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Biography
Founded in 1961 in The Hague, Netherlands, the band had their first chart success with the song “Please Go” which was released in 1965. It peaked at number 9 on the charts in the Netherlands, and their single “That Day” reached number 2 on the charts, coming second to The Beatles, “Michelle”. It was in 1967 that the band earned their first number one single with “Dong Dong Diki Digi Dong”. The album “Eight Miles High” earned the band their first headline American Tour, which was in the late 1960s around the time of the flower power era, in fact the same year as the Woodstock Festival. The band’s single “Back Home” was anticipated to be a success in the States but it didn’t do very well, despite being a number one hit in their native country, The Netherlands.
Their first success on an international level was the song “Radar Love”, which was from the album “Moontan” that earned Gold Certification. Their music began to evolve on a natural level, matching the sounds of Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. It was around this time that the band opened for Santana and The Doobie Brothers. In 1973, when “Radar Love” was at the height of it’s success, Kiss and Aerosmith were their opening acts.
Unfortunately following international stardom, the band couldn’t maintain it with “Twilight Zone” released in 1982. The music video however, was one of the first to be played on MTV in the US, and aided the track into becoming a Top Ten hit. There was a push and pull throughout their career seeing the band do very well in some countries and even better in others. Some countries didn’t take to Golden Earring’s sound at all. “When the Lady Smiles” became a hit in 1984 when it reached number 3 in Canada whilst becoming their fifth number one single in their home country.
The band decided to release a series of unplugged albums, including “The Naked Truth” which would go on to be one of the band’s highest grossing albums, selling 500,000 copies in total their native country alone. The band recorded their album “Millbrook USA” in Millbrook, New York. Later in the decade they embarked on a tour, which involved two dates in the UK one at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London and one at the Ipswich Regent Theatre the day before.
The band celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2011; it was also a success as they have had the same line up since 1970. On May 11th 2012, the band released “Tits ‘n Ass” which was recorded in London. It reached number one in the Netherlands not once but twice!
Live reviews
I've been a fan of Golden Earring since the first time I heard "Radar Love," so when I saw they were coming to the World Forum Theater in March, 2014, I knew I had to see them. With a record of more than two dozen rock albums and hit singles, the show promised to be fantastic, and it was.The audience was a mix of old and young alike, all there to witness an iconic band. The audience's energy was electric!
Golden Earring opened the show with "When the Bullet Hits the Bone," one of my favorites. The hit list continued with "When The Lady Smiles", "Please Go," and "That Day," with Barry Hay's legendary vocals rocking the night. The best song of the show was, of course, my favorite, the ballad "What Do I Know About Love."It was no surprise that the show would be accompanied by a stellar light show, just as it was no surprise when the audience screamed with the delight at the beginning of each song. I don't think I've ever been to a show with such a devoted and expressive audience.
Golden Earring has been around for decades - since the 1960s - and the members are seasoned professionals. Known for their live performances, consistently doing more than 200 concerts a year, means the chances of catching one of their shows are good and, if you do, you won't be disappointed.
One of the long standing pillars in the progressive rock community is Dutch band Golden Earring. The group has existed in some entity since the early 60s and although the lineup has changed over the years, the main goal of the band does not seem to have changed and this means there has been consistency in their releases despite the fact numerous albums will have been recorded with various other musicians.
The live show has a similar mentality as a few of the original musicians are present tonight despite their growing age yet they are joined by numerous other instrumentalists and vocalists to really pay credit to the rich Golden Earring sound. The fans enjoy this as it means the show is a real celebration of the discography. There is a large amount of albums to choose material from yet the group make great decisions throughout and the fans go wild for favourites such as 'Another 45 Miles' and the classic 'Holy Holy Life'.
sean-ward
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