Earth and Fire

Earth and Fire

Company type	Musical ensemble
Industry	Music
Founded	1968
Founder	Chris Koerts, Gerard Koerts
Defunct	1990
Headquarters	Voorschoten , Netherlands
Products	Rock and pop music

Earth and Fire was a Dutch ensemble blending rock and pop genres, founded by the twin siblings Chris and Gerard Koerts. Their breakthrough came in 1970 when they incorporated vocalist Jerney Kaagman as their lead singer.

Between 1970 and 1974, nearly all of their first eight singles reached the top five in the Netherlands, also charting in Belgium and Germany, though their impact in the UK and US markets remained modest. Shifting towards pop music, their most notable success was the 1979 track "Weekend," which topped disco charts in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland. In the United States, their records were released under the name E & F [Polydor 2118].

Formative Years: The Singing Twins and The Swinging Strings

Hailing from Voorschoten, brothers Chris and Gerard Koerts initially performed as "The Singing Twins" beginning in 1960. Following a 1962 talent contest—where future bassist Hans Ziech showed interest—they gravitated towards rock music. In 1963, they joined a local beat group that focused on instrumental pieces until 1965. Renamed The Swinging Strings that year, they started performing covers of songs by The Beatles and The Byrds, mainly throughout North and South Holland. By late 1966, they had secured multiple local talent contest victories, attracted a fan base exceeding 250 members, and caught the attention of radio personality Willem van Kooten.

Opus Gainfull and the Evolution into Earth and Fire

By 1967, the Koerts twins aimed to move beyond cover tunes. They dissolved The Swinging Strings, renamed their group Opus Gainfull, and added bassist Hans Ziech and drummer Cees Kalis from The Soul, along with guitarist Eric Wenink. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane, they composed original material throughout 1968–69. Vocalist Manuela Berloth joined but departed by late 1969. Subsequently, the Koerts brothers took over vocal duties while opening for Golden Earring. In September 1969, Jerney Kaagman was recruited as lead vocalist.

Their first album, Earth and Fire (1970), yielded three successful singles: "Seasons" peaked at number two on Dutch charts with sales near 60,000 copies; "Ruby Is the One" reached number four with about 40,000 copies sold.

By 1977, following four albums and nine hit singles including the chart-topping "Memories"—which was also honored as song of the year in Israel—and "Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Tonight," their album Gate to Infinity did not meet expectations. Its lead single "78th Avenue" failed to break into the Dutch top ten. In 1978, drummer Ton van der Kleij and bassist Theo Hurts exited the band. The following year saw a second number one hit with "Weekend," after which Chris Koerts left the group feeling he had accomplished his ambitions.

The band disbanded in 1983; Jerney Kaagman embarked on a solo path before becoming a judge on the popular Dutch "Idols" show. They briefly reunited in 1987. Since then, key members have passed away: Ton van der Kleij (2015), Gerard Koerts (2019), as well as Bert Ruiter and Chris Koerts (2022).

Band Members

• Gerard Koerts – keyboards, backing vocals, flute (1968–1983; deceased 2019)
• Chris Koerts – guitars, backing vocals (1968–1979; deceased 2022)
• Hans Ziech – bass guitar (1968–1974)
• Cees Kalis – drums (1968–1970; deceased 2006)
• Manuela Berloth – lead singer (1968–1969)
• Jerney Kaagman – lead vocals (1969–1983, 1987–1990)
• Ton van der Kleij – drums, backing vocals, percussion (1970–1978; deceased 2015)
• Theo Hurts – bass and guitar (1974–1978)

• Bert Ruiter – bass guitar (1978–1983, 1987–1990; deceased 2022)
• Ab Tamboer – drums, percussion (1978–1983, 1987–1990; deceased 2016)
• Johan Slager – guitars (1979–1980; deceased 2025)
• Ronnie Meyjes – guitars (1980–1983)
• Age Kat – guitars (1987–1990)
• Jons Pistoor – keyboards (1987–1990)
• Ton Scherpenzeel – keyboards (1987–1990)
• Mark Stoop – drums (1990)

Studio Albums

• Earth and Fire (1970)
• Song of the Marching Children (1971)
• Atlantis (1973)
• To the World of the Future (1975)
• Rock Sensation (compilation, 1975)
• Gate to Infinity (1977)
• Reality Fills Fantasy (1979)
• Andromeda Girl (1981)
• In a State of Flux (1982)
• Phoenix (1989)
• Greatest Hits (1991)
• Wild And Exciting (compilation, 1999)
• The Ultimate Collection (3CD set, 2003)

Singles

1976 1977 1979 1980 1981 1981 1982 1982 1983 1983 1989 1990 1990

Year	Single	Chart Rankings			Album
		NL	BEL (Vl)	GER
1969	"Seasons"	2	4	—	Earth and Fire
1970	"Ruby Is the One"	5	11	—
	"Wild and Exciting"	5	21	—
1971	"Invitation"	4	—	—	non-album single
	"Storm and Thunder"	6	—	—	Song of the Marching Children
1972	"Memories"	1	2	31	non-album single
1973	"Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Tonight"	3	9	44	Atlantis
1974	"Love of Life"	2	20	—	To the World of the Future
"Only Time Will Tell"	"16"	"—"	"—"
"Thanks for the Love"	"9"	"28"	"—"	non-album single
"What Difference Does It Make"	"10"	"—"	"—"
"78th Avenue"	"14"	"—"	"—"	Gate to Infinity
"Weekend"	"1"	"1"	"1"	Reality Fills Fantasy
"Fire of Love"	"20"	"13"	"29"
"Dream"	"19"	"20"	"—"	Andromeda Girl
"Tell Me Why"	"37"	"—"	"—"
"Love Is an Ocean"	"—"	"—"	"—"
"Twenty Four Hours"	"15"	"23"	"72"	In a State of Flux
"Jack Is Back"	"42"	"—"	"—"
"The Two of Us"	"32"	"—"	"—"
"French Word for Love"	"44"	"—"	"—"	Phoenix
"Keep on Missing You"	"—"	"—"	"—"
"Good Enough"	"—"	"—"	"—"