It's alright now - Beloved

The 7" single of  'It's alright now' was already in my possession for 20 years when I started hunting for the CD-single and 12" single. Having decided to hunt down remixes of the Beloved, there were a few surprises along the way. For instance: the CD-single of this track features the 'Back to basics instrumental' remix, whereas this 12" single features the 'Back to basics' version - i.e. with vocals. Both versions are very attractive.

This 12" single features three versions of the song, with only the first one also appearing on the CD-single. Worth owning this one, then!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received May 6, 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'It's alright now (Rattling good time)' / 'It's alright now (Back to basics)', 'It's alright now (Feeling fine)'

Your love takes me higher - Beloved

There are several 12" singles of the Beloved's 'Your love takes me higher' and this one must be one of the more interesting ones. It features two lengthy remixes of the track. Of these two, the 'Chillum Willum' version contains the most elements of the original songs, while the 'Calyx of Isis' version is an improvisation on a continuous beat, clocking in at almost 11 minutes.

I bought this 12" single online and it was filthy. I cleaned up the disc and it sounded a lot better - although the B-side is still a bit damaged at the end, unfortunately.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received October 2016.
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher (Chillum Willum)' / 'Your love takes me higher (Calyx of Isis)'

Runaway / When I think of you - Janet Jackson

It's not the first time that I described Janet Jackson's 'Runaway' on this blog. I already have the 7" single, a promotional double 12" package and a double 12" single of 'Runaway' and 'When I think of you' remixes.

But still the double 12" package I found while shopping online a few months ago contained other remixes of 'Runaway' and 'When I think of you'. Do we really need that many versions of two songs? I'm not sure. I do quite like some of these remixes. At the same time I wonder why they were never released on cd....

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 August 2017
Cost: $4
Tracks: 'Runaway (Junior's Factory mix)', 'Runaway (Junior's Tribal dub mix)' / 'Runaway (Steve's "Silk" House mix)', 'Runaway (Torin's radio edit)' // 'Runaway (Junior's Factory dub)', 'Runaway (Junior's Factory Mix w/ vocal sample)' / 'When I think of you (Deep Dish Chocolate City mix)', 'When I think of you (Deep Dish Quite Storm dub)'

Ease the pressure - Beloved

The Beloved's third album 'X' was not a commercial success. Perhaps the audience was no longer interested in their brand of emotionally charged lyrics on pumping beats. I must admit that I had a hard time liking the album myself - it was only a few years ago when I made another attempt to like the package. But when I did, I really did.

Obviously I became interested in the remixes as well. And there were remixes aplenty. 'Ease the pressure', for instance, comes in a double 12" single package with no less than six remixes. It takes a bit of stamina to actually like them all, but there's something for everyone in this stack of tracks.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, August 2016
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Ease the pressure (Club Vocal mix)' / 'Ease the pressure (Suction mix)', 'Ease the pressure (Motion sickness mix)' // 'Ease the pressure (Surge mix)', 'Ease the pressure (Backroom vocal mix)' / 'Ease the pressure (Switchback mix)'

Sweet release - Trouser Enthusiasts

Along with the other 12" I bought last year, this one arrived. It's a second disc of remixes of the only track released by the Trouser Enthusiasts on their own, 'Sweet release'. There are many versions of this track, which shouldn't be surprising for an act that has always been deeply into dance remixes.

For some time, I have collected and compiled Trouser Enthusiasts remixes and I think it's a shame they don't make new remixes anymore. This 12" was a nice addition to my collection. The CD-single of this track is, unfortunately, much too expensive.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 2015.
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Sweet release (Friday Night Posse mix)' / 'Sweet release (Harry Hard mix)'

Physical love - Beloved

The oft-neglected third album by the Beloved 'X' (1996) was not a commercial success, but there were many releases from the album - although most of them were so-called 'white label 12 inches', records pressed mainly for distribution among DJ's and clubs.

One of them was this release, 'Physical love' c/w 'Three steps to heaven'. Both tracks were remixed to almost 10 minute versions, well suited for nighttime club life. Whether these mixes are actually any good.... You be the judge. I do like them in a sort of strange way.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Physical love' / 'Three steps to heaven'

Sweet release - Trouser Enthusiasts

Through the years you will have seen a few remixes by Trouser Enthusiasts on this blog, but so far I didn't write about their only single, 'Sweet release'. Released in 1999 as a limited edition, it has been hard to find a copy at a reasonable price but I finally succeeded last year, in combination with a couple of other 12" singles ordered online.

Ian Masterson and David Green formed Trouser Enthusiasts in the mid-1990's. They were best known as producers of pop and dance remixes, having worked for, most prominently, Pet Shop Boys, Dannii Minogue, and Saint Etienne. 'Sweet release' was their only original single, which didn't trouble the singles charts.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Sweet release (Trouser Enthusiasts' Full On Mix)' / 'Sweet release (Olmec Heads remix)', 'Sweet release ('Trouser Enthusiasts Second Coming)'

Swell - Salt Tank

A little sigh comes over my lips every time I hear about new work by Tori Amos these days. As far as I'm concerned, she did her best work in the Nineties and then for some reason the fire went out and she started doing rehashes of her old work or uninspired semi-classical ditties. I would do anything for concert tickets back in the Nineties, whereas now I simply do not care.

