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)
Langzaam
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ze steelt m'n lenzen en m'n briefpapier
En zelfs de veters van m'n schoenen
Zijn geen sekonde veilig hier
En ik verlies langzaam mijn hoofd
Want zij had mij wel wat heel anders beloofd
En ik heb ook ieder woord geloofd
Ik loop het rubber van m'n zolen
Terwijl ze slaapt in zwart satijn
Ik sta me buiten dood te vriezen
Als ze toevallig eens alleen wil zijn
En ik verlies...
Ik had me altijd voorgenomen
Om op te groeien voor galg en rad
Nu word ik rijk en respektabel
Ik heb met haar alleen maar pech gehad
En ik verlies...
The lyrics of "Langzaam" by Clouseau paint a vivid picture of a tumultuous relationship where the singer feels like he is losing parts of himself to a mysterious and captivating woman. The opening lines describe how she seems to steal not just material possessions like clothes and writing paper but also intangible things like his soul and sense of self. Even the laces of his shoes are not safe from her grasp, creating a sense of vulnerability and powerlessness.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses his inner turmoil and confusion as he slowly feels like he is losing his mind to this enigmatic woman. He laments how she had promised him something completely different, and yet he believed every word she said, going above and beyond to impress her with his efforts. This theme of misplaced trust and disillusionment is palpable in the lyrics, highlighting the emotional manipulation and internal struggle the singer is facing.
The imagery of walking until the soles of his shoes wear out while she sleeps in luxurious black satin further underscores the power dynamics at play in this relationship. The disparity between his sacrifices and her seemingly indifferent behavior showcases a one-sided love that leaves him feeling isolated and frozen outside, yearning for her attention even when she prefers to be alone. This contrast between his devotion and her detachment adds a layer of complexity to the narrative.
The conclusion of the song reflects a sense of resignation and acceptance of his fate. Despite his initial aspirations to rebel and live on the edge, the singer finds himself becoming wealthier and more respectable, attributing his lack of luck solely to his connection with this woman. The repetition of the phrase "En ik verlies..." (And I lose...) reinforces the theme of gradual loss and defeat, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of melancholy and introspection about the complexities of relationships and the sacrifices we make for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ze steelt m'n ziel, ze steelt m'n kleren
She takes my soul, she takes my clothes
Ze steelt m'n lenzen en m'n briefpapier
She steals my contact lenses and my stationery
En zelfs de veters van m'n schoenen
And even the laces of my shoes
Zijn geen sekonde veilig hier
Are not safe for a second here
En ik verlies langzaam mijn hoofd
And slowly I'm losing my mind
Want zij had mij wel wat heel anders beloofd
Because she promised me something very different
En ik heb ook ieder woord geloofd
And I believed every word
En me voor d'r mooie ogen uitgesloofd
And I worked hard for her beautiful eyes
Ik loop het rubber van m'n zolen
I wear out the rubber on my soles
Terwijl ze slaapt in zwart satijn
While she sleeps in black satin
Ik sta me buiten dood te vriezen
I stand freezing to death outside
Als ze toevallig eens alleen wil zijn
If she happens to want to be alone
Ik had me altijd voorgenomen
I had always intended
Om op te groeien voor galg en rad
To grow up for gallows and wheel
Nu word ik rijk en respektabel
Now I become rich and respectable
Ik heb met haar alleen maar pech gehad
I have only had bad luck with her
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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