''Watts in a Tank'' is the first

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

released by the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

musical group

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

. It was first released 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 ...

in 1980 by

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

,Diesel discografie
Nationaal Pop Instituut. Accessed on line December 28, 2007. and was released in the

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Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

in 1981. ''Watts in a Tank'' overview,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

. Retrieved December 28, 2007. The album was reissued on compact disc by One Way in 2002. The album, in-between rock and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...

, contained several polished soft metal ballads and was compared by some to

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late ...

's work, while the biggest hit from the album, " Sausalito Summernight" (which reached No. 1 in Canada and peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at No. 25) has been compared to (and frequently misattributed to) the

Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as ...

. The album reached No. 68 on the US ''Billboard'' chart in 1981 but was not a commercial success. Four of the tracks from this album (the aforementioned "Sausalito Summernight", "Goin' Back to China" (US No. 105), "Alibi", and "Down in the Silvermine") were released as singles. Worldwide sales of 350,000 units were reported for ''Watts in a Tank'' in December 1981. The album charted at #68 in the U.S. and #19 for four weeks in Canada. It reached #38 in the Netherlands. The Canadian 1981 Year-end chart placed the album at #62.

Track listing

# " Sausalito Summernight" – 5:08 # "Goin' Back to China" – 3:04 # "Alibi" – 2:48 # "My Kind of Woman" – 3:21 # "All Because of You" – 3:46 # "Down in the Silvermine" – 3:01 # "Good Mornin', Day" – 3:48 # "Ready for Love" – 2:33 # "The Harness" – 2:49 # "Remember the Romans" – 2:51 # "Bite Back" – 2:38

Personnel

The Band

*Rob Vunderink –

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 string ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...

*Mark Boon – guitars, lead vocals *Frank Papendrecht –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...

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 u ...

Pim Koopman Wilhelmus Frederikus "Pim" Koopman (11 March 1953 – 23 November 2009) was a Dutch musician best known as the drummer and percussionist of rock band Kayak. Biography Born in Hilversum, Koopman co-founded Kayak in 1972, along with Ton Scher ...

–

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

, keyboards, backing vocals

Additional contributors

* Moog synthesizer programming: Johan TimmanBack cover Liner notes of the ''Watts in a Tank'' vinyl album

References

{{Authority control 1980 debut albums Diesel (band) albums Polydor Records albums