BZN

BZN

Very successful band from the village of Volendam that combines South European folk music with easy listening tunes. With fellow Dutch band the Cats, who are also from Volendam, BZN spearheads the so-called 'palingpop' scene.
Full biography

Members

Carola Smit   zang
Jack Veerman (1)   drums
Dick Plat   toetsinstrumenten
Jan Tuijp   basgitaar
John Meijer (2)   gitaar
Jan Keizer   zang
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Former members

Cees Tol   banjo, gitaar, lyricist, mandoline
Jan Veerman   zang
Dirk van der Horst   gitaar
Evert Woestenburg   gitaar
Thomas Tol   componist, gitaar
Maribelle   zang
Anny Schilder   zang
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Mentioned in the biography of

1948   Ernö Olah
1951   Lex Bolderdijk
1963   Roy Beltman
1968   The Cats
1970   Gerard Stellaard
1973   Jen Rog
1984   Anny Schilder
1984   Het Goede Doel
1988   Tol & Tol
1989   Sommerset
1989   Tol & Tol
1990   Dave
1990   Tamara Tol
1991   George Baker
1993   Allard Buwalda
1996   Jan Smit
1998   Paul Natte
2003   Drukwerk
2007   George Baker
2008   Ernö Olah
2008   JP den Tex
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Biography BZN

Very successful band from the village of Volendam that combines South European folk music with easy listening tunes. With fellow Dutch band the Cats, who are also from Volendam, BZN spearheads the so-called 'palingpop' scene.

1966

BZN (short for Band Without Name) is formed.

1974

Singer Jan Veerman quits and is replaced by drummer Jan Keizer (ex-Q-Tips).

Q-Tips

1976

With the assistance of producers Cor Aaftink and Roy Beltman the group changes its sound from hard rock to easy listening tunes. Striking element in de band is the vocalist duo Jan Keizer and 17-year-old Annie Schilder. In September BZN has a number one hit with the French-language single Mon Amour.

Roy Beltman

1984

Annie Schilder leaves the band because she wants to spend more time with her family. The following year she begins a solo career. Annie is replaced by singer Carola Smit (ex-Friends).

Friends Het Goede Doel

1987

Carola suffers a brain haemorrhage. Five months later the album Visions is recorded.

1988

Composers Thomas and Cees Tol, tired of touring, quit. They are replaced by guitarist Dirk van der Horst (ex-Dizzy Man's Band, ex-Next One) and keyboardist Dick Plat (ex-Canyon). The album Endless Dream becomes platinum.

Canyon Dizzy Man's Band Next One

1989

The Tol brothers have a hit with the song Eleni.

1990

The album Horizon comes out.

1991

After a tour of South Africa BZN releases the album Congratulations, which celebrates the band's 25th anniversary.

1993

The compilation album Gold is released.

1996

The album Symphonic Night, a live album recorded to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, comes out. Guests on the album include the Groot Gala Orkest ('Grand Gala Orchestra') conducted by Harry van Hoof and children's choir De Zangertjes Van Volendam ('The Little Singers from Volendam'). It is the best selling BZN album in years and also sets off the career of the 11-year-old singer Jantje Smit. Soon after the release of the album he enters the Dutch charts at number one with his single Ik Zing Dit Lied Voor Jou Alleen ('I Sing This Song Only For You').

De Toonkunst Groot Gala Orkest Jan Smit

1997

Lead singer Jan Keizer receives a royal honour. PolyGram releases the video Serenade Around The Fire. The album Pearls comes out later this year.

1998

Following the success of A Symphonic Night, the band records a part two of this album. The album is released in October and becomes gold almost immediately. Also released is the compilation album El Cordobes. Former BZN band members perform together under the name BZN 66.

1999

BZN 66, including Annie Schilder, plays a sell-out show in Volendam. Lead singer Jan Keizer has to undergo open hart surgery. As a consequence, his solo album is postponed to a later date. The BZN album The Best Days Of My Life is released. Jantje Smit and BZN producer Roy Beltman receive a Gouden ('Golden') Harp music award.

