The Nits are a Dutch art-pop band from Amsterdam, formed in 1974 by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Henk Hofstede. The band debuted with the 1976 single “Yes or No” on Dureco, followed by a 1978 self-titled album on Scramble.
Nits moved to CBS for the 1979 release Tent, followed by the 1980–84 titles New Flat, Work, Kilo, Omsk, and Adieu, Sweet Bahnhof, rounding out the decade with Henk, In the Dutch Mountains, Hat, and the live Urk.
Members: Henk Hofstede (vocals, guitar, keyboards, dulcimer, banjo), Rob Kloet (drums, vocals, lyra), Alex Roelofs [aka A∙L∙X] (bass, 1974-81), Michiel Peters (guitar, vocals, mandolin, 1974-85), Robert Jan Stips (keyboards, vocals, synthesizer, grand piano, 1982-96, 2003-present), Joke Geraets (bass, 1986-91)
Background
The Nits formed in Amsterdam in autumn 1974 when singer-guitarist-keyboardist Henk Hofstede and guitarist-singer Michiel Peters teamed with bassist Alex Roelofs and drummer Rob Kloet. Hofstede and Peters met in 1968 and played together in Midas from summer 1972 until the group dissolved the following May. Hofstede wrote and recorded original songs after Midas, while Peters joined a steelband. Hofstede met Roelofs at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, where both studied art. Peters knew Kloet from the earlier group ACCL.
The Nits played their first concert on Dec. 12, 1974, at a student party in De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam. The quartet rehearsed and recorded demos in an attic on Kattenburgergracht and sent tapes to record companies. The Nits played OOR’s first Nederlandse Groepen Presentatie on Oct. 25, 1975, at Paradiso alongside Decennium, Flavium, and Massada.
The group met Dureco plugger Jean-Pierre Burdorf in February 1976 after the Paradiso appearance. Burdorf connected the quartet with producer Alan David for the recording of “Yes or No” at Dureco’s Weesp studio. The Nits reached the Tipparade with “Yes or No” after the March 12, 1977 release. The quartet promoted the single with a first Toppop appearance. The Nits traveled to Rockfield Studios in Wales in the second half of July 1977 with David to record material for the first album.
Discography:
- “Yes or No” / “Ronald Razorblade” (1976)
- The Nits (1978)
- Tent (1979)
- New Flat (1980)
- Work (1981)
- Kilo (EP, 1983)
- Omsk (1983)
- Adieu, Sweet Bahnhof (1984)
- Henk (1986)
- In the Dutch Mountains (1987)
- Hat (1988)
- Urk (live, 1989)
- Giant Normal Dwarf (1990)
- “Torni (Music for Two Towers)” (single, 1990)
- Hjuvi: A Rhapsody in Time (1992 • Nits & The Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra)
- Ting (1992)
- dA dA dA (1994)
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