Rubberen Robbie
{{Short description|Dutch band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
Rubberen Robbie is a Dutch band (or "comedy act") from Leiden, Netherlands, best known for a parodic medley of Dutch-language songs that was a number-one hit in the Netherlands in 1981. It is the continuation of a successful 1970s glam rock outfit, Catapult; its members also formed a successful production and songwriting team, Cat Music, responsible for a number of Dutch hit songs.
History
The band was formed by various ex-members of a rock combo called Catapult, which split up in the early 1980s. Catapult had scored a number of hits in the late 1970s playing a form of glam rock; "Let your hair hang down" and "Teeny Bopper Band" were two of the band's hits. After their popularity faded, the band split up and its members formed a production company, Cat Music, specializing in producing various bands (including hard rock act Picture) and occasional one-hit wonders. They became quite adept at songwriting; Andre Hazes recorded three of their songs for his album Gewoon André, including the number-one hit "Een Beetje Verliefd".{{cite book|last=Haagsma|first=Robert|title=Hazes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yw4YNvWdEnQC&pg=PT11|year=2012|publisher=Unieboek/Het Spectrum|isbn=9789000320455|page=11}} The members did form a number of other bands, one of which, The Monotones, had a hit in Germany and the Netherlands with the song "Mono".{{cite news|url=http://www.allesoverkatwijk.nl/index.php?p=nieuws&id=1751|title=Boetzolderpop sluit het Jaar met rock-geweld af|date=23 September 2013|work=Alles over Katwijk|accessdate=6 October 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610221108/http://www.allesoverkatwijk.nl/index.php?p=nieuws&id=1751|archivedate=10 June 2015|df=dmy-all}} Rubberen Robbie was their vehicle for parody and carnival songs.
One of the band's most popular songs, "De Nederlandse Sterre Die Strale Overal" ("Dutch Stars Shine Everywhere"), was a medley of verses adapted and butchered from Dutch hit songs; the very idea of such a compilation parodied a slew of hits by the Dutch novelty pop act Stars on 45;{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT52|title='Stars' Inspires Slew of Covers|date=22 August 1981|magazine=Magazine|pages=4, 52|accessdate=6 October 2013}} it sold 60,000 copies in three weeks{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_CMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT77|title='Stars' A Cover of Pirate LP|date=15 August 1981|magazine=Billboard|pages=77–78|accessdate=6 October 2013}} and earned the band number one status on the Dutch charts. The band is hailed as one of the best acts from Leiden;{{cite web|url=http://www.sleutelstad.nl/nieuws/archief/2003/02/rubberen-robbie-revival|title=Rubberen Robbie Revival|date=11 February 2003|publisher=Sleutelstad.nl|language=Dutch|accessdate=6 October 2013}} their song "3 Oktoberrr" is a perennial favorite at the Leids 3 October Festival{{cite web|url=http://www.dichtbij.nl/groot-leiden/regionaal-nieuws/artikel/3060723/lalala-leiden-of-3-oktoberrr.aspx|title=Lalala Leiden of 3 Oktoberrr?|date=29 September 2013|publisher=Dichtbij.nl|language=Dutch|accessdate=6 October 2013}} (the triple r in the song title is a reference to the Leiden dialect, with its peculiar pronunciation of that phoneme{{cite news|url=http://www.nu.nl/column-dinsdag/2091333/drrie-oktoberr-jh.html|title=Drrie oktoberr, jûh|date=29 September 2009|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 October 2013}}). Almost thirty years later the song was still ranked 62 in the top 500 songs of Omroep West, the regional radio station.{{cite news|url=http://3voor12.vpro.nl/lokaal/den-haag/nieuws/2009/februari/radar-love-weer-op-n-in-regio-top-500.html|title='Radar love' weer op één in Regio Top 500; Golden Earring tevens meest genoteerde artiest|date=9 February 2009|publisher=3VOOR12|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 October 2013}} Other well-known songs by the band include a parody of the Dutch classic levenslied "Zuiderzeeballade",{{cite news|url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4324/Nieuws/article/detail/1518021/2006/06/29/Zuiderzeeballade-leit-Emmelooord.dhtml|title=Zuiderzeeballade / ... leit Emmelooord|last=Hielkema|first=Haro|date=29 June 2006|work=Trouw|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 October 2013}} and the song "Marie" (about a guy complaining that his girlfriend left him, even though he didn't cheat on her more than once a week), which is cited as an example of what the Leiden dialect sounds like.
The band remains popular as a live act.{{cite news|url=http://3voor12.vpro.nl/lokaal/den-haag/nieuws/2009/september/is-ontzettend-leiden-straks-te-groot-voor-het-lvc.html|title=Is Ontzettend Leiden straks te groot voor het LVC? Festival gaat tijdens eerste lustrum de diepte in|last=Jouvenaar|first=Cok|date=23 September 2009|publisher=3VOOR12|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 October 2013}} Since the mid-2000s, singer Cees Bergman plays live concerts with a classic rock band, Van Beukenstein. Maximum Overdrive is a cover band playing Rubberen Robbie songs.{{cite news|url=http://www.zoeterwoudeonline.nl/nieuws/?p=1061|title=Maximum Overdrive tijdens Zoeterwoudse Koninginne Nach|date=6 April 2011|work=Zoeterwoude Online|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 October 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423150111/http://www.zoeterwoudeonline.nl/nieuws/?p=1061|archivedate=23 April 2011|df=dmy-all}}
Members
- Aart Mol (bass guitar, vocals)
- Cees Bergman (vocals)
- Elmer Veerhoff (keyboard)
- Erwin van Prehn (guitar)
- Geertjan Hessing (drums)
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Dutch comedy rock musical groups