Spetters - Kayak

Although the name Kayak isn't mentioned on the front of this sleeve, the soundtrack for the Dutch movie 'Spetters' was indeed played by Kayak. They are credited on the back of the sleeve, as is composed Ton Scherpenzeel.

Anyone who has seen the movie 'Spetters' will know that the story centres around a group of young people, with sex, jealousy and motorcross playing a big part - and there's also a recurring appearance of various variations on the theme of homosexuality. It was the controversy surrounding Spetters that caused Verhoeven to leave for Hollywood, where he went on to because a hugely successful director.

The music on this single tends to be overlooked - it wasn't even a hit in the Netherlands even though the movie attracted more than a million viewers in the cinema - but listen to it here and you will find this is actually great even without the movie.

My collection: 7" single no. 5428
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Theme from 'Spetters'' / 'Lost blue of Chartres'

Still my heart cries for you - Kayak

'Still my heart cries for you' was Kayak's seventh single, a track taken from their 1976 album 'The last encore'.

The love song written by band member Pim Koopman was an atypical single. It has changes in tempo and atmosphere, making it quite inaccessible. As a result, the single failed to chart. Releasing any track from the album as a single seemed to be a desperate move from the record company since the album didn't contain any potential hit, since the band were into making quite intricate arrangements at that point.

My collection: 7" single no. 5130
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Still my heart cries for you' / 'Raid your own house'

Lyrics - Kayak

The Dutch rock band Kayak started in 1972, consisting of Ton Scherpenzeel, Pim Koopman, Max Werner, Jean Michel Marion and Johan Slager.

A year later they had their first chart hit: the single 'Lyrics', taken from their debut album 'See see the sun'. It reached number 20 in the Dutch Top 40. Kayak singles are pretty much impossible to find these days, so this one was a real catch.

My collection: 7" single no. 5129
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Lyrics' / 'Try to write a book'

Wintertime - Kayak

There is no denying that Kayak made some great rock music in the Seventies. And it was also hard to deny where they came from. On 'Mammoth' they had a street organ included in the music, on this single, 'Wintertime', an accordeon is part of the proceedings.

Released in September 1974, it became the band's third hit single, peaking at number 30 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 5115
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Wintertime' / 'Alibi'

See see the sun - Kayak

Kayak's 1973 single 'See see the sun' was taken from their debut album of the same name. It was actually their third single, but the first one to fail to reach the chart even in the Netherlands.

Finding a Kayak single these days is pretty hard, so I was really stunned to find this one for almost nothing. The quality of the disc isn't the best, as you can hear, but what do you expect, after 37 years?

My collection: 7" single no. 4838
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 8, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'See see the sun' / 'Give it a name'

Anne - Kayak

'Anne' was the only single from Kayak's album 'Periscope life' to become a hit in the Netherlands. And rightfully so, I should add: it's a beautiful track with a great melody, performed in style by the Dutch symphonic rockers.

Released in March 1980, 'Anne' reached number 26. The artwork on the sleeve was identical to the album sleeve, which makes it look a bit odd.

My collection: 7" single no. 4817
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Anne' / 'The sight'

Periscope life - Kayak

'Periscope life' was the title track from Kayak's 1980 album. The album yielded one hit single, 'Anne', but other singles taken from the album failed to reach the Dutch Top 40. This single is one of them.

The song was written by Ton Scherpenzeel, one of the main composers of the band. The single, like the album, sounded a lot poppier than Kayak's earlier work, which was more rock-oriented.

My collection: 7" single no. 4740
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, April 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Periscope life' / 'Astral aliens'

We are not amused - Kayak

The Dutch band Kayak was famous in the Seventies and early Eighties, but still their singles are very hard to find. So whenever I see one these days, I pick it up. In this case, I didn't even know the song - but I wasn't disappointed. Kayak makes very beautiful rock songs, sometimes with a hard edge, and sometimes it's just all peachy.

'We are not amused' was released in May 1975 and failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4739
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, April 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'We are not amused' / 'Serenades'

Phantom of the night - Kayak

By the end of the Seventies, the Dutch band Kayak were wellknown for their brand of symphonic rock, but that didn't mean they were consistently successful. Having had their first top 10 hit in February 1979 with 'Ruthless queen', two subsequent singles failed to chart.

