The lyric of 'Time will crawl' is about the pollution and destruction of the planet by industry. Bowie has cited hearing of the Chernobyl disaster in April 1986 as the genesis of the lyric. The song was praised by critics for its restrained production compared to Bowie’s other work of the era.
The song was released as the second single from the album, with a version of the song 'Girls' on the B-side. It reached number 33 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in Canada.
My collection: 7" single no. 2885 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Time will crawl' / 'Girls'
The song 'Girls' was written by David Bowie and Erdal Kizilcay. It was recorded by Tina Turner on her 1986 album 'Break every rule'. The track featured Phil Collins on drums and was produced by Terry Britten.
The single reached number 16 in the Dutch Top 40, but as 'Girls' wasn't released as a single in the UK and the USA, it didn't chart there.
My collection: 7" single no. 511 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Girls' / 'Take me to the river'
The lyric of the song 'Take it now' can be described as a day in the life of a pop star. I was never too impressed with the song, but as I have all of Maarten Peters' singles, I couldn't let this one pass me by when it turned up for almost nothing.
'Take it now' was released in November 1986 and failed to reach the Dutch Top 40. It was the first single from Peters' second album, 'Burn your boats'.
My collection: 7" single no. 586 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 6, 1988 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Take it now' / 'One night'
The single 'The way to your heart' from the Belgian duo Soulsister was initially released as a one-sided 7" single. Subsequent copies did have a B-side, the track 'Bye bye'. Initially I searched for the one-sided version, but when that search proved to be unsuccessful, I settled for the 'normal' single.
Fortunately, I still found the one-sided single last year (it is described here), and so my collection of Soulsister singles is as complete as it ever will be.
My collection: 7" single no. 705 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 17, 1988 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The way to your heart' / 'Bye bye'
The Dutch band De Dijk has had a career of almost thirty years up until now, with only a dozen hit singles to show for it. One of them was this single, 'Mag het licht uit' ('Turn off the lights), which reached number 23 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1983.
Even if you can't understand the lyric, you can appreciate the musical buildup of this track: a slow, tense ballad which turns into a rock song midway. The fact that the lyric isn't that interesting doesn't even matter if you don't understand Dutch anyway.
My collection: 7" single no. 542 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Mag het licht uit' / 'Wat een vrouw (niet kan doen)'
'Don't wanna lose you' was written and recorded by Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1989 as the first single from the album 'Cuts both ways'. The single reached number 1 in the USA, where it became her second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 6 in the UK singles chart.
Estefan also recorded 'Si voy a perderte', which is the Spanish version of this song. It is included on the B-side of this single. A Portuguese version, 'Se tenho que perder' was released as a single in Brazil.
My collection: 7" single no. 927 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 1, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Don't wanna lose you' / 'Si voy a perderte'
'I guess that's why they call it the blues' was released in 1983 as a single from Elton John's album 'Too low for zero'. The track features Stevie Wonder on harmonica and received favourable reviews from the moment it was released. It has gone on to be one of Elton John's most-played songs on radio stations from the Eighties portion of his career.
The single reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1037 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 30p Tracks: 'I guess that's why they call it the blues' / 'Choc ice goes mental' (Lord Choc Ice)
'Don't ask me why' was written by Annie Lennox and David Stewart. The lyric of the song describes the ending of a relationship. The lyric can also be interpreted as a personal message from Lennox to her ex-husband, from whom she split acrimoniously in 1985, although some think the lyric is directed towards ex-lover and band partner Stewart.
The song was released as the second single from the Eurythmics' album 'We too are one'. It reached number 25 in the UK singles chart and number 40 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1125 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Don't ask me why' / 'Rich girl'
These days I don't play Bon Jovi anymore, but I can see why I bought 'Born to be my baby' back in 1988: it's a loud and proud rock track, slightly overstating the point that the couple depicted in this song's lyric may have been made for one another.
The song was released as the second single from Bon Jovi's 1989 album New Jersey in 1989. It peaked at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 and number 22 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 814 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Born to be my baby' / 'Love for sale'
When 'Enjoy the silence' was written by Martin Gore, he intended it to be a slow-paced ballad in C minor; the demo featured a harmonium with Gore singing. Fellow band member Alan Wilder saw hit potential in the track, and composed an upbeat tempo and structure for the song. Despite initial resistance from songwriter Gore, who felt the spirit of the song was not suited to an upbeat track, the rest of the group liked it. After some self-described 'sulking', Gore came around and added more to the embryonic fast version together with producer Mark 'Flood' Ellis, notably the guitar riff heard throughout. Within hours of recording the track, the band was convinced they had a hit single on their hands.