Back in the Nineties, many exciting things happened. Not only did Tori release her quintessential albums 'Little Earthquakes', 'Under the pink' and 'From the choirgirl hotel', but she also worked with remixers like BT for more dance-oriented tracks. This remix by Salt Tank was another interesting one: 'Eugina' features her vocals, although in this case it was a random sample. This 12" single set was part of a bigger order online, and I bought it for old times sake. I have to say these tracks puzzle me and I'm not sure if I'll play them a lot.

Who do you hear in the tracks 'Eden' and 'Orinoco', on the other hand? Well, it's Kate Bush. And she is still the Goddess she's always been of course.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Eden' / 'Flammable' // 'Eugina (Pacific rage)', 'Orinoco' / 'Origin of species', 'Astral'

Wrong - Everything but the girl

Just like Walking wounded and Single, 'Wrong' was released as a jukebox-only 7" single. I only found out about this quite recently, and this prompted me to get hold of these singles as quickly as possible. Thanks to the internet, it isn't so hard to find rare singles these days, although obviously it depends on how much you'd like to spend on them.

I do have to wonder why record companies in 1996 felt it wasn't necessary to release vinyl singles commercially anymore. They were obviously being made, so why not make them available to the general public? But then, the workings of the record industry have baffled me ever since those days anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received June 1, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Wrong (Todd Terry remix edit)' / 'Wrong (Deep Dish remix edit)'

The sun always shines on TV - Diva

In 1994, the Norwegian duo Diva released a cover version of A-ha's 'The sun always shines on TV'. Helene Sommer and Elene Nyborg did manage to attract some attention with their version of the song, although it didn't become a hit - except in Norway where it reached number 2 and in the UK where it got to number 53.

This double 12" single - housed in a rather anonymous black sleeve - was given to me by regular blog reader Puck some time ago, but I never got around to recording all the versions included in this package. I'm sure you'll agree that none of them can't hold a candle to A-ha's original version of the song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Cost: free
Tracks: 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial club mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (original version)' / 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial hard dub mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial club edit)' // 'The sun always shines on TV (Perfecto mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Sunshine mix)' / 'The sun always shines on TV (Sexy disco dub)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Volcano club edit)'

Tomorrow is now - Howard Jones

After Howard Jones'contract with Warner Bros. ended, I lost track of him for a couple of years. I was quite surprised when I found out that he'd steadily released albums like 'Working in the back room' and 'People' while I wasn't paying attention. Thanks to the internet, I quickly reconnected at the end of the Nineties. I bought the albums and some CD-singles, and all was good in the world again.

Last week I found out that one of his late Nineties tracks was also released as a 7" single in the USA. 'Tomorrow is now' features 'Let the people have their say' on the B-side, and both were released as CD-singles at the time. It's great to finally have this 7" single as well, even if it's just a jukebox release.

My collection: 7" single no. 5842
Found: Discogs.com, received May 24, 2017
Cost: £3
Tracks: 'Tomorrow is now' / 'Let the people have their say'

Listen to the song

Say it again - Precious

The girl band Precious was formed at the end of 1998 by Sophie McDonnell and Jenny Frost. A set of auditions saw the remaining members join, these were: Anya Lahiri, Kalli Clark-Sternberg and Louise Rose. In 1999 they were chosen to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel. While the single went to number 6 in the UK singles chart, their success at Eurovision was more limited, as they ended up in 12th place.

After three more singles (two of which were hit sigles) and a debut album which failed to chart, the group were dropped by their label and it was decided that the individual members should pursue separate careers. Sophie McDonnell started presenting for BBC TV and Radio including their CBBC brand, Jenny Frost replacing Kerry Katona in the band Atomic Kitten, and Anya Lahiri returning to her modelling activities. Lead singer Louise Rose also become an actress, her credits include the 2008 mini-series "Diamonds". Kalli Clark-Sternberg has since become a session singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 5841
Found: Discogs.com, received May 24, 2017
Cost: £ 3
Tracks: 'Say it again (Cutfather & Joe mix)' / 'Essential love'

Listen to the song

Single - Everything but the girl

'Single' was the third single taken from Everything but the girl's 1996 album 'Walking wounded'. After two top 10 hits in the UK, this single only peaked at number 20, despite being perhaps the best track of the three of them - in my opinion of course.

I was already quite happy to find a single of the previous single Walking wounded, but it turns out that 'Wrong' and 'Single' were released as a 7" single as well - albeit just for jukebox purposes. It's just a matter of finding them online because it's nearly impossible to find these singles any other way.

