Dutch progressive rock band Kayak was founded in 1972 by keyboardist and composer Ton Scherpenzeel, and drummer and composer Pim Koopman, together with lead singer Max Werner, guitarist Johan Slager and bass player Cees van Leeuwen.
Frequently compared to colleagues like British band Yes and Dutch group Focus, Kayak quickly developed its own style of symphonic rock that concentrated on songs instead of elaborate solos and long instrumental passages. However, part of Kayak’s material included epic, longer tracks and enthralling, dramatic arrangements.
Like many other 1970s bands, Kayak went through several phases. The first four albums featured symphonic progressive rock. Afterwards, the band headed into a pop-leaning radio friendly direction.
Kayak achieved considerable success from the late 1970’s onwards, reaching the US top 50 charts with the single ‘Want You To Be Mine’ in 1978, holding number #1 in the Dutch charts for several weeks with the Platinum awarded “Phantom Of The Night” album released in 1979 that featured the single ‘Ruthless Queen’ reaching #5 on the Dutch single charts. The 1981 album “Merlin” featured a mix of progressive rock and pop. The first era of Kayak ended after eight albums in 1981.
After Kayak disbanded, Ton Scherpenzeel performed and recorded with progressive rock groups like Earth & Fire (The Netherlands) and Camel (UK).
In 1999, after an 18-year break, Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim Koopman reformed Kayak, with Max Werner again taking over lead vocals. “Into the Fire” (2000) once more combined progressive rock with pop.
Kayak developed a rock opera trilogy that included “Merlin – Bard of the Unseen”, “Nostradamus” and “Cleopatra”. “Merlin – Bard of the Unseen” featured a real orchestra and marked a return to the symphonic rock realm.
In 2009, tragedy struck when Koopman died of heart failure in the middle of the “Letters from Utopia” tour.
Later, in 2014, when lead singers Cindy Oudshoorn and Edward Reekers left the band, Scherpenzeel renovated the lineup by recruiting new members. A new vocalist, Bart Schwertmann and guitarist Marcel Singor joined Ton Scherpenzeel as the band’s creative nucleus along with Kristoffer Gildenlöw (bass) and Collin Leijenaar (drums).
Discography:
See See the Sun (EMI, 1973)
Kayak II (EMI, 1974)
Royal Bed Bouncer (EMI, 1975)
The Last Encore (Vertigo, 1976)
Starlight Dancer (Vertigo, 1977)
Phantom of the Night (Vertigo, 1978)
Periscope Life (Vertigo, 1980)
Merlin (Vertigo, 1981)
Into the Fire (ProActs, 2000)
Night Vision (ProActs, 2001)
Merlin – Bard of the Unseen (2003)
Nostradamus – The Fate of Man (SMH Recordings, 2005)
Coming Up for Air (SMH Recordings, 2008)
Letters from Utopia (SMH Recordings, 2009)
Anywhere but Here ( Write On Productions, 2011)
Cleopatra – The Crown of Isis (Write On Productions, 2014)
Seventeen (Inside Out Music, 2018)
Live 2019 (GlassVille Records, 2020)
Out of This World (Inside Out Music, 2021)