Decennium was a Dutch rustic-rock band behind the 1974 Pandora album Song of the Sad Times, followed by an album apiece on Killroy and Marlstone during the early 1980s.
Members: Harry Witjes (percussion, vocals), Herm Klaassens (drums), Karel Koster (keyboards), Koos Koster (bass, vocals), Niels Koster (guitar, vocals), Pieter Koster (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Rob Bos (percussion, saxophone, vocals), Ger Brands (drums), Rene Kauffman (percussion), Sjaak Kessels (guitar)
Background
Decennium formed in 1971 in Venlo, Netherlands, around drummer Herm Klaassens and five co-singers: percussionist Harry Witjes, bassist Koos Koster, keyboardist Karel Koster, and guitarists Pieter and Niels Koster. They drew on American West Coast rock and British folk-rock, with extended instrumental sections and multipart vocal harmonies.
On October 2, 1974, Decennium appeared at the Nederlandse Groepenpresentatie organized by Muziekkrant Oor at Paradiso in Amsterdam. The event brought the group to the attention of broadcaster VARA, which featured Decennium on the November 2 edition of Nederpopzien, with musician interviews and footage from the sessions for their first LP. The band returned to Paradiso on November 16 for a concert with singer Jan van Rhenen.
Decennium secured an album release through Pandora, the Negram subsidiary that also issued early recordings by Gamma.
Discography:
- Song of the Sad Times (1974)
- Highway Son (1980)
- Rock and Roll Standing in the Middle (1983)
References and notes
- Festivalinfo — Decennium artist biography. Formation in 1971, Oor groups presentation, VARA television appearance, original repertoire, and subsequent recording history. The retrospective incorrectly identifies Killroy as the first album label. (Artist biography)
- Paradiso Posters — Speellijst 1974. Contemporary concert chronology places Decennium at the October 2 Nederlandse Groepenpresentatie alongside seven other acts. (Concert archive)
- Beeld & Geluid — Nederpopzien, November 2, 1974. Original VARA archive identifies interviews with Decennium and footage of sessions for their first LP. (Television archive)
- Paradiso — Jan van Rhenen, Decennium, November 16, 1974. Official venue archive independently confirms the subsequent Amsterdam concert. (Concert listing)
- Decennium — official website. Identifies Koster, Witjes, and Klaassens personnel and describes the original American West Coast and British folk-rock influences. (Band website)
- Popsike — Pandora discography. Identifies the original 1974 Dutch pressing of Song of the Sad Times as Pandora NR 501. (Pressing catalogue)
- Grenswerk — Talkin’ About My Generation, April 9, 2018. Documents the Venlo origins, the 1974 first album, and the regional rock scene. (Regional music history)
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