Timebox live. Hoofdorp C., Thursday 16 October 2025

Photo: Wout de Natris

Dutch pop music 1964-1974? That contains a lot of music, very different music and a distinct growth from beat to symphonic rock. It contains songs that were hits across the world, though always incidental and not structural and it contains 'Venus' that was a number one hit in three different versions and may have made Robbie van Leeuwen the richest musician of his generation. Dutch pop music 1964-1974? This era may simply contain the best songs having come from this country. So, here we go.

When I learned at a solo performance Diederik Nomden played at the Phil in Haarlem in late summer that he had a new project called Timebox and played his favourite song from it, 'True Love That's A Wonder', My Love and I knew we had to get some tickets. And were we in for a treat.

After the show, I wondered: had I been a Timebox member, would I have made a much different choice of songs? Many were very obvious choices and a few real surprises. With some I might have preferred another song from that particular band. But overall? No, I don't think so.

First a fact. The Analogues stopped performing at the end of last year, with the 'Let It Be' and 'Abbey Road' show. Five members decided to continue in a new format, Timebox. So, Jac Bico, Felix Maginn, Jan van der Mey, Diederik Nomden and replacement drummer Kees Schaper were on stage with Ralph Mulder and guest singer Josephine van Schaijk. With news flashes from the era played in the old-fashioned tinny sound of the time, the band came on stage and started with one of the weirdest songs from the Nederbeat era, but one of my all time favourites, 'Ik Heb Geen Zin Om Op Te Staan'. For me there was no way this evening could go wrong after this song. The sound was superb, the whole evening long. Maginn, who played mostly bass, played these fantastic parts that I had never really noticed before. In 'She Likes Weeds' the guitar lines Jac Bico played gave the song a super rock and roll feel in an already very nice poppy tune. Of course I had heard these lines before, but just never like this. The details in all songs were so obviously present. It made me want to hear the originals immediately to get those details in there.

So many good songs came by. I am not going to mention them all. Should you be inspired to go, there's still the element of surprise for you. I will share a personal memory or two.

Photo: Wout de Natris

The oldest songs played were all from (a few years) before my time. When did I hear them for the first time? There's no telling any more in most cases. But not for Boudewijn de Groot's 'Testament'. Friends of my parents where I stayed regularly in the first half of the 1970s, had the 'Land Van Maas En Waal' single. The B-side is 'Testament'. I remember it so vividly and the impact the song had on me. Or 'Hair' by Zen. I had just discovered the Top 40 in the fall of 1968, got the leaflet every Thursday after school and listened to the radio show. A song entered on #40 and it sort of exploded in my mind. Not unlike 'Summertime Blues' by Blue Cheer did in spring 1968, without me at that point in time having knowledge of something called the Top 40. Later I learned that Veronica had put the single on that spot without it having any sales. For a positive or a commercial interest reason? Who cares? History was made. Three or four weeks later it was number 1. And it just stayed in the charts. With the nickels and dimes I received as pocket money I saved and saved and in the final week of the 22 week chart run of 'Hair' I could finally purchase it for 4,50 guilders, which was a huge amount for a school kid. I still love playing the song.

Two of the songs we have played/still play with my band, Sweetwood. I was the singer of the former, Cuby + Blizzards best known song, and received the compliment that my rendition was not behind what we heard in Hoofdorp. It was nice to hear, as I do not often receive compliments for my singing voice. The compliment came from our "Mariska Veres" and no, we do not do 'Venus', but my absolute favourite of Shocking Blue. It pleased me a lot to hear it live from such a good band. (I'm afraid that Timebox is better than all the bands from the era were live at the time. Except for Kayak, not on the show, in 1974 I have not seen a single one at the time, so do not truly know. It's just a gut feeling I have.)

If you ask me about albums and what was my first? I remember getting a compilation album of Dutch bands in 1969, 'Their Greatest Hits'. The best song on that album was played, a song by Brainbox. I had sort of forgotten about the album and always mention 'Coz I Luv You' an album by Slade. Funnily enough that album does not seem to exist. Try and find it on Wikipedia. One that followed very soon was 'Tee-Five Tee-Set', a compilation of five years of hits. It contains one of the weirdest songs in Dutch pop history, when the band went psychedelic. I loved it as a child because of all the weird sounds and all. Today I have to concede that it is not a very good song, unlike 'Ma Belle Amie' and the already mentioned 'She Likes Weeds' are. But, this song was released months before Small Faces' 'Lazy Sunday', a far better song. Both are highly original.

No matter how good some of the music made today is, for some reason it doesn't compare for me to the pop, beat and everything after music from roughly this era. Despite not having been consciously present for all of the years, based on the love for what came after let's say from late 1966, when I started to notice new music people slightly older than I was listened to and from 1968 starting to have something like my own favourites, the few years before fell easily into its place. There was not a song I did not know. Only one by Rob Hoeke I knew marginally. (You almost have the title this way.)

Timebox are musicians with a lot of experience but if anything shone through, it was their love for this music and the fun they have playing this music together. Most people were even older than I am and they come out to hear the favourites from their youth, in droves. And which song would I have added? I think 'Maybe Tomorrow Maybe Tonight' by Earth & Fire. Hearing that other big hit was already more than satisfying though. It may be there best.

I have one question left. Were there any songs from 1964 and from 1974? I don't think so. Herman Kuiphof's most famous quote from 1974 was there sure enough. Luckily enough the audience in Hoofdorp did not "tuin" in it. We got the best on offer in 2025.

Timebox still tours extensively with this programme and returns later next year with a tour of Britpop from the same era. This is going to be so good as well.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

Here is the touring schedule:

https://gvproductions.nl/artiesten/timebox/