Johan (band)

Johan was a Dutch band fronted by singer/guitarist Jacco de Greeuw. Their music has been primarily influenced by bands such as The Beatles, Crowded House, and The Byrds.

Biography

Jacco de Greeuw founded Thank God For Us in the late eighties, after having played in several other bands. The band was renamed Little Mary Big when joined by Marike Groot. With this band, he reached second place at the Grote Prijs van Nederland, an important music competition in the Netherlands. However, arguments with female vocalist Marike Groot (who later appeared on Always..., the debut album of The Gathering), forced them to break up the band. De Greeuw formed a new band named Visions of Johanna after a Bob Dylan song. In 1992 they competed once again in the Grote Prijs competition, reaching the semi-finals this time.

After some changes in the line-up, the band signed a contract with Excelsior Recordings in 1995 and released a single (Swing). One year later, in 1996, the band’s name was shortened to Johan. Under this name the band released a self-titled debut album. The album was received well by Dutch critics and became a commercial success.