The creative anchor to Minny Pops was Wally van Middendorp, a key figure in… Read Full Bio ↴The creative anchor to Minny Pops was Wally van Middendorp, a key figure in Amsterdam's underground Ultra art movement, and founder of the Plurex label in early 1978. His first single, as Tits, coupled "We're Glad Elvis Is Dead" with "Daddy Is My Pusher" (PLUREX 001), and was a fairly typical new wave record, though darkly humorous.
In September Minny Pops were formed as a predominantly electronic band, taking their name from a primitive Korg rhythm box named Mini Pops, and having something in common with Suicide, The Normal and Human League. The first line-up, featuring Wally on vocals and drum machine with bassist Frans Hagenaars, guitarist Peter Mertens and two dancers, including Wally's brother Rob, made their live debut on December 12th at the Brakke Grond in Amsterdam.
Minny Pops wasted little time in recording their first single. Kojak, backed with Footsteps and Nervous (PLUREX 005), was released by Plurex in March 1979, and consisted of borrowed dialogue from the US television cop show, the whole adding up to a clever and effective parody. In June the line-up changed to include guitarists Dennis Duchhart and Stef Emmer, after which the group recorded their debut album, released in September as Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement (PLUREX 900).
In 1979 live shows were restricted to Holland, with a major date at the Melkweg with Red Crayola and Scritti Politti in April, and a support with XTC at the Paradiso in December. The group also played a dozen dates around the country with the Comsat Angels in September as a 'Plurex promotional tour', but since the Comsats had no connection with the label the billing was somewhat bizarre.
Although both the single and album attracted limited notice outside Holland by virtue of the Rough Trade distribution network, it was not until the group linked up with Factory Records that they began drawing more attention. After being booked to support Joy Division at their dates in Den Haag and Eindhoven in January 1980, the band were then invited over to play with the band at the Factory Club (ie. Russell Club) in Manchester on April 11th. While in England Minny Pops also performed at the infamous Bury 'riot' gig on April 8th, and played their own headlining show at Derby Blue Note on the 10th. By now Hagenaars had departed, and the band had recruited their first keyboard player, Wim Dekker, who soon teamed with Wally as the musical core of the group.
The band returned home to play a Dutch tour with The Tapes in May, which resulted in a rush-released Live EP (PLUREX 0016) in June, featuring Night Out, Dolphin's Spurt and Mental. In August the group returned to Manchester to record their debut Factory single, and complete a short headlining tour of the north of England in August, taking in Leeds Warehouse, Sheffield Blitz and Manchester Beach Club.
The watershed Factory single was recorded at Strawberry Studio in Stockport with house producer Martin Hannett, at the same time as the Names cut Nightshift. The line-up featured Wally and Wim, together with new bass player Leon van Zoeren and interim guitarist Pim Scheelings. Cut in a single day, Dolphin's Spurt (FAC 31) coupled a harder version of a standout track from the Drastic Measures album with a new song, Goddess, which gave an indication of the direction the band would take on their second album. The tracks were mixed by Hannett only several weeks later. Released in January 1981, FAC 31 was housed in a typically smart Martin Atkins sleeve which played on the Philips corporate house style, in an ironic nod to the group's Dutch heritage.
In November 1980 the band returned to Britain to play a London date at the LSE with A Certain Ratio and the Au Pairs, and record a four song Peel session for BBC radio. This superb session, the first by a Dutch band, comprised Dolphin Spurt, Mono, Jets and Ice Cube Wall, and captures well a line-up that is not well represented on record, with Wally, Wim and van Zoeren joined by Gerard Walhof on guitar, the latter later to become an executive editor at Vinyl magazine.
In December the band rounded off the year with a date supporting New Order at the Hal 4 in Rotterdam, then crossed the Atlantic for a short but ambitious seven date North American tour. Together with four dates in New York (at the Rock Lounge, Peppermint Lounge, Mudd Club and Hurrah), the group also played in Hoboken, Toronto and Boston. Despite the band losing about $700, the tour has to be considered a success at a time when few bands from mainland Europe not called Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream were taken seriously in Britain and America.
