The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives ...Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen
 
  Home | Bands & Artists | W | Jan De Wilde        
           
 

Jan De Wilde

Stubborn and inspired Flemish singer-songwriter.

 
Songs
 

"Ik kan het, Ma"
48,2 sec. - 95 Kb.
song: Jan De Wilde
Year :1970
Record co. : Philips

"Joke"
56,6 sec. - 111 Kb.
song: Jan De Wilde
Year : 1970
Record co. : Philips

"hè hè"
29,3 sec. - 58 Kb.
song: Jan De Wilde
Produced : Henny Vrienten
Year :1990
Record co. : EMI Belgium

"De fanfare van honger en dorst"
74,9 sec. - 147 Kb.
song: Lieven Tavernier
Produced : Henny Vrienten
Year :1990
Record co. : EMI Belgium

"Favoriete beest"
35 sec. - 79 Kb.
song: Jan de Wilde
Produced : Jo Bogaert
Year :2000
Record co. : EMI Belgium
meer uit "Oude Maan"

 
   

At two stages in his career, Jan De Wilde came to the forefront :

 

In 1970-1972, when he released a couple of interesting folk-tinted singles "Ik kan het, Ma" (I can do it, Mom), "Joke" and "Een vrolijk lentelied" (a cheerful spring song). This last song also became a hit in the version by the folk-band Rum. Some of these songs caused quite a scandal within conservative Flemish ranks, with lyric-lines such as "The Fallus Impudicus is blooming already". Dewilde replied it was a form of humor named "sarcasm" he was using.
At this time, he also cooperated to the debut album of his friend Kris de Bruyne, and helped to launch the musical career of comedian Urbanus, of whom he has produced 3 albums.

 

In 1988-1992, when he suddenly came out of his lethargy (on instigation of   Urbanus) and released two very well received albums.
"De Bende van Jan de Lichte" (with songs as "Zussen", "Anneke Weemaes") was released in 1988 and introduced Wigbert van Lierde to general public.
In 1990 he produced a beautiful album called "Hé Hé" in Holland. The album was produced by Henny Vrienten (ex Doe Maar) and was backed up by a group of Dutch musicians (Fay Lovski, Henny Vrienten, Jan Pijnenburg and even the legendary Boudewijn De Groot).

With songs as "Pik het en slik het" (a John Prine-cover), "Naakte man" (a Randy Newman-cover), "De eerste sneeuw" and "De fanfare van honger en dorst" (both compositions by his soulmate Lieven Tavernier), some re-recordings of older songs ("Walter, Ballade van een goudvis" and "Een vrolijk lentelied") and a few inventive and funny new songs of his own ("Golden retriever", "Hé, hé"), this surely is the best material he ever released.
After that he toured the country extensively, also with the classic ensemble Prima La Musica.

Of Jan De Wilde it has been said "would he not have been plagued by his legendary laziness, his small, simple mosaics would surely have appealed a larger audience." In 1976 Paul Van Mosselvelde wrote in his book "Het chanson in Vlaanderen" : "With Jan De Wilde, a new type of Flemish singer appeared : the smiling, eye-winking beard-and-pipe-artist had to make way for a timid, head-scratching figure. ... For him, this bizarre way of being was not a consequence of his incompetence or foolishness, but because of his fundamental shyness and uncertainty." Moreover, he has told repeatedly that he is quite happy with his lack of success : "I've always found that a comfortable position to be in", he once told, "With Raymond, Willem Vermandere or Urbanus, I've seen that success is more often a burden than something to enjoy. Perhaps they can handle that, but I can't."

 

In 2000, Jan de Wilde rose back to the surface with a sudden blurt of activity: the man was monopolising the media in the beginning of November, with an appearance in about every Radio1 and VRT-programme available. But with good reason, because more than 10 years after the release of his latest and most succesful studio album Hé Hé, he had finally put together a bunch of new songs which EMI is releasing as "Oude Maan" (Old Moon).
The man who has always defended the "right to being lazy", has chosen 11 simple songs, 3 of which written by others ("Wij houden stand" was written by Luc De Vos of Gorki, "Pauvre Ruteboeuf" was a originally a french song, in a translation by writer Johan Daisne). Raymond van het Groenewoud joined the singer on two songs, and the album was produced by Jo Bogaert (yes, the Technotronic guy).
A second activity was the news that he has compiled a book with (a selection of the) lyrics from his entire career. It's entitled "Niks aan dan vel" (nothin on but skin) and is published by Houtekiet.

Buy CD's of this band at proxis

Albums :
- ZZrroo (Philips, 1970)
- Vogelzang 5 (Philips, 1972)
- Knikkerterrorist (Philips, 1974)
- PVBA Koekejoe en Cie (Philips, 1980)
- De Bende van Jan De Wilde (EMI, 1988)
- Hé hé (EMI, 1990)
- Jan De Wilde & Prima La Musica (EMI, 1992)
- Oude Maan (EMI, 2000)
Compilations :
- Portret (Philips, 1980)
- Het beste van Jan De Wilde (Philips, 1991)
Singles :
- Ik kan het, Ma (Philips, 1970)
- Joke (Philips, 1970)
- Een vrolijk lentelied / Voor de rest (Philips, 1972)
- Pillen en poeders (EMI, 1977)
- Ballade in lange A / Abadje (DK, 1979)
- Zussen / Bij het gebulder (EMI, 1987)
- Anneke Weemaes (EMI, 1987)
- Poolijskap + Prima La Musica (EMI, 1992)

Websites :
- jan-dash-de-dash-wilde dot com, the official site
- My review of "Oude Maan"
- "de mislukte clown in Jan de Wilde", report in de Standaard

Forum :
- Read the messages/questions about Jan De Wilde
- Add your message, question, cd- or concertreview ... about Jan De Wilde

 

   
Jan de Wilde
Bio
Releases
Links
Songs
Forum

Deze pagina in het Nederlands

Site
Homepage

Alphabetically
Chronologically
By Genre
At Random
Most Popular

PopNews
Belpoptop
Charts
Interviews
MP3
Forum

Help
Links & Sources
Statistics
What's New?

Search for:
in
 
           
 

Dirk Houbrechts stopped working at The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives (you can read his personal statement here). The website is now entrusted to the Flanders Music Centre (www.muziekcentrum.be). Contact: webmaster@muziekcentrum.be.

Watch it : This site pays royalties, and was built and maintained in accordance with the terms and conditions negotiated with SABAM, the Belgian society of copyright-holders. Consultation of this site is free, but this exludes downloading, reproducing or public performance of any part of this site. Please do not copy. Link!

Last update to this site : December 2001.

    ^ up