Herinnering (album) and Waarom (single) by Bonnie & José: 35th anniversary

          

Front cover of Herinnering - photo by Govert de Roos

Thirty-five years ago, in the autumn of 1985, RCA Records released the album Herinnering by Bonnie St. Claire and José Hoebee. A wonderful tribute to ABBA's music. A few days ago, this opus was reissued on CD/DVD by the independent label CD-Licious thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign launched by Franklin van Liempt (see news posted on November 20th, 2020). This album featured two Dutch Top 40 hits which came out before its release: Cassandra and Zoals Vrienden Doen. A third single taken from Herinnering and entitled Waarom (featuring Ron Brandsteder) was released in October 1985. It entered the Dutch Tipparade exactly thirty-five years ago, on December 7th, 1985 and later reached one of Holland's main singles chart De Nationale Hitparade. Let's celebrate the 35th anniversary of Herinnering and Waarom. 

History

In 1984, Bonnie and José decided to form a duo to cover songs of ABBA in Dutch long before the revival of interest in the music of the Swedish Fab Four. 

Photo montage by Co Rnz

Flemish author Stany Van Wymeersch interviewed the ladies for the booklet of the 2020 edition of Herinnening. Here's what Bonnie told Stany when he asked how her project with José started: "José and I were with the same management and she was married to top producer Will Hoebee. After I recorded a solo album and ‘Sla Je Arm Om Me Heen’ (‘Wrap Your Arms Around Me’) – originally a solo hit for Agnethe Fältskog – with Will Hoebee, it seemed like a good idea to record a duet with a woman. Until then I had only recorded duets with men, like with Benny Neyman and Ron Brandsteder. So the initiative was mine actually". As for José, she explained: "We already knew each other, but we had never recorded anything together. Bonnie’s first husband, who also collaborated on the album as co-producer, had a click with Will, Bonnie and I hit it off too. In the  1980s the four of us went skiing in Austria a couple of times. During our vacation, the ABBA idea was born after Bonnie and I sang ‘The Way Old Friends Do’ together. It was obvious that our voices blended very well together".

Bonnie & José's first duet single "Cassandra" peaked at #24 on the Top 40 and #19 on the Nationale Hitparade in the Netherlands in the summer of 1984 (see article posted on July 7th, 2019). 

Press clipping from 1984 when Cassandra entered the Dutch charts

In 1985, the two singers were involved in the ABBAcadra project (see article posted on March 16th, 2020). Later that year, they put out the single "Zoals Vrienden Doen" (the cover of ABBA's The Way Old Friends Do). The track became the signature song of the duo. It reached #36 on the Top 40 and #18 on the Nationale Hitparade in the summer of 1985 (see article posted on August 3rd, 2020). 

Ad published by RCA in June 1985 to promote Zoals Vrienden Doen

Photo by Govert de Roos - Edited by Co Rnz

After this respectable success on the charts, the ladies decided to continue their professional relationship. They had the opportunity to release a full-length album entitled "Herinnering". Will Hoebee, then a sought-after producer, supervised the recording sessions which took place at the prestigious Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands. Eurovision Song Contest conductor Harry van Hoof was the arranger. 

Here's what Bonnie & José declared about the Herinnering project which appears on the booklet of the 2020 reissue:

"José: Then Will said: “You should make an album together with ABBA songs.”

Bonnie: Look, I wouldn’t know anyone who isn’t a fan of ABBA. We were and fortunately,we had the opportunity to do something about it. To me, the songs will always remain timeless, until the bitter end. We recorded and released ‘Cassandra’ as a single. It became a hit record and so that brought us to the other songs. We all chose songs to create this ABBA project, with a very satisfying result I must say. We never regretted any of it. Of course, it is an honour to be able to record ABBA songs.

José: I always liked ABBA very much, but at that time I didn’t have time to be a fan of anyone. I didn’t have any albums or anything. With LUV’ we went to one of their concerts when they were in the Netherlands, but we didn’t meet them. For ‘Herinnering’ we didn’t only pick these songs, but we also collaborated with good lyricists and professionals.

Bonnie: Will Hoebee was a producer who managed to assemble the best people around him. Look, when José and I enter a studio, we are supposed to sing well because that is what we are there for. But in the end, you are talking about a product and that is the responsibility of the producer. We recorded this album in the Wisseloord Studios Hilversum with the best sound engineer who you can imagine, Pieter Boer, and Will immediately picked Harry van Hoof as the orchestrator and wonderful musicians like Lex Bolderdijk, and Hans Vermeulen was part of the backing vocalists. You couldn’t even imagine! That was Will’s strength and that is what made him such a good producer. On top of that, these were all people who loved music, not necessarily for commercial reasons.

