I giorni dell'arcobaleno - Nicola di Bari

I don't know if anyone has ever wondered if there is a connection between The Doors and the Eurovision Song Contest, but if you have been wondering about this, wonder no more, because this single offers the solution to that particular riddle. Italian singer Nicola di Bari offers not only his 1972 Eurovision entry on this EP, but also cover versions of 'La Bamba' (the Richie Valens song) and 'Light my fire' (The Doors track).

Nicola di Bari was born as Michele Scommegna on September 29, 1940. His first commercial success followed in 1964 when he recorded the song 'Amore ritorna a casa'. Since then he was a regular competitor at the San Remo festival, winning in 1971 and 1972. 'I giorni dell'arcobaleno' ('The days of the rainbow') went on to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972 and reached sixth place in a field of 18 competitors.The EP was given to me as a gift during a visit at a fellow Eurovision fan recently. Music connecting people.

My collection: 7" single no. 6063
Found: Den Haag, May 8, 2019
Tracks: 'I giorni dell'arcobaleno', 'La bamba' / 'Era di primavera', 'Dammi fuoco'

Love's theme - Love Unlimited

The female vocal trio Love Unlimited, consisting of Glodean James, Linda James and Diane Taylor, were most famous for providing backing vocals for American singer Barry White. However, they also found success with their own recordings.

'It may be winter outside (but in my heart it's spring)' was written by Barry White and Paul Politi and became a minor hit for Love Unlimited, reaching number 83 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 in the UK singles chart. This Belgian contains that song but also the instrumental A-side 'Love's theme', a top 10 hit in the Netherlands in 1974. Younger listeners will remember this melody from OMD's single 'Dream of me'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6060
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 4, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Love's theme' / 'It may be winter outside'

Opstalan - Monica Aspelund

Monica Aspelund represented Finland during the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 with 'Lapponia', a happy song about a region in the nordic country.

Some marketing genius in the Netherlands made possible something you'd never expect to see nowadays: a promotional single featuring a Dutch version of the song to promote Opstalan isolation plates, made of Finnish plywood. Although Monica's pronunciation of Dutch leaves a little to be desired, it is a remarkable feat for a Finnish woman to record a song entirely in Dutch, especially when the lyrics suggest a product is 'strong as our reindeers'.

I was aware of this single and had seen the sleeve pictured online, so when I saw this copy in real life, I immediately grabbed it. The price was worth it: online it is always more expensive, especially when it's in such a good state as this copy.

My collection: 7" single no. 6062
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 4, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Opstalan', 'En Karneval' / 'Jojk', 'So you're having an affair'

Tom tom tom - Marion

'Tom tom tom' was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, performed in English by Marion Rung. This was Rung's second Eurovision entry, in 1962 she had made her debut in the Contest as a 16-year-old with 'Tipi-tii', which finished in 7th position. 'Tom tom tom' was performed first on the night and ended up in sixth place in a field of 17 contestants.

Marion went on to perform at the Polish Sopot festival in 1974 and 1980. During the Seventies and Eighties she had numerous TV shows. In 1995 she had a tour celebrating her 50th birthday. As one of the most popular Finnish female singers, Marion is still active. In 2000 she had a successful tour in Finland together with Katri Helena, Paula Koivuniemi and Lea Laven, three other popular Finnish female artists.

My collection: 7" single no. 6055
Found: Discogs.com, received April 30, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Tom tom tom' / 'My son John'

Keep me warm - Carita

I have acquired many Eurovision Song Contest singles through the years, especially in the last few years. The more I have collected, the more obscure the new additions get. I'd never seen the 1974 entry from Finland before last Saturday - and now I saw this single with two different dealers during the Utrecht record fair. I bought this single the first time I saw it, which is just as well since the other dealer asked two more euros for it.

Carita Elisabeth Holmström was born on February 10, 1954 in Helsinki. She represented Finland with the song 'Keep me warm'. She finished in 13th place in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6043
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Keep me warm' / 'Shadow on the wall'

Pomme pomme pomme - Monique Melsen

Luxembourg is a small country, which is why it is allowed to attract artists from other countries to represent it during the Eurovision Song Contest. In the history of the Contest, only eight native Luxembourgians have represented their own country. One of them was Monique Melsen, born on February 24, 1951 in Ettelbruck.

In 1971 she sang 'Pomme pomme pomme' ('Apple apple apple'), a song about eating an apple. Yes, this is how simple a song can be. Doing so reminds her that it is spring, which causes her to wonder if she will find love during that season, or whether she will only find 'the snake'. The song finished on 13th place, in a field of 18 contestants.

