Pee Wee & The Specials - Pee Wee & The Specials (1980)

Pee Wee & The Specials was a very swinging 8-piece formation from Castricum and surrounding area (The Netherlands), formed in 1978. They existed till 1980. Pee Wee & The Specials originally started as the studio-band of a radio-program, for more then a year the band was a regular participant of a VPRO (Dutch radio and television station) radio-program on the Friday-evening, called "De Suite", where they backed up singer Harco Wind, pseudonym for the wellknown Dutch Wim T. Schippers, a songwriter and performer who is always toying with Dutch lyrics and tunes from foreign top-hits.

The band started to travel through Holland and was very pleased with the big success they had live on stage. In january 1980 the band made several recordings in the Fendal Sound Recording Studio, after which the first single "I Knew From The Start" b/w "Mama Said" came out on the Dutch Rockhouse label (Rockhouse SP 8003). In March 1980 Rockhouse released the debut-album "Pee Wee & The Specials" (Rockhouse LP 8004). On this strong vinyl album you can hear 18 swinging tracks. 13 covers that where chosen with care, like "I Knew From The Start" from The Moonglows, "In The Still Of The Night" from The Five Satins and "Lily Maebelle" from "The Valentines", but also 5 self-penned tunes written by Jakob Klaasse, "Truckstop Cafe Queen", "I'm Still (Not Over You)" and "Love Love Love". Peter Warnier (Mini-Rock) and Erik Mooijman (Mini-Rock and Buying Your Love) are very fine examples of their impressive vocal and musical capacities.

The band succeeded in letting all 18 songs sound spontaneously, fresh, joyful, honest and most of all, really as swinging as possible. In March 1980 the band performed live on stage at the 14th Rockhouse International Rock & Roll-meeting in Eindhoven with Matchbox (UK) and Ronnie Hawkins (USA). What I still can remember from that gig is the fact that it was very special to see a Dutch doo-wop band live on stage at the Rockhouse meeting. The same year Rockhouse released a third record, "Juanita" b/w "Truckstop Cafe Queen" (SP 8007). On the a-side of this single you can hear wellknown Dutch songwriter and sax-player Clous van Mechelen...