The Nederlandstalige Top 1000, the list of the 1000 best Dutch songs, was revealed between October 3rd and October 7th on NPO Sterren NL, a digital radio station part of the AVROTROS broadcaster and on Sterren Aan Tafel talk show. NPO Sterren NL asked its listeners to vote for the 1000 greatest Dutch songs of all time.
"Zoals Vrienden Doen", a duet by Bonnie St. Claire and José Hoebee from 1985, reached Nr. 192 on the Nederlandstalige Top 1000.
Click here to see the entire Nederlandstalige Top 1000.
Zoals Vrienden Doen was a Dutch cover version of The Way Old Friends Do originally performed live by ABBA at the Wembley Arena in London in November 1979. The Super Trouper album (released by the Swedish Fab Four in late 1980) closed with this song. On June 6th, 2016, the members of ABBA took the world by surprise when they appeared together at a private party at Berns Salonger in Stockholm, which was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus's first meeting. On this special occasion, Agnetha Fältskog and Frida Lyngstad performed The Way Old Friends Do live before they were joined on stage by Andersson and Ulvaeus.
Zoals Vrienden Doen (released in June 1985 by RCA Records) is considered the signature song of the Bonnie & José duo. The Dutch lyrics of Zoals Vrienden Doen were written by the legendary singer Benny Neyman. The record was produced by José's husband, Will Hoebee (a sought-after producer at the time) and arranged by the Eurovision Song Contest conductor Harry van Hoof.
Bonnie & José on July 11th, 1985 on Nederland Muziekland (Veronica TV channel)
Zoals Vrienden Doen was the foretaste of Bonnie & José's LP entitled "Herinnering" (including Dutch cover versions of ABBA songs) which came out in September 1985. In November 2020, Bonnie & José's album was reissued on CD/DVD by the independent label CD-licious.
Even though it was initially an ABBA song, Zoals Vrienden Doen became a classic of Dutch-speaking pop music. Several Dutch and Flemish artists covered it over the years. Among them were Marty, Dana Winner, Eric Flanders & Margriet Hermans, Annie Schilder & Anja Steur, Janneke de Roo, Anita & De Stormvogels, Dutch Show Company and Amira Willighagen.
Source: NPO Sterren NL, Luv' weblog archives