 Best known in the U.S. for its hard rock material, Golden
Earring has been the most popular homegrown band in the Netherlands since the
mid-'60s, when they were primarily a pop group. The group was founded by
guitarist/vocalist George Kooymans and bassist/vocalist Rinus Gerritsen, then
schoolboys, in 1961; several years and personnel shifts later, they had their
first Dutch hit, "Please Go," and in 1968 hit the top of the Dutch charts for
the first of many times with "Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong," a song that broadened
their European appeal. By 1969, the rest of the lineup had stabilized, with lead
vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Barry Hay and drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk. They
experimented with their style for several years before settling on
straightforward hard rock initially much like that of the Who, who invited them
to open their 1972 European tour. Golden Earring signed to the Who's Track
label, which released a compilation of Dutch singles, Hearing Earring, helping
the group break through in England. 1974's Moontan LP spawned the single "Radar
Love," a Dutch number one, U.K. Top Ten, and U.S. number thirteen hit. Golden
Earring toured America opening for the Doobie Brothers and Santana, but the lack
of a follow-up ensured that their popularity remained short-lived in America,
even though they remained a top draw in Europe over the rest of the 1970s. 1982
saw a brief American comeback with the album Cut and the Top Ten single
"Twilight Zone," but as before, Golden Earring could not sustain its momentum
and faded away in the U.S. marketplace. All of Golden Earring's basic lineup has
recorded as solo artists in Europe. "Radar Love" enjoyed a second round of
popularity when pop-metal band White Lion covered the song in 1989. ~ Steve
Huey, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Golden Earring
for your next corporate or private event.
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