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Piet Botha
'n  Suitcase
Vol Winter


Suitcase

Tracks:

  1. Donkermaan [4.27]
  2. Sien Jou Weer [4.02]
  3. Marilyn Monroe [3.09]
  4. Suitcase Vol Winter [4.21]
  5. Van Tonder [4.35]
  6. Die Kind [4.37]
  7. Goeienag Generaal [4.08]
  8. Klein Bietjie Reën [4.37]
  9. In Die Transvaal [4.01]
  10. Staan Saam Burgers [4.21]
  11. Gipsy In Jou Oë [3.59] vocals by Koos Kombuis
  12. Kom Huistoe [3.58]

All songs composed by Piet Botha except 'In Die Transvaal' (Valiant Swart) and 'Gipsy In Jou Oë' (Piet Botha/Koos Kombuis).

Click on song titles for the lyrics. Thanks to Gipsie for these lyrics.

Musicians:

  • Piet Botha: vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano
  • Jorik Pienaar: drums
  • Jason Phillips: bass
  • Johnathan Martin: guitars, cellos and vocals

  • Valiant Swart: guitar, vocals
  • Koos Kombuis: vocals
  • Brenda Pieterse: vocals

Release information:

1997, Wildebeest Records, WILD 005

Comments:

Biting Afrikaans commentary with the musical style of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopler, Chris Rea, etc. 'Goeie Nag Generaal' is a brilliant hard-rock song about dying for your country but for what? "Toe ek weer so kyk, het 'n AK jou fucked-up geskiet". If this had come out ten years earlier it would have been banned outright!

Cover picture was taken at Matjiesfontein station, though the background mountains have been added in.

'In Die Transvaal' originally appeared on Valiant Swart's 'Die Mystic Boer' album in 1995.

Review:

This first solo album of modern, Afrikaans folk/blues songs happened on the instigation of Eckard Potgieter, the owner of Wildebeest Records. He suggested an album of slow, soft and relevant Afrikaans songs. After four months of production at the Sunset Studios in Stellenbosch, under the guiding hand of Jurgen von Wechmar, 'Suitcase Vol Winter' was released. Although many of Stellenbosch's finest musicians helped with the album, it was mostly Piet Botha's labour of love and was very different to his previous work with Raven and Jackhammer.

The 12 songs on this album are acoustic-based, laid back and emotional. Botha wrote all the songs (with the exception of Valiant Swart's 'In Die Transvaal' and the Koos Kombuis written-and-sung 'Gipsey In Jou Oe') and delivered the finest vocal performance of his career with ballads like the beautiful and sad 'Van Tonder' and the reflective title track. Along with Swart, Kombuis and Koos du Plessis, Piet Botha was responsible for establishing Afrikaans as a competitive rock music "taal" again. These sensitive and narrative songs cover all those SA subjects that had affected Piet Botha as a South African growing up in the apartheid-era. From the Anglo-Boer and Border wars ('Goeienag Generaal'), life, death and politics to wives, film stars and "the road", Botha covers all these relevant topics with strong lyrics, steady and sympathetic backing and a wide range of feelings that leaves this album up there with the best from Koos Kombuis and Valiant Swart.

The other artists appearing on this album are Jorik Pienaar (drums), Jason Phillips (bass), Johnathan Martin (guitars, cellos and vocals) Piet en sy pa, Pik - click for bigger picture -- photo by Hannes Pieterse as well as Koos Kombuis, Valiant Swart and Brenda Pieterse. While it must be mentioned that Piet is the son of the long-serving Nationalist Party Foreign Affairs minister, Pik, it should also be said that Piet Botha's alternative career certainly puts paid to that old Afrikaans cliché, "Die appel val nie ver van die boom af nie". A great SA artist and album.
-- Stephen Segerman



Discography

  • Wheel Of Fortune (single)
  • Bushrock 1
  • Horings Op Die Stoep (EP)
  • Jack Of All Trades
  • The Judas Chapter
  • Ghosts On The Wind
  • Death Of A Gypsy
  • Suitcase Vol Winter
  • Jan Skopgraaf
  • Anthology
  • Bootleg (live)
  • Die Hits
  • Die Mamba
  • Live At The Nile (live)
  • The Pilgrim
  • TuksFM Sessions
  • Highway 13
  • Handful Of Rain

  • Piet Botha The Early Years
    (Raven, Wildebeest)
  • Piet Botha Solo
  • Jack Hammer
  • Compilations (Various)
  • Sessions & Collaborations
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