Meet Geo Dijkhuis, the versatile lead singer of Sympathy, Horizon, Backyard and.... GEO
Celebrating a career starting in the sixties and spanning decades
GEOBAND ALBUM ROLL (REMASTERED) IS NOW ON SPOTIFY AND YOUTUBE
Older than 40? Good chance you have seen Geo live at many of his concerts in the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. Geo Dijkhuis - or simply GEO - has been performing live gigs around the Netherlands for decades. From the famous Eksit and Parkzicht in Rotterdam, to the Gigant in Apeldoorn he has performed in allmost all of them. For decades he has played with various musicians which are mentioned on this page or via the website links. Geo Dijkhuis is a recording artist with many singles and albums to his name, some produced as a solo artist and some with his own GEO band. (see picture - live at Parkzicht in Rotterdam in 1985).
Sympathy - Dutch music history
GEO started his career in the 1960ties as leadsinger with well known Dutch bands such as Horizon and Backyard. With the band Sympathy he has released multiple singles through BASF Records including:
- 1972 - Ain't It Nice / Everyday's Someday (BASF 05 15076-8) & Music Music Music / Forever (BASF 05 15174-8)
- 1974 - Don't Press Your Nails In My Eyes / Good Man (BASF 05 15456-6)
- 1975 - Love you / Rock & Roll Man (BASF 05 15529-8)
- 2023 - Sympathy Remastered Extended Edition
Sympathy brought together musicians from The Hague:
- George Dijkhuis – Lead Vocals
- Wil Matla - Guitar
- Ruud van Seventer - Bass (1972- 1974)
- André Reynen - Bass (1974-1976)
- Jan-Pieter Boekhoorn – Keyboards
- Simon Matla - Drums
GEO performing solo (1976 - 1979)
In 1976 GEO went solo and recorded his first solo album titled "Isn't It Time To Change". Produced by Eddy Ouwens the album was released in 1979 through CNR Records. It featured well know Dutch musicians of the time including Mac Sell (guitar), Paul Vink (keyboard) and Jan Hollestelle (bass), Ton op't Hoff (drums). Picture shows them performing live in De Trucker Pijnacker in 1979. A remastered version of the album was released on Spotify in 2021.
The album produced four singles:
- 1976 - Hurry Boy / Everything Wrong or Right (EMI 5C 006-25545)
- 1977 - That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You / Racing Cars and Moviestars (EMI 5C 006-25691)
- 1978 - My world is empty without you / We Both Grow Old (CNR 141 497)
- 1979 - Isn't It Time To Change / Singing My Blues Away (CNR 141 565)
Rock with the first GEO band (1980 - 1982)
In 1980 GEO started The GEO Band with the aim to achieve a more rock orientated sound. The four-man band toured the stages for the next two years and recorded multiple tracks.
The GEO band PR Picture used for touring in the eighties. Picture taken by Steven van Zanen in 1981:
- George Dijkhuis – Lead Vocals - MIddle
- Tjeerd van Zanen – Guitar - Left
- Peter Hoogerbrugge – Bass - Right
- Peter Kunst – Drums (1980-1981) - 2nd from right
- Hans Greeve – Drums (1981-1982)
Afer a live gig in the Gigant in Apeldoorn in february 1981 the 4-man band signed a contract for a new album with Bert Vegter, owner of Pure Gold Records (sub-label of CBS). See picture below.
That contract led to their first (and only) GEO Band album. It was named “ROLL”, self-produced and released in 1981. In April 2023 the remastering of the 'ROLL' was completed by STM and the album is now available on Spotify and YouTube.
Overall the GEO band released four singles: two came from the album ROLL.
- 1980 - Chanson / C'est Rock (CNR 141 680)
- 1981 - It's Raining In My Heart / Raining (A&R ANRA 1480)
- 1981 - She don't Need Me / Do The Roll (Pure Gold 1078)
- 1981 - Higher / I Know (Pure Gold 1550)
Great live performances with studio musicians (1982 - 1986)
Later in the eighties the GEO band got a new bass player and drummer, a percussionist and two keyboard players. This group became known (in the Netherlands) for their great live performances. The band starred some of the best recording young musicians from the Netherlands. Many of whom today are well known in the music scene: Hans Eijkenaar (drums), Koen van Baal (keyboard), Wilfried Roest (keyboard), Martin Verdonk (percussion) Tjeerd van Zanen (Guitar) and Michel van Schie (bass).
The new band members contributed to the repertoire which they perfected through live performances around the Netherlands. Some of the best GEO band songs emerged in those days. Surpisingly a new GEO album never materialized, although demos were recorded and recently some of these surfaced again. One of the higlights for the band was the live TV recording for the Music Box TV channel in Parkzicht Rotterdam on 21-7-1985. Picture below.
Want to learn more about GEO? send us an email at info@shootthemoonmusic.nl
