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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Music General Discussion »

Permalink The Golden Earrings

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The Dutch band, the Golden Earrings, formed in 1961 as the Tornados and then changed their name after the obvious hits by the British group. However, they changed their name because they played with another British group called the Hunters who had a rather large hit in Europe with the song Golden Earrings (which my band Skippy and the Skipjacks plays), one of my favorite instrumental tunes. They were primarily a vocal group, but I'm wondering if anyone has information on them as an instrumental group. There HAD to be a reason why they would take their name from a fantastic instrumental song after all. Well, we are all familiar with their later work as Golden Earring, Radar Love and Twilight Zone come to mind. But they have a rather large discography and I can't find anything from before 1965, where they were a vocal pop group. Anyway, check out the video of them (mis-labeled as Golden Earring) in 1966 where the rhythm guitarist is playing a pre-1965 Stratocaster. Is it Shoreline Gold?! It's GORGEOUS! Another reason why I wonder if they were an instrumental group before the Beatles shook things up.

I'll also attach the Hunters' Golden Earrings just because it's a killer tune.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Last edited: Mar 14, 2020 08:44:58

Their Wikipedia page says "Initially a pop-rock band with Frans Krassenburg on lead vocals", so I guess they did not start as an instrumental band.

It's amazing that their current line-up is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (especially considering the egos of some of the band members Laughing ).

Surfin’ Europe - Surf gigs in Europe
The Malbehavers – Instrumental Surf Music from Tilburg (NL)

Last edited: Mar 14, 2020 10:24:44

More flute!

http://www.satanspilgrims.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553
https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/
http://www.surfyindustries.com

Hi Matt. Try searching Google Groups: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!overview
The retention on those servers is almighty.

SabedLeepski wrote:

Their Wikipedia page says "Initially a pop-rock band with Frans Krassenburg on lead vocals", so I guess they did not start as an instrumental band.

It's amazing that their current line-up is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (especially considering the egos of some of the band members Laughing ).

Krassenburg joined up in '63 or '64. So, I'm thinking of the time before his arrival.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

crumble wrote:

Hi Matt. Try searching Google Groups: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!overview
The retention on those servers is almighty.

Thanks!

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Matt22 wrote:

Krassenburg joined up in '63 or '64. So, I'm thinking of the time before his arrival.

In the years before that George Kooymans already did vocals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Earring#Lineups

Surfin’ Europe - Surf gigs in Europe
The Malbehavers – Instrumental Surf Music from Tilburg (NL)

Yes, I saw that. But to name your band after an instrumental tune, there had to be an instrumental part about them. After all, the Fireballs AND the Shadows also did vocals, but a majority of their songs were instrumental.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Didn't know this, they indeed have an instrumental past.

Google translate from the book: "Golden Earring in 50 songs: biografie van een band" written by Maarten Steenmeijer, published in 2017.

QUOTE
At that time, The Hague had a thriving rock 'n' roll scene with The Crazy Rockers, The Hot Jumpers, The Black Dynamites and dozens of other Indo bands. In that atmosphere, the young George and Rinus formed a band in 1961, together with drummer Fred van der Hilst, who lived diagonally below Rinus in Terletstraat [The Hague, The Netherlands]. They called themselves The Tornados. At that time, Rinus was still playing rhythm guitar, but that changed in early 1962. They were looking for a bass player and came into contact with Hans van Herwerden. He pleased them well. The problem was that Van Herwerden did not play bass guitar but rhythm guitar. That problem was quickly solved: Van Herwerden was recruited as a rhythm guitarist and Rinus switched to bass guitar, just like Paul McCartney had done with The Beatles a year earlier. The first performance took place sometime in the first half of 1962 in Building Custodia, a few steps from the parental homes of George, Rinus, Fred and Hans. The repertoire mainly consisted of instrumentals from groups like The Ventures (Walk Don't Run, Caravan, Nero & The Gladiators (`Entry Of The Gladiators') and their guitar version of 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' by Griegs Peer Gynt) and, above all, the then immensely popular Shadows ('Apache', 'The Quartermaster's Stores', 'Kon-Tiki') and ventured into guitar versions of jazz hits such as 'Take Five' by Dave Brubeck, 'I'm Beginning To See The Light' by Duke Ellington and 'Moanin' by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers.

