The Vanden Plas
News 2002 - 2011
November 25, 2011
The Vanden Plas finally goes digital. Santa Margherita in all it's various mixes including those by Derrick Carter, Peace Division and Guy Williams, as well as the B-side are now on iTunes. Four additional singles are up there too released from the vaults for your pleasure. Visit The Vanden Plas iTunes page here
June 11, 2011
DJing the opening night of the Urban Physic Garden in Southwark, a pop up medicinal garden on a derelict building site. I played on stage in the operating theatre, finishing the night off with Heal The World, though the hoped for lighters in the air moment didn't happen.
July 03, 2010
I've DJed a lot of weddings over the years but I've never cycled to one. Today the ceremony was at the National Liberal Club in Westminster so it was close to home. The challenge was then just about getting my stuff there. Fortunately I've have a commodious customised shopping trolley as a trailer for my bike, so everything was able to be loaded into that. The only pity was that the contraption wasn't powered, or I'd finally have myself a mobile sound system.
August 15, 2009
DJed my first 'guerrilla wedding'. Linsey and Tom asked guests to turn up at Brockwell Park walled garden for their humanist ceremony. I DJed the party afterwards at the Regent, with a mixture of Black Beauty and Rage Against The Machine as the first official dance (not my choice, but always happy to experiment and it worked a treat).
July 06, 2009
Our record Santa Margherita has been included on a new compilation CD put out by Salvatore Ferragamo in the USA. Downloads are available here:
February 04, 2009
October 10, 2008
Lots more music from The Vanden Plas is now available at Last FM. Just don't get us muddled with those far less sophistcatedly titled rockers "Vanden Plas", as our music and theirs tends to get muddled up at Last FM!
June 21, 2008
"Well traveled" or "International DJ" can now be added to The Vanden Plas's track record. I DJed my old friend and one time manager's wedding in Brussel's Bibliothèque Solvay, Parc Leopold. It was a beautiful and energetic afternoon, ending in the early hours of the next day, wedding guests piled onto a park bench swigging the last of the champagne.
March 27, 2008
Independiente, who we were signed to in 2003, have signed over all the master copies of The Vanden Plas including remixes of 'Santa Margherita' by Derrick Carter, Guy Williams and Peace Division. These are have been delivered in the charmingly inaccessible DAT format but I hope will be extracted shortly and made available to buy online as MP3s for the first time.
December 08, 2007
The Vanden Plas fulfilled a lifelong ambition by DJing at the spectacular Rivoli Ballroom in South London last night for the Goldsmith's Undergraduate Christmas Party. The billing was shared with Vinyl Matt and a curious looking nu-rave Father Christmas character (although he insisted the white beard was both perennial and natural and that the skinny red jeans and hoody were not worn for the occasion). The favourite tune of the night was a nine minute Salsoul Records Christmas Medley.
August 09, 2007
The Vanden Plas will be playing on August 18 at a fundraising event for Trans-Tanz, a chartiable bus in Tanzania. It's at The Stag in Belzize Park London. More details at this Facebook page:
May 27, 2007
Lots of new and unreleased tracks from The Vanden Plas are now available on www.Last.fm. Search for "The Vanden Plas" and apologies if at the same time you stumble across our German hard rock namesakes, known more informally as Vanden Plas. Visit LastFM here.
November 11, 2006
Yesterday morning I received a USB stick in the post in an envelope with a Salzburg post mark on it. It comes from an art project called Subnet. I have no idea why I have received this. I can’t recall any friends or acquaitances in Salzburg, perhaps they are a previous eBay customer, a subscriber to my GuerrillaGardening.org website, a friend of a friend? Anyway I like the idea and puzzled for a few moments over what to save on it. I have chosen a pass on a song I recorded a couple of years ago called Lifetime Lovers. As this tune passes from hand to hand on the USB stick it represents that Lifetime Love we all believe is out there somewhere in the world, that hope of finding a soulmate, the search for the one person in the world meant for you. As this tune passes from hand to hand on the USB stick I also hope you take a listen and it triggers a little interest in the song! Lifetime Lovers was to be the follow up to my first record, Santa Margherita by The Vanden Plas but the record company lost interest and it has sat on my hard drive ever since. Now it is free to find your love!
October 05, 2006
The Vanden Plas now have a MySpace page where four tracks can be heard on the music player and a few pictures have been uploaded. www.myspace.com/thevandenplas
September 02, 2006
August 02, 2006
July 10, 2006
May 11, 2006
Copies of "One Night At Momo's Kemia Bar", which includes a full length edit of Santa Margherita are now available from my online shop for £12. Click here to buy one via PayPal.
January 30, 2006
As The Crimea grow gradually in stature (they had their first Top 40 hit a couple of weeks ago) and their album TRAGEDY ROCKS comes out today, so does hope that The Vanden Plas remix of Baby Boom might one day get a proper release. It's the only remix they've ever had done, and for now it sits in the deep freezer. Raise the subject in their forum here
August 12, 2005
"£1.99, only £1.99, £1.99 only £1.99" - sung to the tune from Guantanamera. If you've seen that on TV or heard it on the radio advertising burger offers then credit/blame goes to The Vanden Plas and Rob Clayman. Apologies to the Republic of Ireland, where some fool insisted it was adapted to "E2.99, only E2.99". View our X-rated online version here
August 02, 2005
Those stolen copies of 'Santa Margherita' have been found, stashed away with my coffee table and Persian rug, in a neighbouring garage at Perronet House. Found by chance, the villains had accidentally left the door to their bounty a jar, and I spotted a familiar mahogony table leg. The missing MG (minus wheels) has also been found. Getting it back from police custody is another adventure all together.
