Supersister was a Dutch progressive rock band formed in The Hague, Netherlands in 1968. The classic lineup consisted of Robert Jan Stips (keyboards, vocals), Sacha van Geest (flute), Marco Vrolijk (drums) and Ron van Eck (bass).[1] The group underwent multiple lineup changes over the course of its history, including the deaths of van Geest and van Eck. Their first and biggest hit was "She Was Naked" in 1970, from their debut album Present from Nancy from the same year[2].
Supersister | |
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| Also known as |
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| Origin | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1967-1975, 2000-2001, 2010-2011 |
| Spinoffs |
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| Past members |
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| Website | supersister |
History
editOriginally formed as a school band under the name The Blubs in 1965, the band's initial lineup included Stips, Vrolijik, van Geest, van Eck, and briefly Rob Douw and Daniel Denis.[3] The Blubs continued to play at local venues for the next three years and after Douw and Denis both leave in 1968, the remaining quartet rename themselves Supersister in 1968.
Releasing Present from Nancy in 1970, the track She Was Naked spawned their biggest hit to date, reaching the Netherlands Top 40 and granting them a record deal with Polydor Records that same year.[2][1] The next two years see the release of To The Highest Bidder and Pudding and Gisteren, followed by the departure of van Geest and Vrolijik (replaced by Charly Mariano and Herman van Boeyen, respectively).[3]
By 1973, the band started to incorporate more jazz fusion elements into their music moving forward and began recording what would become their fourth album Iskander.[3] After its release, Mariano was replaced by Elton Dean while Stips left the band to play keyboard in another Dutch band, Golden Earring.[2] The band decided to split up after the release of their fifth album Spiral Staircase in 1974, citing diminishing interest in the band's jazz fusion direction and lackluster commercial reception.[3]
A 2000 reunion included the "classic" lineup of the band (Stips, van Geest, Vrolijik, and van Eck) and was held at Progfest in Los Angeles. Memories Are New, the band's first official studio album in 26 years, was released to commemorate the reunion and included new material from 1969 to 1973.[1] The reunion came to a premature end as Sacha van Geest unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2001.[4]
In 2010, the last three remaining members of the "classic" lineup reunited once again for a performance at VPRO. In 2011, Ron van Eck died of cancer and Stips and Vrolijik decide to permanently split up the band.[5] Almost a decade later in 2019, Robert Jan Stips announces the formation of a spin-off group called the Supersister Projekt 2019, with two new members; Rinus Gerritsen and Leon Klaasse.[6]
Members
edit
Past members
edit- Robert Jan Stips - vocals, keyboard (1968-1974, 2000–2001, 2010–2011)
- Sacha van Geest - flute (1968-1972, 2000–2001; died 2001)
- Marco Vrolijk - drums (1968-1972, 2000–2001, 2010–2011)
- Ron van Eck - bass (1968-1974, 2000–2001, 2010–2011; died 2011)
- Rob Douw - vocals, songwriting (1967-1968)
- Charley Mariano - flute, clarinet, saxophone (1973-1974)
- Herman van Boeyen - drums (1973-1974)
- Rob Kruisman - flute, saxophone (1974)
- John Schuursma - guitar (1974)
- Elton Dean - saxophone (1974-1975)
- Gerhard Smid - guitar, vocals (1968-1969)
- Daniel Denis - drums (1965-1968)
Discography
editStudio Albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Present from Nancy | Released: 1970
Label: Polydor Records |
| To The Highest Bidder | Released: 1971
Label: Polydor Records |
| Pudding And Gisteren | Released: 1972
Label: Polydor Records |
| Iskander | Released: 1973
Label: Polydor Records |
| Spiral Staircase | Released: 1974
Label: Polydor Records |
| Memories Are New | Released: 2000
Label: Soss Music |
Live Albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Supersisterious | Released: 2001
Label: Soss Music |
| Long Live Supersister! | Released: 2013
Label: Pseudonym Records / VPRO |
| Live In Scheveningen 1972 | Released: September 4, 2021
Label: Soss Music |
Compilations
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Superstarshine Vol. 3 | Released: 1972
Label: Polydor Records |
| Startrack Vol. 1 | Released: 1973
Label: Polydor Records |
| Present From Nancy / To The Highest Bidder | Released: 1990
Label: Polydor Records |
| Iskander / Spiral Staircase | Released: 1990
Label: Polydor Records |
| Pudding En Gisteren / Superstarshine | Released: 1990
Label: Polydor Records |
| The Universal Masters Collection | Released: 2002
Label: Polydor Records |
| Dreaming Wheelwhile | Released: 2012
Label: Music On Vinyl |
| Iskander / To The Highest Bidder | Released: 2012
Label: Polydor Records / Universal Music |
| Present From Nancy / Pudding And Gisteren | Released: 2015
Label: Polydor Records / Universal Music |
| The Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music (A&B Sides And More) | Released: 2016
Label: Universal Music |
| Memories Are New (Complete Studio Albums Collection + Bonus CD) | Released: 2018
Label: Universal Music |
| Looking Back, Naked | Released: 2020
No Label |
| The Sound Of Music - The First Fifty Years 1970-2020 | Released: 2021
Label: Music On Vinyl, Polydor Records |
Singles
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| She Was Naked / Spiral Staircase | Released: 1970
Label: Blossom Records |
| Fancy Nancy | Released: 1970
Label: Polydor Records |
| A Girl Named You / Missing Link | Released: 1971
Label: Polydor Records |
| No Tree Will Grow / A Girl Named You | Released: 1971
Label: Polydor Records |
| No Tree Will Grow / She Was Naked | Released: 1971
Label: Polydor Records |
| No Tree Will Grow (On Too High A Mountain) | Released: 1972
Label: Polydor Records |
| Radio | Released: 1972
Label: Polydor Records |
| Bagoas | Released: 1973
Label: Polydor Records |
| Wow | Released: 1973
Label: Polydor Records |
| Coconut Woman (feat. Los Alegres) / Here Comes The Doctor | Released: 1975
Label: Polydor Records |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Biography". Supersister (in Dutch). 2010-09-06. Archived from the original on 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ a b c "Supersister hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ a b c d "supersister". underthelemontree.nl. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ "Superrsister". Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ "2012 January". Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ "Supersister". Supersister (in Dutch). 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2023-09-02.