KAYAK
''CLOSE TO THE FIRE''
2000
62:22
1 Close To The Fire (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 08:10
2 When Hearts Grow Cold (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:07
3 Dream Child (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:30
4 Frozen Flame (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 06:33
5 Forever (Koopman) 04:37
6 Worlds Apart (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 05:11
7 Crusader (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 04:38
8 Two Wrongs (Don't Make A Right) (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:34
9 Anybody's Child (Koopman)04:59
10 Here Today (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:33
11 Just A Matter Of Time (Koopman) 03:33
12 Full Circle (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 05:54
13 Ruthless Queen (New Version) (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 04:58
Ton Scherpenzeel - keyboards, backing vocals, accordion
Pim Koopman - drums, backing vocals
Max Werner - lead and backing vocals, percussion
Bert Veldkamp - bass guitar
Rob Winter - guitars, backing vocals
Guest musicians:
Andrew Latimer - guitar on "Full Circle"
Syb van der Ploeg - lead vocal on "Ruthless Queen"
Sytze Broersma - backing vocals on "Ruthless Queen"
Peter van der Ploeg - acoustic guitar on "Ruthless Queen"
Annet Visser - flute, recorder
Femmes Vattaal - percussion
Lorre Trytten - violin on "Full Circle"
Arthur Polini - additional vocals (miscredited as "Arthur van Pol")
Holger Schwedt - additional percussion
ABOUT THE ALBUM
BY WIKIPEDIA
Close to the Fire is a studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Kayak, released in 2000. It was a comeback album, the first since their split in 1982. The line-up was almost the same as the one that recorded the album Royal Bed Bouncer in 1975. Only guitarist Johan Slager was not involved. He was replaced by Rob Winter.
By 1997, Kayak founder members Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim Koopman decided to work on new material. They had no name for their project yet, and it was not their intention to release the songs as Kayak. Apart from Scherpenzeel and Koopman, no former Kayak members were involved at this stage. Lead singer on the demo versions was Alex Toonen, from Dutch progressive rock band "For Absent Friends". Record companies were not immediately interested, and the songs were not developed further. Then, original Kayak singer Max Werner offered to have a go at the demo's. With his vocal sound the songs got a genuine Kayak feel, and it was decided to release the songs as the new Kayak album.
The album was relatively successful, reaching # 54 in the Dutch album top-100 and staying in that top-100 for 6 weeks. More important was that media and fans were interested in the band again. Scherpenzeel and Koopman decided to continue the 'new' Kayak. Max Werner left after a short tour in 2000.
The last song on the album is a newly recorded version of "Ruthless Queen", Kayak's biggest hit from 1978. Lead vocalist on the new version is Syb van der Ploeg. He was lead-singer of Dutch band "De Kast". Members of that band were big Kayak fans, and in 1999 De Kast asked Kayak to join them in a TV-special. That was one of the things that encouraged Kayak to reunite. Apart from Syb van der Ploeg, Kast-members Sytze Broersma and Peter van der Ploeg also play on "Ruthless Queen".
The song "Full Circle" has a guitar solo by Andrew Latimer, leader of the British progressive rock band Camel. Ton Scherpenzeel played in Camel, though not constantly, from 1984 until 2003.
BIOGRAPHY
by Paul Collins / AMG
With their instrumental prowess and keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel's facility at writing lyrics in English, you might be forgiven for mistaking Kayak for a bunch of clever proggers from London. But this Dutch band began in 1968 in the city of Hilversum, where Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman attended a music conservatory. After the addition of guitarist Johan Slager, bassist Cees van Leeuwen, and vocalist Max Werner, the group solidified by 1972 and commenced recording. Stylistically they featured the instrumentation and chops of progressive acts like Yes and Genesis, but the pop song structures of Supertramp and the Alan Parsons Project; as time passed they increasingly favored the pop side of the equation. Royal Bed Bouncer, the most even balance between these two styles, was to be a commercial and artistic high point for the band. They continued to meet with minor success throughout the '70s on a variety of record labels, and in 1974 toured in support of Queen -- a move that influenced the flavor of their later work.
Like most progressive bands, Kayak never had a terribly stable lineup; at one point they went through three bassists in as many years. With Scherpenzeel as the sole constant, Kayak's first lineup also proved to be their finest; but Koopman's asthma forced him to retire in 1976, and Werner was so tortured by stage fright and unfounded doubts over his singing ability that he demanded the vacated drum chair for himself, leaving the vocal duties to new member Edward Reekers. Scherpenzeel's central role in the band eventually wore on the others, and Kayak fell apart in 1980. Scherpenzeel continued on to work with the English band Camel and then compose primarily for the theater. Koopman and Reekers worked in music production and performance; Werner left the stage to become a postal worker; and van Leeuwen became -- of all things -- a prominent lawyer. The band reunited in 1997 for a Dutch TV special, though no new recordings have yet emerged.
