A question.
What in your opinion is the best rock or pop song to come out of Holland?
I live in the east coast Port City of Hull which runs an overnight passenger and freight ferry to and from Rotterdam and so you could say that for those returning to the UK the best thing to be heard coming out of Holland would be the song playing on their media player when setting sail.
I admit that, when the theme of music of Dutch origin came to mind, I did struggle to put together a shortlist.
There are the obvious contenders who have stormed the world with their particular style but then again I can say, hand on heart and swearing on the lives of my nearest and dearest that I have never bought or owned a record by Father Abraham and The Smurfs.
As a tenous link to the Netherlands one of their famous musician sons was Eddie Van Halen although technically he did leave with his family for America at the age of 7. His influences are more likely to have been experienced Stateside rather than dyke-side.
Every country on earth has at least one pop and rock legend who is of megastar status within its own borders but is incapable of breaking out and enjoying fame and fortune on other shores. The likes of Johnny Halliday (France), Shaking Stevens (UK) and for Holland, Herman Brood are good examples (letters of complaint from respective Fan Clubs will be responded to).
In the metrosexual climate of Europe a few individuals have just been adopted without consideration of their nationality. A prime example of this being the clubland, electro-pop and DJ Armin Van Buuren.
Eccentricities of a nation can be reflected in some of its music output. The rock classic, Hocus Pocus by the Dutch prog-rock group Focus is perhaps the most full on bonkers sound but never fails to get me to fire up my air guitar and roll about laughing at the yodelling vocals.
By a process of elimination I have arrived at perhaps the top contender for the definitive rock and pop song from Holland. The song is Radar Love. It was co-written for the 1973 album, Moontown by George Kooymans and Barry Hay, members of Golden Earring.
It was not an instant global hit, only reaching the number one hit parade position on home ground and strangely in Rhodesia but yet everyone must be able to recognise the distinctive slow rift start, punchy rhythm and high tempo beat behind snappy and repetitive lyrics.
The song, quite long at one second over five minutes soon began to appear on compilation albums and particular those with a car driving theme. It has been voted on many occasions as best driving soundtrack and for this reason it has become firmly entrenched in the public consciousness.
It is also regularly featured in media from movies such as Wayne's World, Pushing Tin and The Break Up and on television including at least two appearances on The Simpsons, and as background music on the X-Files, Six Feet Under, My Name is Earl and of course, Top Gear.
Golden Earring almost single handedly created Dutch Rock history in the 1970's. Other artists have paid homage to the song with the first cover versions being heard as early as 1974 when the big band sound so characteristic of James Last brought out a rather tame, smoozy and mass appeal version.
Bands and performers touring Holland found Radar Love to be a real crowd pleaser and many shows were opened or closed to its strains by Def Leppard, REM, Carlos Santana, Thunder, U2, Crowded House, The Blue Man Group, Bryan Adams, Hanoi Rocks, New Model Army and Patti Smith.
The distinctive riffs and vocals will also be making their way across the universe having been associated with radio broadcasts to the NASA Space Station and Mars Pathfinder.
It might not be at all bad if a distant intelligent species first perception of the human race is the best and arguably most successful record to come out of Holland.
What in your opinion is the best rock or pop song to come out of Holland?
I live in the east coast Port City of Hull which runs an overnight passenger and freight ferry to and from Rotterdam and so you could say that for those returning to the UK the best thing to be heard coming out of Holland would be the song playing on their media player when setting sail.
I admit that, when the theme of music of Dutch origin came to mind, I did struggle to put together a shortlist.
There are the obvious contenders who have stormed the world with their particular style but then again I can say, hand on heart and swearing on the lives of my nearest and dearest that I have never bought or owned a record by Father Abraham and The Smurfs.
As a tenous link to the Netherlands one of their famous musician sons was Eddie Van Halen although technically he did leave with his family for America at the age of 7. His influences are more likely to have been experienced Stateside rather than dyke-side.
Every country on earth has at least one pop and rock legend who is of megastar status within its own borders but is incapable of breaking out and enjoying fame and fortune on other shores. The likes of Johnny Halliday (France), Shaking Stevens (UK) and for Holland, Herman Brood are good examples (letters of complaint from respective Fan Clubs will be responded to).
In the metrosexual climate of Europe a few individuals have just been adopted without consideration of their nationality. A prime example of this being the clubland, electro-pop and DJ Armin Van Buuren.
Eccentricities of a nation can be reflected in some of its music output. The rock classic, Hocus Pocus by the Dutch prog-rock group Focus is perhaps the most full on bonkers sound but never fails to get me to fire up my air guitar and roll about laughing at the yodelling vocals.
By a process of elimination I have arrived at perhaps the top contender for the definitive rock and pop song from Holland. The song is Radar Love. It was co-written for the 1973 album, Moontown by George Kooymans and Barry Hay, members of Golden Earring.
It was not an instant global hit, only reaching the number one hit parade position on home ground and strangely in Rhodesia but yet everyone must be able to recognise the distinctive slow rift start, punchy rhythm and high tempo beat behind snappy and repetitive lyrics.
The song, quite long at one second over five minutes soon began to appear on compilation albums and particular those with a car driving theme. It has been voted on many occasions as best driving soundtrack and for this reason it has become firmly entrenched in the public consciousness.
It is also regularly featured in media from movies such as Wayne's World, Pushing Tin and The Break Up and on television including at least two appearances on The Simpsons, and as background music on the X-Files, Six Feet Under, My Name is Earl and of course, Top Gear.
Golden Earring almost single handedly created Dutch Rock history in the 1970's. Other artists have paid homage to the song with the first cover versions being heard as early as 1974 when the big band sound so characteristic of James Last brought out a rather tame, smoozy and mass appeal version.
Bands and performers touring Holland found Radar Love to be a real crowd pleaser and many shows were opened or closed to its strains by Def Leppard, REM, Carlos Santana, Thunder, U2, Crowded House, The Blue Man Group, Bryan Adams, Hanoi Rocks, New Model Army and Patti Smith.
The distinctive riffs and vocals will also be making their way across the universe having been associated with radio broadcasts to the NASA Space Station and Mars Pathfinder.
It might not be at all bad if a distant intelligent species first perception of the human race is the best and arguably most successful record to come out of Holland.
I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's a half past four and I'm shiftin' gear
When she is lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
Don't need no phone at all
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's a half past four and I'm shiftin' gear
When she is lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
Don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a wave in the air, radar love
The radio is playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strongThe Song itself
We've got a wave in the air, radar love
The radio is playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strongThe Song itself
The road has got me hypnotized
And I'm speedin' into a new sunrise
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
And I'm speedin' into a new sunrise
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky, radar love
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky, radar love
No more speed, I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
And the newsman sang his same song
Oh one more radar lover gone
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
And the newsman sang his same song
Oh one more radar lover gone
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky
We've got a light in the sky
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a thing that's called radar love
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