Anny Schilder BZN 66 Jan Smit Tamara Tol

2000

Shortly after he has recovered, he releases a solo album in the French language.

Jan Keizer

2001

BZN receives a lifetime achievement Edison Music Award. In February the album Out Of The Blue is released.

2002

The proceeds of the single Will There Be A Time, taken from the album Tequila Sunrise, are given to a project of The World Wildlife Fund. Pubcaster TROS televises a six-part BZN series.

2003

Due to serious illness guitarist Dirk van der Horst is temporarily replaced by John Meijer (ex-Drukwerk).

Drukwerk Next One

2004

BZN becomes the first band to be featured on a reality soap. It's about the band members' daily life in hometown Volendam. But when it comes to it the band members decide not to go ahead with the show. According to Jan Keizer the technical realisation is too difficult and too expensive. Keizer does appear as a jury member in the TV show A Star In 40 Days. Guitarist Dirk van der Horst dies on 22 September after having been ill for a long time. In October Jan Keizer releases his country solo album Going Back In Time 3, featuring cover versions of Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire, the Paul McCartney-penned Everly Brothers tune On The Wings Of A Nightingale, Glenn Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy and Charly Rich's The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.

2005

In January BZN leaves for South Africa, where the band performs live in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Another TV special is filmed to be broadcast the next month already. In the same month BZN's 40th album, the Roy Beltman-produced Die Mooie Tijd ('Those Beautiful Days') comes out. It is their second Dutch-language album ever, featuring again Jan Keizer and Jan Tuijp-written songs. BZN's 40th anniversary is celebrated with the release of a CD boxed set, featuring all A-sides of the band's 54 Top 40 singles. The box comes out in October in different versions, including a luxurious edition featuring a DVD. On top of this, there's another boxed set featuring all regular BZN albums apart from compilations, but featuring lots of bonus material. And then there's the boxed set BZN Moments In Time: The Essential NEGRAM Collection, released through Pseudonym Records. The latter box focuses on the period from 1966-1977 and consists of two CD's plus one DVD. Rarities include a jingle cut for Veronica DJ Tom Collins, plus a special rendition of Gilbert Bécaud's L'Important C'est La Rose and the English language version of BZN's biggest hit Mon Amour, which has never been released before. The single Mon Amour is re-released. BZN's 1971 debut album The Bastard is re- released in a limited edition of 100 copies in black and blue vinyl. In November pubcaster TROS broadcasts the band's anniversary party. Previous band members like Annie Schilder are not there.

2006 - 2007

On 15 February BZN announces the break up of the band. In the autumn the band kicks of a farewell tour (The Final Tour) which runs until June 2007. The tour will be filmed for a 13-part reality show called Adieu BZN. Manager Jacques Hetsen dies on 4 May 2007 at the age of 61 following a brain haemorrhage. Late May a set of stamps and a special book about the band are issued featuring an overview of the hits and photos of the band and individual band members. The band's final performance is on 16 June at the Ahoy! In Rotterdam. The show is broadcast live on Dutch TV and watched by 1.613.000 people. Several days later the book BZN Tot Ziens! ('BZN Goodbye') is in the shops. In November singer Jan Keizers releases a solo album: Geef Mij Je Lach ('Give Me Your Smile').

2008

Drummer Jack Veerman continues with his band Mon Amour which mostly plays BZN hits. Leadsinger Linda Schilder is Annie Schilder's cousin. On 24 April Carola Smit presents her first (English) titleless solo album. First single from the album is With You (I'm In Heaven).

Carola Smit The Mon Amour Band

2009

During the launch of the website Top40.nl, BZN receives the Top 40 Decennium Award, for being the most successful Dutch act in the charts in the 1980s.

Jan & Anny

2010

Producer Cor Aaftink, who got the band signed to record label Negram back in 1971 and who produced of many of their hits, dies on 1 January at the age of 75.

Audio/Video BZN

Video BZN