On my way to Haaksbergen last Monday I had the album 'Conscience' by the Beloved on my iPod. It surprised me that this album from 1993 still sounded so great. It's uplifting music, that will work whether your mood is good or bad.
'Outer space girl' was the third single lifted from the album. For a long time I thought it was also the last single, but it seems that the track 'Rock to the rhythm of love' was released as a fourth single - although I'm not sure if a 7" single exists. So far, all I've seen are promotional 12" singles on eBay. 'Outer space girl' reached number 38 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1992 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Outer space girl' / 'Outer space girl (Space Hopper mix)'
Hollywood Beyond was basically a one-man band, consisting of Birmingham-based singer-songwriter Mark Rogers. The first single issed under the Hollywood Beyond name was 'What's the colour of money', an instant hit in Europe, peaking at number 7 in the UK singles chart in the summer of 1986.
The song also hit number 21 in Germany, number 14 in Switzerland and number 9 in the Dutch Top 40. The single was featured on Hollywood Beyond's debut album 'If', released in 1987.
My collection: 7" single no. 2880 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 28, 1997 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'What's the colour of money?' / 'Hollywood Beyond'
The Korgis released 'If it's alright with you baby' in 1980 as the second single from their second album 'Dumb waiters'. The single version was slightly different from the album version, omitting a few synthesizer sounds in the musical break in the middle of the song.
The single reached number 56 in the UK singles chart and number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. It was a slightly disappointing chart performance after the top 10 hit 'Everybody's got to learn sometimes'.
My collection: 7" single no. 808 Found: All that music, Leiden, May 5, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'If it's alright with you baby' / 'Love ain't too far away'
'Schoolgirl' was released in the summer of 1986 as the first single from Kim Wilde's fifth studio album 'Another step'. The song was written shortly after the Chernobyl disaster by Kim Wilde herself, marking the first time that a song co-written by her was released as a single. Produced by her brother Ricki Wilde and German producer Reinhold Heil (who'd previously worked with Nena, amongst others), the single was released in Europe and Australia only.
The single reached number 7 in the Danish chart and number 38 in Germany. In other territories, the single didn't chart, prompting the UK record company to skip this single altogether and choose another track as the first single from the album: 'You keep me hangin' on'.
My collection: 7" single no. 415 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, June 19, 1986 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Schoolgirl' / 'Songs about love'
Simon Climie and Rob Fisher formed Climie Fisher in 1986. They recorded 'Rise to the occasion' a year later. The original version, featured here on this single, is a glossy pop ballad. This version did not reach the charts.
Sensing a commercial opportunity, they had the track remixed, making it sound more like a hiphop record. Artistically this was reprehensible, but they did score a number 1 hit with it in the Netherlands and South Africa. Obviously, I still prefer this 'angry niggaz'-free version.
My collection: 7" single no. 616 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Rise to the occasion' / 'Mental block'
'Forever young' is the title track of Alphaville's 1984 debut album. It became the group's highest charting hit in Europe. It reached number 18 in the Dutch Top 40.
Since its release, it has been covered by numerous other acts, such as Laura Branigan, Bushido, Karel Gott, Interactive, Paul Michiels and the Australian rock band Youth Group.
My collection: 7" single no. 2562 Found: All that music, Leiden, November 19, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Forever young' / 'Welcome to the sun'
It's easy to discard Def Leppard for their cliched Eighties rock songs, their hairstyle and their lyrics. There's nothing innovative in there, it's all been done numerous times by other rock bands. And yet, they've been at it since 1977 and they're still touring. There must be something to it then.
'Love bites' is the only Def Leppard single I own, and that will probably not change. I didn't play it much, although the song itself is reasonably nice. A popular rumor about the song concerns the final seconds. After the line 'If you got love in your sights / Watch out, love bites', what is seemingly heard is 'Jesus of Nazareth, go to hell'. This rumor has been refuted by the band. The line is in fact producer Mutt Lange rambling in a Yorkshire accent, to the effect of 'Yes it does, it will be hell', with the aid of a vocoder.
