line up 1 (1975-76)

- Okkie Huysdens -- vocals, bass, keyboards

- Mac Sell -- guitars

- Paul Vink -- keyboards 

- Ton op 't Hof --  drums, percussion

  line up 1 (1976-78)

NEW- Jan Bliek -- percussion

- Mac Sell -- guitars

- Paul Vink -- keyboards 

NEW - Wim de Vries -- vocals, bass (replaced Okkie Huysdens)

- Ton op 't Hof --  drums, percussion

- Ad Van Den Hoed Kwartet (Wim de Vries)

- Attraction and Train (Ton op 't Hof)

- Bruno Basta (Mac Sell)

- Cargo (Wim de Vries)

- Dallas (Wim de Vries)

- Margariet Eshujis Band (Ton op 't Hof)

- Fab (Okkie Huysdens)

- Finch (Paul Vink)

- Flashback (Okkie Huysdens)

- Kwintet Rinus Van Galen (Wim de Vries)

- The Geo Band (Mac Sell, Paul Vink, and Ton op 't Hof)

- Health Band (Paul Vink)

- Heart (Okkie Huysdens, Mac Sell, and Ton op 't Hof)

- Himalaya ( (Okkie Huysdens)

- The Ben de Jong Quartet (Wim de Vries)

- The Jumping Jewels (Ton op 't Hof)

- Livin' Blues (Paul Vink)

- Love and Devotion (Wim de Vries)

- Machine (Jan Bliek and Paul Vink)

- Mayflower (Wim de Vries)

- Megas (Okkie Huysdens)

- Hank Peterson & Four Stranger (Okkie Huysdens)

- The President (Okkie Huysdens)

- Rainbow Train (Okkie Huysdens and Ton op 't Hof)

- Red Sky Scraper (Ton op 't Hof)

- Jan Rietman Band (Ton op 't Hof)

- The Rock & R'All Stars (Ton op 't Hof)

- Rockin Jesters (Okkie Huysdens)

- Sandy Coast (Ton op 't Hof)

- September  (Wim de Vries)

- Sharks & Me (Wim de Vries)

- The Six Young Riders (Ton op 't Hof)

- Spitfire (Okkie Huysdens)

- Stars On 45 ( (Okkie Huysdens)

- Swan (Okkie Huysdens)

- Swinging Soul Machine (Mac Sell and Paul Vink)

- Voyager IV (Wim de Vries)

- Xanda (Ton op 't Hof)

Genre: rock

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Limousine

Company: Pye

Catalog: 12140
Year: 1976

Country/State: Rotterdam, Holland

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor ring wear; UK pressing

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 6289

Price: $15.00

This short-lived Dutch outfit featured the talents of journeymen players Okkie Huysdens, Mac Sell, Paul Vink, and Ton op 't Hof.   Each of the four (particularly Huysdens), had an extensive background playing in 1960s and early 1970s Dutch bands.  Huysdens, Sell, and op t' Hof had started their collaboration backing up singer Patrician Paay in the band Heart (not the US band featuring the Wilson sisters). After quitting Heart the three formed Limousine with keyboardist Vink whose discography included stints with Livin' Blues, Swinging Soul Machine (along with Sell) and Machine.

As Limousine (not to be confused with a similarly named US band), in 1975 the group scored a contract with Ariola (Pye acquiring UK distribution rights) debuting with a bouncy Nederpop single:

-1975's  'Seventy Five' b/w 'Streetwalker Adventures' (Ariola catalog number 16079 AT)

The single did well in Holland and Germany, leading Ariola to finance an album.  Produced by Martin Dulser, "Limousine" was one of those mid-1970s albums that never had a chance.  It wasn't that Huysdens and company lacked talent.  They were all quite talented players, capable of writing decent pop and rock material and to be honest I've always been fascinated by Huysdens' voice.  From a technical standpoint he was definitely an acquired taste with a narrow, snarling, brittle and heavily accented voice ...  imagine a Dutch Joe Walsh and you'd be in the right aural neighborhood.  Regardless, his performances were always interesting.   The downside was that as a band they simply didn't have a great deal of originality and sounded like they were collectively torn between trying to carve out an audience as a dance outfit ('Holy Spirit' and 'Daddy Grandpa'), or hanging on to a more rock oriented personality.  In the end they seem to have decided to split the difference with the result being that they lost any semblance of a unique identity. Listening to ballads like 'Goodbye and Thank You' it wasn't hard to picture the as a Dutch version of Air Supply.   They'd clearly been listening to lots of dance groups (hum, was that a touch of Boney M on 'Daddy Grandpa'), as well as English and US rock bands and it was kind of fun to play spot-the-influences, but if you were looking for some cutting edge moves, this wasn't the place to invest your time.  

The European release featured different, if equally bland artwork.  

