LOST TREASURES

Catapult

“Catapult”

By Peter Marston

[linebreak style=”25.png”]

Ever since I first heard “Ma Belle Amie” by the Tee Set, I have been a fan of Dutch pop. “Little Green Bag” by the George Baker Selection, “Venus” by Shocking Blue, “How Do You Do” by Mouth and MacNeal—I loved them all and, later on, when I tracked down their various albums, I loved those too. So when I came across a copy of the self-titled debut by the Dutch glam band Catapult, I had to have it (that I found it in the 99-cent bin was merely icing on the cake—I’d have paid three times that!). Now, being released in 1974, it’s from a little later period than the aforementioned classics, but it’s still got some terrific pop on board.

Catapult formed in 1973 by Geertjan Hessing, Erwin van Prehn, Aart Mol and Cees Bergman. The four had all been veterans of other pop bands and held a summit in the Spanish resort Lloret de Mar to formalize the band and their game plan. After returning to the Netherlands, Michael Eschauzier was added on keyboards. Brian Hay, lead singer of Golden Earring, suggested the name Catapult and gave them the first gig (opening for Golden Earring, of course). A string of singles were recorded, with Eschauzier replaced by Elmer Veerhoff after the first release. The LP seems to be a bit of an afterthought, featuring only eight songs, six of which appeared as A-sides or B-sides on their various singles.

The band’s intentions are clearly announced on the opening track, “Teeny Bopper Band.” It’s a fun mix of Sweet, Gary Glitter and even ABBA with an incredibly catchy chorus, stratospheric vocals and a great funky solo. Shoulda been a big hit! “Accident” is rather plodding, sounding a bit like ELO playing the theme from The Munsters. The verses have a touch of Klaatu as well and there’s lots of Theramin throughout. All that may sound cool, but it’s a mess, frankly. “Nightrake” is a minor-key faux arena rocker. The chorus has some hooks, but they barely break through the dense production. “Back on the Road” is an uptempo rocker with manic guitar and rich synthesizer and organ pads. The riff in the verse is great and the chorus perfectly cheesy. “Let Your Hair Hang Down” is classic glam—saxy synths doubling the lead guitar, snotty vocals, a big-beat chorus and lots of octaves in the backing vocals. Another one that should been a hit! “Midsummer Switch” is a dramatic, dark ballad with over-the-top vocals and several guitar and synth riffs that sound like they are right out of a spy movie. “Springtime Ballyhoo” has a great glam title, but is another minor key synth workout. The closer is “Hit the Big Time.” It has a driving 4/4 drum and bass arrangement and a chorus that sounds a little like a cross between The Raspberries and The Quick.

Three singles were pulled from the album: “Hit the Big Time,” “Let Your Hair Hang Down,” and “Teeny Bopper Band” (all the best numbers). “Let Your Hair Hang Down” was released in Europe and the UK, while the other two received more limited release in the Netherlands and Belgium—none were released in the US. All three singles hit the Dutch charts, but subsequent singles did not perform quite as well and the band broke up in 1979. The main members of the band went on to form Rubberen Robbie, a novelty act that topped the Dutch charts in 1981 with a parody of the “Stars on 45” formula.

Catapult has never been reissued on CD and is not available in the digital domain. It’s easily found on file-sharing sites, however, which is fortunate because the vinyl is nearly impossible to find (I have, in fact, never seen another copy). Fans of Dutch pop or sticky-sweet glam will not be disappointed!

[linebreak style=”25.png”]

==============

Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.”  Peter has a new project in 2015 under the name MARSTON.   They will have a track on the upcoming “Power Pop Planet – Volume 5” compilation shipping end of December, 2015.

You check it out at this link:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

================

[linebreak style=”25.png”]

LINKS:

Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catapult_(band)

Fan Page:  http://www.alexgitlin.com/catapul.htm

Good Article:  http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/70sinvasion/catapult.html

VIDEO:

 
LET YOUR HAIR HANG DOWN

ACCIDENT