Kayak (NL)

About

Kayak built their reputation on lush, symphonic rock with a knack for the occasional pop hook, and for a while in the late 1970s they were one of the biggest rock acts in the Netherlands. Their best known moment came with "Ruthless Queen", which climbed to number 6 on the Dutch charts in 1979, recorded after Edward Reekers stepped in as vocalist and the band added two female backing singers to fatten up the sound. Co founder Ton Scherpenzeel, the only member to appear on every single Kayak record, has always been the creative constant, playing keyboards, accordion, bass and more across the band's catalogue. After splitting in 1982 with nine albums behind them, Kayak came back to life following a TV performance in 1999 and have barely slowed down since. They went on to tackle ambitious rock opera projects like Nostradamus and an expanded reworking of Merlin, toured extensively, and released nine more studio albums alongside several live records. The lineup has shifted plenty over the decades, but the band's taste for grand, orchestrated rock has stayed firmly in place.