Golden Earring

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Golden Earring is a Dutch rock group. It was founded in 1961 in The Hague, a city in The Netherlands (Holland). The band has had over 40 successful hitsongs in the Dutch record charts and has made over 35 albums. Almost all these albums were awarded gold or platinum status in the charts. International stardom followed with the hits Radar Love in 1973-1974,and Twilight Zone in 1982. Both songs were big hit in the USA, the UK and many other countries. A smaller hit was When the Lady Smiles in 1984. The Golden Earring is the longest existing rock band in the world.It was founded in 1961,one year before the Rolling Stones. Nowadays the band is mostly performing concerts in The Netherlands where they are still famous. To the rest of the world they are not famous anymore, therefore this band could be called "rock's best kept secret".

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[edit] History

1961-1967

Golden Earring was formed in 1961 in The Hague by 13-year-old George Kooymans and his 15-year-old neighbour, Rinus Gerritsen. Originally called The Tornados, the name was changed to Golden Earrings when they discovered that "The Tornados" was already in use. The name Golden Earrings was taken from a song, originally sung by Marlene Dietrich in 1947 and a hit for Peggy Lee in 1948, with which they opened their concerts. Initially a "teenybopper" band, Golden Earrings had their first chart success with their debut single "Please Go", recorded in 1965. It reached number 9 on the music charts in the Netherlands. Unsatisfied with Dutch recording studios, the band's manager and co-discoverer Freddy Haayen arranged for the next single to be recorded at Pye Studios in London. The record cut at Pye, "That Day", reached number two on the Dutch charts, having been prevented from rising to number one by The Beatles' "Michelle".

1968-1969 International Breaktrough

In 1968, the band earned their first number one hit in the Netherlands with the pop song "Dong Dong Diki Diki Dong". This was followed by the success of their psychedelic album Eight Miles High, which featured an 18-minute version of the title track, itself a cover of The Byrds hit. The live version, which could last 45 minutes, was considered by some to be a highlight in their first and second American tours.The band slowly was becoming a true hard rock band.

1969-1984 American life

Golden Earring embarked on their first major US tour in 1969 - 1970. Due to American influences, their music evolved towards hard rock, and they performed along with Led Zeppelin. Between 1969 and 1984, Golden Earring completed thirteen US tours. During this period, they performed as the opening act for The Who, Santana, the Doobie Brothers, Rush and .38 Special; in the early seventies, when "Radar Love" was a hit, they had KISS and Aerosmith as their opening act. They have performed along with a lot of other big names such as The Kinks , Eric Clapton , Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix , who wanted bass player Rinus Gerritsen in his Jimi Hendrix Experience; the offer was turned down. Golden Earring enjoyed a brief period of stardom but were unable to secure further chart success until 1982's "Twilight Zone", which was followed by "When The Lady Smiles" in 1984. After a rather disappointing reaction in the US to the latter, Golden Earring turned their focus towards Europe, where they continue to attract SRO crowds. Golden Earring has recorded over 30 gold and platinum albums and singles, and inspired over 200 fellow bands who have covered their 1973-74 international hit and rock classic "Radar Love", including REM, U2, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams and White Lion, who gave Radar Love a second run in the American charts in 1989.

Golden Earring Live

Golden Earring is known for powerful live performances, performing over 200 concerts a year, mainly in the Benelux countries. Their energetic live performances have led to several interesting live albums. Live, recorded at London's Rainbow Theater in 1977, 2nd Live, 1981, Something Heavy Going Down, 1984 (also released on DVD as Live from the Twilight Zone.) Last Blast of the Century, a live registration of their last concert of the 20th century, is available on both CD and DVD.

Golden Earring has kept the same line-up since 1970. The band is the longest existing rock band in the world, as they were founded in 1961, one year before the Rolling Stones.

Golden Earring in Millbrook USA

While Golden Earring has almost faded from the international concert scene, they still maintain a core group of loyal fans, and their music is still played on US, Canadian, British, Australian and other radio stations. However, a new American or European tour is something the band is undecided about, although their 2003 record Millbrook USA was recorded at Millbrook Sound Studios, in Millbrook, upstate New York state. Acclaimed USA songwriter-guitarist Frank Carillo joined Golden Earring on seven songs for this Millbrook USA album, both as co-writer and as musician on guitars and laud. One night during the summer 2002 recording sessions in Millbrook, Golden Earring performed their two top hits Radar Love and Twilight Zone at a local pub in Millbrook using acoustic equipment, thus celebrating their bond with the US with a short acoustic live show.

Golden Earring vs. The United States

Deep Purple invited Golden Earring to perform as opening act for their US tour in 1994, but this offer was turned down. According to guitarist-singer Barry Hay, the Earring would rather make it back to the US in their own right, with a short tour as headliner, provided there be some airplay and television shows incorporated. Now that Rob Gerritsen (brother of bass-player Rinus Gerritsen ) is presiding over the management, anything is possible, as long as it is also in the best interest of Golden Earring. Nowadays still a top draw in Europe, Golden Earring surely have never lost touch with the music culture of the USA. Even more so: provided airplay at radio stations and television performances are secured, Barry Hay and the three other Earrings will have to keep their promise and take their legendary Golden Earring over the Atlantic once again for a tour trough to the US , the country that inspired their music, the birthplace of rock 'n' roll. For now, America and the rest of the world will have to be satisfied with over 35 albums of Golden Earring on the market. Should you want to experience these living legends live, a visit to Europe is required, where Golden Earring sells out and keeps on rocking.

