Bertus Borgers & Mr. Albert Show - Strange Story (Live) (2014)

Mr. Albert Show was a Dutch sax-rock band that released a self-titled album on Philips in 1970, followed by Warm Motor in 1971.

Members: Bertus Borgers (saxophone, flute, vocals), Roeland “Broer” Boogaart (drums), Tom Fautu Bun (bass), Eric Lintermans (guitar, vocals), Bonkie Bongaerts (organ), Floortje Klomp [Fleur Colombe] (vocals)

Background:
Mr. Albert Show formed after Moses and the Scouts and Dirty Underwear, two bands from Eindhoven, Netherlands, shared a bill in Mannheim, Germany, on August 30, 1969. Realizing their musical similarities, members of both camps — reedist Bertus Borgers, guitarist Eric Lintermans, organist Bonki Bongaerts, bassist Tom Fautubun, and drummer Broer Bogaart — formed a new band. Just prior to their first gig, the unnamed act chose Mr. Albert Show, a reference to a shy roadie in their entourage named Albert.

The band demoed material that Borgers pitched to Red Bullet Productions, which signed them to a four-year contract. Mr. Albert Show added singer Floortje Klomp, who cut two 1968 folk-pop singles (one as Fleur Colombe) on Polydor. Their self-titled album appeared on Philips in 1970.

Mr. Albert Show features nine originals written or co-written by Borgers, including “King Horse,” “Don’t Worry,” “Wild Sensation,” and “Revolver.” Co-writes include the Borgers/Lintermans “White” (with lyrics by one Van der Heyden) and two tracks co-written with pianist Cees Schrama: “Kings of Galaxy” and “There’s a Sad Song in the Air.” The opening number, “Act of Love,” has words by English poet Roger McGough.

Mr. Albert Show was recorded at GTB Studios, The Hague, by Peter Koelewijn, a popular Dutch singer who mostly produced pop acts (Bonny St. Claire, Ciska Peters). Original copies came in a gatefold sleeve with a band photo (back cover) that shows the members in caricature masks.

The album spawned two singles: “Wild Sensation” (b/w “Kings of Galaxy”) and “King Horse” (b/w the non-album Borgers/Schrama “I Can’t Help It”). Klomp departed soon after this release, leaving Mr. Albert Show as a five-piece.

“Kings of Galaxy” appeared that year on the multi-artist Philips compilation Twen Parade 3 along with cuts by Ekseption, Sandy Coast, Fairy Tale, and Zen. “Wild Sensation” appears on the 1979 Philips comp The Best Of with cuts by Earth and Fire, Kayak, Partner, Trace, and Water.