The Shoes

In the history of Nederpop, only a few Dutch bands could rival the Shoes’ (formed as The White Shoes, in 1963, in Zoeterwoude) consistency of releasing top hit material.

In the period between 1966 and 1970, all of their singles entered the hit parade. And afterall, it is not surprising at all, considering how hard they were working at the time, and how consistent their output was – truly one of the Netherlands’ top hitmakers in the late 60s.

The group specialised in good, commercial rock and pop, and was constantly promoted at the time by Radio Veronica (the station which specialised in Dutch bands – Nederbeat and Nederpop); thus consistently dominating the airwaves all around the country! Besides, the band members were able to turn their hits into good, solid live performances thanks to a wealth of stage experience they’d possessed from their previous tours of Germany. The "black"-like, soul voice of Van Es was the most remarkable aspect of the band’s sound. It was this special voice (resembling that of Steve Winwood in some ways) that's responsible for the emergence of a staggering string of the hits between 1966 and 1970, including "Standing and Staring" (66), "Na Na Na", "Farewell in the Rain" (67), "No Money for the Roses", "Don't You Cry For a Girl" (68) and "Osaka" (70).

No wonder it was hugely disappointing news when Van Es announced his departure from the group, but the band soldiered on, and within the next couple of years, the rest of the band members tried their luck at retaining the popularity without him in the fold.Van Es subsequently went on to some moderate success with his own formation, Teddy Lane.

Following a great deal of friction and internal disagreements within the Shoes, they finally split up some time in 1973. However, upon the return of van Es into the formation, and the subsequent reunion of sorts, the Shoes managed to secure one more hit, "Face to Face". The LP with a rather unremarkable sleeve, "Make Up Your Make Up" was greeted with mixed feelings and mixed reviews.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Wie The Shoes Past (Who The Shoes Fit)	Polydor 1968
Greatest Hits				Polydor 1969
Let The Shoeshine In			Polydor 1971
Best Of						1973
Make Up Your Make Up			Negram 	1974

Discography - the long version

1966 Standing and staring/Ask my mother				 Polydor S 1210
1967 Nanana/Listen to the lyrics of this song			 Polydor S 1219
     Peace and privacy/Once again				 Polydor S 1237
     Farewell in the rain/What in the world is love		 Polydor S 1249
1968 Farewell in the rain/Nanana [Frans]			 Vogue DV 14718
     No money for roses/Imagination				 Polydor S 1257
     Man's life/I don't want to go				 Polydor S 1265
     Don't you cry for a girl/Shooting star			 Polydor S 1282
     Tank Esso Mix/He spoiled the days				      Esso LP 1
     LP Wie de Shoes past					 Polydor 236168
1969 Emptiness/End of the line					 Polydor S 1301
     That tender looking angel/Trip around the world		 Polydor S 1310
     Happiness is in this beat/My girl Flo			 Polydor S 1318
     Daylight/Time is what I need				 Polydor S 1331
     End of the line/Happiness is in this beat [Duitsland]	  Polydor 59354
     LP Greatest hits						Polydor 1236813
1970 Osaka/Flutes, horns, strings and drums			Polydor 2050014
     Adios Corazon/I'm on my way				Polydor 2050035
     After all/Highways and byways				Polydor 2050062
     LP Let the Shoes shine in					Polydor 2441013
1971 Bless the day/Be what you are				Polydor 2050085
     Join the celebration/Little miss lonely			Polydor 2050122
1973 LP The best						Polydor 2495046
1974 Face to face/No one knows					  Negram NG 403
     Up and down/Sha la la					  Negram NG 432
     Make up your make-up/Good morning everyone			  Negram NG 454
     LP Make up your make-up					  Negram NR 103
1975 The hour comes nigh/Bumpy sound				  Negram NG 488
     Who am I/Angel of the night				 Negram NG 2068
1980 LP Greatest hits						Polydor 2426026
     Standing and staring/Nanana [op 2LP Haagse beatnach]	  CNR 772005/06
1981 Osaka/Nanana						     CNR 141786
1982 LP Live '81						     CNR 660102

Dutch Charts:

THE SHOES
    3-12-66     SINGLE  13  12  STANDING AND STARING
    18-2-67     SINGLE  6   12  NA NA NA
    20-5-67     SINGLE  14  6   PEACE AND PRIVACY
    7-10-67     SINGLE  14  8   FAREWELL IN THE RAIN
    9-3-68      SINGLE  14  9   NO MONEY FOR ROSES
    25-5-68     SINGLE  11  7   MAN'S LIFE
    7-9-68      SINGLE  5   9   DON'T YOU CRY FOR A GIRL
    25-1-69     SINGLE  34  3   EMPTYNESS
    10-5-69     SINGLE  26  4   THAT TENDER LOOKING ANGEL
    2-8-69      SINGLE  19  5   HAPPINESS IS IN THIS BEAT
    29-11-69    SINGLE  35  2   DAYLIGHT
    11-4-70     SINGLE  6   10  OSAKA
    18-7-70     SINGLE  30  3   ADIOS CORAZON
    24-10-70    SINGLE  tip     AFTER ALL
    9-2-74      SINGLE  12  7   FACE TO FACE  [Alarmschijf op 2-2-74]
    22-6-74     SINGLE  tip     UP AND DOWN
    9-11-74     SINGLE  26  4   MAKE UP YOUR MAKE UP
    22-2-75     SINGLE  tip     THE HOUR COMES NIGH

STAY BROTHERS

Henk and Jan Versteegen, ex-Shoes.

1976 Old friend/Me and you Negram NG 2146
1977 Me and you/Old friend Negram NG 2243

Article translated by: Louis Rentrop (uriahboz@zeelandnet.nl)
Discography - the Long Version - Submitted by: Adri Verhoef (a3@a3.xs4all.nl-removespam)

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