BZN
| BZN | |
|---|---|
BZN in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Volendam, Netherlands |
| Genres |
Pop, chanson, schlager Pop rock |
| Years active | 1966–2007 |
| Labels |
Negram Phonogram Mercury Records Universal |
| Website | www |
| Past members |
Jan Keizer Carola Smit Jan Veerman Jan Tuijp John Meijer Dick Plat Anny Schilder |
| BZN discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 33 |
| Live albums | 2 |
| Compilation albums | 8 |
| Video albums | 21 |
| Singles | 73 |
BZN (Band Zonder Naam; Dutch for "Band Without Name") was a successful Dutch pop group that had a string of hits from 1966 to 2007 on. Combining high productivity and a disciplined work ethic with an exceptionally good feeling for what their audience liked, the band achieved a thirty-year music chart presence in the Netherlands, to an extent comparable to that of Cliff Richard in the United Kingdom, and rewarded by likely record-breaking numbers of platinum certifications for their albums.
BZN recorded mostly in English and French, but also had success with material in Dutch and German.
BZN started out as a pop-rock band in their native Volendam in 1966, playing early-Bee Gees-like harmony pop. The initial line-up consisted of Jan Veerman (vocals), (guitar), Evert Woestenburg (guitar) Jan Tuijp (bass guitar) and Gerrit Woestenburg (drums).
In the early 1970s, the band switched to hard rock and had its first successes, including a brace of Top 40 hits. After original lead singer Veerman left the band, and drummer Jan Keizer took his place, the band made a musical U-turn and opted for commercial middle-of-the-road pop, adding female co-vocalist Anny Schilder and laying the foundation for their status as the most popular Dutch band ever (in terms of hit singles and albums). BZN has had over 50 hits in the Dutch hit charts to date, and are the only music act to have had top 40 hit singles for 26 consecutive years (1973-1998). Album chart presence was even stronger, without interruption from 1977 to 2008.
BZN's big breakthrough started with the song "Mon Amour" (1976), which held the #1 hit parade ranking for over 5 weeks. Outside of the Netherlands the band has had some success as well, amongst which several hits in South Africa (such as "Yeppa" in 1990) and minor successes with their French-language songs in Canada.
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Wikipedia