Guest Appearances

Mentioned here are contributions of the Nits members for other musicians and production work. Most of this material is probably unavailable by now. If it has been re-released on CD, it is noted below.

Even more Nederpop information.

Nits

With Tutti Ragazzi on the compilation Hard to Find Classics. The compilation is believed to be released only in the Netherlands. More Info.

One song on Het Nationale Muziekkado, annual gift to the consumers from the recordcompanies in the week of the record:
Love Of My life (Frank Zappa, recorded live 1993) 2'26

On the compilation Holland Rocks music from the Netherlands 1992, SPN P06, a 2CD "various artists" promo set. Include one Nits track (Soap bubble box) in a different mix. This version was recorded on February 21, 1992 at the Werf studio when the Nits invited people to visit the studio while recording for their new album (Ting). At the end of the song Henk hits the microphone by accident and the audience burst out laughing. You can hear this on this track. Other recording sessions with audience where on February 22 and 23, 1992.

With Meisje Van 16 on Als De Rook Is Verdwenen, a tribute album to Boudewijn de Groot from 1994. It is a CD with songs from NITS, Scene, Kecks, Bettie Serveert, dEUS, De Dijk and many more Dutch and Belgian artists.

With Eva on Denkend Aan De Dapperstraat released in 1994. Also with other Dutch bands like De Dijk, Youp van 't Hek, Bram Vermeulen and more. Eva is a song by Boudewijn de Groot, who did the vocals on this track.

Toon Hermans: Een Nieuwe Jas voor Toon Hermans

The Nits are to be heard with the song Mediterranee on this album, it is released by Sony Music (Holland) about 1994 and still available. Dutch language, text and music: Toon Hermans, a Dutch cabaretier.

Keihard En Swingend

Published 1978, EMI 5C02825884
This is the first releases in which The Nits featured. It is a live compilation album on which beginning bands can be heard. The Nits are playing Tutti Ragazzi on this album.

MAM

Both albums are available on one CD (Top Hole TH64-2). MAM is a Tilburg-based band who recorded their album in the BGM-studio (the studio of Aad Link) and mixed Ontwik in the WERF-studios. Henk, Robert Jan and Aad are guests of MAM during the recording of this album. Paul Telman was technician and Henk produced this album, which was released on the Nits-label WERF-records. Hobbel is recorded at BGM (of Aad) and Henk's wife did the graphics and lay out. Aad, Robert Jan and Henk participated on this album as well.

Simon Ho

Swiss songwriter Simon Ho has made two albums, on both past and present Nits members were invited to perform as guests. Henk sings several songs on both Before Sleep from 2002 and If, the 2005 album. If features more interesting guest musicians, Michiel Peters and Vera van der Poel of Nits fame and musicians from Finlands group Värttinä. Top of Page

Henk Hofstede

on Kinderen voor Kinderen

Kinderen voor Kinderen is an album series for Dutch kids. Henk wrote the music for the song Naar bed (to bed) on #11, the complete songs Zilvermijn (Silvermine) on #13 and Vandaag ben ik even een vliegtuig (today I am just an airplane) on #14. These are still available, check out the VARA website.

on Voice Male: Thatīs Life

[a-voicemale] Published 1998 by Epic/Sony Music, 492742-6.
Voice Male are a Belgian a-capella group. On their debut CD they feature a Nits song, Soap Bubble Box. Lead vocals are sung by Henk, the members of Voice Male do backing vocals and other sounds. The CD contains only cover songs, you can also find Seal, Queen, Eurythmics, Proclaimers and Pretenders on it. Check it out, published by Sony Music.

