When on Friday 5 February George Kooymans, gitarist, co-vocalist and songwriter of Golden Earring (and Vreemde Kostgangers) announced to be too ill to ever perform again and later that same day singer Barry Hay announced the end of the band, as this a one-for-all, all-for-one band relationship. An unexpected end came to one of the longest lasting rock bands in history. At the age of 13 and 15 in 1961 George Kooymans and Rinus Gerritsen started a band that would become Golden Earrings and from late 1969 Golden Earring, because that would fit better in the U.S. after the band toured there for the first time. The end came without being able to choose a goodbye, most likely due to corona/covid-19, as in any other scenario some kind of goodbye could have been planned. Now it is simply totally uncertain and a horrible disease like ALS is extremely progressive.Golden Earring outside of The Netherlands is a band mostly, perhaps exclusively known for its 1973 hit 'Radar Love'. This undersells the band in a tremendous way, as it has a string of incredibly strong hit songs, spanning decades. Even the last single, released in 2019, 'Say When', is still more than just passable. Below a digital conversation takes place in which Wout is able to share his favourite Golden Earring(s) singles with Gary and Mark (and all readers of course), while they take a look at other bands as well.
As a small aside. In the second edition of WoNo Magazine in the early spring of 2001, Wo. wrote an article called "Everyone has his own Golden Earring". Even 20 years ago the band spanned such an era that many generations have had their own favourites, starting with teenagers in the mid 60, etc.
Wout, 5 February:
This
morning NL woke up to a shock to its musical heritage. There are bands
that exist for longer than I can remember, in the almost original line
up. Every once in a while, I can't help thinking: Who will be the first
to fall. In the case of Golden Earring we know today. It is songwriter,
guitarist, singer George Kooymans. He made it known that he is ill and
will not recover in a way ever to perform again. What his ailment is,
was not made known, but it sounds ominous. It sounds more like a neural
or muscle disease "will not recover allowing", but could be worse and
shorter. I do not know.
The
Earring is an institute over here. In action since 1961 with two of the
then five still present and the current line-up, minus two short lived
additions in the 1970s, since 1970. An incredible number of hits
spanning several decades to its name.
I
saw Kooymans perform, a week before the country went into lockdown in
March 2020. Not with Golden Earring but with Vreemde Kostgangers (Strange
Boarders), consisting of Boudewijn de Groot, Henny Vrienten and
Kooymans, writing in Dutch, which were Kooymans' first songs in the
Dutch language. Compared to the other two I noticed he looked old,
stooped. De Groot had announced his farewell from the stage the week
before this show. He couldn't stand the pre-performance nerves he had
any more. The tour was cancelled like all else was and De Groot promised
to postpone his retirement until after the Covid. Now it turns out that
it was his goodbye anyway, as another of the trio will not be able to
perform any more.
When
interested, let's start a conversation on the Golden Earring(s). This
gives me the opportunity to point you to my favourite Earring songs,
beside the worldwide popular song 'Radar Love', which btw made it to the
list of 10 "new" songs slated for a Sweetwood rendition, if we are ever
allowed to get together again that is.
I have heard 'Radar Love' played on
three continents so far. That is a rare feat for a Dutch rock band,
unlike the dance acts of this century.
Gary, 5 February:
Sad new indeed Wout!
Golden
Earring’s Radar Love was a favourite on radio playlists since the 1970s
and is even heard now and again on BBC Radio 2 even today! It shouldn’t
be forgotten that Golden Earring toured with Hendrix, Zeppelin and King
Crimson! Also worth noting that English singer Barry Hay joined in 1967 and I understand is still the band today? Wout, do you have their last album 'Tits ’N' Ass’ (2012 - a rather Spinal Tap title if I have ever heard one?) as I understand that made No1 in the NL? Many a time have I played air guitar in rock pubs over the years, although I have to be careful and very drunk to do that kind of thing now… 🤣
I note that the Thijs van Leer variant of Focus is still going strong and (intend) to tour the UK again later this year!
But what about other Dutch bands like Picture and Shocking Blue?
Mark, 6 February:Shocking Blue: the adorable lead singer Mariska passed away in 2006
with cancer and we eulogised the death also of the bassist Klaasje van
der Wal in one of our emails three years ago. The original drummer died
in the late 1990s so the only survivor of the original line-up is the
guitarist Robbie
van Leeuwen. He wrote Venus and most of the other original songs they
recorded. I've got Bananarama's cover of Venus but I still haven't got
round to getting a copy of the original. Amazingly Nirvana chose one of
his SB songs, Love Buzz, as their debut single and it was also included
on Bleach.
I
hadn't heard of Picture - did they make much of an impression in the
UK? - so I had to look them up. A lot of line-up changes over the years
but still doing their thing according to wikiheavypedia - and popular with metal fans here in Japan apparently. I wonder if Wout is banging his head as he reads this.
