Index | Bio | Discography | Essay | Notes

Short Discography

Rare Tracks | Polydor EP 2454 120 (1976/77)
Ten Mistakes | Dutch Ariola 25.464 XOT (1977)
Back to '78 | Dutch Ariola 26.472 OT (1978)
Mistakes | Sire UK/US SRK 6066 (1979)
More Mistakes 7" 33 rpm (1979)
Buddy Odor is a Gas | Dutch Ariola/Pye UK ARL 5045 (1979)
Copy Copy | Dutch Ariola/Attic Canada LAT 1102 (1980)
Pop! Goes the Brain | Dutch Ariola/Attic Canada LAT 1119 (1981)
Rhythm is a Constant Beat 12" | Dutch Ariola (1981)*
Design Moderne | Dutch Ariola 205 052 (1982)
Sombrero Times | Dutch Blitz/Ariola 206 567 (1984)
Sucker of the Century | JAWS Records # 557-2 CD EP (1986?)
Back to 19 Mistakes | Dutch BMG/Ariola CD 258.848 (1987/88)
Young and Out | Dutch VAN 2 CD Box 997011-2 (1992)
Sing Sing | Dutch VAN 7321184102* (1993)*
Second Life | Amsterdamned Records (1997)*

Hans Vandenburg Solo:
Hans Vandenburg's Commercial Break | Dutch VAN CD 74321 239342 (1994)
Shake Hands with Vandenburg | Dutch VAN CD 74321 403712 (1996)*

Meike Touw solo:
Tutti Frutti | Ariola 202 160 (1980)

* Unconfirmed Releases--in that Bryk hasn't actually seen them himself, though others have alerted him to their existence.

Annotated Discography

Cynical commentary by Bryk unless otherwise noted.

Rare Tracks | Polydor EP 2454 120 (Orig.1976/77 Date Unknown)
 
Side 1: 1. Out There In The Jungle 2. Nobody Can Win Forever (Everybody May Lose) 3. I Can't Stop Loving You
Side 2: 1. Hoola Fever 2. Nickles and Dimes
 
Gruppo's first two Barry Hay-produced singles from 75 and 76, combined on a
12" EP; five songs providing a taste of things to come. "Hoola Fever",
their second A-side, is perhaps the standout here, but all five are superb,
including their only sad (non-love) song ever, "Nickles and Dimes" (-DS)
 
'Rare tracks: For collectors only' EP. It is a Polydor
release, number 2454 120 and stems from 1976 (side 1) and 1977 (side 2) (the
labels from each side of the vinyl record have different years printed on
them). On side 1, there are the tracks produced by Golden Earring's Barry
Hay and John Kriek:
- Out There In The Jungle (VanDeFruits) 3'01''
- Nobody Can Win Forever (Everybody May Lose) (VanDeFruits) 4'31''
- I Can't Stop Lovin' You (VanDeFruits) 3'07''
On side 2 are two tracks produced by the Nits' Robert-Jan Stips:
- Hoola Fever (VanDeFruits) 2'44''
- Nickles and Dimes (VanDeFruits) 2'50'
And, to be short, the album is most certainly worth possessing for any
Gruppo fan. And for others. Not only as a 'collectors item', but because the music is really good. I bought it back in the early eighties for the modest amount of $5. Haven't seen it since then. (Michel Couzijn)

Ten Mistakes | Dutch Ariola 25.464 XOT (1977)
(Also issued on Epic in the UK, no catalogue numbers available yet)

beep beep love/superman/lasting forever/girls never know/i shot my manager | mission a paris/dreamin'/henri/armee monika/rubber gun

produced by Robert Jan Stips
personnel: Hans Vandenburg: guitar/vocals; Peter Calicher: Keyboards; Max Mollinger: Drums, Vocals; Eric Wehrmeyer, Bass; Josee van Iersel, Meike Touw: Vocals

a great debut, filled with strong songs and sharp wit. The Grupettes' trademark doo-wop harmonies evoke sixties girl groups and Annifrid and Agnetha. the overall sound is somewhere between (UK) Squeeze and the Blockheads with a smidge of the Zombies, the Monkees and the beat gruppes in general. This really ought to be considered a classic.

Actually, they are a cross between (in blah-blah magazines) ABBA and
ahhhh.... ABBA! (-taw)

Back to '78 | Dutch Ariola 26.472 OT (1978)
(Also issued on Epic in the UK, no catalogue numbers available yet)

hey girl/bernadette/p.s. 78/tokyo/i said no!/real teeth are out/are you ready?/the booby-trap boogie |
blah blah magazines/one way love (from me to you)/i'm a rocket/shave/the pogo never stops/bottom of the class/the single

produced by Robert Jan Stips and Hans Vandenburg
personnel: same as ten mistakes.

somewhat more novelty-stricken (the one-joke "shave me" vs. the odd but still pretty funny "real teeth are out") but man do you have to love rave-ups like "p.s. 78", "bernadette" and "hey girl", thoroughly ironic ballads as smart (and smart-assed) as "one way love" and the unfathomable "bottom of the class"--the soundtrack to a generation. now if only that generation had ever heard the damned thing.