My collection: 7" single no. 6041
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Pomme pomme pomme' / 'Fa fa fa'

Make it with you - Bread

Hard to believe, but the Bread song 'Make it with you' was recorded by only two people: Mike Botts (drums) and David Gates (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass & strings). Gates also wrote the song. It was released in June 1970 and became their first top 10 hit in the USA, peaking at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The single also did well in the UK (where it peaked at number 5), Canada (number 2), New Zealand (number 6) and Australia (number 7). In France, where the single I bought was made, it didn't chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 6036
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Make it with you' / 'Why do you keep me waiting'

Sobe, sobe, balao sobe - Manuela Bravo

Maria Manuela de Oliveira Moreira Bravo, (known as Manuela Bravo) was born in Queluz (Sintra) on December 7, 1957. She made her first public apperarence when she was only 5 years old in Cinema Éden. When she was 15 years old, she released her first single with two songs composed by José Cid, 'Nova Geração' and 'Another Time'.

In 1979 Manuela Bravo won the Portuguese national final for Eurovision with the song 'Sobe, sobe, balão sobe' and represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished in 9th place in a field of 19 competitors. When you listen to this single now, the song sounds a bit dated.

My collection: 7" single no.  6031
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Sobe, sobe, balao sobe' / 'Meu tempo novo de viver'

Vita vidder - Family Four

In 1971 Sweden was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest by Family Four. With the song 'Vita vidder' they managed to get to sixth place in a field of 18 competitors.

Family Four consisted of Berndt Öst, Marie Bergman, Agnetha Munther and Pierre Isacsson. They went on to represent Sweden again the next year, with the song 'Härliga sommardag'. Marie Bergman was no stranger to Eurovision after this: she returned to the Eurovision stage together with Roger Pontare in 1994.

My collection: 7" single no. 6027
Found: Discogs.com, received March 28, 2019
Cost: 2 euro 
Tracks: 'Vita vidder' / 'Heja mamma'

Popcorn - Hot Butter

My copy of 'Popcorn' by Hot Butter, described on this blog ten years ago, wasn't very interesting to look at for its lack of a picture sleeve. I think I have compensated for that now.

I recently ordered a promotional 7" single of Kim Wilde's 'View from a bridge' from Japan (Do I really have to describe all my Kim Wilde singles on this blog? I have decided not to) and found this Japanese copy of 'Popcorn' for just a few dollars extra. I decided to buy this one as well, just because my 'Popcorn' collection is something I am particularly proud of. It may not be a complete collection, but this single is rare enough to want to own it.

My collection: 7" single no. 6023
Found: Discogs.com, received March 28, 2019
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'At the movies'

Colorado (international version) - Xandra

On June 6, 2017 Sandra Reemer passed away following a long battle with breast cancer. She had a long and interesting career, not least because she appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest three times, representing the Netherlands. The last of her appearances was the 1979 song Colorado, which I bought as a single in 2002.

That single featured the Dutch version. The single featured here today was also released at the time, featuring a version in English. Like the Dutch version, this one was written and produced by the brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland.

My collection: 7" single no. 6024
Found: Discogs.com, received March 28, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Colorado' / 'Stranger in town'

Menina do alto da serra - Tonicha

Tonicha was born as Antónia de Jesus Montes Tonicha on 8 March 1946, in Beja, Alentejo, Portugal. She represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, with the song 'Menina do alto da serra' ('Girl from the country mountain'). She finished on ninth place in a field of eighteen competitors.

'Menina do alto da serra' is a classic Eurovision song, the kind you don't get to hear anymore these days. It's beautiful and melodious. This copy comes straight from Portugal, where I ordered it, and despite its age it looks almost like new.

My collection: 7" single no. 6012
Found: Discogs.com, received March 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Menina do alto da serra' / 'Mulher'

Die Roboter - Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk singles are pretty rare, so whenever I see one for an affordable price I leap at the chance to own it. Even if, in this case, the state of the sleeve is a bit questionable. 'Die Roboter' is the original German version of the track better known as 'The robots' in English speaking countries, and it was released in 1978.

Taken from the album 'Die Mensch Machine', the single reached number 25 in the German singles chart and number 23 in Austria. The track was remixed for the album 'The Mix' in 1991 and got to number 18 in Germany then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6006
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Die Roboter' / 'Spacelab'

Bang-a-boomerang - Sven & Charlotte

Svenne Hedlund and Charlotte Walker met in 1967 when Svenne was the vocalist in the band Hep Stars, which also included Benny Andersson who would go on to form Abba. They spent time together during the Swedish leg of Lotta's concert tour with the American band the Sherrys. Upon Lotta's return to America, the pair missed each other so greatly that Lotta soon travelled back to Sweden; this time with her three children. Seeking parental approval, Lotta also brought her mother to meet Svenne.

