Tokoloshe Man

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"Tokoloshe Man"
Single by John Kongos
B-side"Can Someone Please Direct Me Back to Earth"
Released1971
GenreGlam rock
Length3:50
LabelFly BUG14
Songwriter(s)John Kongos
Producer(s)Gus Dudgeon
John Kongos singles chronology
"He's Gonna Step on You Again"
(1971)
"Tokoloshe Man"
(1971)
"Ride the Lightning"
(1975)

"Tokoloshe Man" was a 1971 UK hit single by John Kongos, released on Fly Records.[1] It stayed in the UK Singles Chart top 10 for five weeks, peaking at number 4.[2][3] Kongos' previous single release was "He's Gonna Step on You Again", another number 4 UK chart hit.[3]

"Tokoloshe Man" was covered by Happy Mondays. It featured on the 1990 Elektra compilation album, Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary.[4]

Meaning[edit]

The word Tokoloshe refers to the mystical beast of the same name in African mythology, which is thought to terrorise and eat people at night.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "John Kongos– Tokoloshe Man". Discogs.com. 5 November 1971. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Official Charts Company - John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man". Archive.is. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  3. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 306. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ Dan Heilman. "Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  5. ^ McNab, Chris (2007). Mythological Monsters. New York: Scholastic Corporation. ISBN 978-0-439-85479-5.