[edit] Music

Golden Earring was one of the first major European rock bands to tour the United States, in 1969.

Golden Earring has released music worldwide and enjoyed brief superstar status in the seventies when Radar Love, from the album Moontan, became a hit in both Europe and the USA. Moontan itself was awarded a gold record in the US. The ultimate Earring hitsong Radar Love has its own website [1]. On this site are also found more than 200 covers of this classic rock song, which was voted "best car song ever" by readers of USA Today in 2005 and second-best "greatest driving song" in a poll of BBC's programme "Top Gear", after "Don't Stop Me Now" from Queen.

George Kooymans wrote Twilight Zone, which appeared in 1982 and brought Golden Earring a second international round of success. This song was accompanied by one of the first rock videos, directed by Dick Maas. As the music television channel MTV had just been launched in 1981, the airplay helped "Twilight Zone" secure a Top Ten hit in the States.

When the Lady Smiles, from the album News, was the next international hit in 1984, again helped by a video, although it never became a hit in the US because the original video was banned from MTV due to nudity and the portrayal of the rape of a nun. A newly cut version of the clip failed to capture the true intentions of the director and Golden Earring, although When the Lady Smiles did make it to number 3 in Canada and became their fifth number one hit in their home country.

Their best selling albums ever were Moontan of which over 1 million copies were sold worldwide, and the unplugged acoustic live CD/DVD The Naked Truth in 1992, which sold over 500,000 copies in the Netherlands alone and laid the foundation of their successful unplugged theatre tours that started in 1992 and continue to date. This album was followed by Naked II, and the trilogy was completed in 2005 with Naked III Live at The Panama.

Golden Earring celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2006 and has been performing almost continuously since 1961, except for a sabbatical year in 2000, making this band one of the most experienced bands around with an unparalleled number of live shows. In 2006 the band was honoured with a huge book containing 900 pages and over 500 photo's on LP-format, describing their whole career to date. It is no exaggeration to observe that Golden Earring's members are considered to be living legends, especially in Holland, hence the book, authorised by the band. Four friends in a band: not for the money but for the music, fun, friendship and fans."You know we love you" ; with these words the band thanks all their fans and audiences at the end of their concerts.Hearing Earring is one thing, seeing is believing. Golden Earring: the same unchanged line-up of the same four musicians and friends since 1970,(augmented time to time with a fifth member), in a band founded in 1961.These two bare facts emphasize once more that Golden Earring is the one and only band which may truly carry the title "the oldest rock 'n' roll band on earth", Nonetheless the four sworn friends from The Hague always keep their head cool as they heat it up night after night in sold out venues and theatres when the crowd goes wild for these four living legends. Them alone, together seem to know what being "rock's best kept secret" really is all about.

[edit] Hearing Earring, Seeing Is Believing - Rock's Best Kept Secret

Golden Earring wrote over 400 songs and made over 35 albums, all of which can be found in record stores worldwide and on the internet. Lots of websites feature songs by Golden Earring, a very special one is a site completely dedicated to Golden Earring's biggest hit "Radar Love":Radar Love website

On the official Golden Earring website Golden Earring puts video-clips of recent live-performances which are easy to see on a computer. Also back-ground information is to be found here. Biographies, photo's, lyrics(song-texts),tour-shedules, news, technical info's, and a guestbook where you can post your own question to the Earring or put a comment.

Golden Earring is one of the few bands with an own virtual museum on the internet which is a reliable source for both research into the band's history as well as a source for entertainment. It is owned by a Dutchman who put all the information in English, and translates newspaper-articles that are not written in English originally. It features tour data of the past, old photo's, live-music from past concerts. It operates as a true museum, but exists only on the internet : virtual Golden Earring Museum

The rock band also has a fanclub, which has a very loyal core of fans from all over the world. The fanclub magazine is available in English and arrives four times a year in the mailbox, for everyone who is a member of the fanclub. Here is the website: Golden Earring fanclub

The best way to enjoy Golden Earring is to visit one of their concerts, as this band is one of the most experienced bands in the world, because of three bare facts:

  • 1 No other band founded in 1961 still exists, only Golden Earring.
  • 2 Golden Earring is the only band that has been together in the exact same line-up since 1970.
  • 3 Golden Earring is constantly on tour, always playing about 150 to 200 concerts per year;year after year except for a sabbatical year in 2000.

Even not the Rolling Stones can say this. The "Rolling Stones" were founded in 1962,lost Bill Wyman as a member, and do tours very rarely. So all in all: Golden Earring is "the oldest rock 'n' roll band of the world".

There is no rivalry between Rolling Stones and Golden Earring. They are both called "living legends" because they exist for such a long time and see each other as colleagues, not competitors. It is no secret that Mick Jagger is a fan of Golden Earring. Rolling Stones perform "Radar Love" when they play in The Netherlands, as a tribute to their fellow "godfathers of rock".

For people who are living far away from The Netherlands and can't get to a concert it is still possible to get in touch with Golden Earring by email: go to the official Golden Earring website to find out how. Fans matter, that is why at the end of all concerts Golden Earring singer Barry Hay shouts : "You know we love you!". Golden Earring truly is rock's best kept secret.

[edit] External links