Piet Souer
Encyclopedia
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Souer (born on 29 March 1948 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch music producer, songwriter
and arranger. His collaboration with famous pop acts (like Luv'
, Mouth & MacNeal
, Liesbeth List
, Ramses Shaffy
, American Gypsy, Champagne...) made him gain twenty two gold and platinum records, one Conamus Export
Prize and one Outstanding Song Award thanks to his composition Too Young To Know performed by Anita Meyer
at World Popular Song Festival
in Japan
in 1981.
band from Eindhoven. His breakthrough happened when he played guitar on De troubadour
, a track performed by Lenny Kuhr
, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969
. The next year, Lenny, bassist Paul Reekers and Piet were the supporting act of Georges Brassens
during his tour in France.
) and Samen (by Liesbeth List
& Ramses Shaffy
).
In 1976, he recorded with conductor Harry van Hoof the album Strings by candlelight (certified gold in the Netherlands). Then, he produced hit records for popular Dutch acts such as Champagne (1977 Export Award), Doris D. & The Pins, Vanessa, American Gypsy, Mouth & MacNeal
, Anita Meyer
, Maywood
, Conquistador. He also collaborated with international artists including Vicky Leandros
, Helen Shapiro
, Kathy Kissoon and Engelbert Humperdinck
.
In 1982, French Bulgarian chanteuse Sylvie Vartan
sang one of his composition (La Sortie de Secours), which was released as a single and was a French cover version of I'm So Sorry (originally performed by José Hoebee
). The same year, British pop group Tight Fit
covered Fantasy Island (one of his songs originally performed by The Millionaires) which became a UK Top 5 hit and a European Top 10 hit.
and manager Han Meijer (later replaced by Pim Ter Linde) to form a female pop trio: Luv'
. Van Hemert and him wrote songs for the girl group (under the pseudonym Janschen & Janschens). In the late 1970s, Luv'
had popular hit singles (like You're The Greatest Lover
, Trojan Horse
or Casanova
) in Benelux
, German
-speaking countries, Denmark
, Spain
, France
, South Africa
, New Zealand
and Mexico
. This international success made Luv'
win a Conamus Export
Prize in 1979. This formation sold seven million records (singles and albums).
: Sing Me a Song
by Bernadette (in 1983) and De eerste keer
by Maxine & Franklin Brown (in 1996). Both of them reached the 7th position.
Scores for TV programs including:
He composed Bel canto
themes for the NCRV
show Una Voce Particolare hosted by Ernst Daniel Smid. His collaboration with Smid includes the Top 5 album Gevoel van Geluk.
Film soundtracks including:
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and arranger. His collaboration with famous pop acts (like Luv'
Luv'
Luv is a Dutch pop girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, Luv' was "Holland's best export act" and thus received the "Conamus Export Prize"...
, Mouth & MacNeal
Mouth & MacNeal
Mouth & MacNeal was a pop duo from the Netherlands. They are best known for their million selling recording of "How Do You Do".-Career:They were formed in 1971 when record producer Hans van Hemert brought together the solo talent of Mouth and Maggie MacNeal...
, Liesbeth List
Liesbeth List
Elisabeth Dorathea List, generally known as Liesbeth List is a Dutch singer, stage actress and television personality. She became popular during the 1960s and frequently collaborated with Ramses Shaffy...
, Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy was a Dutch singer and actor. He became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder , We zullen doorgaan , Pastorale, Sammy and Laat me...
, American Gypsy, Champagne...) made him gain twenty two gold and platinum records, one Conamus Export
Buma Export Award
The Buma Export Award is given to the Dutch artists who have sold the most records abroad. Each year, this prize is given by the Buma Cultuur foundation which also presents the Golden Harp and Zilveren Harp awards....
Prize and one Outstanding Song Award thanks to his composition Too Young To Know performed by Anita Meyer
Anita Meyer
Anita Meyer , born in Rotterdam 29 October 1954, is a Dutch singer. One of her most notable songs is "Why Tell Me Why" that charted for 14 weeks and topped the Dutch singles list for six weeks in 1981.- Albums :...
at World Popular Song Festival
Yamaha Music Festival
The World Popular Song Festival, also known as Yamaha Music Festival and unofficially as the "Oriental Eurovision", was an international song contest held in 1970-1989. It was organised by the Yamaha Music Foundation in Tokyo, Japan from 1970 until 1989...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1981.