When released as a single, 'Enjoy the silence' became Depeche Mode's most successful song. It reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40, number 6 in the UK singles chart and went top ten in dozens of other countries. The song was released with several remixes on several formats, most notably the 'Quad:Final mix', clocking in at 15 minutes.
My collection: 7" single no. 1168 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Enjoy the silence' / 'Memphisto'
Although 'There's got to be a way' and 'I don't wanna cry' were released as two separate singles in the USA, in Europe it was a double A-side single. 'I don't wanna cry', the best track of the two in my opinion, was written by Narada Michael Walden and Mariah Carey. Because of bad experiences during its production and because she feels it 'doesn't have a message', Carey later commented that she dislikes the song and tries to sing it as rarely as possible.
'There's got to be a way' was written by Carey and Ric Wake, and pleads for ways to help fix the state of the world. It is one of Carey's few socially conscious songs, and deals with racism and poverty.
My collection: 7" single no. 1504 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 6, 1991 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'There's got to be a way' / 'I don't wanna cry'
Released as the first single from his 1989 album 'But seriously', 'Another day in paradise' was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness. It all sounded slightly pompous coming from a man who was so rich that he could easily buy a building and shelter all the homeless people in the UK. But I guess Collins didn't think about that when he wrote the song.
The single became a number 1 hit in various countries around the world, including the USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. In the UK, the single peaked at number 2.
My collection: 7" single no. 1091 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, November 4, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Another day in paradise' / 'Heat on the street'
The song 'Private dancer' was written by Mark Knopfler and was originally going to be included on the Dire Straits album 'Love over gold'. After the song was recorded, however, the vocals were not added. Mark Knopfler considered that they were not suitable for a male to sing, so the track was cut from the final mix.
Legal restrictions prevented the original recording from being used when Tina Turner wanted to record the song, so two years later, the track was remade by Dire Straits for Tina Turner. The guitar parts originally played by Knopfler were re-done by Jeff Beck. The song was one of Tina Turner's most successful singles, reaching number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 248 Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1984 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Private dancer' / 'Keep your hands off my baby'
Daryl Hall & John Oates had been away from the pop scene for three years when they released 'Everything your heart desires' in April 1988. It was the first single from their imaginatively titled 1988 album 'Ooh Yeah'.
The single reached number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 81 in he UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 717 Found: January 6, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Everything your heart desires' / 'Realove'
'I could never take the place of your man' was the fourth and final single from Prince's 1987 double album, 'Sign 'o' the times'. The track was originally recorded in Prince's home studio in 1982. It was brought out of the vault and updated for Prince's 1987 album.
Released in the autumn of 1987, the single reached number 22 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 29 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 577 Found: Free Record Shop, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'I could never take the place of your man' / 'Hot thing'
Released as the second single from their 1986 album 'The hole', 'Why do I' was a slightly formulaic rock ballad by the Golden Earring. The band were not known for their ballads, but through the years they'd recorded quite a few.
Releasing one as a single was not a good idea, though: 'Why do I' failed to chart when it was released in August 1986. The third single from the album, 'They dance', also failed to chart, and the band disappeared from view for two years after that.
My collection: 7" single no. 433 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Why do I' / 'Gimme a break (Rock version)'
'Stay out of my life' was released as the fifth single from Five Star's second album 'Silk & steel' in February 1987. The song was coupled with an alternative version of the track, '(How dare you) Stay out of my life', which was used as the theme tune to the Eighties children's television series entiled 'How dare you', presented by Carrie Grant.
The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but failed to chart in other territories. The group performed 'Stay out of my life" at the 1987 BPI awards ceremony, where they had won the award for 'Best British Group'.
My collection: 7" single no. 3105 Found: House of Rhythm, London, May 13, 1999 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'Stay out of my life' / '(How dare you) Stay out of my life'
In 1981, Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Making your mind up'. German singer Maggie Mae recorded this German cover version with alternative lyrics written by Werner Schüler and Bernd Meinunger. Entitled 'Rock 'n' Roll cowboy', it's a tale of a woman who is seduced by a Marlboro-man type of figure, but on a motorbike instead of a horse.