My collection: 7" single no. 706 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Love bites' / 'Billy's got a gun (live)'
I don't think I would have had this single if I hadn't gotten it for free. I was a regular customer at Melody Maker, buying all my singles there, and one day I got this as an extra. Hugh Harris? I'd never heard of him.
Hugh Harris was born in 1964 and his song 'Rhythm of life' was featured in the movie 'Uncle Buck'. It was taken from his 1989 album 'Words for our years'. Both the single and the album did not chart. Due to serious illness Hugh withdrew from the music business. In 2002 he re-emerged with the album 'Flowers', which he'd recorded in 1992.
My collection: 7" single no. 1272 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, July 28, 1990 Cost: nothing Tracks: 'Rhythm of life' / 'Juice (edit)'
Oleta Adams was born on May 4, 1953 in Seattle, Washington as a daughter of a preacher. She was raised with gospel music. She tried to pursue a career in music in the Seventies but her work was often rejected. In 1986, her fortunes changed when she was performing live in a bar in Kansas City. She met Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith from the band Tears for Fears. They were so impressed with her singing that they wanted her to collaborate on their 1989 album 'The seeds of love'. After this was a success, Adams signed her own record deal and released her debut album 'Circle of one'.
'Rhythm of life' was released as the album's first single, reaching number 52 in the UK singles chart and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1321 Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Rhythm of life' / 'Don't look too closely'
'Love the one you're with' was originally written and performed by Stephen Stills in 1970. It was the first single from his debut solo album 'Stephen Stills'.
Since then, the track was covered numerous times by acts such as the Isley Brothers, Tight Fit, Will Young and Dennis Rollins. This 1986 cover version by Bucks Fizz was taken from their 1986 album 'Writing on the wall'. It reached number 47 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3253 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000 Cost: 80p Tracks: 'Love the one you're with' / 'Too hard'
'Cool world' is a 1992 live action/animation movie, starring Gabriel Byrne, Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger. The story of the movie is about a cartoonist who finds himself in the animated world he created, and is seduced by one of his characters, a vamp who wants to be real. The movie got negative reviews, but I actually still want to see it. It's hard to find nowadays.
None other than David Bowie provided the title song for the movie. The track marked a reunion with Nile Rodgers, with whom Bowie recorded his 1983 album 'Let's dance'. The single is one of Bowie's hidden classics. It reached number 53 in the UK singles chart (during its one week in the chart!) and number 21 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1701 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 29, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Real cool world' / 'Real cool world (instrumental version)'
Evelyn Thomas was born as Ellen Lucille Thomas. She is an American singer from Chicago, Illinois, best known for her dance hit 'High energy'. It became one of the earliest hit songs within the genre of music that has become known as Hi-NRG. The song was produced and written by Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench. For some reason, it was Levine who received all the royalties for the song, and neither Trench nor Thomas ever got paid for their work.
The single reached the charts worldwide, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. Amusingly, the sleeve of this Belgian pressing is based on the sleeve of the 12" single, listing both tracks with a duration of over 7 minutes. Of course, both sides of this 7" single feature the edit of these two tracks.
My collection: 7" single no. 3120 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'High energy' / 'High energy (Instrumental dub)'
So this is the 12" single of Japan's 'Nightporter', on which the track appears in its full glory. While on the 7" single the track was edited, this is the full album version which is longer and slightly more intense.
The B-side is 'Methods of dance', also taken from Japan's 1980 album 'Gentlemen take Polaroids'. Although not a huge chart hit upon its initial release in the UK (where it peaked at number 51), the album was later certified gold by the BPI in 1986 for 100,000 copies sold.
My collection: 12" single no. 238 Found: Record fair, 1993 Cost: 15 guilders Tracks: 'Nightporter' / 'Methods of dance'
So here's another version of Talk Talk's 1982 single 'Talk Talk'. I wrote about the single once before, but that version was a re-release. This is the original version, featuring a version of the track 'Mirror man' on the B-side.
