Supersister is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in The Hague, Netherlands in 1968. The classic lineup consisted of Robert Jan Stips (keyboards, vocals), Sacha van Geest (flute), Marco Vrolijk (drums) and Ron van Eck (bass). The group underwent multiple lineup changes over the course of its history, including the deaths of van Geest and van Eck. Their first and biggest hit was "She Was Naked" in 1970.

History Originally formed as a school band under the name The Blubs in 1965, the band's initial lineup included Stips, Vrolijk, van Geest, van Eck, and briefly Rob Douw and Daniel Denis. The Blubs continued to play at local venues for the next three years. After Douw and Denis both left in 1968, the remaining quartet renamed themselves Supersister in 1968.

The single She Was Naked spawned their biggest hit to date, reaching the Netherlands Top 40 and granting them a record deal with Polydor Records that same year. In 1970 Polydor Records released their first album Present from Nancy in 1970 The next two years see the release of To The Highest Bidder and Pudding and Gisteren, followed by the departure of van Geest and Vrolijk (replaced by Charly Mariano and Herman van Boeyen, respectively).

By 1973, the band started to incorporate more jazz fusion elements into their music moving forward and began recording what would become their fourth album Iskander. After its release, Mariano was replaced by Elton Dean while Stips left the band to play keyboards briefly in another Dutch band, Golden Earring. The band decided to split up after the release of their fifth album Spiral Staircase in 1974, citing diminishing interest in the band's jazz fusion direction and lackluster commercial reception.

A 2000 reunion included the "classic" lineup of the band (Stips, van Geest, Vrolijk, and van Eck) and was held at Progfest in Los Angeles. Memories Are New, the band's first official studio album in 26 years, was released to commemorate the reunion and included new material from 1969 to 1973. The reunion came to a premature end as Sacha van Geest unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2001.

In 2010, the last three remaining members of the "classic" lineup reunited once again for a performance at VPRO. In 2011, Ron van Eck died of cancer and Stips and Vrolijk decide to permanently split up the band. Almost a decade later in 2019, Robert Jan Stips announced the formation of a spin-off group called the Supersister Projekt 2019, with two new members; Rinus Gerritsen and Leon Klaasse. The new band continued touring throughout the next years and in 2024, the band released The Elton Dean Sessions which includes live sessions recorded from that era with Elton Dean. In 2025, the band released the studio album Nancy Never Knew, the first studio album released under the official band name in decades.

Members

Robert Jan Stips - vocals, keyboard (1968-1974, 2000–2001, 2010–2011, 2019-present) Leon Klaasse - drums (2019-present) Rinus Gerritsen - bass (2019-present)

Past members Sacha van Geest - flute (1968-1972, 2000–2001; died 2001) Marco Vrolijk - drums (1968-1972, 2000–2001, 2010–2011) Ron van Eck - bass (1968-1974, 2000–2001, 2010–2011; died 2011) Rob Douw - vocals, songwriting (1967-1968) Charley Mariano - flute, clarinet, saxophone (1973-1974) Herman van Boeyen - drums (1973-1974) Rob Kruisman - flute, saxophone (1974) John Schuursma - guitar (1974) Elton Dean - saxophone (1974-1975) Gerhard Smid - guitar, vocals (1968-1969) Daniel Denis - drums (1965-1968)

Discography

Studio albums TitleDetailsPresent from NancyReleased: 1970 Label: Polydor RecordsTo The Highest BidderReleased: 1971 Label: Polydor RecordsPudding And GisterenReleased: 1972 Label: Polydor RecordsIskanderReleased: 1973 Label: Polydor RecordsSpiral StaircaseReleased: 1974 Label: Polydor RecordsMemories Are NewReleased: 2000 Label: Soss MusicRetsis Repus (Supersister Projekt 2019)Released: 2019 Label: Soss MusicNancy Never KnewReleased: 2025 Label: Soss Music

Live albums TitleDetailsSupersisteriousReleased: 2001 Label: Soss MusicLong Live Supersister!Released: 2013 Label: Pseudonym Records / VPROLive In Scheveningen 1972Released: September 4, 2021 Label: Soss MusicThe Elton Dean SessionsReleased: 2024 Label: Soss Music

Compilations TitleDetailsSuperstarshine Vol. 3Released: 1972 Label: Polydor RecordsStartrack Vol. 1Released: 1973 Label: Polydor RecordsPresent From Nancy / To The Highest BidderReleased: 1990 Label: Polydor RecordsIskander / Spiral StaircaseReleased: 1990 Label: Polydor RecordsPudding En Gisteren / SuperstarshineReleased: 1990 Label: Polydor RecordsThe Universal Masters CollectionReleased: 2002 Label: Polydor RecordsDreaming WheelwhileReleased: 2012 Label: Music On VinylIskander / To The Highest BidderReleased: 2012 Label: Polydor Records / Universal MusicPresent From Nancy / Pudding And GisterenReleased: 2015 Label: Polydor Records / Universal MusicThe Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music (A&B Sides And More)Released: 2016 Label: Universal MusicMemories Are New (Complete Studio Albums Collection + Bonus CD)Released: 2018 Label: Universal MusicLooking Back, NakedReleased: 2020 No LabelThe Sound Of Music - The First Fifty Years 1970-2020Released: 2021 Label: Music On Vinyl, Polydor Records

Singles TitleDetailsShe Was Naked / Spiral StaircaseReleased: 1970 Label: Blossom RecordsFancy NancyReleased: 1970 Label: Polydor RecordsA Girl Named You / Missing LinkReleased: 1971 Label: Polydor RecordsNo Tree Will Grow / A Girl Named YouReleased: 1971 Label: Polydor RecordsNo Tree Will Grow / She Was NakedReleased: 1971 Label: Polydor RecordsNo Tree Will Grow (On Too High A Mountain)Released: 1972 Label: Polydor RecordsRadioReleased: 1972 Label: Polydor RecordsWowReleased: 1973 Label: Polydor RecordsBagoasReleased: 1973 Label: Polydor RecordsCoconut Woman (feat. Los Alegres) / Here Comes The DoctorReleased: 1975 Label: Polydor Records

References

External links

Official website of Robert Jan Stips Unofficial Supersisters fan website & biography

Supersister at Discogs