1977
René decided to change the name of the band to Renée and the Alligators and go back to good old rock and roll. But this time around they would focus on vocals and play less instrumental music. Renée became Anja’s stage name. Back then this seemed a brilliant idea. The second “e” added at the end of the name changed it into a girl’s name and suggested a female singer. It would also attract the attention of the fans of the sixties, as they would recognize the name of the once so popular rock and roll band René and his Alligators. Little did René and Renée realise that it would cause a lot of confusion. There were heated discussions about which of the two was Renée: the guitar player or the singer.
1978
In 1978 the name of the band was changed to simply Renée at the request of the record company CNR. Frits Hirschland was recruited as the manager of the band. With him they experienced many hilarious moments. He blocked the main entrance of the Musikladen studio with two super-expensive Mercedes, chauffeurs included, in order to prevent top of the bill artists making their exit with the grandeur they were accustomed to. He walked on tables in the most expensive restaurants, literally stood on his head on the bar of the lounge in the famous Parkhotel in Bremen and walked into a discotheque covered in toilet paper; in short the guy was ingeniously crazy and knew how to get media attention! With the release of the single 'Sweet nothin’s' from the debut album Renée they got the attention of the Dutch television and radio stations. The single turned out to be a hit and stayed in the charts for over two months.