l-r: Arnold Mühren, Theo Klouwer, Cees Veerman, Jaap Schilder, Piet Veerman
Personnel:
Piet Veerman - Vocals, guitar (v,g, ex-Everly Kosters)
Cees Veerman - Vocals, guitar (v,g, ex-Sputniks and Electric Johnny &
his Skyriders )
Jaap Schilder - Guitar, piano (g,p, ex-Everly Kosters )
Arnold Muhren - Bass (ex-Electric Johnny & his Skyriders)
Theo Klouwer - Drums (replaced Cees Mooyen in April 1964)
Slowly but surely, the Cats from Volendam turned themselves into one of Holland's top-selling musical acts. Their first record is now a real collectors item! Already in 1962, the nucleus of the Cats was performing under the name of The Mystic Four. In 1963, the name changed to The Blue Cats. Together with some other bands, the Cats were responsible for making the "Palingsound" very popular in Holland for many years. ("eel-beat", "palingbiet" or "eel-sound" is a Dutch name invented by Dutch top DJ Joost den Draayer). The popularity of the band, which had been releasing three hit singles per year since 1966, rapidly spread into Germany as well. This could be due to the way the Cats were concentrating more and more on writing melodic, sentimental songs. The harmony vocals were simply outstanding! It's those early songs, including "Times Were When", "Lea", "Why", "Scarlet Ribbons", "Marian" that had brought the band so many fans throughout Europe. In 1975, Cees Veerman left the band temporarily, due to problems with his voice. For a year, he was replaced by an ex-roadie, Piet Keizer. One year prior to that, their album, "Love In Your Eyes", produced by Al Capps and recorded in the USA, failed to attract attention of the record buying public. However, despite performing what was announced as their farewell gig in Purmerend on May 19th 1974, they continued to gig and record sporadically all the way up through the year 1977. That same year, another album, "Like The Old Days" was released. Both, Piet Veerman and Cees Veerman (no relation) recorded solo albums in 1976. Jaap Schilder followed the suit in 1978.
The real split came in 1980, despite the success of their first single that year, "The End Of The Show", and the album with the same name, "The End Of The Show" (EMI, 1980). After that, for a few years, the only 'commotion' heard from the Cats camp was Piet Veerman's solo work. In 1983, the Cats worked together once again, producing the "Stars On 45" single, which became very successful in many countries. In 1985, Piet Veerman decided to retire from the Cats for good, and two years later scored his first Number 1 hit single with "Sailin' Home". In 1994, the Cats recorded their last album, called "Shine On", for Polydor.
See also the solo activities by both Veermans.
[24-12-1966]^14*15 WHAT A CRAZY LIFE cats [15-04-1967]^26*6 VIVE L'AMOUR cats [15-07-1967]^12*13 SURE HE'S A CAT cats [28-10-1967]^27*5 WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO cats [24-02-1968]^14*9 TURN AROUND AND START AGAIN cats [22-06-1968]^2*18 TIMES WERE WHEN cats [09-11-1968]^1*22 LEA cats [15-03-1969]^1*13 WHY cats [30-08-1969]^3*11 SCARLET RIBBONS cats [13-12-1969]^1*16 MARIAN cats [27-06-1970]^4*9 MAGICAL MYSTERY MORNING cats [24-10-1970]^1*13 WHERE HAVE I BEEN WRONG cats [06-03-1971]^11*5 DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME the cats [31-07-1971]^3*14 ONE WAY WIND the cats [06-05-1972]^2*18 LET'S DANCE the cats [26-08-1972]^3*14 VAYA CON DIOS the cats [18-11-1972]^3*11 THERE HAS BEEN A TIME the cats [02-06-1973]^7*7 LET'S GO TOGETHER the cats [29-09-1973]^6*7 MARIBAJA the cats [12-01-1974]^3*8 ROCK 'N ROLL the cats [06-04-1974]^1*15 BE MY DAY the cats [23-11-1974]^6*8 COME SUNDAY the cats [01-03-1975]^15*5 HARD TO BE FRIENDS the cats [21-06-1975]^9*6 LIKE A SPANISH SONG the cats [20-12-1975]^18*4 SILENT NIGHT the cats [15-05-1976]^16*5 WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER the cats [31-07-1976]^25*4 ROMANCE cats [26-03-1977]^6*8 SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME the cats [24-09-1977]^18*5 CINDY the cats [08-07-1978]^24*5 SHE WAS TOO YOUNG the cats [29-03-1980]^5*10 THE END OF THE SHOW the cats [22-01-1983]^11*8 LA DILIGENCE the cats [10-09-1983]^20*5 STAY IN MY LIFE the cats [07-01-1984]^15*5 LOVE IS A GOLDEN RING the cats [28-04-1984]^37*3 LOVERS DON'T TALK the cats [29-06-1985]^31*5 SHE'S SO IN LOVE the cats 1965 Jukebox/Goodbye my love Almadisc A 53105 Jukebox/Goodbye my love Durlaphone M 53105 1966 Ave Maria/A fool never learns Ave Maria no morro/Jukebox Omega 35877 Somewhere over the rainbow/I'm ashamed to tell Durlaphone M 650811 What a crazy life/Hopeless try Imperial IH 709 1967 Vive l'amour/But tomorrow 726 Sure he's a cat/Without your love 733 What is the world coming to/How could I be so blind 759 1968 Somewhere over the rainbow/I'm ashamed to tell Omega 35890 Turn around and start again/Remember the good times Imperial IH 781 Times were when/I like the way 805 Lea/I gotta know what's going on 824 LP Cats as cats can SALI 8002 1969 Why/Mandy my dear IH 852 Scarlet ribbons/Today 5C 006-24070 Marian/Somewhere up there 24120 LP Cats SALI 8017 & 5C 048-50650 1970 Magical mystery morning/I walk through the fields 006-24218 Where have I been wrong/The greatest thing 24248 LP Colour us gold 054-24078 LP Portrait (Greatest hits) 24166 LP Take me with you 24320 1971 Don't waste your time/It's over now 006-24290 One way wind/Country woman 24432 LP Cats aglow 056-24500 1972 Let's dance/I've been in love before 006-24614 Why/Lea 24625 Vaya con Dios/Don't waste my time/Take me with you 24637 There has been a time/How did you feel 24670 LP Times were when 180-24570/71 LP Katzenspiele 062-24704 LP Signed by the Cats 056-24756 1973 Let's go together/Linda 006-24840 Time machine/Maribaja 5C-006-24855 LP Best 054-24903 LP Home 056-24950 1974 Rock and roll/Come on girl 006-24885 Be my day/She's on her own 25000 Come Sunday/Come on girl 25050 LP Love in your eyes 062-25100 LP 10 jaar de Cats 184-25121/22 LP Op hun best 052-25123 LP Collector's classics Capri CP 537 1975 Country woman/ Imperial 5C 006-25075 Like a Spanish song/Loving arms EMI 25305 Silent night/The wise man 25333 LP Hard to be friends 062-25175 LP We wish you a merry Christmas 064-25290 1976 We should be together/Looking back over my yesterday 006-25396 Romance/Nobody cares 25513 Sweet wine/Night of glory 25542 LP Homerun 064-25435 1977 Save the last dance for me/Riding train 006-25490 Cindy/Morning light 25684 Lucky star/Lorene 25778 LP Let's get together Delta DAG 160 1980 LP The End Of The Show EMI
VEERMAN, CEES
1976 LP Another side of me EMI 5C 064-25447 Sailor sail on/ 006-25517
VEERMAN, PIET
1975 Rollin' on a river/Town's fair EMI 5C 006-25331 LP Rollin' on a river 064-25297 1976 Living to love you/Yesterday 006-25354 [18-10-1975]^9*7 ROLLIN' ON A RIVER piet veerman [14-03-1987]^1*15 SAILIN' HOME piet veerman [20-06-1987]^7*7 WALKING TOGETHER piet veerman [07-11-1987]^25*4 A NEW TOMORROW piet veerman [10-09-1988]^24*6 WHENEVER YOU NEED ME piet veerman [11-11-1989]^32*3 CRY OF FREEDOM piet veerman
Submitted by: Adri Verhoef (a3@a3.xs4all.nl-removespam)
They were very successful in Germany. The Cats had three hits in the
German Top10:
Be my day - Stayed 12 weeks, peaked up to #4
Let's dance - Stayed 15 weeks, peaked up to 3
One way wind - Stayed 12 weeks, peaked up to #4
They also released a record around 1972 containing German versions of their hits (and the original English language version of "What a crazy life") on EMI/Bovema Negram (MFP 1M048-24980).
