De Dijk was formed in 1981 from the remnants of the band Stampei. The driving forces behind the band are the brothers Huub and Hans van der Lubbe. The band stands out due to Van der Lubbe's poetic Dutch lyrics combined with American-style soul and rock music.
Bloedend Hart
‘Bloedend Hart’ was released as a single in 1982 and became a modest success. The self-titled debut album also caught on. These successes earned De Dijk many performances and a green light for a second album.
Nooit Meer Tarzan
Nooit Meer Tarzan, released in 1983, failed to match De Dijk's previous sales figures, and record company Dureco terminated the band's contract. Huub van der Lubbe had other ambitions. In 1984, he appeared in the Dutch feature films Brandende Liefde and De Aanslag.
Elke Dag Een Nieuwe Hoed
The following year, Elke Dag Een Nieuwe Hoed was released on Telstar (Johnny Hoes' record label). Maarten Treurniet and drummer Antonie Broek were responsible for the production. ‘Binnen Zonder Kloppen’ became a minor hit.
Wakker In Een Vreemde Wereld
Under a new record label (Phonogram), ‘Mag Het Licht Uit’ was released in the summer of 1987. It became De Dijk's first real hit. ‘Dansen Op De Vulkaan’ and ‘Wakker In Een Vreemde Wereld’ also received frequent airplay. All singles can be found on Wakker In Een Vreemde Wereld. The album earned the band a Silver Harp and an Edison award.
Niemand In De Stad
The 1989 album Niemand In De Stad features no fewer than two hits: ‘Ik Kan Het Niet Alleen’ and ‘Nergens Goed Voor’. De Dijk remains one of the most sought-after live bands in the Netherlands. Unsurprisingly, a live album was released in 1990.
The Nineties
In the 1990s, four studio albums were released: Nooit Genoeg (1991), Zeven Levens (1992), De Blauwe Schuit (1994), and De Stand Van De Maan (1997). Because the band felt their 'battery' needed recharging, De Dijk took a sabbatical year in 1999. However, they performed at South By South West, a major festival in Austin, Texas.
Zevende Hemel
Mid-2000 saw the release of Zevende Hemel, produced by J.B. Meijers (ex-Supersub). The single ‘Als Het Golft’ became a radio hit. In the summer of 2002, De Dijk celebrated their twentieth anniversary with performances at Ahoy and the Heineken Music Hall. The single ‘Ga In Mijn Schoenen Staan’ was sold during these shows and became a major (sales) success.
Muzikanten Dansen Niet
The album Muzikanten Dansen Niet was released a few months later. By then, De Dijk had six gold and three platinum records hanging on their walls. In 2004, the band decided to take it easy for a year and not perform. They ended the break spectacularly with a concert at Ahoy. In 2005, they received an Edison award for their entire oeuvre. At that time, De Dijk was working on a new album.
Summer Festivals
They returned to the stage during that year's summer festivals. For example, they played at Parkpop in The Hague and gave a major concert at the HMH.
25th Anniversary
The new album Later Is Nu was released in 2005. The first single from this album was a double single with the titles ‘Recht In De Ogen’ and ‘Later Is Nu’. In February 2006, the band held an anniversary concert at Rotterdam's Ahoy to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Brussels
After a year full of performances, the band members retreated to a studio in Brussels to record a new album. It was released in the summer of 2008 and named Brussels, after the place where De Dijk's fifteenth studio album was created.
Solomon Burke
In 2010, De Dijk collaborated with soul legend Solomon Burke on the album Hold On Tight, featuring English translations of De Dijk's songs. The album was a success, and during the week of 11 October, the group was scheduled to perform a one-off concert at Paradiso. Shortly after arriving at Schiphol Airport on 10 October 2010, the singer passed away. The Paradiso concert went ahead without Solomon Burke and became a tribute to the soul legend.
Hold Me Tight
In October 2011, the new album Scherp de Zeis was released. The album marked De Dijk's thirtieth anniversary. On 1 October 2011, this anniversary was celebrated at Paradiso. The week before the anniversary, Hou Me Vast, the documentary about De Dijk by director Suzanne Raes, premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival. It closely follows the men of De Dijk during the eventful year 2010.
Dijkers & Strijkers
At the beginning of 2014, De Dijk released Dijkers & Strijkers, a collaboration with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta string orchestra. Dijkers & Strijkers is a recording of the series of concerts the band gave with the orchestra under the name 'Broader than Classical'. That same year, the band's 33rd studio album, Allemansplein, was also released.
The Curtain Falls
Singer Huub van der Lubbe has decided to stop with De Dijk after 2022. He wants to pursue other things. The band, the music, the audience have given him everything he ever dreamed of, says the singer about forty years of playing with De Dijk. But for him, it is time for something new. While he still can. The other band members would have preferred to continue. They are very sorry that De Dijk will end with Huub's departure, but they respect his decision. De Dijk has always loved performing. In those four decades, they have played over three thousand times. “We are going to make it a great final year,” the band says.
Top 2000
In the 23rd edition of the Top 2000, De Dijk holds the following positions:
Sunday Morning Classics: De Dijk
On Sunday 12 June 2022, our very own De Dijk was on the turntable as Sunday Morning Classic with their debut album De Dijk.
The album was recorded in 1982 at Studio Bandstand in Hilversum and the Soundpush Studios in Blaricum. The lyrics were written by Huub van der Lubbe, except for the song Zeker, which was written by Hans Trompetter. Bloedend Hart was the first single where the band's rock-'n-soul fully blossomed. The lyrics of Bloedend Hart deal with the transience of love, a theme Huub van der Lubbe is familiar with and which recurs often in his work. The American-style music gained an extra dimension through the metropolitan, romantic lyrics of frontman Huub van der Lubbe. De Dijk was not yet among the top groups named after the notorious Amsterdam street the Zeedijk. That came years later, when the group had built a loyal following through endless performances, which translated into steadily improving album sales.
In 2002, the album was released on CD including seven bonus tracks with the B-side of Bloedend Hart and live recordings, including one from VARA’s Popkrant.
Source: NPO and Wikipedia Photo: G van Kempen and album cover
