Golden Earring has a special place in the history of Dutch rock music and delights with phenomenal statistics. For 50 years of creative activity, the group toured North America 10 times, released more than three dozen albums. The final album, Tits 'n Ass, reached number 1 on the Dutch hit parade on the day of release. It also became the top seller in the Netherlands.
The Golden Earring group continues to perform in Europe, gathering full halls of loyal fans.
1960s: Golden Earring
In 1961, in The Hague, Rinus Gerritsen and his best friend George Kuymans decided to create a musical group. They were later joined by guitarist Hans van Herwerden and drummer Fred van Der Hilst. They originally called themselves The Tornadoes. But having learned that there is a group with the same name, they chose The Golden Earrings.
In the middle of the decade, the composition changed. Franz Krassenburg (vocalist), Peter de Ronde (guitarist) and Jaap Eggermont (drummer) became the new members of the band. In the same year, The Golden Earrings found their first success with the song Please Go. The single "That Day" reached number 2 in the Dutch charts, behind the hit Michelle by The Beatles.
While the group was conquering the charts, its composition was undergoing changes. De Ronde went first, then Eggermont. Vocalist Franz Krassenburg has been replaced by Barry Hay. The newcomer, originally from India, was fluent in English. This was an additional advantage over other Dutch teams.
In 1968, the group debuted at number 1 on the Dutch charts with the excellent single Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong. And finally it began to be called Golden Earring.
The very next year, the musicians went on tour to America. There they performed with Led Zeppelin, MC5, Sun Ra, John Lee Hooker and Joe Cocker. Later that year, the band returned to the States to "promote" the Eight Miles High album. It was released in America by Atlantic Records.
1970s: Golden Earring
Thanks to the first two American tours, the musicians had a lot of new ideas musically, visually and technically. With the arrival of drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk in 1970, the classic line-up became permanent.
The album of the same name is also known to fans as "The Wall of Dolls". He proved with perfect sound that Cesar Zuiderwijk is the missing piece of the puzzle.
In 1972, Golden Earring toured with The Who. Inspired, the band recorded the disc Moontan (one of the best albums in the biography). Thanks to energetic and daring hard rock, the musicians found great success in the Netherlands, then in Europe and the USA.
The single Radar Love conquered the Billboard chart and subsequently became the group's main hit. Cover versions of the hit have been recorded by many artists, including U2, White Lion and Def Leppard.
The album Switch (1975) with short songs, keyboard mood and progressive tunes received positive reviews from critics. But commercially it was unsuccessful.
The following year, the band released The Hilt, which was also unsuccessful. Later guitarist Elko Gelling joined the band. He used to work with the Dutch blues rock band Cuby + Bizzards. His contributions can be heard on the energetic, guitar-oriented album Contraband.
The album was released in North America, but with a different title Mad Love and a different track listing.
The band's tour of America continued, but it was not possible to regain its former success. Then the group decided to return to their homeland, choosing the "back to the roots" approach in their work. This is the recipe for a strong album - no famous producers and promises, just an ordinary studio and constant work. Weekend Love was another national hit for the band, ending the decade on a positive note.
1980s bands
Then came the first album of the new decade, Prisoner of the Night. Golden Earring was an exciting rock band, especially on stage. But not everything was so great behind the scenes.
The group even seriously thought about ending their career. The musicians decided to record a traditional rock album. And in 1982 the collection Cut was released. The Golden Earring team again sounded lively, inventive and modern. With the music video for Twilight Zone, directed by Dick Maas, they returned to America.
Thanks to the new MTV channel, the group's popularity increased. And the musicians again went on tour in the United States. There was no more talk of a breakup.
The second youth was marked by the album NEWS (1984) and the hit When The Lady Smiles. The video for the hit was so scandalous that MTV only aired it at night.
This was followed by three more albums, successful tours and focus on the domestic market. In 1986, the group performed a concert for a significant number of fans. 185 thousand "fans" came to listen to their favorite band on the Scheveningen beach.
In the final year of the decade, Golden Earring released the concept and timely Keeper of the Flame. It reflected the changes in Berlin, where the wall that divided the country into two opposing camps was destroyed.
1990-ies
The first album of the new decade, Bloody Buccaneers, was another convincing work of the group, enthusiastically received by fans. The main hit of the album is the rock ballad Going to the Run. It is dedicated to a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. As well as a friend of the group who died in an accident shortly before.
Soon the Love Sweat collection was released - a compilation of cover versions of famous musicians on many songs of the Golden Earring group. The collection is notable for the song of the Aria group "Careless Angel". It is a cover version of the Dutch hit Going to the Run.
The following year, the group's grandiose acoustic concert was broadcast on national television. The album with the recordings of the show (the circulation was more than 450 thousand copies) became one of the most successful releases in the history of the group.
New Millennium
The beginning of the 2000s was marked by the recording of the Last Blast of the Century album. It included the greatest hits of the group in its entire history. In 2003, the band traveled to the US to record a studio album with musician and friend Frank Kirillo.
Golden Earring returned home with Millbrook USA, named after the village where the recording studio is located. The straight-forward album perfectly captures the band's creativity and unwavering commitment to sincerity.
In 2011, the band celebrated 50 years of creative activity by recording a new album at The State of The Ark studio with producer Chris Kimsey, known for his work with The Rolling Stones.
Critics were unanimous in positive reviews for the album. Tits 'n Ass has been released both digitally and on vinyl. He took 1st position in the Dutch charts and became the leader in sales.
Now the group's performances attract different generations of fans. Concerts and albums are a testament to the status of Golden Earring as the main rock band in Holland. And also a magnificent example of successful creative longevity.