Mistakes | Sire UK/US SRK 6066 (1979)

mission a paris/dreamin'/henri/hey girl/i said no/i shot my manager | blah blah magazines/beep beep love/p.s. 78/superman/one way love (from me to you)/bottom of the class/the single

More Mistakes 7" EP: bernadette/tokyo/disco really made it | girls never know/are you ready?/rubber gun

an oddly-picked and sequenced compilation of tracks from first two LP's (what? no "lasting forever"?). also includes 6-track 7" EP more mistakes

Buddy Odor is a Gas | Dutch Ariola/Pye UK ARL 5045 (1980)

side one: buddy odor is a gas!/(gimme that) lipstick/redskins/lock yourself up/i want it now/if i were you/teardrops and two broken hearts | side two (pop for jazzholes): i love you madly/cats hiss/for pim/it feels so good/men/my little man and i/jazz it up!

personnel: same as mistakes + jan cees tans: sax, huub janssen: snare, ruud bos & fred leeflang: horns, r j stips: keyboards, barry hay: lead vocal, gerard van dooren: bass, bert terlaak: drums, ernst glerum: double bass

psuedonymous project credited to the buddy odor stop. side one has some campy girl-group pop and truly hilarious songs like "lipstick" ("GIVE ME THAT POODLE! I NEED...RIGHT...NOW!") and "redskins", a delightfully odd song about...uh, sunbathing. (shades of the sinceros...)

the second side is sort of like a Gruppo Sportivo Big Band with snares and dixieland horns over non-sequitur jazz pastiche lyrics. not quite as rewarding, although it gets off to a good start with "love you madly".

Tutti Frutti | Ariola 202 160 (1980)

SIDE ONE: THE HOOVER/HOW ABOUT THAT/THE REARRANGERS/GET OFF MY BACK/THE ALPHABET/YOU OR MY LONELINESS
SIDE TWO: LOCOMOTIVE/AFRAID IN THE DARK/WILLY-BOY/WALKING IN THE CROWD/I'M REALLY SORRY/IN A HURRY

Produced and mixed by Max Mollinger and John Kriek

Meike Touw: vocals - Mark Boon: guitars (thanks to Diesel) - Courtesy ot Polydor Records - Peter Calicher: keyboards (thanks to The Stop) - Mark. Peter, Max: male background vocals - Dick Schulte Nordholt: bass - Henk Wijtman: drums, vibraphone - Robert-Jan Stips: accordion, synthesizer (thanks to Transister) - Harry de Winter: bass - Henk Torpedo: drums (thanks to New Adventures) - Courtesy of Polydor Records - Jan-Cees Tans: saxophones - Ernst Glerurn: double bass - Max Mollinger: drums (thanks to The Stop).

Recorded at: Arnold Mühren Studios, Volendam, engineered by John Kriek; Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, engineered by Pieter Nieboer; Soundpush Studios, Blaricum, engineered by Jan Schuurman; Relight Studios, Hilvarenbeek, engineerded by Robin Freeman and John Kriek. Mixed at Arnold Mühren Studios and Soundpush Studios

Copy Copy | Dutch Ariola/Attic Canada LAT 1102 (1980)

don't count on me/goodbye radio/police-dog/it's too late/life in tokyo/i don't need you/the unusual soup recipe blues (inst.) | up to date/only on weekends/watch your boy/you and i will stick together/in love again/ramona/what happened to romance?

produced by the band
personnel: same as mistakes - wehrmeyer, - van iersel, - touw, + martin bakker: bass, edwin theuerzeit: trumpet, jan de ligt: baritone, laurens de jonge: tenor, anne martin (bette bright): vocals and lyrics

an indescribable excursion into new wave ska pop. no gruppettes, but about half the tracks feature the sparkling Bette (Deaf School) Bright on lead vocals and harmonies. there are some fine songs here, especially Bette's "watch your boy" and the heart-wrenching "you and i will stick together".

Pop! Goes the Brain | Dutch Ariola/Attic Canada LAT 1119 (1981)

my old cortina/who's in trouble/ufo/girls only/if beauty is.../rhythm is a constant beat (extended version) | holland now/planet mercury/christine/i'm a lucky guy/a girl like you/very nice

produced by R. J. Stips
personnel: same as Copy Copy - theuerzeit, de ligt, martin

Oddly formulaic as the synths and drum machines come to the fore. lyrically, hans never strays from cars, girls and loneliness. catchy as fuck, though.

