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Normaal
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Normaal is a rock band from Hummelo in the Achterhoek, founded around 1975 by singer and guitarist Bennie Jolink and drummer Jan Manschot. The band sang neither in English nor in standard Dutch, but in Achterhoeks, a Low Saxon dialect. In doing so Normaal became the best-known example of what came to be called boerenrock (farmers' rock). Jolink started the band partly as a reaction to disco and glam rock, and to the way the rest of the Netherlands looked at the east of the country.
Music and breakthrough
The debut album Oerend hard was released in 1977. The title song, written by Jolink and guitarist Ferdi Joly, is about Bertus and Tinus, two drunken motorcyclists on their way to a motocross at the Hengelse Zand. On the way back it goes wrong. The single reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and remained the band's biggest hit. The music is hard-driving rock with influences from country, somewhere between ZZ Top and Status Quo. The song Deurdonderen became a hit in a live version in 1982 and brought the first gold record.
Influence
Normaal showed that a band from the provinces could reach a large audience in its own regional language. Later Osdorp Posse did something similar in hip hop with broad Amsterdam dialect. After the last concerts in 2015, the band came back in 2019. That year De boer dat is de keerl reached number 9 in the Top 2000, after a social media campaign linked to the farmers' protests. In 2018 Hummelo was given a statue of the band.
Listening
Oerend hard · Normaal, 1977Apple Music ↗
Deurdonderen · Normaal, 1978Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 1977Oerend hard
- 1978Ojadasawa
- 1979D’n Achterhoek Tsjoek
- 1980Høken is normaal
- 1982Deurdonderen
- 1983De boer is troef
- 1984De klok op rock
- 1985Steen stoal en sentiment
- 1985Zo kommen wi-j de winter deur
- 1986Kiek uut
- 1987Noar ’t café
- 1988Da’s Normaal
- 1989Rechttoe rechtan
- 1990Normalis jubilaris
- 1991H.A.L.V.U.
- 1992Buugen of basten
- 1994Gas d’r bi‐j
- 1996Top of the Bult
- 1997Deur de joaren hen
- 1997Krachttoer
- 1998Høken kreng
- 2000Effen zitten
- 2000Van tied tot tied
- 2003Høk & Swing
- 2004Fonkel: Ni-je nummers van olde knakkers
- 2004Ik kom altied weer terug
- 2008Ni-je Nrs
- 2009De blues eLPee
- 2011Høken in Hummelo
- 2012Halve soul helemoal høken
- 2013De wilde joaren
- 2021Normale verhale
- 2024Nøhlen
- 2026Olde Shit
- ?Breng terug (Haverkamp’s greepe)
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 9: The InstrumentNL Reader
- Mixtape 11: NederpopNL Reader
- After Hours: Session 1NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Boerenrock Genre
Normaal was founded in 1975 in the Achterhoek around the singer Bennie Jolink and sang in the Achterhoek dialect.
- Dialect pop and rock Genre
The boerenrock of Normaal had shown that dialect could draw a large audience; in these bands the lyrics are central and the music often sounds more acoustic and more melancholy.
- Oerend hard Song
In 1977, Normaal from the Achterhoek had a hit with Oerend hard, about two drunk motorcyclists and an accident, sung in the Achterhoek dialect.
- Bestel mar Song
Like Normaal, they showed that music from the region could attract a large audience, far beyond their own area.
- Op fietse Song
After Normaal and Rowwen Hèze, Skik showed that even a gentle song in dialect could be played all over the Netherlands.