Petit Cheval
Encyclopedia
Petit Cheval was a New Romantic
rock group from South Africa
. Their name is French
for "little horse". The group was founded in Pretoria
in 1982 by singer/songwriter Jon Selby and soon after recorded a demo, which landed them a deal with Warner Bros. Records
in 1984. Their 1985 debut album was a great success in South Africa, but the increased publicity also led to internal disputes, and bassist Johan Griesel left the group shortly after the album's release. Adding bassist Chris Bekker, they released an EP in 1986; however, internal tensions led to a split in 1987. Craig Else
is a sound engineer in Los Angeles
and plays in Bay City Rollers
. Johan Griesel went on to become a recording engineer; Danny de Wet later played with Wonderboom
, and Harold Shenk went on to do production work on the South African music scene. Francois du Plessis is now an avant-garde artist working in Germany
. Jon Selby continues to do work as a songwriter, and currently resides in Israel with his wife and three children.
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
rock group from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Their name is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "little horse". The group was founded in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
in 1982 by singer/songwriter Jon Selby and soon after recorded a demo, which landed them a deal with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in 1984. Their 1985 debut album was a great success in South Africa, but the increased publicity also led to internal disputes, and bassist Johan Griesel left the group shortly after the album's release. Adding bassist Chris Bekker, they released an EP in 1986; however, internal tensions led to a split in 1987. Craig Else
Craig Else
Craig Else is a guitarist, composer, vocalist, and music producer.-1970s and 1980s:In 1978 after years of music lessons given by his Grandmother, Craig discovered punk rock and formed his first band, Twisted Minds...
is a sound engineer in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and plays in Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
. Johan Griesel went on to become a recording engineer; Danny de Wet later played with Wonderboom
Wonderboom (band)
Wonderboom is a 4 piece South African rock band from Johannesburg.They formed in 1996 when Martin, Wade and Cito, originally in an underground band called "The Eight Legged Groove Machine", were approached by Danny, the drummer for the popular rock band, "The Electric Petals" and their manager,...
, and Harold Shenk went on to do production work on the South African music scene. Francois du Plessis is now an avant-garde artist working in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Jon Selby continues to do work as a songwriter, and currently resides in Israel with his wife and three children.
Members
- Jon Selby - guitar, vocals, songwriter
- Sheldon Thomas - keyboards
- Craig ElseCraig ElseCraig Else is a guitarist, composer, vocalist, and music producer.-1970s and 1980s:In 1978 after years of music lessons given by his Grandmother, Craig discovered punk rock and formed his first band, Twisted Minds...
- guitar - Johan Griesel - bass
- Danny de Wet - drums
- Francois du Plessis - drums (early member)
- Harold Shenk - keyboards (early member)
- Chris Bekker - bass (1986-1987)
Discography
- The Voice of Reason (Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, 1985) - The Perfect Gift EP (Warner Bros. Records, 1986)
- Young Lions (compilation) (Tusk Records, 1994)
- Once in a Lifetime (RetroFresh, 2006)