I found this single during my very first shopping spree in London, back in 1989. I'd discovered the Music & Video Exchange shops in Notting Hill Gate: at the time, there were three different addresses all stacked with 7" vinyl records. I spent hours there, finding a lot of singles I'd been searching for years. I'd love to have those times back again sometimes: these days there aren't such big record shops anymore.
My collection: 7" single no. 1006 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Talk Talk' / 'Mirror man'
'If I was' was written by Midge Ure and Danny Mitchell. The track features Mark King from Level 42 on bass guitar. Ure commented about the track: 'This song is pure Danny Mitchell. I found a demo of it on a cassette Danny had sent me for his band The Messengers. I grabbed it with both hands, messed around with it, sprinkled it with fairy dust and the rest is history.'
Indeed: the single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40. It was a hit all over Europe, launching Midge Ure's solo career with a bang.
My collection: 7" single no. 736 Found: All that music, Leiden, February 9, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'If I was' / 'Piano'
Well, at least they went out on a high. 'Nobody's diary' was Yazoo's last single release back in 1983, and it was a piece of synthpop perfected. The single became one of their biggest hits, peaking at number 3 in the UK singles chart.
After this, Yazoo broke up. Vince Clarke ended up, after a few short-lived projects, forming Erasure with Andy Bell, while Alison Moyet enjoyed a successful solo career. Last year they reformed for a reunion tour, and on that occasion, 'Nobody's diary' was remixed and releases as a download single.
My collection: 7" single no. 204 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'Nobody's diary' / 'State farm'
Released in the summer of 1984, 'Turn your back on me' was Kajagoogoo's last significant hit. Although it only reached number 47 in the UK singles chart, it reached number 16 in the Dutch Top 40 and also made number 2 in the American dance chart.
This single contains the original version of the song. It was subsequently remixed, and that version appears on most cd's nowadays.
My collection: 7" single no. 1390 Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Turn your back on me' / 'The pump rooms of Bath'
Big Country was formed in 1981 by Stuart Adamson, Bruce Watson, Tony Butler and Mark Brzezicki in Fife, Scotland.
'Chance' was released as the fourth single from Big Country's debut album 'The crossing' in 1983. It became the biggest hit from the album, peaking at number 9 in the UK singles chart, but also charting in the Netherlands, reaching number 14.
My collection: 7" single no. 904 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Chance' / 'Tracks of my tears'
'Step back in time' was released in October 1990 as the second single from Kylie Minogue's third album 'Rhythm of love'. The lyric is about how modern music can never beat the swinging disco music from the Seventies ('Remembering the old days / Remember the O'Jays').
Kylie prolongued her success in Australia and the UK with this single, reaching number 5 and 4 in the charts respectively. Although her music, still produced by UK producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman, was not radically removed from her previous output, Kylie did change her image from 'girl next door' to a more raunchy look. It did not only have positive effects: for the first time she was nominated for 'worst dressed popstar' in the teen magazines of the day.
My collection: 7" single no. 3311 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Step back in time' / 'Step back in time (instrumental)'
If you think you're suffering from deja vu, you're almost right. I did write about Martika's 1989 single 'Toy soldiers' once before, right in the first month of this blog's existance. But this single is different: for one, it has a diferent sleeve, and also, it contains an edit of the track, cutting it short by a full 37 seconds.
While the single reached number 17 in the Netherlands, this UK version reached number 5. So I guess the lesson is: if you can edit a song for commerciality's sake, don't hesitate to do so.
My collection: 7" single no. 2703 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Toy soldiers (edit)' / 'Exchange of hearts'
Taken from their 1984 album 'Tempo Doeloe', 'Geboren voor het geluk' was an ill-fated single. Despite the humorous lyric and the strong music, the Dutch audience was no longer interested in the group, it seemed.
