Thru' these walls - Phil Collins

'Thru' these walls' was released as the first single from Phil Collins' second solo album 'Hello, I must be going!'. It was an unusual choice: a slow ballad interspersed with hard drum beats that sounded a lot like the drums from his debut solo single, 'In the air tonight'. The song is about a man listening through the wall to his neighbours who are enjoying the nightlife, so to speak.

The song reached number 56 in the UK singles chart but was not released as a single in America. In the Netherlands, the single did not reach the Dutch Top 40. The B-side, 'Do you know, do you care' was used a decade later in the Netherlands for an ad campaign against alcohol abuse.

My collection: 7" single no. 285
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Thru' these walls' / 'Do you know, do you care'

I would do for you - UB40

'I would do for you' was a 1989 single by UB40. As they continued to make music well into the Nineties and Noughties, the band became increasingly uninspired, and personally I think this is one of their last great songs.

It was not particulalrly successful, considering it only made number 45 in the UK singles chart and number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. They opted for cover versions to keep their career going: their next album was 'Labour of love II', a second collection of covers with a few hit singles drawn from it.

My collection: 7" single no. 928
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 1, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'I would do for you' / 'Hit it'

Uit de bol met alcohol - Rubberen Robbie

The British and the Irish have a strange relationship with alcohol: for some reason they always seem to have to overdo it. And then there's musicians, who are also prone to drinking too much. Put it together and you have Irish and British musicians. Stephen Gately, an Irish musician, died two days ago, according to the latest rumours, as a result of excessive drinking. His ex-boyfriend was on Dutch television tonight, saying that Stephen never drank much. Yeah, right.

Hence this song, a more upbeat track that the situation might warrant, but at least it is appropriate. 'Uit de bol met alcohol' ('Out of your mind with alcohol') is an ode to drinking, from the Leiden-based band Rubberen Robbie. They didn't have a hit with this in 1978, even if the B-side is a great parody of another Dutch classic, 'Met de vlam in de pijp'.

My collection: 7" single no. 70
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1980
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Uit de bol met alcohol' / 'Met een stuk in me reet'

19 - Paul Hardcastle

I bought the German version of '19' this year, but I've had the original since 1990. The story remains the same: '19' featured television narrator Peter Thomas talking about Vietnam war veterans.

The single reached number 1 in the UK and the Netherlands. Mike Oldfield later claimed that a melodic element of '19' was copied from a sequence in his album 'Tubular bells'. This was settled out of court.

My collection: 7" single no. 1365
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 28, 1990
Cost: 1 guilders
Tracks: '19' / 'Fly by night'

One night in Bangkok - Murray Head

Abba never officially disbanded, but when they stopped recording together in 1983, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus concentrated on writing musicals for a while. One of them was 'Chess', created together with Tim Rice. The choruses were sung by Anders Glenmark while the verses, spoken raps by Murray Head, are a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek denunciation of the city's moral corruption and comparative glorification of the intellectual purity of chess: 'The queens we use would not excite you.'

The single reached number 1 in various European countries, but peaked at number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 12 in the UK singles chart. I only bought the single after I got to know Puck, who was quite extatic about this song.

My collection: 7" single no. 1904
Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'One night in Bangkok' (Murray Head) / 'Merano' (London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian singers)

Cold - Tears for fears

In the song 'Cold', Roland Orzabal included some references to former associates of Tears for fears. Business manager Paul King is mentioned in the line: 'King got caught with his fingers in the till. Where's your calculator, did you leave it in your will?', after alleged discrepancies were discovered in King's prior management of the band's financial affairs. The line 'Listened to my old friend Nockles, hoped that it would warm the cockles' is a reference to former Tears for fears keyboardist and co-writer Nicky Holland, whose nickname was 'Nockles'.

'Cold' was released as the second single from the album 'Elemental' in July 1993. The single reached number 72 in the UK singles chart, but flopped everywhere else.

My collection: 7" single no. 2002
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Cold' / 'New star'

Autodrive - Herbie Hancock

Buying this single was a gamble. I liked the track 'Rockit' and assumed that the second single from the album 'Future shock' would be similarly interesting. To be blunt: it wasn't, really. It is an instrumental track that seems to go on without a point or clue.

