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Adrian Vandenberg

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Adrian Vandenberg, whose real name is Adriaan van den Berg, was born in 1954 in The Hague. He grew up in Rotterdam and Enschede, where as a teenager he started his first rock band. He then played in a blues band and in 1977 founded the blues rock group Teaser while studying at the art academy in Arnhem. In 1981 he was invited to audition for Thin Lizzy, but he first finished his studies.

Music and breakthrough

Around 1981 he started his own band, Vandenberg. The debut album was recorded in Jimmy Page's studio, and the ballad Burning Heart became a hit in the Netherlands and also in the United States and Japan. The band toured with Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne, among others. David Coverdale of the British hard rock band Whitesnake asked him several times to join his group. In 1986 Vandenberg disbanded his band and went to Whitesnake. He played the guitar solo on the number 1 hit Here I Go Again and co-wrote Slip of the Tongue and Restless Heart. In 2013 he started the band Vandenberg's MoonKings.

Influence

Vandenberg plays melodic hard rock, with layered guitar parts and harmonies, and his great example is Jimi Hendrix. He is also a painter and designed the covers of his own albums himself. With Whitesnake he became one of the few Dutch rock guitarists with a permanent place in a major international band.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Burning Heart by Vandenberg and notice the guitars: several layers that complement one another and together form harmonies. Hear how the ballad starts quietly and works towards a powerful chorus.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Mentioned in other articles

Categories: Artists