'The milkman' was the second single taken from Mice's debut album 'Because I can'. The album reached the Indie top 10 in the UK, and this single was beginning to attract some attention from press and record buyers alike. The single was promoted with a music video that was also released on a promotional VHS video (Yes, those were the pre-dvd days).
The B-side 'Martian man' was a cover of a song originally performed and written by Lynsey de Paul.
My collection: 7" single no. 2646 Found: London, June 25, 1996 Cost: 1,2 pounds Tracks: 'The milkman' / 'Martian man'
When Roy Orbison made his comeback with this single, 'You got it' in December 1988, it was a remarkable return. Although he released a few new tracks throughout the Seventies and Eighties, his last big hit was 'Penny Arcade' (1969), which reached number 1 in Australia. He was involved in the Traveling Wilburys' 1988 single 'Handle with care', but this single from 1989 meant that he was riding a whole new wave of success.
'You got it' was taken from his comeback album 'Mystery girl' (1989). That album was completed shortly before his death of a heart attach on December 6, 1988. Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit, to the applause of a huge crowd, at the Diamond Awards Festival in Antwerp (Belgium), a few days before his death. The single reached number 1 in Canada, number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 726 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'You got it' / 'The only one'
The boring thing about A-ha singles is that they rarely have an interesting B-side.Take this one for instance: the B-side is the 1990 hit 'I call your name'. Well, at least the A-side was interesting. 'Angel' was written as a wedding present for Lauren, the wife of A-ha's principal songwriter Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.
'Angel' was taken from A-ha's last pre-breakup album, 'Memorial beach'. It reached number 41 in the UK singles chart. Soon after the band reunited in 1998, they performed live at Valhall, a concert that was later released on dvd. 'Angel' was played during the concert but it was the only song to be omitted from the dvd. It is unclear why this happened.
My collection: 7" single no. 1997 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Angel' / 'I call your name'
Throughout the Eighties, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were an essential part of Prince's backing band The Revolution. After some internal struggle, the band was dismissed by Prince in October 1986, leaving Wendy & Lisa to find a record deal of their own.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1987. It featured their debut single 'Waterfall', which became a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 66) and a big hit in the Netherlands (peaking at number 13). The B-side, 'The life', was re-released in 1995 as an A-side, entitled 'This is the life', after the song was included in the soundtrack of the movie 'Dangerous minds'.
My collection: 7" single no. 578 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 30, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Waterfall' / 'The life'
'No more lonely nights' was recorded by Paul McCartney for the soundtrack of the movie 'Give my regards to Broad Street', which was produced by McCartney and featured him in the lead role. The movie was a financial disaster, but the soundtrack actually sold quite well. Judging from this song, rightfully so: this is one of McCartney's most accomplished songs in my opinion. It features a beautiful guitar solo by David Gilmour and backing vocals by 10cc's Eric Stewart.
The single reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 37 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1761 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'No more lonely nights (ballad)' / 'No more lonely nights (playout version)'
In 1984, the Thompson Twins scored the biggest hit of their career in the UK: 'You take me up' reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and earned the band a silver disc. The album from which the single was taken, 'Into the gap', was one of the biggest sellers of the year, topping the British album charts and selling over five million copies worldwide.
In the Netherlands, the single did not chart. I think the Dutch were right: this wasn't the best single the Thompson Twins ever released, however entertaining it was. The music video was amusing, but forgettable as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 1629 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'You take me up' / 'Passion planet'
'Voices in my head' is a single taken from Naked Eyes' 1983 album 'Burning bridges'. Like most of their singles, this one wasn't successful: it did not chart in the UK, nor anywhere else.
It was the first single by Naked Eyes that I bought, although I was looking for other releases such as '(What) In the name of love', the music video of which was shown regularly on television.
My collection: 7" single no. 1289 Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Voices in my head' / 'Sweet poison'
Ad van den Berg formed the Dutch band Vandenberg in 1982 with Bert Heerink, Dick Kemper and Jos Zoomer. They recorded a demo that fell into the hands of pop journalist Kees Baars. He offered to manage the band and managed to get them a contract with Atlantic Records in the USA.
