I met René for the first time in 1987 and one of the first things I noticed was that whatever he was doing, he was always enthusiastic. I was at the time playing in a band called Naga. We would rent a van from someone who lived in the same student flat as René and this is how we met. It proved he also played in a band and had a critical attitude to things like military service, which greatly appealed to me. We became friends and it would last for 32 years.

 

I remember so well how he started his industrial design bureaux and was working long hours every day. He was never lazy.

 

One evening he and I had a few drinks together in Café "De Klok" in Delft and we decided there and then that we both would learn to fly. I will never forget it. We decided it and we did it. That was truly our spirit!

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After my band Naga was disbanded, René and I started the cover band "No Erection at All". We both caught the flying bug so earning a little bit extra to pay for the flying lessons and having fun as well was very welcome. Over the years we did 375 gigs. In the end, I had to say goodbye to the band and to music as my flying activities were turning professional and I just didn't see how to combine the two any longer. It would take twenty years before I would return back to music as Long Tall J doing home recording and music production. 

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René stayed active in music and played with many musicians from in and around Delft. His design bureaux became very successful, and in flying he became a "tailwheel specialist" owning shares in a Vans RV7 and a DH82 Tiger Moth. 

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In 2019 a tragic flying accident meant that he had made his last flight on planet earth. But his memories and his positive spirit will live on and will always be remembered. 

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That is why I've made this musical tribute. One of my musical heroes, David Gilmour, the guitarist of Pink Floyd, has definitely influenced my style of playing. I thought it to be most fitting to use a Pink Floyd style backing track and play my white Fender Stratocaster over it in order to capture the spirit of René and everything that he stood for. 

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René, larger than life. 

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The link to the payed backing track used in this project is:

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https://megabackingtracks.bandcamp.com/track/pink-floyd-style-ii-backing-track-dm-55-bpm

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