Supersister (Dutch band)

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
Also known as
  • Sweet O.K. Supersister (1968)
  • The Blubs (1965-1968)
OriginThe Hague, Netherlands
Genres
Years active1967-1975, 2000-2001, 2010-2011
Spinoffs
  • Supersister Projekt 2019 (2019-)
Past members
  • Robert Jan Stips
  • Marco Vrolijk
  • Sacha van Geest
  • Ron van Eck
  • Rob Douw
  • Charley Mariano
  • Herman van Boeyen
  • Rob Kruisman
  • John Schuursma
  • Elton Dean
  • Gerhard Smid
  • Daniel Denis
Websitesupersister.nl

History

Originally 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 passed away 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

Robert Jan Stips performing in 2008

Past members

  • 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)
  • Robert 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

Studio Albums

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

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

Title Details
Superstarshine Vol. 3 Released: 1972

Label: Polydor Records

Startrack Vol. 1 Released: 1973

Label: Polydor Records

Present From Nancy / To The 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

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

  1. "Biography". Supersister (in Dutch). 2010-09-06. Archived from the original on 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  2. "Supersister hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  3. "supersister". underthelemontree.nl. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  4. "Superrsister". Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  5. "2012 January". Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  6. "Supersister". Supersister (in Dutch). 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2023-09-02.

Supersister at AllMusic

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