In '88 they have a small hit with "Alleen met Jou" (Only with you) and win the Baccara-trophy in the squad of Raymond Van Het Groenewoud.
In 1989 they participated in the preselection to determine the Belgian delegate to the Eurovision Song Festival. Clouseau finishes second (behind Ingeborg), but now has a foot in the door. The breakthrough comes immediately with the single "Anne" and an album "Hoezo ?" (How so?). Screaming teenagers all over the place and smashed record sales in Belgium are the consequence. The Netherlands follow, when "Daar Gaat Ze" (There she goes) becomes a big hit. The 2nd album "Of zo" (Or so) also proves to be very successful.
1990 is a year which can only be described as the year of "Clouseau-mania". Everything the boys touch turns to gold.
Manager Hans Kusters : "They really appeal to the teens. Simple songs, but also lyrics in the form of "She comes, she goes or she is". No fuss about apartheid or the nuclear missiles. Clean, cute, sometimes rocking, sometimes slowing, always charming melodies with innocent and easily recognizable love- and dance stories."
In 1991, the Benelux is getting too small for the group so they (or at least the record company) decide to try to storm the European market.
This time they are appointed to participating for Belgium in the Eurovisionsongcontest (where the finish very low with "Geef het op", despite the very high hopes Flanders was posing in them). They record a CD in English called "Close Encounters" (mainly consisting of adaptations of their own Dutch songs) of which they sell 200.000 copies in the slipstream of Roxette's European tour of 1992.
The 2nd English-language album "In every small town", however, is a complete commercial failure. Frontman Koen Wauters starts a career as a television presenter and race-pilot (Paris-Dakar), kicks a few old friends out of the band and refocuses on the Dutch market with the CD "Oker" (Ochre) in 1995.
On the album "Adrenaline", only the two Wauters' Brothers remain. The album shows a more adult Clouseau. They have successfully survived the hype and are starting to produce decent material again, without the necessity to "score" or match the sales figures of the 1989-1990 craze.
What about the band members that were left behind :
- Bob Savenberg has ventured to a successful solo career (e.g. the duet with Dutch singer Stef Bos in "Breek de stilte" and his solo CD "Vuur en Vlam"). He also presented "Ultratop" (the Belgian hitparade on VRT) and has a small company that builds websites. In 2001, he did the show "Popstars" for VT4.
- Tjenne Berghmans has played in about every other Belgian group (e.g. The Scabs, Betty Goes Green ...) since he left Clouseau.
- Karel Theys, formerly of the Employees, was at the base of another Kloot Per W project, de Lama's in 1993-94.
In 1997, they release a compilation album "Clouseau 1987-1997" and have a celebration on their 10 years of existence. Koen Wauters (although hard to recognize amidst all the publicity for Belgacom) finishes another Dakar at the beginning of 1997. He also continues his television career (Familieraad, Koen & The Gang, Wedden dat ...), and fights off a female stalker in his bathroom. In 1999, he marries Carolijn Lillipally (who was a VJ for MTV-Europe).
In 1999 Clouseau conquers Flanders for the umpteenth time, on this occasion with the new CD "In Stereo". In a production with a lot of violins by Jean Blaute (see RvhG, Kate's Kennel ..) and with songs that were written by people such as Frank van der Linden (of De Mens), Jan Leyers (of My Velma & Soulsister), Mark Vanhie (The Bet, Sarah) and others, and pulled by singles such as "Heb ik ooit gezegd" (a Van Morisson-cover) and "Altijd meer en meer" the group even makes it back again as a headliner at Marktrock (where it all had started). This leads them to a new live-album, simply called "Live", released in 2000.
In 2001 they opened with an album with nothing but slow songs for the Dutch market - entitled "Ballades" - but in recording their next album they deliberately stepped away from this trend in ever slower songs. En Dans - wrapped in a funny cover hand-drawn by Marcel Vanthilt, who also sings on one song - was released in November 2001, and contained much more uptempo songs, taking them back to the starting days of the band. Most striking track was certainly the title song "En Dans", Clouseau in an festive disco-outfit. However the first single that was taken from the album was a ballad "Ik Geef Me Over" (I surrender) with a video that caused some controversy due to the smoking habit of Koen. Through the usual visits to radio stations and a break-in into the BigBrother house, the CD certainly didn't miss it's start, as it deserved platinum for 30,000 copies in the presales, and entered the album-charts at n°1. On the live-front it remained fairly quiet, working towards two gigantic gigs in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp in the month of December.
The band released their latest CD Vonken & Vuur ("Sparks & Fire") in March 2007.
Band members (original line-up) :
- Koen Wauters (vocals)
- Kris Wauters (keyboard and guitar)
- Bob Savenberg (drums and backing vocals)
- Karel Theys (bass)
- Tjenne Berghmans (guitar).
