Mouth and MacNeal | |
|---|---|
 Mouth and MacNeal on the Dutch television programmeTopPop in 1973 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Netherlands |
| Genres | Pop,rock |
| Years active | 1971 –1974 |
| Labels | |
| Past members | Willem Duyn (deceased) Maggie MacNeal |
Mouth and MacNeal were a Dutchpopduo that enjoyed commercial success in the 1970s. Their recording of "How Do You Do" in 1971[1] topped the Dutch chart and became aUS top ten hit and number 2 in Canada. They represented the Netherlands at the1974 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing third with the song "I See a Star", which went on to become aUK top ten hit.
They were formed in 1971 whenrecord producerHans van Hemert brought togetherBig Mouth (bornWillem Duyn) andMaggie MacNeal (born Sjoukje van't Spijker). Big Mouth had previously sung in a number of 1960s bands, including Speedway. MacNeal had released one solo single before teaming up with Big Mouth, a cover ofMarvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", also produced by van Hemert.
The duo released their first single, "Hey You Love", which reached #5 in the Dutch Top 40,[2] while the next two singles "How Do You Do" and "Hello-A" both reached#1 in the Netherlands. In 1972, "How Do You Do" reached the top of the charts throughout Continental Europe andScandinavia and peaked at number 32 in Australia, made popular by local bands Jigsaw and Windows.[3] "How Do You Do" was made popular in theUnited States byradio personality Jim Connors[according to whom?]and the song eventually reached #8 in the U.S. in July 1972.[4] "How Do You Do" spent 19 weeks in theBillboard Hot 100 and won theR.I.A.A.gold disc on 2 August 1972.[5] It sold over a million copies in the U.S. alone, and global sales exceeded two million.[5]
This propelled their 1972 albumHey You Love / How Do You Do into theBillboard 200 (US #77).[4] More hit singles followed in 1973, and in 1974 Mouth and MacNeal represented the Netherlands in theEurovision Song Contest with their song "I See a Star", placing third toABBA andGigliola Cinquetti. The song became a UK top ten hit, peaking at #8.
In December 1974, shortly after their success with "I See a Star", Mouth and MacNeal split up. Big Mouth continued with Ingrid Kup (who would later become his wife) as "Big Mouth and Little Eve", whereas MacNeal resumed her solo career. MacNeal went on to represent the Netherlands again at theEurovision Song Contest 1980 held inThe Hague, singing "Amsterdam", finishing fifth in a field of nineteen.
By then, Big Mouth was also pursuing a solo career; under his own name he charted with Dutch-language versions ofFrankie Miller's "Darlin" (the song was renamed "Willem") and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (based on German singerUdo Lindenberg's adaptation). In 1992 Duyn recordedTenpole Tudor'sWünderbar in collaboration with rock bandNormaal while their own frontman Bennie Jolink recovered from a motorcycle accident.
Duyn died from a heart attack in his hometown ofRoswinkel on 4 December 2004. He was 67.[6]
MacNeal dropped her pseudonym and performed as Sjoukje Smit; in 2008 she reformed Mouth and MacNeal withArie Ribbens replacing Duyn, but with no success.
On 21 March 2012Roel Smit published the Mouth and MacNeal biography;Mouth & MacNeal, duo tegen wil en dank.
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL [12] | AUS [13] | AUT [14] | BE (FLA) [15] | BE (WA) [16] | CAN [17][18][19] | DEN | GER [20] | IRE [21] | NOR [22] | NZ [23] | SWE [11] | SWI [24] | UK [25] | US [26] | ||
| 1971 | "Hey, You Love" | 3 | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 87 |
| "How Do You Do" | 1 | 32 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 8 | |
| 1972 | "Hello-A" | 1 | 95 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 95 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| "You-Kou-La-Le-Lou-Pi" | 6 | — | — | 7 | 48 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | "Bat-Te-Ring-Ram" | 19 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Medizinmann"(Germany-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Minnie, Minnie" | 11 | 57 | 17 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Do You Wanna Do It" | 18 | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Wie denn wo denn was denn"(Germany-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "I See a Star" | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | 25 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | — | 8 | — |
| "Ik zie een ster (I see a star)" | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Ah! l'amore" | 11 | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Ein gold'ner Stern (I see a star)"(Germany-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "We're Gonna Have a Party" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "L'amour au pas"(France and Belgium-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||||
The rapperEminem used a sample of the song "Land of Milk and Honey" which is on the B-side of the single How Do You Do.
Mouth and MacNeal were parodied by two members of television-satiristsFarce Majeure; "How Do You Do" became a vow to steer clear of junk food, "Youkoulaleloupi" became "Chocoladeletter" and "Ik Zie Een Ster" (the original Dutch version of "I See a Star") was featured in aEurovision Song Contest parody as "Dit Gaat Te Ver" ("This Goes Too Far").
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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