The first of those two was 'Phantom of the night', the title track of their 1979 album. Personally, I'm more fond of the instrumental B-side, but having found this single is a miracle in itself: Kayak singles are very hard to come by these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 4629
Found: Deurmekaarspul, Den Haag, March 12, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Phantom of the night' / 'Ivory dance'

Starlight dancer - Kayak

Kayak singles have become hard to get, and even if they do pop up, it's usually the same titles. That's why I was quite excited to find this mint copy of 'Starlight dancer' - in Belgium, of all places.

'Starlight dancer' was the title track of Kayak's fifth studio album, released in 1977. The single was the biggest hit from the album, peaking at number 17 in the Dutch Top 40 and even brushing the lower regions of the American singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4180
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 8, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Starlight dancer' / 'Irene'

Total loss - Kayak

'Total loss' is a track from Kayak's 1980 album 'Periscope life'. Moving away from their rock roots after the ballad 'Ruthless queen' (1979), this single was a bit of a return to form: a straightforward rock track.

Unfortunately, the Dutch audience weren't impressed, as the single did not reach the chart. Their next single, 'Seagull', would become their last hit single.

My collection: 7" single no. 4040
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Total loss' / 'What's done is done'

Chance for a lifetime - Kayak

A few years ago, I saw a documentary on Kayak's 1975 album 'Royal bed bouncer'. I was very impressed with the music I heard. Nowadays, almost all music made in the Netherlands is substandard and pathetic, but this was rock music worthy of worldwide recognition.

I bought the cd not long after that, and I thought I would find singles from the album soon enough. I didn't actively search for them - and now I've finally found 'Chance for a lifetime'. It's one of the standout tracks from 'Royal bed bouncer', but it only reached number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.

By the way: the copy I bought was covered in dust and grease. I decided to wash it along with the dishes, and voila: the single is as good as new.

My collection: 7" single no. 4039
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Chance for a lifetime' / 'My heart never changed'

Seagull - Kayak

Kayak were extremely popular in the Netherlands during the Seventies, but they entered the Eighties with a lot of problems. Personnel changes and a lack of single hits caused the band to eventually break up.

Their last hit was 'Seagull', released in the spring of 1981. It reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. It sounded a lot like earlier songs by the band, and that may have contributed to their demise: the audience simply had enough.

My collection: 7" single no. 885
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Seagull' / 'The sword in the stone'

Ruthless queen - Kayak

After some personnel changes, the band Kayak, which had been going for 16 years, was working with a new lead singer, Edward Reekers, and for the first time with two female backing vocalists (Irene Linders and Katherine Lapthorn. Enormous success followed with the commercial-sounding single 'Ruthless queen' and its parent album 'Phantom of the night'.

'Ruthless queen' became the biggest hit of Kayak's career, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. For some time, Kayak was my favourite Dutch band, even though I was only eight years old.

My collection: 7" single no. 712
Found: All that music, Leiden, December 30, 1988
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Ruthless queen' / 'Ivory dance'

Want you to be mine - Kayak

The Dutch band Kayak formed in 1972. Their early single 'Mammoth' featured on this blog a couple of months ago. 'Want you to be mine' was released five years later, in 1978. It's a more straightforward rock song, sounding rather a lot like much of their work around that time.

I don't remember how I got to hear this song, but I know I was very impressed when I did. I went searching for the single and found it within a few months.

My collection: 7" single no. 850

Found: All that music, Leiden, May 27, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Want you to be mine' / 'Golddust'

Mammoth - Kayak

The Dutch rock band Kayak is not so well known outside of the Netherlands, but when you hear a track like this, you have to wonder why. Incorporating a street organ into a rock song is something that doesn't happen too often - and it sounds so well in this track, 'Mammoth'. It was the second song by Kayak to reach the Dutch Top 40, way back in 1973.

When I bought my copy of the single, I'd recently heard it again after a long time. I knew I had to have it and I seized the opportunity when it came up.

My collection: 7" single no. 1391

Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Mammoth' / 'Ballet of the cripple'

Download: Album 'See see the sun', including both tracks