Skandal im Sperrbezirk - Spider Murphy Gang

The German new wave movement was not only a success in Germany itself: other European countries caught on quickly. Nena was one of the most successful bands in the genre, but the Spider Murphy Gang was quick to cash in on international success with their unlikely hit 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk'.

The Spider Murphy Gang was founded in 1977 by Günther Sigl, together with Gerhard Gmell, Michael Busse and Franz Trojan. Their name is a reference to Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse rock', in which a 'Spider Murphy' played the tenor saxophone. 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk' peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands - however the band had no further hits in this country.

My collection: 7" single no. 2936

Found: January 31, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk' / 'Vis-a-vis'

Footsteps - The Motels

The single 'Footsteps' was taken from The Motels' 1983 album 'Little robbers', just like previous single 'Suddenly last summer'. While that single was a top 10 hit in various countries, this single did not chart in any territory.

My buying the single was the direct result of hearing it over and over on the radio, until one day I recorded it. Eight years later, I found the single. I have to say I spent a long time searching for it, but it wasn't widely available.

My collection: 7" single no. 1463
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 27, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Footsteps' / 'Into the heartland'

Come into my life - Joyce Sims

Joyce Sims was born on August 6, 1959 in Rochester, New York. Her debut album, 'Come into my life', was largely mixed and produced by Kurtis Mantronik of the hip hop/electro funk crew Mantronix.

The title track was released as a single in early 1988 and became a number 7 hit in the UK and the Netherlands. It has become quite a wellknown soul/dance ballad since then.

My collection: 7" single no. 2856

Found: June 21, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Come into my life (radio version)' / 'Come into my life (dub version)'

Turn back the clock - Johnny hates Jazz

When you know that I collect records by Kim Wilde, you would think that I would have bought Johnny hates Jazz's single 'Turn back the clock' at the drop of a hat, since she's singing backing vocals on this track. But the embarrassing truth is: I didn't know this until a few years later! When I did find out, I had to really hunt for this single.

'Turn back the clock' was the title track of Johnny hates Jazz's debut album, released in 1987. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK and number 5 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1779
Found: Record fair, October 25, 1992
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Turn back the clock' / 'Cracking up'

The talk of all the USA - Middle of the road

Remember what Alfred Hitchcock used to say; never give away the clue of a movie. With a song like 'The talk of all the USA' it's just the same. It's because of the clue of this song that it wasn't released in the UK, I suppose. The B-side of this single, 'Samson & Delilah' was a reasonable hit for the band in the UK, peaking at number 26.

Meanwhile, this single, which was released in the Netherlands, gave them a number 1 hit. Could it be because of the lyric? I have to say that the music is very memorable as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 2723

Found: September 2, 1996

Cost: 1 guilders

Tracks: 'The talk of all the USA' / 'Samson & Delilah'

Stay on these roads - A-ha

The first single from A-ha's third album 'Stay on these roads' was the title track. The music of this song was created on a Roland D-50 synthesizer, the sound patch is called 'staccatto heaven'. The wind sound during the instrumental was made on a Roland Juno 60 or Juno 106 synthesizer.

As always, Morten Harket's crystal clear voice sways through this song like there's no tomorrow. The single was a number 1 hit in Norway (of course) and went top 10 everywhere else in Europe. The first single from this album was also the best.

My collection: 7" single no. 601
Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, March 25, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Stay on these roads' / 'Soft rains of April (original mix)'

Ride on time - Black box

Due to the fact that the cover and the label of this single contain no information about this track, it's impossible to determine whether this is the original release of Black Box's 'Ride on time' or a re-release. My guess is that it's the original, since even the track 'Love sensation', on which 'Ride on time' is based is included on the B-side.

'Ride on time' was written and produced by the Italian production team Groove Groove Melody, consisting of DJ Daniel Davoli, programmer Mirko Limoni and musician Valerio Semplici. The team worked with model Catherine Quinol (aka Katrin), who was the face of Black Box. In the video and in live performances she lip-synced to the original vocals.

The song sampled Loleatta Holloway's 1980 disco hit 'Love Sensation' and attracted some controversy for the uncredited use of Holloway's vocals from that song. Holloway's counsel engaged in a press attack on Black Box, successfully securing a settlement that paid the singer an undisclosed sum.