Minny Pops set about writing material for their delayed second album, and as a result took on fewer live commitments, although another short British visit in April saw them play with the Comsat Angels and Delmontes in London, then support New Order in Nottingham and Birmingham. In October the band completed a Dutch tour with fellow Factory Benelux labelmates The Names, and on the 24th even drove down to Italy for a one-off show at Gabbice a Mer. Another short Dutch tour in December would prove to be their last live performances. In the meantime the new material was recorded on a powerful demo tape cut in July 1981. One track, Een Kus, was released as a flexi disc (FACBN 13) with the Dutch magazine Vinyl in October, while Kogel appeared in live form on a free live 7" (PLUREX 900-2) issued with a re-release of the Drastic Measures album. The rest of the songs were polished further for release, and recorded at Arnold Muhren studio near Amsterdam. With Wally as the sole common denominator, and with no dedicated guitarist in the line-up, it is hardly surprising that the resulting album, Sparks In A Dark Room (FBN 15), sounds like a different band to the one that recorded Drastic Measures two years earlier. As indeed it was, with Wally and Wim now joined by bassist Pieter Mulder and a real drummer, Orpheus Roovers.
As well as the album, released in May 1982, two singles were also recorded, with the Time b/w Lights released on Factory Benelux (FBN 11) in April, and Secret Story b/w Island on Factory (FAC 57) in September.
By the time Sparks In A Dark Room was finally mixed in February 1982, the band had already begun to lose direction. Wim Dekker, Pieter Mulder and new drummer Ruben Ootes recorded an instrumental EP, Werktitels (PLUREX 0028), under the name Smalts, while Wally acted a master of ceremonies on the epic Crepuscule package tour "Dialogue North-South," which wound through France and the Low Countries in February 1982. Smalts also played a short set at the Amsterdam show. Some of Wally's confrontational dialogue is preserved as 'Raving Lunatic' on the souvenir LP and CD Some Of The Interesting Things You'll See On A Long-Distance Flight (TWI 082). Wim and Wally were then commissioned to write the score for a musical play, Poste Restante, which was recorded in October and subsequently released on Plurex as an LP (PLUREX 3000). However, like the reunion album 4th Floor in 1985, this was a patchy affair, and rather confusing to an audience which expected a more logical progression. In effect, Minny Pops had disbanded following a group meeting in August 1983.
Outside the studio, Wally continues to work in an executive management role for a number of labels, including Boudisque, Megadisc, PIAS and Sony. Wim Dekker, Ruben Ootes, Pieter Mulder and Zip Boterbloem reconvened as Smalts in 2002, releasing a brand new CD It's Good To Be On A Well-Run Ship on Staalplaat.
In September Minny Pops were formed as a predominantly electronic band, taking their name from a primitive Korg rhythm box named Mini Pops, and having something in common with Suicide, The Normal and Human League. The first line-up, featuring Wally on vocals and drum machine with bassist Frans Hagenaars, guitarist Peter Mertens and two dancers, including Wally's brother Rob, made their live debut on December 12th at the Brakke Grond in Amsterdam.
Minny Pops wasted little time in recording their first single. Kojak, backed with Footsteps and Nervous (PLUREX 005), was released by Plurex in March 1979, and consisted of borrowed dialogue from the US television cop show, the whole adding up to a clever and effective parody. In June the line-up changed to include guitarists Dennis Duchhart and Stef Emmer, after which the group recorded their debut album, released in September as Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement (PLUREX 900).
In 1979 live shows were restricted to Holland, with a major date at the Melkweg with Red Crayola and Scritti Politti in April, and a support with XTC at the Paradiso in December. The group also played a dozen dates around the country with the Comsat Angels in September as a 'Plurex promotional tour', but since the Comsats had no connection with the label the billing was somewhat bizarre.
