Six String Razor – Mauritz Lotz

Six String Razor – Mauritz Lotz

Lovers of a good old work out on the electric guitar will certainly enjoy this track. With shades of heavy metal groups such as Iron Maiden and Scorpion mixing with the more AOR sounds of groups like Journey, Asia and Foreigner, this instrumental track is prefect for you. It is also a good one for would be air-guitar heroes.
Mauritz Lotz has not really been at the forefront of South African music, but is certainly a ‘back room’ muso of note not only having worked with the likes of Mango Groove, Johannes Kerkorrel and Lesley Rae Dowling locally but has also worked with international stars such as Chris de Burgh, Dave Matthews and Ice Cube. And it’s not too surprising when listening to ‘Six String Razor’, the title track from his 1990 album.
From the outset, you know you are going to ROCK!!!! There is that sort of scratchy, ominous rock intro that continues throughout the song, holding it together and keeping it grounded, allowing Lotz’s guitar to soar, race and yowl at will. And it does so in a way you that has you soaring, racing and yowling along with it.
‘Six String Razor’ is as crisp and clean as any shave that a razor company will tell you you can get. It gets close to your skin, but never irritates and leaves you feeling refreshed. I like it Lotz.
Where to find it:
Six String Razor – Mauritz Lotz (1990), Tusk, TUCD12

Grips Of Emotion – Lesley Rae Dowling

Grips Of Emotion – Lesley Rae Dowling (That Trapped Feeling)

Grips Of Emotion – Lesley Rae Dowling

Few artists announced themselves in such a dramatic fashion as Lesley Rae Dowling did. A scorching guitar intro followed by this sultry, enchanting voice and you were in the grips of emotion and of Lesley Rae. Written by Lesley and Tully McCully, produced by Tully, featuring the guitar skills of Jethro Butow, and with ‘The Spaniard’ as the other side of the single, it was no surprise that ‘Grips Of Emotion’ quickly found its way on to the Springbok Top 20. What was surprising
was that it peaked at a miserly number 11.

It is a further mystery that this was her only top 20 hit, despite 3 other songs (‘I Want To Dance With You’; ‘I’m A Woman’ and ‘Innocent Child’) charting on Radio 5 and (‘Give A Little’; ‘I’m A Woman’ and ‘When The Night Comes’) charting on the Capital 604 charts.

‘Grips…’ also seems to have become overshadowed by ‘The Spaniard’ as time has gone by with more people quoting the latter as Lesley’s best song, but for many of us, ‘Grips…’ was our introduction to Lesley Rae and, as good as ‘The Spaniard’ is, we will always prefer ‘Grips of  Emotion’.  Most of Lesley Rae Dowling’s back catalogue is now available on CD from Fresh Music – woo-hooo!

Where to find it:

CD: Lesley Rae Dowling/Unravished Brides – Lesley Rae Dowling (2011), Fresh Music, FRESHCD 149

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