Diesel (band)

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For the other musical group known as Diesel, see Johnny Diesel.

Diesel was a Dutch pop/rock group that became one of the few Dutch acts to chart in the U.S. when their song, "Sausalito Summernight," entered the U.S. Top 40 in 1981.

[edit] Early career

Diesel, composed of Rob Vunderink (guitar/vocals), Mark Boon (guitar), Frank Papendrecht (bass) and Pim Koopman (drums/keyboards) formed in the late 1970s, and released their first single in 1979. They had several hits in the Netherlands following their formation, but were coming apart by 1980.

[edit] Breakthrough

In 1981 Watts in a Tank was released in the U.S.. The single Sausalito Summernight, a song that had been only a minor hit in the Netherlands, became a huge U.S. radio hit, and rose to #25 on the U.S. Top 40. It reached #1 in Canada. Watts in a Tank itself went up to #65 on the Billboard 200. Diesel, fuelled by this success, recorded another album, Unleaded, in 1982. This album was produced by American producer Steve Yellick. The album flopped and Diesel hardly survived Mr. Yellick.

Sausalito Summernight was the opening track of their debut album, recorded in 1979. Diesel broke up several times.

[edit] Comebacks

During their 1987 resurrection they scored in their home country with Samantha, a song Pim Koopman had contributed to a Beach Boys' album that would never be recorded.

Diesel has since resurfaced in various line-ups but has never come close to another US hit.

A five-minute version of Sausalito Summernights appeared on a CD re-release in 2002.

Pim Koopman had been the drummer of Dutch pop group Kayak that had a 1978 hit in the US, Want you to be mine.