Koes Plus, formerly Koes Bersaudara (Koes Brothers), is an Indonesian musical group that enjoyed success in the 1960s and 1970s. Known as one of Indonesia's classic musical acts, the band peaked in popularity in the days far before the advent of private television companies, delivering stripped-down pop and rock songs at the then-only TV station,
TVRI
TVRI (, Television of the Republic of Indonesia), legally ( Public Broadcasting Institution Television of the Republic of Indonesia) is a public television network and the oldest television network in Indonesia. Its national headquarters is i ...
.
In 2007, ''
Rolling Stone Indonesia
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine placed 6 of the band's studio albums on their
150 Greatest Indonesian Albums of All Time list. Those are ''
Dheg Dheg Plas'' (1969) at number 4, ''
To The So Called The Guilties'' (1967) at number 6, ''
Koes Bersaudara
Koes Plus, formerly Koes Bersaudara (Koes Brothers), is an Indonesian musical group that enjoyed success in the 1960s and 1970s. Known as one of Indonesia's classic musical acts, the band peaked in popularity in the days far before the advent of ...
'' (1964) at number 14, ''
Koes Plus Volume 2'' (1970) at number 21, ''
Koes Plus Volume 4'' (1971) at number 30 and ''
Koes Plus Volume 5'' (1971) at number 38.
In addition, ''Rolling Stone'' put 10 of the band's songs on the
150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time list. The songs are "Bis Sekolah" (1964) at number 4, "Kembali Ke Jakarta" (1969) at number 6, "Nusantara I" (1971) at number 19, "Kolam Susu" (1973) at number 31, "Bunga Di Tepi Jalan" (1971) at number 80, "Kelelawar" (1969) at number 83, "Manis dan Sayang" (1969) at number 88, "Pelangi" (1972) at number 92, "Jemu" (1975) at number 100 and "Di Dalam Bui" (1967) at number 126.
History
Early days & controversy
Hailing from the Bojonegoro-Tuban area in
East Java
East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
, the band started out as Koes Bersaudara (Koes Brothers), initially consisting of all five Koeswoyo brothers: John Koeswoyo, Yok Koeswoyo, Yon Koeswoyo, Nomo Koeswoyo and Tonny Koeswoyo. Its antics of pioneering
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
-influenced
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
subculture in Indonesia proved to be controversial. Such subcultures had been banned by
President Sukarno in the early 1960s, and in 1965 the brothers were arrested by the Highest Operation Commando (KOTI) for performing covers of Beatles songs.
[Connoy, Jason and Chandra Drews (2010). "Koes Plus". In ''Those Shocking, Shaking Days'' (pp.13) P booklet Los Angeles: Now-Again Records.] They were eventually released just the day preceding the nation's
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
, on 29 September. This experience resulted in their song "Di Dalam Bui".
Koes Plus
When drummer Nomo quit in 1969, Murry was invited to fill the niche, but the decision caused an internal uproar as the band was initially projected as a family act. The feud was resolved by rebaptizing the band as Koes Plus. It consisted of the Koeswoyos plus an outsider; hence the name. Music historians have hypothesized that it was Murry's heavy drumming which led to the band incorporating rock tunes within their generally ballad-heavy albums.
Koes Plus' early days were rugged, as record companies insisted on rejecting them. Murry became frustrated at some point and temporarily quit the band, distributing their records freely as well as joining several other acts. Not until their songs were played on
the state radio network did they gain considerable fame.
Present
Koes Plus never owned any
legal rights
Some philosophers distinguish two types of rights, natural rights and legal rights.
* Natural rights are those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and so are ''universal'', ''fundamental'' and ...
pertaining to their works; they received only flat payment of approximately 3 million
rupiah
The rupiah (symbol: Rp; currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia. It is issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. The name "rupiah" is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also informally use the ...
s for each album they recorded.
While this meant that their record label was willing to produce a huge number of albums by Koes Plus due to the small investment involved, it also meant that the band never enjoyed any form of
royalties
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
whenever their works are being reproduced.
As such, they rely upon their continuing live performances for their income.
Murry died on 1 February 2014 in
Jatisampurna,
Bekasi
Bekasi (, su, ) is a city in West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of Jakarta.the city of planet Bekasi is his nickname.It serves as a commuter city within the Jakarta metropolitan area. According to the 2020 Census by Statistics ...
,
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
, aged 65.
