BIO – timeline

1957

First piano lessons

1959

first public appearance (at school).

1960

Played piano on the yearly ‘Farewell Evening Show’ when leaving elementary school.

Parents divorced

1961

Accompanied the complete ‘F. E. Show’ version ’61 at his old school, Won the cultural contest at Thorbecke High School. For the first time sees & hears a (school) band.

1962

Moved house and changed school (Grotius Lyceum).

— for more details : short , long & superlong version —

1963/4

Making a necessarily habit of winning the yearly cultural contest, to rebalance his further mediocre results at school (dreamer). ‘64: Father died. Starts playing with school band ‘the Blubs’ (with ao Marco Vrolijk, drums), later changing their name to :

1965/6

Changed name to (beat group) Q-Provocation, later restyled to ‘Provocation’
earning money for his first organ by playing piano for a ballet company.

Playing more and more often with the Provocation, now also with Ron van Eck on bass.

1966 

First beat group to play in garden of palace Soestdijk, celebrating Queen Juliana’s birthday.

1967

Sacha van Geest joins the band on flute. the band under influence of alternative and hippie movement in the person of Rob Douw, who turns the schoolband into an experimental group,with: Sacha van Geest – oa flute, vocals Ron van Eck – bass : Marco Vrolijk – drums Gerhard Smidt – guitar, clarinet, vocals Rob Douw – toys, trumpet and vocals. Robert Jan Stips – organ, vocals

playing underground and alternative music, performing together with lightshows, action painters, poets and dancers. Name changed into Sweet OK Supersister, later into: Supersister.

1968/9

4 of them decided to focus on music only, adopting the name Supersister: Sacha van Geest, Ron van Eck, Marco Vrolijk and Robert Jan Stips.

Studying piano at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, ” more like a spy than a student “.

— for more details : short , long & superlong version —

1970

Kralingen Pop Festival, Rotterdam, the first real big (80.000) continental festival. Supersister’s first single ‘She was Naked’, becomes a big summer hit. First album: ‘Present from Nancy’ , produced by Hans van Oosterhout.

1971

Supersister now really ‘hot’, sharing the first place in the polls with Golden Earring and playing throughout the whole country + Germany, France, England and Italy. Second album: ‘To The Highest Bidder’. Single ‘A Girl Named You’ (top 20) .

1972

Third album ‘Pudding and Gisteren’ . Single: ‘Radio’ (top twenty) title track was music for a ballet for the Nederlands Dans Theater, receiving the Edison Award ’73.

1973

End of first line up Supersister, new line up:

Charlie Mariano – alto sax, bass clarinet,
nathusvaran,
Herman van Boeijen – drums and
percussion.
Ron van Eck – bass
Robert Jan Stips – keys &vocals

Fourth Supersister album: ‘Iskander’, produced by Georgio Gomelsky.

— for more details : short , long & superlong version —

1974/5

Golden Earring

RJ joined Golden Earring. First as an ‘added’ musician, later as a member of the group, recording albums ‘Switch’ and ‘To the Hilt’ Touring the USA, coast to coast, Europe and UK.

Records posthumous Supersister album ‘Spiral Staircase’ with Sacha van Geest.

Records first solo album ‘Nevergreens’

1976

SWEET d’BUSTER

Bertus Borgers’ solo album was the start of a new group ‘Sweet d’Buster’, joined in after leaving the Earring.
Bertus Borgers – vocals, sax
Paul Smeenk – guitar, vocals
Herman Deinnum – bass
Hans Lafaille – drums
Robert Jan Stips – keyboards, vocals

first single : ‘One Way Or Another ‘.

1976/78

Producing GRUPPO SPORTIVO

When still playing in Sweet d’Buster, RJ takes over the production of GS from Barry Hay. First album: ‘Ten Mistakes’ sold over 50.000 copies, good for gold, the second “ Back to ’78 passed the 100.000: platinum.

