I am a camera - The Buggles

'I am a camera' was written by the Buggles for their second album 'Adventures in modern recording' (1981). Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes started writing the song before joining up with the band Yes. A version of the song was released as 'Into the lens' on the Yes album 'Drama'. When Horn and Downes continued with the new The Buggles album, the song was completed as 'I am a camera'.

The single was a non-charter for the Buggles. It still stuck in my mind as a great songs more than a decade later.

My collection: 7" single no. 2937

Found: January 31, 1998

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'I am a camera' / 'Fade away'

The plastic age - The Buggles

'The plastic age' was the second single by the Buggles. Hopes were high, since 'Video killed the radio star', their debut single, was a worldwide hit. The futuristic song only charted in the UK and the Netherlands, peaking at number 16 and 27 respectively.

The song alludes to plastic surgery and the stress of modern culture. The Buggles also created an unusual, futuristic and illusion-like music video to promote the song.

My collection: 7" single no. 1096

Found: All that music, Leiden, November 11, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'The plastic age' / 'Island' [mistitled 'The plastic age' on the label]

Beatnik - The Buggles

Apparently, only 50,000 copies of the Buggles' 1982 single 'Beatnik' exist. I don't know if that's true, but I do own one copy of it anyway. It was the last single to be released from the Buggles' second and last album 'Adventures in modern recording' (1981). As far as I know, the single did not chart in any territory.

It's the first Buggles single I ever bought, the start of what has by now become a pretty complete collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 230

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Beatnik' / 'Fade away'

Lenny - Buggles

'Lenny' was another single that did not chart in the UK, but... lo and behold... it did in the Netherlands. It entered the Dutch Top 40 in April 1982 and peaked at number 23 during its five week chart run.

It was an excellent song to play air drums and air keyboards on, I remember playing the cassette on which I recorded this song from the radio over and over again, enjoying it endlessly. Whoever said that hometaping was killing the music? In 1989 I still remembered this song and bought the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 830

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 20, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Lenny' / 'Blue nylon'

Video killed the radio star - The Buggles

'Video killed the radio star' was the debut single by the Buggles. Group member Trevor Horn has said that his lyrics were inspired by the J.G. Ballard short story 'The Sound-Sweep'. The theme of the song is nostalgia, and refers to a period of technological change in the Sixties, the desire to remember the past and the disappointment that children of the current generation would not appreciate the past.

The first version of this song was recorded by Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) for his album 'English Garden'. The Buggles later recorded the song. It was a number one hit in the UK, peaked at number 40 in America and number 17 in the Netherlands. The music video for the song was famously the first to be shown on MTV America, when the music channel debuted on August 1, 1981. On February 27, 2000 it also became the millionth video to be aired on that channel.

My collection: 7" single no. 508

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Video killed the radio star' / 'Kid Dynamo'

Adventures in modern recording - The Buggles

I didn't know this single existed until I saw it mentioned on discogs.com recently. 'Adventures in modern recording' is the title track from the Buggles' second album, and it sums up the career of band member Trevor Horn pretty nicely. During and since the Buggles, he's always been on the forefront of modern recording and producing, creating the most fabulous albums out there.

This single, however, was not rewarded with chart success, just like the other singles taken from the album - as well as the album itself.

My collection: 7" single no. 3671

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Adventures in modern recording' / 'Blue nylon'

Clean clean - The Buggles

'Clean clean' is the third single to be taken from the Buggles debut album 'The age of plastic'. Backed by the non-album track 'Technopop', the single reached number 38 in the UK singles chart, but fared less well in other territories.

Owning all the other Buggles singles by now, 'Clean clean' was the last one missing from my collection. It's always nice to complete a part of your collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 3559

Found: All that music, Leiden, January 24, 2009

Cost: 1,6 euro

Tracks: 'Clean clean' / 'Technopop'

Download: here

On T.V. - Buggles

The trip to Esbjerg and the visit to the local record shop there which I mentioned earlier today was pleasing in many ways. For instance, I also got to fill one omission in my collection of Buggles singles.

On T.V. was the third single from the Buggles's second album, 'Adventures in modern recording'. When you look at the chart history of the Buggles, it's as if they never made more than their debut album, because the second album nor any of the five singles that were drawn from it ever made the chart. Finding 'On T.V.' meant that I finally had all of the Buggles's singles. Well, you know I didn't know about the single Elstree at that time...

My collection: 7" single no. 3431
Found: Esbjerg (Denmark), June 17, 2006
Cost: 10 Danish crowns
Tracks: 'On T.V.' / 'Blue Nylon'
Download: Album 'Adventures in modern recording', which includes both tracks

Elstree - The Buggles

The Buggles are best known for their debut hit 'Video killed the radio star'. I didn't know this single existed until I saw it at a record fair earlier this year. I had to buy it, if only for the curiosity value.

'Elstree' reached number 55 in the UK singles chart, and was the fourth single to be taken from the album 'The age of plastic'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3450
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2008
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Elstree' / 'Johnny on the monorail'
Download: Album 'The age of plastic', including both tracks