My collection: 7" single no. 2408

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ride on time' (Black box) / 'Love sensation' (Loleatta Holloway & Dan Hartman)

Easier said than done - Shakatak

Bill Sharpe, Jackie Rawe, Roger Odell, George Anderson and Keith Winter formed the British jazz-funk band Shakatak in 1980. In 1981, they released their debut album 'Drivin' hard', from which the single 'Easier said than done' was taken. It gave the band their first top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 12. The single did almost equally well in the Netherlands, peaking at number 17.

The music of Shakatak is often described as elevator music. Indeed, originally I wasn't impressed by this single at all. After some time I still wanted to have it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1121

Found: December 1, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Easier said than done' / 'Late night flight'

Le dernier qui a parlé... - Amina

Amina Annabi was born on March 5, 1962 in Carthage, Tunisia. She started to forge a career in music in 1978, when she formed a group. After five years of playing in schools all over France, she started to go solo. By that time she got involved with Radio Nova, the leading radio station in Paris for world music. One of the producers of the station was Martin Messonier. He started to work with Amina - a relationship that eventually became romantic as well. Their daughter was born in 1986.

Her debut solo album 'Yalil (Night)' was released in 1990. A year later, she was awarded 'Le prix Piaf' as Best Female Singer of the Year. Also in 1991, Amina represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest with a song of her own, entitled 'Le dernier qui a parlé...'. She tied with the swedish participant Carola for the first place but due to insane EBU rules, the French entry ranked second and the award was given to Sweden. However, this single was the artistic triumph of the two. In the Netherlands, it was also a bigger hit: the single peaked at number 35 in the Dutch Top 40, whereas Carola's single flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 1442
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 24, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Le dernier qui a parlé...' / 'Neila'

Building a bridge to your heart - Wax

Starting off with the most confusing countdown in pop history, Wax (a duo consisting of Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman) released 'Building a bridge to your heart' as the first single of their second album 'American English'.

Although the single did not get any further than 12th place in the UK singles chart, it was a number 1 hit in Sweden and the Netherlands. It would also be their last hit in most territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 1024

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Building a bridge to your heart' / 'Heaven in her bed'

Dirty mind - Shakespear's sister

When a band decides to make a remix for a single, they have to think long and hard whether the new version is actually better than the original one. In the case of Shakespear's sister's 'Dirty mind', they didn't think long and hard enough. The 1990 version of 'Dirty mind' takes all the life and soul out of the song and makes it into a lump of sounds that crashes under its own weight.

The record-buying audience duly rewarded this effort: the single only spent one week in the UK singles chart, at number 71. And that was probably because the original version was on the B-side, which is why I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1198
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 30, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Dirty mind (1990 version)' / 'Dirty mind'

Love is just the great pretender - Animal Nightlife

Animal Nightlife originally released 'Love is just the great pretender' in 1984. When this single did not chart and the follow-up 'Mr. Solitaire' did, the band decided to have the track remixed and released it as 'Love is just the great pretender '85'. This did the trick: the single climbed up the chart and peaked at number 28.

The B-side of this single is an instrumental track that fits into Sade's catalogue seamlessly. Or did I already make that comparison before?

My collection: 7" single no. 2597

Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, December 12, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Love is just the great pretender '85' / 'Basic ingredients'

You don't need someone new - The Lotus eaters

Peter Coyle, Jeremy Kelly and Stephen Creese formed the Lotus eaters in 1982 in Liverpool. Although the band is considered to be part of the 'New Romantics' movement from around that time, their music was more folk-oriented than the synthpop of bands like Japan and Spandau Ballet.

'You don't need someone new' became a regularly played single on the local radio where I lived, and so I got to know the band. It was their second single, which peaked at number 53 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1288

Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'You don't need someone new' / 'Two virgins tender'

Super freak - Rick James

When I was 11, 'Super freak' by Rick James was my air guitar favourite. The 1981 hit single was produced and performed by Rick James and features background vocals from Motown labelmates The Temptations, featuring James' uncle Melvin Franklin.

The single reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40. The song is also well known because it was sampled by MC Hammer in his 1990 hit 'U can't touch this'. That being a hip hop track, it was of course unlistenable.

My collection: 7" single no. 1782
Found: November 7, 1992
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Super freak' / 'Super freak (instrumental)'

1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins

Band leader Billy Corgan reportedly worked nonstop after his band's Siamese Dream tour and wrote about 56 songs for the Smashing Pumpkins' 'Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness' album. As the Mellon Collie sessions came to a conclusion, '1979' was just a couple of chord changes and a snippet of a melody without words. When the time came to choose the songs that were to appear on the album, producer Flood said that '1979' was not good enough and wanted to drop it from the record.