José: It was certainly not a cheap production and you can hear that. Halfway through the 1980s everything in pop music came from synthesizers, on our album you hear clearly real instruments. It was a friendly group of real professionals and there was never any stress during the recordings. When we were recording, there was no one there except Will and co-producer Albert Hol, our fantastic engineer Pieter, and arranger Harry. That always went very smoothly. Of course, Bonnie is a very good singer, we never had any problems.

Bonnie: José sang most of Agnetha’s parts.

José: Because I have a louder, higher voice, I sang the higher parts on the album, but I actually prefer Frida’s voice. I like Frida better anyway. She has a warmer voice, but Agnetha is also a very good singer, of course."

Recently, Omroep Helmond Radio DJ Anton van Stekelenborg-Poirters promoted the 2020 edition of Herinnering on his Maandag Middag Matinee show (see news posted on November 24th, 2020). He asked José what her favourite song from Herinnering was. The former Luv' singer answered: "I like Zonder Hem" because of my current situation (referring to her widow status) and Is't Zo Bedoeld which is a classic song to me".

RCA Records put out Herinnering in September 1985. 

Posters distributed in Dutch record shops to promote Herinnering (source: Danny Bink)

Ad to promote Herinnering published in Algemeen Dagbald on October 18th, 1985

Click here to watch it online

In addition to the previous hits Cassandra and Zoals Vrienden Doen, the LP included a third song released as a single in October 1985: Waarom (the cover of ABBA's Move On). TV personality Ron Brandsteder wrote the Dutch lyrics of Waarom which dealt with the hate between human beings. He also contributed to the recording of this song as a narrator. 

Here's what Ron told Stany Van Wymeersch about his work with the ladies: 

“In 1985, I was already friends with Bonnie and José. In those years I already was a fan of the music of ABBA. In the meantime, I had fathered my son Rick and then you look differently at life itself. You are more open to the important things around you and because of your responsibilities, you become more serious. Perhaps that is why my lyrical contribution to the song ‘Waarom’ was a bit more ideological. I am still very proud of my contribution. By adding beautiful Dutch lyrics to ABBA’s music, it resulted in a wonderful album, sung by perhaps the best pop singers in the Netherlands”.

Bonnie & José performed Waarom on Dutch high-rated TV shows Op Volle Toeren and Showbizzquiz. 

TV performances of Waarom: 

* November 16th, 1985: Op Volle Toeren on TROS

* December 9th, 1985: Showbizzquiz on TROS

* December 19th, 1985: Op Volle Toeren on TROS

* January 25th, 1986:  Op Volle Toeren on TROS

This exposure on the small screen paid off as Waarom entered the Dutch hit parade in December 1985. Herinnering  charted briefly on Holland's Top 75 in late January 1986. Two other songs taken from the LP came out as singles later in 1986 but never reached the charts: De Flierefluiter (The Piper) and Herinnering (Andante, Andante). 

In 1986, the ladies taped a TV special in Sweden to promote the album. Björn Ulvaeus (of ABBA) was interviewed for this show and approved their work (see article posted on September 27th, 2013). 

Björn Ulvaeus on "Bonnie & José in Sweden" (NCRV, 1986)

Release

The Herinnering LP was initially released on vinyl and cassette. In the 2000s, the Dutch website Fonos.nl (a now-defunct service) sold unofficial digitized and restored copies on CD in association with ABBA Fan Club Shop. After José made a solo comeback in late 2003, they were rumours of an edition on CD within the fans community but nothing materialized. When Bonnie & José briefly reunited seven years ago, they planned to reissue the album on CD (see news posted on October 1st, 2013). But once again this project was cancelled. Shortly afterwards, a Facebook page was launched by Karin Angeleyes to demand the re-release of Herinnering (click here to see it). Earlier this year, a crowdfunding campaign for the reissue of the album on CD/DVD was launched by Franklin van Liempt via the Voordekunst.nl site. Four days later, the target was reached (see article posted on January 27th, 2020). The new edition was released on November 20th via CD-Licious.com (see article). The ABBA Fan Club Shop supported this initiative. The CD included four bonus tracks and the DVD featured the TV special ‘Bonnie & José in Zweden’ with three bonus videos. 

Commercial response and chart performance

Waarom entered the Dutch Tipparade on December 7th, 1985 and the Nationale Hitparade one week later. It reached #35 on the hit parade on December 21st, 1985. It stayed for 6 weeks on the singles chart.