Discography
Koes Bersaudara albums
1962
# Dara Manisku;Jangan Bersedih/Dewi Rindu;Si Kancil (Irama)
# Selamat Berpisah/Selalu (Irama)
# Harapanku / Kuduslah Tjintamu (7") (Irama NP-31)
1964
# Pagi Yang Indah/Oh Kau Tahu (Irama)
# Angin Laut/Aku Rindukan Kasihmu (7") (Irama NP-33)
# Selalu / Awan Putih (7") (Irama NP-34)
# Bis Sekolah / Gadis Puri (7") (Irama NP-35)
# Aku Rindu / Sendja (7") (Irama NP-36)
# Kus Bersaudara (Dari Berpita;Untuk Ibu/Bintang Ketjil;Dipantai Bali)(Irama EP-61)
# Meraju Kalbu (Oh Kau Tahu;Pagi Yang Indah/Aku Rindu;Awan Putih)(EP)
# Angin Laut;Aku Rindukan Kasihmu/Bis Sekolah Gadis Puri (EP)
# Angin Laut (Koes Bersauadra 1962–1964) (LP) (Dara Manisku; Djangan Bersedih; Harapanku; Dewi Rindu; Bis Sekolah; Pagi Jang Indah/Si Kantjil; Oh Kau Tau; Telanga Sunji; Angin Laut; Sendja; Selamat Berpisah)(Irama LPI 17573)
1967
# To The So Called "The Guilties" (Mesra)
# Djadikan Aku Domba Mu (Mesra MP-41)
#
Dara Puspita
Dara Puspita were an all-female pop group from Surabaya, Indonesia active in the 1960s and early 1970s. The band consisted of Titiek Adji Rachman (lead guitar), Susy Nander (drums), Lies Adji Rachman (rhythm guitar) and Titiek Hamzah (bass).
The ...
/ Kus Bersaudara – Pesta Pak Lurah;Halo Halo (Dara Puspita)/Ami;Senandung Malam Hari (Kus Bersaudara) EP) Irama EPLN-2)
1977
# Koes Bersaudara Kembali (Remaco)
1986
# Koes Bersaudara 86 Lagi Lagi Kamu
1987
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Kau Datang Lagi
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Pop Jawa
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Pop Anak – Anak
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Happy Birthday
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Bossas
# Koes Bersaudara 87 Pop Batak
1988
# Koes Bersaudara 88 Country Pop
2000
# Koes Bersaudara Pop Batak Vol. 2
# Koes Bersaudara Pop Jawa
Koes Plus albums
1969
#
Koes Plus Dheg-dheg Plas (Melody. LP-23)
1970
# Natal bersama Koes Plus (EP) (Mesra. EP-97)
# Koes Plus Volume 2 (Mesra. LP-44)
1971
# Koes Plus Volume 3 (Mesra. LP-48)
1972
# Koes Plus Volume 4 Bunga Di Tepi Jalan (Mesra. LP-50)
# Koes Plus Volume 5 (Mesra. LP-51)
1973
# Koes Plus Volume 6 (Mesra. LP-60)
# Koes Plus Volume 7 (Mesra. LP-65)
# Koes Plus Volume 8 (Remaco. RLL-187)
# Koes Plus Volume 9 (Remaco. RLL-208)
# Christmas Song (Remaco. RLL-210)
1974
# Koes Plus Volume 10 (Remaco. RLL-209)
# Koes Plus Volume 11 (Remaco. RLL-301)
# Koes Plus Volume 12 (Remaco. RLL-302)
# Koes Plus Qasidah Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-341)
# Natal bersama Koes Plus (LP) (Remaco. RLL-342)
# Koes Plus The Best of Koes
# Koes Plus Pop Anak-Anak Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-306)
# Koes Plus Another Song For You (Remaco. RLL-348)
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-314)
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 2 (Remaco. RLL-347)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-248)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Volume 2 (Remaco. RLL-311)
# Koes Plus Pop Keroncong Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-299)
# Koes Plus Pop Keroncong Volume 2 (Remaco. RLL-300)
# Koes Plus Volume 8 (Instrumental) (Remaco. RLL-293)
# Koes Plus Volume 9 (Instrumental) (Remaco. RLL-294)
# Koes Plus Volume 10 (Instrumental) (Remaco. RLL-313)
# Koes Plus Volume 11 (Instrumental) (Remaco. RLL-327)
# Koes Plus The Best of Koes (Instrumental) (Remaco. RLL-320)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Vol 1 (Instrumental)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Vol 2 (Instrumental)
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 1 (Instrumental)
