HOTLINE

GENRE: African Crossover

MEMBERS: Penelope Jane Dunlop AKA PJ Powers (vocals), Alistair Coakley (lead guitar),
George van Dyk (bass guitar), Patrick van Rensburg (drums), Geoff Sedgwick (keyboards),
Ron "Bones" Brettell (keyboards), Eric Mann (drums), Larry Rose (drums), Guido Maibaum (bass guitar) & Sheldon Thomas (keyboards).

DATES: 1980 through to 1987

DISCOGRAPHY: BURNOUT (1981) MFM Records (catalogue number ML456),
HELP (1982) MFM Records (catalogue number ML4654), MUSIC FOR AFICA (1983) MFM Records (catalogue number FML 1001), JABULANI (1984) MFM Records (catalogue number FML 1003), WOZANI (1985) MFM Records (catalogue number FML 1007), CURRENT (1986) MFM Records (catalogue number FML 1010), JIVE(1987) MFM Records (catalogue number FML1015), THE BEST OF PJ POWERS & HOTLINE - 16 GREATEST HITS (1991) MFM Records (catalogue number PJCD3000) - still available!

SINGLES TO REMEMBER: Jabulani, Feel So Strong (with Steve Kekana) & Music For Africa (with Margaret Singana)

Alistair Croakley's son Andrew maintains his website: http://www.hitmanmusic.co.za. Alistair not only played guitar for Hotline but also produced some of their finest work and his studio continues to churn out hits and some of the finest jingles (Vodacom's Sieze The Moment).

Andrew contributed this:
My Dad is still very much in the music business. He is also still a great guitarist (in my opinion at least). He has run his own studio for many years now and trades under the name Hitman Music. He does a lot of work for the advertising industry and also produces and collaborates on various albums. After Hotline, he played with Stimela, Vinny and the Viscounts, The Rock Rebels and most recently plays with The Vipers. This is not a complete list though - it is all that I can remember. He's so busy that I can't even keep track of his work. He plays in the Strictly Come Dancing band every year, so you can see him on the reruns (front right) - this is one of his fun gigs. He was also involved in the Starfish Foundation album and the Spirit of the Great Heart remake. You can see/hear some of his jingles at the Hitman Music site.

Penny (PJ) is still also very active in music. There's a lot of info available about her on Google (I checked a while back) as she still has such a high profile in the S.A. music business. She's the ambassador for many charity organisations. Unfortunately, I missed an opportunity to see her last December when she was down in Durban visiting her family.

George (van Dyk) emigrated with his family to England and then to the U.S.A., where he lives now. I have no idea what he does for a living now - but I understand that he is still involved in music in some way or another.

Bones (Bretell) is also still active in music in S.A. He also has his own music production business - Mathambo Music http://www.mathambo.com/composers.html, if I recall correctly. So he also does production, jingles, corporate music, etc.

Patrick (van Resburg) is apparently a game ranger in Northern KZN (!). Quite a change from the music business.

Useless info - There was a reunion of the Hotline members a few weeks ago in Johannesburg - for the first time in many years.