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1981-02_Jay_van_FeggelenJay van Feggelen (1981 promo photo)
In Bodine from 1979-1981; 1992-1993

Performed on:
Bodine
IV (demo)

Gear:
Electrovoice microphone

    Credited for 17 songs
    No. of gigs with Bodine (documented): 53





    1976_Solomon_Kane_ConnectionJay van Feggelen as Solomon Kane in 1976In the mid 1970s, Jay van Feggelen performed under the artist name Solomon Kane. Under this name he covered the Rolling Stones’ song "Connection" in 1976, which was released on 6" single in Portugal. According to Jay, interviewd by Muziekkrant Oor, "it sold 69 times". Take it with a grain of salt. Besides being a solo artist, Jay van Feggelen also sung in a band called Park Lane from Utrecht.

    Jay was the first singer of Bodine and considered as one of the founding members. In an interview with magazine Oor, Gerard Haitsma describes him as ‘difficult to handle’. This did not withhold Armand, Gerard and Rene Rijsdijk to ask Jay to join the band, which until then was still nameless.

    One might think of Jay as a blues singer who ended up in a hard-rock band. Jay is a typical  moaner and a crooner, with a stark resemblance to Paul Rodgers (The Free). Jay has a low and powerful voice, in the range of bass and low baritone. On the inlay of the the 1996 Pseudonym edition of Bodine, Jay openly admits paying tribute to Bad Company's Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers and to Otis Redding.

    1991_Jay_van_FeggelenJay in the RS29 studio in 1992 © Willy Verdiesen

    Thematically, the songs sung by Jay evolve around misfortune, lost love and taking chances in life. David Coverdale from Whitesnake seems to have been a source of inspiration. Since Jay mostly sings about emotional issues in the first person--his songs are full of ‘I’ and ‘we’--as if he had experienced them himself. 'You Did Not Give Me Love', 'Gonna Get Back' or 'Oh Wee Baby' are all personal addresses to women who are (lost) partners. 'You didn't give me love', exemplifies this:  In this song Jay sings about a woman who tried her best to give him everything: comfort, understanding, care--except love.

    As of yet it is not clear, why Jay was the first member to leave the band. Was he really that hard to handle, as was suggested in the Muziekkrant Oor article? Or were there other issues? Did he leave before or after the recordings for the second album started? Whithout a doubt, Bodine would have taken a different musical course if Jay had stayed in Bodine.

    Jay van FeggelenJay around mid 90s © arjenlucassen.com

    After leaving Bodine in autumn 1981, Jay returns to obscurity, until he resurfaces in 1992 in Oscar Holleman's RS29 studio with Gerard Haitsma and Jeronimo in Bodine with a new line up. Late 1992, early 1993, they perform live on five or six occasions. The attempt to form Bodine fails, hoewever, and once more Jay disappeares from the musical frontlines. Until, in 1995 and 1998, Arjen Lucassen requests him to be a guest singer on The Final Experiment and on Into The Electric Castle. After that, things become silent again around Jay.

    Anno 2010, he has changed his artist name to Jay Bodean and sang in Temporary Jones, a band that describes itself as a rock band, pop band, blues band, cover band but most of all a party band. In 2012 Jay joined the Southside Blues Revue, which releases a promotional CD containing 7 cover songs.

    Jay van Feggelen's profiles can be found on both Facebook. In 2017, he preformed several times with Rebel Star as an accompanying band and Leon Goewie (Vengeance), Stan Verbraak (Helloïse, Highway Chile), Robert Soeterboek (Vulture, Highway Chile and too many others to mention!) on Dutch stages under the monicker United Voices Of Rock.




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