Debut
Piet Souer (a guitar and keyboard player) started his career as a member of The Valiants, a rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Eindhoven. His breakthrough happened when he played guitar on De troubadour
De Troubadour
"De troubadour" , sung in Dutch by Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands, was – together with "Boom Bang-a-Bang", "Un jour, un enfant", and "Vivo cantando" from, respectively, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain – one of the four winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969.In a ballad inspired...
, a track performed by Lenny Kuhr
Lenny Kuhr
Lenny Kuhr is a Dutch singer-songwriter.In 1967 she started a singing career in the Netherlands, performing songs in the French chanson tradition. In 1969 she represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with her own composition De Troubadour...
, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
. The next year, Lenny, bassist Paul Reekers and Piet were the supporting act of Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens , 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981), was a French singer-songwriter and poet.Brassens was born in Sète, a town in southern France near Montpellier...
during his tour in France.
A successful producer, arranger, songwriter and conductor
In the early 1970s, he scored, as a songwriter and an arranger, moderate hits like I'm The Grand Pretender and Keep On Dancing (performed by Cardinal Point) and Angel Eyes (performed by American Gypsy) as well as successful chart toppers in Holland like Te Veel Te Vaak (by Liesbeth ListLiesbeth List
Elisabeth Dorathea List, generally known as Liesbeth List is a Dutch singer, stage actress and television personality. She became popular during the 1960s and frequently collaborated with Ramses Shaffy...
) and Samen (by Liesbeth List
Liesbeth List
Elisabeth Dorathea List, generally known as Liesbeth List is a Dutch singer, stage actress and television personality. She became popular during the 1960s and frequently collaborated with Ramses Shaffy...
& Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy was a Dutch singer and actor. He became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder , We zullen doorgaan , Pastorale, Sammy and Laat me...
).
In 1976, he recorded with conductor Harry van Hoof the album Strings by candlelight (certified gold in the Netherlands). Then, he produced hit records for popular Dutch acts such as Champagne (1977 Export Award), Doris D. & The Pins, Vanessa, American Gypsy, Mouth & MacNeal
Mouth & MacNeal
Mouth & MacNeal was a pop duo from the Netherlands. They are best known for their million selling recording of "How Do You Do".-Career:They were formed in 1971 when record producer Hans van Hemert brought together the solo talent of Mouth and Maggie MacNeal...
, Anita Meyer
Anita Meyer
Anita Meyer , born in Rotterdam 29 October 1954, is a Dutch singer. One of her most notable songs is "Why Tell Me Why" that charted for 14 weeks and topped the Dutch singles list for six weeks in 1981.- Albums :...
, Maywood
Maywood (band)
Maywood was a Dutch pop group in the 1970s and 1980s. Their biggest hit single was in 1980 with "Late At Night". They represented the Netherlands in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ik wil alles met je delen", which finished in fifteenth place. The group split up in...
, Conquistador. He also collaborated with international artists including Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros is a Greek singer with a long international career. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou...
, Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
, Kathy Kissoon and Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
.
In 1982, French Bulgarian chanteuse Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
sang one of his composition (La Sortie de Secours), which was released as a single and was a French cover version of I'm So Sorry (originally performed by José Hoebee
José Hoebee
José Hoebee is a Dutch pop female singer. She is part of Luv' . In late 1981, she went solo and was successful in her homeland and in the Flanders region of Belgium between 1982 and 1985...
). The same year, British pop group Tight Fit
Tight Fit
Tight Fit are a British pop group who had a number of hits in the early 1980s, including a UK No.1 with their cover version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1982...
covered Fantasy Island (one of his songs originally performed by The Millionaires) which became a UK Top 5 hit and a European Top 10 hit.
Luv'
In 1976, he teamed up with producer Hans van HemertHans van Hemert
Hans van Hemert is a Dutch ASCAP award winning record producer and songwriter. Mouth & MacNeal and Luv' are among the pop acts he produced...
and manager Han Meijer (later replaced by Pim Ter Linde) to form a female pop trio: Luv'
Luv'
Luv is a Dutch pop girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, Luv' was "Holland's best export act" and thus received the "Conamus Export Prize"...