The single still reached number 33 in the UK singles chart in October 1983, but it flopped in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2554
Found: Record fair, November 19 ,1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Autodrive' / 'The bomb'

The Buddha of Suburbia - David Bowie

The song 'The Buddha of Suburbia' was a song by David Bowie, made for the BBC TV series of the same name. It features Lenny Kravitz on guitar, performing quite a great solo. Interestingly, the song caused minor controversies on both sides of the Atlantic, with Radio 1 making an airplay edit to cover up the word 'bullshit' in the lyric, and US networks re-editing the video to remove shots where Bowie was smoking a cigarette.

The single reached number 35 in the UK singles chart and did not chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2353
Found: Eastbourne, June 28, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The Buddha of Suburbia' / 'Dead against it'

Kiss from a rose - Seal

When 'Kiss from a rose' was released as the second single from Seal's self-titled second album in July 1994, it did not make much of a chart impact. It did reach number 20 in the UK singles chart, but that was about it.

When it was included on the soundtrack of the movie 'Batman forever' in 1995, things changed dramatically. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was re-released in the UK and Europe. This time around it reached number 4 in the UK and the Netherlands. This 7" single was made in the USA, and it was the only country where the single appeared on this format.

My collection: 7" single no. 4060
Found: eBay.com, received September 23, 2009
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Kiss from a rose' / 'I'm alive (radio remix)'

I need love - Sandra

'I need love' was released as the second single from Sandra's 1992 album 'Close to seven'. The track was edited for the single. It featured Andy Jones, a.k.a. Andy 'Angel' Hart, performing the male vocals. The B-side, 'Shadows' also appeared on the album and was a cover of Michael Cretu's 1979 track 'Shadows over my head'.

This was the first single from Sandra that wasn't a chart success for her. Subsequently, the third single 'Steady me' was not released commercially, although promotional cd-singles do exist.

My collection: 7" single no. 1671
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 20, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'I need love' / 'Shadows'

A girl like you - Edwyn Collins

Edwyn Collins was born on August 23, 1959. He formed the Nu-sonics in 1976, which became Orange Juice in 1979. This band broke up in 1985, after which he pursued a solo career.

His biggest solo success is the single 'A girl like you', released in 1994. It became his only single to reach the top 10 in the UK (peaking at number 4) and the only single to have chart success in Europe. In the Dutch Top 40, it reached number 16.

My collection: 7" single no. 2398
Found: HMV, London, July 6, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'A girl like you' / 'You're on your own'

Net zo lief gefortuneerd - Het Goede Doel

Roughly translated the chorus of this song starts with the words 'I'd rather be well off / preferably a millionaire'. The song is taken from the band' 1984 album 'Tempo doeloe', and as mentioned before on this blog, the singles taken from that album didn't do exactly well as most people were turning away from Dutch language music in the Netherlands after the most popular band 'Doe maar' disbanded.

My collection: 7" single no. 2858
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Net zo lief gefortuneerd' / 'De plaat sloeg af en het gesprek viel stil'

I'm specialized in you - Time bandits

'I'm specialized in you' was the second chart hit in the Netherlands for the Dutch band Time Bandits, and also their biggest hit. It reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 in January 1983. The track was taken from their self-titled debut album, produced by well-known Dutch producer Pim Koopman.

The band, fronted by Alides Hidding, had several more top 10 hits in the Netherlands, but they never matched this success again.

My collection: 7" single no. 2823
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, February 1, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'I'm specialized in you' / 'Ginny (puts her hands on her shoulders)'

Eldorado - Drum Theatre

Simon Moore, Paul Snook, Patrick Gallagher, Gari Tarn, Myles Benedict and Kent B. Bass formed Drum Theatre in 1985. They released one album, entitled 'Everyman', after which they disbanded.

Four singles were taken from the album. The most successful was 'Eldorado', released in January 1987. It reached number 44 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40. It was their third of four singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 1028
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Eldorado' / 'Jungle of people'

Candy love - Lili and Sussie

I don't know why I like this song so much, but I do. It's pretty standard eighties dance stuff, but it has that certain Scandinavian coolness about it. I described the 12" single of 'Candy love' last year on this blog, but obviously I've got the 7" single too.

This single hit number 28 in the Dutch Top 40 in February 1987. Nothing was ever heard from them again - at least, in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1644
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 3, 1992
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Candy love' / 'Candy love (instrumental)'

MacArthur park - Richard Harris

This is the original version of 'MacArthur park', also made famous by Donna Summer. Richard Harris recorded it for his 1968 album 'A tramp shining' and also released it as a single. It was an unusual single, running for more than seven minutes, with a long, climactic orchestral break. Throughout his recording, Harris can be heard using the incorrect possessive form, "MacArthur's Park". Producer Jimmy Webb has said he tried correcting Harris during re-takes, but gave up when he simply could not (or would not) sing the correct words.