This inspired Corgan to finish it in four hours. The next day, Flood heard '1979' once and decided immediately to put it on the album. The song features a sample of Corgan's voice repeated throughout. During recording, Corgan was singing "ooh" as the melody line, so he and Flood decided to record him singing to a tape. The pair electronically manipulated several samples and looped them against a drumbeat. The single was the band's first international big hit, peaking at number 16 in Australia and the UK and number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 2834
Found: Record fair, February 8, 1997
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: '1979' / 'Bullet with butterfly wings'

Good thing going - Sugar Minott

Sugar Minott was born as Lincoln Barrington Minott on May 25, 1956 in Kingston, Jamaica. He began his singing career in 1969 when he joined the African Brothers, along with Tony Tuff and Derrick Howard. After five years, the group broke up and Sugar Minott started a solo career.

He had several hits in his native Jamaica, until in 1981 'Good thing going', a cover version of a song originally performed by Michael Jackson, was picked up for distribution by RCA and reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1981, leading to an album of the same name. Minott never equalled this success again.

My collection: 7" single no. 956

Found: All that music, Leiden, August 10, 1988

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Good thing going' (Sugar Minott) / 'Hung up' (Desi Roots)

Elettrochoc - Matia Bazar

Taken from their 1983 album 'Tango', 'Elettrochoc' is probably the most frantic track of Matia Bazar's lengthy career. The operatic vocals of singer Antonella Ruggiero are supported by a high energy synth backing. I was very impressed when I heard this single for the first time, and even to this day it never fails to excite me.

For some time in the Eighties I had a hobby creating remixes out of existing recordings by bands. This single lent itself to this purpose excellently: the instrumental version on the B-side is rather different from the vocal version on the A-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 496

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Elettrochoc' / 'Elettrochoc (instrumental)'

Summer night city - Abba

The recording sessions for 'Summer night city' began in early 1978. Abba's new Polar Music recording studio had opened in May, but had not been ready to use initially, so the primary backing track had been recorded at Metronome Studio. A 43-second ballad-style introduction to the song had been edited out to improve the overall quality, but nothing seemed to work. Allegedly, mixing the single took at least a week, far more than it took to mix any other track in ABBA's recording history. A reluctant Abba decided to release the song as a single in September despite their disappointment with the track as it was.

Although the band was critical of their own song, the record-buying audiences were impressed. The single topped the charts in Finland, Ireland and Sweden and peaked at number 5 in the UK and the Netherlands.

The B-side medley was actually a remix of the original 1975 version that had been issued on the German charity album 'Stars im zeichen eines guten sterns'. It was a medley of the traditional songs 'Pick a bale of cotton', 'On top of old smokey' and 'Midnight special'. The recording is unique because it's the only cover version(s) that Abba have ever recorded in the studio.

My collection: 7" single no. 2299
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, May 27, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Summer night city' / 'Medley: Pick a bale of cotton/On top of old Smokey/Midnight special'

Forget about you - The Motors

The Motors had their debut live performance at the Marquee Club in March 1977. That same month, they recorded three songs for John Peel's weekly BBC Radio 1 show. By May they had been signed to Virgin Records, appearing in another John Peel session in September of the same year.

Their first single was 'Dancing the night away', which reached number 42 in the UK singles chart. Two big hits followed. In 1978 the band released 'Airport', which proved to be the band's biggest seller. The follow-up, 'Forget about you', was released two months later and reached number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 1482

Found: Breda, July 3, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Forget about you' / 'Picturama'

Diva lady - The Divine Comedy

Released as the first single from the Divine Comedy's 2006 album 'Victory for the comic muse', 'Diva lady' peaked at number 52 in the UK singles chart. It was released on two different cd-singles as well as this 7" vinyl single, which included a small poster and an exclusive track on the B-side.

The album is unique in the Divine Comedy catalogue - and in the catalogue of most recent popular music - in that Hannon's original aim with the album was to record it entirely in two weeks, with the minimum of overdubbing. As such, almost all of the music on the album - much to the chagrin of the classical players involved on almost every track, and the Divine Comedy band itself - was recorded in live takes.

My collection: 7" single no. 3436

Found: HMV, London, 2006

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Diva lady' / 'Elaine'

Smokers outside the hospital doors - Editors

'Smokers outside the hospital doors' was released on two different 7" vinyl singles, of which this second one was a limited edition. The cover was shiny metallic and the record was pressed on clear vinyl. The edition was limited to 10,000 numbered copies - this is number 3663. The B-side was different to the other single as well.

