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PENDULUM : first Belgian countryband
Pendulum was a short-lived but successful Belgian country band from the early
seventies whose influences were The Everly Brothers, the Byrds and The Flying
Burrito’s . The band was founded in march 1970 by Serge Demol who had already
had some success with ‘Buddy & The Shamrocks’ back in '67. Their single 'What
kind of man / Paris for me' climbed to nr. 8 in the French charts. They played
folkrock-flavoured gigs all over Belgium from De Panne and Knokke to Arlon, at
the Palais des Congrès in Liège, the Casino's of Namur, Chimay and Saint-Malo (
Duinkerke, Nord Pas-de-Calais, France), and in Brussels 'à l'anglaise' for The
Kinks on their first European concert.
Pendulum's first single, 'It's a beautiful day' is said to have been “one of the
best all-time Belgian singles” (quote in “ Witlof from Belgium”, published in
1990, by two renowned music journalists, Gust De Coster and Geert De Bruycker).
The follow-up, 'Cajun Music', didn't come up to expectations and the band split
after a short Belgian tour with Fairport Convention. But the b-side "Early
morning rain" ( written by Gordon Lightfoot) was very successful on stage for
it's special arrangement. Pendulum was called " the Byrds of Flanders" for their
vocal qualities.
Band members Erik Van Neygen (guitars) and Misj Verbelen (bass) went on to play
with Raymond van het Groenewoud while Firmin Michiels (leadguitar) joined Kris
De Bruyne's band before following a career in the music business, is now
label-manager at Virgin Records. Songwriter and singer Serge Demol reformed
Pendulum in 1973, with Jelle Nachtergaele ( guitars and vocals), the British
bassist John Colston (ex- The Casuals / “Jesamine” ), Jan Schoevaerts drums,
Alain Cornet on bass, and Yvonne Smithies, vocals and tambourine. The only
Pendulum 2 single release, 'A song for you' (EMI), never made it into the charts.
Meanwhile Arthur Huysveld released the Decca single "Country trip" with a
studioband called Steel Machine, with original Pendulum member Michel Verbelen
on bass, Stoy Stoffelen on drums and Simon Shrimpton-Smith on guitars.
In 1975 Serge and Jelle formed “Transit” and with Michel De Smet on fiddle and
mandolin, Karel Foubert, guitars and vocals, and Alain Cornet on bass. They
released the nice folky single and radiohit "Come on sunshine", produced for
Phonogram by Paul Moens. In 1977 they recorded the country-rock album, 'First
Ride' for Universal Songs, with some success. Humo’s popjournalist Marc Didden
called the LP “The album Pendulum should have but never made”. In februari 1982
Pendulum played a very successful “dernière” concert at the well-known Brussels
Ancienne Belgique, organized bij the Dutch leading magazine “Country Gazette” .
The original 5-piece band came back together on May 1st 2011 for “ Erik 60 jaar”
, a unique concert at the superbvenue “Roma” in Antwerp, with Johan Verminnen
and Van het Groenewoud as guests. The gig broadcasted by Belgian VRT- Eén
television and on Ring TV.
The Pendulum Reunion Band, including members of the different Pendulum
formula’s, plays concerts every spring since may 2008. They had their grand
moment last January 8th 2016 in Machelen-Diegem where Brussels’ RingTV recorded
their “concert for Fairtrade” (gm)
Original Pendulum members:
- Firmin Michiels : banjo, country guitar
- Tuur Huysveld : pedal steel guitar
- Misj Verbelen (electric bass)
- Louis Van Oost (double bass)
- Serge Demol : lead-vocals, keyboards, harmonica
- Erik Van Neygen : vocals, fingerpicking-guitar
- Ton Derricks & Mike Desmedt : drums
- Anthony Aussems : acc.guitar, vocals
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Releases:
(only 45 rpm vinyl singles):
- It's a beautiful day / For you (Philips, 1971)
- Early morning rain / Cajun Music (CBS, 1972)
- A song for you/
Here we go again ( EMI 1974)
- Come on sunshine/ If I need you (Philips 1975)
- First Ride LP, album out in 1977, produced by formal member Firmin Michiels
- Release of EP-cd for the “60ieth Anniversary of Erik Van Neygen , May 1, 2011 :
- It's a Beautiful Day Sergius 2,28
- For You Erik Van Neygen 3,42
- Early Morning Rain Gordon Lightfoot 3,02
- Cajun Music Firmin Michiels - Sergius 2,14
- Country Trip Arthur Huysveld 2,17
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