Stars & Stips -

Stars & Stips were a Dutch art-rock band that released the 1976 Polydor album Nevergreens.

Members: Robert Jan Stips (piano, synthesizer, vocals, percussion), Bertus Borgers (horns, vocals), Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums), Rinus Gerritsen (bass)

Background

Stars & Stips formed in the Netherlands in 1976 when keyboardist and vocalist Robert Jan Stips assembled a studio group with horn player and vocalist Bertus Borgers, bassist Rinus Gerritsen, and drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk.

Stips was born on February 4, 1950, in The Hague and first recorded with Supersister, the former Blubs school band that signed to Polydor after the 1970 Dutch hit “She Was Naked.” Gerritsen co-founded Golden Earring, which Zuiderwijk joined in 1970, starting on their sixth album.

Golden Earring brought Stips into its expanded lineup after Supersister ended. He recorded with the band on Switch and To the Hilt, then completed Golden Earring’s 1976 American tour. Stips left the band after the tour and organized Stars & Stips around Gerritsen, Zuiderwijk, and Switch session saxophonist Borgers.

Nevergreens

Stars & Stips released their singular album, Nevergreens, in October 1976 on Polydor.

Nevergreens contains seven original titles: six by Robert Jan Stips and the Borgers–Stips co-write “Carry On.” Stips multitasks on pianoforte, ARP synthesizer, percussion, and vocals beside bassist Rinus Gerritsen, drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk, and horn player/vocalist Bertus Borgers. The side plan reserves long-form space for the A4 medley and the side-two title piece.

“It Takes a Lot of Time to Let All People Know” percolates through electronic keys, shuffling rhythm, and soft-rising saxophone entries. “Tango Malafido” strips the arrangement to minimal a cappella voices. “Music Makes My Song” softens into sparse electric song form. “(Cause) Worlds Will Fall Apart” continues that pared-down setting.

“Carry On” lifts the pace with playful turns. “Me and My Monkey” twists rock-and-roll mannerisms into a comic vocal piece, capped by a saxophone solo. “Nevergreen” opens on piano, shifts into keyboard color, and expands after the three-minute mark with a broader ensemble entry.

A1. “It Takes a Lot of Time to Let All People Know” (3:22)
A2. “Judas Shuffle” (4:42)
A3. “Tango Malafido” (1:57)
A4. “Music Makes My Song / (Cause) Worlds Will Fall Apart” (6:43)

B1. “Carry On” (3:12)
B2. “Me and My Monkey” (4:00)
B3. “Nevergreen” (10:30)

Stips produced Nevergreens. He cut the basic tracks with Gerritsen and Zuiderwijk at Soundpush Studios in Blaricum. At Artisound Studios in Duivendrecht, Stips worked with Aad Link on overdubs and vocals; Borgers added horns and vocals during those sessions. Jan Schuurman mixed Nevergreens at Soundpush Studios.

The cover features a pencil illustration of a large cabinet with a glassed-in band scene at the top and a child beside the front speaker.

Polydor lifted “Carry On” as a 1976 single (b/w “Tango Malafido”).

Postlude

Stars & Stips ended as a one-album detour after Nevergreens. Robert Jan Stips and Bertus Borgers carried the closest continuation into Sweet d’Buster, with Stips on keyboards and Borgers on saxophone. Sweet d’Buster made the 1976–79 albums Sweet d’Buster, Friction, and Gigs. After Stips left, Borgers led a revised lineup on the 1980 lineup Shot Into the Blue.

Borgers then stayed inside the Dutch band circuit. Herman Brood cut Borgers and Paul Smeenk’s “Still Believe” after Sweet d’Buster placed the song on Friction. Borgers led Bertus Borgers Band in 1981, then joined Herman Brood’s band for two years. In 1984, he formed Groove Express with guitarist Erwin van Ligten. The group shortened its name to Groove and remained active through 1993.

Stips moved between production work and Dutch rock groups after Sweet d’Buster. During 1977–81, he produced Gruppo Sportivo’s Ten Mistakes, Back to 78, and Pop! Goes the Brain. In 1979, he formed Transister, which released Zig Zag. He issued U.P. in 1981, then joined Nits after his earlier production work for the band.

Gerritsen and Zuiderwijk resumed Golden Earring work after Nevergreens. Golden Earring cut their 1976 album Contraband with guitarist Eelco Gelling, then issued the 1977 double-LP Live. The band followed with the 1978/79 albums Grab It for a Second and No Promises…No Debts. During 1982–86, Golden Earring returned to international charts through Cut, N.E.W.S., and The Hole, joined by Stips as a session keyboardist.

Discography: