Herman Brood
Encyclopedia
Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch
musician
, painter
and media
personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.
Known for his hedonistic lifestyle of "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll," Brood was an enfant terrible and a cultural figure whose suicide apparently caused by a failure to kick his drug and alcohol habit, only strengthened his controversial status. His suicide, according to a poll organized to celebrate fifty years of Dutch popular music
, was the most significant event in its history.
, and started playing the piano
at age 12. He founded beat band The Moans in 1964, which would later become Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers. Brood was asked to play with Cuby and the Blizzards, but was removed by management when the record company discovered he used drugs. For a number of years Brood was in jail (for dealing LSD
), or abroad, and had a number of short-term engagements (with The Studs, the Flash & Dance Band, Vitesse).
In 1976, Brood started his own group, Herman Brood & his Wild Romance, (and started work with photographer Anton Corbijn
) initially with Ferdi Karmelk (guitar), Gerrit Veen (bass), Peter Walrecht (drums), and Ellen Piebes and Ria Ruiters (vocals). They played the club and bar circuit, first in Groningen
, In 1977 the band released their first album, Street.
The band now played all over the Netherlands, playing as many gigs as possible. And Herman's drug habit became public domain: In 1977 for instance the Wild Romance played a gig in a highschool in Almelo, the Christelijk Lyceum; during the break Brood was caught on the toilet taking heroine or speed (there are different reports on the type of drug, but it is a wellknown story amongst former students), the rest of the concert was cancelled, and this also was the last time a rockconcert took place at this school for many years.
They are still best known for their second album, Shpritsz
—a play on the German word for syringe—from 1978. This album contained Brood anthems like "Dope Sucks," "Rock & Roll Junkie," and their first Dutch hit single, "Saturday Night." The band went through many personnel changes over the years; the best-known formation was Freddy Cavalli (bass), Danny Lademacher (guitar) (later replaced with David Hollestelle), and Cees 'Ani' Meerman (drums). A frequent contributor was Bertus Borgers (saxophone).
Brood's outspoken statements in the press about sex and drug use
brought him into the Dutch public arena even more than his music. He was romantically involved with the German singer Nina Hagen
, with whom he appeared in the 1979 film Cha-Cha. He is reputed to be the subject of her song "Herrmann Hiess Er" (English title "Herrmann Was His Name") from the 1979 Unbehagen
album, a song about a drug addict. Brood relished the media attention and became the most famous hard drug user in the Netherlands. "It is quite common for an artist to use drugs, but not for him to tell everybody. I admit that it scared me that my popularity could make people start using drugs", he once said in an interview.
In the summer of 1979, Brood tried to enter the American market, where he toured as a support-act for The Kinks
, The Cars
, and Foreigner
. A re-recorded version of Saturday Night peaked at number 35 in the Billboard Hot 100
, but the big break Brood hoped for didn't happen. When he returned to the Netherlands in October 1979, his band had begun to fall apart, and soon his popularity went downhill. Go Nutz, the album Brood had recorded while in the States, and the movie Cha-Cha, which finally premiered in December 1979, were considered artistic failures, even though Go Nutz produced three charting singles in the Netherlands and the Cha Cha
soundtrack attained platinum status. The 1980 album Wait a Minute...
is a minor success, but the follow-up albums Modern Times Revive
(1981) and Frisz & Sympatisz
(1982) fail to make the Dutch album charts.
Brood continued to record throughout the 1980s and had a few hits—a top-ten single, "Als Je Wint" with Henny Vrienten
, and a minor hit with a reggae song, "Tattoo Song," but he spent more and more time on his art work. At the end of the 80s he made a comeback of sorts; Yada Yada
(1988), produced by George Kooymans
, was well-received, and he toured Germany with a renewed Wild Romance (which saw the return of Danny Lademacher). In 1990, he won the BV Popprijs, one of the highest Dutch awards for popular music, and recorded Freeze with Clarence Clemons
of the E Street Band
and Tejano
accordion
player Flaco Jiménez
. A live "best of" album, Saturday Night Live, appeared in 1992. His fiftieth birthday, in 1996, was celebrated with a show in Paradiso
, Amsterdam
, and the album (of duets) was released the same year.
-inspired screen prints
, and he achieved some commercial success and notoriety by, for instance, creating murals in various public spaces in and around Amsterdam. He continued to remain in the public eye, by appearing in the media and by his cooperation with biographical film
s such as 1994's Rock'n Roll Junkie.
and a daily shot of speed
("2 grams per day"). In 2001, depressed by the failure of his drug rehabilitation program and facing serious medical problems because of his prolonged drug use, he committed suicide
on 11 July by jumping from the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel at the age of 54. Extensively covered by the national media, his cremation took place five days later. Before the cremation, Brood's casket was driven from the Hilton hotel to Paradiso
, Amsterdam, the streets lined with thousands of spectators. A commemorative concert was held in Paradiso, with performances by Hans Dulfer
, André Hazes
, and Jules Deelder, and leading Dutch music magazine Muziekkrant OOR
devoted an entire issue to him.
Soon after his suicide, Brood's version of "My Way" spent three weeks as number one in the Dutch singles charts; the market value of his art work also increased greatly. A characteristic note is that Brood's paintings were already targeted often by vandals during his life, while after his death they were stolen for their value. His popularity (or notoriety) was verified by the fact that his name turned out to be the strongest brand
of the year.
When U2
performed in the Netherlands three weeks after Brood's suicide, they paid tribute to him at each of the three shows. They dedicated an acoustic version of Duke Ellington's "Jump for Joy" to him, a song they never performed at any other time of their career. At the third show in Arnhem they also dedicated their own "Gone" to him and had his version of "My Way"
played over the PA as outro music. In the middle of the show Bono
delivered an emotional eulogy to Brood before the band performed "In a Little While
".
On 5 November 2006 the Groninger Museum
opened an exposition devoted to Herman Brood's life and work, comprising paintings, lyrics, and poetry, portraits by photographer Anton Corbijn
, a collection of private pictures (from the family album), and concert photos and videos. The exhibition was on show until 28 January. It was centered on Herman's atelier (studio) where he created most of his paintings. The atelier had been entirely re-built in the museum. During the 90s, Herman Brood's studio was located on the second floor of the gallery in the Spuistraat in Amsterdam and has remained untouched since his death.
In 2007 the film Wild Romance premiered in the Netherlands, a movie about Brood's life. Brood was portrayed by Daniël Boissevain. He continues to inspire other artists: the 2007 album Bluefinger
by Black Francis is based on the life and works of Brood. A tribute band called the Brood Roosters ("bread toasters") was active in the Netherlands until they split up in early 2009. Another tribute band called Yada Yada (http://www.yadayadamusic.nl) is still active in The Netherlands, often appearing with original members of the Wild Romance (Dany Lademacher, Ramon Rambeaux) .
In 2010, the Catastrophic Theatre Company collaborated with Frank Black on a rock opera based on the Bluefinger album. The opera's first performance, with Matt Kelly portraying Brood, was 12 November 2010 in Houston, Texas
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.
Known for his hedonistic lifestyle of "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll," Brood was an enfant terrible and a cultural figure whose suicide apparently caused by a failure to kick his drug and alcohol habit, only strengthened his controversial status. His suicide, according to a poll organized to celebrate fifty years of Dutch popular music
Nederpop
Nederpop is a Dutch term that was invented by the mid-1970s to describe the Dutch pop music scene of the 1960s and 1970s that was gaining worldwide attention, exemplified by bands such as Shocking Blue, Golden Earring and Focus....
, was the most significant event in its history.
Musical career
Herman Brood was born in ZwolleZwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, and started playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at age 12. He founded beat band The Moans in 1964, which would later become Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers. Brood was asked to play with Cuby and the Blizzards, but was removed by management when the record company discovered he used drugs. For a number of years Brood was in jail (for dealing LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
), or abroad, and had a number of short-term engagements (with The Studs, the Flash & Dance Band, Vitesse).
In 1976, Brood started his own group, Herman Brood & his Wild Romance, (and started work with photographer Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
) initially with Ferdi Karmelk (guitar), Gerrit Veen (bass), Peter Walrecht (drums), and Ellen Piebes and Ria Ruiters (vocals). They played the club and bar circuit, first in Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, In 1977 the band released their first album, Street.
The band now played all over the Netherlands, playing as many gigs as possible. And Herman's drug habit became public domain: In 1977 for instance the Wild Romance played a gig in a highschool in Almelo, the Christelijk Lyceum; during the break Brood was caught on the toilet taking heroine or speed (there are different reports on the type of drug, but it is a wellknown story amongst former students), the rest of the concert was cancelled, and this also was the last time a rockconcert took place at this school for many years.
They are still best known for their second album, Shpritsz
Shpritsz
Shpritsz is the second studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album produced two singles. The first, "Rock & Roll Junkie," did not chart. The second, "Saturday Night," charted in Europe and the United States...
—a play on the German word for syringe—from 1978. This album contained Brood anthems like "Dope Sucks," "Rock & Roll Junkie," and their first Dutch hit single, "Saturday Night." The band went through many personnel changes over the years; the best-known formation was Freddy Cavalli (bass), Danny Lademacher (guitar) (later replaced with David Hollestelle), and Cees 'Ani' Meerman (drums). A frequent contributor was Bertus Borgers (saxophone).
Brood's outspoken statements in the press about sex and drug use
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
brought him into the Dutch public arena even more than his music. He was romantically involved with the German singer Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, with whom he appeared in the 1979 film Cha-Cha. He is reputed to be the subject of her song "Herrmann Hiess Er" (English title "Herrmann Was His Name") from the 1979 Unbehagen
Unbehagen
Unbehagen is the second and last album by the Nina Hagen Band before the solo career of singer Nina Hagen. The German title translates to Discomfort but can be seen as a pun on the band name...
album, a song about a drug addict. Brood relished the media attention and became the most famous hard drug user in the Netherlands. "It is quite common for an artist to use drugs, but not for him to tell everybody. I admit that it scared me that my popularity could make people start using drugs", he once said in an interview.
In the summer of 1979, Brood tried to enter the American market, where he toured as a support-act for The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
, and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
. A re-recorded version of Saturday Night peaked at number 35 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, but the big break Brood hoped for didn't happen. When he returned to the Netherlands in October 1979, his band had begun to fall apart, and soon his popularity went downhill. Go Nutz, the album Brood had recorded while in the States, and the movie Cha-Cha, which finally premiered in December 1979, were considered artistic failures, even though Go Nutz produced three charting singles in the Netherlands and the Cha Cha
Cha Cha (soundtrack)
Cha Cha is the soundtrack for the 1979 movie of the same name starring Herman Brood, Nina Hagen, and Lene Lovich, with most of the music played by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance...
soundtrack attained platinum status. The 1980 album Wait a Minute...
Wait a Minute (album)
Wait a Minute is the fourth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. After the commercial and artistic debacle of Go Nutz and the disastrous recording of that album, the Wild Romance fell apart, though Danny Lademacher and Freddy Cavalli still played on...
is a minor success, but the follow-up albums Modern Times Revive
Modern Times Revive
Modern Times Revive is the fifth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The Wild Romance fell apart after Go Nutz and Wait a Minute ; the "new" Wild Romance featured David Hollestelle on guitar...
(1981) and Frisz & Sympatisz
Frisz & Sympatisz
Frisz & Sympatisz is the sixth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album was produced by Tom Barlage.-Track listing:-Credits:*Herman Brood - piano, keyboards, vocals*Bertus Borgers - saxophone...
(1982) fail to make the Dutch album charts.
Brood continued to record throughout the 1980s and had a few hits—a top-ten single, "Als Je Wint" with Henny Vrienten
Henny Vrienten
Henny Vrienten is a Dutch composer of TV- and film-scores. He used to be the singer, songwriter and bass guitar player of the popular eighties ska pop band Doe Maar.-Early days:...
, and a minor hit with a reggae song, "Tattoo Song," but he spent more and more time on his art work. At the end of the 80s he made a comeback of sorts; Yada Yada
Yada Yada (album)
Yada Yada is the eighth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album, produced by George Kooymans of Golden Earring, was one of many moderately successful albums by Brood in the mid 1980s; it reached #9 on the Dutch album chart on 19 March 1988, and...
(1988), produced by George Kooymans
George Kooymans
George Kooymans is a Dutch guitarist and vocalist. He is best known for his work with the Dutch group, Golden Earring.- References :...
, was well-received, and he toured Germany with a renewed Wild Romance (which saw the return of Danny Lademacher). In 1990, he won the BV Popprijs, one of the highest Dutch awards for popular music, and recorded Freeze with Clarence Clemons
Clarence Clemons
Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
of the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
and Tejano
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
player Flaco Jiménez
Flaco Jiménez
Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez is a Tejano music accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. Jiménez's father, Santiago Jiménez Sr. was a pioneer of conjunto music. He began performing with his father at age seven and recording at age fifteen, as a member of Los Caporales...
. A live "best of" album, Saturday Night Live, appeared in 1992. His fiftieth birthday, in 1996, was celebrated with a show in Paradiso
Paradiso (Amsterdam)
Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and the album (of duets) was released the same year.
Visual arts career
After his career in music, Brood turned to painting and became a well-known character in Amsterdam art circles. His art is best described as pop-art, often very colorful and graffitiGraffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
-inspired screen prints
Screen-printing
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate...
, and he achieved some commercial success and notoriety by, for instance, creating murals in various public spaces in and around Amsterdam. He continued to remain in the public eye, by appearing in the media and by his cooperation with biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
s such as 1994's Rock'n Roll Junkie.
Suicide and legacy
Toward the end of his life, Brood vowed to abstain from most drugs, reducing his drug use to alcoholAlcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and a daily shot of speed
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
("2 grams per day"). In 2001, depressed by the failure of his drug rehabilitation program and facing serious medical problems because of his prolonged drug use, he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on 11 July by jumping from the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel at the age of 54. Extensively covered by the national media, his cremation took place five days later. Before the cremation, Brood's casket was driven from the Hilton hotel to Paradiso
Paradiso (Amsterdam)
Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, the streets lined with thousands of spectators. A commemorative concert was held in Paradiso, with performances by Hans Dulfer
Hans Dulfer
Hans Dulfer is a Dutch jazz musician who plays tenor saxophone.Hans Dulfer was born on 28 May 1940 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He began at age 17 and has been referred to as "Big boy" because of his album of the same name. At the end of the sixties he and Herbert Noord founded a quartet that...
, André Hazes
André Hazes
André Gerardus Hazes was a Dutch singer in a genre called levenslied which is a form of emotional folk music about everyday life sung in the Dutch language. André Hazes was one of the most successful singers in this genre...
, and Jules Deelder, and leading Dutch music magazine Muziekkrant OOR
Muziekkrant OOR
Muziekkrant OOR is the oldest currently published music magazine in the Netherlands. The name "OOR" is the Dutch word for ear.-History:The magazine was first published on 1 April 1971, being founded by Barend Toet . Of the first issue 20,000 copies were printed and paid for by Berry Visser, one of...
devoted an entire issue to him.
Soon after his suicide, Brood's version of "My Way" spent three weeks as number one in the Dutch singles charts; the market value of his art work also increased greatly. A characteristic note is that Brood's paintings were already targeted often by vandals during his life, while after his death they were stolen for their value. His popularity (or notoriety) was verified by the fact that his name turned out to be the strongest brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of the year.
When U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
performed in the Netherlands three weeks after Brood's suicide, they paid tribute to him at each of the three shows. They dedicated an acoustic version of Duke Ellington's "Jump for Joy" to him, a song they never performed at any other time of their career. At the third show in Arnhem they also dedicated their own "Gone" to him and had his version of "My Way"
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
played over the PA as outro music. In the middle of the show Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
delivered an emotional eulogy to Brood before the band performed "In a Little While
In a Little While
"In a Little While" is the sixth track from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.-History:The song came out of a jam with the band during the All That You Can't Leave Behind sessions. Bono has noted that his voice was in terrible shape at the time of the recording of this song...
".
On 5 November 2006 the Groninger Museum
Groninger Museum
The Groninger Museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Groningen, Netherlands.-Background:Although not as well known as other Dutch institutions of fine art, the Groninger Museum was founded in 1894...
opened an exposition devoted to Herman Brood's life and work, comprising paintings, lyrics, and poetry, portraits by photographer Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
, a collection of private pictures (from the family album), and concert photos and videos. The exhibition was on show until 28 January. It was centered on Herman's atelier (studio) where he created most of his paintings. The atelier had been entirely re-built in the museum. During the 90s, Herman Brood's studio was located on the second floor of the gallery in the Spuistraat in Amsterdam and has remained untouched since his death.
In 2007 the film Wild Romance premiered in the Netherlands, a movie about Brood's life. Brood was portrayed by Daniël Boissevain. He continues to inspire other artists: the 2007 album Bluefinger
Bluefinger
Bluefinger is an album by Black Francis . The album was released on 11 September 2007 in the United States and Europe...
by Black Francis is based on the life and works of Brood. A tribute band called the Brood Roosters ("bread toasters") was active in the Netherlands until they split up in early 2009. Another tribute band called Yada Yada (http://www.yadayadamusic.nl) is still active in The Netherlands, often appearing with original members of the Wild Romance (Dany Lademacher, Ramon Rambeaux) .
