Radio Rats -1979 Loyd Ross, Dave Davies, Jonathan Handley, Herbie Parkin (Back) and Pierre De Sade Live at His Majesty's - 1979

HOT NEWS!! Into The Night We Slide has just been re-released on cd (November 2002, RetroFresh, freshcd) with all the frills of remastring with digital technology!!!

(The original 16-track tapes were recycled ie. used for something else, most probably some soundtrack for a documentary that no-one watched and everyone forgot. The same fate was accorded to all local acts appearing on SABC-TV, a crime for which no-one dares take responsibility. If anyone has a copy of any of these shows, let me know.)

A Short History

The Rats were formed in 1977 by Jonathan and Dave. The first bassist left the band for a career in banking, which left the job open to Herbie. Trying out all shapes and sizes of drummers they played discos(!) and Sessions (whatever happened to sessions?) around the East Rand, gathering a minimal crowd of poxy fans, mostly friends and family forced into attending.
A few demos in 1978 led to a contract with Jo'burg records and the first "punk" LP in South Africa, the legendary "INTO THE NIGHT WE SLIDE". A single "Z-X Dan" made it to number two on the Radio 5 Charts and the band where set for great things.
Alas, this was not to be. The Rats soldiered on for a few years, recording three more singles and then packed it in for the first time in 1983. They reformed in 1990 to record the "Big beat" L.P. on Shifty records and have since recorded "Third Street", and "Radio Rats IV".
If you spend time in the STORY pages, you'll read a subjective history of the Rats, which is always under construction.
Jonathan has been recording the whole time under various pseudonyms and disguises, including about six tapes (and I mean 60 minute tapes) of songs as THE GLEE CLUB. They can be purchased by contacting him at

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