The Dutch rock quartet Diesel was a one-hit wonder, but what a hit it was! "Sausalito Summernight," a gloriously fun rocker about a California road trip, reached number 25 in 1981. Its parent album,
Watts in a Tank, only hit number 68, but lead vocalist/guitarist Rob Vunderink, lead vocalist/guitarist Mark Boon, bass guitarist/background vocalist Frank Papendrecht, and drummer/keyboardist/background vocalist/producer Pim Koopman recorded several other strong songs too. The great thing about
Watts in a Tank -- originally released on Atlantic subsidiary Regency -- is that One Way finally reissued it on CD in 2002; therefore, one can enjoy the full five-minute version of "Sausalito Summernight" with extra verses and an extended guitar solo. (The edited single version made its CD debut on 2000's Barry Scott Presents: The Lost 45s of the '70s & '80s, Vol. 2.) Diesel added elements of power pop and new wave to its tuneful, vocal harmonies-laden, guitar-based rock. "Sausalito Summernight," often mistakenly attributed to
the Steve Miller Band, is a classic, but other
Watts in a Tank highlights are "Goin' Back to China," "Down in the Silvermine," "Good Mornin', Day," "Remember the Romans," and "Bite Back." ~ Bret Adams