In 1979, a double album "Supergold" containing all their major hits up to date was released on EMI/Bovema Negram (1C134-26327/28).
Submitted by: Christoph
Lorenz (lorenzc@informatik.tu-muenchen.de)
My Cats collection
LPs:
Die Goldkatzen aus den Niederlanden, 1C 048-24306, MFP (Music For Pleasure),
Germany
1970 Colour Us Gold, 5C 054-24078, Imperial/Bovema, Holland
1970 Take Me With You, 5C 054-24320, Imperial/Bovema, Holland
1970 45 Lives, RS 521, Rare Earth/Motown, USA
1972 Signed By The Cats, 5C 056-24756, Bovema, Holland
1972 Times Were When (reissue of "Cats as Cats Can"/"The Cats" - 2LP),
5C 180-24570/71, Bovema, Holland
1972 Katzen-Spiele, 5C 062-24704D (in German), Electrola, Germany
1973 Home, 5C 056-24950, Bovema, Holland
1974 Love In Your Eyes, F9449, Fantasy, USA
1975 Hard To Be Friends, 5C 062-25175, EMI/Bovema, Holland
1975 We Wish You A Merry Christmas, 5C 064-25290X, EMI/Bovema, Holland
1976 Homerun, 5C 064-25435, EMI/Bovema, Holland
1977 Like The Good Old Days, 1C 064-25821, EMI/Electrola, Germany
1979 Supergold 2LP, 1C 134-26327/28, EMI/Electrola, Germany
1983 Third Life, 831006, Boni, Holland
1984 Live 2LP, 841022, Boni, Holland
1985 Flyin' High, 285 0321, Boni, Holland
CDs:
1991 The Very Best Of, 01 5850 61, Diamond, Holland
Forever, RM 596388, Rubinstein Media, Holland
1997 The Cats/Cats Aglow 2CD set (reissue), 7243 8 56783 2 5, EMI, Holland
2002 The Complete Collection 3CD+DVD box set, EMI/BR Music, 7243 5 40223 0 2
2003 Cats As Cats Can, EMI, 7243 58227727 2003 Cats, EMI 2003 Colour Us Gold, EMI, 7243 58185324 2003 Take Me With You, EMI, 7243 58228120 2003 Aglow, EMI, 7243 58228229 2003 Katzen-spiele, EMI, 7243 58228328 2003 Signed By The Cats, EMI, 7243 58227222 2003 Home, EMI, 7243 58227321 2003 Love In Your Eyes, EMI, 7243 58185423 2003 Hard To Be Friends, EMI, 7243 58227420 2003 We Wish You A Merry Christmas, EMI, 7243 49736528 2003 Homerun, EMI, 7243 58227529 2003 Like The Old Days, EMI, 7243 58227628
If you look at the top photo on the cover of "Signed by the Cats" album, chances are, without knowing much about the band you're going to think the same thing I thought at first, "What a menacing bunch! They must be in the business of heavy rock, cranking out Teutonic riffs, no lighter than their contemporaries, early 70s Black Sabbath and Deep Purple!" In fact, nothing could be further from the truth! However, those Veermans really did have a penchant for writing a catchy, memorable tune, especially mellow, melodic, superbly crafted ballads and easy going pop tunes ("Let's Dance" immediately comes to mind!); Arnold Mühren was no slouch either, as he's responsible for penning the immortal "One Way Wind", arguably one of the band's most memorable songs.
Thus, lovers of heavy rock will be somewhat appalled, leaving the Cats' recorded output to the ladies, but if you have a desire to hear lushly, yet tastefully orchestrated sentimental ballads and tunes a-la "rock lite" 70s style by one of Volendam's foremost pop sensations, then this group's for you.
Alex Gitlin
April 2001