Although both the single and album attracted limited notice outside Holland by virtue of the Rough Trade distribution network, it was not until the group linked up with Factory Records that they began drawing more attention. After being booked to support Joy Division at their dates in Den Haag and Eindhoven in January 1980, the band were then invited over to play with the band at the Factory Club (ie. Russell Club) in Manchester on April 11th. While in England Minny Pops also performed at the infamous Bury 'riot' gig on April 8th, and played their own headlining show at Derby Blue Note on the 10th. By now Hagenaars had departed, and the band had recruited their first keyboard player, Wim Dekker, who soon teamed with Wally as the musical core of the group.
The band returned home to play a Dutch tour with The Tapes in May, which resulted in a rush-released Live EP (PLUREX 0016) in June, featuring Night Out, Dolphin's Spurt and Mental. In August the group returned to Manchester to record their debut Factory single, and complete a short headlining tour of the north of England in August, taking in Leeds Warehouse, Sheffield Blitz and Manchester Beach Club.
The watershed Factory single was recorded at Strawberry Studio in Stockport with house producer Martin Hannett, at the same time as the Names cut Nightshift. The line-up featured Wally and Wim, together with new bass player Leon van Zoeren and interim guitarist Pim Scheelings. Cut in a single day, Dolphin's Spurt (FAC 31) coupled a harder version of a standout track from the Drastic Measures album with a new song, Goddess, which gave an indication of the direction the band would take on their second album. The tracks were mixed by Hannett only several weeks later. Released in January 1981, FAC 31 was housed in a typically smart Martin Atkins sleeve which played on the Philips corporate house style, in an ironic nod to the group's Dutch heritage.
In November 1980 the band returned to Britain to play a London date at the LSE with A Certain Ratio and the Au Pairs, and record a four song Peel session for BBC radio. This superb session, the first by a Dutch band, comprised Dolphin Spurt, Mono, Jets and Ice Cube Wall, and captures well a line-up that is not well represented on record, with Wally, Wim and van Zoeren joined by Gerard Walhof on guitar, the latter later to become an executive editor at Vinyl magazine.
In December the band rounded off the year with a date supporting New Order at the Hal 4 in Rotterdam, then crossed the Atlantic for a short but ambitious seven date North American tour. Together with four dates in New York (at the Rock Lounge, Peppermint Lounge, Mudd Club and Hurrah), the group also played in Hoboken, Toronto and Boston. Despite the band losing about $700, the tour has to be considered a success at a time when few bands from mainland Europe not called Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream were taken seriously in Britain and America.
Minny Pops set about writing material for their delayed second album, and as a result took on fewer live commitments, although another short British visit in April saw them play with the Comsat Angels and Delmontes in London, then support New Order in Nottingham and Birmingham. In October the band completed a Dutch tour with fellow Factory Benelux labelmates The Names, and on the 24th even drove down to Italy for a one-off show at Gabbice a Mer. Another short Dutch tour in December would prove to be their last live performances. In the meantime the new material was recorded on a powerful demo tape cut in July 1981. One track, Een Kus, was released as a flexi disc (FACBN 13) with the Dutch magazine Vinyl in October, while Kogel appeared in live form on a free live 7" (PLUREX 900-2) issued with a re-release of the Drastic Measures album. The rest of the songs were polished further for release, and recorded at Arnold Muhren studio near Amsterdam. With Wally as the sole common denominator, and with no dedicated guitarist in the line-up, it is hardly surprising that the resulting album, Sparks In A Dark Room (FBN 15), sounds like a different band to the one that recorded Drastic Measures two years earlier. As indeed it was, with Wally and Wim now joined by bassist Pieter Mulder and a real drummer, Orpheus Roovers.
As well as the album, released in May 1982, two singles were also recorded, with the Time b/w Lights released on Factory Benelux (FBN 11) in April, and Secret Story b/w Island on Factory (FAC 57) in September.