Maggie Mae was born as Cosima Andrea Carle on May 13, 1960 and made a name for herself as singer and actress. Soon after the release of this single she met Robert Trammel, with whom she married and moved to the USA. She ended her singing career and started working as a nurse.
My collection: 7" single no. 3355 Found: Record fair, 2000 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Rock 'n' Roll cowboy' / 'Jet set'
Sometimes the reactions I get on this blog really amuse me. A recent entry on 'Cannonball' by Supertramp was reason enough for someone to start promoting Roger Hodgson, writing, 'If you want to see a REAL Supertramp concert, see Roger's show. (...) See the original voice of Supertramp and not an imitation.' True enough, Roger Hodgson co-founded Supertramp, but he also left the group prematurely. Rick Davies was there when the group was founded as well. So when he sings 'Free as a bird' in 1988, after Hodgson's leaving the group, is that an imitation? I would think not.
This is one of my favourite Supertramp tracks because of its widescreen sound and optimistic lyric. The single was not a commercial success, unfortunately.
My collection: 7" single no. 853 Found: Den Haag, May 27, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Free as a bird' / 'Thing for you'
'Working on it' is another one of those catchy rock tunes by Chris Rea that sticks in your head once you've heard it. It was released in 1989 when his compilation album 'New light through old windows' had just seen the light of day. This compilation featured new versions of Chris Rea hits.
This single was only a minor hit, reaching number 53 in the UK singles chart and number 73 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2486 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 30, 1995 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'Working on it' / 'One golden rule'
London Beat were less successful in their home country, the UK, than they were in the Netherlands. 'You bring on the sun' reached number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 when it was released in May 1992, but only managed to reach number 32 in the UK singles chart.
At the same time, 'You bring on the sun' was also the last top 10 hit for London Beat in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 1657 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 30, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'You bring on the sun' / 'Dreaming of you (Deep sleep mix)'
Laurent Voulzy wrote 'Les nuits sans Kim Wilde' together with his writing partner Alain Souchon after seeing music videos of Kim Wilde on television. He felt rather infatuated by this beautiful lady on the screen. Kim was approached to sing guest vocals on the track, and after some hesitation, she agreed. She eventually even appeared in the music video to promote this single. Released in the summer of 1985, it was a hit in France, but was not released in other territories.
However, in early 1986 the single was re-released. The sides were switched, and 'Belle-ile-en-mer Marie-Galante' was now the A-side. This single was an even bigger hit in France, and was also released outside of France. During a TV programme in France a few years later, Voulzy and Kim Wilde performed a version of this song together.
I found a German pressing of 'Belle-ile-en-mer Marie-Galante' while searching for 'Les nuits sans Kim Wilde' during a holiday in Paris in 1986. I would find the original release only seven years later...
My collection: 7" single no. 434 / no. 1907 Found: Paris, July 11, 1986 / Groningen, May 15, 1993 Cost: - (present) / 3 guilders Tracks: 'Les nuits sans Kim Wilde' / 'Belle-ile-en-mer Marie-Galante'
Rod Stewart released his fourteenth studio album 'Every beat of my heart' in June 1986. The title track was released as a single a month later. A sentimental piece about longing for one's country of birth - in this case, Scotland - Stewart wrote this track together with Kevin Savigar.
The single became a hit in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, peaking at number 8 and number 2 respectively.
My collection: 7" single no. 471 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Every beat of my heart' / 'Trouble'
'Words get in the way' was the third single by Miami Sound Machine, taken from their second English language album, and ninth overall, 'Primitive love'. As a ballad, the song marked a change in sound from the band's earlier singles and was the first sign that Gloria Estefan, who wrote the song, would be successful as an artist in her own right.
The single reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart - their biggest hit so far in the USA - and number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1784 Found: Record fair, Almere, November 7, 1992 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Words get in the way' / 'Movies'
The third and last single from the album 'Foto van een mooie dag' by the Frank Boeijen Groep was the ballad 'Schaduw' ('Shadow') . The record company probably thought they would build on the success of the previous single 'Kronenburg park' - also a ballad - with this single, but unfortunately, 'Schaduw' failed to chart.
The B-side was announced as a 'special version' of 'Kronenburg park', but it is in fact just an instrumental version.