Dichterbij

Two songs on the CD Dichterbij, musicians sing Dutch poems. Published in 1994 in Dutch. Still avavilable from Mercury, 526183-2.
Henk appears on two tracks:
  1. Door de open vensters (text: B. Voeten)
  2. In memoriam matris (text: B. Voeten)
The project was initiated by RVU (educational broadcast) for TV. There are also some familiar names on this album, next to Henks. Astrid Series and Jan Rot appearesd on Dichterbij as well.

on Liesbeth List: List

[List CD] CD, published 1994 by Columbia/Sony music, 477649-2, produced by Frank Boeijen. Dutch language, still available.
  1. Net als een kind (text and music: H.Hofstede)
  2. Brief aan Mia (text: F.Boeijen, music: H.Hofstede)
Henk does not appear on this album. The song Brief aan Mia appeared later on Alankomaat as Letter to E..

The song Net Als Een Kind was originally made for the Dutch Songfestival, to be selected as the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Songcontest 1992. Although composed for Frank Boeijen, it was sung by Rob Janszen and this song almost went to Ireland: it ended on a second place in the Dutch contest. Both Rob Janszen and Frank Boeijen released this song as well.

on Liesbeth List: Noach

[a-list-noach] CD, published 1996 by Columbia/Sony Music, 485366-2.

Henk wrote the music to the song Oude Foto, lyrics by Freek de Jonge.

on Liesbeth List: Vergezicht

[a-list-vergezicht] CD, published 1999 by Columbia/Sony Music, 494157-2.

Henk wrote the song Vierkante auto and sings it in a duet with Liesbeth.

on Frank Boeijen

All three albums are in Dutch language and still available.

Frank Boeijen and the Nits met while recording in the same studio. Frank provided additional vocals on Ballroom of Romance. He is a singer whoes popularity peaked in the middle of the eighties, when he was the leadsinger (and bandleader) of the Frank Boeijen Groep. After ten years he decided to go solo. His first album without his own band became Wilde Bloemen, a sort of project-like album on which he makes music with different musicians per song. Some songs on this CD are important for Nits-fans. Henk and Robert Jan were involved in this album on various songs. Henk is playing piano, vibraphone, keyboards and is doing backing vocals on Vaarwel. Henk mixed this songs as well. Twee Gezichten is sung by Henk and Frank Boeijen; Henk is playing all instruments but electric guitar, drums and bassguitar, he did the arrangement as well. Een Hollandse Hemel was arranged and mixed by Robert Jan, he played all instruments on this song as well. Een Hollandse Hemel was arranged and mixed by Robert Jan, he played all instruments on this song as well. Finally, Henk played all instruments and sung on the tittle-track Wilde Bloemen, which he arranged too. Henk and Robert Jan again participated on the second solo-album of Boeijen, Jazz In Barcelona. Henk is playing keyboards, he sings and percussion on Valkuil. Robert Jan is playing h armonium, all keyboards and percussion on the song Dieren. Last year, Stromvogels live was released. Henk was a guest during a special Frank Boeijen-concert, which was a.o. recorded for this album. Henk and Frank are singing Twee Gezichten and Wilde Bloemen. Net Als Een Kind is sung by Liesbeth List, Frank Boeijen and Henk.

on Henk Westbroek: Voorjaar

Published 1992, Sony Music/Columbia 471593-2.
Henk Hofstede wrote the music for Begrijp Je Nou Hoe Blij Ik Ben, lyrics written by Henk Westbroek. This song was also released as the B-side of the single Zou Er Iets Aan Te Doen Zijn.

on De Dijk

The CD single by the Dutch rock band De Dijk, released June 1997, contains a track Blind Willie McTell by Bob Dylan, performed with Henk Hofstede.

Movie appearance

Henk Hofstede and RJ Stips' voice appeared on the Dutch translation of Don Bluth's animated movie Rock-a-Doodle (Hanekam de Rocker), which is really awful and not worth mentioning in any other sense. But it was released on DVD anyway an can be bought for about 9 EUR.

Film from a Room - a Journey to the House of Leonard Cohen

This is a road movie. It tells about two men meeting in the wilderness of Finland to plan a trip to Hydra to see Leonard's house. Finally they reach Hydra, meet some of Leonard's old friends still living in the island and find this house - with the help of a donkey.
Produced and filmed by Seppo Pietikainen (Finland) and Henk Hofstede (Holland). 26 min. Shown in Finland on Channel One on December 31st 1992. Exists in two versions, one in Finnish and the other one in English.