"Limousine" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) America (Paul Vink - Mac Sell) - 6:28  rating; **** stars

Kicked along by some bubbly Paul Vink keyboards and Mac Sell's slashing guitar, 'America' was a surprisingly commercial slice of glam rock.  The lyric was a bit rough in places (not that I would do any better writing in Dutch), but powered by Okkie Huysdens' gritty vocals the overall result struck me a bit like a nice Mott the Hoople effort, or maybe Supertramp actually trying to rock out.   The track also included one of the subtler voice box guitar solos I've heard.   Nice way to start the album, though the song ended a bit unexpectedly. 

2.) Goodbye And Thank You (Okkie Huysdens) - rating: ** stars

With Huysdens seemingly doing his best to shred his already limited voice, 'Goodbye And Thank You' was a pretty, but largely forgettable AOR ballad - think of something Air Supply, or John Waite and the Babys might have recorded.  Ariola tapped it as the album's third 45.  

- 1976's 'Goodbye and Thank You' b/w 'Hey Mama' (Ariola catalog number AT 17032)

YouTube has a clip of the band lip-synching the tune on the Dutch TopPop television show: TOPPOP: Limousine - Goodbye And Thank You - YouTube

3.) The Impossible Story Of Henry Tricot (Paul Vink) - 2:59  rating: *** stars

The goofy title and accompanying lyric was lost to my American ears, but 'The Impossible Story Of Henry Tricot ' offered up a highly commercial slice of pop-rock.  With a very catchy melody, one of Huysdens best vocals, and some nice harmony vocals from the rest of the band, this one had considerable radio potential.  Very high hum quotient. 

4.) Holy Spirit  (Paul Vink) - 2:59  rating: ** stars

Hum, Dutch rockers decide to get funky ...   yeah I'm using the term loosely.  'Holy Spirit' was funky, but in the same way you might say a band like Wild Cherry was funky.   Nice bass work from Huysdens. 

5.) I Got A Friend For Life (Paul Vink) - 3;07 rating: ** stars

'I Got A Friend For Life ' was a formulaic and thoroughly anonymous AOR rocker.  Thirty seconds after it was over I'd be hard pressed to remember one redeeming quality ...  okay I remembered Vink's barrelhouse piano.  

(side 2)
1.) Don't Let Love Bring You Down (Paul Vink - Mac Sell) - 4:50 rating: ** stars

Tapped as the album's second single, 'Don't Let Love Bring You Down' was another horn-powered, disco-tinged effort.  Personally I'm not a big fan of the genre, but lots of folks are ...   This one actually reminded me a bit of a Dutch version of K.C. and the Sunshine Band.   No, that's not a good thing.  It was also tapped as the LP's second single:

- 1976's 'Don't Let Love Bring You Down' b/w 'It's So Hard To See' (Ariola catalog number AT 16815)

Another TopPop performance: Limousine - Don't Let Love Bring You Down • TopPop - YouTube

2.) Why (Okkie Huysdens - Ton op 't Hof) -  rating: ** stars

'Why' was another plodding ballad.   The only thing this one had going for it was an instrumental section where Huysdens got to showcase a bit of his guitar skills.   

3.) Hey Mama (Okkie Huysdens - Paul Vink - Mac Sell - Ton op 't Hof - Martin Dulser) - rating: *** stars

Opening up with an extended instrumental segment, 'Hey Mama' found the band returning to a dance groove, but this time around kept things in check with a catchy blues-rock edge. The track's actually always reminded me a but of Foghat, or George Thorogood.

4.) Daddy Grandpa (Paul Vink - Mac Sell) - 3:22 rating: ** stars

The album's leadoff single, 'Daddy Grandpa' was a synthesizer-powered number that tried to find a niche between dance track and more conventional rock.  At least to my ears the results were nearly unlistenable with a distinctive European flavor that wasn't that far removed from Boney M, or Silver Convention ...   No way you were going to mistake this for a UK or US band.  It was released as the album's second single:

- 1975's 'Daddy Grandpa' b/w 'She's a Bit of Allright' (Ariola catalog number AT 16386)

I'm not sure when or where it was recorded, but here's another lip-synch television performance: Limousine - Daddy Grandpa - YouTube

Shortly after the album was released vocalist Huysdens quit.  He was replaced by former Machine percussionist Jan Bliek and ex-Mayflower singer/bassist Wim de Vries.  The revamped band stuck together for another two years, recording one final non-LP single before calling it quits in 1978.  

- 1977's 'Fancy Dancer' b/w 'She's a High Time Baby' (Ariola catalog number AT 17808)

• At that point de Vries joined Love and Devotion.

• Sell, Vink, and op 't Hof formed Geo.

• Hyusdens turned his attention to production work earning attention as part of Stars On 45 and as part of the band The President.