My collection: 7" single no. 326 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Schaduw' / 'Kronenburg park (special version)'
The intro of 'Heaven in my hands' was used a lot on Dutch radio during programmes. I was more familiar with the intro than I was with the song: only years later I found out it was this Level 42 track.
The track was taken from the album 'Staring at the sun'. It was the first single not to feature the Gould brothers, Boon and Phil, following their departure the previous year. The single reached number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 3101 Found: Record fair, May 13, 1999 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Heaven in my hands' / 'Gresham blues'
The ballad 'Crash! Boom! Bang!' was the title track of Roxette's 1994 album. It was released as the second single from that album in the summer of 1994.
The single peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and number 23 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2120 Found: Record fair, July 2, 1994 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Crash! Boom! Bang!' / 'Joyride (Unplugged)'
'Two souls' was released in 1992 as the second single from Howard Jones' fifth album 'In the running'. By this time, it was becoming increasingly hard to find his singles in the Netherlands. I guess the record company gave up on distributing his singles, because they flopped anyway. And this one, unfortunately, was no exception.
In fact, 'Two souls' only charted in Germany, peaking at number 53. It's strange, because Howard Jones is one of very few artists who has consistently put out great music ever since his career started in 1983.
My collection: 7" single no. 1663 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 13, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Two souls' / 'Takin' the time'
Elton John wrote 'Song for Guy' himself, without his usual writing partner Bernie Taupin. The track is mainly instrumental but contains one line near the end of the track, which is repeated several times: 'Life isn't everything'. Elton later commented: 'As I was writing this song one Sunday, I imagined myself floating into space and looking down at my own body. I was imagining myself dying. Morbidly obsessed with these thoughts, I wrote this song about death. The next day I was told that Guy (Burchett), our 17 year-old messenger boy, had been tragically killed on his motorcycle the day before. Guy died on the day I wrote this song.'
The single version of 'Song for Guy' is one and a half minutes shorter than the album version. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1768 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Song for Guy' / 'Lovesick'
Besides the regular version of the single of 'Personal Jesus' by Depeche Mode, this limited edition was also released in the autumn of 1989. It features a gatefold sleeve with a booklet featuring four photographs (each of the band members with a naked woman) and two tracks on the B-side. The acoustic version of 'Personal Jesus' is of particular interest.
Whilst not the first Depeche Mode song to feature guitar parts ('Behind the wheel' and their cover of 'Route 66' featured a guitar; 'Love in itself' featured an acoustic guitar), it was the first time a guitar was used as a dominant instrument in a Depeche Mode song.
My collection: 7" single no. 1197 Found: Ter Meulen, Rotterdam, March 23, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Personal Jesus' / 'Dangerous (Hazchemix edit)', 'Personal Jesus (Acoustic)'
'Strong as steel' was released in 1987 as the second single of Five Star's third album 'Between the lines'. The song was written by acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren, who has also written hit songs for Cher, Tina Arena and Michael Bolton amongst others.
The single peaked at number 16 in the UK singles chart. In 1990, the track was covered by Tina Arena.
My collection: 7" single no. 2365 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Strong as steel' / 'The man'
Written by Stevie Nicks, 'Silver springs' was originally intended for the Fleetwood Mac album 'Rumours'. Years after the fact, Nicks commented that in a way, its lack of inclusion on the effort marked a growing tension in the band. The group has three great writers, and only so many slots. The track's inherent longing reportedly came from the ending of the romantic relationship between Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Years later, the band went on a world tour to promote the Fleetwood Mac album 'Behind the mask'. After the tour concluded, Nicks left the group over a dispute with Mick Fleetwood, who would not allow her to release the track 'Silver springs' on her album 'Timespace – The Best of Stevie Nicks', because of his plans to release it on a forthcoming Fleetwood Mac box set. The song eventually appeared on the 1992 box set '25 Years: The Chain'.
In 1997, the song got a second life on the reunion album 'The Dance'. During the filming of the reunion concert that brought Nicks and Buckingham back to the fold, 'Silver springs' was on the set list. This track was released as a single from the album, but was not commercially successful.
My collection: 7" single no. 2949 Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998 Cost: 8 guilders Tracks: 'Silver springs (live)' / 'Go your own way (live)'
Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest for the very first time in 1985 with a very tired old song, 'La det swinge' was performed by the Bobbysocks. This duo, consisting of Hanne Krogh and Elisabeth Andreasson, sang a tribute to dancing to old rock 'n' roll heard on the radio. The melody arrangement is in retro style, containing elements of contemporary Eighties music and throwbacks to the Fifties.