See also the remarks about The Night Owl.

Laura Ley

Henk made the soundtrack of the Dutch movie Laura Ley, which is a modern version of the german myth Loreley. The song Strangers of the Night is originally made for this movie.

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Rob Kloet

Apart from the performance with Swiss drummer Fritz Hauser on his record Zwei, Rob Kloet participated in 12 hour drummers' performance in Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on March 18, 1995. He was performing with Jeroen de Rijk, well known from his work with Candy Dulfer and Iceland's Mezzoforte.

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Laetitia van Krieken

with The Softparade: Puur

Published about 1992, this album was produced by Dave Stewart.

with Van Krieken Kempen Sextet: Mesa Verde

Published about 1995, a Jazz CD with Laetitia's own compositions.

on Pascal Vermeer Quintet: Changes of Sides

Published 1997, Laetita wrote compositions for this Jazz/Rock group.

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Robert Jan Stips

with Stars and Stips: Nevergreens

Published 1976, catalog number Polydor 2925041.

Robert Jans solo-debut. During the American Golden Earring-tour he became friend with Bertus Borgers and they had the idea to record an album, with some fellow-musicians, with songs of Robert Jan. After the recording of Nevergreens this group of musicians (incl. Robert Jan) named themselves Sweet dBuster'.

One 7" single was relased from this LP: Carry On/Tango Malafido on Polydor 2050.433.

with Supersister

During Stips time with Supersister, the following records were published: The following singles were published: There are 3 CDs available containing the 6 Supersister-albums, but not all of the single tracks. Supersister started in 1968 with the name Sweet Okay Supersister. Robert Jan was a member of this group from the beginning (he sung and played keyboards). Supersister split up in 1974, Robert Jan went to play with Golden Earring after this split up. The album Pudding En Gisteren was also released in Germany: Pudding And Yesterday Polydor 2310205.

Supersister did a reunion in 2000 which produced a CD Memories are new and a double live album Supersisterious. They have their own website at http://www.supersister.nl.

with Bertus Borgers

Before their debut LP, Bertus Borgers recorded a solo LP with the same musicians that would later form Sweet d'Buster, before the band took that name. Title of this LP is Demo 74 released on Bubble 200.683.

with Sweet d'Buster

The following LPs and singles were published by Bubble: Sweet d'Buster was a funk/rock-group. It was founded in 1976 by Bertus Borgers and Robert Jan, after the recording of Stars & Stips. After a few years of succesfull touring with Sweet d'Buster, Robert Jan stopped playing with this band in 1979 to create a new band, Transistor. After Robert Jans departure Sweet d'Buster released a live-album with three bonus tracks (Gigs) on which Robert Jan can be heard. Only one year (and one album) later Sweet d'Buster split up. The album Sweet dBuster' was re-released in 1977 with the hitsingle Summertime as bonustrack. LP Shot in the Blue, an LP without any RJ Stips involvement. However, this LP was released again on Ariola 202.651 this time produced by RJ Stips. All tracks are mixed again. The tracks are also in different order on the new release.

with Golden Earring

In addition to these LPs also the singles Instant Poetry and Ce Soir.

Robert Jan played with Golden Earring for two years. In these two years the Earring released two albums and two singles. A compilation album was releases as well during this period. It speaks for itself that Robert Jan only played on one song. On the cover however there is a young Robert Jan to be seen (twice!). Next to playing on every track, on the two albums he recorded with Golden Earring, Switch and To The Hilt Robert Jan arranged strings as well.

with Transistor: Zig Zag

[a-transistor-zigzag] Published 1979, catalog number Ariola 201.163.
This has been re-released on CD together with U.P.

Robert Jan formed his own group Transistor (together with a.o. Huberta de Graaf who also played in The Tapes). After the release of the album and one single (Steady As A Rock) Transistor split up, because of fraude with taxes. Robert Jan went on solo. Meanwhile he was active as producer.