My collection: 7" single no. 5838
Found: Discogs.com, received May 16, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Single' / 'Corcovado (Quiet night of quiet stars)'

Listen to the song

Ooh aah... Just a little bit - Gina G

One of the most successful Eurovision entries for the United Kingdom in recent decades was Gina G's 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit'. It was a top 10 hit in the UK even before she took to the stage at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway on 18 May 1996. Dressed in a short thigh-skimming glittery metal dress, her vocals turned out to be too weak to carry the song in a live situation, causing her to only make it to eighth place in a field of 23 competitors.

I wasn't aware that this song had even been pressed onto 7" vinyl, until I found this jukebox copy online. No picture sleeve unfortunately, because jukebox singles usually don't come with those, but the song remains one of the best efforts from the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5839
Found: Discogs.com, received May 18, 2017
Cost: $4
Tracks: 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit (Motiv8 radio edit)' / 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit (Motiv8 extended vocal mix)'

Listen to the song

When we dance - Sting

When vinyl was first pronounced dead, at the beginning of the 1990's, record companies stopped making 7" singles for shops. However, 7" singles were still being made for jukeboxes and promotion. In those days, it wasn't so easy to buy such 7" singles, but in this age of internet, nothing is impossible.

I was quite surprised to find out that there was a jukebox 7" single for Sting's 1994 hit 'When we dance'. The track was recorded for the compilation album 'Fields of gold: the best of Sting 1984-1994' and it was a smooth, slow ballad quite similar to 'Fields of gold' actually. This single features one of his earlier solo hits on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 5837
Found: Discogs.com, received May 16, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'When we dance' / 'If I ever lose my faith in you'

Listen to the song

Poison - M. Walking on the water

The German band M. Walking on the water was founded in 1985 in Krefeld by Marcus Maria Jansen, Mike Pelzer, Jürgen Jähnke and Krystian Lembke. They released their debut self-titled album in 1988. Two years later they signed with Polydor and released their first album on a major label.

'Elysian' was released in 1991, and this single, 'Poison', was taken from that album. The real reason for me to buy this single was the B-side: a cover version of Black's immortal 'Wonderful life'.

My collection: 7" single no.5790
Found: Discogs.com
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Poison' / 'Wonderful life'

Listen to the song

Ain't no sunshine - Bi Virtue feat. Joe McGann & Rebecca de Ruvo

It's not the first time that Joe McGann and MTV hottie Rebecca de Ruvo appear in this blog, as I've owned the 12" single of 'Ain't no sunshine' for 17 years now. I wrote about that one way back in December 2009.

When you compare the sleeve of that 12" single with the sleeve of this 7" single, I'm pretty sure you'll agree that this one looks way better. Why the record company decided to go with the ugly version for the 12" single remains a mystery. The song remains the same: a nice but unhistoric version of a classic song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5802
Found: Discogs.com, received April 4, 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ain't no sunshine' / 'Why can't we just be friends'

Listen to the song

Sex cymbal - Sheila E.

My wife came home with a few singles, and I had almost all of them. Still, no harm, because it allowed me to ditch the copies that were in lesser shape, and there was one I didn't know. It was this song by Sheila E., released in 1991.

'Sex cymbal' was taken from Sheila's fourth solo album, the first not to be made with any input from her mentor Prince. It has a very prominent house- and dance-focused sound that was popular in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. It's not her best single, but it's a decent effort nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 5878
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, December 27, 2016
Cost: 0
Tracks: 'Sex cymbal' / 'Bass base'

Listen to the song

Do the Bartman - The Simpsons

I wasn't really planning on spending a lot of money on a single called 'Do the Bartman', despite the fact that I have an impressive amount of Michael Jackson singles in my collection. It is an amusing little song but songs by cartoon characters don't do very much for me. I finally found the single last month at a price that can't be beat.

There has been a lot of confusion about Michael Jackson's involvement in this song, mainly because he was under contract with Epic Records at the time of this single's release. However, the song's writer Bryan Loren has conceded that Jackson's contributions included back up vocals, providing the title "Do the Bartman" and that Jackson insisted his own name to be mentioned in the lyrics (read the story here).

My collection: 7" single no. 5852
Found: Kringloop, Leiden, May 14, 2016
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Do the Bartman (7" House mix/edit)' / 'Do the Bartman (LP edit)'

Listen to the song

You don't die from love - Stephanie

Princess Stephanie from Monaco appeared on this blog before with singles from her debut album, released in 1986. It was a rather successful album in some parts of Europe, so she went about recording a follow-up. Unfortunately, that took such a long time that the music scene had totally changed in the mean time.

That self-titled second album was finally released in 1991, with the lead single 'Winds of chance' failing to reach the charts. This single, 'You don't die from love' was the second and last single to be released by Stephanie. She did appear on Michael Jackson as the mystery voice on 'In the closet', but after that, her music career was over and done.

My collection: 7" single no. 5848
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'You don't die from love' / 'Good dreams'

Listen to the song