Sandy Coast - Shipwreck (Reissue, Remastered) (1969/1996)

Vermeulen formed the band in 1961 as Sandy Coast Skiffle Group; his bass-playing brother Jan (1945-1999) joined and on his insistence they became Sandy Coast Rockers. The name was eventually abbreviated to Sandy Coast. They performed at community-centers and talent-contests; in 1965 they won a record-contract at Negram and released their debut-single Being in love. Their fourth single, a 1966 cover-version of Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again gave them their first taste of chart-success. I see your face again from their debut-album And their name is... broke the top 20 in the spring of 1968, and Sandy Coast soon traded beat for psychedelic rock. Capital punishment, recorded when Vermeulen suffered a cold, became another top 20-hit early 1969. The same year Sandy Coast signed to Page One; they recorded three singles plus their third album Shipwreck which failed to be as successful als its predecessor From the workshop. The label folded after a row between Larry Page and Dick James; the contract was still valid, and Sandy Coast were unable to put out new material for two years. In 1971 they signed to Polydor and released True Love (That's a Wonder) and Just a Friend. During this period the band were a five-piece completed by pianist Ron Westerbeek, longtime drummer Onno Bevoort and former Livin' Blues bass-player Henk Smitskamp (Jan Vermeulen temporarily switched to rhythm-guitar); the latter soon departed to join Shocking Blue.

Chart-success continued with Just two little creatures and Summertrain in 1972, and Blackboard jungle lady in 1973 album. It was to be their final hit for the next couple of years as Sandy Coast disbanded in 1974.