By the time Sparks In A Dark Room was finally mixed in February 1982, the band had already begun to lose direction. Wim Dekker, Pieter Mulder and new drummer Ruben Ootes recorded an instrumental EP, Werktitels (PLUREX 0028), under the name Smalts, while Wally acted a master of ceremonies on the epic Crepuscule package tour "Dialogue North-South," which wound through France and the Low Countries in February 1982. Smalts also played a short set at the Amsterdam show. Some of Wally's confrontational dialogue is preserved as 'Raving Lunatic' on the souvenir LP and CD Some Of The Interesting Things You'll See On A Long-Distance Flight (TWI 082). Wim and Wally were then commissioned to write the score for a musical play, Poste Restante, which was recorded in October and subsequently released on Plurex as an LP (PLUREX 3000). However, like the reunion album 4th Floor in 1985, this was a patchy affair, and rather confusing to an audience which expected a more logical progression. In effect, Minny Pops had disbanded following a group meeting in August 1983.
Outside the studio, Wally continues to work in an executive management role for a number of labels, including Boudisque, Megadisc, PIAS and Sony. Wim Dekker, Ruben Ootes, Pieter Mulder and Zip Boterbloem reconvened as Smalts in 2002, releasing a brand new CD It's Good To Be On A Well-Run Ship on Staalplaat.
Mountain
Minny Pops Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Mountain' by these artists:
(((О))) I look up on this mountain and marvel it seems…
1888 the snow built up around the smokehouse. the sun shone on…
Abigail Lapell Oh my heart is the shape of a mountain Frozen peak,…
Ador Dorath When I was looking at the laid sky I was…
All Them Witches Found all the things to eat So you ate them Stole all…
Aloha One more layer of love is piled on We're making a…
Anna Gréta Nightjar in the Northern Sky You are unique, one of a kind.…
Appalachian Winter When these mountains rose The Earth gained a new beauty And …
BA.M Tsuyoshi Matsushima SUPERKENTA Einosuke Nagao Uh whoah, its MD on 2 or 3 but who's…
Ben Morey & the Eyes There's a mountain by the northern sea High and mighty like…
Beyond Surface Trying to find a way to you Trying to walk it…
Big Fat Snake Born in the heat of the desert My mother died givin'…
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band The other side of The Mountain Is where I want to…
Boundary Run Took a passing glance A throughout vision Current overcame A…
Bride I see the scars from a mad man's knife Marks on…
Brooks Williams You should get out more come down off your mountain You…
Child I'll never find what I'm doing here Way out here up…
Chocolate Starfish There once was a wrong thought it was right There once…
Chris Koza There's a drive-in some miles out There's a parking lot Over…
Clive Farrington Verse 1 Strange times, I've had enough of strange times I wi…
Collington Stranded now I ran out of gas so quick Because I…
Colour Haze She's allright and I'm so fine and I know that…
Cowboy Junkies You speak your love, you turn, are gone What kind of…
Crown Lands I saw through the devil He promised to take our land I…
D.D.SOUND Masters Simple girl from Louisiane Playing a fiddle in a cajun band …
Da Snake Climb to the top of the mountain No I can never…
Datura See village of descending motion Chanting ride with silver …
Devin Townsend Nerves on fire, nothing is a sneaker...everything is catastr…
Dirtyiceboyz Yeah, Yeah Go J'essaie de trouver comment rester up Trouver …
Disfiguring the Goddess Forsworn and forgotten, a totem of power rises from the…
Donovan The lock upon my garden gate's a snail, that's what…
Double Fuzz I took a trip down to the mountain The grass was…
Down By Law I am the mountain You are the breeze This is the river…