'Geboren voor het geluk' ('Born to be lucky') is about a man who is always unlucky (falling off the stairs, a wife who is unfaithful to him) but consolates himself with the statement that things could always be worse. As often with the band, it's hard to tell if this is meant to be taken at face value, or more cynical.
My collection: 7" single no. 2857 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Geboren voor het geluk' / 'Sous-chef'
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel was born on February 19, 1963. As a son of Nigerian parents, he was adopted because his parents were unable to support him financially. He was raised in London and studied architecture. In the Eighties, he joined a funk band, before meeting Adamski, with whom he recorded 'Killer', which became a huge hit in 1990.
Seal subsequently signed to ZTT Records and released his debut album, produced by Trevor Horn, in 1991. The first single from that album was 'Crazy'. It reached number 1 in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1374 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 21, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Crazy' / 'Sparkle'
Malcolm McLaren achieved notoriety as the 'brains' behind the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow. In the Eighties, he started recording his own tracks. After the New York-influenced 1983 album 'Duck rock', he turned his attention to electronic music, recording the unique single 'Madam Butterfly', which was released in 1984.
The track was based on the opera by Puccini from 1902. With atmospheric synthesizers, drum machines and spoken verses, it was an unlikely chart hit, but it reached number 13 in the UK and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40. The music video had nothing to do with the song, showing women in a sauna while wearing make up and clothing for some reason.
My collection: 7" single no. 426 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Madam Butterfly' / 'First couple out'
'Wheel of fortune' was originally the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of base. It was released on a small Danish independent label in April 1992. It failed to reach the chart on its first release. The first re-release was also unsuccessful.
It was after Ace of base had a worldwide hit with 'All that she wants' that 'Wheel of fortune' was re-released for the second time. On that occasion it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1991 Found: London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Wheel of fortune' / 'Wheel of fortune (clubmix)'
'Close to me' was released in 1985 as a single from the Cure's album 'The head on the door'. On its original release, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 21. It was accompanied by an interesting music video, featuring all members of the band locket up in a wardrobe, which falls off of a cliff into an ocean by the end of the song.
In 1990, the song was remixed and this remix was also released as a single. Amazingly, this version improved on the original chart peak position in the UK, shooting up to number 13, whereas in the Netherlands the remix did not chart. The music video was a sequel to the original one, featuring the members of a band locked in a wardrobe filling with water.
My collection: 7" single no. 2350 Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Close to me' / 'A man inside my mouth'
'Waiting for that day' was a track from George Michael's 1990 album 'Listen without prejudice'. Although Michael wrote the song, the chords and rhythm are very similar to Rolling Stones' 'You can't always get what you want'. George Michael actually sings this title near the end of the song. A co-writer credit was given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The track was released as the second single from the album in the USA, the UK, Ireland and Australia, but it was not released in Europe. The single peaked at number 27, 23, 11 and 50 respectively.
My collection: 7" single no. 1315 Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Waiting for that day' / 'Fantasy'
'One more night' was written by Michael Cretu, Klaus Hirschburger and Frank Peterson. It was a ballad, taken from the album 'Paintings in yellow', released as its third and final single. The 7" single included a unique track on the B-side: an 2'42 edit of the album track 'The journey'. The cd-single and 12" single featured the original full length version of that track, clocking in at 7'27.
Released in September 1990, the single reached number 31 in the German charts, but did not chart in other countries. My copy of the single was made in France.
My collection: 7" single no. 2211 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 13 ,1999 Cost: 15 guilders Tracks: 'One more night' / 'The journey (edit)'
Errol Brown and Tony Wilson wrote 'Emma', a song that became a number 3 hit in both the UK and the Netherlnads in 1974. It was an unusually dark song for the band, who were known for their lightweight pop songs.
The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmaline from the age of 5 all through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma wanted to be a 'movie queen' but never got a break, eventually killing herself, explaining in a suicide note: 'I just can't keep on living on dreams no more'.
My collection: 7" single no. 465 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Emma' / 'Makin' music'
'You little thief' was the fourth single taken from Feargal Sharkey's successful debut album 'Feargal Sharkey' (1985). It followed up the UK and Netherlands number 1 hit 'A good heart'.