. Van Hemert and him wrote songs for the girl group (under the pseudonym Janschen & Janschens). In the late 1970s, Luv'
Luv'
Luv is a Dutch pop girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, Luv' was "Holland's best export act" and thus received the "Conamus Export Prize"...
had popular hit singles (like You're The Greatest Lover
You're the Greatest Lover
"You're the Greatest Lover" is a single by Dutch girl group Luv'. It was first released in July 1978 by Philips/Phonogram Records. It appears on the 1978 debut album With Luv and on compilations . It is the group's international breakthrough as it was successful in a large part of Continental...
, Trojan Horse
Trojan Horse (Luv' song)
"Trojan Horse" is the fifth single by Dutch girl group Luv', released in the autumn of 1978 by Philips/Phonogram Records. This million seller appears on the German version of the 1978 debut album, With Luv' and was a successful hit record in a large part of Continental Europe, South Africa and New...
or Casanova
Casanova (Luv' song)
"Casanova" is the sixth single by Dutch girl group Luv', released in the spring of 1979 by Philips Records. This song appears on the formation's second album, Lots Of Luv, and was a Top 10 single in a large part of Continental Europe, maintaining Luv's position as the best Dutch export act of...
) in Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking countries, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This international success made Luv'
Luv'
Luv is a Dutch pop girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, Luv' was "Holland's best export act" and thus received the "Conamus Export Prize"...
win a Conamus Export
Buma Export Award
The Buma Export Award is given to the Dutch artists who have sold the most records abroad. Each year, this prize is given by the Buma Cultuur foundation which also presents the Golden Harp and Zilveren Harp awards....
Prize in 1979. This formation sold seven million records (singles and albums).
The Eurovision Song Contest
Souer composed two songs for the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
: Sing Me a Song
Sing Me a Song
"Sing Me a Song" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, performed in Dutch by Bernadette....
by Bernadette (in 1983) and De eerste keer
De Eerste Keer
"De eerste keer" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, performed in Dutch by Maxine & Franklin Brown.The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with the duo singing about getting back in touch with one another years after the end of their relationship...
by Maxine & Franklin Brown (in 1996). Both of them reached the 7th position.
TV jingles & film soundtracks
This prolific artist composed film soundtracks and television jingles.Scores for TV programs including:
- Suske en WiskeSpike and SuzySpike and Suzy, the British title for Suske en Wiske in Dutch, is a comics series created by the Belgian comics author Willy Vandersteen. The strip is known as Bob et Bobette in French and Willy and Wanda in the U.S. It was first published in De Nieuwe Standaard in 1945 and soon became popular...
- Ted Show
- Spoorloos
- the Dutch version of the game show BoggleBoggle (game show)Boggle was an American game show that was broadcast on The Family Channel from March 7 to November 18, 1994. It was based on the board game of the same name. Wink Martindale was the host, and Randy West was the announcer....
- the Dutch, American, Swedish and Polish versions of Lingo
He composed Bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
themes for the NCRV
NCRV
NCRV is a public radio and television broadcaster in the Netherlands, mostly transmitting on Nederland 1 and Nederland 2....
show Una Voce Particolare hosted by Ernst Daniel Smid. His collaboration with Smid includes the Top 5 album Gevoel van Geluk.
Film soundtracks including:
- 2005 movie about Vincent van GoghVincent van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
- Black BookBlack Book (soundtrack)The album Black Book is the soundtrack of the film Black Book . The album was supposed to be released on September 29, 2006 by Warner, but this was rescheduled. The first release was on October 2, 2006 by Milan Records....
, directed by Paul Verhoeven. - Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch Masters) (for the year of Rembrandt in 2006).
External links
- http://www.pietsouer.nl - Piet Souer Official Site
- http://www.popinstituut.nl/act_pagina/piet_souer.17602.html - information about Souer's career on the Nationaal Pop Instituut website (in Dutch)
- http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showperson.asp?name=Piet+Souer - Souer chart performances in Holland on the DutchCharts.nl portal