The Cats

Formed in the mid-'60s in Volendam, Netherlands, the Cats emerged as a Dutch rock outfit whose English-language singles and LPs found widespread favor from the late '60s into the early '70s. The lineup consisted of Cees Veerman (vocals, guitar; born October 6, 1943), Piet Veerman (vocals, guitar; born March 1, 1943), Jaap Schilder (guitar, piano; born January 9, 1943), Arnold Muhren (bass; born January 28, 1944), and Theo Klouwer (drums; born June 30, 1947). Their first LP, Cats as Cats Can, arrived in 1967, after which the group issued at least one new album annually through the final release, The End of the Show (1980). Among the tracks that resonated most strongly were “Times Were When” (1968), “Lea” (1968), “Why” (1969), “Scarlet Ribbons” (1969), “Marian” (1969), “Magical Mystery Morning” (1970), “Where Have I Been Wrong?” (1970), “One Way Wind” (1971), “Let's Dance” (1972), “There Has Been a Time” (1972), “Let's Go Together” (1973), “Maribaja” (1973), “Rock 'n' Roll” (1973), “Be My Day” (1974), and “Come Sunday” (1974). By the middle of the decade their audience had dwindled, leading to a 1979 split. Piet Veerman then pursued a solo path, issuing Back to You (1980) before attaining individual recognition with the 1987 self-titled album and its chart-topping single “Sailin' Home.” Occasional reunions followed the 1980 dissolution, while numerous best-of packages continued to gather the band’s most enduring recordings.