Over ten years ago I ran a parallel blog to this one, dedicated to sharing some of the best pop/rock hit singles of the seventies made by Dutch acts. That blog has long gone the way of the dodo, but I'm reviving it for the new lay-out of my art blog. There will be a number of posts, each containing twelve songs by different acts, in chronological order within one post. I will also be restricting myself in three aspects: no songs that were huge hits in the UK and/or USA, maximum four songs total for each act spread out over the various posts, and each song scores at least a 4/6 on the Artrockometer. The illustrations will be the original singles covers if I can find them, and each song description will end with a little symbol that links to the corresponding YouTube video (if available). The image above is by Rudy van der Veen and is in the public domain. OK... enjoy!
Back Home by Golden Earring (1970)
Golden Earring (originally The Golden Earrings) were a rock band from the Hague. Their music was mainly melodious rock with progressive tendencies. They were one of the most successful Dutch bands, scoring international hits with Radar Love (1973) and Twilight Zone (1982). Their successes in the Netherlands were astonishing: 47 top40 hits from 1965 until 2005, 22 of which made the top10, and five the number one spot. One of these number one hits was Back Home.
One Way Wind by The Cats (1971)
The Cats were one of the most successful pop groups from the Netherlands. They hail from the tiny fishing village of Volendam near Amsterdam, and inspired so many others from there to start a band, that the name Palingsound (Eel Sound) was coined for this particular style of radio-friendly music by groups from Volendam. From 1966 until 1985 they scored 36 hits in the Dutch top40, five of them reaching #1. One Way Wind made #3 but it is one of their most successful hits, with substantial chart successes in Germany and other European countries as well.
Radio by Supersister (1972)
Supersister were a jazz-influenced progressive rock band from The Hague. They recorded some of the best Dutch albums of the era, and had a number of small hits as well. This is one of two that made the Dutch top 40, topping at #21. It is a very unusual song, starting with a very melodious up-tempo section, and then at the 2:30 mark, when you think it's going to end, it switches gears to a spoken section with weird lyrics against a bizarre music background. I love it.
Big Fat Mama by Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers (1973)
Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers were a rock and roll band from Arnhem, led by Arnie Treffers. From 1973 until 1978 they scored ten top40 hits, including one that went to the #1 spot. Big Fat Mama is my personal favourite from this band, and pretty representative for their uncomplicated style. It made #11 in the charts.
Hit the Big Time by Catapult (1974)
Catapult were a glamrock band from Leiden and Katwijk. They scored seven top40 hits from 1974 until 1976, and had another success in 1980 after changing their name to The Monotones. Hit the Big Time was their first success - the single topped at #16 in the charts.
Love of Life by Earth and Fire (1974)
Earth and Fire were a band from the neighborhood of The Hague. Their albums were clearly progressive rock, but their singles were radio friendly and highly successful. In the period from 1970 until 1983 they scored 18 top40 hits, including two that made it to number one. Love of Life just failed that, peaking at number two. One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands.
The Opera by Dizzy Man's Band (1975)
Dizzy Man's Band from Zaandam were a unique feature in the Dutch pop scene with their fun songs - although there was a lot of musicality behind the farce. They managed 15 top40 hits in the period from 1970 until 1978. The Opera was their biggest hit (#2 in the charts). I like to post this in the Talk Classical forum once in a while to see the reactions.
House for Sale by Lucifer (1975)
Lucifer were a pop group from Zaandam, led by singer/keyboard player Margriet Eshuijs. They had four top40 hits between 1975 and 1977. House for sale, composed by the American duo Gloria Sklerov and Harry Lloyd, was their first hit and their most successful one, topping at #4,
The Alternative Way by Anita Meyer (1976)
Anita Meyer is a Dutch singer, hailing from Rotterdam. In the period from 1976 until 1993 she scored 16 solo hits in the Dutch Top40, two of which went to the number one spot. One of these two was her debut single The Alternative Way. The song was written and produced by Sandy Coast's lead singer Hans Vermeulen, who also had considerable vocal contributions on this song.
Alie by Normaal (1977)
Normaal was a rock band from the Achterhoek, the South East part of the province Gelderland. At the time that they started (1977), singing rock music in Dutch was extremely unusual - and to be fair, they did not sing in Dutch either, but in the local dialect of the Achterhoek. They had a long career, scoring 46 top40 hits in the period 1977-2005. Alie was their second single, topping at #12 in the top40. A straightforward rocking love song, and my personal favourite from this band.
Kayuta Hill by Partner (1978)
Partner were a short-lived band from Limburg. Kayuta Hill was their only hit, topping at #23. I always thought this was an underrated song, a wonderful piece of Americana that no other Dutch band could have made.
Disco Really Made It by Gruppo Sportivo (1979)
Gruppo Sportivo were a New Wave band from The Hague. They scored three top40 hits in the years 1978-1979. This is their last succes - and their greatest, topping at #11. A protest song against the disco trend (Disco really made it - It's empty and I hate it!).
💻Copyright statement: posting lower quality single covers is deemed fair use.
