Fan stuff
Support your country! Check out the exclusive and official
gifts with the flag of
The Netherlands on it!
:: Coffee mug
:: Button set
:: T-shirt (white)
:: T-shirt (black)
The Netherlands in 1973
Ben Cramer
Song
De oude muzikant
Composer(s)
Pierre Kartner
More information
Biography
Before the Eurovision Song Contest Ben Cramer already enjoyed a long and successful career. In the mid-60's Ben Cramer joined The Sparklings and with them he had his first hit with Zai Zai Zai in 1967. Dutch and English language hits like Dans Met Mij and Mona Lisa followed, before Ben decided to go solo. With equal success. Now mainly singing in Dutch hits like De Clown and Vrede preceded his Eurovision entry. He followed up his De Oude Muzikant with the song Veronica Vrij, a plea to the government to let pirate station Veronica resume broadcasting their programmes. Veronica eventually would become one of the biggest broadcasting companies in the Netherlands, but Veronica Vrij virtually was Ben Cramer's last big hit. Even teaming up with his wive Desiree in 1984 for the duet Een Vriend Als Jij didn't help to change the tide and it would be another 7 years, before Ben Cramer would return to the lower regions of the charts with Vergeet 'T Maar. Recent years saw Ben Cramer star as the phantom in the Dutch version of the Phantom Of The Opera and he also appeared in several TV-series.
Pierre Kartner (born 11/04/35 in Breda) made his first steps on the musical catwalk in the 60's with the group The Headlines that also comprised Jaap Goedèl and Dimitri van Toren while still working in a bakery and in a chocolate factory. His first chart hits he had in 1969, when he hit the charts under the pseudonym De Uilen with Hallo Meneer de Uil (from the children's series De Fabeltjeskrant) and later that year and in 1970 as part of the Duo X with songs like In Gedachten Zie Ik 'T Kerkje Weer and the double A-side single Laat Mij Niet Alleen/Kijk In M'n Ogen. Really successful did Pierre Kartner become, when he adopted the character of Vader Abraham, a man with a gray beard and a black bowler hat. The hits started coming with the biggest hit the 1977 single 'T Smurfenlied, a number one hit not only in the Netherlands, but also in South America, with top 10 positions in a lot of other European countries. Prior to that Vader Abraham already had had number one hits in the Netherlands with duets with politician Boer Koekoek (1974: Den Uyl Is In Den Olie (a stab at the parliament's policy during the 1973 oil crisis and their policy towards pirate stations)) and with Wilma Landkroon (1971: Zou Het Erg Zijn Lieve Opa). But Pierre Kartner wasn't only a singer and composer of his own songs. He also wrote for several other artists including Corry & De Rekels (Huilen Is Voor Jou Te Laat), Jacques Herb & De Riwi's (Manuela), De Kermisklanten (Zigeunertango) and Ben Cramer (De Clown). In the 80's and 90's Pierre Kartner's singing career concentrated on carnival songs like Brinkman, Minister Brinkman and Als Je Inlegkruisje Maar Goed Zit. Using his own name only for serious singles like the Dutch cover version of Michel Sardou's Musica and albums like Lach Naar De Wolken.
Country profile
Do you want to learn more about The Netherlands ? At worldatlas.com you can read a detailed country profile, including maps, flags and you can even listen to the national anthem!
History
We are currently updating our country history pages and therefore, they are temporarily unavailable! How many times they won? Who represented the country in 1960? This and a lot more is available in the history section soon!
All Participations for The Netherlands
| Year | Artist | Song | Points | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | De Toppers | 0 | 12 | |
| 2008 | Hind | Your heart belongs to me | 27 | 13 |
| 2007 | Edsilia Rombley | On top of the world | 38 | 21 |
| 2006 | Treble | Amambanda | 22 | 20 |
| 2005 | Glennis Grace | My impossible dream | 53 | 14 |
| 2004 | Re-union | Without you | 11 | 20 |
| 2004 | Re-union | Without you | 146 | 6 |
| 2003 | Esther Hart | One more night | 45 | 13 |
| 2001 | Michelle | Out on my own | 16 | 18 |
| 2000 | Linda Wagenmakers | No goodbyes | 40 | 13 |
| 1999 | Marlayne | One good reason | 65 | 10 |
| 1998 | Edsilia Rombley | Hemel en aarde | 150 | 4 |
| 1997 | Mrs. Einstein | Niemand heeft nog tijd | 5 | 22 |
| 1996 | Maxine and Franklin Brown | De eerste keer | 78 | 7 |
| 1994 | Willeke Alberti | Waar is de zon | 4 | 23 |
| 1993 | Ruth Jacott | Vrede | 92 | 6 |
| 1992 | Humphrey Campbell | Wijs me de weg | 67 | 9 |
| 1990 | Maywood | Ik wil alles met je delen | 25 | 15 |
| 1989 | Justine Pelmelay | Blijf zoals je bent | 45 | 15 |
| 1988 | Gerard Joling | Shangri-la | 70 | 9 |
| 1987 | Marcha | Rechtop in de wind | 83 | 5 |
| 1986 | Frizzle Sizzle | Alles heeft ritme | 40 | 13 |
| 1984 | Maribelle | Ik hou van jou | 34 | 13 |
| 1983 | Bernadette | Sing me a song | 66 | 7 |
| 1982 | Bill van Dijk | Jij en ik | 8 | 16 |
| 1981 | Linda Williams | Het is een wonder | 51 | 9 |
| 1980 | Maggie MacNeal | Amsterdam | 93 | 5 |
| 1979 | Xandra | Colorado | 51 | 12 |
| 1978 | Harmony | 't Is OK | 37 | 13 |
| 1977 | Heddy Lester | De mallemolen | 35 | 12 |
| 1976 | Sandra Reemer | The party's over now | 56 | 9 |
| 1975 | Teach-In | Ding-a-dong | 152 | 1 |
| 1974 | Mouth and MacNeal | I see a star | 15 | 3 |
| 1973 | Ben Cramer | De oude muzikant | 69 | 14 |
| 1972 | Sandra and Andres | Als het om de liefde gaat | 106 | 4 |
| 1971 | Saskia and Serge | De tijd | 85 | 7 |
| 1970 | Patricia and Hearts of Soul | Waterman | 7 | 7 |
| 1969 | Lenny Kuhr | De troubadour | 18 | 1 |
| 1968 | Ronnie Tober | Morgen | 1 | 16 |
| 1967 | Thérèse Steinmetz | Ring-dinge | 2 | 16 |
| 1966 | Milly Scott | Fernando en Philippo | 2 | 15 |
| 1965 | Conny Van den bos | Het is genoeg | 5 | 11 |
| 1964 | Anneke Grönloh | Jij bent mijn leven | 2 | 10 |
| 1963 | Annie Palmen | Een speeldoos | 0 | 13 |
| 1962 | De Spelbrekers | Katinka | 0 | 13 |
| 1961 | Greetje Kauffeld | Wat een dag | 6 | 10 |
| 1960 | Rudi Carrell | Wat een geluk | 2 | 12 |
| 1959 | Teddy Scholten | Een beetje | 21 | 1 |
| 1958 | Corry Brokken | Heel de wereld | 1 | 9 |
| 1957 | Corry Brokken | Net als toen | 31 | 1 |
| 1956 | Jetty Paerl | De vogels van Holland | 0 | 2 |
| 1956 | Corry Brokken | Voorgoed voorbij | 0 | 2 |
