Kayak

7-16-08 Kayak

7" KAYAK CHANCE FOR A LIFETIME / MY HEART NEVER CHANGED EMI NL

5C 006-25339 1975 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD KAYAK KAYAK (2nd album) PSEUDONY NL

CDP-1025-DD 1974 10 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('95 issue)

LP KAYAK KAYAK (2nd album) EMI NL

5C 062-24993 1974 9 TRKS lyrics booklet; 2nd album

7" KAYAK KEEP THE CHANGE / IVORY DANCE JANUS US

J-278 1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

CD KAYAK LAST ENCORE, THE MERCURY NL

518751.2DD 1976 12 TRKS

LP KAYAK LAST ENCORE, THE VERTIGO NL

6460 854 1976 12 TRKS insert, original issue; 4th album

7" KAYAK LYRICS / TRY TO WRITE A BOOK EMI / IMPE NL

5C 006-24691 1973 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK MAMMOTH / BALLET OF THE CRIPPLE EMI NL

5C 006-24838 1973 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT / BALLAD FOR A LOST FRIEND VERTIGO NL

6012 963 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT / IVORY DANCE VERTIGO NL

6012 960 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP KAYAK PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT pic disc JANUS US

JXS 7039 1978 10 TRKS pic disc, #2727 of 3000; 6^th album

CD KAYAK ROYAL BED BOUNCER PSEUDONYM NL CDP-1012DD 1975 19 TRKS ('94 issue) (9 x bonus tracks)

LP KAYAK ROYAL BED BOUNCER EMI NL

5C 062-25271 1975 10 TRKS original issue, 'Kayak' sleeve; 3rd album

7" KAYAK RUTHLESS QUEEN / IVORY DANCE VERTIGO NL

6012 961 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD KAYAK SEE SEE THE SUN PSEUDONY NL

CDP-1024DD 1973 11 TRKS ('95 issue) (2 x bonus tracks)

LP KAYAK SEE SEE THE SUN HARVEST UK

SHSP 4033 1973 9 TRKS U.K. version, cover; 1st album

LP KAYAK STARLIGHT DANCER JANUS US

JXS 7034 1977 11 TRKS U.S. version, promo

LP KAYAK STARLIGHT DANCER VERTIGO NL

6460 856 1977 11 TRKS original issue, cover; 5th album

7" KAYAK STARLIGHT DANCER / IRENE VERTIGO NL

6208 900 1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD KAYAK STARLIGHT DANCER / PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT VERTIGO NL

834479.2 1977/8 18 TRKS ('88 issue) 2 on 1

7" KAYAK TOTAL LOSS / WHAT'S DONE IS DONE VERTIGO NL

6017 103 1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WANT YOU TO BE MINE / GOLDDUST VERTIGO NL

6012 957 1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WANT YOU TO BE MINE / IRENE JANUS US

J-274 1978 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WANT YOU TO BE MINE / STARLIGHT DANCER VERTIGO DE

6012 958 1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WE ARE NOT AMUSED / GIVE IT A NAME HARVEST UK

HAR 5099 1975 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WE ARE NOT AMUSED / SERENADES EMI NL

5C 006-25097 1975 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" KAYAK WINTERTIME / ALIBI EMI NL

5C 006-25035 1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

Max Werner

7" WERNER, MAX DIM THE LIGHT / CHALLENGE WEA NL

249156.2 1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD WERNER, MAX HOW CAN IT BE LIKE THIS? POLYDOR DE

835747.2 1988 10 TRKS

7" WERNER, MAX RAIN IN MAY / IN THE WINTER RADIO US

RR 3821 1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP WERNER, MAX RAINBOW'S END EMI NL

1A 062-26363 1979 11 TRKS

7" WERNER, MAX RAINBOW'S END / LIFE'S SERENITY EMI NL

1A 006-26398 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" WERNER, MAX ROADRUNNER / ROCKY ROAD TO LOVE WEA DE

24-9699-0 1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP WERNER, MAX SEASONS CNR NL

655.118 1981 11 TRKS

7" WERNER, MAX SUMMER IN THE CITY / (Same) RADIO US

RR 3840 1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

Ton Scherpenzeel

LP SCHERPENZEEL, TON CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX, LE ARIOLA NL

26327 XOT 1978 12 TRKS

7" SCHERPENZEEL, TON CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX, LE / FOSSIELEN ARIOLA NL

100.029 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP SCHERPENZEEL, TON HEART OF THE UNIVERSE CNR NL

655.202 1984 10 TRKS

LP EUROPE EUROPE CBS NL

CBS 25365 1983 10 TRKS

I followed the Dutch group Kayak avidly, from about the time that “Royal Bed Bouncer” came out, until Max Werner was no longer the vocalist for the band – so I wasn’t really with them for more than about 2 or 3 years. They were a big band for me in high school. When I eventually made it to Holland in ’79, it was easy to find almost all of their singles. There are also some variant LP covers for U.S. issues of some of their stuff.

Max Werner’s solo albums are pretty good – I really enjoy the “How Can It Be Like This?” CD from ’88. The solo albums from keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel are OK, but not great. Confusingly, he named his first post-Kayak band “Europe” at about the same time that the Swedish hard rock band with the same name was becoming popular.

So, in order, get: 1. See See The Sun 2. Kayak (2^nd album) 3. Royal Bed Bouncer 4. The Last Encore 5. Starlight Dancer – all original Dutch LP editions. There are a few neat variant songs to be found – some now available as CD bonus tracks, others not. Let’s not forget the Dutch-language compilation LP, “Zing Je Moers Taal” that actually has Kayak singing a song in Dutch! Alas, I think Max only got to sing one track on their 6^th album, “Phantom Of The Night”. I never really went for any of Kayak’s material that Max didn’t sing.

So, are they progressive rock or Dutch English-language pop music of the 70’s? You be the judge. I’ve heard some people say that they thought Max was imitating Peter Gabriel’s work with Genesis – but I disagree.