Kayakhistory: Line-ups

Over the years, Kayak has faced many changes in the line-up. Sometimes, the band even had 'fake' members, or performed songs in a 'wrong' line-up. Some examples:

When Pim Koopman left, young Charles Louis Schouten replaced him. Bert Veldkamp left a couple of months later, with Theo de Jong replacing him. But there was a photo session some time in 1976 after Pim had left, but before Bert left. So, the line-up was: Ton, Max, Johan, Bert and Charles. I have absolutely no idea if this line-up ever played live?


with Bert and Charles

In october 1976, when the band were still looking for a new bassplayer, they were offered a photoshoot for a Dutch magazine. They asked Jan Dijkgraaf -who had just auditioned, but was not in the band- to join the group for the shoot. And there it was: a Kayak that never existed...


left: Jan Dijkgraaf

I also found this picture of the 'Starlight Dancer'-band, but without Charles. Had he already left the band by the time this photo was taken?


Where's Charles?

In the Kayak book, I read that the band once mimed 'Want You To Be Mine' for a Dutch TV-show. Not in the 'Starlight Dancer' set-up, but already with the 'Phantom...' line-up.

But the strangest Kayak appeared in 1982. Kayak was no more, but manager Frits Hirschland got an invitation for a promotional visit to Italy, including an appearance on RAI Television.There, they mimed to 'Merlin', with the following people on stage: Ton, Johan, Peter, Irene and Katherine (both of whom had already left the band in 1981) at least were familiar faces. But with Max and Edward gone, they borrowed drummer Ab Tamboer from Earth & Fire, and asked singer John Philippo (from Sfinx) to be Edward for a day. Of course, John later joined Ton and Johan in the band Europe.