The single reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1313
Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'MacArthur park' / 'The yard went on forever'

I'll find my way home - Jon and Vangelis

Jon Anderson and Vangelis had their biggest hit together in 1982, when they released 'I'll find my way home'. It reached number 1 in Switzerland and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40, although it didn't chart in the UK.

The track was originally not included on their 1981 album 'The friends of Mr. Cairo', but after the single was such a success, it was still added to the tracklisting. And so there are two versions of the LP - although the cd edition was only released with 'I'll find my way home' included.

My collection: 7" single no. 2056
Found: November 27, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'I'll find my way home' / 'Back to school'

Your own sweet way - The Notting Hillbillies

When the Dire Straits went on hiatus in 1987, band leader Mark Knopfler formed the Notting Hillbillies, a country music project, with Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, and Knopfler's bandmate Guy Fletcher. They made just one album, 'Missing... presumed having a good time' (1990).

The song 'Your own sweet way' was released as a single. While the album reached number 2 in the UK albums chart, the single did not chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 1244
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 14, 1990
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Your own sweet way' / 'Bewildered'

The head and the heart - Chris de Burgh

Chris de Burgh is considered by many to be the epitome of uncool. Hearing this song, having not played it for two decades, I would say I would have to agree. There is one saving grace for this particular song: it features Howard Jones on piano. And Howard Jones is, of course, very cool.

'The head and the heart' is a single taken from Chris de Burgh's 1984 album 'Man on the line'. The slightly oversensitive ballad did not make any chart impact.

My collection: 7" single no. 260
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'The head and the heart' / 'Taking it to the top'

Enola gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the dark

'Enola Gay' is named after the aeroplane, a USAAF B-29 Superfortress which dropped 'Little Boy', the first atomic bomb to be used in an act of War, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 to bring an end to the Second World War. The lyric attacks the decision to use the bomb, suggesting that the bombing was unnecessary ('It shouldn't ever have to end this way').

The song appears on OMD's second album 'Organisation' (1980) and when it was released as a single in September 1980, it reached number 8 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2763
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Enola gay' / 'Annex'

Cowboys and angels - George Michael

'Cowboys and angels' was released as the fifth single from George Michael's 1990 album 'Listen without prejudice vol. 1'. The song was written, arranged and produced by George Michael and was the first single in his career not to reach the top 40 in the UK: it peaked at number 45 in March 1991. It did better in the Dutch Top 40, reaching number 15.

Although the album version of 'Cowboys and angels' is over 7 minutes long, the single version was edited to four and a half minutes, amongst other things removing the beautiful piano intro from the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2451
Found: Record fair, September 2, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Cowboys and angels (edit)' / 'Something to save'

Forever autumn - Justin Hayward

The mailman made me happy today, when he delivered this little package to my doorstep. Although I have the UK pressing of 'Forever autumn', this Dutch pressing came in a beautiful sleeve; and sometimes the sleeve is what counts.

'Forever autumn' reached number 22 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 5 in the UK singles chart. It is of course a track from Jeff Wayne's marvellous musical version of the book 'War of the worlds'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4100
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received October 10, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Forever autumn' / 'The fighting machine'

Mrs. Malinski - Ricky Wilde

Ricky Wilde's short-lived music career consisted of six singles released on the UK label. 'Mrs. Malinski' was the fourth of this series, released in 1974. The song was written and produced by his father Marty Wilde. The B-side is called 'Cassette blues' and sounds rather like it was recorded on a cassette as well.

This single was the least successful of all Ricky Wilde singles, having not reached the charts in any country.

My collection: 7" single no. 3354
Found: eBay.co.uk, 2002
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Mrs. Malinski' / 'Cassette blues'

Nothing compares 2 u - Sinéad O'Connor

'Nothing compares 2 u' was written in the Eighties for the Family by Prince. They released their version in 1985. In 1990, Sinéad O'Connor recorded a cover version on her second album 'I do not want what I haven't got', and released it as the first single from that album. A limited edition box set was released in the UK, featuring a giant poster and a picture button.

The song was famous mostly for the music video in which Sinéad sheds two tears. I never quite got what was so special about that, but the media were in spasms about it. It helped the song get to number 1 in 11 countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 1156
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1990
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Nothing compares 2 u' / 'Jump in the river'

The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

Kate Bush released her second single 'The man with the child in his eyes' in the summer of 1978. This 7" single is a bit of a rarity, since the single version of this track has only ever been released on one obscure cd compilation. It remains unreleased on any Kate Bush cd.

Kate wrote the song when she was only 13 years old. It was recorded at Air Studios in 1975. The single reached number 6 in the UK and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 676
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'The man with the child in his eyes' / 'Moving'

Brite side - Deborah Harry

'Brite side' was released as the third single from Deborah Harry's third solo album, 'Def, dumb and blonde'. The single was only released in the UK and a limited edition was released in a poster sleeve (just like my copy). The song is an eerie and smoky ballad which sounds very unlike the harder, edgier material from her Blondie days.

The single, however, was not a big success: it reached number 59 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1157
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Brite side' / 'Bugeye'

Violet hill - Coldplay

Coldplay originally released 'Violet hill' on April 29, 2008 as a free download from their official website. After one week of free downloading, the song was available as a paid download. Although the free track was downloaded two million times, the single was still released commercially as well. A cd-single made the rounds in Europe, whereas the paid downloads provided the band with chart placings in America and the UK (number 40 and number 8 respectively).

This 7" single was released as a free promotional disc with the May 10 issue of the UK magazine NME, including the non-album track 'A spell a rebel yell' on the B-side. On subsequent cd releases, 'Lost?', an acoustic recording of album track 'Lost!' serves as extra track instead. I have to say this was the first time I ever bought the NME...

My collection: 7" single no. 3454
Found: Bruna, Den Haag, May 15, 2008
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Violet hill' / 'A spell a rebel yell'

The air that I breathe - The Hollies

This song has the rare distinction of being the one and only song that has ever appeared in my dreams. I don't remember much of the dream, but I do remember waking up (twenty years ago) and remembering having heard this song while I was sleeping. And I think in my dream I was singing along, too! How weird.

'The air that I breathe' was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and originally recorded by Phil Everly. When the Hollies recorded it in 1974, they reached number 2 in the UK singles chart with it. This copy of the single is a UK re-release from 1988, which reached number 60.

My collection: 7" single no. 1083
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 19, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'The air that I breathe' / 'We're through'

Fast car - Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman was born on March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was raised by her mother. In 1988, he made her debut with the single 'Fast car', a vivid tale of poverty that reached number 1 in Ireland and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

While usually I don't understand why an artist has one hit as big as this and then virtually disappears from the world stage, in this case I do. Tracy Chapman appeared on the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday tribute concert, doing her 'girl with guitar' thing, and the world was in raptures. But after two or three songs of a girl with a guitar, the fascination leaves as quickly as it comes. And so it did.

My collection: 7" single no. 2414
Found: Record fair, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Fast car' / 'For you'

This is me - Climie Fisher

'This is me' was originally Climie Fisher's debut single in 1986. After the success of 'Love changes (everything)' and 'Rise to the occasion', the track was re-released in 1988. This is the re-released single, featuring a new sleeve.

The single, which flopped the first time around, now reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 54 in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 1327
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990
Cost: 1,5 pounds
Tracks: 'This is me' / 'Far across the water'

That was my big mistake - Korgis

For a while in the early Eighties, I thought the Korgis were the coolest thing since sliced bread. That was largely thanks to their biggest hit 'Everybody's got to learn sometime', but this single was a close second in my book.

'That was my big mistake' was the first single from their 1981 album 'Sticky George'. A lot of people did not agree with me, as the single did not chart in any country.

My collection: 7" single no. 739
Found: All that music, February 9, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'That was my big mistake' / 'Can't we be friends'

It's alright - Pet Shop Boys

'It's alright' was originally recorded by Sterling Void in 1988. The Pet Shop Boys released their cover version of the song a year later on the album 'Introspective'. They heard the original on a house compilation album. While the original verion had only two verses, Neil Tennant wrote a third verse (sung as the second verse in their cover version) to expand the song's political concerns towards environmental issues.

The nine minute album version was edited for the single, which became half the length. The single reached number 5 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1925
Found: Record fair, June 5, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'It's alright' / 'One of the crowd', 'Your funny uncle'

Lonely avenue - Marty Wilde

As a fan of Kim Wilde, I was rather late in discovering the music of Marty Wilde. As 'Abergavenny' had been a hit in the Netherlands, I knew that song, but his earlier work eluded me until the Nineties. After I'd discovered great songs like 'Jezebel' and 'Teenager in love', I started hunting for these singles - but they are incredibly hard to come by.