Mark, 8 February:
That is sad news about George Kooymans. You may have forgotten the
email I wrote at the time last year when I bought the RSD limited
edition of Radar Love. It's a superb piece of rock'n'roll but for me it
also brings back memories of my time working in Rotterdam and Schiedam
in the mid-70s when somebody I knew then had a copy which I recorded on a
cassette.
I
certainly do. Funny thing is, that I may own over 30, perhaps even over
40 Golden Earring(s) singles but not Radar Love and neither the band's
first #1 single in 1968, 'Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Ki-Dong', a song the band
hated so much later that it was never played live. How many bands can
afford not to play its first number one hit? Not that many is my guess. I
simply never run into them second hand. I still have a few to go
though, including some very nice ones, like 'I've Just Lost Somebody'.
Later
that fateful Friday Barry Hay, the singer, announced that the band
stops as well. The four members had a long-standing agreement that it
was together or nothing. Kooymans announced later that Friday it is ALS
he's suffering from, so my hunch was correct. Also, he indicated that
there was nothing left to say. In other words, please leave me alone.
Golden
Earring, to me, was a great singles band. I never gave much about its
albums. Not from the 60s, 70s or later. That makes it noteworthy, Gary,
that I did like 'Tits 'n Ass', from 2012. I never bought it, but
listened to it regularly at the time. Albums that I do like are 'To The
Hilt' and 'Against The Grain', albums that in general are not scored
well.
Where
singles are concerned, the band has a near endless string of hits, that
should have made it far more famous abroad than it did. I do have the
impression the band always followed international trends until it
settled into its own sound later into its career. From U.K. pop in the mid
60s, to psychedelia in 1967 and a mini opera late in 1968. From 1970
onwards only the band became a (classic) rock band, culminating in its
worldwide hit Radar Love and later 'Twilight Zone and 'When The Lady
Smiles'.
For all people not Dutch I'd recommend listening to the following songs.
The two early pop songs 'Please Go' and 'That Day'. Psychedelia:
'Sound of the Screaming Day' (the first with Barry Hay as singer) and
'I've Just Lost Somebody (the last lyric Rinus Gerritsen wrote for the band).
The horrible pop #1: Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Ki-Dong (just so you know)
The mini opera: 'Just a Little Bit of Peace in my Heart' (!!!!!!!!!!)
1969 ballad: Another 45 Miles
Rock:
Back Home (first single with Cesar Zuijderwijk), Holy Holy Life (my first GE single), She
Flies on Strange Wings (!!!!!!), Ce Soir, Sleepwalking, Bombay, Weekend
Love.
1980s: Twilight Zone, When the Lady Smiles, Quiet Eyes
1990s: Going to the Run (another ultimate ballad !!!!!)
In
the mid 90s the band got a new leash on life thanks to the unplugged
rage. Three albums that all sold well, the first turned out to become the best of its whole
career and it allowed the band to play unplugged for older fans in theatres next to the outdoor shows. It started a movement for all other
artists over here as well, as people come in droves in that setting. I went to one
of these shows and it was great fun.
The
last Earring show, as it turns out, was late in 2019. They had a hard
time selling out Ahoy in Rotterdam. With a little help from last minute
tv talkshow appearances they managed to.
As
I already wrote, I saw Kooymans on March 5 2020, a few days before the
lockdown with no inclination at all how legendary in hindsight that show
would become.
And
Gary, as to your question on Dutch bands, there isn't a single band
with the standing of Golden Earring in The Netherlands. All others
folded at some point. Shocking Blue in the mid 70s, when the big hits
had already stopped. Robbie van Leeuwen, who before Shocking Blue wrote the hits
for The Motions, started another band, Galaxy Lin, that scored a few
minor hits before he retired to his mansion or castle in Luxemburg. He
totally remained out of view in his retirement for decades. (The others
started to perform under the name of Shocking Blue for a while at
greatest hits shows.) Until 2019. A midweek tv show host decided to put a
spotlight on Shocking Blue with a cover of one of its songs by a modern
artist once a week. At the start he had Robbie van Leeuwen in the
studio, "for the first and the last time", as he said. It didn't do much
as a revival. This is the past and every once in a while one if the
songs may come by on the radio.
For
his most famous song, the one you can hear all over the world, 'Venus',
Van Leeuwen lifted its two main riffs from The Big 3's 'The Banjo
Song'. The fact that song is an alternate arrangement of 'Oh, Susannah',
may explain why the authors of 'The Banjo Song' arrangement never sued
in court. For the rest 'Venus' is a perfect pop single of course,
although I always liked 'Send Me A Postcard' so much more. (The 'Venus' story is not unlike Jimi Hendrix nicking the 'Hey Joe' arrangement.)
Picture? I have never even heard of the band. I truly have no clue.
Where
albums were concerned, I never bought a lot from Dutch bands at the
time, I never thought them to be good enough. Singles, yes, albums
incidentally. That changed in recent years. Currently we have a host of
young alternative rock bands that are able to take on the world, if they
knew how to. Perhaps the Dutch bureau for foreign investments has to
create some kind of awareness program.
