Hold on - Bolland en Bolland

The Dutch brothers Bolland recorded a very American-sounding single in 1978, entitled 'Hold on'. I got to know the song because of a compilation album of 1978 hits which I got as a present in 1979, but the strange thing is: 'Hold on'was never a hit.

That's not to say it's a bad song: it could easily compete in the international charts at the time - but I think the record company never even tried this.

My collection: 7" single no. 4892
Found: Da Capo, Utrecht, May 28, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hold on' / 'Outlaws paradise'

Emma my dear - The Bolland Project feat. Colin Blunstone

Having released singles and albums as Bolland & Bolland and as Bolland throughout the Seventies and Eighties, Rob and Ferdi Bolland renamed themselves The Bolland Project for their 1991 album 'Darwin - the evolution'.

One of the tracks on the album was released as a single. It was the beautiful ballad 'Emma my dear', recorded with the aid of Colin Blunstone, who did vocal duties. The single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1665
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 13, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Emma my dear' / 'For a moment in time'

Spaceman - Bolland and Bolland

Bolland and Bolland started producing themselves with this single, and in a sense it's the start of a successful career as producers.

'Spaceman', released in 1978, reached number 14 in the Dutch Top 40 and remains their second biggest hit, after 'Wait for the sun', which reached number 11 in 1972.

My collection: 7" single no. 4257
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Spaceman' / 'Young girl'

And the world turns on - Bolland and Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland had become completely independent by the mid-Eighties. Originally performing artists, they started producing in the early eighties and even owned their own recording studio as well.

When they released one of their last singles in 1988, it had also become clear that they might have been in need of some outside advise. 'And the world turns on' is a nice enough song, but the production is so cluttered and the track is so full of sound effects, that there's hardly any song left. No wonder it didn't chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 702
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 17, 1988
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'And the world turns on (European mix)' / 'And the world turns on (USA mix)'

UFO (We are not alone) - Bolland and Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland enjoyed a handful of hit singles in the Netherlands during the Seventies, but this single, 'UFO (We are not alone)' was the beginning of a tough time for them. It was the first of many singles that wouldn't reach the charts. In fact, only one more single would do that - and that was in 1990.

This single was released in 1978, around the time when Jeff Wayne was enjoying lots of success with his 'War of the worlds' epic. The brothers could not profit from that success with this release.

My collection: 7" single no. 3856
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, July 18, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'UFO (We are not alone)' / 'Funkadelic man'

You're in the army now - Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland released their album 'The domino theory' in 1981. The single 'You're in the army now' was released as the first single from that album. In the Netherlands, this single did not chart, but in South Africa, where the two were born, the single peaked at number 9 in May 1982.

In 1986, the band Status Quo recorded the song on their album 'In the army now'. Their version peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1160
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 27, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'In the army now' / 'The Domino Theory theme'

Melodrama - Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland are famous in the Netherlands, mostly for their production work with Falco and others, but also for their successful singles in the seventies. Their biggest international hit, 'You're in the army now', ironically didn't chart in the Netherlands - and this single from 1979 befell a similar fate.

It's amazing when you read Dutch career overviews of Bolland & Bolland, because they simply ignore this single. Most articles state that 1979 was the year in which they started producing other artists (like for instance Sandra Reemer, who participated in that year's Eurovision Song Contest), but 'Melodrama' was released in 1979 as well. And I bought this single back then, because it was one of the few available for 3 guilders in the shop I went to almost weekly. And that was just about what I could afford...

My collection: 7" single no. 26

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Melodrama' / 'Showdown at sundown'

Download: here

Ten American girls - Bolland

'Ten American girls' was Bolland's last single to make the Dutch bubbling under chart. The two brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland didn't stop recording albums, but they were released as 'Bolland Project' or similar other names. The video of this single was on Dutch television regularly, and that is how I got to know it. When you see it now, it is typical eighties fare, but at the time it was a nice and humorous departure from the more serious videos back then.

I bought the single for discount price some time after it was out. Normally I'm not big on Dutch acts, but sometimes even I make an exception.

My collection: 7" single no. 451

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 1,95 guilders

Tracks: 'Ten American girls' / 'Night of the shooting stars'

Download: here

Heaven can wait - Bolland

The Dutch brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland have released many singles in the Netherlands, but they became more famous for their production work, amongst others with Austrian singer Falco. They became still more famous because of their song 'You're in the army now', which was covered by Status Quo in 1986. The original version was recorded in 1983 for Bolland's album 'The domino theory'.

The 12" single 'Heaven can wait' includes an extended remix of 'You're in the army now', and that was my reason for buying it. I didn't know the track 'Heaven can wait', which is on the A-side, and I have to say the B-side of this 12" single is superior. Or is it just me...?

My collection: 12" single no. 465

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2007

Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'Heaven can wait (extended version)' / 'You're in the army now (extended version)'

Download: here