In 2010, the Catastrophic Theatre Company collaborated with Frank Black on a rock opera based on the Bluefinger album. The opera's first performance, with Matt Kelly portraying Brood, was 12 November 2010 in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Discography (albums)
- Street (1977)
- ShpritszShpritszShpritsz is the second studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album produced two singles. The first, "Rock & Roll Junkie," did not chart. The second, "Saturday Night," charted in Europe and the United States...
(1978) - Cha ChaCha Cha (album)Cha Cha is the first live album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album produced one single, "Still Believe." On the Dutch album chart, the album reached #2 on 13 January 1979, and stayed on the chart for 18 weeks...
(1978) - Cha ChaCha Cha (soundtrack)Cha Cha is the soundtrack for the 1979 movie of the same name starring Herman Brood, Nina Hagen, and Lene Lovich, with most of the music played by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance...
(1979, soundtrack for the movie Cha Cha) - Herman Brood & His Wild RomanceHerman Brood & His Wild Romance (album)-Personnel:*Herman Brood - piano, keyboard, vocals*Freddy Cavalli - bass*Danny Lademacher - guitar*Ani Meerman - drums...
(1979, Shpritsz re-release for US market, contains an edited version of Saturday Night) - Go NutzGo Nutz-Production and reception:Go Nutz, recorded in the United States, was supposed to follow up on the American success of the single "Saturday Night" and a compilation called Herman Brood & His Wild Romance, made specifically for the American market...
(1980) - Wait a Minute...Wait a Minute (album)Wait a Minute is the fourth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. After the commercial and artistic debacle of Go Nutz and the disastrous recording of that album, the Wild Romance fell apart, though Danny Lademacher and Freddy Cavalli still played on...
(1980) - Modern Times ReviveModern Times ReviveModern Times Revive is the fifth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The Wild Romance fell apart after Go Nutz and Wait a Minute ; the "new" Wild Romance featured David Hollestelle on guitar...
(1981) - Frisz & SympatiszFrisz & SympatiszFrisz & Sympatisz is the sixth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album was produced by Tom Barlage.-Track listing:-Credits:*Herman Brood - piano, keyboards, vocals*Bertus Borgers - saxophone...
(1982) - The BroodThe Brood (album)The Brood is the seventh studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album reached #22 on the Dutch album chart on 16 June 1984, and stayed on the chart for 17 weeks.-Track listing:-Credits:...
(1984) - BühnensuchtBühnensuchtBühnensucht is a live album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album reached #41 on the Dutch album chart on 5 October 1985, and stayed on the chart for 6 weeks....
(1985, live album) - Yada YadaYada Yada (album)Yada Yada is the eighth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album, produced by George Kooymans of Golden Earring, was one of many moderately successful albums by Brood in the mid 1980s; it reached #9 on the Dutch album chart on 19 March 1988, and...
(1988) - HooksHooks (album)Hooks is the ninth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album reached #28 on the Dutch album chart on 17 June 1989, and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks...
(1989) - FreezeFreeze (album)Freeze is the tenth studio album by Dutch rock and roll and blues group Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The album reached #63 on the Dutch album chart on 3 November 1990, and stayed on the chart for 5 weeks...
(1990) - Saturday Night Live! (1992)
- Fresh Poison (1994)
- 50 - The Soundtrack (1996 duets, a tribute album for his 50th birthday)
- Back on the Corner (1999)
- Ciao Monkey (2000)
- My Way - The HitsMy Way (Herman Brood album)My Way is a posthumous compilation album with music by Dutch rock and roll and blues artist Herman Brood, released shortly after his suicide on 11 July 2001. The album produced a number one single, the first of Brood's career: "My Way" reached number one on 18 August 2001. On the Dutch album chart,...
(2001)
Movies
- Cha-Cha (1979)
- Stadtrand (1986, German movie)
- Total Love (2000, cult movie from Israel)
- Rock 'N Roll Junkie (1994, documentary)
- Wild Romance (Herman Brood) (2006, scenes from Herman Brood's life)
- Herman Brood Uncut (2006, documentary)
Literature
Book and DVD.- Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast (2009) „be bop” - Rock-Tempel & Nachtasyl - Band 2 zur Legende. Hildesheim: Verlag Gebr. Gerstenberg. ISBN 978-3-8067-8733-7.