The single reached number 1 in Norway and Belgium and peaked at number 13 in the Dutch Top 40. I have always disliked this song for its repetitiveness and its unimaginative lyrics. Still, it's a Eurovision winner and since I have almost all of them, I had to have this one as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 3562 Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Let it swing' / 'La det swinge'
Jeff Lynne spent two weeks writing songs in Switzerland in 1977 for Electric Light Orchestra's double album 'Out of the blue'. One of the results was this song, 'Turn to stone', which became the opening track for the album. It was also released as the first single from the album.
The single reached number 18 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40. In 2008, Jeff Lynne was awarded a BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) Million-Air certificate for having one million airplays of this song.
My collection: 7" single no. 2869 Found: Record fair Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Turn to stone' / 'Mister Kingdom'
'You have placed a chill in my heart' was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, and appears on the duo's album 'Savage'. It was released as the fourth single from the album.
The track is driven by a drum machine and is a mostly synth-based pop song. Lyrically, Lennox sings of mustering the power to leave a destructive relationship with a lover who does not return the affection she deserves. The single reached number 16 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 687 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'You have placed a chill in my heart' / 'You have placed a chill in my heart (acoustic version)'
'Whiskey in the jar' is a famous Irish traditional song, set in the southern mountains of Ireland, with specific mention of Cork and Kerry counties, as well as Fenit, a village in Kerry county. It is about a highwayman, or perhaps a footpad, who is betrayed by his wife or lover, and is one of the most widely performed traditional Irish songs. It has been recorded by numerous professional artists since the Fifties.
The song was given a rock veneer by Thin Lizzy. Their version was released as a single in 1972 and stayed at the top of the Irish charts for 17 weeks. In 1973, the single reached the UK singles chart and Dutch Top 40, peaking at num,ber 6 and number 20 respectively.
My collection: 7" single no. 855 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Whisky in the jar' / 'Black boys on the corner'
The single 'Burn your boats' was the second single taken from Maarten Peters' second album of the same name. The single featured a live version of the song 'Get out of here' (a track on his debut album 'Hunting the queenbee') on the B-side.
The single failed to reach the Dutch Top 40. Some would argue that the sleeve photography by one Jan van Teeffelen had something to do with this.
My collection: 7" single no. 564 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Burn your boats' / 'Get out of here (live)'
When I bought this single, I hadn't actually heard it. I might have thought twice before buying it if I had, I think. 'Please forgive me' was written by Bryan Adams and Robert John 'Mutt' Lange and treads a much too often trodden path. According to an article in Wikipedia: 'the passion Adams sings the song with is breathtaking'. I would say instead that the lack of originality in this song is breathtaking, but there you go.
The single reached number 2 in the UK, number 7 in the USA and number 1 in Australia. The single reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.
EDIT:: As you can read in the reactions below, I've had a request to remove the divshare box with this post. I guess even Bryan Adams himself thinks these two tracks shouldn't be listened to. In this case, he's certainly right, so I'm happy to oblige.
My collection: 7" single no. 2038 Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 22, 1993 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Please forgive me' / 'Can't stop this thing we started (live)'
'Two hearts' was written by Phil Collins and Lamont Dozier (of Motown's Holland-Dozier-Holland) for the 1988 crime comedy film 'Buster'. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song alongside the Carly Simon song 'Let the river run' from 'Working girl'.
Released as the second single from the 'Buster' soundtrack album, the single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in 1988. The single reached number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 6 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2435 Found: August 19, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Two hearts' / 'The robbery (excerpt)'
The Amsterdam-based Dutch band De Dijk released one of their better known songs 'Binnen zonder kloppen' ('Enter without knocking') in early 1985. The single failed to chart but is remembers within the Netherlands until this day.
During the first Gulf War, the song ended up on a list of boycotted songs for radiostations, probably because of the title...
My collection: 7" sigle no. 1364 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 28, 1990 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Binnen zonder kloppen' / 'Wat nog meer'
'Just the way you are' is a love song from Billy Joel's 1977 album, 'The Stranger'. It was written as a birthday gift to Joel's first wife Elizabeth Weber. After they divorced, Joel said that when performing the song, he would imagine what he would eat for dinner or what he would do after the show, or even accidentally sing alternate lyrics written by Liberty DeVitto ('She took the dog, the house, the car').
