Radar Love by Golden Earring
Another day, another tribute so it seems.
There are some songs that are so deeply woven into the fabric of rock and roll, they feel less like compositions and more like elemental forces. You don’t just hear them; you feel them in your bones. The thrumming, hypnotic bassline. The relentless, driving drumbeat. The story of a love so strong it transcends space and time.
We’re talking, of course, about “Radar Love.” And today, we listen to it with a heavy heart, as the world has lost the man who co-wrote it and gave it its iconic guitar heartbeat: George Kooymans.
The news today of Kooymans’ passing, following his courageous battle with ALS since his diagnosis in 2021, marks the true and final end of an era for one of rock’s most enduring and underrated bands, Golden Earring. While the band officially ceased activities upon his diagnosis, knowing they could never be the same without him, today’s news makes the silence permanent.
To understand the importance of George Kooymans, you must first understand “Radar Love.” Released in 1973, it was a song unlike anything else on the radio. At over six minutes long, it was a mini-epic, a narrative journey set to a beat that mimicked the hypnotic pulse of tires on a midnight highway. The lyrics, co-penned by Kooymans and vocalist Barry Hay, tell a tale of a driver racing through the night, connected to his lover by an almost supernatural, telepathic bond—a “Radar Love.”
“I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hand’s wet on the wheel…”
While Hay’s powerful vocals delivered the story, it was Kooymans’ guitar work that gave it its muscle and mood. His riff isn’t a flurry of flashy notes; it’s a powerful, sinewy chord progression that anchors the entire track. It’s the sound of determination, of urgency, of the vast, dark road ahead. It is the engine of the song.
But George Kooymans was so much more than one riff in one song. He was a founding member of Golden Earring, a driving creative force who, alongside his bandmates, achieved something remarkable in the fickle world of rock music: longevity. For over 50 years, the lineup of Kooymans, Hay, Rinus Gerritsen, and Cesar Zuiderwijk remained unchanged—a testament to a chemistry and brotherhood that is almost unheard of. From the psychedelic pop of their early days to hard rock anthems like “Twilight Zone” (another Kooymans co-write and a massive US hit), his musical fingerprints are all over their legacy.
When Kooymans was diagnosed with the devastating neurodegenerative disease ALS in 2021, the band made a decision that spoke volumes about his significance. There would be no replacements, no “Golden Earring featuring…” tours. They announced immediately that the band was over. Without George, there was no Golden Earring. He wasn’t just a member; he was an irreplaceable part of its soul.
His passing today isn’t just a loss for the Netherlands, where Golden Earring are national heroes. It’s a loss for every person who has ever turned up the radio on a long drive, feeling that propulsive beat of “Radar Love” push them a little further down the road. It’s a loss for anyone who appreciates the power of a simple, perfect rock riff.
The lyrics of the song now feel painfully poignant: “And the radio’s playing some forgotten song / Brenda Lee’s ‘Coming on Strong’.” Tonight, the song playing won’t be forgotten. It will be “Radar Love,” and we’ll be playing it for George.
He may be gone, but his signal will never fade. Thank you, George Kooymans, for the drive.