De Familie Oudenrijn

Published 1989, SALT SR 668189. This is an album from a television serie. All texts and music written by the Stips-brothers (Robert Jan and Wouter). A CD of this album exists, it may be hard to find, but then, it is said to be quite bad. Suonna Kononen does have a copy and he writes:

De Familie Oudenrijn was a kids TV series in the late 80's about traffic and how to survive it. RJ and his bro did the soundtrack for it, and this tape is the result. The voices are by the auctors.

OK, De Familie Ondenrijn's soundtrack's music is varying very much -- it's cabaret-like pop with styles borrowed from here and there. You can certainly recognize RJS's keyboard wizardry and sound palet. I list some of the tracks:

ALCOHOL, NIET ALS IK RIJ. Thank God it's not 80's anymore! Everybody thought they could do a funny rap song.
PRIVATE EY "TRACK". This reminds me of Strangers Of The Night.
STUK. This sounds like music from those 70's era German movies you can't talk about in the bright day light. In my previous apartment a satellite brought this horrible stuff from the air every Friday night. No satellite nowadays. ;-)
JUNGLELIED. Boy In A Tree gulls previsited. The melody would make a funny Nits 7 inch B-side track a la Yksi Kaksi Kolme.
WITTE, WITTE KERST. A kind of dAdAdA style pop melody.
VERKEERSBRIGADIER. Weill style cabaret music.
ER IS EEN DANS. Nice "rural" chord progression. This could be worked to a Boy In A Tree style Nits song.
KWETSBAAR EN KLEIN. Gershwin & Broadway style touches a la some Ting songs.
ZOU U 'T WEL DOEN. Brings Eating House To My Mind.

Production work

Robert Jan was involved in producing for the bands Himalaya, Los Alegres, Hauser Orkater, Gruppo Sportivo, Nits, Hans de Booy, Warren Harry, Bart Chabot, Cloud Nine.

Cloud Nine: Waterland

Published 1985 on LP, EMI 206 881-8

Produced by Robert Jan Stips and Henk Hofstede - engineered by Jaap Eggermond Worth listening, even if Stips and Hofstede don't play on it (at least: not mentioned), and didn't write for it. Petra Lugtenburg sung on this album and on Henk. Shortly after this LP was released 3 of the 6 bandmembers were killed in a car acccident.

Gruppo Sportivo

This dutch band makes records since 1976, almost any album produced by RJ Stips. Funny music, nice lyrics. Extremely popular in the end 70's. Lots of collaborations by RJ Stips, especially the album Buddy Odor is a Gas. See below for more Gruppo Sportivo details. LPs:
Back to 19 Mistakes
CD, published 1988, BMG/Ariola 258.848
Sampler, 18 out of 19 songs produced by RJ, and the other one is mixed by RJ.
Sucker of the Century
CD, published 1990, JAWS records 557-2
Produced by Gruppo Sportivo, mixed and edited by RJ Stips, who also plays drum machine and keyboards on The Opposite.
Young and Out
Double CD.
Sing Sing
Published 1994, VAN 74321.184102. Live album, on which Martin Bakker appears on bass.

Buddy Odor Is A Gas!
Published 1979, Ariola 200931.
Not exactly a Gruppo Sportivo album, but after the (first) split up of Gruppo Sportivo, Hans Vandenburg formed his own group Buddy Odor Stop, with a.o. Martin Bakker. They releases one album and two singles. After a few concert s without the two female singers in Buddy Odor Stop, they went further again with the name Gruppo Sportivo. Since Gruppo Sportivo 2 Martin is a member of Gruppo. Also Robert Jan is involved in the Buddy Odor Stop, he played keyboards on the album and produced it. This is where Robert Jan and Martin meet, as well dur ing 'Gruppo 2', when Robert Jan produced the albums.