Their debut single was the power ballad 'Burning heart', which reached number 39 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the Netherlands, the track only did slightly better, peaking at number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 682 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, November 12, 1988 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Burning heart' / 'Out in the streets'
'Got to be certain' was another single by Kylie Minogue, written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. It was taken from Kylie's debut album 'Kylie' (1988). The production sounded decidedly thin this time around, with clunky keyboards and a rather simple melody.
Still, the single was a number 1 hit in Australia, Belgium, Finland and Israel and reached number 2 in the UK. The bubbly music video might have helped. However, in the Netherlands, the single did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3334 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Got to be certain' / 'Got to be certain (instrumental)'
When asked about the inspiration for the song 'Somewhere down the crazy river', producer Daniel Lanois commented: 'Robbie Robertson was describing what it was like to hang out in Arkansas with Levon Helm in his old neighbourhood. He was telling me about the hot nights and fishing with dynamite, and was asking someone for directions for someplace somewhere down the crazy river... I had presented him with this toy instrument that Eno introduced me to called the Suzuki Omnichord, like an electric autoharp. He found a little chord sequence with it that was sweet and wonderful. As he was developing his chord sequence I recorded him and superimposed his storytelling, which I was secretly recording, on top. That was the birth of 'Somewhere down the crazy river.' It's kind of like a guy with a deep voice telling you about steaming nights in Arkansas.'
The song was released as a single and became notable as Robertson's only solo hit in the UK, reaching number 15 on the UK singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40, it did even better, peaking at number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 1540 Found: Record fair, October 27, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Somewhere down the crazy river' / 'American roulette'
I hate it when artists are labelled 'dodgy' or 'cheesy' when really there's no reason too. But that's exactly what happened to Barry Manilow during the Eighties. His hits in the Seventies were described as cliched and oldfashioned. When you listen to his two biggest hits now, you'll have to admit there's some nifty songwriting in there. And the performance is immaculate.
'Mandy' was originally a hit for Scott English in 1971. When Barry Manilow released his version three years later, it shot to number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, whereas it reached number 11 in the UK singles chart. In 1977 he released 'Copacabana' (a number 8 hit in the USA, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40), a song so memorable it was later turned into a fullblown musical.
I'd been searching for the original single of 'Mandy' for years, and finally settled for this 'old gold' re-release.
My collection: 7" single no. 2325 Found: Record fair, June 3, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Mandy' / 'Copacabana'
'Don't go' was the second single taken from Yazoo's debut album 'Upstairs at Eric's'. Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke achieved their breakthrough with this single, which became an instant Eighties classic after its release.
The single peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart and reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 153 Found: Studio Echo, 1982 Cost: 5,5 guilders Tracks: 'Don't go' / 'Winter kills'
After the success of their debut album 'Happiness', the Beloved pressed on with a remix album entitled 'Blissed out'. This remix album featured almost all the tracks from 'Happiness' in remixed form, with the addition of some previously unreleased instrumental tunes, and a remix of 'It's alright now'.
The 'regular' version of 'It's alright now' was released as a single to promote the album. The single failed to make the UK top 40, stalling at number 46 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2270 Found: Record fair, April 8, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'It's alright now' / 'Scarlet beautiful (Naked & foxy)'
'I hope I never' was taken from Split Enz's 1980 album 'True colours'. The single version is 40 seconds shorter than the album version. Like many of their records at the time, this single was released as a laser etched disc, although it was a limited edition; I've got a later, non-etched copy.
The single reached number 30 in the Dutch Top 40. Australian singer and songwriter Tina Arena recorded the song in 2008 with the London Studio Orchestra for her album 'Songs of love & loss 2' and changed the lyrics to reflect her gender.