The track features an alto sax solo by jazz artist Phil Woods, who replaced Richie Cannata (who played sax for most of the songs on The Stranger) when the latter's style of playing was deemed unfit for the song. The bossa nova style of the song was strongly encouraged by producer Phil Ramone. Joel has gone on record stating that he personally dislikes the song and was originally going to leave it off the album. However, at the request of both Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow (both were recording in other studios in the same building at the time), Joel and Ramone agreed to leave it on the album.
My collection: 7" single no. 2030 Found: Sounds Familiar, London, October 19, 1998 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Just the way you are' / 'Get it right the first time'
'Still got the blues' is a 1990 album by guitarist Gary Moore. Prior to this album Moore's work had consisted of predominantly rock and hard rock styles including his work with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force as well as a large repertoire of solo work. This album, as evidenced by its title, is a departure from hard rock to an electric blues style.
'Still got the blues' has been arguably the most successful of Moore's solo albums as it was well received by old fans and also converted many who had never heard of the Irish guitarist before. Part of the success was caused by the title track, which was released as a single in early 1990. It reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 31 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1241 Found: June 9, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Still got the blues' / 'Left me with the blues'
In 1994, the Mission released the compilation album 'Sum and substance'. The album was preceded by this single release, a remix of their biggest hit up until then: 'Tower of strength'. The 'East India Trans Cairo Mix' was created by Youth.
The single charted in the following January, reaching number 33 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3009 Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, June 28, 1998 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Tower of strength (East India Trans Cairo Mix)' / 'Wasteland (Musketeer mix)'
'Disappear' was released as the second single from INXS's album 'X'. The song was written by Jon Farriss and Michael Hutchence while they were living together in Hong Kong in 1989.
The single peaked at number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's seventh and last top 10 single there. It was a lesser hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 21. In the Dutch Top 40, the single reached number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 1808 Found: Record fair, January 9, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Disappear' / 'Middle beast'
'Rapture' is a combination of New Wave pop, funk, jazz and rap music, with the rap section forming an extended coda. While it was not the first single involving rap to be successful, it was the first to top the charts in the USA. The lyrics of 'Rapture' included references to hip-hop pioneers Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash.
It was the second and final song to be released from Blondie's 1980 album 'Autoamerican', following 'The tide is hight', which had topped the charts in theUSA and the UK. This single only reached number 5 in the UK and number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 829 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 20, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Rapture' / 'Walk like me'
'Out of touch' was the lead single from Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1984 album 'Big Bam Boom'. It was their last Billboard Hot 100 number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1984. The single also reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 48 in the UK singles chart.
John Oates wrote the refrain, 'You're out of touch, I'm out of time but I'm out of my head when you're not around.' He and Hall collaborated on the music and the rest of the lyrics.
My collection: 7" single no. 2890 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Out of touch' / 'Dance on your knees'
'Pink cashmere' was written by Prince for his then-girlfriend, Anna Fantastic (Anna Garcia), for her 18th birthday. The song references the actual gift he presented to her, a coat made of pink cashmere with a black mink collar and cuff, the name Anna Fantastic embroidered on the sleeve, and '89' on the back. The coat was valued at $15,000, being custom made by his personal staff designer.
The single reached number 50 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but failed to chart in Europe.
My collection: 7" single no. 2438 Found: August 19, 1995 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Pink cashmere' / 'The future (Mark Moore remix)'
Sailing safely between beautiful and downright irritating, John Hiatt's 'Have a little faith in me' would never have become part of my collection if it wasn't played on the radio so often after it came out. The first few dozen times I heard it, I couldn't listen to the song, but in time I gradually warmed to it. When I listen to it now, I still don't know whether to keep listening or to throw the single out the window.
The song appears on John Hiatt's 1987 album 'Bring the family' and was released as a single over a year later. It reached the Dutch Top 40 in April 1989, peaking at number 11.
My collection: 7" single no. 773 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, March 18, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Have a little faith in me' / 'Lipstick sunset'
The lyric of 'Time will crawl' is about the pollution and destruction of the planet by industry. Bowie has cited hearing of the Chernobyl disaster in April 1986 as the genesis of the lyric. The song was praised by critics for its restrained production compared to Bowie’s other work of the era.
