Break away - Bill van Dijk

Although Bill van Dijk wasn't very successful at the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Jij en ik', he still recorded the song in English. It's even more remarkable when you think the single wasn't even a hit in the Netherlands, the country he represented.

The song was composed by Dick Bakker and the lyrics were written by Liselore Gerritsen, a Dutch singer and songwriter who died last year on 25 November 2020, aged 83. Bill van Dijk went on to become a successful performed in musicals.

My collection: 7" single no. 6415
Found: Ebay, received 15 July 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Break away' / 'Blame it all on love'

Jij en ik - Bill van Dijk

Willem Edsger van Dijk was born in Rotterdam on December 22, 1947. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After graduation he acted in various musicals in the Netherlands, where the genre was still in its infancy. Next to his acting he also made a name for himself in music: performing live with the Skymasters and the Metropole Orkest for radio and television in the Seventies and Eighties.

In 1982 he represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Jij en ik' ('You and me'). It was not a successful performance: he ended up in 16th place out of 18 participants. As a result, the single did not reach the charts in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 3743

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Jij en ik' / 'Leven is'