Finch -

Finch was a mid-Seventies Dutch instrumental band that released three symphonic hard-rock albums: Glory of the Inner Force, Beyond Expression, and Galleons of Passion.

Members: Joop van Nimwegen (guitar), Peter Vink (bass), Paul Vink (keyboards, 1974), Cleem Determeijer (keyboards, 1975), Ad Wammes (keyboards, 1976), Beer Klaasse (drums, 1974-76), Hans Bosboom (drums, 1977)

Background

Finch formed in 1974 when the guitarist and rhythm section of Sixties Dutch legends Q65 — Joop van Nimwegen, Peter Vink, and Beer Klaasse — assembled a new band with ex-Machine keyboardist Paul Vink. Before their first album, Paul cleared for keyboardist Cleem Determeijer.

Glory of the Inner Force

Finch released their debut album, Glory of the Inner Force, in May 1975 on Negram (Netherlands) and Atco (US).

The record established their all-instrumental sound, driven by extended improvisations, abrupt time changes, and tightly interlocked exchanges between guitar and keyboards. Their style fused the force of hard rock with the shifting structures of jazz rock, a balance sustained across four long-form tracks.

All music was composed by guitarist Joop van Nimwegen, while keyboardist Cleem Determeijer supplied a wide arsenal of sounds on organ, mellotron, electric piano, synthesizer, grand piano, and honky-tonk piano. Bassist Peter Vink and drummer Beer Klaasse anchored the ensemble with vigorous precision.

“Register Magister” opens with layered keyboards before dropping into rapid shifts between guitar-driven passages and dense mellotron swells. “Paradoxical Moods” stretches out on alternating fiery jams and quieter organ-led turns, closing on a heightened full-band surge.

Side B begins with “Pisces,” where piano and guitar exchanges frame a slower middle section and a featured bass solo. The closing “A Bridge to Alice” moves through extended sections of acoustic guitar, atmospheric drift, and a climactic finale, standing as the album’s centerpiece.

A1. “Register Magister” (9:18) – bombastic opener built on shifting motifs, alternating keyboards, surging guitar lines, and thick bass
A2. “Paradoxical Moods” (10:30) – organ and guitar tradeoffs, fast-paced jams balanced with moody mellotron and restrained passages

B1. “Pisces” (9:30) – piano and guitar interplay, slow central stretch with solo bass feature, closes with symphonic drive
B2. “A Bridge To Alice” (13:12) – expansive multi-part piece with acoustic interlude, spacey midsection, and dramatic mellotron-backed finale

Sessions took place at Intertone Studios in Heemstede, Holland, during February 1975 with producer Roy Beltman and engineer Pierre Chateau.

The sleeve featured design by Beer Klaasse with photography by Louis Tigges.

The album circulated without singles, establishing Finch as a live force and drawing comparison to their Dutch contemporaries for its dense instrumental interplay. Meanwhile, Finch released a standalone single in July 1975 comprised of a two-part Nimwegen original:

A. “Colossus Part I” (3:27)
B. “Colossus Part II” (3:35)

Beyond Expression

Finch released their second album, Beyond Expression, in March 1976 on Negram.

The record honed their instrumental dexterity, structured around extended suites that balanced forceful guitar lines, shifting keyboard textures, and sudden turns of tempo. With only three compositions, the album stretched their improvisatory language into larger forms, blending hard-edged passages with quieter interludes.

All music was composed by guitarist Joop van Nimwegen, who led the ensemble through tightly constructed multi-part works. Keyboardist Cleem Determeijer shaped much of the sound with Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, and ARP synthesizers, while Peter Vink’s agile bass and Beer Klaasse’s drumming underpinned the arrangements.

The twenty-minute “A Passion Condensed” cycles through rapid-fire guitar and dense rhythm work before easing into slower piano-led sections, later surging back with dueling exchanges between guitar and synthesizer. “Scars on the Ego” highlights Determeijer’s range on Wurlitzer and organ, moving from airy openings into heavier climaxes. “Beyond the Bizarre” opens on slow, dramatic guitar and piano, quickens into brisk interplay, and closes with an extended sequence of layered piano, acoustic guitar, and shifting tempos.

A1. “A Passion Condensed” (20:05) – six-part suite shifting between explosive guitar runs, blues-inflected turns, quiet piano passages, and a climactic guitar–synth duel

B1. “Scars on the Ego” (8:51) – keyboard-driven textures alternating with bursts of searing guitar before settling into a mid-tempo close
B2. “Beyond the Bizarre” (14:24) – dramatic opening with slow guitar and piano, expanding into brisk ensemble play and finishing with acoustic-tinged resolution

Sessions occurred at EMI Studios in Heemstede, Holland, during January and February 1976, with producer Roy Beltman and engineer Jan van Vrijaldenhoven, assisted by Pieter Boer.

The sleeve features photography and realization by Studio Artrun Ltd.

Galleons of Passion

Finch released their third album, Galleons of Passion, in November 1977 on Ariola (ND) and Rockburgh Records (UK).

The album marked their final studio release and the arrival of keyboardist Ad Wammes, whose synthesizers, piano, and flute softened the group’s harder fusion edges into a more symphonic and contemplative sound. The record shifted away from the intensity of their first two albums, trading relentless pace for wider contrasts between serene passages and sudden climaxes.

Guitarist Joop van Nimwegen wrote the majority of the material, with bassist Peter Vink co-crediting “Remembering the Future” and Wammes supplying “As One.”

The opener, “Unspoken Is the Word,” unfolds slowly from hovering keyboard drones and subdued rhythm into guitar themes in the manner of Focus, breaking into a luminous finale. “Remembering the Future” begins in darker tones with churning guitar and dramatic synths before shifting abruptly into racing fusion with Vink’s active bass lines. Wammes’s “As One” lingers on delicate interplay between guitar and synth, building patiently to a controlled peak. Side two holds the nine-minute suite “With Love as the Motive,” where shifting themes alternate between foreboding electronics, fiery guitar bursts, and a regal closing motif. The album ends on “Reconciling,” full of spirited ensemble play with dense guitar runs, spiraling Moog lines, funk-tinged breaks, and a confident close.

A1. “Unspoken Is the Word” (7:56) – spacious opening with hovering synths and stately guitar themes, ending in a radiant finale
A2. “Remembering the Future” (4:27) – dark, dramatic start with surging guitar and synths, breaking into fast-paced jazz-rock with fluid bass soloing
A3. “As One” (4:48) – Wammes composition with reflective guitar–synth dialogue rising to a patient climax

B1. “With Love as the Motive” (9:20) – three-part suite moving between ominous textures, driving riffs, and a romantic, symphonic close
B2. “Reconciling” (8:29) – lively closer with fiery guitar, organ runs, and spiraling synth figures, punctuated by upbeat rhythmic turns

Sessions occurred at Soundpush Studios in Blaricum with producer Sandy Roberton and engineer Jay Denson. Ralph van der Waart van Gulik served as executive producer, with Malcolm Davies mastering.

The sleeve features artwork and design by Grant Smith, with photography by William Reppel.

Discography: