1974 - 1981: Henk Hofstede, Michiel Peters, Rob Kloet, Alex Roelofs

1974 - 1981: Henk Hofstede, Michiel Peters, Rob Kloet, Alex Roelofs

000 1974:According to the myspace site, The Nits were founded on 30th April 1974.

000A+ 1974 - 1976: Home recordings

1 "Snow" (H?)

2 "Weesp" (?)

3 Telephone Song (H)

4 …?...

Notes:As all band members played in several bands for about ten years, they might have had some experience in writing songs. HH and MP came from the band Midas. So it’s possible that there were some efforts to write songs (together) and to make demos.

Here are three examples for very early written songs, but there are at the moment no recordings available.(See Entry 142A: Henk announced Telephone Song as one of the first Nits song ever written!).

1974-1977: Rehearsals, sporadic concerts, home demo sessions with PT and AR as engineers with their equipment. They could use a club as rehearsal room and made demos in Henk’s new flat.

000B+ 12.12.74: De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam

Notes:First Nits concert. Most probably not recorded.

With some other musicians: Rob Brautigam (ex Midas): bg, g (?), André de Werdt: ...?... and ...?... (AR: accordion, bg).

000C 1975 - 1977: Home recordings

1 "Alone In The Rain" (P)

2 "Baby You Know Me" (P)

3 "Boy, You’re On Again" (H)

4 "Brandnew Day" (P)

5 "Can’t You Hear Me Calling" (H)

6 +Caravan (H)

7 "Come Closer" (P)

8 "Come On" (H)

9 +"Danger Zone" (P)

10 "Dear Mr. Record Man (The Record Hop)" (P)

11 "Distant Lover" (P)

12 "Hey Little Girl" (P)

13 "How Can I Stop?" (H?)

14 "If I Were You" (H)

15 "It's Not Easy" (H)

16 "It’s Not Easy" (H)

17 +"Joan (Is She Writing)" (?)

18 "Lies" (H)

19 Looking For A Friend (H)

20 Looking For A Friend (H)

21 "Loudspeakers" (H?)

22 "Moonday" (H?)

23 My Babe (B. Hatfield, B. Medley)

24 "On A Hill" (H)

25 "Once On A Sunday Afternoon" (P)

26 +"Out Of The Shadows (Into The Light)" (P)

27 "Queen Of A Rainy Country" (H?)

28 +Rails And Rain (H)

29 Ronald Razorblade (H)

30 Susan My Love (P)

31 +"Take A Piece Of My Heart"(H)

32 "Take A Piece Of My Heart"(H)

33 Tell Me Baby (P)

34 "Telly Song" (P)

35 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

36 "Went To The Sea" (P)

37 Yes Or No (H)

Notes:Thanks to Dennis’ book, former Entry 001A with 48 songs is now history! ((At the end of this chapter, after Entry 049, there’s a copy of ex 001A.))

Dennis described these 37songs as pre-Nits album material, not recorded in a studio.I took over his organization in “1974-76”, 1975-77”, “1977-78”, etc.

None of these songs (or versions of well-known songs) were ever officially released on record. So, in this Entry, the songs have - as exception - an alphabetical order.

Songs 3, 5, 10-12, 20, 21, 23, 24 released on CDR “Demos & Opnames” with demos, out-takes and live recordings, prob. compiled by AR.Songs 5, 11 are incomplete. Songs 10, 12, 21, 24 probably complete. Song 23 with an official fade out.

Nits Archive Tapes, Vol. 21a ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978") and 67 ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978, part 2"), with songs 1-8, 10-16, 18-25, 27, 29, 30, 32-37. Another tape (Vol. 21b) with songs 7, 13, 14, 18, 32 offers the same versions. Songs 5, 11, 16 (?) are incomplete. Songs 10, 12, 21, 24 probably complete. Song 23 with an official fade out.

All songs with "….." are not officially released. Titles of songs taken from different sources: Lyric sheets, Archive tapes, set lists, written on tape boxes, announcement in concerts, books, etc.

Some songs have different, alt., early or wrong titles: Song1 also known as “On Your Own Again” and “On Your Own In The Rain”, song 3 as “Boy, You’re On Your Own Again”, song 4 as “Brand-new Day” (right spelling), song 5 as “Hear Me Calling”, song 8 as “Common” and “Come On Baby”, song 11 as “Distant Lovers”, song 17 as “Joan (Is She Riding)”, song 20 as “Looking For A Punk”, song 21 as “Loudspeaker”, song 22 as “Windows”, song 27 as “Don’t Know Why”, songs 31 and 32are later re-recorded as Take A Piece. Song 36 is a forerunner of song “Harrow Accident”.

Following notes taken from former Entry 001A:

Song 12: Starts in with the famous Honky Tonk Women riff. And Del Shannon's song has the same title, but it's a different song. Song 19: On the single version, "Moonday" is the first uncredited part of Looking For AFriend. Here, there's a gap between the songs. It’s a demo or a studio out-take. Song 20 is the so-called punk version, followed by "happy birthday to you". Songs 29, 33 and 37 are not taken from an acetate or the singles with bad sound. They aresignificantly different to the released versions. Therefore, they were recorded as demos in 1976 resp. 1977 or are out-takes from the studio sessions (See Entries 002 and 004A). Song 35: Twice on the Archive Tape 21a, but it’s the same recording. Song 36: Early version of Harrow Accident. Written in 1975 or 1976 (see next Entry). In January 1978, they played at the Paradiso, Amsterdam. The song was part of the set, listed as "Went To The Sea". On a July gig , it wasn't played (see Entry 011). Around this time, it was re-written and recorded in early 1979 (see Entry 013).

Songs 20, 21, 35-37: Downloads on Nits-files site.

Songs 1-5, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 21, 23-25, 27: No live versions on a tape or other studio recordings available.

Notes taken from/inspired by Dennis’ book:

Songs 9, 26: Only lyrics available, but part of a January 1978 set list. Song 16: Different longer take. Song 19: “Moonday possibly was a longer song on his own (No version known to us). As a short unconnected “intro” to Looking For A Friend, it has identical lyrics, but it’s more or less a solo performance by HH. Song 28: Rehearsal of the outro by HH and RK. Late 1976/early 1977. Song 30: LP version with a piano, demo with a keyboard backing.Song 31: Only HH and MP.

There’s another MP song: “Back To School Again”. No tape is available and no date is given, but according to the lyrics, it seems to be from this period.

001+ 1976: Studio Nederhorst den Berg, Nederhorst den Berg, prod.: Jean-Pierre Burdorf

1 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

2 Caravan (H)

3 "Went To The Sea" (P)

4 Looking For A Friend (H)

Notes: On 25th October 1975, the Dutch music magazine Oor organised a concert at the Paradiso, Amsterdam. After their first gig on a big stage, they met producer and record company owner Jean-Pierre Burdorf.

After lots of home demo sessions, the first recording studio was booked for one day. (Nederhorst en Berg in the Nits book, the studio is not mentioned. Later on named Bullet Sound Studio (see some 2 meter sessies).)

First three songs mentioned in the Nits book, song 4 in an interview. ((Without Yes Or Now! Shows to me that this songs wasn’t written or not ready yet in – I think – early 1976.)). Song 3 was later to become Harrow Accident. From all songs we have demos on tapes: 000C/35, /6, /36, /19. In fact taken from this session?

002 20.-22.9.76: Dureco Studio, Weesp, prod.: Alan David

1 Yes Or No (H) ("Version 1")

2 Ronald Razorblade (H)

3 +Yes Or No (H)

Songs 1+2“released” on single, DBS 10.005 (Not off. rel.?),

song 2 on single, DBS 10.005 (12.3.77), on MC The Nits, CD 8704 (April '87, bootleg tape).

Notes:There was obviously some difficulty in recording Yes Or No to everyone's

satisfaction. The song was finished by HH and MP on 15th Oct. at Air

Studio 1, London, and (on the same day (?)) at Roundhouse Studio, London.

Some years ago, I bought 2 singles with the intention to sell the one with worse sound quality. Luckily I didn't. Recently (: Aug. '96) I was not a little surprised when I was told that there are some singles with a different version of Yes Or No! OK, let's have a look at my singles: same sleeves, same labels, same label numbers, but the matrix numbers are different (see Entries 003+003B). The basic tracks seem to be similar. Version 2 has percussion instead of handclaps, more backing vocals ... and a better mix. MC version, version 2 and the LP version are similar.

Tom told me the story:Advanced copies were given to radio stations. One DJ said that the mix was not good enough. So it was remixed at Dureco Studio. Just in time or were some copies of the first edition already released?Maybe the first edition was never officially released and the 2ndedition was released on 12thMarch.

Tom said that version 1 was most probably recorded at Studio Nederhorst den Berg.

Song 3: Live in the studio during an overdub session.

Demos and/or out-takes of songs 1 and 2 are listed in Entry 000C!

There should only be 10 copies of the orig. bootleg tape.

003 Never off. released?: Single, DBS 10.005 (10.005-H) (DBS 10005 A 44C1 (BBS301 A is crossed out))

A Yes Or No (H)

B Ronald Razorblade (H)

Recorded: 002

Notes: Song A = "Version 1".

Producer Alan David misnamed Alen David on label (of both singles).

003A Late February (?) 1977: Dureco Studio, Weesp

1 Yes Or No (H) ("Version 2")

Song 1 released on single, DBS 10.005 (12.3.77),on +LP The Nits, Scramble 910.033 (Sept. '78).

Notes:Overdubs and new mix.

003B 12.3.77: Single, DBS 10.005 (10.005-H) (DBS 10005 A 6C2)

A Yes Or No (H)

B Ronald Razorblade (H)

Recorded: 003A + 002

Notes: Song A = "Version 2" = LP/MC mix

Released in Germany (+Philips 6003.622) with different cover. Rel. in March?

004+ 1977: TV studio, Hilversum: "TopPop" (AVRO)

1 Yes Or No (H)

Notes: Most probably lipsynched performance.

004A 1977: Studio Nederhorst den Berg, Nederhorst den Berg (?), prod.: Alan David

1 Looking For A Friend (H)

2 Tell Me Baby (P)

Songs 1+2 released on +single, DBS 10.022 (Feb. '78).

Notes:According to Tom, these songs were recorded at Nederhorst den Berg before the Rockfield sessions. No date available.

Demos and/or out-takes of songs 1 and 2 are listed in Entry 000C!

004B+ 1977-78: …?... Studio, Badhoevedorp (near Amsterdam)

1 +Caravan (H)

2 +”Window Shopping Girl” (P)

3 +”Window Shopping” (P)

4 +Kon-Tiki (M. Carr)

Notes:Before the studio sessions for the first LP, they rehearsed the songs very carefully. One recording/rehearsal studio is mentioned in the Nits book.

Song 1 is very similar to the LP version, but has a longer ending. Songs 2 and 3 might be home recordings. Song 2: Solo demo by MP. Song 3: Only lyrics available. Different to song 2. Song 4: Home demo by MP on eg.

It’s open to speculation if some more songs from Entry 000C are recorded in these studios.

005 2nd part of July '77: Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales, prod.: Alan David

1 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

2 Mister Mister (H)

3 Fantasies And Factories (H)

4 So In Love (H)

5 London Letters (P)

6 After Thoughts (P)

7 Amarilla (H)

8 Dancing Girl-Red Cat (H)

9 Susan My Love (P)

10 Caravan (H)

Songs 1-10 released on +LP The Nits, Scramble 910.033 (Sept. '78), on

MC The Nits, CD 8704 (April '87, bootleg tape).

Notes:They were there for not more than five days. Henk said that the songs had better demo state. Everything was finished at Dureco Studio.

Song 1 – studio and live: They incorporated a part of Telstar (J. Meek) without giving credits. Song 8: It’s a mix of three songs. The uncredited instrumental middle part is sometimes listed as “Funky Music” or “Vunke Music”.

006 Aug. '77: Dureco Studio, Weesp: prod: Sytze Gardenier

1 Rails And Rain (H)

2 Rails And Rain (H)

3 +Susan My Love (P)

4 +Mister Mister (H)

5 Fantasies And Factories (H)

6 +So In Love (H)

7 +London Letters (P)

8 +Tutti Ragazzi (H)

9 +After Thoughts (P)

10 Amarilla (H)

11 Caravan (H)

Song 1 released on +LP The Nits, Scramble 910.033 (Sept. '78), on MC The Nits, CD 8704 (April '87, bootleg tape).

Notes:Mixing sessions for the first LP. According to the liner notes on the LP, song 1 was recorded at Dureco Studio and produced by S. Gardenier. (Recorded in Wales, but re-recorded at Dureco Studio??)Recording date is a guess. Might come from an earlier session with Gardenier.

+Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 22 ("LP Rough Master"), with songs 2-11: slightly different mixes, sequenced as on the tape. Song 2 is incomplete.

Nits Archive Tapes, Vol. 21a ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978") and 67 ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978, part 2"), with songs 2, 5, 10, 11.

007 1977-1978: Home and studio recordings

1 +A Slick Ballad (P)

2 +A Slick Ballad (P)

3 Monotony (P)

4 +Monotony (P)

5 “Dresselhuis” (AR?)

6 Some Other Night (P)

7 +Johnny Said: Silver (H)

Notes:Songs 1, 3, 7: Songs were part of a January 1978 set list. Songs 1,3, 6, 7 are on a July 1978 live tape (see Entry 011).

Song 1 aka “Slick Ballads” (Entry 027B: Henk’s introduction) and “Slick Ballad”. Songs 1 and 2 are demos by MP, recorded prob. in 1978 (?). Song 3 aka “No More Schooldays”. Probably from 1977. Song 4 is a solo demo by MP, rec. in 1978 (?). “Song” 5 shows the frustration they had with (Jean-Pierre Burdorf and)Rob Dresselhuis. HH and MP were very productive songwriters. So it was very frustrating for them to see that the second single was held back for some months and the LP was nearly shelved and released with a delay of about a year and in a limited edition. Song 7: Home demo by HH and MP on eg resp. bg.

Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 21a ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978"), with songs 3, 5, 6.

Another tape (Vol. 21b), with song3, offers the same version.

008+ Feb. '78: Single, DBS 10.022

A Looking For A Friend (H)

B Tell Me Baby (P)

Recorded: 004A

009 28.2.78: Paradiso, Amsterdam

1 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

Song released on LP Keihard en swingend!, EMI-BOVEMA 5C 028-25884X (30.3.78).

010 30.3.78: LP Keihard en swingend!, EMI-BOVENA 5C 028-25884X

B2 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

Recorded: 009

Notes: Live recording. Sampler with 12 Dutch bands.

011 1.7.78: Body's Music Inn, Amsterdam (SB)

1 Some Other Night (P)16 First Time (H.J. Plain)

2 Johnny Said: Silver (H)17 "Monotony" (P)/

3 Tutti Ragazzi (H)18 "Lies" (H)

4 "Telly Song" (P)19 "If I Were You" (H)

5 Take A Piece (H)20 Tell Me Baby (P)

6 Caravan (H)21 Out Of Suburbia (P)

7 "Come On" (H)22 Ronald Razorblade (H)

8 Shake Some Action (C. Jordan, 23 Slow Down (L. Williams)

C. Wilson) 24 Well... All Right (N. Petty, B. Holly,

9Dancing Girl-Red Cat (H) (J. Allison, J. Mauldin)

10 After Thoughts (P)25 "A Slick Ballad" (P)

11 So In Love (H)26 I Saw Her Standing There

12 "How Can I Stop?" (H) (Le, McCa)

13 Amarilla (H)27 “Hey Little Girl” (P)

14 Keep A-Knockin' 28 Shake Some Action (CJ, CW)

(R. Penniman)/29 Marmor, Stein und Eisen

15 Something Else (S. Sheeley, bricht (Loose, Bruhn)

E. Cochran) 30 Till The End Of The Day (R. Davies)

Notes:Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 1.

Not listed in the Nits book! According to the gig list, 2nd April is a possibility.

Songs 9 (prob.), 13 and 30 incomplete. Song 29: One verse sung in Dutch.

Song 28: Download on Nits-files site.

011A 1978-79: Home and studio recordings

1 +”I Do Not Know What To Say” (P)

2 +”I Do Not Know What To Say” (P) 3 +”Just Like The Sun” (P)

4 +”Just Like The Sun” (P)

5 +”Just Like The Sun” (P)

6 +”World In Transit” (P)

7 Out Of Suburbia (P)

8 +A To B; C To D (P)

9 +”The Beating Of My Heart” (P)

10 +Rubber Gloves (P)

11 +Rubber Gloves (P)

12 +Rubber Gloves (P)

13 +A Statue (P)

14 +Saragossa (P)

15 +Saragossa (P)

16 +Saragossa (P)

17 +Saragossa (P)

Notes:Songs 1, 3-6, 8-17: Home recordings/demos by MP. Song 2: Home demo by MP and HH.

Song 7is on a July 1978 live tape (see Entry 011), but not part of a January 1978 set list.

Song 3: Parts were later used for song 1:30. Songs 3-5 means that several solo recordings by MP are on the tape. Song 7: Known in those days as “Out In Suburbia” (aka “Vintage Violence”), song 13 as “Hey Mailman”, later as “(He’s Becoming A) Statue”. A part of song +“Policies” (P) was transformed into song “Out Of Suburbia”,

Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 21a ("Nits LP Demos 1977/1978"), with song7. Another tape (Vol. 21b) offers the same version.

012+ Sept. '78: LP The Nits, Scramble 910.033

A1 Rails And Rain (H)

2 Tutti Ragazzi (H)

3 Mister Mister (H)

4 Fantasies And Factories (H)

5 So In Love (H)

6 London Letters (P)

B1 Yes Or No (H)

2 After Thoughts (P)

3 Amarilla (H)

4 Dancing Girl-Red Cat (H)

5 Susan My Love (P)

6 Caravan (H)

Recorded: 006 (A1) + 003A (B1) + 005

Notes: Limited edition of 1000 LPs. Not released on CD so far.

(A bootleg CD or a CDRwith 7 bonus tracks is existing: 003A, 002/2, 004A/1, 004A/2, 009, 021, 018A/3.)

((B2+4: "Afterthoughts" resp. "Dancing Girl-Redcat" in the Nits book. Liner notes on the illegal MC are taken from the LP.))

012A 1978: Soundpush Studios, Blaricum

1 "Nothing To Do" (H)

2 "Blue Diamonds" (H)

3 The Bauhaus Chair (H)

4 "You Changed" (P)

Notes:Originally a part of Entry 028. Songs known as Soundpush demos. Most probably there were more songs on the tape like Some Other Night. They recorded a few commercial songs to get a record contract with CBS. It was signed on 28th November.

Song 2 also known as "Blue Diamond". Written for Jean-Pierre Burdorf.

Songs 1 and 2 released on CDR “Demos & Opnames” with demos, out-takes and live recordings, prob. compiled by AR.

Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 68 ("1980 Demos"), with songs 1 and 2. Other two songs are Tent resp. New Flat out-takes.

Songs 1, 3: Downloads on Nits-files site.

((More than 20 years ago, I got a tape entitled “Soundpush demos”. With 012A/1, 2, 4; 021/2; 027C/1-3, 12; 028/1; 027C/8; 028/11; 027C/26, 23; 028/20, 12; 027C/13; 028/15 -> orig. all these takes were part of Entry 028!))

012B+ Oct. 1978: …?...: Amsterdam (RT)

1 Interview with HH, RK, MP, AR

Notes:In Dutch.

012C 1978 (?): ...?... (SB)

1 First Time (H.J. Plain)5 Kon-Tiki (M. Carr)

2 Take A Piece (H)6 I Saw Her Standing There

3 "How Can I Stop?" (H) (Le, McCa)

4 Slow Down (L. Williams)

Notes: Live recordings. Date and location not known.

Songs 1-6 released on CDR “Demos & Opnames” with demos, out-takes and live recordings, prob. compiled by AR. Song 2 incomplete.

Nits Archive Tape, Vol. xx ("live 77/78"), with songs 1 - 6. Song 2 is incomplete. (On my tape, song 5 is incomplete and song 6 is missing = tape runs out.)

013 February (?) 1979: Relight Studio, Hilvarenbeek, prod.: RJS

1 Umbrella (H)

2 Harrow Accident (P)

3 +Umbrella (H)

4 +”Drum Effects”

5 Some Other Night (P)

Songs 1, 2, 5released on CD Tent, CDCBS 32228 (Nov. '88),

songs 1+5 on +single, CBS 7037 (April '79),

song 1 on CDs NITSHITS, SMM 498584 9 (Late May '00),

song 2 on single, CBS 8049 (20.12.79).

Notes:Song 1: Working title was “(I’m In Love With) Umbrella”. Song 3 might be identical with song 1, but has a longer ending.

It’s written in the Nits book that they recorded two songs and the second song was Harrow Accident, but what about the B-side of the single,Some Other Night?? I think we have two possibilities: The second song was in fact Some Other Night and HarrowAccident was recorded in October. Or they took a excellent demo and remixed it properly at Relight Studio with RJS.

014 -- ((former Entries 013-15 are listed at the end of this chapter (after Entry 049)))

015 --

016 28.1.79: Melkweg, Amsterdam (RT, RT)

1 After Thoughts (P)4 Johnny Said: Silver (H)

2 Dancing Girl-Red Cat (H)5 Ronald Razorblade (H)

3 London Letters (P)6 Ronald (reprise) (H)

Notes:Nits Archive Tape, Vol. 26. No soundboard tape. Taken from a radio

broadcast: "Rocktempel" (KRO). Aired at a later date. With 5 more songs by The Tapes (see Entry 8003). (On my tape which I got a few years ago, the moderator and the reprise are missing.)

According to the Nits book, this concert was not part of the "Elfstedentocht" with The Tapes. But – of course – both bands were on stage.

017+ April '79: Single, CBS 7037

A Umbrella (H)

B Some Other Night (P)

Recorded: 013

Notes: 2 different covers: a red coloured and a purple coloured sleeve.

017A 1979-80: Home and studio recordings

1 +“Hello I’m A Song” (P)

2 +“I Wish I Were In Love” (P)

3 “Burgers & Beer” (P)

4 +Electric Shock (P)