Drawn to Waves You're like a mountain In front of me Want to cross up…
drawstring You say we're incomplete But I know it's cause you're fighti…
Drive-by Kiss You wanted more You wanted more than I could give you You…
E.M.U Dou mo saikin chuuto hanba de CHANCE ni itsumo nigerareteru …
Edgar Hurley Coming down the hillside You'll come in petty threes Settle …
Ella Vos I can hear the lion, calling in the dark Straight across…
Engine Off the coasts of blackness There are troops backed up Smoki…
F.W.D (Bill Fries, Chip Davis) From the album Wolf Creek Pass Wh…
Fort How could I ascend your mountain How could I ever stand…
Generdyn I was born in the shadows Where you just learned to…
Ghost Of The Machine Kneeling down at your feet, there's so much I want…
Good Charlotte All these dreams and all these plans I built them…
Good Charlotte(굿 샬롯) All these dreams and all these plans I built them…
Gooding The tearows are all dead or pleaned out Don't miss the…
Great Northern Into the mountain Into the sea Into the graveyard Into the l…
Grim Tell me in the mirror I wish I would see…
Grizzly and the Bears Can't move too quick And I won't call it quits, no Giving…
Hail the Ghost Leave me on the mountain, so I can breathe Stop them…
HalfNoise Reversed the steps I took when I was younger They fall…
Harry marshall Hold on hold on As we walk a city streets Well I…
Havyn Catch me running through the trees Sneaking up on honey bees…
Heather Dale The mountain rose from bonds of earth and showed that…
Hillsong - Worship Did you feel the mountains tremble? Did you hear the oceans…
Hillsong Worship Verse 1 See a light in the darkness A city shining without…
Holly Throsby I may know where I've been, but I don't know…
Homesafe Well, I've been marching up all the way to you…
Hourglass and Space Welcome to Beef Lake... We've been Expecting You... Come...…
J. Paul B. Leitch J. Lyford M. Henry [Chorus] Love like mountains I keep on climbing up and fal…
Jan Stenfors I looked ahead and I saw Mountains that crumble and fall I…
jeen. This plastic white rabbit Raised up and faded from the damag…
Jeff Scott Soto There's a man sittin' on a mountain And he's feeling 10…
Jonathan Jeremiah She my love, she my only grain She the footprints…
KAYAM And oh, we're falling down And I, I'm losing my ground I…
Kiyu Pour me a drink, think I'll need it Doing the same…
LA Priest Beneath the mountain When the leaves will bathe in light And…
Leah Blevins We'll descend the mountain Where we once climbed Walk with t…
Lisa Fitzgibbon I want to climb the mountain But the road ended long…
M. Byrd If you're lost in perpetual motion, Nothing ever seems on ti…
Mason Jennings I was waken late the other night There was a bird…
McKenna Alicia Oh I'm on a mountain I'm looking at the ground Not the…
Minora I have my own Parallel time here Nothing to fear So I linger…
Mizz B.I.S. Once upon a time in a land called Fantasy Seventeen mountai…
Monsune At the base of your mountain I saw myself in you And…
Motel Motel I want to follow you home If you are walking alone…
Motorpsycho Alright, so maybe I dreamed it all But the blisters on…
Mountain Sunday morning, why don't we go for a hike? Meet in…
Mouth The sailor failed to sense the danger I guess she died…
Mr. Ivory Snow A feeling like a sickness A heavy toll on your soul How…
MY LADY I see her sailing on her silver wings With hands that…
Nattali Rize Dready on the Mountain, Vision to the Sea. Ites and Meditati…
NEEDTOBREATHE While shepherds kept their watching Over silent flocks by ni…
New Avenues This wind isn't blowing The nights closing in Nine lives on …
Nick and The Sun Machine Yeah, ooh Caught up in specialness I wish you could see Th…
O. Rex Droplets race and lapse Waves crest and splash Out the panes…
O.M.O. I'm lost between a mountain And my own home I look above…
OHM: Did you know I was the king of the mountain…
