Ton Scherpenzeel

Ton Scherpenzeel (Hilversum, Netherlands 6 August 1952) is a keyboardist and a founding member of the Dutch rock band Kayak, together with Pim Koopman and Max Werner whom he met whilst at the Hilversum Muziek Lyceum (Hilversum College of Music).

His first solo album (1978) was an adaptation of Le carnaval des animaux by French classical music composer Camille Saint-Saëns. In 1980, Ton wrote the score for the Dutch movie Spetters, featuring Rutger Hauer. His second solo album, Heart of the Universe (with Chris Rainbow), came in 1984 and is a combination of instrumental and vocal tracks.

Subsequent to Kayak, Ton became the keyboardist of Camel, a British band. He also played several years with Earth and Fire. He also wrote almost all music for the songs in the shows of Dutch comedian Youp van 't Hek.

In 1991 Scherpenzeel released his third solo album Virgin Grounds, under the pseudonym Orion.^[1] In 1998 he played a synth solo on the song "Cosmic Fusion", from Ayreon's album Into the Electric Castle, a rock opera on which Edward Reekers, also of Kayak, played one of the main roles. In 2013 he released his fourth solo CD, The Lion's Dream.

Scherpenzeel has a notable fear of flying, that has limited his touring to the European continent.^[2]

Discography

Solo

• Le carnaval des animaux (1978)
• Heart of the Universe (1984)
• Virgin Grounds (1991, under the pseudonym Orion)^[1]
• The Lion's Dream (2013)

Studio albums with Kayak

• See See the Sun (1973)
• Kayak II (1974)
• Royal Bed Bouncer (1975)
• The Last Encore (1976)
• Starlight Dancer (1977)
• Phantom of the Night (1979)
• Periscope Life (1980)
• Merlin (1981)
• Eyewitness (1981) ("Live" studio album)
• Close to the Fire (2000)
• Night Vision (2001)
• Merlin – Bard of the Unseen (2003)
• Nostradamus – The Fate of Man (2005) (Double CD)
• Coming Up for Air (2008)
• Letters from Utopia (2009)
• Anywhere but Here (2011)

With Earth and Fire

• Phoenix (1989)^[3]

With Camel

• Stationary Traveller (1984)^[4]
• Pressure Points (1984, live)^[5]
• Dust and Dreams (1991)^[6]
• Rajaz (1999)^[7]

With others

• Into the Electric Castle (1998, with Ayreon)^[8]

References

External links

• Camel web site (visited on 2006-03-08)
• Kayak web site (visited on 2006-03-08)
• Earth & Fire web site (visited on 2006-03-08)