The Nits
Encyclopedia
Nits are a Dutch pop
group, founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, Robert Jan Stips
(Supersister, Gruppo Sportivo
, Golden Earring
), keyboards.
Their biggest hit in the Netherlands was "Nescio" (1983), a tribute to the Dutch author Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh
. The major hit that brought the band to the attention of an international audience was "In the Dutch Mountains
" (1987).
, they also incorporated influences from New Wave
music into their sound. They made their live debut in 1977 and the following year released a self-financed limited-run LP, The Nits. This brought them to the attention of Columbia Records
, for whom The Nits would continue to record for the next 22 years. Their major-label debut, Tent, carried on the new wave style of The Nits, but was considerably more polished, partly due to the influence of producer Robert Jan Stips
. Two more albums, with an increasing use of synthesiser, were issued before Stips joined the group full-time, replacing Roelofs for Omsk (1983).
In the meantime, the group had been developing their sound on their numerous European tours. Many songs were radically reworked for live performance, a practice the group would continue throughout their career. Between the group's experiments with different arrangements, and the addition of Stips to the line-up, The Nits gradually moved toward a more distinctive musical style, with Kloet playing a wide range of percussion, and Stips' keyboards used to produce a lusher sound. Omsk showcased the new Nits sound with songs like "A Touch Of Henry Moore", almost entirely based around Kloet's percussion, and the dramatic hit single "Nescio". The follow-up Adieu Sweet Bahnhof was another hit, but tensions between the group and producer Jaap Eggermont led to the departure of Pieters, and a change in the group's working methods. In future, they would produce their own material and bring in guest musicians as required.
The album Henk was recorded as a three-piece, after which new bassist Joke Geraets became the first female member of The Nits, completing the line-up that would go on to enjoy commercial success with single and album In The Dutch Mountains (1987). The group's extensive tours during this period led to the accomplished live triple-LP Urk (1989) which became their best-selling album.
When Geraets fell ill with a muscular disease, meaning that she was unable to play bass, the group (now using the shortened name "Nits", often rendered in capitals to emphasise the absence of the definite article) continued as a trio. Giant Normal Dwarf (1990) was a kaleidoscopic affair which at first glance seemed like a return to the psychedelia of "I Am The Walrus
" and "Glass Onion
" but was actually inspired by Hofstede's desire to write musical fairy tales for his newborn child. The subsequent album Ting (1992) was a return to a much more minimalist approach, both with respect to the emphasis on the piano and the inspiration of Philip Glass
on several songs. At the same time as working on Ting, the group were also preparing material for a TV special with the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra. Mainly composed by Stips, this was later issued as the album Hjuvi - A Rhapsody In Time.
The 1994 album dA dA dA was something of a return to basics, with "traditional" songwriting largely replacing the quirkiness of recent Nits releases, and the group's early influences (particularly The Beatles
) once again to the fore. The album was the first Nits material to gain a release in the USA. Ironically for a group that had always performed in English, regarding it as a necessary evil for international success, recognition in the major English-speaking markets always eluded them. dA dA dA, despite critical acclaim in both the UK and USA, still failed to break the group in either market.
In 1995, the group released Nest, a 20-track retrospective album, and the accompanying tour ended on a high note with a concert broadcast live on television from the Uitmarkt festival. Stips then left to pursue a solo career.
The group continued, releasing the introspective albums Alankomaat (1998) and Wool (2000), followed by another retrospective, Hits.
The group continues to this day following the return of keyboard player Robert Jan Stips in 2003 for the release of an album entitled 1974, commemorating the year of their formation. A new album titled Les Nuits was released in October 2005. After an extensive tour and some solo activity, the band returned to the studio in mid-2007 to record the album Doing The Dishes, released in January 2008. The album was once again followed by a tour. The band keeps releasing new albums with original new music. In 2009 the next album and tour, Strawberry Wood followed.
", "Soap Bubble Box
", "Nescio
"). Many other songs are impressionistic, and many are concerned with the passing of time. Some albums include clusters of songs on a particular subject, for example In the Dutch Mountains
contains several songs about Hofstede's childhood memories, Giant Normal Dwarf includes several fantasy songs set in a folkloric
version of the Netherlands called Fountainland, and the later albums, particularly Les Nuits, include numerous songs on the subject of human mortality.
All of the group's albums have been re-issued on CD, except for their debut, which the group consider too rough for a proper reissue (though semi-bootleg copies can be obtained with the band's blessing).
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group, founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, Robert Jan Stips
Robert Jan Stips
Robert Jan Stips is a Dutch musician born in The Hague the 4 February 1950.He initially found fame as a keyboard player, arranger and producer with the group Supersister. This led to an invitation to join Golden Earring, one of the most successful Dutch groups of the time.In 1975 Stips appeared on...