1979/80

TRANSISTER

Huba de Graaff – violin, keybrds,
vocals
Henk Wijtman – drums, percussion Dick Schulte –Nordholt – bass Robert Jan Stips – vocals, keyboards

RJ gets his own group together, no big names or fully experienced colleagues, recorded ‘Zig Zag’ and toured in Holland for a year. RJ ‘s production work kept on growing, three recording sessions in a row : Transisters ‘Zig Zag’, Hans Vandenburgs ‘Buddy Odor is a Gas’ and… the first recording session with a new, promising group from Amsterdam :

1979 / 1996 / …

N I T S

Alex Roelofs – bas Michiel Peters – vocals, guitar Henk Hofstede – vocals, keyboards, guitar Rob Kloet – drums, percussion

Aad Link, and RJ formed a new agency in the Hague ‘Rock in Waterland’ and contacted the Nits for a recording contract with CBS. Tutti Ragazzi – with RJ as producer – was their first hit single, followed by their first (CBS) album Tent – produced by the Nits.

1980

second album New Flat, co-produced by RJ
singles : New Flat , Holiday on Ice, Bobby Solo

1981

RJ’s second solo album : U.P.

1982

RJ joins the Nits, first to replace leaving bass player Alex Roelofs on their second German tour.

1983

RJ now full member.
Third album : Omsk
single : Nescio
both album and single Dutch top 10.
mini album Kilo.
single : Sketches of Spain.(top 20)
lots of concerts in the Netherlands

1984

album : Adieu Sweet Bahnhof
(top 30)
touring Europe more frequently, Michiel Peters leaves the group.

1985

founding new agency and studio with Aad Link: Buro GeluidsManipulatie – BGM in Voorburg.
Bought first sampler (PPG) and directed a cartoon dubbing/translating project for the new studio together with Peter Calicher.

Radio Freedom Gala, Carré A’dam. First encounter on stage with Freek de Jonge.

1986

Nits trio (Rob, Henk & RJ) album:
HENK – LP and tour.

1987

In the Dutch Mountains (CD/LP and tour). (recorded on two track) album & single top 10, European break through.
Joke Geraets –bass and Petra Lugtenburg – vocals join the group.

1988

Petra leaves the group.
mini album ‘the Hat’ (top 11)
singles The Dream, The Train.
CD + tour.

1989

Nits live album ‘Urk’ (platinum)
CD + tour.

1990

Giant Normal Dwarf
CD + tour.

1991

Monique Olivier and Robert Jan get married
M&RJ marry in the country where they had found their love four years earlier, beautiful Scotland.

1992

Hjuvi – A Rhapsody in Time
A project with the Radio Symphony Orchestra

— for more details : short , long & superlong version —

1993

dAdAdA,
CD + tour.

1994

Ting
CD + tour.

1995

RJ leaves the Nits, starts his group (trio) with Martin – bass & Roy – drums Bakker.
CD and tour : ‘Egotrip’

1996

Freek de Jonge : Gemeengoed
vast Dutch tour and CD.

1997

Rapsodia
recorded live at the Paradiso

1998

RJ’s solo CD : Greyhound, on tour with Mark Boon – guitar and Judith Sijp – violoncello.

1999

writing and recording for Freek de Jonge : de Grens, 10 TV & theatre shows, monthly.

Playing in London with Freek en Hella de Jonge.

2000

Monique and Robert Jan’s first child: lovely daughter Floyd is born

Writing and recording music for alternative Rembrandt exhibition in the Hague, released on CD: Rembrandt 2000..

2001

their second child, beautiful sun Nomee is born

2002

* under construction *

2003

NITS 30-years anniversary tour. Celebrating past and new future with a new CD : ‘1974’, released in October 2003.
Nits went on a vast tour from Oct.’03 till Aug. ’04

From the end of August till December 2004 : another immense Freek de Jonge project called ‘de Vergrijzing’:15 weekly broadcastings of 55-minutes complete new theatre shows – RJ taking care of the (live) music, each episode freshly created and performed live, starting each Tuesday till the broadcasting on Sunday.

2004

NITS appear at ‘Vrienden van Amstel’ at the Ahoy, Rotterdam.
RJ also playing the opening piano act, with also Willeke Alberti.

