School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Ekseption

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

Ekseption was a Dutch rock band that existed from 1967 to 1989 and played mainly instrumental progressive rock and classical rock. The pivot of the changing line-up was Rein van den Broek, a conservatoire-trained trumpeter and the only musician who played on all the albums. The group grew out of the secondary-school band The Jokers, which Van den Broek had founded in 1958. At first it was called The Incrowd, after the Ramsey Lewis tune, but when it turned out that the name was already taken, it became Ekseption in 1967.

Music and breakthrough

Initially the group played jazz, pop and R&B covers. In 1969, shortly after the keyboardist Rick van der Linden had joined, the band saw The Nice live and Van der Linden decided to concentrate on classical rock arrangements. With these Ekseption had success in the 1970s, with Dutch top ten singles of arrangements of Beethoven's Fifth and Bach's Air. Van der Linden took over the leadership, as he himself said in a press release around the album Ekseption 5. After the album Trinity in 1973 his bandmates asked him to leave. He founded Trace, and his successor Hans Jansen gave Ekseption a more jazz-oriented direction.

Influence

Ekseption shows how pop and classical music found each other in the 1960s and 1970s. The group placed Beethoven and Bach in a setting with drums, organ and horns, and so reached an audience that might not have sought out the classical pieces themselves. The 5th is their arrangement of Beethoven.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to The 5th and notice how Beethoven's familiar four notes are taken up by organ and horns, with a solid drum rhythm underneath. What do you hear that would not be there in Beethoven himself?

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsSymphonic rock