My collection: 7" single no. 1523 Found: Record fair, September 21, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'I hope I never' / 'The choral sea'
When I listened to 'Under the iron sea', Keane's second album, for the first time, 'Nothing in my way' was one of the first songs to jump out of this new batch of songs. It was only right when this song was released as a single. Tim Rice-Oxley, who wrote the song, explains: 'The song's actually written about some people I know who are married, and their marriage was essentially just bringing a lot of misery to both of them, but for some reason they just refused to acknowledge it. I hate the idea of people being so much in denial that they're prepared to almost let their lives fall apart rather than acknowledge what's going on.'
The single became a modest hit, peaking at number 19 in the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40. This 7" single is a numbered limited edition; this is number 2278.
My collection: 7" single no. 3575 Found: eBay.co.uk, received February 2, 2009 Cost: 3 pounds Tracks: 'Nothing in my way' / 'Thin air'
Terence Charles White was born on March 3, 1948. He played guitar with the likes of Thin Lizzy (of which he was a member from 1979 to 1981) and Pink Floyd (in 1977 and 1980.
In 1983 he released his first solo album, 'White flames'. The album featured his biggest hit, 'Bird of paradise', the only single to be released from the album. It reached number 6 in both the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 424 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Bird of paradise' / 'The answer'
One of the classics from the year 1978. 'Love is in the air' was performed by John Paul Young. It became his only worldwide hit in January 1978, peaking at number 2 in Australia, bumber 5 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.
It's a strange thing: whenever this song is played, people get a certain look in their eyes and they can't help dancing. Reportedly, the song was covered by Cher, to be included in her album 'Believe' (which spawned the hit single of the same name). It was, however, removed from the album before it was released.
My collection: 7" single no. 1064 Found: London, October 18, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Love is in the air' / 'Love you so bad it hurts'
Martika released 'More than you know' as a single from her debut album 'Martika' in 1988. The single reached number 15 in the UK singles chart.
This is a delicious EP. Released as a limited edition, it features three of Martika's hits performed in Spanish. 'More than you know' is performed as 'Quiero entregarte mi amor', 'Toy soldiers' becomes 'Como un juguete' and 'I feel the earth move' is 'Siento tembla la tierra' here. To top it all off, the EP is housed in a poster sleeve. Those lucky UK record buyers, they get all the nice extras.
My collection: 7" single no. 3055 Found: May 8, 1999 Cost: unknown Tracks: 'More than you know', 'Quiero entregarte mi amor' / 'Como un juguete', 'Siento tembla la tierra'
In 1987, Princess had left her producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman and went to America to record her second album with many different producers, including Glen Ballard, Richard James Burgess, Fox and Drinkwater.
'I cannot carry on' was released as the second single from the album, but it didn't reach the UK singles chart. It's a shame, because it's a ballsy, almost rock-oriented dance track. The single was let down by the B-side, which quite frankly is drivel.
My collection: 7" single no. 3164 Found: House of Rhythm, London, January 16, 2000 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'I cannot carry on' / 'I can't say goodbye'
'The RM EP is to pop music what lion were to the Romans. A veritable signal post in the history of popular music, it is graced by the noble presence of New Order - already well establish in the halls of the gods. Hipsway, up and vying for a throne therin, the Adventures - another young and strong contender - and, last but not least, Raymonde, tipped by many as one of the most exciting newcomers this year. This is the RM EP - play it morning, noon and night'.
Well, there you have it. The UK magazine Record Mirror gave out this 7" single with their magazine sometime in 1986 and a decade later a record shop was trying to sell it. According to the price sticker, they weren't very successful. The price started at 1 pound and fell to 20p by the time I bought it.
My collection: 7" single no. 2501 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 30, 1995 Cost: 20p Tracks: 'Sub-culture (exclusive remix)' (New Order), 'Jennifer wants' (Raymonde) / 'Bad thing longing' (Hipsway), 'Walk away Renee' (The Adventures)
'The valley road' was released as the first single from Bruce Hornsby and the Range's 1988 album 'Scenes from the Southside'. The song was inspired by observations Hornsby had made growing up in the state of Virginia. 'Every year, some rich girl would get involved with some country guy, and they would act irresponsibly and have to deal with the ramifications.'