I bought this single after I had become hooked to the Editors album 'An end has a start', which I'd bought in the summer of 2008. I still rate it as one of the best albums of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 3512

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Smokers outside the hospital doors' / 'The picture'

Smokers outside the hospital doors - Editors

Editors recorded their second album 'An end has a start' in Grouse Lodge, Ireland over a two month period beginning in late November 2006. It was released in June 2007 and went straight to number 1 in the UK album charts. The album was preceded by the single 'Smokers outside the hospital doors'. The song was Editors' highest-charting single at number 7.

The single was released on two different 7" vinyl singles. This single contained the track 'Some kind of spark' on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 3511

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Smokers outside the hospital doors' / 'Some kind of spark'

God - Tori Amos

While in the US 'God' was released as the first single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink', in the UK it was the fourth and last single. The single was released as a picture disc 7", plus there was also a 12" single and a cd-single available. All formats came with exclusive remixes, which on the 7" format was the 'acapella vocal & rain mix'.

The song was Amos' response to patriarchy and the repression of women through religion. Lyrically it was heavily confrontational of male-deity headed religions. The single only made number 44 in the UK singles chart, which made it the least successful single from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2200

Found: Record fair, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'God' / 'God (Acapella vocal & rain mix)'

Human - Human League

In 1985 the recording sessions for the Human League's fifth album were not going well. The band did not like the results, which was causing internal conflict. Virgin Records executives, who worried about the lack of progress from their most-profitable signing, suggested the band to work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Janet Jackson and her album 'Control'.

Jam and Lewis wrote three of the ten tracks on the album 'Crash', the lead single 'Human' was one of them. 'Human' became the second number one single for The Human League on the US Billboard Hot 100 after 'Don't you want me'. In the UK, 'Human' peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart and in the Netherlands the single reached number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 476

Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Human' / 'Human (instrumental)'

Bicycle race - Queen

Okay, I'll admit it: I only started collecting Queen singles after Freddie Mercury's death. I saw a lot of documentaries about Queen when he died, and thought that those songs were really quite good.

To promote the release of this single, Queen staged a bicycle race with 65 naked women. A clip from this race was used on the single cover and the video. The video was originally banned, and the video had to be re-edited with colour added to censor out any offensive imagery. The song is famed for its 'bicycle bell solo'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1898

Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Bicycle race' / 'Fat bottomed girls'

Against the wind - Máire Brennan

Máire Brennan was born as Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on August 4, 1952 in Gweedore, Ireland. In 1970 joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's two twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin to form Clannad. With this Irish band they enjoyed a lot of success - and, in the Eighties, even international success - and recorded 17 albums.

In 1992, Máire decided to go solo. She released her debut solo album 'Máire', from which her debut single 'Against the wind' was taken. It was the only single by her to reach the UK singles chart, although it only peaked at number 64.

My collection: 7" single no. 1734

Found: Record exchange, London, October 17, 1992

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Against the wind' / 'She moved through the fair'

I need you - Paul Carrack

'I need you like a shot needs to shoot' is probably one of the least romantic lines in pop. It comes from this single by Paul Carrack, 'I need you'. The single peaked at number 37 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 in the Netherlands. In the UK, where Carrack was born, the single did not chart.

The single was produced by Nick Lowe, a successful artist in his own right. Like many singles from 1983, I got to know this one because of a local illegal radio station.

My collection: 7" single no. 2253

Found: March 22, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I need you' / 'Call me tonight'

Without you - Nilsson

Anyone who has heard Mariah Carey's dreadful cover version of 'Without you' in 1994 may have a hard time to ever listen to this song again without that traumatic experience on their minds. She released her version just a week after Harry Nilsson, who had a hit with it back in 1972, had died. I just pray that the poor man has never had to hear her version.

Nilsson himself covered the track, because it was originally written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of the rock group Badfinger. It appeared on their 1970 album 'No dice', but it wasn't released as a single. In parallel to the song lyrics, both Ham and Evans later committed suicide.

Nilsson recorded his version in 1972 on the album 'Nilsson Schmilsson'. It was a number 1 hit in the UK and peaked at number 10. Personally, I can't hear this song without getting goosebumps. Even after that horrible Carey version!