Herinnering entered the Nationale Hitparade Elpee Top 75 in Holland at #73 on January 25th, 1986 and only spent one week on this list. Though it wasn't a commercial success, the record achieved cult status among the admirers of the duo and the community of ABBA fans. 

Tracklisting 

1/ Herinnering by Bonnie & José 

Original release in September 1985 by RCA Records BV. 

Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

A side: 

1. Zoals Vrienden Doen (The Way Old Friends Do) -3:12 / Dutch lyrics by Benny Neyman
2. De Flierefluiter (The Piper) - 3:24 / Dutch Lyrics by Harm Bremer
3. Waarom (Move On) - 4:34 / Featuring Ron Brandsteder /Dutch lyrics by R. Brandsteder / additional music by Stig Anderson
4. Is 't Zo Bedoeld (I Let The Music Speak) - 5:23 / Dutch lyrics by Hans Vermeulen
5. Chiquitita - 5:22 / Dutch lyrics by Harm Bremer
6. Ligt Dat Nou Aan Jou Of Aan Mij (Why Did It Have To Be Me) - 3:24 / Dutch lyrics by Joost Timp

B side:

    7. Herinnering (Andante, Andante) - 4:32 / Dutch lyrics by Harm Bremer

    8. Zonder Hem (Soldiers) - 4:35 / Dutch lyrics by Edward Reekers

    9. Cassandra - 4:55 / Dutch lyrics by Benny Neyman

    10. Weet Wel Wat Je Doet (Lovers) - 3:24 / Dutch lyrics by Simon Been

    11. Een Man (One Man One Woman) - 4:44 / Dutch lyrics by Hans Vermeulen

    12. Vriendschap (Arrival) - 3:00 / Dutch lyrics by Pieter Boer

Credits

Lead vocals - Bonnie St Claire and José Hoebee

Arranged by Harry van Hoof

Bass Guitar – Jan Vermeulen

Choir – Edward Reekers, Hans Vermeulen, Hilde Vermeulen, Jody Pijper

Drum  – Max Werner

Grand Piano, Synthesizer – Hans Jansen, Harry van Hoof

Guitar – Lex Bolderdijk

Liner Notes – Skip Voogd

Photography – Govert de Roos

Producers – Albert Hol, Will Hoebee

Saxophone – Gerbrand Westveen

Sound Technician – Pieter Boer

Recorded and engineered at Wisseloord Studios Hilversum, the Netherlands

Management – Double Entertainment

Design – Spiral Studio

Back cover

A side

B side

2/ Herinnering (2020 edition)

Released by CD-Licious.com on November 20th, 2020

CD Tracklist:

12 original songs from the Herinnering album

Bonus tracks:

13. Hart Voor Een Kind (Live) (I Have A Dream) - 4:15

14. Vandaag Of Morgen (The Sun Will Be There Again) Dutch Lyrics by Benny Neyman - 3:15

15. De Postkoets - Lyrics by Ferry van Delden - 2:53

16. 'N Engel Als Jij (Engel Wie Du) - Dutch Lyrics by T. Peters - 3:47

DVD Tracklist:

TV Special Bonnie & José in Zweden

Original broadcast on May 27th, 1986 on NCRV

1. Chiquitita
2. Herinnering
3. Ligt Dat Aan Jou Of Aan Mij
4. Zoals Vrienden Doen
5. De Flierefluiter

Bonus tracks:

    6. Cassandra

    7. Waarom (met Ron Brandsteder)

    8. Hart Voor Een Kind (Live)

Additional Credits:

Mastered by MPB 

Producers – Ad Bouman (track 15), Albert Hol (tracks: 1-12), Will Hoebee (tracks: 1-12, 14, 16)

Reissue Producer – Franklin van Liempt

Video Editor [DVD] – New Sense Media

With kind permission from Sony Music Entertainment Netherlands B.V., Universal Music B.V. and KRO-NCRV

3/ Waarom

7" vinyl single (45 rpm) - original release by RCA Records in October 1985

Front cover

A side: 

Bonnie & José with Ron Brandsteder: Waarom (Move On) - 4:34

Written by B. Andersson, B. Ulvaeus, R. Brandsteder, S. Andersson

B side:

Bonnie & José: Ligt Dat Aan Jou Of Aan Mij (Why Did It Have To Be Me) - 3:24

Written by B. Andersson, B. Ulvaeus, J. Timp

Credits:

Arranged by Harry van Hoof

Management – Double Entertainment

Photography – Govert de Roos

Producers – Albert Hol, Will Hoebee

Back cover

Source: Luv' & José weblogs archives, Co Rnz, Stany Van Wymeersch, Discogs.com, DutchCharts.nl, Facebook, YouTube