During the weekend of August 30th to 31st, 1969, a number of musicians from various bands active in the region of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, performed in a club in Mannheim, Germany. Some of the band members from "Moses and the Scouts" and "Dirty Underwear" discovered that they had much in common in terms of musical ideas and decided to form a new band - with Broer Bogaart drums and congas, Tom Fautubun bass, Eric Lintermans guitar, Bonki Bongaerts organ, Bertus Borgers saxophone and vocals and Inez and Moses performing as extra solo vocalists.
After some rehearsals, and on the way to the first gig, there wasn't a name yet for the new band. To tease the shy roadie, Albert, it was decided to call the band "The Mr. Albert Show" and despite Albert's protests, the name was never changed. After recording the new written repertoire on a cassette, Bertus and Moses hitched a ride to the Red Bullet record company. Willem van Kooten, the big boss, immediately decided to offer the band a four-year record contract, which the band members signed without any hesitation.
In 1971, the second LP, "Warm Motor", which was also produced by Peter Koelewijn, was released and perfectly reflected the band at that time. However, Red Bullet was unable to lift a single from the LP, as the songs were too long, the band no longer had a female vocalist and the music was too freaky. The band was focussing on the new trends of the time and exploring music from around the whole world, i.e. Jazz, Underground, African, Indian and much more. We wanted to be actively involved in the cultural and social developments that were actually taking place and coming up with appropriate singles wasn't exactly part of our daily interests.
As a result, the first signs of friction arose between the band and the record company. As a compromise, additional recordings were made in order to be able to release a single, e.g. "Show Me Your Tongue", but in 1972, we broke all ties with Red Bullet. We continued to play, but still had two years remaining on our contract, rendering the band members unable to sign up with another record company. We decided to go our own separate way and on September 29th, 1973, The Mr. Albert Show gave their last performance at "de Effenaar" in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
by Bertus Borgers, November 2002
1. Did You Really Find Somebody - 10:00
2. I'm Not More Than A Sign - 3:57
3. Electronic Baby (Bertus Borgers, Bonki Bongaerts, R. Sylvester) - 6:47
4. Let It All Hang Out - 4:40
5. Bantal - 3:53
6. Woman - 12:14
7. I Can't Help It - 2:32
8. Show Me Your Tongue - 3:34
9. Can't Find My Way Home (Steve Winwood) - 5:01
10.Hooked On You - 4:07
11.Picking Up Your Page - 3:28
All compositions by Bertus Borgers unless as else stated.
Bonus Tracks 7-11
The Mr. Albert Show
*Bertus Borgers - Vocals, Flute, Saxophone, Guitar, Keyboards, Vibes
*Tom Fautubun - Bass Guitar
*Bonki Bongaerts - Organ, Piano, Bluesharp, Keyboards
*Erik Lintermans - Guitar
*Broer Boogaart - Drums, Percussion
1970 Mr. Albert Show - Mr. Albert Show (2002 remaster)
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Mr. Albert Show can be considered as one of the ‘jam bands’ from The Netherlands in the late sixties, combining elements from rhythm & blues, rock, soul and psychedelica. The five-piece band, led by saxophone player Bertus Borgers (Sweet d’Buster, Golden Earring, Groove Express) was a truly wild sensation for anyone who witnessed one of their gigs between 1969 and 1973. In between those years, the band recorded two albums, both fetching high prices from international record collectors. Mr. Albert Show was founded in 1969 in Eindhoven, as are parts of the members of the band "Moses and the Scouts" and "Dirty Underwear" merged into a new group. The group named themselves after one of their roadies, has released 2 albums: "Mr. Albert Show" (1970) and "Warm Motor" (1971). With the single "Wild Sensation" the group in 1970 in Holland, a veritable hit single.
ReplyDelete''Warm Motor''LP Philips 6413015 (1971) . Produced by Peter Koelewijn. Recorded at the G.T.B. studios, The Hague, The Netherlands and at Phongram Studios, Hilversum, The Netherlands. Both albums of Mr. Albert Schow were in 2003 by Longhair released on CD again.
ReplyDeleteIn the United States this album was called Dutch Treat and had a different cover On the cover you can see singer Floortje Klomp, who sang for a short time with the band, but she doesn't appear on this album. Although singer Floortje Klomp had left the band after a few month after replacing singer Inez (sang on 1st album), she had credits as singer. As Bertus Borgers also told me, the musicians´ statements on the US cover's back front were a result of the group promoter's fantasy. The band members themselves hadn't been informed.
This album is more on the trippy side than the first one, spheric organ, flute/sax, and great guitarwork . The 6 tracks show the bands outstanding talent for progressive rock music with trippy jazz elements but also straight Hardrock. Music ranges from Golden Earring, King Crimson, Colosseum style over to several Krautrock bands.
ReplyDelete"Warm Motor"! Big differences to debut the group is more on the trippy side than the first one, spheric organ, flute/sax, and great guitarwork . The 6 tracks show the bands outstanding talent for progressive rock music with trippy jazz elements but also straight Hardrock. However, the women's singing is gone, all the rocks are often a little harder now and the pieces have become longer. Still the foundation of the music of the five Dutch is a bluesy-jazzy Protoprog that sometimes slightly harder rocking lives, the interplay of organ and electric guitar. Based enriched the group their sound by jazz and rock influences Brass. Especially Bertus Borgers provides - not just when he sings - with various saxophones and a flute that the music somewhat from the usual organ-heavy and hard rock of the early Protoprog apart. Colosseum, Black Widow, Warm Dust or the compatriots of Focus are perhaps quite a good comparison to the music on "Warm Motor", then the Danish sax Progger (Burnin Red Ivanhoe, Blast Furnace, the Rainbow Band and Thor's hammer) but the compositions of the band from Eindhoven are knitted little easier.
At the time of their second album, the band had dropped the psychedelic element of their music to concentrate more on the jazz-rock side, resulting in some first rate progressive rock. 'Did You Really Find Somebody' opens the album, and straight away you can hear the difference. Much more relaxed and jazz-orientated, it includes a lovely jazz guitar solo, which you hear far too little these days, and good use of the horn section. 'Electronic Baby' beefs up the rock element slightly, with some heavy guitars making an appearance, and also includes a good keyboard solo and a nice flute interlude. 'Let It All Hang Out' has a funky groove to it, and a vocal at times reminiscent of Joe Cocker, while 'Bantal' is the most out and out jazz track on here, featuring intricate rhythms and time changes. The generally longer tracks on this album (only six in all) work very well, and none of them drag at all, making for a truly progressive album - in that the band have actually progressed on from their debut. Now out on CD with bonus tracks - a couple of fifties style rock'n'rollers (which really do not fit in with the music on the rest of the album) in 'I Can't Help It' and 'Show Me Your Tongue', and whether you have heard their first one or not this is definitely worth checking out
Then it apparently came into larger differences with the record company (marketed by Philip label Red Bullet Productions), with which the band then no longer wanted to work together. However, they were still under contract with the label, which, however, did not release the tape. To end the deadlock, the group finally dissolved in the fall of the 1973. The saxophonist and singer Bertus Borgers then worked with Robert Stips of Supersister in the band Sweet d'Buster,together with Robert Jan Stips of Supersister and is very active as a studio musician.
@Marios,good job my friend!
Another cool one, thank you.
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