Tomb of memories - Paul Young

I bought a copy of 'Tomb of memories' for something quite close to nothing in July 2009, although I was aware of the limited edition double single version. I didn't really think I would find it so fast for such a reasonable price.

This limited edition double single has two live tracks on the second disc. It's nothing very special, but it is a double single. Did I ever mention that I am a sucker for such limited editions?

My collection: 7" single no. 4386
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Tomb of memories' / 'Man in the iron mask' // 'Bite the hand that feeds (live)' / 'Love will tear us apart (live)'

Wonderland - Paul Young

'Wonderland' was the first single taken from Paul Young's third solo album 'Between two fires'. The song was written by Betsy Cook, who would record the track herself a few years later. That single has been in my collection for years now, so I decided to add this cover version as well.

Paul Young's version of 'Wonderland' reached number 24 in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4122
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 24, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Wonderland' / 'Between two fires'

Everything must change - Paul Young

Another single taken from his 1984 album 'The secret of association', 'Everything must change' is for all intents and purposes a 'black' soul song. It's one of the few hits by Paul Young which he himself co-wrote (Most of his hits are cover versions).

The single peaked at number 9 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3868
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Everything must change' / 'Give me my freedom'

Come back and stay - Paul Young

Paul Young's 1983 hit single 'Come back and stay' was written by American musician Jack Lee. The song may have been written about one of his two teen sweethearts (with whom he fathered respectively a son and a daughter) or to his wife and mother of his two youngest daughters. This theme of loss of love, heartbreak and abandonment was derived from his life experiences that kept repeating.

Paul Young reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 with this track. The album version, which lasted for seven minutes, was edited to a 4'23 minute single remix version.

My collection: 7" single no. 3878
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Come back and stay (single remix version)' / 'Yours'

Tomb of memories - Paul Young

I've resisted it for more than two decades, but this week I finally caved and bought a few Paul Young singles. Well, at this price, who can blame me. Paul Young was my sister's idol, and as she was always criticizing my taste in music I felt I had to be ruthless in my dislike of Paul Young. That was easy at the time: I didn't like his voice and I thought his songs were crap.

Time has been kind to him, even if his voice has deteriorated so much that he really shouldn't perform live anymore. His songs have aged well, and this, the fourth single from his UK number one album 'The secret of association', is proof of that. 'Tomb of memories' is a lively song, backed with a beautiful, ghostly B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 3879
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Tomb of memories' / 'Man in the iron mask'

Do they know it's Christmas? - Band Aid

The song that embodied the Christmas spirit in the Eighties was Band Aid's 'Do they know it's Christmas?'. The project initiated by Midge Ure and Bob Geldof started when the two met up and worked out this song Bob had written in a rather rudimentary way. They phoned up the musician friends they knew and before you knew it you had a media spectacle of unprecedented size.

I bought the single as soon as it came out, although, strangely, I didn't like the song that much. There were just so many of my eighties idols participated that I felt I couldn't pass up on this historic single. Two decades later, it's somehow reassuring (or troubling) that everything has stayed the same in Africa: it's still a continent of war, hunger and drought.

My collection: 7" single no. 249

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1984

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Do they know it's Christmas?' / 'Feed the world'

Download: 12" single 'Do they know it's Christmas?', including both tracks (password: burningtheground-djpault.blogspot.com )