Fatal Flowers

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The Fatal Flowers
Fatal Flowers Younger Days photo.jpg
Album art for Younger Days
(from left to right): Braam, Janssen, Heuff, Jonkers
Background information
Origin Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres Rock, pop [1]
Years active1984–1990
Labels WEA, Mercury
Past members Richard Janssen
Henk Jonkers
Marco Braam (1984–1987)
Geert de Groot (1987–1990)
Erwin Wolters (1984–1985)
Dirk Heuff (1985–1988)
Robin Berlijn (1988–1990)

The Fatal Flowers were an Amsterdam rock band, active between 1984 and 1990. They were seen as one of the best Dutch bands of the 1980s. [2] The influence of 60ties bands and the use rock riffs set them apart from the punk and new wave bands of the time.

Contents

History

The Fatal Flowers were founded by Richard Janssen in 1984. They signed a contract with the WEA record company. Under the guidance of top producer Craig Leon an eponymous EP was made – recorded in the Brittania Row Studios, owned by Pink Floyd. The first full album, Younger Days, was produced by Vic Maile. In 1987, the Flowers received an Edison Award for Younger Days. That same year, they were an opening act for Pinkpop. [3]

The band's second full album, Johnny D. Is Back!, was produced by Mick Ronson. With this album, the band took a large step forward and the album was acclaimed by the readers of Oor magazine as the best Dutch album of 1988. Guitarist Dirk Heuff left the band and was replaced by 17-year-old Robin Berlijn, who made a big impression. Robin also went on to play with other artists including Shannon Lyon and Sam Lapides, Ellen ten Damme, Johan, Kane en Sky Pilots . Fatal Flowers received the Zilveren Harp.

In 1990, the Fatal Flowers left WEA and went to Mercury. They made a new album, Pleasure Ground, which was again produced by Mick Ronson. The album contained no hit single, but was very successful. Janssen left the band in the summer of 1990, disillusioned about their new label's neglect in properly promoting the band abroad. With that, one of the most promising Dutch bands of the era fell apart. In a 1997 interview, [4] Janssen said:

When the Fatal Flowers broke up, people said we were crazy. They said that we were on the verge of an international breakthrough and some financial windfalls. Nonsense! There were very few contacts abroad. However, in the Netherlands, we were at our peak. So it was time to do something else.

On 3 July 2002, the band reunited at The Blue Tea House in Vondelpark for promotion of the compilation album Younger Days – The Definitive Fatal Flowers. There were no upcoming reunion plans, [5] until January 2019, when it was announced the Fatal Flowers would go on a one-off tour again that year.

In 2019, the band played a very successful reunion tour in the Netherlands with the icing on the cake being two sold-out shows at Amsterdam's Paradiso.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

  1. ↑ Fatal Flowers | AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Fatal Flowers: Information from Answers.com". Answers.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  3. ↑ "Biography". Check It Out!. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  4. ↑ "The Portfolio of Richard Janssen, Loose Ends, February 1997". Check It Out!. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  5. ↑ "Fatal Flowers: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
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