(Supersister, Gruppo Sportivo
Gruppo Sportivo
Gruppo Sportivo are a Dutch pop band, from The Hague, formed in 1976, who enjoyed some measure of international success in the late 1970s and 1980s...
, Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
), keyboards.
Their biggest hit in the Netherlands was "Nescio" (1983), a tribute to the Dutch author Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh
Nescio
"Nescio", Latin for "I don't know", was the pseudonym of the Dutch writer Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh, born June 22, 1882 in Amsterdam and died July 25, 1961 in Hilversum, both in the Netherlands. Grönloh was a businessman by profession; as Nescio he is mainly remembered for the three novellas De...
. The major hit that brought the band to the attention of an international audience was "In the Dutch Mountains
In the Dutch Mountains
In the Dutch Mountains is an album by The Nits. It was released in October 1987 by Columbia Records.-About the album:After the release of their meticulously assembled and produced previous album, Henk , which ended up sounding somewhat lifeless, the band decided to go back to basics and record...
" (1987).
History
The Nits originally comprised Henk Hofstede (vocals, guitar), Alex Roelofs (bass), Michiel Pieters, (guitar) and Rob Kloet (drums). Influenced by English pop music, especially the BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, they also incorporated influences from New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
music into their sound. They made their live debut in 1977 and the following year released a self-financed limited-run LP, The Nits. This brought them to the attention of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, for whom The Nits would continue to record for the next 22 years. Their major-label debut, Tent, carried on the new wave style of The Nits, but was considerably more polished, partly due to the influence of producer Robert Jan Stips
Robert Jan Stips
Robert Jan Stips is a Dutch musician born in The Hague the 4 February 1950.He initially found fame as a keyboard player, arranger and producer with the group Supersister. This led to an invitation to join Golden Earring, one of the most successful Dutch groups of the time.In 1975 Stips appeared on...
. Two more albums, with an increasing use of synthesiser, were issued before Stips joined the group full-time, replacing Roelofs for Omsk (1983).
In the meantime, the group had been developing their sound on their numerous European tours. Many songs were radically reworked for live performance, a practice the group would continue throughout their career. Between the group's experiments with different arrangements, and the addition of Stips to the line-up, The Nits gradually moved toward a more distinctive musical style, with Kloet playing a wide range of percussion, and Stips' keyboards used to produce a lusher sound. Omsk showcased the new Nits sound with songs like "A Touch Of Henry Moore", almost entirely based around Kloet's percussion, and the dramatic hit single "Nescio". The follow-up Adieu Sweet Bahnhof was another hit, but tensions between the group and producer Jaap Eggermont led to the departure of Pieters, and a change in the group's working methods. In future, they would produce their own material and bring in guest musicians as required.
The album Henk was recorded as a three-piece, after which new bassist Joke Geraets became the first female member of The Nits, completing the line-up that would go on to enjoy commercial success with single and album In The Dutch Mountains (1987). The group's extensive tours during this period led to the accomplished live triple-LP Urk (1989) which became their best-selling album.
When Geraets fell ill with a muscular disease, meaning that she was unable to play bass, the group (now using the shortened name "Nits", often rendered in capitals to emphasise the absence of the definite article) continued as a trio. Giant Normal Dwarf (1990) was a kaleidoscopic affair which at first glance seemed like a return to the psychedelia of "I Am The Walrus
I Am the Walrus
"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
" and "Glass Onion
Glass Onion
"Glass Onion" is a song by The Beatles from their 1968 double-album The Beatles primarily written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. This is the first track on the White Album to feature Ringo Starr on drums...
" but was actually inspired by Hofstede's desire to write musical fairy tales for his newborn child. The subsequent album Ting (1992) was a return to a much more minimalist approach, both with respect to the emphasis on the piano and the inspiration of Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
on several songs. At the same time as working on Ting, the group were also preparing material for a TV special with the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra. Mainly composed by Stips, this was later issued as the album Hjuvi - A Rhapsody In Time.
The 1994 album dA dA dA was something of a return to basics, with "traditional" songwriting largely replacing the quirkiness of recent Nits releases, and the group's early influences (particularly The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) once again to the fore. The album was the first Nits material to gain a release in the USA. Ironically for a group that had always performed in English, regarding it as a necessary evil for international success, recognition in the major English-speaking markets always eluded them. dA dA dA, despite critical acclaim in both the UK and USA, still failed to break the group in either market.
In 1995, the group released Nest, a 20-track retrospective album, and the accompanying tour ended on a high note with a concert broadcast live on television from the Uitmarkt festival. Stips then left to pursue a solo career.
The group continued, releasing the introspective albums Alankomaat (1998) and Wool (2000), followed by another retrospective, Hits.
The group continues to this day following the return of keyboard player Robert Jan Stips in 2003 for the release of an album entitled 1974, commemorating the year of their formation. A new album titled Les Nuits was released in October 2005. After an extensive tour and some solo activity, the band returned to the studio in mid-2007 to record the album Doing The Dishes, released in January 2008. The album was once again followed by a tour. The band keeps releasing new albums with original new music. In 2009 the next album and tour, Strawberry Wood followed.
