Peter Koelewijn
Encyclopedia
Peter Koelewijn is a founding father of Dutch language
rock and roll
. Koelewijn is also a successful producer
and songwriter
for other Dutch artists. His most famous song is Kom van dat dak af ('Come Off That Roof').
Peter Koelewijn was born on the 29 December, the son of a fishmonger in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven. At the age of thirteen he received his first guitar. In 1957 he started writing his first songs in English
. He started his first band at secondary school with guitarists Karel Jansen and Roelof Egmond and singer Anneke Grönloh
. Later, Harry van Hoof
(who later became a famous conductor), and drummer Peter van der Voort, joined the band. Around the same time, Grönloh quit.
In 1959, the band, now called 'Peter And His Rockets', were joined by saxophone
player Klaus Buchholz and bass guitar
ist Karel Janssen. In December the band recorded Kom Van Dat Dak Af ('Come Off That Roof') for record company Bovema. The combination of American rock and roll and Dutch lyrics was unheard of at the time. In May 1960, Kom Van Dat Dak Af was a big success in both the Netherlands
and Belgium
. Koelewijn, who moved on to grammar school, was told by his parents that he had to finish his schooling. Peter and His Rockets signed to Philips
. The singles Laat Me Los ('Let Me Go') and Marijke were also hits, although less successful than Kom Van Dat Dak Af.
The Rockets were broken up and reformed three times. In 1967 Koelewijn decided to break up the band because of a lack of success. They went on tour again in 1971, and broke up again in 1975. In 1981, Koelewijn formed a new line-up of the Rockets with musicians from the band Bunny and released the live album Peter Live; they broke up again in 1997. In 2002, Peter and his Rockets kicked off a reunion tour of seven shows.
Koelewijn fronted the comedy group Gompie
in 1995.
In 1973, his composition, "Klap Maar in Je Handen" — translated as "Clap your Hands and Stamp your Feet" — was a no. 1 hit for South African singer Maria in South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where it is still very popular at dances.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Koelewijn is also a successful producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for other Dutch artists. His most famous song is Kom van dat dak af ('Come Off That Roof').
Peter Koelewijn was born on the 29 December, the son of a fishmonger in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven. At the age of thirteen he received his first guitar. In 1957 he started writing his first songs in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He started his first band at secondary school with guitarists Karel Jansen and Roelof Egmond and singer Anneke Grönloh
Anneke Grönloh
Louise Johanna Grönloh, is a female Dutch singer.-Life:Anneke was born in Tondano, North Celebes, Dutch East Indies and spent her early years in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies in a Japanese concentration camp...
. Later, Harry van Hoof
Harry van Hoof
Harry van Hoof is a Dutch conductor, composer and music arranger.Hoof has written many successful productions to his name already, he has his own production company and he had his first success as an arranger with "Sofie" by Johnny Lion.Hoof has conducted Dutch entries on 15 occasions for the...
(who later became a famous conductor), and drummer Peter van der Voort, joined the band. Around the same time, Grönloh quit.
In 1959, the band, now called 'Peter And His Rockets', were joined by saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player Klaus Buchholz and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Karel Janssen. In December the band recorded Kom Van Dat Dak Af ('Come Off That Roof') for record company Bovema. The combination of American rock and roll and Dutch lyrics was unheard of at the time. In May 1960, Kom Van Dat Dak Af was a big success in both the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Koelewijn, who moved on to grammar school, was told by his parents that he had to finish his schooling. Peter and His Rockets signed to Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
. The singles Laat Me Los ('Let Me Go') and Marijke were also hits, although less successful than Kom Van Dat Dak Af.
The Rockets were broken up and reformed three times. In 1967 Koelewijn decided to break up the band because of a lack of success. They went on tour again in 1971, and broke up again in 1975. In 1981, Koelewijn formed a new line-up of the Rockets with musicians from the band Bunny and released the live album Peter Live; they broke up again in 1997. In 2002, Peter and his Rockets kicked off a reunion tour of seven shows.
Koelewijn fronted the comedy group Gompie
Gompie
Gompie is a Dutch band in Nijmegen, which in 1995 edited the Smokie hit "Living Next Door to Alice", adding the words "Alice, Who the fuck is Alice!?". The song reached number 17 in the UK and number 1 in the Netherlands...
in 1995.
In 1973, his composition, "Klap Maar in Je Handen" — translated as "Clap your Hands and Stamp your Feet" — was a no. 1 hit for South African singer Maria in South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where it is still very popular at dances.
Discography
- New Country Love Songs. In collaboration with Grant & Forsyth. 2001
- Out Of Africa. Koelewijn assists Belgian singer Helmut LottiHelmut LottiHelmut Lotti , is a Flemish Belgian tenor and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in several styles and languages: Once an Elvis impersonator, he has sung African and Latino hit records, and he crossed over into classical music in the 1990s.-Life and music:The son of Luc Lotigiers and Rita Lagrou,...
in making Lotti's album of South African songs. 1999 - Het Album ('The Album'). An album of songs performed by the cast of a popular Dutch soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, among those involved was Koelewijn. 1995. - Diep Water ('Deep Water'). Unsuccessful. 1984.
- Peter Live. Live album of Peter and his Rockets. 1981.
- Het beste in mij is niet goed genoeg voor jou ('The Best In Me Is Not Good Enough For You'). 1977
Singles
- 1960 Kom Van Dat Dak Af - Laat Me Los ('Let Me Go') - Marijke
- 1968 Waarom Zei Je Niets? ('Why Didn't You Say Anything?')
- 1969 Loekie Loekie
- 1970 The Bull And I
- 1971 Kom Van Dat Dak Af (first re-release)
- 1972 Angeline - Mij Oh Mij - Nassibal - Serafina - Veronica Sorry
- 1974 240042
- 1974 Veronica Sorry
- 1977 Je Wordt Ouder Papa ('You're Getting Older Daddy')
- 1979 Niet Geschoten Is Altijd Mis ('Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained')
- 1981 Kom Van Dat Dak Af (live version; second re-release) - Klap Maar In Je Handen ('Clap Your Hands') (live version) - Van Washington Naar Moskou ('From Washington to Moskow')
- 1982 Zolang De Motor Loopt ('As Long As The Motor Is Running')
- 1983 De Tijger Is Los ('The Tiger Is Loose'), played by Peter and his Rockets - Een Hete Zomer ('A Hot Summer'), played by Peter and his Rockets
- 1984 Sprong In Het Duister ('Leap In The Dark')
- 1986 Big Ben (of Nôtre Dame) for Eurovision Songcontest in Brussels, Belgium - Buiten Jou ('Outside You') for Eurovision - Rechtop In De Wind ('Straight Up In The Wind') for Eurovision
- 1989 Kom Van Dat Dak Af (third re-release) - My Roof Is Rainproof for the Dutch film Jan Rap en zijn Maat.
- 1990 Allemaal Naar Voren! ('t Bestuur Ook!) ('Everybody Forward! (Including The Management)') in collaboration with Ferdi Lancee
- 1994 I Love You Too in collaboration with Helmut LottiHelmut LottiHelmut Lotti , is a Flemish Belgian tenor and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in several styles and languages: Once an Elvis impersonator, he has sung African and Latino hit records, and he crossed over into classical music in the 1990s.-Life and music:The son of Luc Lotigiers and Rita Lagrou,...
- 1995 Een Minuut Nog Voor Een Leven Lang ('One Minute More For An Entire Life') - Utopia