This single became almost equally successful, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart. It also reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 407 Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'You little thief' / 'The living actor'
The title of this 1985 hit single is taken from the 1972 non-fiction book, 'The boys of summer' by Roger Kahn. Kahn's 'boys of summer' are the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that Kahn covered as a sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune. The book is about how the lives of the former ballplayers had changed between the time he covered the team and the time he tracked each of them down twenty years later.
The lyric of Henley's song, which is driven by synthesizers and a LinnDrum, appears to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the obvious theme of 'summer love' apparent in the choruses. In an interview, Henley explained that the song is more about aging and questioning the past, which is a recurring theme in Henley's lyrics.
My collection: 7" single no. 665 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 15, 1988 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'The boys of summer' / 'A month of Sundays'
Toto's debut single was the 1978 track 'Hold the line', taken from their self-titled debut album. The song peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40.
My copy of the single is a bit tattered and torn, and comes in a standard Columbia sleeve. Although I have seen copies with a picture sleeve later on, I never felt the desire to replace the original copy I bought - even though the song is one of my favourite rock tracks ever.
My collection: 7" single no. 298 Found: Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Hold the line' / 'Takin' it back'
Del Amitri formed in Glasgow in 1980. The band consisted of Currie, Iain Harvie, Bryan Tolland and Paul Tyagi. The 1989 album 'Waking hours' proved to be their international breakthrough, containing their biggest hit, 'Nothing ever happens', which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart in January 1990.
The song deals with the banality of everyday life, with the refrain 'and we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow'. The song includes a startling penultimate line, 'they'll burn down the synagogues at six o'clock and we'll all go along like before', an apparent reference to the lack of popular opposition to Kristallnacht.
My collection: 7" single no. 1175 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 17, 1990 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Nothing ever happens' / 'No holding on'
'De vuile zeeballade' ('The ballad of the dirty sea') is a parody of the Dutch song 'De zuiderzeeballade' ('The ballad of the Zuiderzee'). The original song was an ode to the Zuiderzee, a lake in the Netherlands. The parody was all about environmental waste and people dumping oil and nuclear waste into the sea.
The real treat on this single, which didn't reach the Dutch charts, is the B-side. 'Broodje pindakaas' ('Peanut butter sandwich') is a parody of the Beatles' 'All you need is love'. The song starts with the immortal line 'I got fired last week / and that's a bit inconvenient', only to continue later on with 'the mice gnaw on my toes when I sleep / I'm so hungry'. The single was taken from Rubberen Robbie's self-titled debut album, which also didn't reach the Dutch albums chart. Still, it is a cult classic.
My collection: 7" single no. 106 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'De vuile zeeballade' / 'Broodje pindakaas'
'Look out, there's a bonsai tree on your head!', that's what I always think when I see this sleeve. Why some artists choose to look so strange from time to time is beyond me. Besides all that, 'Together again' is actually quite a serious song. It was a tribute from Janet to friends who had recently passed from AIDS, as stated on album booklet of her 1997 album 'The velvet rope'. Originally written as a ballad, the track was re-arranged as a dance song.
Released as the second single from the album, 'Together again' reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart. This 7" single was made in the USA, and is as far as I know the only 7" release worldwide.
My collection: 7" single no. 2984 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 1998 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Together again' / 'Got 'til it's gone (Ummah Jay Dee's Revenge mix)'
Clannad consists of siblings Máire and Ciarán Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They started making music together in 1970, initially having only some success in Ireland, where the band was based. In 1981, the other sibling Enya left the band to pursue a successful, if somewhat monotonous solo career.