Albums :
- Hoezo(Hans Kusters Music - 1989)
- Of Zo (Hans Kuster Music - 1990)
- Close Encounters (EMI - 1991)
- Doorgaan (tot je niet meer op je benen kan staan) (EMI- 1992)
- In Every Small Town (EMI - 1993)
- Oker (EMI - 1995)
- Adrenaline (EMI - 1996)
- In Stereo (EMI - 1999)
- En Dans (EMI - 2001)
- Live in het Sportpaleis DVD ("Live at the Sport Palace, Antwerp") (2003)
- Vanbinnen (2004)
- Clouseau in 't lang DVD ("Live at the Sport Palace, Antwerp") (2006)
- Vonken en Vuur (2007)
- Zij aan Zij (2009)
Compilations :
- Clouseau Live (Hans Kusters Music - 1991)
- Clouseau 1987-1997 (EMI, 1997)
- Live (EMI, 2000)
- Ballades (EMI, 2001)
Honger
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Met wat vrienden naar een hippe tent gegaan
De hele avond vrolijk stilgezeten
Het was heerlijk maar toch ben ik niet voldaan
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen
Hou me vast want ik wil meer
Ik heb zo'n honger, danshonger
Dus trek je schoenen aan en volg me op de vloer
Want als je honger hebt: ik weet waar naartoe!
M'n ledematen zijn niet te bedwingen
Elke vezel in m'n lijf gaat op en neer
Ik zie een dansvloer en ik moet eraan beginnen
Want als de groeve in gang schiet heb ik geen verweer
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen
Hou me vast het moet eruit
Honger, danshonger
Ik heb zo'n honger, danshonger
Dus trek je schoenen aan en volg me op de vloer
Want als je honger hebt: ik weet waar naartoe!
Er zit honger in de benen
Wat een vreemd gevoel
Het zit 'm in de genen
Ik voel me megacool
Ik blaas mee met de blazers
Ik bas mee met de bas
En alle lessen luchtgitaar komen goed van pas
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen
Hou me vast want ik wil meer
Honger, danshonger
Ik heb zo'n honger, danshonger
Dus trek je schoenen aan en volg me op de vloer
Want als je honger hebt: ik weet waar naartoe!
The song "Honger" by Clouseau is about a person who has just had a good meal with friends in a trendy restaurant but is still hungry for something more – the desire to dance. The lyrics talk about feeling a pull towards the dance floor, with the singer's whole body yearning to move to the beat. The chorus repeats the phrase "Honger, danshonger" (hunger, dance hunger), emphasizing the insatiable urge to dance. The lyrics also describe how the singer's limbs are uncontrollable and how they're bursting with energy to dance.
The song captures the feeling of being caught up in the rhythm of music and how it can drive you to want to dance. It's an anthem for anyone who loves to dance and feels a hunger for it that can't be satisfied. The lyrics are universal, and the song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus make it a musical celebration of dancing.
Overall, "Honger" is a fun, uplifting song that captures the joy of dancing and how it can be a source of liberation and expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Zaterdag en uitgebreid gegeten
Had a lavish meal on Saturday with some friends
Met wat vrienden naar een hippe tent gegaan
Went to a trendy club with a group of friends
De hele avond vrolijk stilgezeten
Spent the entire evening sitting contentedly with a smile on my face
Het was heerlijk maar toch ben ik niet voldaan
Although it was delicious, I still feel unsatisfied
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen
My legs are trembling
Hou me vast want ik wil meer
Hold me tight because I want more
Honger, danshonger
Hunger, dance hunger
Ik heb zo'n honger, danshonger
I'm so hungry, hunger to dance
Dus trek je schoenen aan en volg me op de vloer
So put your shoes on and follow me on the dance floor
Want als je honger hebt: ik weet waar naartoe!
Because if you're hungry, I know where to go!
M'n ledematen zijn niet te bedwingen
My limbs can't be controlled
Elke vezel in m'n lijf gaat op en neer
Every fiber in my body is moving up and down
Ik zie een dansvloer en ik moet eraan beginnen
I see a dance floor and I have to start dancing
Want als de groeve in gang schiet heb ik geen verweer
Because when the groove starts, I can't resist
Er zit honger in de benen
There's hunger in my legs
Wat een vreemd gevoel
What a strange feeling
Het zit 'm in de genen
It's in my genes
Ik voel me megacool
I feel super cool
Ik blaas mee met de blazers
I'm blowing along with the brass instruments
Ik bas mee met de bas
I'm playing the bass along with the bass player
En alle lessen luchtgitaar komen goed van pas
And all those air guitar lessons come in handy
Writer(s): stefaan fernande, kris wauters
Contributed by Noah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.