Soundmixshow


Soundmixshow is the Dutch talent show; it was hosted by Henny Huisman, as a live-vocals version of the Playback Show. It has since been sold to other countries, notably as the European Soundmix Show.

History

Early days

Huisman, former drummer of 1970s band Lucifer and spin-off group Match, toured the early 1980s with his Hitkrant Drive-In Show; this prototype-version of the Playback-show was a joint venture with weekly pop-magazine Hitkrant. In 1983 he brought the format on television during the summer-evening slot as KRO's Zomeravondshow; contestants performed on a hit-or-miss basis.

Breakthrough

In 1984 the name was changed to Playbackshow and contestants were now given full performance time. Soon afterwards Huisman decided to do a spin-off with real vocals; thus the Soundmixshow was born with artists being judged by a jury of three professionals featuring long-time stalwarts Jacques d'Ancona and Barry Stevens.
The Soundmixshow meant a breakthrough for several young Dutch artists, as it was a platform with a relative low threshold and a broad audience. The Soundmixshow was first produced by Endemol for Katholieke Radio Omroep and afterwards for RTL 4 from 1990 until 2002.
In the finals of 1988, Huisman asked viewers to phone a specific number for televoting. However, this caused such a big amount of phone calls, that the whole telephone grid was down for a while, and even the emergency services were out of reach in some parts of the country.

Other spin-offs

From the latter half of the 1980s till the early 1990s, Huisman presented the Miniplaybackshow as a platform for children; plans to do a Minisoundmixshow never materialised.
There was also a Seniorenplaybackshow with elder contestants, and more successfully the Sterrensoundmixshow.
In 2002, the Soundmixshow was the platform for a debate between politicians just before the parliamental elections.

Aftermath

In 2002, the format was discontinued in favor of Idols and other talent contests. Huisman reunited with former Soundmixshow-contestants on KRO's anniversary-programme in 2010.

Successful contestants

YearArtistOriginal artistSongAdditional information
1985Glenda PetersRandy CrawfordOne Day I'll Fly AwayGerard Joling was third this year
1986Gina De WitLinda RonstadtDesperado-
1986Frank AshtonTony ChristieDon't Go Down To Reno
1987Peter DouglasFrank SinatraNew York, New York
1988Jos Van den BromJohn DenverLeaving on a Jet PlaneDesirée Manders made her TV debut. This was in a legendary final, where people could televote, but because of the huge number of votes, the whole phone grid was down.
1989Carina BosTimi YuroHurtHelmut Lotti was also contestant. Last season broadcast on KRO
1990Marco BorsatoBilly VeraAt This MomentFirst season broadcast by RTL 4
1991Jorge CastroLuciano PavarottiCarusoKathleen Prattis sang as Anita Baker, Watch Your Step.
1992Nhelly Dela RosaShirley BasseyThis Is My Life
1993Ellen FranszWhitney HoustonI will always love you
1994Glennis GraceWhitney HoustonOne Moment In Time
1995Arno KolenbranderSimon Bowman Why God, WhyTooske Breugem was also contestant
1996Edsilia RombleyOleta AdamsI Just Had To Hear Your Voice
1997Mary Ann MoralesLea Salonga The Movie in My Mind
1998Cherwin MuringenSealKiss From A RoseFloortje Smit was also contestant
1999Erna Otte-HemminkEmma ShapplinSpente Le Stelle
2000Bart SchwertmanIan Gillan Ghetsemane
2001Mary AmoraTina TurnerRiver Deep, Mountain High
2002Valerie DwarkasingAlicia KeysFallin'

International versions

CountryNameChannelHostsBroadcast
VTM soundmixshowVTMBart Kaëll
Kürt Rogiers 		1989–1995
1997–2000
StjerneskudTV3Anders Frandsen1995
Re per una notteItalia 1Gigi Sabani1994–1996
Momenti di gloriaCanale 5Mike Bongiorno1999–2000
Sei un mitoCanale 5Roberta Capua2005
È nata una stella gemellaCanale 5Lorella Cuccarini2008
Med blikket mot stjerneneTV3Ragnar Otnes1995
Stjerner i sikteTV 2Jahn Teigen1996–1999
Stars in Their EyesTV OneSimon Barnett2008–2009
Zostań gwiazdąTVNKrzysztof Ibisz1998–1999
Chuva de EstrelasSICCatarina Furtado
José Nuno Martins
Bárbara Guimarães 		1993–2000
Lluvia de estrellasAntena 3Bertín Osborne1995–2001
Lluvia de estrellasLa 1Sonia Ferrer2007
Sikta mot stjärnornaTV4Lasse Holm
Agneta Sjödin
Paul Tilly 		1994–2002
Stars in Their EyesITVLeslie Crowther
Russ Abbot
Matthew Kelly
Davina McCall
Cat Deeley
Harry Hill
TBA 		1990–2006
2015
2020
Stars in Their Eyes: KidsITVMatthew Kelly
Cat Deeley 		2001
2002–04, 2006

Antena 3 created a similar format, under the title Tu cara me suena, in 2011. A UK version of this was also produced by ITV in 2013 and, like Stars in Their Eyes and Soundmixshow, is also a format owned by Endemol Shine Group.