A year later, Clannad recorded the song that would launch their international career: 'Theme from Harry's Game', and the accompanying album 'Magical ring'. The album was on the UK album charts for over six months, earning the group their first gold record award. The single 'I see red' was released as the follow-up to 'Harry's Game', but this single, although it was an appealing song as well, did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2661 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, June 30, 1996 Cost: 1,5 pounds Tracks: 'I see red' / 'Tá 'mé mo shui'
The innovative music video for the Cars' 'You might think' is what prompted me to remember this song for years until I finally bought it in 1989, five years after its release. It was a single from their fifth studio album 'Heartbeat City', produced by Mutt Lange and the Cars. The music video was one of the first videos to use computerized effects. The video features band leader Ric Ocasek and model Susan Gallagher in a series of encounters. Ocasek appears in her bathroom mirror, in her mouth, as a fly, and as the Robot Monster, among other incarnations.
The single reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 in Canada. In the UK, however, the single only reached number 88.
My collection: 7" single no. 741 Found: All that music, Leiden, February 9, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'You might think' / 'Heartbeat City'
'Wuthering heights' was Kate Bush's debut single, released in January 1978. She'd written the song in 1976, aged just 18. The song came to her after watching the last ten minutes of the 1970 film version based on the book by Emily Brontë on television. Lyrically, 'Wuthering heights' uses several quotations from Catherine Earnshaw, most notably in the chorus - 'Let me in! I'm so cold!' - as well as in the verses, with Catherine's confession to her servant of 'bad dreams in the night.; It is sung from Catherine's point of view, as she pleads at Heathcliff's window to be allowed in. This romantic scene takes a sinister turn if one considers the events of the book, as Catherine may well be a ghost, calling Heathcliff to join her in death.
The guitar solo at the end of the song is played by Ian Bairnson, best known for his work with Alan Parsons. It is often mistakenly said that David Gilmour played the solo. It is placed rather unobtrusively in the mix, something engineer Jon Kelly now regrets.
When presented with the material for Kate Bush's debut album 'The kick inside', record company EMI originally wanted to release 'James and the cold gun' as its first single. Kate was determined that 'Wuthering heights' would be the better choice, and she didn't relent until the record company finally gave in. Originally, the single would have been released in November 1977, but when Kate Bush didn't approve of the single's artwork, the single was withdrawn and the release was put back until January 1978.
The single became a huge success, peaking at number 1 in the charts in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Italy, France, Ireland and New Zealand. It reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. It was a phenomenal start of a career that fortunately continues to this day - although the gaps between albums have been increasingly hard to bear.
As an avid fan of Kate Bush, I ended up owning several copies of 'Wuthering heights'.The first copy I bought was a sleeveless one for 2 guilders, which is not the most beautiful item of my collection, so it is not shown here. A few years later, I bought a Belgian copy in Brussels. Then a few years after that I found a flawless copy from the UK in a standard EMI sleeve. Since it was made in 1977, it must have been one of the earliest copies of this single. Then I found a Dutch copy, with a sleeve printed in only a few colours. And finally, in 1992, I found a Spanish copy with a totally different sleeve. The classic Gered Mankowitz photograph was a good reason to buy that copy.
My collection: 7" single no. 210 (2) / no 210 (3) / no. 210 (4) / no. 1710 Found: Brussels, 1990 / Record fair, 1994 / Record fair, 1994 / Bea Records, September 19, 1992 Cost: 30 Francs / 5 guilders / 5 guilders / 12,5 guilders Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'Kite'
'Run like hell' was the second single taken from Pink Floyd's classic album 'The wall'. The song is from the point of view of anti-hero Pink during a hallucination, in which he becomes a fascist dictator and turns a concert audience into an angry mob. He sends the mob out to raid nearby neighborhoods that are full of minorities. The song was originally much longer, however it had to be cut because of the time limitations on the original vinyl record format. Although the lyrics 'Run like hell' appear several times in the liner notes, they are never actually heard in the song.
The single was a commercial disappointment after the huge success of its predecessor 'Another brick in the wall'. Still, copies of the single are wanted by collectors and change hands for anything upwards of 10 euro. I'm lucky to find a cheaper, if somewhat damaged, copy.
