Supersister are one of the most beloved and inventive bands of Dutch progressive rock — and, despite hailing from The Hague rather than England, one of the finest groups associated with the Canterbury scene. Witty, jazzy and driven by Robert Jan Stips’s virtuoso keyboards, they brought a distinctly Dutch humour to a sound that owed much to Soft Machine and Caravan.

The short version

Supersister are a Dutch progressive rock band, formed in The Hague in 1968 around keyboardist and singer Robert Jan Stips. Often counted among the great Canterbury-scene bands — an irony, given they weren’t British — they made playful, complex, keyboard-and-flute-led prog full of jazz, absurdist humour and intricate instrumentals. The four albums here are their classic run, from the 1970 debut “Present from Nancy” to the jazz-fusion of “Iskander” (1973).

The Dutch Canterbury band

Supersister began as a school band — first The Blubs, then the wonderfully-named Sweet OK Supersister — before settling on the shorter name in 1968. What set them apart was their sound: keyboard-driven, jazz-inflected progressive rock full of wit and surprise, instantly recognisable to anyone who loved Soft Machine or Caravan. (Stips’s vocals even drew comparisons to Caravan’s Richard Sinclair.) Add a dose of Frank Zappa-style absurdism and a flair for the unexpected, and Supersister became one of continental Europe’s most distinctive prog bands.

Hits, humour and virtuosity

For all their complexity, Supersister had a real pop instinct. Their 1970 single ‘She Was Naked’ became a Dutch hit and won them a deal with Polydor, and they followed it with charting songs like ‘A Girl Named You’ and ‘Radio.’ That same year they played the legendary Kralingen festival — the ‘Dutch Woodstock.’ But the heart of Supersister was always the interplay of Stips’s keyboards, Sacha van Geest’s flute, Ron van Eck’s fuzz bass and Marco Vrolijk’s drums — tightly arranged, frequently funny, and unfailingly inventive.

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Into jazz-fusion

By 1973, Supersister were changing. After three albums by the original quartet — “Present from Nancy” (1970), “To the Highest Bidder” (1971) and “Pudding en Gisteren” (1972) — van Geest and Vrolijk left, and the band moved toward a denser jazz-fusion. The result was “Iskander” (1973), an ambitious concept album about Alexander the Great, featuring saxophonist Charlie Mariano. A final album followed in 1974 before the band wound down, and Robert Jan Stips went on to play with Golden Earring and the Nits.

Album by album

Supersister’s classic albums, in order. Tap any title to explore.

The players

The classic Supersister were Robert Jan Stips (keyboards, vocals), Sacha van Geest (flute), Marco Vrolijk (drums) and Ron van Eck (bass), with later members including saxophonists Charlie Mariano and, later still, Soft Machine’s Elton Dean. The band reunited more than once over the years, but its story was touched by loss: Sacha van Geest died in 2001 and Ron van Eck in 2011. Robert Jan Stips has kept the spirit alive, reviving the name in 2019 and releasing new music decades after the band’s beginnings.

Where to start

Start with “Present from Nancy” (1970) — Supersister at their freshest and funniest, a perfect introduction to their witty, jazzy Canterbury sound. From there, “To the Highest Bidder” (1971) and “Pudding en Gisteren” (1972) deepen the formula, while “Iskander” (1973) shows their more serious, jazz-fusion side. The first three, made by the original quartet, are where most listeners fall in love.

Why they still matter

Supersister matter as one of the great surprises of early-1970s prog — a Dutch band who mastered the Canterbury style so completely that they’re routinely counted among its finest, while adding a humour and personality all their own. Their best albums still sound fresh, funny and dazzlingly played, and their influence runs through the more playful corners of European prog. For anyone who loves Soft Machine, Caravan or simply clever, joyful music, Supersister are essential.

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