The first own song was written by George. An instrumental, how could it be otherwise. For the title, the very young guitarist had stayed close to home: 'Snamyook', his own last name, but the other way around. A trick he probably had copied from The Shadows, who had the last name of their solo guitarist (Hank B. Marvin) for the title of the song 'Nivram' (1961) - which was also included in the repertoire of the young The Hague band. turned around. In 1962 The Tornados were shocked to find out that there was already a group in England that was also called that name and that year they scored a huge world hit with the space instrumental 'Telstar'. The Hague's Tornados therefore had to look for another name. Golden Earrings was initially an emergency solution. The name referred to the title track of Golden Earrings, a romantic espionage film from 1947 starring Marlene Dietrich (who didn't sing the song; Murvyn Vye, one of the other protagonists, did). But 'Golden Earrings' would be best known in the performance of Peggy Lee. In the early sixties it was given a new, instrumental look by the English guitar band The Hunters (not to be confused with the Dutch Hunters, who would score a top ten hit in 1966 with 'Russian Spy And I', with the incomparable Jan Akkerman on guitar). The instrumental version of 'Golden Earrings', copied from the English Hunters, was the song with which the young band from The Hague opened and closed their performances. When they had to play at a school party they decided to use the title of this song as a new name for the band for lack of better. Later they would come up with a better alternative. It never happened. Under their new name, The Golden Earrings gained more and more local fame, so they left it that way.

In 1963 Hans van Herwerden made way for Peter de Ronde. In the same year, The Beatles caused a rock shift in pop music that also left The Golden Earrings untouched. The helm changed radically. Instrumentals have been removed from the repertoire. From now on there was singing and the songs were what hit the clock. But they needed a singer for that. In 1964, The Golden Earrings came through Rinus on the trail of Frans Krassenburg, who was a few years older and had gained the necessary experience in bands such as The Sparks, The Sharks and The Black Jets in The Hague. Krassenburg, a big fan of Cliff Richard, was the only one who didn't quite keep up with the times. The other Earrings grew their hair, combed it forward and left the brylcreem on the bathroom shelf. Krassenburg fulfilled his military service with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and had to keep it short. With Krassenburg, The Golden Earrings guitar combo was finished and they became a beat band. On the set list, The Shadows and The Ventures made way for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Kinks, The Zombies and a handful of groups that are turning the world upside down in the wake of the Liverpool foursome. That was then 'the better hit parade music', according to Rinus Gerritsen.
UNQUOTE

Instromania on Bandcamp

Thanks so much for posting this! Yes What a VERY cool find! I would love to hear recordings, if they exist!

Thank you thank you thank you! Cheers Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Last edited: Mar 16, 2020 18:42:20

i stumbled upon 'golden earrings' awhile ago and have been playing it on our local station. it's a very cool tune.

www.surfintheeye.com

mom_surfing wrote:

i stumbled upon 'golden earrings' awhile ago and have been playing it on our local station. it's a very cool tune.

Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree

It's cool enough to name your band after it! Yes

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

wOw Shock I'm a fan of quite a bit of music styles. This tune seems to have been done as a thing for Coca Cola by The Golden Earrings. It was originally done by Lord Invader a Calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago and was plagiarised by Morey Amsterdam and became a hit for the Andrews Sisters. Morey had heard the tune in Trinidad while there as a performer for the U.S. bases there during WWII. He made up some of his own lyrics which were a little racier than the original. I got the Andrews Sisters single sheet and there some lyrics that aren't on their version like the native girls wearing grass skirts (they don't) and the Yankess hitting the hay.

The Golden Earrings version is more upbeat and not like a Calypso and it's short but pretty sweet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqj0m5FXP6c

Last edited: May 29, 2020 11:00:23

Thanks for posting this! It's definitely hip and way to report the story behind it! The more I looked into the band, the more I liked them. Their early vocal stuff is very "British mod-like" in the same vein as the Motions, who were the top Dutch mod band of the mid-60s. VERY COOL tune! I'd love to hear the original by Lord Invader and will go look it up to see if it's on YouTube.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Wow, I didn't think it was that old! Here it is for anyone else interested.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

I like old photos and I almost passed on this one until I saw the Lord Invader Calypso album on the floor and since I have the vinyl I saved the photo.
image
There's a site with a lot of info:

http://www.goldenearring.nl

Last edited: May 30, 2020 09:52:18

That's a pretty damned cool photo.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

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