Manager Aad Link had also re-joined NITS forces: apart from NITS-territories like France, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Canada (F), new places like Barcelona and Winnipeg on the NITS map
A live DVD of the Dutch ‘1974’ tour was released fall ’04.

2005

RJ arranged songs from ‘de Vergrijzing’ for Freek de Jonge & the Metropole Orchestra at the Concert Gebouw , February 4th.

March 2005: RJ and Freek were awarded with the Annie M G Schmidt Prijs for the song ‘Vergeet Mij Niet’

RJ plays a solo concert at ‘de Wegwijzer’ in Nieuw en St Joosland : start of a tradition ?

Moved house again in march/may (Delft)

New NITS recordings with basic Rob-Henk-RJ trio, mixed by Paul Telman. New NITS highlight: CD ‘Les Nuits’. Released in the autumn of 2005, the 19th NITS album!
Touring Holland and Europe intensively.

For brother Wouter Stips RJ wrote and recorded one track for the CD with the book ‘Zoveel Ongeveer Hou Ik Van Jou’: “Ogen Voelen’.

September ’05 : Jelle de Jonge – sun of – produced television series ‘Kortgehouden’ with Freek and other artists featuring in short sketches and conferences. RJ delivered leader music + music for about 9 of the (80) short movies.

2oo6

Les Nuits – tour and CD                

2007

RJSOLO mini tour in Feb/March
FREEK de JONGE ‘de TOESCHOUWER’ tour
– first leg

recording new NITS album: Doing the Dishes

FREEK de JONGE ”de TOESCHOUWER’ tour
2nd leg

RELEASE CD FREEK de JONGE :
‘de TOEHOORDER’
RJSOLO tour in Nov/ Dec

2008

RELEASE new NITS album – Doing the Dishes

NITS Doing The Dishes Tour 1st LEG

RJSOLO tour in Sept / Dec

2009

RELEASE RJSOLO CD/ DVD ‘ROND’

NITS Doing The Dishes Tour 2nd LEG

May, June RECORDING NEW NITS CD

Oct / Dec NITS TOUR based on New Album : Strawberry Wood

2010

RJSOLO tour in Jan/Feb/March

NITS  STRAWBERRY WOOD TOUR, 2nd leg

At PARKPOP 2010 RJ organizes a big event,
celebrating the festival’s  30st anniversary :
a 3 Simultaneous Stages  Performance !

SUPERSISTER  plays on DUTCH TV –

2011

RJSOLO tour in jan, feb, march.

NITS rcording new album [ > Malpensa]
in  A’dam, Utrecht (Kytopia) and Piemonte, Italy

2012.

RJSOLO tour in Jan/Feb/March

RELEASE new NITS CD MALPENSA

RJ misses first leg of MALPENSA tour, due to an operation on his left hand ( bacterial  infection).

summer : NITS play festivals in Switzerland and Holland.

NITS MALPENSA THEATRE TOUR , mainly in Holland + small European trips – oct/nov/dec.

2013

RJSOLO  tour in jan /feb

NITS – MALPENSA THEATER TOUR ctd. – march/april/may/

2014

NITS’  40 years anniversary. his Majesty the King decided to give the 3 NITS members the medals of being Knights in the order of Orange – Nassau.
 a small international tour in Germany, Austria, England and Switzerland : ISN’T NITS project!

RJ was invited to be the musical ‘chief’ for ‘O die zee’,  a unique music-theatre-spectacle near the Westerschelde in the summer of 2014, inviting Dutch pop-composers of all ranges to write the music, each for one song. It became a true spectacle, was performed 18 times, successfully.
later that year RJ writes and records 10 special pieces after 10 paintings for a special exposition of his brother, painter Wouter Stips entitled ‘Kind van 70’ September 21st at the Singer Museum in Laren, Holland.
( listen/download )

2015

————————————————————

hilversum, helsinki, rennes, münchen, nantes, hamburg, the hague, chappes, quebec, beaufort, delft , lenk