Pop star’s ‘second-class’ success
SOUTH African pop star Clive Hay has gone from writing songs to writing a book.
Hay, well known for the 1980s hit singles Eyes of the Beholder, Advice and Crimes of the Heart, recently released his biography, Magirus: The Story of a Second-Class Citizen, writing up some of the most memorable moments of his time in this country and, specifically, while serving in the South African National Defence Force.
“The book is about my experiences in our army band between 1977 and 1979. It details my personal ups and downs with army life and the ultimate triumph of our journey as a band of musicians and band of brothers. It’s a journey of self-awareness from boyhood to manhood, and a manual of how to use any system to your own advantage,” said Hay.
The book, which Hay describes as a project of love, came about after he read a short blog from another army band veteran. “I felt the need to fill in a few gaps and to detail the origins of our army band, Magirus, the first such band to be formed in a regular army unit. This led to my ultimate band experience, which was largely due to Magirus’ pioneering works and triumphs.”
Hay describes the book as a light-hearted, easy read and a tale of “joy and triumph when the odds are against you”.
He is already planning his second and third instalments, with the working titles, Savannah: The Story of A Second-Class Band and Church Musician: The Story Of A Second Class Christian.
But Hay says anyone in South Africa who understands army culture and discipline will relate to this first instalment, “anyone who has been young and wondered about how their future was going to play out, anyone who has been in a romantic relationship with awkward moments and anyone who has had any involvement in music or a band. It also has its petty envies, laughs and good times”.
“I’m hoping it will stir nostalgic memories for anyone in the world who has been in the armed forces and who has wanted to cock a snook at the powers that be. It’s also about how to rebound in the face of extreme disappointment; the value of comradeship and love and believing in oneself in the face of adversity.”
Hay played in bands and also as a solo artist from when he was 18 years old.
Being a budding musician, he formed the group called Savannah in the 1980s and later went on to play in a band named Step Aside and other titled Soul Tattoo, before relocating to Sydney, Australia, in the year 2000 with his wife Renata Whaits.
“I was about 13 years old when I realised I wanted to be a singer. Apparently I said to one of the girls at school that “I’m going to be a star”. She later told me I’d said this to her when I bumped into her in Johannesburg when I was 20. It was only then that the actuality of performing for a living happened,” he said.
Hay reveals that while growing up in Durban, his only mentor was his mother, who played piano, and a school friend who encouraged him to listen to Springbok Radio’s music programmes in the late afternoon.
“One of the first songs I remember hearing on these shows was Sandy Shaw’s Puppet on a String. In Johannesburg, one of my greatest mentors was the incredibly talented Dave Hewitt, who was my classical guitar teacher for two years, and Dennis East, who believed in me when very few others did at a difficult time in my life,” he said.
While abroad Hay released his contemporary Christian album Refugee in 2001, which saw him nominated for a MusOz award (now Australian Independent Music Award). He also was nominated in 2016 for a song on his newest album, Remembering Savannah.
“It was an honour to be nominated. I didn’t win, but I remember going down to buy a newspaper and scanning it to see if I’d been nominated. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name there,” he said.
Hay still performs on weekends in and around Sydney and said he was very fortunate to be a working musician in a city that really appreciates live music.
“I perform almost every weekend in and around Sydney – solo, or with my duo, Soul Tattoo. However, due to self-imposed deadlines for my new books, the only music releases this year will probably be Gospel recordings.”