Fruitcake
Overview
Fruitcake | |
|---|---|
 Fruitcake performing at an unknown venue in Japan, 1984 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1980-1999 |
| Labels |
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| Past members | Rob Taekema Benny Baan Jan-Paul Driessen Bart Adrichem André (Pietje) Louhenapessy Mildred Douglas Jo-Ann Collins Marita Lie-Atjam Walther Sell Johannes Blanksma |
| Website | taek |
Fruitcake (フールツケーキ) was a Dutch Disco/Jazz Fusion band lead by Rob Taekema and Benny Baan. Having minor success in the Netherlands, the band's music sold better in Japan, being used for television and radio jingles. Their first album was only released in Japan, titled Fruitcake. In total, the band released three records in Japan under record label Victor.
History
Formation
Guitarist Rob Taekema likely met bassist Jan-Paul Driessen and drummer Bart Adrichem during his school years, as he played with them in the band The Djeepiez. Rob Taekema and Benny Baan first met Dutch night club Citadel, after Benny was asked to fill in as the keyboardist for Rob's band while they were looking for a permanent keyboardist. Benny fit into the band well, so they kept him as their permanent keyboardist. It is after this that the name Fruitcake was born, a name Benny Baan had used for a band before. Percussionist André Louhenapessy also became a part of the band. Later on, two female vocalists joined the band: Mildred Douglas and a woman only mentioned as Wendy. This started the first lineup of Fruitcake.
1980-1982: Golden Dutch Years
Fruitcake becomes the home band of the Jazzland Discotheque. Several record labels gain an interest in the band, mainly because the previous Jazzland home band, Spargo, which was lead by Jan-Paul's brother Ellert Driessen, was becoming increasingly successful in the Netherlands. Fruitcake eventually signed to record label EMI.
