Les Zazous
Band from Katwijk aan Zee, The Netherland, active from 1983 to 2001. The catchy songs of the Dutch band Les Zazous are a fine blend of psychedelica and powerpop. Their records found their way to fans all over the world through renowned sixties labels like Kelt Records, Yesterdays Music, Munster Records, BamBalam Records, Dureco and the major Universal Music. And doesn't any band that toured with The dB’s, Wreckless Eric, Alex Chilton and Radiohead deserve a small place in the Walhalla of cool?
Following their debut single Chain Gang and the EP Wake Up Wake Up their first LP Les Zazous appeared on the renowned Dutch sixties label Kelt Records in November 1987. It became Album Of The Week on the national radio station 3FM, earned good reviews and turned Les Zazous into a touring band. Thanks to BBC's Janice Long the single Another Town made the British indie charts.
Their second album Pop! appeared in November 1990, on Dureco Records, home of Shocking Blue, Oscar Harris And The Twinkle Stars and André Rieu... The singles Crazy World and Tears Will Tell On You both received a lot of airplay and the band gained fame as a frequently programmed unplugged act on radio shows.
For their third album Exota! (May 1993) Les Zazous moved to Universal Records. The songs came together with the aid of Dutch rock veterans Hans Vermeulen (Sandy Coast) and Robert-Jan Stips (Supersister, Golden Earring, Nits). The singles Seven Seas and Crying In My Sleep were radio hits but unfortunately nowhere on the charts.
For their fourth album Electric Babyland (June 1998) Les Zazous returned to Dureco Records. The videoclip of the single Aphrodisiac - a parody on the Dutch charts show Toppop - was a great laugh and did very well. So did the clip of Everybody's Watching Me, that took a turn on the reality show Big Brother. With two more singles, This Town and Deadline, their fourth album was their most successful. After Electric Babyland the band called it a day, but Les Zazous returned in 2009 and 2016 for some reunion gigs.
The cd Singles Party, the best of Les Zazous 1983-2001 compiles their best work on one album. With all the singles, best album tracks, b-sides, radio performances and outtakes it’s a true Best Of Les Zazous.
Les Zazous were:
Jan van der Plas - vocals, guitar
Marc Laman - vocals, bass
Gijs van der Bent - guitar (1983-1989)
Frank Jan Kat - vocals, guitar (1989-1991)
Sipke Boorsma - vocals, guitar (1991-2001)
Jan van Egmond - drums (1983-1985)
Hidde Sikkes - drums (1985-1987, 1989-2001)
Marcel Willemsen - drums (1987-1989)