After the Hepstars broke up and Abba became a phenomenon  after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, Sven and Charlotte competed in the Swedish national finals for the Contest in 1975 with 'Bang-a-boomerang'. The song was composed by the male members of Abba, who didn't want to represent Sweden a year after having won the contest, so they gave the duo the song instead. It became a big hit in Scandinavia. Abba recorded the song as well, but from a Scandinavian perspective, this is primarily a Seven & Charlotte hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 6005
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Bang-a-boomerang' / 'Roly-poly girl'

Wuthering heights / The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

There's been a lot of attention for Kate Bush these last few months, on the occasion of her 'Remastered' box sets. Re-releases of Kate Bush music have been very scarce - between 1978 and now there has even only been one official compilation album.

Which is why this 'Old gold' single is a bit of a rarity too. It presents Kate's first two hits on one single. It was released in 1983, while EMI also released the 7" singles box set 'The Single File'. Interestingly, this single features the single version of 'The man with the child in his eyes', which has never been released on any Kate Bush CD until now (although it does appear on a compilation CD of love songs somewhere...).

My collection: 7" single no. 6004
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'The man with the child in his eyes'

Wisconsin - Peter Shelley

The song 'Wisconsin' appears as the B-side of the single Little Julie, which I bought just six months ago. And here's the UK single of that very song, this time on the A-side. Released on the Magnet label, this single did not reach the UK charts, contrary to 'Gee baby' and Love me love my dog, which were minor hits in the UK.

This single is mainly an addition to my ever expanding Marty Wilde collection, but it has to be said that 'Wisconsin' is a beautiful composition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6001
Found: Discogs.com, received March 1, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Wisconsin' / 'I'm flying'

War of the worlds EP - Jeff Wayne

Several singles from the legendary 'War of the world' album by Jeff Wayne have already been featured on this blog, but today's addition to my collection is especially rare. While I was browing the Discogs website - I have done that a lot lately - I discovered this promotional EP, released in New Zealand only. Normally I wouldn't consider buying a single just like that, but it was cheap and the same seller also had an extremely rare New Zealand pressing of Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America'. It was simply an offer I couldn't resist.

So here it is, a rare EP from New Zealand with four tracks from 'War of the worlds' in edited form. These edits appear on the singles for 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', 'Forever autumn' and 'Thunderchild' as well, but anyway...

My collection: 7" single no. 5999
Found: Discogs.com, received February 20, 2019
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', 'Forever autumn' / 'The fighting machine', 'Thunder child'

Danswijsje - Corry Brokken

The Eurovision Song Contest isn't often won by the best song, but in 1963 it happened: 'Dansevise' by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann was the winner that year, representing Denmark. It is one of my favourite Eurovision tunes of all time.

What I didn't know was that previous Eurovision winner Corry Brokken (who represented the Netherlands when she won with 'Net als toen' in 1957) recorded a cover version of the song in Dutch. Entitled 'Danswijsje', the lyrics stay fairly true to the original and the music certainly does too. The B-side is called 'Ga niet weg', and that is a cover of the Swiss entry from 1963: 'T'en va pas' by Esther Ofarim, who represented Switzerland. The orchestra on this single was conducted by Jack Bulterman, who also conducted that legendary Dutch jazz ensemble The Ramblers.

My collection: 7" single no. 5997
Found: Discogs.com, received February 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Danswijsje' / 'Ga niet weg'

It's nice to be in love again - The Swarbriggs plus two

The Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 was performed by the Swarbriggs Plus Two. Following on from The Swarbriggs' first appearance at the Contest two years earlier, Thomas (Tommy) and John James (Jimmy) Swarbrigg recruited Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll to form the bizarrely named quartet The Swarbriggs Plus Two. They were dressed in dark blue outfits, with the two men wearing their blazers of that colour over white suits.


The song was performed first on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 119 points, placing third in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5983
Found: Discogs.com, received January 16, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'It's nice to be in love again' / 'Here we are again'

Rayo de luna - Matia Bazar

The Italian band Matia Bazar has had a few hits in Europe, but their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest seems to have been forgotten by many. In 1979 they represented Italy with the song 'Raggio di luna'.

They recorded the song both in Italian and in Spanish - and the single containing the Spanish version appeared when I was ordering some singles from Spain recently. Of course I wanted to have it, because it's always a delight when an artist records their own song in a different language.

My collection: 7" single no. 5981
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Rayo de luna' / 'Esta tarde... Que tarde'