OFFICIAL SITE
2 When Hearts Grow Cold (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:07
3 Dream Child (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:30
4 Frozen Flame (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 06:33
5 Forever (Koopman) 04:37
6 Worlds Apart (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 05:11
7 Crusader (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 04:38
8 Two Wrongs (Don't Make A Right) (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:34
9 Anybody's Child (Koopman)04:59
10 Here Today (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 03:33
11 Just A Matter Of Time (Koopman) 03:33
12 Full Circle (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 05:54
13 Ruthless Queen (New Version) (T. Scherpenzeel/I. Linders) 04:58
Ton Scherpenzeel - keyboards, backing vocals, accordion
Pim Koopman - drums, backing vocals
Max Werner - lead and backing vocals, percussion
Bert Veldkamp - bass guitar
Rob Winter - guitars, backing vocals
Guest musicians:
Andrew Latimer - guitar on "Full Circle"
Syb van der Ploeg - lead vocal on "Ruthless Queen"
Sytze Broersma - backing vocals on "Ruthless Queen"
Peter van der Ploeg - acoustic guitar on "Ruthless Queen"
Annet Visser - flute, recorder
Femmes Vattaal - percussion
Lorre Trytten - violin on "Full Circle"
Arthur Polini - additional vocals (miscredited as "Arthur van Pol")
Holger Schwedt - additional percussion
ABOUT THE ALBUM
BY WIKIPEDIA
Close to the Fire is a studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Kayak, released in 2000. It was a comeback album, the first since their split in 1982. The line-up was almost the same as the one that recorded the album Royal Bed Bouncer in 1975. Only guitarist Johan Slager was not involved. He was replaced by Rob Winter.
By 1997, Kayak founder members Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim Koopman decided to work on new material. They had no name for their project yet, and it was not their intention to release the songs as Kayak. Apart from Scherpenzeel and Koopman, no former Kayak members were involved at this stage. Lead singer on the demo versions was Alex Toonen, from Dutch progressive rock band "For Absent Friends". Record companies were not immediately interested, and the songs were not developed further. Then, original Kayak singer Max Werner offered to have a go at the demo's. With his vocal sound the songs got a genuine Kayak feel, and it was decided to release the songs as the new Kayak album.
The album was relatively successful, reaching # 54 in the Dutch album top-100 and staying in that top-100 for 6 weeks. More important was that media and fans were interested in the band again. Scherpenzeel and Koopman decided to continue the 'new' Kayak. Max Werner left after a short tour in 2000.
The last song on the album is a newly recorded version of "Ruthless Queen", Kayak's biggest hit from 1978. Lead vocalist on the new version is Syb van der Ploeg. He was lead-singer of Dutch band "De Kast". Members of that band were big Kayak fans, and in 1999 De Kast asked Kayak to join them in a TV-special. That was one of the things that encouraged Kayak to reunite. Apart from Syb van der Ploeg, Kast-members Sytze Broersma and Peter van der Ploeg also play on "Ruthless Queen".
The song "Full Circle" has a guitar solo by Andrew Latimer, leader of the British progressive rock band Camel. Ton Scherpenzeel played in Camel, though not constantly, from 1984 until 2003.
BIOGRAPHY
by Paul Collins / AMG
With their instrumental prowess and keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel's facility at writing lyrics in English, you might be forgiven for mistaking Kayak for a bunch of clever proggers from London. But this Dutch band began in 1968 in the city of Hilversum, where Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman attended a music conservatory. After the addition of guitarist Johan Slager, bassist Cees van Leeuwen, and vocalist Max Werner, the group solidified by 1972 and commenced recording. Stylistically they featured the instrumentation and chops of progressive acts like Yes and Genesis, but the pop song structures of Supertramp and the Alan Parsons Project; as time passed they increasingly favored the pop side of the equation. Royal Bed Bouncer, the most even balance between these two styles, was to be a commercial and artistic high point for the band. They continued to meet with minor success throughout the '70s on a variety of record labels, and in 1974 toured in support of Queen -- a move that influenced the flavor of their later work.
Like most progressive bands, Kayak never had a terribly stable lineup; at one point they went through three bassists in as many years. With Scherpenzeel as the sole constant, Kayak's first lineup also proved to be their finest; but Koopman's asthma forced him to retire in 1976, and Werner was so tortured by stage fright and unfounded doubts over his singing ability that he demanded the vacated drum chair for himself, leaving the vocal duties to new member Edward Reekers. Scherpenzeel's central role in the band eventually wore on the others, and Kayak fell apart in 1980. Scherpenzeel continued on to work with the English band Camel and then compose primarily for the theater. Koopman and Reekers worked in music production and performance; Werner left the stage to become a postal worker; and van Leeuwen became -- of all things -- a prominent lawyer. The band reunited in 1997 for a Dutch TV special, though no new recordings have yet emerged.
OFFICIAL SITE
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