John Kongos facts for kids

John Theodore Kongos (born August 6, 1945) is a talented singer and songwriter from South Africa. He is famous for his hit song "He's Gonna Step on You Again" from 1971. This song was so popular that the band Happy Mondays later used it to create their own hit song, "Step On". John Kongos also had another well-known song called "Tokoloshe Man", which was even featured on the TV show Life on Mars. His second album, Kongos, was very successful, reaching the top 30 in the UK.

A Musical Journey

John Kongos started his music career in South Africa in the early 1960s. He had success with his band, Johnny and the G-Men, and also as a solo artist. In 1966, he moved to the United Kingdom to continue his musical journey.

Early Bands in the UK

His first band in the UK was called Floribunda Rose, formed in 1967. After one song, "Linda Loves Linda", some members left. The remaining musicians then formed a new band called Scrugg and released three more songs.

Solo Success and Hit Songs

After playing many shows in Britain and Europe with his bands, John Kongos released his first solo album, Confusions About a Goldfish, in 1969. He then focused on writing songs and had great success in Europe.

He later joined Fly Records and released two big hit songs. "He's Gonna Step on You Again" reached number 4 in the UK in May 1971. His other hit, "Tokoloshe Man", also reached number 4 in the UK in November 1971. His second album, Kongos, made it into the top 30 on the UK Albums Chart.

A Special Sound: Tape Loops

The song "He's Gonna Step on You Again" is often mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records. It's known for being one of the first songs to use a special sound technique. Instead of a "sample" (a small piece of another recording), it actually used a tape loop of African drumming. This means a short recording of drumming was played over and over again.

Working Behind the Scenes

John Kongos continued to work in his own studio in London. He became a record producer, helping other artists make their music. He also worked as a sound engineer, making sure recordings sounded great. He wrote jingles (short catchy tunes for commercials) and theme music for TV shows.

He also helped with the programming of a special music machine called the Fairlight CMI synthesizer. He used it on the famous rock band Def Leppard's 1983 album, Pyromania.

New Generation, New Hits

In 1990, a new generation of music fans discovered John Kongos's work. The band Happy Mondays, who were very popular at the time, took his song "He's Gonna Step on You Again" and reworked it. They created their own hit song called "Step On", which reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. In the same year, Happy Mondays also covered his song "Tokoloshe Man" for a special music collection album called Rubáiyát.

Music Releases

John Kongos's early work from 1966 to 1969 was put together on a collection album called Lavender Popcorn in 2001. This included his songs with Floribunda Rose and Scrugg, as well as his first solo album.

His album Kongos (from 1972) and his other songs released on Fly Records were later put on a CD called Tokoloshe Man Plus in 1988.

Family Life

John Kongos is married to Shelley. They have four sons: Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Daniel. All four of his sons are also musicians and are members of the rock group Kongos.

See also

In Spanish: John Kongos para niños