Design Moderne | Dutch Ariola 205 052 (1982)

go 'n' get it!/(gimme a) break/happily unemployed/memories are memories/mein geilstes lied/and so on | blame it on the mad/james last car/newspaper/fiona/on her own/the goofananahoo

intially came packaged in a plastic shopping bag. sleeve photography by van der meer

personnel: vandenburg: guitar, vocal; calicher: keys; mollinger: drums, perc.; dick-schulte-nordholt: bass; +lies schilp, josee van iersel: backing voc.; + eddie conard: perc.

The formula's wearing thin. The somewhat more serious topics and gradually more opaque melodies doesn't help. Even so, there's still the heart-tuggingly gorgeous 'on her own'.

Sombrero Times | Dutch Blitz/Ariola 206 567 (1984)

Cara Uno: radar/why-oh-why/give it up/get up, enjoy/two tickets for rio | Cara Dos: good in bad/family life/girls in slow-motion/mumbo jumbo/what kind of normal guy am i

Produced by michiel hoogenboezem and gruppo sportivo
Personnel: -nordholt; - conard; +michiel elbracht: bass; +van leeuwen +paul berding: saxes; +meike touw: backing voc.; dick-schulte-nordholt: add'l bass

Unessential, and probably went out of print before the first couple of albums. Turgid rhythms and generally unmemorable songs.

Sucker of the Century | JAWS Records # 557-2 CD EP (1986?)*
 
Sort of a Gruppo postscript, this late-80s seven song CD EP is their weakest
release. Only the opening track, "The Opposite", and to a far lesser
extent, the title track, capture the humor and playfulness of prime Gruppo.
Forays into hard rock and tunelessness are simply baffling. (-DS)
 
JAWS Records # 557-2, Distributed by CNR Records, Hilversum, NL
Back to 19 Mistakes | Dutch BMG/Ariola CD 258.848 (1987/88)

Mexican Radio/Rock 'n Roll/Beep beep love/Superman/Lasting forever/
Girls never know/I shot my manager/Mission a paris/ Armee Monika/
Disco really made it/Hey girl/Bernadette/P.S. 78/Tokyo/I said no/
Blah Blah Magazine/One Way Love/Bottom of the class/Sleeping bag
 
CD compilation much like the American "Mistakes" LP. If you're new to the canon, here's the place to start. (Sam's Yonge St. in Toronto has it in stock for $22.99 Canadian).

Young and Out | Dutch VAN CD 997011-2 (1992)

Young: 1. headphone lies 2. Repeatlemania 3. Tears start running 4. Bloody cup-final day 5. Hollywood 6. No riff left 7. Animalism
8. Big Star Vampire 9. Hard Disk Drive 10. Beatnikes 11. Oh oh 12. Seriously 13. Use it again 14. Trendy Wendy 15. Hello Holiday (the song that works) 16. L.O.V.E. (her game) 17. Charles

Out: 1. house has just left the building 2. She was pretty (normal then) 3. Hey girl (one more time) 4. solo brother 5. Something else 6. It's the girl 7. Bloody cup-final day 8. Pipeline 9. Norma-Lee 10. Miles away 11. Water is what you need (original first recording) 12. the inevitable X-mas single (only feeling fine when it's) X-MAS time

Hans Vandenburg's Commercial Break | Dutch VAN CD 74321 239342 (1994)

1. This day is fine 2. Brainwave 3. I'm in love with a girl 4. Wings & everything 5. Beatlesson 6. San Ber'Dino 7. My grey suit 8. Getting over you 9. Black words 10. Commercial break 11. ???? (Question Mark) 12. Multitrack deck 13. Too much blues / this guy's crazy 14. She wants to kill / part of hairdryer 15. Box 27 purfect girl 16. Zapp away 17. Unconditional love 18. Konversation Kix 19. Zwaar k*t

Shake Hands with Vandenburg | Dutch VAN CD 74321 403712 (1996)

Shake hands with Vandenburg
1. S.H.W.V. (cake mix) 2. Pamela Sunshine 3. Say you love me 4. My Ukelele way 5. This heart 6. News From Up The Street 7. Still Kind Of Lonesome 8. Richman 9. Movie Street

Bad Slippers
10. Nothing To Complain

Centerbald
11. Far Beyond Our Time (We Are)

The Rubbers of Prevention
12. Candy Blaze!

Smash + Hit
13. IJsbeer

Gruppo Sportivo
14. You

Mie & Het Residentie Orkest
15. Wings & Everything

Sounds Interesting (1)
16. Music For Films

Hobbyhorse
17. Hidden Loot

Hank
18. Wat Jij Moet Doen, Dat Kan Ik Lekker Ook!

Total Happy Birthday Party Time: 64:52

'Shake Hands' contains songs, played by a lot of people, just joined together for some occasion. Hidden Loot by Hobbyhorse was recorded in 1969! -Atjous

 
Special thanks to Atjous and to Dr. Michel J. Couzijn for information, track listing and sleeve images for the Dutch albums.
 
The VAN titles are available from:
VAN Record Company
Surinamestraat 17
2585 GG The Hague
The Netherlands