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Martin Bakker

with Gruppo Sportivo

In 1979 Gruppo took a break, and most of the Gruppo-members worked in that year on the Buddy Odor-project, including Martin. In 1980 Gruppo went back in the studio and on stage, now with new bandmember Martin Bakker. Martin left Gruppo in 1981, after the release of Pop! Goes The Brain. Martin played as a guest-musician on the albums Young and Out and Sing Sing (a live album).

on Een Zwoele Zomeravond O.S.T

Published 1982, VARAGRAM ET 69.
In 1982 the movie Een Zwoele Zomeravond was shown in Dutch cinemas. This film was made by the Werktheater (with a.o. Joop Admiraal, Frank Groothof and Helmert Woudenberg). The music by this movie was played by De Roomsoezen. Martin Bakker played bass and percussion with De Roomsoezen. The only recording made by De Roomsoezen is the soundtrack by this movie.

with Jan Rot

Nowadays Jan Rot in known in Holland as a stand up comedian. Less people know Jan recorded quite some albums. Rot started his musical carreer in the early eighties in the bands Streetbeats and Ratata. After his fist solo-album he started playing with the Bakker-brothers (Martin and Roy). This trio recorded the album Rot &, Roll and three singles. After the third single they called themselves Jan Rot & The Trojans and added some musicians to their trio. On the Rot, Warm & Tender-album Martin can be heard on two songs. Jan Rot released two CD's containing all the songs from his three English-languaged albums, called Counting Sheep (singles 82-'88') (CDJD 16JR) and For LP-fans only (CDJD 23JR), those are still available. They can be ordered directly via: De Jonste Dag in Amsterdam (+31) (0)20 645 26 26.

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Peter Meuris

with The Tapes

The Amsterdam-based new wave group The Tapes was founded in 1977. When their drummer left in 1979, Peter Meuris took over his place. He recorded 2 albums with The Tapes before they split up. During the last year of existance, Mathilde Santing also joined the band as a singer. Peter Meuris played his first Tapes concert on March 3, 1979 in De Meervaart in Amsterdam, together with the Nits! Peter and Rob became really close friends and because of that friendship Peter was asked to play on the Ting-album.

Also the Tapes did backing vocals on the Tent-album.

with Mathilde Santing

All albums available on CD: Mathilde Santing sung with The Tapes before she stated her solo-carreer. Her first 10" (mini)album (later released as a full size album) she recorded with The Tapes, including Peter Meuris. In 1985 Peter Meuris was asked to play in the Mathilde Santing Ensemble. He played with Mathilde until he joined The Nits, in 1992. Mathilde Santing also sung with The Nits. She did backing vocals on the Henk-album, together with Joke Geraets, who became a Nits-member later.

with Astrid Seriese: Eclipse

Published 1993, Brigadoon BIS 005.
A few years ago, Peter Meuris played in the band of Mathilde Santing. Mathilde did one tour with the singers Astrid Seriese and Julia Lo'Ko. That's when Peter and Astrid met and felt in love. They're still together and have children. Astrid Seriese sings modern jazz, jazz-standards, chanson, contemporary serious music and pop. From these different expierences she developed her own style of singing. With this knowlegde it is no miracle Peter is to be heard as a guest musician on Astrids debut-album, Eclipse. He plays drums on Only Women Bleed and bassguitar on Tender As A Rose.

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Joke Geraets

After leaving the Nits, Joke formed her own band in which she participated in 'De grote prijs van Nederland' (The great price of the Netherlands), an annual competition for new bands initiated by the Dutch music press (muziekkrant Oor).

Joke Geraets did the sound for the movie Procedure 769 - The Witness to an execution (1995)

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Rob Brautigam

He made a LP called This Pain in 1982, and was helped on some tracks by Rob Kloet, Henk Hofstede, Michiel Peters, Ronald Brautigam, Pim, Tom, Frank and Paul Telman.

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With help from Carl van Breukelen and Michiel le Blanc, who used the books OOR Popencyclopedia 1990, and Nederpop

[Solo Projects] [Werf Records] [Discography] [Main Index].

[www.nitsfans.org]
Jochen A. Stein, jst at nitsfans dot org
Last modified: 02-04-2005