Bertus Borgers - saxophone, trumpet; Rinus Gerritsen - bass, keyboard; Barry Hay - flute, vocals; George Kooymans - guitar, vocals; Cesar Zuiderwijk - percussion, drums; Robert Jan Stips - synthesizers, keyboards
One of the most powerful rock music forces to ever emerge from the Netherlands, Golden Earring is one of few bands to achieve international chart success in three consecutive decades, first with their hit cover of the Byrds "Eight Miles High" in 1969, followed by "Radar Love" in 1973 and "Twilight Zone" in 1982. The latter two remain staples of classic rock radio today. As a band never content to follow any formula for very long, they approached each album like a new enterprise, often reinventing their music. In 1973, they released their most popular album, Moontan, which gained them a much larger fan base and allowed them to tour internationally as a headliner (with Kiss and Aerosmith among their opening acts).
This performance, recorded Cobo Arena in Detroit, captures the band the year after the release of Moontan album. Golden Earring kicks the set off with "She Flies On Strange Wings," the George Kooymans-penned opus that became the single from their 1971 album, Seven Tears. Originally divided into two parts on the single, here it is expanded even further, clocking in at over ten minutes. Next up is "Big Tree, Blue Sea," a song originally featured on their self-titled 1970 album that was revamped with an additional flute arrangement for Moontan. This is another highly adventurous modular piece, with obvious similarities to later era Jethro Tull and having a distinct progressive-rock bent. Initially mixing electronics and flute over a delicate groove, this eventually develops into a lengthy hard rocking guitar workout.
Nowhere is the band's enthusiasm better reflected than on "Radar Love." This highly ambitious number is Golden Earring's biggest hit, and they perform with ferocity, displaying what they really are capable of in a live capacity. The song, of course, would of course go on to become a career defining moment for the group. The 50-minute set concludes with "I'm Going To Send My Pigeons To The Sky" from their 1970 self-titled release.