Film director Dick Maas is known to the general public for his films ‘Flodder’, ‘De Lift’ and ‘Amsterdamned’. The music world also knows him as a music video maker, especially for Golden Earring.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Golden Earring had simple films made for their (hit) singles, but it was not until the early 1980s – with the emergence of music channel MTV – that the band realized it had to up its game, and the films had to have a story. So to serve the American market, a real film director was called in: Dick Maas.
- Barry Hay and Dick Maas during shootings for ‘Burning Stuntman’
In 1982 he makes ‘Twilight Zone’ with the band: a resounding international success. Bassist Rinus Gerritsen: ”It was clear that Barry had to play the leading role. Barry is our man for the visual stuff, he also does the layout of the covers. Those tasks are well divided, George and I are more of the music, Barry and Cesar are the entertainers.”
Successor ‘When the Lady Smiles’ (1984) is best known for the sexual assault scene of a nun, which is why the music video did not catch on in America and was relegated to late night on MTV. Between 1982 and 1997, Dick Maas would work five times for Golden Earring as a clip maker, in addition to ‘Twilight Zone’ and ‘When The Lady…’, these are: ‘Clear Night Moonlight’ (1984), ‘Turn the World Around’ (1989), ‘Burning Stuntman’ (1997). He also put together a spectacular concert recording of one and a half hours that will be broadcasted by MTV America.
- Scene from ‘Twilight Zone’ (1982): Cesar Zuiderwijk, George Kooymans, Rinus Gerritsen
Journalist Martin Kuiper (FaceCulture) speaks with Dick Maas and Rinus Gerritsen in front of a live audience at the Music Film Festival, with the screening of all the remastered videoclips on the big screen.