The Attraction (1978)

As of today, Friday August 27 2021, the album Cinecittà – from JP’s former band The Attraction – will be available on streaming services. The Attraction was a Dutch band, that operated in the late seventies. First there was Another Roadside Attraction, an acoustic folky foursome that played small venues, consisting of leadsinger Emile Den Tex, bassguitar player Jaap van der Sluijs, accordeonist Kees Maat and guitarist John Schuursma. Later Emile’s singing brother Jan Piet (JP) and two members of the Roadside Atrraction (Kees Maat and Jaap van der Sluijs) formed an electric spin-off, The Attraction – using various drummers, among whom Peter Swinkels and Jos Hermeler. Emile, JP and Jaap had earlier been part of cult band Tortilla (Little Heroes, 1971), whose music would now be described as alt country.

Working together on The Attraction album (Cinecittà, 1978) it soon became obvious that the tastes of the Den Tex Brothers had been drifting apart: Emile was moving in a UK rock direction (Bad Company, Rod Stewart), whereas JP (who wrote most of the songs) favoured a softer, ‘more continental’ approach. It resulted in ‘Cinecittà’, a somewhat eclectic final product, which nevertheless strikes the listener as well-balanced and intriguingly beautiful. Some well-known Dutch musicians assisted in the making of the album, three members of progrock group Solution (keyboard player Willem Ennes, alto saxophonist Tom Barlage and drummer Hans Waterman), guitarist John Schuursma (Rob Hoeke Group, Brainbox) and the piano player of Paradiso’s House Band, Jacob Klaasse. Here’s the link on Spotify (click here).