''In the Dutch Mountains'' is an album by

The Nits Nits (known until 1989 as The Nits) are a Dutch pop group founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, ...

. It was released in October 1987 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

About the album

After the release of their meticulously assembled and produced previous album, ''Henk'' (1986), which ended up sounding somewhat lifeless, the band decided to go back to basics and record this, their next album, live to two-track in their own rehearsal space to, in their own words, "reproduce the special atmosphere of a Nits concert". As a result, the songs sound far more sparkling without becoming rough or rushed. Lyrically, singer Hofstede delves into his childhood memories, conjuring up a vision of childhood life in the Netherlands in the 1950s and 1960s. The

album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...

reflects this, featuring actual historical Children's Benefit stamps. Even though they resemble young versions of all four band members, they are in fact real Dutch stamps from 1951. ''In the Dutch Mountains'' was the Nits' most successful album to date and the first to gain a UK release. Its lead single and title track was a reasonable hit across the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an continent, and is considered their

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

. In the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, two more singles were pulled off the album, "J.O.S. Days" and "The Panorama Man".

Track listing

All tracks written by Hofstede, Stips, Kloet.

Vinyl release

Side A

#''In the Dutch Mountains'' – 3:26 #''J.O.S. Days'' – 3:13 #''Two Skaters'' – 6:51 #''Pelican and Penguin'' – 3:57 #''In a Play (Das Mädchen im Pelz)'' – 3:35 #''Oom-Pah-Pah'' – 1:21

Side B

#''The Panorama Man'' – 3:29 #''Mountain Jan'' – 4:41 #''One Eye Open'' – 3:16 #''An Eating House'' – 5:53 #''The Swimmer'' – 3:50 #''Good Night'' – 2:42 In 2010 a legal vinyl re-release came out on the ''Music On Vinyl'' label which added three extra bonus tracks, also available on the cd release, and an etching.

Side C

#''Strangers Of The Night'' - 4:27 #''The Magic Of Lassie'' – 1:37 #''Moon And Stars'' – 4:31

CD release

#''In the Dutch Mountains'' – 3:26 #''J.O.S. Days'' – 3:13 #''Two Skaters'' – 6:51 #''Pelican and Penguin'' – 3:57 #''In a Play (Das Mädchen im Pelz)'' – 3:35 #''Oom-Pah-Pah'' – 1:21 #''The Panorama Man'' – 3:29 #''Mountain Jan'' – 4:41 #''One Eye Open'' – 3:16 #''An Eating House'' – 5:53 #''The Swimmer'' – 3:50 #''Good Night'' – 2:42 #''Strangers of the Night'' – 4:27 #''The Magic of Lassie'' – 1:37 #''Moon and Stars'' – 4:31

Personnel

The band

Henk Hofstede Nits (known until 1989 as The Nits) are a Dutch pop group founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, ...

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

* Robert Jan Stips –

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

* Joke Geraets –

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

Rob Kloet Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob (s ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Additional musicians

* Jaap van Beusekom –

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

* Jolanda de Wit – backing vocals * Saskia van Essen – backing vocals * Lieve Geuens – backing vocals

Technical staff

– producers *

Paul Telman Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

–

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Covers

The title song was covered by Dutch garage rock band

Claw Boys Claw Claw Boys Claw are a Netherlands, Dutch rock and roll band, formed in Amsterdam. The core members of the band are Peter te Bos (vocals) and John Cameron (guitar). The band released eight full-length albums between 1983 and 1997. After some year ...

, on their 1988 album ‘’Hitkillers’’, and Dutch

folk metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...

band

Heidevolk Heidevolk is a folk metal band from the Netherlands. The lyrical themes of their music are inspired by nature, the history of Gelderland, and Germanic mythology. Most of their lyrics are in Dutch; however, since their album '' Velua'', they als ...

, on their album ‘’

Velua ''Velua'' is the fifth full-length album by the Dutch pagan / Viking / folk metal band Heidevolk. It was released on March 20, 2015 through Napalm Records. ''Velua'' is a concept album that offers a dark, mythical picture of the Veluwe woodlands, ...

’’.

References

{{Authority control 1987 albums Nits (band) albums Columbia Records albums