June 03, 2005
The Vanden Plas have recorded a new track for this year’s Everyman ad campaign - raising awareness of testicular cancer. The ad shows pop princess Rachel Stevens at home in her bedroom. Talking directly to camera she encourages men to put their hands down their trousers and play with their balls. The music was recorded in one night between the hours of 11pm and 4am, and takes on the sultry late night vibe of one man at his computer engrossed in pornography. You can view the ad at http://www.rachelgetsfruity.com/. If you listen hard you might be able to hear Rachel's last single, Negotiate With Love, being played backwards, and the sound of a my vacuum cleaner representing the male moment of gratification.
May 29, 2005
"Santa Margherita" has been stolen by a gang of South London car theives. Two boxes containing about a hundred copies of the original release, MARX3, were lifted along with a Victorian chest of drawers and a 1969 MGB GT (OCK 143H) from my lock up in the Elephant & Castle.
If you happen to be offered a copy from someone, please drop me a line here (richard@thevandenplas.com) and I'll see if we can trace these precious copies and my dear car.
January 02, 2005
January 01, 2005
September 08, 2004
Uniting Nations 'Out Of Touch' has been racing around the dance floors of the North West England this summer. They came to me looking for a luxurious southern restyling and I've just finished the necessary panel beating and upholstery. For the original version listen to Hall & Oates "Big Bam Boom" Arthur Baker/Bob Clearmountain album from 1984 and crank it up to plus 6 on the SL1210.
June 29, 2004
'Santa Margherita', the full length original 12" edit makes it onto CD for the first time as part of 'One Night at Momo's Kemia Bar' compilation on Most Records. The compilation has been described by INTERSECTION magazine as "seductive sound souvenirs from London's chic but bacchanalian Moroccan bar, fitting for late night motoring misbehaviour". The Vanden Plas is for motoring at any time. It's out on Monday July 19th. The only remaining copies of the 12" of Santa Margherita are currently in my SE1 lock-up and available if you want one.
June 25, 2004
I've just finished a remix of 'Mysterious', which will be Jentina's third single for Virgin: www.jentina.co.uk. It's the first track I've recorded at Perronet House, a pad with dysfunctionally hot central heating, a blocked kitchen sink, and occasional power cuts. Late nights, rounds of Marmite on toast and the occasional Campari and tonic got me through it. The record reeks of my sweat. I'll mail subscribers when the release date is confirmed.
June 10, 2004
March 10, 2004
"Let's Stop" is released on Eskimo as part of the "Ivan Smagghe Presents Death Disco" compilation, where they charmingly and mistakenly list it as being called "Let's Stop Marx". It's alongside 12 other electro house tracks by Dub Pistols, Chicks On Speed, Paul Rutherford, Kiki, Quark Sweet, Exorcist and others. It's the only release of "Let's Stop" on CD.
February 20, 2004
The Vanden Plas play Catch 22, Kingsland Rd, for Made By Hands' London Fashion week show and inadvertently find themselves embroiled in a piece of performance art by Charles of London. Their show culminated with a minor fracas in the DJ booth and a stage full of partially clad models smashing up dining room chairs.
November 13, 2003
October 10, 2003
October 08, 2003
The Vanden Plas remix of Martina Topley Bird's "Anything" gets a good reaction.
- Dean Meredith / Chicken Lips (Various - Worldwide) “’Vanden Plas’ are like a breath of fresh air! Great production.”
- Richard Dorfmeister (Various - Worldwide) “Intense and deep love it!”
- Michael Reinboth (Compost Records / Various – Europe) “Vanden Plas mix is a lovely deep sounding tune. Touches me – love it.”
- Paula Temple (Virtual FM / Various – UK) ”Absolutely wonderful. This is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years. The Vanden Plas remixes a perfect compliment to the original. Damn it’s so elegant and absorbing, will give all my support. I hope this one gets Martina truly noticed, she so deserves it.”
- Dean Meredith / Chicken Lips (Various - Worldwide) “’Vanden Plas’ are like a breath of fresh air! Great production.”
- Richard Dorfmeister (Various - Worldwide) “Intense and deep love it!”
- Michael Reinboth (Compost Records / Various – Europe) “Vanden Plas mix is a lovely deep sounding tune. Touches me – love it.”
- Paula Temple (Virtual FM / Various – UK) ”Absolutely wonderful. This is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years. The Vanden Plas remixes a perfect compliment to the original. Damn it’s so elegant and absorbing, will give all my support. I hope this one gets Martina truly noticed, she so deserves it.”
September 25, 2003
September 08, 2003
August 28, 2003
August 04, 2003
July 25, 2003
The Vanden Plas III T-shirts are available as a limited edition run of 50. You can buy them from Animal Alien, Redchurch Street, London, (0207 613 0934) or from this site.
July 11, 2003
July 05, 2003
July 04, 2003
June 14, 2003
May 04, 2003
April 27, 2003
April 13, 2003
December 11, 2002
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