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)
Swentibold
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waar ik van hou
Hier dansen alle mensen in de straat
Waar ik van hou Kroegen sluiten veel te laat
Da's waar ik zo van hou
De vrouwen zijn hier goed gebouwd
Da's wat me bezighoudt
Welkom in het land van Swentibold
Welkom in het aards paradijs
Welkom in het land van Swentibold
Welkom in dit feestpaleis
Welkom
Betaal hier met de glimlach
Meer wordt er niet gevraagd
Maar weet you als 't aan mij lag
Dan word de prijs verlaagd
De Swenti's spreken Swentisch
Dat is volstrekt normaal
En wie het niet gewend is
Gebruikt gebarentaal
(Refrein)
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Uw droomparadijs
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Betaalbare prijs
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Uw droomparadijs
Mocht you soms gaan dromen
Over 't land van Swentibold
Vraag dan onze koning
Waar hij Paola vond
(Refrein)
The lyrics to Clouseau's song Swentibold are about a magical place where the summer never ends and people are always dancing in the streets. The singer is in love with this place and all its unique features like the pubs that stay open late and the well-built women. The chorus welcomes the listener to the land of Swentibold, which is described as an earthly paradise and a feast palace. In this land, payment is made with a smile and the Swenti people speak a language called Swentisch, which the singer finds normal but non-native speakers may resort to using gestures to communicate.
The song exudes a carefree and fun-loving atmosphere as the singer invites us to indulge in the pleasures of this mythical land. The reference to King Swentibold, after whom the land is named, adds a touch of historical intrigue to the song. The singer also alludes to the fact that even the royal couple, King Swentibold and Queen Paola, enjoy the laid-back lifestyle of Swentibold.
Overall, the lyrics to Clouseau's Swentibold are a celebration of a place where life is easy, and everyone is free to dance, drink and enjoy the company of others without a care in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Het zomert eeuwig in het land
The weather is always summer-like in the land
Waar ik van hou
Which I love
Hier dansen alle mensen in de straat
Here, all people dance in the streets
Waar ik van hou
Which I love
Kroegen sluiten veel te laat
Bars close too late
Da's waar ik zo van hou
That's what I love so much
De vrouwen zijn hier goed gebouwd
The women here are well built
Da's wat me bezighoudt
That's what occupies me
(Refrein)
Chorus
Welkom in het land van Swentibold
Welcome to the land of Swentibold
Welkom in het aards paradijs
Welcome to the earthly paradise
Welkom in het land van Swentibold
Welcome to the land of Swentibold
Welkom in dit feestpaleis
Welcome to this festive palace
Welkom
Welcome
Betaal hier met de glimlach
Pay here with a smile
Meer wordt er niet gevraagd
Nothing more is asked for
Maar weet you als 't aan mij lag
But if it were up to me
Dan word de prijs verlaagd
The price would be reduced
De Swenti's spreken Swentisch
The Swentis speak Swentish
Dat is volstrekt normaal
That is completely normal
En wie het niet gewend is
And those who are not used to it
Gebruikt gebarentaal
Use sign language
(Refrein)
Chorus
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Uw droomparadijs
Your dream paradise
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Betaalbare prijs
Affordable price
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Swentibold, Swentibold, Swentibold
Uw droomparadijs
Your dream paradise
Mocht you soms gaan dromen
If you sometimes dream
Over 't land van Swentibold
About the land of Swentibold
Vraag dan onze koning
Ask our king
Waar hij Paola vond
Where he found Paola
(Refrein)
Chorus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Deneb Saavedra
I learned this song in my Dutch classes 7 years ago.... I'm glad I found it.
Marek Wroblewski
Polska też słucha
Lore ღ
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