This single had been on my wantlist for four or five years, and suddenly, earlier this month, one copy was offered for sale. Naturally I had to buy it. The single features a rather ugly single edit (fading out much earlier than the album version) and a beautiful B-side. It is certainly worth a listen, even if you don't understand Dutch.
My collection: 7" single no. 6788
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Tot bloedens toe' / 'Stormvogels'
The fourth single from Frank Boeijen's debut solo album 'Wilde bloemen' ('Wild flowers') was the track 'Onschuld' ('Innocence'). It was re-recorded in June 1992, which didn't help its chart performance incidentally: like the other three singles from the album, it didn't chart in the Netherlands.
Frank Boeijen recorded the track 'Twee gezichten' ('Two faces') together with Henk Hofstede from the Nits. It was released as the third single from Boeijen's debut solo album 'Wilde bloemen' ('Wild flowers').
Frank Boeijen recorded a new version of 'Ze geeft om mij' ('She cares for me'), a track from his debut solo album 'Wilde bloemen' ('Wild flowers') when it was released as the second single from that album. The track got an altogether 'warmer' sound.
After disbanding the Frank Boeijen Groep, frontman Frank Boeijen went solo. His first solo album was released a year after the last Frank Boeijen Groep album, so fans didn't have to wait for too long for new work from the singer.
Frank Boeijen had just decided to disband the group he'd worked with for the last ten years, when this single was released. The final live dates were still happening, and in a way, this single was a big farewell to all the fans. Hearts were broken, girls were weeping and the end of an era had come. Indeed, there was never another Frank Boeijen Groep single release after this.
'Onverstoorbaar' ('Unstirred') was one of the six new tracks on the Frank Boeijen Groep's 1990 live double cd, 'Hier komt de storm' ('Here comes the storm'). It was, however, the only new track to be recorded live, as the other five were recorded in the studio. Hence, no studio version of 'Onverstoorbaar' exists - but still the single was titled 'Onverstoorbaar (live)'.
While in the Netherlands a live version of 'Verjaardagsfeest' was released as the first single from the Frank Boeijen Groep's 1990 live album 'Hier komt de storm', the Belgian record company opted for 'Het antwoord' ('The answer'), the studio version of which was released as a single in 1983.
In 1989, the Frank Boeijen Groep released a live double cd, featuring 150 minutes of music. It was a recording of several concerts, during which many songs from their ten year career were played in often great arrangements. As an added bonus, the set also contained a handful of new tracks.
Songs about death are usually controversial: either people love them, or they loathe them. 'Zeg me dat het niet zo is' ('Say it isn't so') is one of those songs: the lyrics are quite vague, but the ending leaves nothing to the imagination: 'We doen alsof ze gewoon verder leeft / Zelfs als dat niet zo is' ('We pretend she still lives on / Even if it isn't so').
After having made a handful of albums with pop songs with romantic lyrics, the Frank Boeijen Groep were moving away from this image with their ninth album, 'Een zomer aan het eind van de twintigste eeuw' ('A summer at the end of the twentieth century'). The album featured mostly guitar-based tracks with lyrics about the world instead of lyrics about love and life.
In a way, the single 'De wereld' ('The world') was a charity singles. All the proceeds from the sales of this single were donated to the World Wildlife Fund. It wouldn't be a very big gesture, as in the end the single did not chart. All the band could give the WWF was 2500 guilders - which in itself is a nice sum, but not too shocking.
Frank Boeijen wrote a song about the people from the Dutch West-Indies, who were forced to come to the Netherlands while waiting for a free republic in their homeland. 'Heimwee gaat nooit over naar het land van onze dromen' ('Homesickness for the country of our dreams never ends') is the key sentence of this song's lyric.
The story goes, that when Frank Boeijen told the members of his group that he'd written a song called 'Hoe verschrikkelijk ik ben' ('How terrible I am') they made jokes about it. And it's true, there aren't that many songwriters that qualify themselves as 'terrible'.
The single was released in two different sleeves as well: the first edition featured a purple sleeve, whereas later editions (and the cd-single) featured a red sleeve. For no apparent reason, it has to be added.
The third and last single from the Frank Boeijen Groep's seventh album 'Welkom in Utopia' was 'Hier komt de storm' ('Here comes the storm'). The single version was heavily edited, which detracted a bit from the track. As a result, the single failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.
Circa 1987, Frank Boeijen had a much-publicized relationship with English television presenter Amanda Redington. 'Winter in Hamburg' could easily have been a description of a trip the two enjoyed together, but in interviews, Boeijen never spoke much about his personal life, so it's anyone's guess.
In 1987, the Frank Boeijen Groep released their seventh album 'Welkom in Utopia' ('Welcome in Utopia'). The album featured two title tracks: both titled 'Welkom in Utopia', the two tracks were very different from one another. Number one was the album's opening track, an uptempo track about social circumstances leading to desperate actions.
Although none of the singles from Frank Boeijen's debut solo album charted in the Netherlands, the record company still thought it might be good to try and launch his career abroad. Two songs, 'Koud in mijn hart' and 'Vaarwel' were translated in English by J. Balin and released on this single. It was released in some European countries, but not in the Netherlands.
