2003 MARCH 25 #084
The Dutch Royal Family - Loo-Show-Trend
Here is a rare recording of the Dutch Royal Family, singing a Dixieland song together in a homely atmosphere. It origins from a tape that was dropped at underground magazine Gramschap (=wrath) by an unknown source. In 1981 Gramschap used it as the A-side of the single 'Loo-Show-trend', in which Loo primarily refers to the name of the royal residence, although we can safely assume the pun was intended.
The single was made in the year after Beatrix was crowned Queen. The squatting movement strongly opposed the crowning and especially the huge sums spent on the festivities, claiming the government should focus on solving the housing shortage instead. This explains the B-side, on which the instrumental version was mixed with radio sounds of the special police forces, including instructions like 'Platoons withdraw behind the town hall', recorded in 1980 during the coronation riots.
In the Loo-show-trend vocals are sung by (then) princess Beatrix, prince Claus (her now deceased husband), princess Margriet (her sister) and Pieter van Vollenhoven (Margriet's husband, who also plays the accompanying piano). On the single they were named Boa Trix, Margriet, Claus von A. and Pieper van V. (pieper meaning potato head). The label showed a logo with two lions, holding a shield with the circled A for Anarchism and a banner with the text 'Commando Balthasar Gerards', referring to the assassin of William the Silent in 1584. A press release by Boa Trix was included.
The single was sold as anonymous bootleg, thus preventing impoundment by the authorities, as had occurred with an earlier Gramschap magazine. The front cover shows Beatrix being grabbed by her tits from behind (photo originally taken at the Netherlands Antilles), the back a picture of the riots on 30 April 1980. In 1998 the vocal version was used in a remix with police sounds on the double CD 'Gramschap 1978-1986' (ADM-records 30/31975 CD).
- Marza
TT-2:00 / 1.8MB / 128kbps 44.1khz
From the single 'Loo-Show-Trends', LOW Records (1981)
(Image courtesy of Webgemms)