Onni Boi Leave the hounds of love before you get to me Look…
Orleans So you think the wait is over And it's time to…
Paper I’ve searched my whole life through just to find you underne…
Potato Potato the rain came and washed the new potatoes away. we saw…
R.O.C As I walked along the dirt road, I passed a…
Ralf-e 我手中的山 長在過去 螢光帶你看看 年歲的曾經是否一樣的戲 那個人那方地 安靜的遺憾啊 丟入池裡 長出青苔 好久不見 難…
Ramona Córdova Oh Where will you be with your feet planted I am used…
Recorder Oh we'll turn off the lights And will turnon the tv And…
S.C.A.R.S As I walked along the dirt road, I passed a…
Salla Flinkman Aren't you tired Of pretending That this world isn't hard To…
Sam Ryder Rough seas might pull me under and Dark clouds might dim…
Samoaja High above the mountain my yell flies away Valley below the…
Scorched Oak I’ve been through all the oceans And still I can’t swim I…
Sevendust Under the dark grey sky Under fist and hate I break the…
Sevendust_(p) Under the dark grey sky Under fist and hate I break the…
Ska Ska Go tell it on the mountain Theres a sweetness…
St. Beaufort Let the grasses grow and the waters flow In a free…
State Radio Up on over the mountain, where it's keep or stay Causing…
Stepa Today is the last day, the end of fasting Eye candy…
Stereolab Supreme and celestial elevated vertical grandiose proportio…
Sternberg I often wonder why these thoughts keep crossing my mind They…
Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band I was born on this mountain a long time ago Before…
Strahan Only joy will come in the morning Every shadow removed in…
Su I feel a sting when I think of All…
Suanne Withrow Alo brabinjo, burazerce 2x kuco moja brat moj, brat moj bura…
Swan Valley Heights You don't know what you do to me You don't know…
Temple Across my path, came a man through the woods He spoke…
The Bear Quartet I am the lowest creep and you call me a…
The Bruces Rollin' and a-tumblin' Take me to the mountain Fly closer to…
The Daydream Club This mountain of mine A vision of good in my life A…
The Fall Mister Blairstowe and Mister Partridge They said to me "To…
The Front Bottoms I am climbing Up this mountain So I can ride my skateboard…
The Grammers I was born in a forked-tongued story, Raised up by merchants…
The Joy Nom'ungahamba uzobuya Sithandwa sam Nom'ungahamba uzobuya Si…
The Movement & Clinton Fearon I looked but I just couldn’t see The sun shining down…
The Seasons Listen baby, ain't no mountain high, Ain't no valley low,…
The Wolf & I I was asleep in a hammock I was dreaming that I…
Theocracy I'm searching to find what's beyond each horizon to the end…
Tiffany Pollack & Co. You were always running from somethin' Always rambling on, a…
Tonic She She came down From the mountain And I I stood my gro…
Tori Amos Bunny slippers Sure we'll take them But offerings won't al…
TUNA DE TIERRA Laying down myself next to old trees Waiting for the grass…
Waje Hey hey hey Hey hey hey Hey hey hey Them no go understand W…
Waje feat. Lira hey hey hey them no go understand what you face on your…
Water Music I was hanging on by a little thread. Just minutes before…
WellBad every day i try still I'm wondering why i can't i cant make…
Will Of The Mountain I stand alone, unseen Mist comes out of the ocean Whispering…
Wind and Waves You're like a mountain In front of me Want to cross up…
Wood Climb ev'ry mountain Search high and low Follow ev'ry by-way…
Yaarrohs I seek mountains And water like crystal rocks and Your hand …
Z.O.E. Soundtracks The mountain tip Red heart tender Golden yellow glow What lo…
Z.O.E. Zone of the Enders Run mountain, chuck a little hill Run mountain, chuck a litt…
ザ・ユウヒーズ 今降り立つその足が暇をみて もっと先の方へ 君が叫ぶその声はこだました 僕の耳で oh yeah! 開けなきゃいいあの鍵…
GRIM Tell me in the mirror I wish I would see…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found