Current and past members
The following people have been considered full members of the group.- Henk Hofstede (main vocalist, guitar, some keyboards) - 1974 to present
- Rob Kloet (drums and percussion) - 1974 to present
- Alex Roelofs (bass, backing vocals) - 1974-81
- Michiel Pieters (guitar, backing and some lead vocals) - 1974-85
- Robert Jan StipsRobert Jan StipsRobert Jan Stips is a Dutch musician born in The Hague the 4 February 1950.He initially found fame as a keyboard player, arranger and producer with the group Supersister. This led to an invitation to join Golden Earring, one of the most successful Dutch groups of the time.In 1975 Stips appeared on...
(keyboards, backing and occasional lead vocals) - 1983-96, 2003 to present - Joke Gereats (bass, guitar, some backing vocals) - 1986-91 (but inactive after 1989 due to illness)
- Pieter Meuris (violin) - 1991-6
- Martin Bakker (bass) - 1991-6
- Arwen Linneman (bass) - 1998-2000
- Laetitia van Krieken (keyboards) - 1998-2004
Lyrical themes
The group travel widely, and Hofstede's lyrics often concern his impressions of places he has been. The official Nits website includes a map showing the locations that the group has written songs about. Another common theme (to some extent overlapping the first) is songs inspired by works of art, literature and museum exhibits (e.g. "A Touch of Henry MooreHenry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
", "Soap Bubble Box
Joseph Cornell
Joseph Cornell was an American artist and sculptor, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage...
", "Nescio
Nescio
"Nescio", Latin for "I don't know", was the pseudonym of the Dutch writer Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh, born June 22, 1882 in Amsterdam and died July 25, 1961 in Hilversum, both in the Netherlands. Grönloh was a businessman by profession; as Nescio he is mainly remembered for the three novellas De...
"). Many other songs are impressionistic, and many are concerned with the passing of time. Some albums include clusters of songs on a particular subject, for example In the Dutch Mountains
In the Dutch Mountains
In the Dutch Mountains is an album by The Nits. It was released in October 1987 by Columbia Records.-About the album:After the release of their meticulously assembled and produced previous album, Henk , which ended up sounding somewhat lifeless, the band decided to go back to basics and record...
contains several songs about Hofstede's childhood memories, Giant Normal Dwarf includes several fantasy songs set in a folkloric
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
version of the Netherlands called Fountainland, and the later albums, particularly Les Nuits, include numerous songs on the subject of human mortality.
Discography
- The Nits (1978)
- TentTent (album)Tent is an album by The Nits. It was released in 1979 by Columbia Records.-About the album:Tutti Ragazzi, released on the 23 February 1980, reached the place 31 in the Dutch top 40.-Side A:#Tent – 2:07 #A to B; C to D – 3:01...
(1979) - New FlatNew FlatNew Flat is an album by The Nits. It was released in 1980 by Columbia Records.-Track listing:All tracks written by Henk Hofstede and Michiel Peters .#New Flat – 2:45 #Holiday on Ice – 3:00 #Saragossa – 2:29...
(1980) - Work (1981)
- Omsk (1983)
- Kilo (1983) (mini)
- Adieu Sweet Bahnhof (1984)
- Henk (1986)
- In the Dutch MountainsIn the Dutch MountainsIn the Dutch Mountains is an album by The Nits. It was released in October 1987 by Columbia Records.-About the album:After the release of their meticulously assembled and produced previous album, Henk , which ended up sounding somewhat lifeless, the band decided to go back to basics and record...
(1987) - Hat (1988) (mini)
- Urk (1989) (triple live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
) - Giant Normal Dwarf (1990)
- Hjuvi - A Rhapsody in Time (1992) (With The Radio Symphony Orchestra)
- Ting (1992)
- dA dA dADa Da Da"Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha" was an international hit record for German band Trio formed in 1980 by Stephan Remmler, Gert 'Kralle' Krawinkel and Peter Behrens. "Da Da Da" released in 1982 was a hit in Germany and about 30 countries worldwide and sold 3 million copies...
(1994) - Dankzij de Dijken (1995) (as FRITS, together with Freek de JongeFreek de JongeFrederik "Freek" Jan Georg de Jonge is a Dutch cabaret performer, singer, comedian and blogger.-Early life and career:...
, in Dutch) - Nest (1995) (compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - Alankomaat (1998)
- Hits (2000) (compilation album)
- Wool (2000)
- 1974 (2003)
- Les Nuits (2005)
- Doing the Dishes (2008)
- Strawberry Wood (2009)
All of the group's albums have been re-issued on CD, except for their debut, which the group consider too rough for a proper reissue (though semi-bootleg copies can be obtained with the band's blessing).