# Koes Plus Pop Keroncong Volume 1 (Instrumental)
1975
# Koes Plus Volume 13 (Remaco. RLL-303)
# Koes Plus Volume 14 (Remaco. RLL-631)
# Koes Plus Selalu Dihatiku (Remaco. RLL-468)
# Koes Plus Pop Anak-Anak Volume 2 (Remaco. RLL-448)
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 3 (Remaco. RLL-390)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Volume 3
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 2 (Instrumental)
1976
# Koes Plus in Concert (Remaco. RLL-635)
# Koes Plus History of Koes Brothers (Remaco. RLL-715)
# Koes Plus in Hard Beat Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-717)
# Koes Plus in Hard Beat Volume 2 (Remaco. RLL-768)
# Koes Plus in Folk Song Volume 1 (Remaco. RLL-)
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 4 (Remaco. RLL-730)
# Koes Plus Pop Keroncong Volume 3 (Remaco. RLL-388)
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Melayu (Remaco. RLL-633)
# Koes Plus Volume 12 (Instrumental)
1977
# Koes Plus Pop Jawa Volume 4
;1978
# Koes Plus 78 Bersama Lagi (Purnama. PLL-2061)
#
Koes Plus 78 Melati Biru (Purnama. PLL-2077)
#
Koes Plus 78 Pop Melayu Cubit-Cubitan (Purnama. PLL-3055)
1979
# Koes Plus 79 Melepas Kerinduan (Purnama. PLL-323)
# Koes Plus 79 Berjumpa Lagi (Purnama. PLL-3040)
#
Koes Plus 79 Aku Dan Kekasihku (Purnama. PLL-4022)
# Koes Plus 79 Pop Melayu Angin Bertiup (Purnama. PLL-4009)
1980
# Koes Plus 80 Jeritan Hati (Remaco. PLL-4044)
1981
# Koes Plus 81 Sederhana Bersamamu (Purnama. PLL-5091)
# Koes Plus 81 Asmara
# Koes Plus Medley 13 Th Karya Koes Plus
# Koes Plus 81 Pop Melayu Oke Boss
# Koes Plus Medley Dangdut 13 Th Karya Koes Plus
1982
# Koes Plus 82 Koperasi Nusantara
# Koes Plus 81 Pop Keroncong
1983
# Koes Plus 83 Da da da
# Koes Plus Re-Arrange I & II
# Koes Bersaudara Plus Garuda Pancasila
1984
# Koes Plus 84 Angin Senja & Geladak Hitam
# Koes Plus 84 Palapa
# Koes Plus Pop Memble 84 (Puspita Record)
# Koes Plus Album Nostalgia Platinum 1
# Koes Plus Album Nostalgia Platinum 2
# Koes Plus Album Nostalgia Platinum (Instrumental)
1985
# Koes Plus 85 Ganja Kelabu
1987
# Koes Plus 87 Cinta Di Balik Kota
# Koes Plus 87 Lembah Derita
# Milik Illahi
# Koes Plus "Aids"
1988
# Koes Plus 88 Jumpa Pertama
# Koes Plus 88 Sakit
1989
# Koes Plus "Reuni"
# Koes Plus 89 Nasib
1990
# Koes Plus Kidung Jawa "Pit Kopat Kapit"
1991
# Koes Plus 91 Asam Di Gunung Garam Di Laut
# Koes Plus Dangdut 91 Amelinda
# Koes Plus Reggae
1993
# Koes Plus 93 Mata Bertemu Mata
# Koes Plus 93 Sedih
1994
# Koes Plus "Tak Usah Kau Sesali"
1995
# Koes Plus 95 Pantun Berkait
1996
# Koes Plus Pop Melayu Putus Cinta
# Koes Plus Kasih 96
1997
# Koes Plus Dores Rindu Kamu
1998
# Koes Plus & Koes Bersaudara Disco House Music
# Koes Plus 98 Nusantara 2000
# Koes Plus Akustik
# Koes Plus 98 Takdir Kehidupanku
1999
# Koes Plus Pop Keroncong Abadi
# Koes Plus Burung Dara
# Koes Plus Back To Basic
# Koes Plus Love Song Koes Plus (Billy J Budihardjo)
2006
# Melaut Bersama Koes Plus
2009
# Koes Plus Pembaharuan Song of Porong
2011
# Koes Plus Pembaharuan "Curiga"
2012
# Dar Der Dor!
See also
*
List of Indonesian rock bands
Indonesian rock is rock music from Indonesia, a product of the culture and globalizing outlook of the country, similar to this genre's music globally. Indonesian-specific ideas about individualism, interdependency, modernism, and the supernatura ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Indonesian pop music groups
Anugerah Musik Indonesia winners
Musical groups established in 1969