I first touched on Dutch duo Maywood back in January of this year with their 1980 debut, and had I adopted my motif that I have as of late, I would have ultimately stayed the course, and gone through their second and third albums as well. While that opportunity may have passed, that doesn't mean I can't pick up where I left off, and dive in.
Honestly, I don't touch much on the history of sisters, Alice May (Aaltje de Vries), and Caren Wood (Doetje de Vries), during my initial post. The two have had a storied career together as an act, starting at a young age, and being a part of numerous groups. These included their first, De Karina's in 1974, followed by Colt 45 in 1976, and later their own duo The Lady Pop's. By 1979, the girls decided they would continue together under the name Maywood.
The single, You Treated Me Wrong, from their 1980 self titled debut, didn't garner much attention on the charts. However, it did pave the way for a series of successful hits to come. Sister Alice was the lead contributor to writing the English language tracks which would be their most successful. This was aided by ex-Kayak drummer Pim Koopman, who worked with the girls in his infancy years of producer.
Late At Night, also from their debut, would become their first number one hit. Though they wouldn't make a big splash in the United States, they would still become popular in fifty-two countries during this time. They would go on to win multiple prizes and awards at festivals in West Germany, Poland, Japan and Korea. Maywood also toured extensively in Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Indonesia and the Soviet Union.
Let's pause here on a picture perfect start to dive into their 1981 sophomore album, Different World, as while things started off on such a high note, they would ultimately sour, leading to a break up, cancelled reunion plans, and lawsuits.
Different World features the song Rio, which introduced me to Maywood. This song takes me back to a time when we were kids in South Africa, being treated to music by our sister, who would play various records and cassettes for us while mom and dad were off somewhere. It's the tune which prompted my looking for their albums, and led to me buying them all from a now forgotten website.
Playing through it, I was once again caught off guard by how much I enjoyed it. I really didn't expect Maywood to pack the punch that they did. Alice deliver's solidly written hits (in my opinion), while Caren's vocals continue to haunt my soul with their echoing pitches. Seriously, someone reading this has got to catch on, and give them a try. You're honestly missing out.
Tracks Rio, It's A Different World, You're The One, Pasadena, I'm In Love For The Very First Time, Distant Love, all became part of my ever expanding shuffle list. It's definitely a solid one from start to finish, and excited me for the prospect of hearing more.
Maywood would return in 1982 with their third album, Colour My Rainbow, and after a break, in 1987 with Beside You, wrapping up the 80's for them. However, they found themselves in a steady decline of sales and popularity. Despite this, the girls were chosen to go to Eurovision in 1990 by the Netherlands to perform Ik wil alles met je delen (I Want To Go Everywhere With You). However, technical difficulties throughout their performance would see them finishing in fifteenth place.
Things only got worse for Maywood from there, but we have to take a pause, lest we have nothing to add to tomorrow's post, where we pick up with 1982's Colour My Rainbow. I know, I know, just as things were starting to get juicy.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS June 25, 1983 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS June 25, 1988 |
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