View source for Harry Vanda

{{Short description|Australian musician (born 1946)}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Harry Vanda
| image           = Harry Vanda 1968 (cropped).jpg
| caption         = Vanda performing in 1968
| birth_name      = Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg
| birth_place     = [[Voorburg]], Netherlands
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|df=yes|March 22,1946}}
| origin          = [[Sydney]], New South Wales, Australia
| genre           = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| instrument      = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals}}
| years_active    = 1964–present
| associated_acts = {{hlist|[[The Easybeats]]|[[Marcus Hook Roll Band]]|[[AC/DC]]|[[Flash and the Pan]]}}
| occupation      = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|record producer}}
| label           = [[Albert Productions]]
| background      = non_vocal_instrumentalist
}}
'''Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg''' (born 22 March 1946), better known as '''Harry Vanda''', is a Dutch-Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as lead guitarist of the 1960s Australian [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Easybeats]] who with fellow member [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] formed the 1970s and 1980s songwriting and record production duo [[Vanda & Young]].

van den Berg is the last surviving member of the Easybeats, as of February 2025, following the death of the band's drummer, [[Snowy Fleet|Gordon "Snowy" Fleet]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Drummer in legendary Aussie rock band dies |url=https://tn.swmdigital.io/culture/music/the-easybeats-drummer-gordon-snowy-fleet-dies-c-17787627 |website=The Nightly |access-date=2 June 2025 |language=en |date=20 February 2025}}</ref>

In September 2025, Vanda released his debut solo single "Devil Loose".<ref name="Devil Loose">{{cite web|url=https://www.noise11.com/news/harry-vanda-devil-loose-first-solo-single-20250910|title= Harry Vanda To Release His First Ever Solo Single "Devil Loose"|website=noise11|date=10 September 2025|access-date=12 September 2025}}</ref>

==Early life==
Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg was born in [[Voorburg]], a town in the [[Province]] of [[South Holland]] in the [[Netherlands]] in 1946.<ref name=":1" /> His parents were Henricus Cornelius van den Berg (born 14 September 1923), a mechanic from the Netherlands and Lisa Berg-Warsozk (born 19 September 1924), who was Polish.<ref name=":1" /> Harry's parents got married on 9 June 1945.<ref name=":1" /> From 1942 to 1945, while Henricus was under [[forced labour under German rule during World War II]].<ref name=":1" />

Vanda's family migrated to Australia from the [[Netherlands]] in 1963,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1421902|title = VAN DEN BERG Henricus Cornelis born 14 September 1923; Lisa nee Warzozskaja akj nee Berg-Warsozk born 19 September 1924; Johannes Hendrikus Jacob born 22 March 1946 - Dutch - travelled per ship NAMA, ORANJE departing in 1963 under the Australian and Netherlands Governments Migration Agreement}}</ref> and settled in [[Sydney]]. In the same year, he met rhythm guitarist [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] at the [[Villawood]] migrant [[hostel]]. In 2007, ''[[Australian Musician (magazine)|Australian Musician]]'' magazine selected this meeting as the most significant event in Australian pop and rock music history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/sounds-of-then/story-e6frg8qf-1111117562970|title= Sounds of the:The legacy of Australia's first internationally successful rock band endures|newspaper=[[The Australian]]|first= Iain |last=Shedden|date=27 September 2008}}</ref>

==Career==

=== The Easybeats ===
Vanda, who had been a guitarist with the [[The Hague|Hague]]-based band the Starfighters,<ref>{{YouTube|yXrwlhmb_1M|Dutch interview 2012}}</ref> came to fame in 1964–65 as the lead guitarist of the Easybeats.

Vanda's ability to speak English was still very limited when the band was at their peak.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A TWO-MAN PANDEMIC - Record Collector Magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/two-man-pandemic |access-date=2024-03-13 |language=en}}</ref> Easybeats bassist [[Dick Diamonde]], who was also a [[Dutch Australians|Dutch Australian]], would help him learn English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=stevie-interview |url=http://www.milesago.com/interviews/stevie-interview.htm |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=www.milesago.com}}</ref> By 1966, Vanda was nearly fluent in English and he and [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] penned many of the Easybeats' later [[sound recording and reproduction|recordings]], including their major international [[chart-topper|hit]], "[[Friday On My Mind]]".
{{Quote|text=When I met Harry Vanda he could hardly speak a line of English and now he can speak it better than me - he teaches me words.|author=[[Stevie Wright]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.milesago.com/interviews/stevie-interview.htm | title=Stevie-interview }}</ref>}}
After the Easybeats disbanded in 1970, Vanda & Young remained in the UK and continued their writing and performing partnership.

