GEE WHIZZ IT'S: THE MOTIONS

At first let me tell you that The Motions were very eager to live from their music. So they made some terribly good stuff, and some dreadfull stuff to make money with. One thing is true though: They fabricated that Dutch anthem called "Everything that's mine". Richie Clark and The Ricochets were founded in The Hague (Den Haag) in 1963. The members were Rudy Bennett (real name Ruud van de Berg) vocals as Richie Clark, Hans Emmerik on guitar, Hans Hoogduin on bass, Ton Lamet on guitar and Gerard Melkert on drums. A single was made in '63 called "Ecstacy", "Ever since you said goodbye" on the MMP label. A band name in combination with the name of a singer went out of fashion. So somewhere in '64 they were just called The Ricochets. Hans Emmerik left the band and was replaced by Robbie van Leeuwen who came from "The Atmospheres". Ton Lamet left the band and was replaced by Kid van Ettinger. Gerard Melkert left the band and was replaced by Sieb Warner who came from a band called "Willy and The Giants". They made two singles in this line-up. The first was "Honeymoon song", "Springtime" on the MMP label and the second was "Whiskey doodle", "Gee whizz it's you" on the Lumirex label. Somewhere later in '64 Rudy Bennett, Sieb Warner and Robbie van Leeuwen sold their Fender guitars, bought Gibsons, and formed a new band called "The Motions". Kid van Ettinger went to join "The Incrowd", one of Hollands best R&B bands ever. A new member was Henk Smitskamp on bass, who came from "Willy and The Giants". The Motions first single was released in '64 and included "It's gone" and a smashing "I've got misery". It was released on the brand new Havoc label. The Havoc label was founded in '64 by a few quite famous people in Holland: Jan Cremer (the famous writer of  'I, Jan Cremer'), Willem van Kooten (famous DeeJay), Cees de Man and Cees van Zijtveldt. But I think you must be from Holland to know who these people are. They used Jan Cremer's provits of his first record to get the label going. This single was released in '64 on Havoc and is quite good. It included the well known songs "Boom boom" and "Good morning little schoolgirl". In '64 The Motions were one of the support acts at a Rolling Stones concert in The Hague. It ended in a riot, which was shown on the television the next day. People smashing chairs, ect. Early '66 they recorded two singles at the Pye studio in London with free lance technician John Stewart. Earlier, John Stewart founded a production company with Scott Walker of The Walker Brothers. This connection made it happen that The Walker Brothers recorded The Motions' "My love is growing". On the 24th of June '66 The Motions released the LP "Their own way". In October '66 They received the "Ossekar" award at the "Grand Gala der Jongeren", or "Grand Gala du Teenager", in Scheveningen. This event took place at The Casino with fifteen bands like Hu and The Hilltops, Q65, The Golden Earrings, The Outsiders, The Clungels and Rob Hoeke's R&B band. Every band had to show their stuff within twentyfive minutes. The three Ossekar Awards went to The Golden Earrings, The Motions and The Outsiders. On Tuesday 20 december '66 The Motions supported Little Richard in Paris, France, together with The Outsiders and the French group Frankenstein and The Monsters. Parts of the gig were recorded and broadcasted on Radio Europe 1, the organisers of the whole event. Tickets were available for up to thirtyfive guilders. Rather expensive! Little Richard's shirt was torn of his body by female fans. Frankenstein and The Monsters did a daft horror-act which included spitting blood. In December Rudy Bennett went solo and covered Tim Hardin's "How can we hang on to a dream". On June the 5th '67 a special TV programme of thirty minutes about The Motions was broadcasted called "Omsingeld" (surrounded). This goes to show how popular they were, as no band ever got the honour before. In November '67 the band released an LP called "Impressions of wonderful". On the 22nd of May '67 The Motions performed at a festival in Mallorca, Spain. Also in 1967 Robbie van Leeuwen left, formed "Shocking Blue" and became bloody famous indeed. But that's another story. He was replaced by Leo Bennink who came from a band called "Mack". Henk Smitskamp left and went to "Living Blues". He was replaced by Gerard Romeyn who came from "The Teeset". After only six months he left again and joined "Image" and was replaced by Paul van Melzen who came from the famous "Haigs". Their manager by now was Cees van Leeuwen. Early '68 they became so succesfull that they switched from Havoc to the bigger Decca label. In May '68 they appeared in TV programme "Moef Ga Ga" with the single "Miracle man", "Something" on Decca. In '69 Paul van Melzen left and joined "The Mailer McKenzie Band" and Sieb Warner went to "The Golden Earrings". Rudy Bennett and Leo Bennink kept on going with new members Jan Vennik, who came from "The Jayjays" and Han Cooper (real name Hans Gordinou de Gouberville) who came from "The Bobby Green Selection". Also a new member in '69 was Bobby Green himself (real name Bob van der Vaart) who obviously came from "The Bobby Green Selection". They released a single in 1970 called "Try to make you happy", "We all come together" on the Negram label. After they released an LP called "Sensation" on the Simogram label they split up in 1971. Jan Vennik went to Rob Hoeke's band and later to "Ekseption". Han Cooper, Leo Bennink and Bobby Green went to "Fisher and Friends". Bobby Green went on to make some more solo records. "Wasted words" and "The same old song" have been re-released on Negram in 1972 and 1981.

Discography:
RICOCHETS: 1963 Ecstacy / Ever since you said goodbye / MMP 1014 (as Richy Clark & Ricochets) - 1964 Honeymoon song / Springtime / MMP 1015 - 1964 Whiskey doodle / Gee whizz it's you / Lumirex (demo)
MOTIONS - HAVOC YEARS: 1964 It's gone / I've got misery / Havoc SH 105 / Charts: Entry: 10-4-65 Highest entry: 39 Weeks: 1 - 1965 You bother me / We fell in love / Havoc SH 107 - 1965 For another man / I've waited so long / Havoc SH 108 - 1965 Love won't stop / No matter where you run / Havoc SH 110 - 1965 Wasted words / I'll follow the sun / Havoc SH 111 / Charts: Entry: 6-11-65 Highest entry: 3 Weeks: 16 - 1965 EP I've waited so long / It's gone / For another man / I've got misery / Vogue INT 18017 (France) - 1965 LP Introduction to The Motions / Havoc HJH 2 - 1966 Everything that's mine / There's no place to hide / Havoc SH 114 / Charts: Entry: 19-2-66 Highest entry: 16 Weeks: 9 - 1966 Why don't you take it / My love is growing / Havoc SH 116 / Charts: Entry: 30-4-66 Highest entry: 3 Weeks: 14 - 1966 Every step I take / Stop your crying / Havoc SH 121 / Charts: Entry: 17-9-66 Highest entry: 21 Weeks: 6 - 1966 The same old song / Someday child / Havoc SH 122 / Charts: Entry: 3-12-66 Highest entry: 10 Weeks: 12 - 1966 EP Every step I take / Hard time blues / Stop your crying / Everything that's mine / Vogue INT 18097 (France) - 1966 LP Their own way / Havoc IHLP 2 (Walker Bros. helped producing this LP) - 1966 EP Wasted words / I'll follow the sun / There's no place to hide / Everything that's mine / Vogue INT 18069 (France) - 1967 I want you I need you / Suzy baby / Havoc SH 130 / Charts: Entry: 1-4-67 Highest entry: 18 Weeks: 7 - 1967 Wonderfull impressions / Nellie the horse / Havoc SH 137 / Charts: Entry: 23-9-67 Highest entry: 15 Weeks: 6 - 1967 Nellie the horse / Make it legal / Havoc SH 137 - 1967 Tonight will be stoned / One million red balloons / Havoc SH 139 / Charts: Entry: 4-11-67 Highest entry: 12 Weeks: 7 - 1967 LP Greatest hits / Havoc HJH 136 - 1967 LP Songbook / Teenbeat APLP 101 - 1968 You're my adee / Hey conductor man / Havoc SH 142 / Charts: Entry: 10-1-68 tip - 1968 Take your time / Make it legal / Havoc SH 146
MOTIONS - DECCA YEARS: 1968 I'm so proud (by Rudy Bennett) / Rainbow / Decca AT 15091 - 1968 I'm so proud (by Rudy Bennett) / You're my adee / Decca AT 15091 - 1968 Miracle man / Something / Decca AT 10327 / Charts: Entry: 4-5-68 tip - 1968 I ain't got time / Fantasy club / Decca AT 10337 / Charts: Entry: 17-8-68 Highest entry: 22 Weeks: 6 - 1968 What's your name / Little boy's life / Illusion / Decca AT 10358 - 1968 Take the fast train / Hamburg city / Decca AT 10361 / Charts: Entry: 21-12-68 tip - 1968 LP Live / Marble Arch MALH 201 - 1968 LP Impressions of wonderful / Havoc HALP 021 - 1969 It's alright / Hey everybody / Decca AT 10374 / Charts: Entry: 1-3-69 tip - 1969 Freedom / Little boy's life / What's your name / Decca AT 10382 / Charts: Entry: 31-5-69 Highest entry: 22 Weeks: 3 - 1969 Eliza / Wedding of the hundred brides / Decca AT 10396 - 1969 I can't help it / Look away / Decca AT 10405 / Charts: Entry: 15-11-69 tip
MOTIONS - ON NEGRAM: 1969 Take the fast train / Hamburg city / Negram NG 193 - 1969 LP Electric baby / Decca NU 370023 - 1969 Compilation LP "Dutch Pop Giants" / Eliza / Freedom / Philips 88509 DY - 1970 Compilation LP "Dank u!" / Wasted words / radio veronica 1001 - 1970 Try to make you happy / We all come together / Negram NG 195 - 1971 LP Sensation / Simogram 00502 - 1972 Wasted words / The same old song / My love is growing / Negram NG 292 - 1972 Compilation LP "12 jaar Radio Veronica" / Everything that's mine / Radio Veronica 6802 9201Y - 1973 LP Terug in de tijd / Negram HJN 205 - 1979 LP Golden greats / Negram 5C 028-26153 - 1981 Wasted words / The same old song / Negram 5C 006-26700
RUDY BENNETT: 1966 How can we hang on to a dream / Reasons to believe / Havoc SH 124 / Charts: Entry: 14-1-67 Highest entry: 5 Weeks: 10 - 1967 Amy / Good night sleep tight / Havoc SH 129 / Charts: Entry: 27-5-67 Highest entry: 22 Weeks: 5 - 1968 I'm so proud / Rainbow (by Motions) / Decca AT 15091 - 1968 I'm so proud / You're my adee (by Motions) / Decca AT 15091 / Charts: Entry: 10-2-68 Highest entry: 24 Weeks: 5 - 1973 Wheel of live / To run away / Polydor 2050258 - 1981 How can we hang on to a dream / Amy / EMI 5C 006-26693
BOBBY GREEN SELECTION: 1967 The game of love / Everybody's got a soul / Decca AT 10289 - 1968 What's that sound? / I never saw the love so clear / Decca AT 10328 - 1968 It's all right / I'll never do it again / (not released) - From 1969 until 1971 with The Motions - 1971 Look at love / Movin' and groovin' / Decca 6100030 - 1977 Lady Maria / I wanna be loved / Philips 6012693
JOHN (JAN) VENNICK: 1969 LP / Decca XBY846512
GERARD ROMEYN & RIVERHORSE: 1972 Give me love / Too hot to handle / Polydor 2050146