My collection: 7" single no. 4042 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'Run like hell' / 'Don't leave me now'
'Get it on' was written by Marc Bolan and recorded by his band T-Rex in 1971. The Power Station recorded a cover version of the track in 1985. It was released as the second single from their debut album.
The track was a hit in the UK, where it reached number 22, and America, where it peaked at number 9. When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for the song, he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer.
My collection: 7" single no. 4041 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Get it on' / 'Go to zero'
'Total loss' is a track from Kayak's 1980 album 'Periscope life'. Moving away from their rock roots after the ballad 'Ruthless queen' (1979), this single was a bit of a return to form: a straightforward rock track.
Unfortunately, the Dutch audience weren't impressed, as the single did not reach the chart. Their next single, 'Seagull', would become their last hit single.
My collection: 7" single no. 4040 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Total loss' / 'What's done is done'
A few years ago, I saw a documentary on Kayak's 1975 album 'Royal bed bouncer'. I was very impressed with the music I heard. Nowadays, almost all music made in the Netherlands is substandard and pathetic, but this was rock music worthy of worldwide recognition.
I bought the cd not long after that, and I thought I would find singles from the album soon enough. I didn't actively search for them - and now I've finally found 'Chance for a lifetime'. It's one of the standout tracks from 'Royal bed bouncer', but it only reached number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.
By the way: the copy I bought was covered in dust and grease. I decided to wash it along with the dishes, and voila: the single is as good as new.
My collection: 7" single no. 4039 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Chance for a lifetime' / 'My heart never changed'
In 1980, Johnny Logan represented Ireland during the Eurovision Song Contest, singing the song 'What's another year'. When the song, written by Shay Healy, won the Contest, Logan's career took off.
'What's another year' became an international hit. In Germany, Logan released a special version of the song, with German lyrics written by Michael Kunze. 'Was ist schon ein Jahr' sounds very familiar, and yet very strange to non-Germans. Personally, I prefer this version for its interesting lyric. To hear an Irish man sing 'Eines Tages wirst du wissen / dass diesen Abschied nur ein Irrtum war' is priceless.
My collection: 7" single no. 4038 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Was ist schon ein Jahr' / 'One night stand'
'Feuer und Flamme' was the title of Nena's fourth album, released in 1984. It was the first album of the band to be reproduced in English in its entirity. The English version 'It's all in the game' was released in 1985.
The title track was released as a single, with the English version of the track, 'Woman on fire', on the B-side.
My collection: 7" single no. 4037 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Feuer und Flamme' / 'Woman on fire'
Steve Jolley and Tony Swain produced the music of bands like Imagination, Bananarama and many others. In 1985 they decided to release a single of their own, the instrumental track 'Soul street'. It sounds a lot like the music of the aforementioned bands. The single was taken from the album 'Backtrackin', also released in 1985.
They continued to produce artists like Diana Ross, Tom Robinson and Wang Chung, until they split up in 1987. Swain went on to produce Kim Wilde's 1988 album 'Close' and became head A&R consultant for Universal Records. Jolley set up his own record label and in 2001 ended up in jail for sexually assaulting a 12 year old boy. I guess you could say 'each to their own'...
My collection: 7" single no. 4036 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Soul street' / 'Autumn leaves'
'Where did your heart go' was originally released as part of the double single 'The edge of heaven', released to signal the end of the duo Wham! in June 1986. Always in need of 'milking it', the record company decided to release the track separately as a single in October 1986. The setup didn't work as most people already had the track - only the most avid fans still bought the single despite the absence of anything new on it. The single peaked at number 50 in the USA and number 54 in Australia.
The song was not written by George Michael, like most of Wham!'s material, but instead was a cover of the 1981 track by Was Not Was. It was written by David and Don Was.
My collection: 7" single no. 4034 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Where did your heart go?' / 'Wham! Rap '86'
On my way to Haaksbergen last Monday I had the album 'Conscience' by the Beloved on my iPod. It surprised me that this album from 1993 still sounded so great. It's uplifting music, that will work whether your mood is good or bad.