My collection: 7" single no. 2502

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 30, 1995

Cost: 80p

Tracks: 'Without you' / 'Everybody's talkin'', 'Kojak Columbo'

American generation - The Ritchie Family

The four original members of the Ritchie Family were not related; the group was created by Jacques Morali who also created Village People soon after. The group took its name from record producer Ritchie Rome, and originally consisted of four Jean Davis, Cassandra Wooten,Gwen Oliver, and Nadine Felder. Later they were reformed as a trio with Cheryl Jacks, Cassandra Wooten, and Gwen Oliver as the new line-up.

It was this line-up that released the 1979 album 'American generation' and the single of the title track. An infectious disco track, it reached the charts all over the world. In the Netherlands the single peaked at number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 2795
Found: Record fair, Roterdam, December 14, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'American generation' / 'Music man'

Merci, Chérie - Udo Jürgens

Udo Jürgens and Thomas Hörbiger composed the song 'Merci, Chérie', with which Jürgens represented Austria in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the French title, the song is performed in German. It is an earnest ballad, in which the singer thanks his lover (hence the title, 'Thank you darling') for good times and positive memories.

Jürgens won the Contest with this song, and scored a hit in several European countries as well. To date, he is still the only artist to bring victory in Eurovision to Austria.

My collection: 7" single no. 3754

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 4 euro

Tracks: 'Merci, Chérie', 'Das ist nicht gut für mich' / 'Siebzehn Jahr, blondes Haar', 'So wie eine Rose'

Soul destruction - T'pau

The third and last single drawn from T'pau's third album 'The promise' was a remixed version of 'Soul destruction'. The remix was made by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, who were famous for their work with producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman.

The single did not chart, and I only found out about its release about a year after the fact. The band released a fourth single, 'Only a heartbeat', in Japan and the USA only. Shortly after this, the band broke up. Such a shame!

My collection: 7" single no. 2194

Found: Big Company records, London, September 29, 1994

Cost: 2 pounds

Track: 'Soul destruction (remix)' / 'Dirty town'

Something's gotten hold of my heart - Marc Almond and Gene Pitney

'Something's gotten hold of my heart' was written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook. It was originally recorded by David and Jonathan. Gene Pitney recorded a more successful version in 1967, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart.

The song achieved its greatest success in 1988 when it was covered by Marc Almond. Originally recorded by Almond solo on his 1988 album 'The stars we are', the single version reunited it with its original singer Gene Pitney, their version became a number one single in the UK for four weeks in January 1989. Sales were helped by this limited edition box set which included two postcards, a discography and a badge.

My collection: 7" single no. 719

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1989

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' (Marc Almond & Gene Pitney) / 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' (Marc Almond)

My girl (Gone, gone, gone) - Chilliwack

My sister bought this single back in 1981. I have no idea where she picked this song up, it was probably played on the radio a few times. The single did not chart in Europe. At the time of its release, the Canadian band consisted of Bill Henderson, Brian MacLeod and Ab Bryant.

Taken from the album 'Wanna be a star', the single was a number one hit in Canada and peaked at number 22 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 1563

Found: All that music, Leiden, January 2, 1992

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'My girl (Gone, gone, gone)' / 'Sign here'

Arms of a dream - Laurie Freelove

Freelove was a founding member of the critically acclaimed band Two Nice Girls, formed by Gretchen Phillips, Kathy Korniloff and Laurie Freelove. After releasing their debut on Rough Trade Records, Laurie decided to leave the band and set out to forge a solo career.

She was 'discovered' by Nigel Grainge of Chrysalis/Ensign Records at a music conference in Austin, Texas. Recognizing her potential as a break-through artist, she was signed to the English label within the week, and that year recorded her first solo CD 'Smells like truth'. 'Arms of a dream' was the first single taken from the album, but the single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2327
Found: June 3, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Arms of a dream' / 'O my heart'

King without a crown - ABC

'King without a crown' was released as the third single from ABC's 1987 album 'Alphabet city'. It was, in my opinion, also the best of the three single releases from the album. The whole atmosphere of the song, the arrangement and the pure, straightforward pop was a relief compared to the cluttered sound of the previous two singles.

Unfortunately my opinion differered once again from that of the general public. In the UK the single peaked at number 44, in the Netherlands at number 31, making it the worst selling single of the three. After this single, ABC's career once again took a nosedive with ABC's next disastrous album, which ironically was titled 'Up'.

My collection: 7" single no. 752
Found: V&D, Den Haag, February 17, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'King without a crown' / 'The look of love (live in Boston)'