, owner of the Bassline club, became their manager, and in 1997 introduced them to South African-born rock star Dave Matthews
when he toured the country with his band. In turn, Matthews invited Lerole to play at Foxboro Stadium and Giants Stadium during the Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour of 1998. An album, Colours And Moods, was recorded during a concert at the Bassline in Johannesburg in 1998.
Lerole died in Soweto
of throat cancer
in 2003.
's television programme Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
was "Tom Hark" by Elias & His Zig-Zag Jive Flutes
.
Kwela
Kwela is a happy, often pennywhistle-based, street music from southern Africa with jazzy underpinnings and a distinctive, skiffle-like beat. It evolved from the marabi sound and brought South African music to international prominence in the 1950s....
style of music in the 1950s, and best remembered in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as the leader of 'Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes', who had an international hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1958 with "Tom Hark".
Biography
Lerole grew up in the Alexandra townshipAlexandra, Gauteng
Alexandra or Alex for short, nicknamed Gomora is a township located in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is part of Johannesburg, close to the wealthy suburb of Sandton and is bounded by Wynberg on the west, Marlboro and Kelvin on the north, Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south...
near Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, and in his early teens
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
performed on the whistle as a street musician with his brother Elias Lerole. They were joined by David Ramosa and Zeph Nkabinde, and to counter gang attacks carried tomahawks
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
with them when they played. Unlike earlier kwela groups, they added guitar and vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
to the penny whistle sound. The group went under various names, including the Alex Shamba Boys, Alexandra Black Mambazo, and Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes. (A 'jive flute' being a penny whistle.)
In 1956, they were signed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
South Africa's 'black music' producer Rupert Bopape, and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a number of tunes including "Tom Hark" - either a mishearing of "Tomahawk", or a play on words
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
by the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. The tune (which was based on a 1927 melody by Herbert Farjeon
Herbert Farjeon
Herbert Farjeon was a major figure in the British theatre from 1910 until his death. He was a presenter of revues in London's West End, a theatre critic, lyricist, librettist, playwright, theatre manager and researcher....
for I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales
I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales
I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales was a song written in 1927 by Herbert Farjeon at the height of the popularity of Edward, Prince of Wales -unprecedented to that date for an heir to the throne- later Edward VIII of the United Kingdom.The girl...
) was picked up in the UK and used as the theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for a TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, The Killing Stones. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and rose to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in April 1958, eventually selling an estimated three million copies worldwide. It was subsequently covered by various artists including Millie Small in 1964, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a noted British rhythm and blues/soul/jazz/ska/pop group of the 1960s. They had been the backing band for Billy Fury but, after being dismissed at the end of 1961, their pianist Georgie Fame took over as vocalist and they went on to enjoy great...
(also 1964), and The Piranhas
The Piranhas
The Piranhas were a ska-influenced punk band from Brighton.- Career :They were formed in 1977, and were originally part of the Brighton punk scene, first coming to prominence when DJ John Peel started playing their single "I Don't Want My Body" on his BBC Radio 1 programme, but achieved their...
in 1980. Much later, in 2009, Lerole's version of the tune was used for the opening credits to Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle is a comedy series created by Stewart Lee.The BBC Two series debuted on 16 March 2009, and featured stand-up routines and sketches performed by Simon Munnery, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner amongst others. Peter Serafinowicz recorded voice-over parts. The series is...
. The song is also a popular fanfare for English football clubs.
Although it introduced South African township music to an international audience, it was only fairly popular in the country itself, and the musicians received no financial reward from its success. In South Africa, the group became best known as Alexandra Black Mambazo, and began playing dance halls around the Johannesburg area. They developed vocal as well as instrumental routines, and Lerole developed a deep rasping voice, becoming the first "groaner". However, the forced groaning put extreme pressure on his voice and his vocal chords ended being damaged permanently. His bandmate Zeph Nkabinde eventually became a groaner, but it was Zeph's younger brother Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde that became the most famous groaner of them all.
In 1963 Lerole left the group, and started recording solo as "Big Voice Jack". His breakthrough as a solo performer was the single, "Blues Ngaphansi", which made him a national star. As the "mbaqanga
Mbaqanga
Mbaqanga is a style of South African music with rural Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s.-History:...
" style developed, he took up the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
in place of the penny whistle, and his popularity was overtaken by younger singers. He continued to record, however, and produced such hits as "Cherry Beat", "Big Voice Jack", "Tully La Fluter" and "Bongo Twang Jive". He flitted from company to company, rejoining his old producer Rupert Bopape now at Gallo Africa
Gallo Record Company
Gallo Record Company is the largest record label in Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is owned by Avusa Limited . The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two rival South African record labels between the '40s and '80s: the original Gallo Africa and G.R.C...
's Mavuthela Music Company along the way (for two years - 1966 to 1968). During the 1970s, he experienced a revival and toured in a leading role with several South African musical productions. He also became a founding member of the group Mango Groove in the mid 1980s.
In the early 1990s, South African-born producer Chris du Plessis made a documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, The Whistlers, about the music, and as a result the original members of Alex Black Mambazo reunited to perform in clubs. Brad Holmes, owner of the Bassline club, became their manager, and in 1997 introduced them to South African-born rock star Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
when he toured the country with his band. In turn, Matthews invited Lerole to play at Foxboro Stadium and Giants Stadium during the Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour of 1998. An album, Colours And Moods, was recorded during a concert at the Bassline in Johannesburg in 1998.
Lerole died in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
of throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
in 2003.
In popular culture
The theme to Stewart LeeStewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
's television programme Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle is a comedy series created by Stewart Lee.The BBC Two series debuted on 16 March 2009, and featured stand-up routines and sketches performed by Simon Munnery, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner amongst others. Peter Serafinowicz recorded voice-over parts. The series is...
was "Tom Hark" by Elias & His Zig-Zag Jive Flutes
Jack Lerole
Aaron "Big Voice" Jack Lerole was a South African penny whistle player and singer, a leading performer in the kwela style of music in the 1950s, and best remembered in the UK as the leader of 'Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes', who had an international hit in 1958 with "Tom...
.