Monday, November 29, 2010

Song of the Week: Q65 - I Got Nightmares



Here at On The Flip-Side we've sung the praises of 60s Dutch Beat, also known as Nederbiet. We've hit on the most musically talented of the bunch, Cuby + The Blizards, and we've hit on the most popular of the scene, The Outsiders. But we haven't touched on the coolest of that scene. But today is the day.

Q65 was formed in the Hague in 1965 and started releasing odd and stunningly cool singles on Decca Records beginning in 1966. In that same year they released their first album, Revolution. It's a very intriguing album that mixes great original compositions (some of which demonstrate a real unique approach to composing) and very respectable covers of American blues and soul songs such as Spoonful and Get Out Of My Life Woman. But as is always the case with the European bands, the originals are where one gets value for the price of admission. It is there that the English as a second language lyrics get most amusing, and the deft guitar work of Joop Roelofs and Frank Nuyens are at their best.


One of the many super cool, head scratching originals the boys put together is I Got Nightmares. The tom-tom, maraca heavy song features a simple, but compelling guitar riff with beautifully out-of-nowhere stops and the totally unexpected giggling and yawning. What is up with that?! Vocalist Willem Beiler sings in his trademark speaking style with some curious lyrics sung in English. Not all of which I can make out through the thick accent. Okay, most of it I can't understand.

Enjoy Q65 performing their original composition from '66, I Got Nightmares.



8 comments:

  1. Love it!! Q65 were one of the best.

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  2. For all their fans:
    http://www.q65.hyves.nl/

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  4. Nederbeit should be Nederbiet; biet is pronounced as beat. That's why it's biet, beit is pronounced bite.
    Nice blog BTW ;-) enjoying it !

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  5. Forgot; Liste to the Outsiders; another very famous 60-ties band in The Netherlands from Amsterdam. Enjoy!

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  6. Hey Soulboy. Thanks for stopping by. We have touched on the Outsiders' song You Mistreat me and Cuby+ the Blizzards but still seem to have trouble spelling nederbiet. What's up with that.

    We've also hit on some Swedish stuff with the Tages. I may have to go to Germany with the Lords or the Scorpions (the first one) or Italy. Hmmmm????

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  7. I dig that bit of bass you hear just before the riff starts. Also, notice that the part where it stops and everyone hits one note of the progression per measure goes to one note per two measures in the second instance (starting at 1:39). Giggles and yawns!

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    1. I recall very clearly the first time I heard this original version. I knew the song as performed live by The Morlocks. Then I heard this and all the funkyness of the maracas, yawns, start and stops and sputters just blew my mind. The bridge is amazingly odd too.

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