Due
to our conversations, I did buy the first two Focus albums, two by
Earth & Fire, whose first single, 'Seasons' was penned by .... George Kooymans, and three Alquin albums, one left to go. You could try
out Brainbox, with Jan Akkerman before Focus, with the fantastic single 'Down Man' or the sympho jazzy
Solution, 'It's Only Just Begun'. 'Hair', yes from the musical, by Zen
is my absolute favourite rock single from NL. Finally, listen to
"Prikkebeen' by Boudewijn de Groot. The arrangement of that song is
fabulous.
To
come back to Golden Earring. That band was so much more than just
'Radar Love'. Try out a few of my tips and see what you find there.
Many thanks for all the Golden
Earring info as I'm certainly keen to add a couple of more singles to my
collection especially if they thunder along like Radar Love. I always
feel that if I have just the one record by an artist, it is not doing
fair justice to their contribution to music - and it is usually
interesting to play back to back records by the same artist. I'm grateful to know, though, that I need not risk going into my favourite record shop in Soho (Sister Ray on Berwick Street ) and asking if they've got a decent copy of Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Ki-Dong.
They'd probably say I was in the wrong shop and direct me round the
corner to Ann Summers on Wardour Street.
Focus
yes of course but we mustn't forget Alquin: remember you strongly urged
me - in Paris I think*? - to buy that rather scruffy but cheap copy of
Nobody Can Wait, the l.p. with the great surreal cover. I need to
replace that with a copy in concourse condition (as they say in the
world of classic cars).
Your reference to "The Big 3" threw me at first because I thought I knew the entire discography (it's not that long actually) of
the Merseybeat band of that name - "The Big Three" (sic) - who were
rated on the local Liverpool club circuit as serious rivals to The
Beatles at one point. Then I looked up The Banjo Song and found the info
on a contemporary folk trio including (Mama) Cass Elliott and Tim Rose.
Neither outfit survived long enough it seems to sue each other with
their prior claims to the name.
The
"big three" in Japan you might say were three guys who crested the wave
of early 1980s electronica as contemporaries of Kraftwerk. One member
later acted alongside David Bowie in a war film that you may recall
with a memorable soundtrack that he composed. I came across their eye
catching first album for sale in a Japanese coffee shop a few days ago.
In
perfect condition with the customary "obi strip" and Japanese lyric
insert, I couldn't resist it at 2,500 yen (though the coffee wasn't so
great actually!). The Yellow Magic Orchestra were a rare case of a
Japanese band making it "Big in Europe" (!) and I expect they must have
played in Holland on one of their tours. The YMO keyboardist and
soundtrack composer (The Last Emperor, The Revenant and of course the
haunting piano melody of Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence), Ryuichi Sakamoto is now enduring cancer treatment, as described in a recent, very moving documentary film about his life, [goog_447644119] Coda , which I recommend highly.
(* No, Mark, in my former hometown Leiden)
 |
Cesar, Rinus, Barry, George
|
Gary, 8 February:That is sad that Kooymans
is suffering from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease which is a
progressive nervous system illness that affects nerve cells in the brain
and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control) as for a musician it
will rob you of one of the most important part of your life?
As for not performing Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Ki-Dong, The Sweet had a
similar aversion and approach to not playing their first hits ‘Co-Co’,
‘Little Willy’ and ‘Wig-Wam Bam’ although a lot of that may have been
down to a dispute with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman? It was
obvious that The Sweet and Golden Earring both considered themselves
serious rock musicians rather than ‘Pop’…. I am therefore not surprised
that Barry Hay took an ethical/moral decision to announce the end of the
band.
I will defiantly look into your recommendations!
Wout, 8 February:Yes,
Gary, I can imagine Sweet no longer playing 'Coco', 'Poppa Joe' and
'Little Willy'. Wig-Wam-Bam though was the switch to the music that
defined the glam Sweet. Meaning in the Netherlands, Sweet ignored two
number one hits, the first was Funny, Funny, the second Poppa Joe.
Topping the Earring by one #1 hit not played. The third and final #1 was
Blockbuster.
Where
Venus is concerned, the song became a hit three times, once as Shocking
Blue (twice in NL after the song was re-released after it had peaked in
the US charts, both times peaking at #3), then as a part of the first
Stars on 45 single and finally Bananarama. In the U.S. all three versions
topped the charts. Venus is the only song able to state this. So now
you know why Robbie van Leeuwen was able to retire to his chateau in
Luxemburg.
The
Banjo Song riff, written by Tim Rose, was played on a clavinet by a
session musician, Cees Schrama, so not a member of Shocking Blue. He
improvised a little, he later stated, based on 'Watermelon Man' by
Herbie Hancock. That makes it the more baffling how much it sounds like
The Banjo Song. (Thank you Wikipedia, for that final information.)
Schrama defines a major part of the song, not unlike the organ part in 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. He was paid for the session, while he could
have shared a mansion as well, just like Tim Rose could have. The other
three Shocking Blue members also only saw money as performers. Van
Leeuwen truly knew what he was doing at the time, and admitted as much
later on.
Gary
Mark
Wout
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