(Songs You Didn’t Know Were Dutch)
April 2025 Connections Mix Tape
The April 2025 Connections Mix Tape can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
Good day and welcome!
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I am your host, DJ Ponyboy welcoming you to the April 2025 Connections Mix Tape.
Happy 4/20 everyone! Happy toking, if you celebrate.
All this month our themed tunes are leading up to the Netherlands holiday of Koningsdag, celebrated this year on April 26th. I am releasing next week’s mix tape one day early (an unprecedented event!) so we can all celebrate together!
Have you picked out something orange to wear this Saturday? If you don’t know why you need some orange clothing, make sure to check out my explanation of oranjegekte and oranjekoorts in last week’s mix tape!
I didn’t have anything in my closet so I headed over to my local thrift store and found a fantastic option that I absolutely adore! It only cost me a few bucks, I didn’t give any money to big business, and I supported a charity I believe in. A purchase can’t get any better than that!
Koningsdag (King’s Day) is a national holiday celebrated annually in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. If you are unfamiliar with the holiday, make sure to check out last week’s mix tape (Side A: Fijne Koningsdag!) for fun facts and history!
In Side A of this month’s Koningsdag mix tape, we discussed the friendly relationship the Dutch people have with the culture of the United States.
One unfortunate side effect of the seeming world-wide ubiquity of the English language is a lack of Dutch popular music recorded and performed in the Dutch language. A large majority of the popular music released in the Netherlands during the last sixty years has been in English.
This is why I have chosen in this month’s other two mix tapes to only include songs sung in Dutch or regional variants.
Come along with me today as we explore some great English-language music created fully or in part by citizens of the Netherlands. I bet you will be surprised at a few of this week’s picks!
We will be exploring these tunes chronologically; our first was released in 1960.
Born in Batavia (now Jakarta), Indonesia, Indo brothers Ruud and Riem de Wolff founded the Blue Diamonds shortly after immigrating to Driebergen-Rijsenburg in the Netherlands in 1949.
Here they jump-start today’s mix tape with their 1960 cover of a 1928 track, “Ramona”.
That song was originally written for the 1928 movie Ramona, and is considered the first theme song written for a movie. While a cover, the de Wolff brothers gave it an entirely new vibe, turning it from an old-timey movie tune to a hit!
I have collected dozens of tunes related to this month’s mix tapes, along with other related tracks I was unable to include on today’s tape, accessible by joining my Patreon tier of Beat Backer (only $17/mo) or above; you will receive access to bonus playlists for mix tapes all the way back to May 2024, and much more!
Keeping with the colour blue, our next track is a song by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, released as a single in the Netherlands in the summer of 1969. Written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the song topped the charts in nine countries and has been subsequently covered by many artists, most notably by English group Bananarama in 1986.
Here is Shocking Blue with “Venus”.
In 1973, Dutch rock band Golden Earring released a song later declared by the British television show Top Gear to be the second greatest driving song of all time.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and this is Golden Earring with “Radar Love” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
Dutch rock and pop band Earth & Fire was formed in the Netherlands by twin brothers Chris and Gerard Koerts, and most popular in 1970, after singer Jerney Kaagman became the band’s frontwoman. A number one disco track in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland, here is “Weekend”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, coming to you on KMTJ-DB, Denver – having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have! I am so stoked you decided to join me today for this unique mix tape!
Up next we hear from Dutch musician Piet Veerman (of the 1960’s Dutch rock band The Cats), with my favourite solo track of his.
Some of my favourite parts to pay attention to are the soaring vocal line of “we know we always wanna be fighting the sea”; the drum rolls after words like “height, “night”, “tonight”, and “right”; and the unintended double-entendre of “so young, so strong, so hard and long”. 🤭
Piet Veerman with 1988’s “Sailin’ Home”.
When my brothers and I were adolescents, a mutual friend snuck from their sibling a burned CD stolen from a DJ acquaintance that contained some of the best secular dance music of the day.
One of the tracks on that CD was our next tune by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, fronted by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth.
Enjoy 1994’s “Let the Beat Control Your Body” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Let the Beat Control Your Body Lyrics
While not this specific tune, our next artist was also featured on that same burned CD from my teenage years.
“There’s a boy in my mind and he knows I’m thinkin’ of him.”
From the year 2000, Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys with “Shalala Lala”.
The Netherlands has a high incidence of successful metal bands, especially symphonic metal.
One of those, active since 1996, is self-described “atmospheric, melodic, symphonic metal/rock band” Within Temptation.
Enjoy their 2011 tune “Faster”.
“Faster” by Within Temptation. You’re listening to KMTJ-DB, Denver.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, and I am so excited you are joining me for this mix tape! I hope I have been able to introduce you to some new music and reacquaint you with some old favourites.
If you have been enjoying today’s journey, please consider supporting me and the mission of Mix Tape Journey by signing up for my email newsletter, purchasing a product, supporting me on Patreon, joining the conversation on the Mix Tape Journeyers Facebook group, or simply sharing your favourite mix tape with someone special.
Active since 2013, Dutch country rock duo The Common Linnets was formed by Ilse DeLange and Waylon, since 2014 Waylon has been replaced by American country singer Jake Etheridge.
Our next tune represented the Netherlands at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen; it placed second, but it’s a winner in my book!
The Common Linnets with “Calm After the Storm”.
Don’t forget I am celebrating one year of weekly mix tapes all month long! Have you listened to them all? 🤔 Which is your favourite? Share your answer on the Mix Tape Journeyers Facebook Group!
Use the discount code ONEYEAR20 for 20% off your MTJ product purchases through April 30th! If you were subscribed to my email newsletter at the beginning of April, you received a special discount code giving you 30% off. Sign up today to make sure you can take advantage of any future members-only deals!
Dutch DJ and producer Armin van Buuren closes us out with 2018’s “Blah Blah Blah” on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
Don’t forget to come back next week with your orange on for Side B of this month’s theme mix tape, Prettige Koningsdag!
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy, reminding you to stay gold!