=== Vanda and Young ===
In 1973, Vanda and Young returned to Australia and took over as the house producers for leading independent record production company, [[Albert Productions]], and publisher J. Albert & Son. From 1974, they enjoyed huge success in Australia and internationally, writing and producing hits for a number of popular Australian groups and solo singers, including [[John Paul Young]], [[Cheetah (band)|Cheetah]], [[Stevie Wright]], [[Ted Mulry]], [[Rose Tattoo]], [[The Angels (Australian band)|the Angels]], [[William Shakespeare (singer)|William Shakespeare]], [[Mark Williams (singer)|Mark Williams]] and, most notably, [[AC/DC]]. AC/DC included George Young's brothers, guitarists [[Angus Young|Angus]] and [[Malcolm Young]]. Vanda & Young produced landmark albums such as ''[[Let There Be Rock (album)|Let There Be Rock]]'', ''[[Powerage]]'', ''[[If You Want Blood You've Got It]]'', ''[[Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (album)|Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap]]'', ''[[High Voltage (1976 album)|High Voltage/TNT]]'', amongst others.

Vanda and Young had major international success with their own studio-only project ''[[Flash and the Pan]]'', achieving many hits around the world over a 15-year period, particularly in Europe, where they had many chart-topping records. [[Grace Jones]] had a hit with a cover of the Flash and the Pan song "[[Walking in the Rain (Flash and the Pan song)|Walking in the Rain]]".

=== Later work ===
By the late 1990s, Vanda and Young had left their longtime partnership with Albert Productions, and retired from the music industry. However, in 2005, Harry Vanda started [[Flashpoint Music]] in Surry Hills with his producer/engineer son, [[Daniel Vandenberg]], setting up one of Australia's premier private studios. The studio has produced bands such as [[The Wrights (Australian band)|the Wrights]] and [[British India (band)|British India]].

==Instruments ==
Vanda used a 1964 [[Höfner]] Verithin 1574 with [[Bigsby vibrato tailpiece|Bigsby]] [[tremolo]] and 511 pickups, before switching in 1965 to a [[Gibson (guitar company)|Gibson]] 345. In the Easybeats, Vanda also often played a cherry-red [[Maton]] 12-string electric guitar, which he donated to the collection of [[Powerhouse Museum]] in Sydney in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/objectsthroughtime/objects/vandaguitar/ |title=Objects through Time - Maton 12 string electric guitar |access-date=2007-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904063428/http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/objectsthroughtime/objects/vandaguitar/ |archive-date=4 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>  In addition, Vanda owned the red [[Gretsch Jet Firebird]] double cutaway guitar that was given to George Young's younger brother Malcolm. This guitar, nicknamed "The Beast", saw numerous modifications and was Malcolm Young's primary guitar throughout his career with AC/DC.

==Honours and Awards ==
===ARIA Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
| [[ARIA Music Awards of 1988|1988]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/hall-of-fame.htm |title=ARIA Icons: Hall Of Fame |website=Aria.com.au |access-date=2017-07-26}}</ref>
| himself
| [[ARIA Hall of Fame]]
| {{yes2|inducted}}
|}

===Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame===
The Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honour the lifetime achievements of some of Australia's greatest songwriters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asai.org.au/hall-of-fame/|title=Hall of Fame|website=asai|access-date=17 September 2020}}</ref>
{{awards table}}
|-
| 2004
| himself
| [[Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame]]
| {{yes2|inducted}}
|}

Since 2009, [[Albert Music]] and [[APRA AMCOS]] have held the ''[[Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition]]'', named after the musicians.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* John Tait. '' Vanda & Young. Inside Australia's Hit Factory''.Published by University NSW Press Ltd. Australia, 2010. ({{ISBN|978 1 74223 217 1}}).

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724115001/http://www.albertmusic.com/easybeats/easy_fact_01.htm Albert Music: Easybeats Facts]

{{The Easybeats}}
{{Flash and the Pan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanda, Harry}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian musicians]]
[[Category:APRA Award winners]]
[[Category:ARIA Award winners]]
[[Category:Australian rock musicians]]
[[Category:Australian lead guitarists]]
[[Category:Australian rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Australian record producers]]
[[Category:Australian male songwriters]]
[[Category:Dutch rock musicians]]
[[Category:Dutch rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Dutch record producers]]
[[Category:Dutch male songwriters]]
[[Category:Musicians from South Holland]]
[[Category:Australian people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:Dutch people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:Dutch emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia]]
[[Category:Musicians from Sydney]]
[[Category:The Easybeats members]]
[[Category:The Wrights (Australian band) members]]
[[Category:Flash and the Pan members]]
[[Category:Marcus Hook Roll Band members]]