In the history of Nederpop, only a few Dutch bands could rival the Shoes’ (formed as The White Shoes, in 1963, in Zoeterwoude) consistency of releasing top hit material.
In the period between 1966 and 1970, all of their singles entered the hit parade. And afterall, it is not surprising at all, considering how hard they were working at the time, and how consistent their output was – truly one of the Netherlands’ top hitmakers in the late 60s.
The group specialised in good, commercial rock and pop, and was constantly promoted at the time by Radio Veronica (the station which specialised in Dutch bands – Nederbeat and Nederpop); thus consistently dominating the airwaves all around the country! Besides, the band members were able to turn their hits into good, solid live performances thanks to a wealth of stage experience they’d possessed from their previous tours of Germany. The "black"-like, soul voice of Van Es was the most remarkable aspect of the band’s sound. It was this special voice (resembling that of Steve Winwood in some ways) that's responsible for the emergence of a staggering string of the hits between 1966 and 1970, including "Standing and Staring" (66), "Na Na Na", "Farewell in the Rain" (67), "No Money for the Roses", "Don't You Cry For a Girl" (68) and "Osaka" (70).
No wonder it was hugely disappointing news when Van Es announced his departure from the group, but the band soldiered on, and within the next couple of years, the rest of the band members tried their luck at retaining the popularity without him in the fold.Van Es subsequently went on to some moderate success with his own formation, Teddy Lane.
Following a great deal of friction and internal disagreements within the Shoes, they finally split up some time in 1973. However, upon the return of van Es into the formation, and the subsequent reunion of sorts, the Shoes managed to secure one more hit, "Face to Face". The LP with a rather unremarkable sleeve, "Make Up Your Make Up" was greeted with mixed feelings and mixed reviews.
Wie The Shoes Past (Who The Shoes Fit) Polydor 1968 Greatest Hits Polydor 1969 Let The Shoeshine In Polydor 1971 Best Of 1973 Make Up Your Make Up Negram 1974
1966 Standing and staring/Ask my mother Polydor S 1210
1967 Nanana/Listen to the lyrics of this song Polydor S 1219
Peace and privacy/Once again Polydor S 1237
Farewell in the rain/What in the world is love Polydor S 1249
1968 Farewell in the rain/Nanana [Frans] Vogue DV 14718
No money for roses/Imagination Polydor S 1257
Man's life/I don't want to go Polydor S 1265
Don't you cry for a girl/Shooting star Polydor S 1282
Tank Esso Mix/He spoiled the days Esso LP 1
LP Wie de Shoes past Polydor 236168
1969 Emptiness/End of the line Polydor S 1301
That tender looking angel/Trip around the world Polydor S 1310
Happiness is in this beat/My girl Flo Polydor S 1318
Daylight/Time is what I need Polydor S 1331
End of the line/Happiness is in this beat [Duitsland] Polydor 59354
LP Greatest hits Polydor 1236813
1970 Osaka/Flutes, horns, strings and drums Polydor 2050014
Adios Corazon/I'm on my way Polydor 2050035
After all/Highways and byways Polydor 2050062
LP Let the Shoes shine in Polydor 2441013
1971 Bless the day/Be what you are Polydor 2050085
Join the celebration/Little miss lonely Polydor 2050122
1973 LP The best Polydor 2495046
1974 Face to face/No one knows Negram NG 403
Up and down/Sha la la Negram NG 432
Make up your make-up/Good morning everyone Negram NG 454
LP Make up your make-up Negram NR 103
1975 The hour comes nigh/Bumpy sound Negram NG 488
Who am I/Angel of the night Negram NG 2068
1980 LP Greatest hits Polydor 2426026
Standing and staring/Nanana [op 2LP Haagse beatnach] CNR 772005/06
1981 Osaka/Nanana CNR 141786
1982 LP Live '81 CNR 660102
THE SHOES
3-12-66 SINGLE 13 12 STANDING AND STARING
18-2-67 SINGLE 6 12 NA NA NA
20-5-67 SINGLE 14 6 PEACE AND PRIVACY
7-10-67 SINGLE 14 8 FAREWELL IN THE RAIN
9-3-68 SINGLE 14 9 NO MONEY FOR ROSES
25-5-68 SINGLE 11 7 MAN'S LIFE
7-9-68 SINGLE 5 9 DON'T YOU CRY FOR A GIRL
25-1-69 SINGLE 34 3 EMPTYNESS
10-5-69 SINGLE 26 4 THAT TENDER LOOKING ANGEL
2-8-69 SINGLE 19 5 HAPPINESS IS IN THIS BEAT
29-11-69 SINGLE 35 2 DAYLIGHT
11-4-70 SINGLE 6 10 OSAKA
18-7-70 SINGLE 30 3 ADIOS CORAZON
24-10-70 SINGLE tip AFTER ALL
9-2-74 SINGLE 12 7 FACE TO FACE [Alarmschijf op 2-2-74]
22-6-74 SINGLE tip UP AND DOWN
9-11-74 SINGLE 26 4 MAKE UP YOUR MAKE UP
22-2-75 SINGLE tip THE HOUR COMES NIGH
Henk and Jan Versteegen, ex-Shoes.
1976 Old friend/Me and you Negram NG 2146 1977 Me and you/Old friend Negram NG 2243