The single peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 27 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 44 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3190 Found: Record fair, September 16, 2000 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'The valley road' / 'The long race'
In 1980, Gerry Cott left the Boomtown Rats. The group continued as a quintet and released their fifth album, 'V Deep' in February 1982. Before that, the beautiful single 'Never in a million years' was released. It was released in a remarkable sleeve, featuring six holes at the front, representing the zeros in 'million', but omitting the band name and the title of the song.
As a result, many did not know of the single's release. It only reached number 62 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 892 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 17, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Never in a million years' / 'Don't talk to me'
Mel & Kim Appleby wrote 'Mama' as a tribute to their mother. It's always a tricky subject, because the danger of writing a sappy lyric is always there. I'm still undecided on this one: the combination of melancholy for the past and the outright sentimentality in this song leaves me, well, cold.
The single was not a success in the Netherlands, as it didn't even chart. In the UK singles chart, 'Mama' reached number 19.
My collection: 7" single no. 1489 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, July 4, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Mama' / 'Don't worry'
I'm proud to say that I never understood what was sexy about Jerney Kaagman, but back in 1979 most of the Netherlands was in raptures about this woman and her blue suit, when she performed 'Weekend' in Toppop, the weekly chart show where Earth & Fire promoted their single from the album 'Reality fills fantasy'.
'Weekend' became a number 1 hit in the Dutch Top 40, their biggest hit since 1972's 'Memories'. The 'sexy' Kaagman is now a botox-filled expressionless old witch.
My collection: 7" single no. 3287 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Weekend' / 'Answer me'
Buying my 400th single was quite a big deal. I was thinking hard what would be an appropriate buy. In the end, I settled on this double single. Not because I was a fan of Jethro Tull, but because it was the only double single available at the time for a reasonable price. And I thought it would be appropriate to have a double single as a festive treat.
The band had just released 'Under wraps' in 1984, a very electronic album with no live drummer but a drum machine. Although the band was reportedly proud of the sound, the album was not well received. However, the video for 'Lap of luxury' did manage to earn moderate rotation on the newly influential MTV music video channel. 'Lap of luxury' reached number 70 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 400 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984 Cost: 7,5 guilders Tracks: 'Lap of luxury' / 'Astronomy' // 'Automotive engineering' / 'Tundra'
The second single from Kim Wilde's 1984 album 'Teases & dares', entitled 'The touch', didn't do much to restore her image in her native UK. She hadn't had a top 20 hit since 1982's 'View from a bridge', and this one didn't even make the top 50. Peaking at number 56, it qualified as a real disappointment.
Outside of the UK, things were not quite that problematic. The single reached number 20 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 29 in Germany. The single was also released as a shaped picture disc and featured for the first time a composition by Kim Wilde herself: 'Shangri-la' was included as the B-side track. Plus quite a lovely sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 252 Found: LP Top 100, 1984 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'The touch' / 'Shangri-la'
'Woman' was written by John Lennon as an ode to his wife Yoko Ono. In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on December 5, 1980, Lennon said that 'Woman' was a 'grown-up version' of the song 'Girl'.
The song was released as the second single from Lennon's 'Double fantasy' album, and the first single released after his tragic death on December 8, 1980. It spent two weeks at number 1 in the UK singles chart and five weeks at number 1 in New Zealand. In the Netherlands, the single only managed to reach number 21, while in the US it reached number 2.
My collection: 7" single no. 2384 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Woman' (John Lennon) / 'Beautiful boys' (Yoko Ono)
Sade introduced her second album 'Promise' with this single, 'The sweetest taboo'. The track built on the sound that was laid down on her debut album 'Diamond life'. Although at first I was not convinced by this composition, it grew on me over the years.
The single peaked at number 31 in the UK singles chart, but did much better in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 5. In the Netherlands, 'The sweetest taboo' reached number 14. 'You're not the man' was a non-album track, although it was later included on the Compact Disc release of 'Promise'.
My collection: 7" single no. 340 Found: LP Top 100, 1985 Cost: 5,5 guilders Tracks: 'The sweetest taboo' / 'You're not the man'
Without Lionel Richie as their frontman, the Commodores soldiered on. They surprised everyone with this 1985 hit, 'Nightshift'. Written as a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two musicians who died in 1984. The single reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Netherlands - the only number 1 hit for the Commodores in this country.
'Nightshift' won a Grammy Award in 1985 for best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals.
My collection: 7" single no. 1722 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 3, 1992 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Nightshift' / 'I keep running'
'One more try' was written by George Michael to express his unwillingness to return to a new relationship because he had been emotionally hurt so many times previously. The song concludes with temptation taking over, and Michael ends by singing the title of the song for the only time.
The song was released as the fourth single from George Michael's debut album 'Faith'. Despite the fact that the song clocks in at almost six minutes, it was still a hit in several countries. It peaked at number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 4 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 8 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2453 Found: Record fair, September 2, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'One more try' / 'Look at your hands'
The summer is almost over, so it's high time I would present this single, Kaoma's summer hit from 1989. It is kindof tricky, because this song is cheesier than a Gruyere these days. When I bought it, it was still fresh, although it was already clear that it was becoming a bigger hit than it should. Twenty years later, you will hear this song regularly whenever and wherever you don't want it.
In 1988 a French entrepreneur, Olivier Lamotte d'Incamps, visited Porto Seguro and discovered locals dancing the tightly syncopated lambada to a melody that turned out to be Bolivian. With a lot of publicity, d'Incamps originated a lambada dance craze, largely by promoting a European tour of Kaoma, a band formed from a Porto Seguro dance group Touré Kunda. He bought the musical rights of about 300 lambada songs. He went back to France, and created the Kaoma Band. They turned Lambada into a worldwide known style. When Kaoma recorded 'Lambada' in 1989, it became a worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in several countries including the Netherlands. However, the song was an unauthorized translation of the song 'Llorando se fue' (1982) from the Bolivian group Los K’jarkas. Due to the clear act of plagiarism, Los Kjarkas successfully sued Kaoma.
My collection: 7" single no. 1073 Found: HMV, London, October 19, 1989 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Lambada' / 'Lambada (instrumental)'
'Around my heart' was released as the fourth single from Sandra's third album 'Into a secret land'. The song was written by Hubert Kemmler, Markus Lohr, Sör Otto's, Frank Peterson, Klaus Hirschburger and produced by Michael Cretu. The track was remixed for the single release.
The single peaked at number 6 in Israel, number 11 in Germany, number 19 in Switzerland, number 23 in Austria and number 28 in France. My copy of the single includes a biography of Sandra in Spanish.
My collection: 7" single no. 1778 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 25, 1992 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Around my heart' / 'Around my drums'
'Here we'll stay', the third single from Frida's 1982 album 'Something's going on', went by almost unnoticed. So much so, that I forgot all about it when I wrote about the previous single, 'To turn the stone'. The track was originally recorded as a duet with Phil Collins, who produced the album. For the single version, his voice was omitted. The single was unsuccessful: it only reached number 100 in the UK singles chart.
I originally bought the single back in 1983 or 1984. When I arrived home with it, I noticed that the single was broken in two. I could have gone back for a refund but I think I was afraid they wouldn't believe me when I said I bought it like that. So that was 1 or 2 guilders down the drain. I only bought it again one and a half decade later.
My collection: 7" single no. 3049 Found: Record fair, January 30, 1999 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Here we'll stay' / 'Strangers'
The fourth and final single taken from their 1992 album 'Chorus', Erasure's 'Breath of life' is written from the point of view of someone who is beginning to experience life on his own terms, finding love and making decisions without the control of outside influences.
This 7" single contains three versions of the song, including the original album version. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart. I bought my copy during a holiday in Austria.
My collection: 7" single no. 1682 Found: Deutschlandsberg, Austria, July 2, 1992 Cost: 54 Schilling Tracks: 'Breath of life (7" mix)' / 'Breath of life', 'Breath of life (Acapella dub remix)'
Laurent Voulzy was born on December 18, 1948 in Paris, France. After leading the English-pop-influenced band Le Temple de Vénus in the Sixties, he worked with Pascal Danel between 1969 and 1974. He started writing songs with Alain Souchon and released this debut single 'Rockollection' in 1977.
Long before the world came to know Stars on 45, he introduced the idea of mixing together wellknown classic songs - but in this case, interspersed with an original lyric by Souchon and himself. On the A-side you can hear him singing 'The locomotion', 'A hard day's night', 'I get around', 'Gloria' and 'Satisfaction', followed on the B-side by 'Massachussetts', 'Mellow yellow' and 'California dreaming'. The single was an international hit, although it did not chart in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 2427 Found: Den Haag, August 19, 1995 Cost: nothing Tracks: 'Rockollection (part 1)' / 'Rockollection (part 2)'
Suzanne Vega originally wrote 'Tom's diner' as an acapella song in 1981. It was released on her album 'Solitude standing' in 1987. The acapalla track was then used by two British record producers in 1990 to create the DNA remix of 'Tom's diner' without Vega's permission. Rather than sue them, record company A&M decided to buy the track and release it as a single. It was a wise move: this version reached number 1 in Austria and Germany, and went top 10 almost everywhere else. A year later, Vega released 'Tom's album', a compilation of different versions of the song, in various different versions.
The original version of 'Tom's diner' (on the B-side of this single) was used by Karlheinz Brandenburg to develop the audio compression scheme known as MP3. He recalled: 'I was ready to fine-tune my compression algorithm...somewhere down the corridor, a radio was playing 'Tom's diner'. I was electrified. I knew it would be nearly impossible to compress this warm a cappella voice.'
My collection: 7" single no. 2287 Found: May 6, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Tom's diner' (DNA featuring Suzanne Vega) / 'Tom's diner' (Suzanne Vega)
Richenel was born as Hubertus Richenel Baars in Amsterdam in 1957. He forged a career in pop music in the Netherlands. In 1986 he scored his first big hit, 'Dance around the world', which also reached the top of the charts in Italy, Germany and Scandinavia.
Much was made of his 1989 single 'Are you just using me'. It was written by R. Phillips, which actually was a pseudonym for George Michael. Surprisingly, this didn't help: the single did not chart in the Netherlands - or anywhere else.
My collection: 7" single no. 812 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, May 12, 1989 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Are you just using me' / 'Are you just using me (instrumental)'
I bought this single as soon as it appeared in the shops. Not because I liked the Portuguese entry of the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest so much, but because it was quite remarkable that so many Eurovision tracks were released as a single. I realised right away that this was a good opportunity to find more singles than ever before.
Nucha was sent to Eurovision with a song in the impenetrable Portuguese language (as prescribed by the rules of the Contest at the time), and reached 20th place in a field of 22 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 1232 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 18, 1990 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Há sempre alguém' / 'Together'
'HeyNicky Ryan, it's time for a new Enya single!' - 'Really? Already? We've just had that 'Caribbean blue' single.' 'Yeah I know, but it's almost December and people still want to buy this stuff. I thought this time we could do a track with a real lyric again.' - '(Sigh) Oh Lord, that's too much hard work. Do I have to? It's so difficult to piece together the words that woman has sung in the past.' 'Well, you could always ask her to sing a few new words...' - 'Are you serious? She's hiding in her dark castle, I haven't seen that woman in years.' 'Oh well, you'll figure something out. Make it sound like that 'Evening' song, that will really work come Christmas time.' - 'Okay, I'll try and glue together one new song. But the B-side will have to be that Christmas track. I don't want to work two days on this single.' 'No problem mate. I know you'll make something out of this.' - 'Yeah I think this one will go down great at funerals too.'
My collection: 7" single no. 1960 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'How can I keep from singing?' / 'Oiche Chiun (Silent night)'
In 1973, the Dutch offshore radio station Veronica broadcast their annual Top 100 of all times, compiled by listeners. For the first time, it featured Alice Cooper's 'Halo of flies', from his 1971 album 'Killer'.
