Clouseau (a Belgian band) started as a group of friends back in 1984. Only … Read Full Bio ↴Clouseau (a Belgian band) started as a group of friends back in 1984. Only Karel Theys, the bass-player, had some previous experience in a band with The Employees. 1987 sees them coming out of the garage for the first time : they play Marktrock in Leuven en get a record deal for their first single "Brandweer".

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)

Shaken & grooven
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Versta je de taal van shaken en grooven een beetje?
Want waar ik van baal,
is dat stijve gedoe, dat weet je
Dus kom dan en shake your funky ass
Je stralende lach is het levende bewijs:
Je komt in de mood als je voelt dat het ritme gaat leven
We shaken, springen, zweven, swingen deze nacht
We dansen op de muren

Geef toe, een nacht zoals vannacht
Mag eeuwig blijven duren
Nu moet je weten
'k Heb niets tegen lauw maar voor mij mag het
best wel wat heter
Want waar ik van hou, is een dansvloer in brand,
dat danst beter
Dus kom dan en laat me 'ns wat zien
Je hele lijf gaat tekeer en bovendien:
Als je beweegt, doet de beat je je zorgen vergeten
We shaken, springen, zweven, swingen deze nacht
We dansen op de muren
Geef toe, een nacht zoals vannacht
Mag eeuwig blijven duren
Je voelt je swingen
Niet te bedwingen
Halleluja, leve de beat!
Zonder pretentie
Geen concurrentie
Je bent de man, de vrouw
De vloer is van jou
Deze nacht, we dansen op de muren
Geef toe, een nacht zoals vannacht
Mag eeuwig blijven duren

Overall Meaning

The song "Shaken & Grooven" by Clouseau is all about letting loose on the dance floor and breaking away from the stiffness of everyday life. The lyrics encourage those listening to the song to shake their funky ass and feel the rhythm come to life. The singer recounts their distaste for lauwarm dancing and instead encourages a dance floor that's on fire. They paint the picture of a night filled with dancing on walls and a feeling of abandon.

When the singer asks if the listener understands the language of "shaken and grooven," they're referencing the specific movements and feeling that comes with dancing. They go on to describe how moving to the beat can make one forget their worries and free their mind. The chorus repeats the sentiment of the song, with a desire for a night like tonight to last forever.

Overall, the song is an invitation to let go of inhibitions and surrender to the music. It's a celebration of the power of dance to create a moment of complete release from the stresses of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Versta je de taal van shaken en grooven een beetje?
Do you understand the language of shaking and grooving a bit?

Want waar ik van baal, is dat stijve gedoe, dat weet je
Because what bothers me is that stiff stuff, you know

Dus kom dan en shake your funky ass
So come and shake your funky ass

Je stralende lach is het levende bewijs:
Your radiant smile is living proof:

Je komt in de mood als je voelt dat het ritme gaat leven
You get in the mood when you feel the rhythm come to life

We shaken, springen, zweven, swingen deze nacht
We shake, jump, float, and swing this night

We dansen op de muren
We dance on the walls

Geef toe, een nacht zoals vannacht mag eeuwig blijven duren
Admit it, a night like tonight may last forever

Nu moet je weten 'k Heb niets tegen lauw maar voor mij mag het best wel wat heter
Now you should know I have nothing against lukewarm but for me it can get hotter

Want waar ik van hou, is een dansvloer in brand, dat danst beter
Because what I love is a dance floor on fire, it dances better

Dus kom dan en laat me 'ns wat zien
So come and show me something

Je hele lijf gaat tekeer en bovendien:
Your whole body is going wild and besides:

Als je beweegt, doet de beat je je zorgen vergeten
When you move, the beat makes you forget your worries

Je voelt je swingen
You feel yourself swinging

Niet te bedwingen
Uncontrollable

Halleluja, leve de beat!
Hallelujah, long live the beat!

Zonder pretentie, geen concurrentie
Without pretense, no competition

Je bent de man, de vrouw, de vloer is van jou
You are the man, the woman, the floor is yours

Deze nacht, we dansen op de muren
This night, we dance on the walls

Geef toe, een nacht zoals vannacht mag eeuwig blijven duren
Admit it, a night like tonight may last forever

Contributed by Isaiah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.