DUTCH ROCK & ROLL '56-'65 
In 2005 Rockin’ Henri wrote for Dutch/Belgian magazine Boppin’ Around, for which he’s editor, a complete story about the Dutch rock & roll: “50 years of rock & roll in The Netherlands”(Dutch language).
Warning: it’s definitely not allowed to use this information in the article, or the digital scan itself, without prior permission of Boppin’ Around!!! ©2005
>>>>> 50 years of rock & roll in The Netherlands <<<<<
1955 the rock & roll scene from the USA reached the Netherlands.
In the beginning only the original records of the US-rockers were played.
Then the first own groups came along. The first to sing this new music where The Melody Sisters (hitrecording "sh-boom" in 1955), and a whole bunch of other popular artists of that time started to sing mostly humor flavored rock & roll: The Melody Sisters with "rock around the clock" ('56), The Bee Bee Sisters with "rock and roll waltz"/"dungaree doll" ('56), Rudy Wairata & The Hawaiian Minstrels with "rock and roll and breezes" ('56) and "honolulu rock-a roll-a" ('56), De Jonkers & De Joffers with "bello's rock & roll" ('57), Black & White with “7 vlotte schotse schotten”/”artis rock”, Cees de Lange with "rock & roll" ('57), De Spelbrekers with a dutch version of "rock around the clock" ('57), Eddy Christiani (first European electric guitar- player) with "ik fluit de rock & roll" ('57), De Drie Kleine Kleuters with "opa's rock and roll" ('57), Maddy Bleize (Limburgian Elvis) with "king creole"/"let's have a party", Andy Field (more known as songwriter and label owner Johnny Hoes with "on the beach of bali bali"/"oh oh marie" ('58).
These senior rockers were replaced by other senior rockers in '58/'59 such as Joop v/d Marel, Tobi Rix, Frans van Schaik & De Imperials and others.
The rock & roll songs were mostly covers from American songs with humor flavored lyrics (probably the only accepted way for these older well known respected artists to sing that wild rock & roll).
In the beginning of the rock & roll scene here in The Netherlands, rock & roll was recorded mainly by single artists and vocal duos/trios/quartets.
Examples of vocal groups who recorded rock & roll, with humor flavored lyrics, are: Het Meteoor Kwartet (who recorded in 1958 an instrumental (!) "tequila" (from The Champs)) and Het Cocktail Trio (their first rock & roll record was "oe-ie-oe-a-a" ("witch doctor" from David Seville) in 1958.
In 1958 there was a change in the Dutch rock and roll scene (something which had happened earlier in other European countries before): the teenagers took over the rock & roll scene.
Novelty rock was replaced by highschool rock. In the Netherlands two local scenes arose: the "white" rock & roll of the original Dutchmen ("nederrock") and the "blue/black" rock & roll of the Indonesians living here in the Netherlands ("indorock") and a small scene, the "surirock" of the Surinam people living here in the Netherlands (with their most well known representatives Max Woiski Jr., Marius Monkau and John Russell).
It were The Tielman Brothers (indorock) who in 1958 as the first Dutch teenage rock & roll band recorded a rock & roll-single on the Belgian label Fernap Records in Brussels: "rock little baby of mine/you're still the one" (both own compositions).
It took till 1959 before others followed: Peter Koelewijn (& Zijn Rockets), Ria Valk
(the Dutch female Elvis), The Black Dynamites, Fred Franken & The Rocking Diamonds,
Arthur & The Cronies, tennis player Paul Gimbel, Shirley Zwerus (the Dutch Connie Froboess),
The Butterflies, The Fouryo's (first teenage vocal group), Annelies de Graaf, Herman van Keeken (the Dutch Jimmy Rodgers), The Hurricane Rollers, Lydia & The Melody Strings, Pim Maas (the dutch Elvis) & De Presley Cats, Rein de Vries and others.....
But there were just a few who had hit records: Peter Koelewijn with "kom van dat dak af"
(= get off that roof) (the first rock & roll-hit in the Dutch language (peak position: 2, 1959) and Ria Valk in 1960 with "hou je echt nog van mij rocking billy ?" (= do you still really love me, rocking billy ?) (peak position: 1, 1960).
Lydia (Tuinenburg) had a huge hit in 1959 (peak position: 4 (chart run 9 months !!!) with a countrysong in typical indostyle "send me the pillow".
It took till 1960 when the Dutch record industry (Philips, Decca, Fontana, Omega, Delta, CNR, Imperial......) saw that rock & roll was established and that there was a market for it..... more rock & roll groups, rock & roll recordings and hits followed: The Blue Diamonds (!) (with millionseller "ramona"), Harry Bliek (a hit with Ricky Nelson's "hello mary lou"), Hans Boekhout, Electric Johnny & The Skyrockets, The Emeralds, Erik van Eldik & The Shakin' Hearts (recorded in 1960 first Dutch live rock & roll single "my old kentucky home/my bonnie is over the ocean"), The Four Sweeters, John Lamers & Cees & The Skyliners (hit with own composition "crazy love") and a whole bunch of other teenage rockers.
In 1961 two of the most prominent Dutch female artists which the Netherlands ever had entered the scene: Willeke Alberti and Anneke Grönloh. Although not especially rock & roll singers they both recorded a lot of (lesser known) rocking recordings !
Anneke Grönloh recorded some nice rocking songs in the Malaysian language plus songs like "ma, hij wil zo graag een zoen (= "ma" from Johnny Otis)/ik ben zo verlegen" ('61), "trui trui slobbertrui" ('61), "flamenco rock" ('61), "da doo ron ron" ('63) and Willeke Alberti recorded songs like "een, drie, vier, vijf, zes" ('60), "maar het meeste hou ik toch van jou" ('62), "rickie" ('62), "alles of niks" ('63, with The Lords) and more.....
One year later, 1962, two of the most prominent Dutch male teen idols entered the scene; Rob de Nijs (& The Lords) (hit with The Cascades' "ritme van de regen" (rhythm of the rain), '63) and Johnny Lion (& The Jumping Jewels) (who didn't have any rock & roll hit (!), his first hit was in 1965 with "sophietje" (a popsong), The Jumping Jewels however had a hit with the String-alongs’ Wheels in 1961)).
In the meantime a lot of groups were formed as copies of Cliff Richard & The Shadows (UK). But their excellent instrumental guitar work is internationally highly recommended !!! (they played much better than even The Shadows or The Ventures). The most well known guitar groups were: René & The Alligators, The Jumping Jewels, Electric Johnny & The Skyrockets, The Lords, Johnny & The Cellar Rockers, Willy & The Giants......
Slowly the beat scene entered and the rock & roll groups changed to this new music scene. This was mainly the case for the so called "nederrock" groups, the indorock groups still played rock & roll.
In 1966 definitely the last authentic rock & roll songs were recorded. An exciting era of rock & roll had ended and paved the way for other music scenes.