His record company was quick to recognise the commercial potential, and released a single of this track. A lengthy single: the A-side clocked in at 8'21 minutes. Quite impressive, given that it was still a 45 rpm disc. The single was only released in the Netherlands, where it reached number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1973.
My collection: 7" single no. 2947 Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Halo of flies' / 'Under my wheels'
One of the presents I got for my birthday was the dvd of 'Quantum of solace', the most recent James Bond movie. I didn't see this one in the cinema. When I watched it yesterday, I really enjoyed it, but I also realised that a lot had changed since the Eighties. This movie had been stripped of everything that makes it a James Bond movie, which I think is a shame. Some cliches should never be lost.
The same goes for the theme song: 'Another way to die' by Jack White and Alicia Keys is a tuneless, soulless affair, while Gladys Knight's 'License to kill' from twenty years ago is still spot on. It was Gladys Knight's last hit, peaking at number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 926 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 1, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'License to kill' (Gladys Knight) / 'Pam' (Michael Kamen)
'No señor, Don Quichotte y Sancho Panza no están aqui' is the most important message in this song. When you enjoy thoughtful lyrics, this song will not exactly oblige you. But this message is one I used quite frequently, together with a friend, while we were following Spanish classes almost 20 years ago. A few years ago I decided I wanted to have the track.
Magazine 60 is a French synthpop trio consisting of Jean-Luc Drion, Dominique Régiacorte and Véronique Oliver. Although this single did not chart in most European countries, it was a modest hit in America.
My collection: 7" single no. 3297 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Don Quichotte' / 'Circonvolution'
'Near a tree by a river there's a hole in the ground / Where an old man of Aran goes around and around / and his mind is a beacon in the veil of the night / For a strange kind of fashion there's a wrong and a right'. What does it mean? These lyrics caused so much confusion that the record company MCA decided to run a competition to work out the meaning. However, according to Nik Kershaw himself, the lyic had no meaning at all: '[it was] nonsense, rubbish, bollocks, the confused ramblings of an 80s popstar'.
Despite all this, it gave Kershaw a considerable hit. It reached number 3 in the UK singles chart in December 1984, his biggest hit up to that point. In the Netherlands, the single reached a more modest number 19.
My collection: 7" single no. 2767 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 29, 1996 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'The riddle' / 'Progress'
A sticker on the sleeve of this single announces that Jody Watley was a Grammy Award winner in the category Best New Artist in 1987. Which in fact is a bit strange, since Watley had been active in the music business all through the decade, first as a member of Shalamar, and then solo.
'Some kind of lover' was released as the fourth single from her self-titled debut album. The single only reached number 81 on the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2189 Found: Record Exchange, London, September 29, 1994 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Some kind of lover' / 'Some kind of lover (dub)'
Released as the fourth and last single from Sam Brown's debut album 'Stop', 'Can I get a witness' was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's 1963 hit song written by Holland, Dozier, Holland. Other cover versions were recorded previously by Dusty Springfield, the Rolling Stones and Steampacket (with Rod Stewart).
Sam Brown's version was a hit in the UK only, peaking at number 15. The single was available in a limited edition poster sleeve, which of course I own.
My collection: 7" single no. 839 Found: unknown, 1989 Cost: unknown Tracks: 'Can I get a witness' / 'Walking after midnight'
'Take me to your heart' was released as the second single from Rick Astley's second album 'Hold me in your heart'. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40. It was also a top ten hit in Germany and Ireland.
When the American band Inner City released 'Big fun', it met with some controversy, as the music was very similar to 'Take me to your heart'. Stock Aitken & Waterman alleged that the band stole their music, but it is not known whether this led to any lawsuits.
My collection: 7" single no. 749 Found: V&D, Den Haag, February 17, 1989 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Take me to your heart' / 'I'll be fine'
'The milkman' was the second single taken from Mice's debut album 'Because I can'. The album reached the Indie top 10 in the UK, and this single was beginning to attract some attention from press and record buyers alike. The single was promoted with a music video that was also released on a promotional VHS video (Yes, those were the pre-dvd days).