I found this EP on eBay a few years ago. I was again intrigued, as the song titles didn't look familiar. Turns out that the two songs on the A-side of this EP were recorded with the legendary John Barry and his orchestra. The songs were not commercially successful, but I do think they are an artistic triumph. Released in 1964, this is an extraordinary collection of songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 3342
Found: eBay.co.uk, received 2002
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Lonely avenue', 'Brand new love' / 'Kiss me', 'My what a woman'

Losing my mind - Liza Minelli

'Losing my mind' was written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1971 musical 'Follies'. The song was originally performed by Dorothy Collins and was since covered by many artists including Shirley Bassy and Michael Ball.

The most successful version of the song was recorded by Liza Minelli, on her 1989 album 'Results', which was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn. The single reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1891
Found: May 2, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Losing my mind' / 'Tonight is forever'

More love - Feargal Sharkey

Released three years after its predecessor, 'Wish' is the second solo album by Feargal Sharkey. It disappointed commercially, with the singles underperforming in the singles chart and the album not selling too well either.

The first single from the album was 'More love', a dynamic song with bittersweet lyrics. It reached number 44 in the UK singles chart - the only single from the album to even reach the chart, by the way.

My collection: 7" single no. 747
Found: V&D, Den Haag, February 17, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'More love' / 'A breath of scandal'

If you don't know me by now - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

'If you don't know me by now' was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It became their first hit when it was released as a single in 1972. The single reached number 18 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 9 in the UK singles chart.

The song was later covered by Simply Red, giving them a hit in 1989. The song was also covered by British comedian Ricky Gervais as his character David Brent from the comedy series 'The office'. A music video was produced and released with BBC's The Office DVD set.

My collection: 7" single no. 804
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 21, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'If you don't know me by now' / 'Let me into your world'

Now you're in heaven - Julian Lennon

Julian Lennon released his third album 'Mr. Jordan' in 1989. The first single taken from that album was 'Now you're in heaven'. The single reached number 5 in Australia, but failed to chart in most other countries.

I didn't know the song when I bought this single, I simply assumed that it would be interesting to hear. I have to say the track sounds a bit David Bowie-esque.

My collection: 7" single no. 2292
Found: May 13, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Now you're in heaven' / 'Second time'

Purple rain - Prince

'Purple rain' was the title track from Prince's 1984 album. In order to be released as a single, the song was shortened from 8:45 to 4:05. It's quite a shame really, because the majestic guitar solo is totally deleted from the edited track, leaving just a quite boring ballad. The 12" single did feature the full length track - but I found that out after buying this single. Still, I don't regret buying the single, because it was pressed on purple vinyl.

'Purple rain' has become one of Prince's signature songs, reaching number 1 in the Dutch Top 40, number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 245
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Purple rain' / 'God'

Always the sun - The Stranglers

'Always the sun' was released as the second single from the Stranglers' 1986 album 'Dreamtime'. In his book 'The Stranglers song by song', Hugh Cornwell mentioned that he thought it could have been as big as the band's earlier hit 'Golden brown'. He blamed their record company for its disappointing performance, peaking at number 30 in the UK singles chart: 'We'd given CBS something great to work with and I could see in this guy's face that he knew he hadn't delivered'.

The single performed poorly in the Netherlands as well, stalling at number 35 in the Dutch Top 40, but it did reach number 15 in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 489
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Always the sun' / 'Norman normal'

Africa - Toto

Toto's Steve Lukather commented in 2003: 'I didn’t think it was very good. That tells you what can happen when we pick our own singles!' Indeed, for 'Africa' became Toto's biggest hit ever. Taken from their 1982 album 'Toto IV', the single scored number1 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 3 in the UK singles chart.

'Africa' was almost omitted from the album prior to its release. Having spent a great amount of time producing the tune, the band became so tired of the song that they didn’t want it on the album. The song itself was very different from anything the band had done before, and some members felt that it didn’t sound like Toto.

My collection: 7" single no. 165
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Africa' / 'We made it'

Prayer for the dying - Seal

'Prayer for the dying' was released as the first single from Seal's second self-titled album. Released in May 1994, the single peaked at number 14 in the UK singles chart. A year later, in November 1995, the single was re-released as a double A-side with the track 'Don't cry'. This released stalled at number 51.

The B-side is a beautiful piano version of the album track 'Dreaming in metaphors'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2123
Found: Virgin Megastore, London, July 16, 1994
Cost: pounds
Tracks: 'Prayer for the dying' / 'Dreaming in metaphors (piano version)'

Visions of China - Japan

'Visions of China' was a single released by Japan in 1981. I discovered the track a few years later, when the music video appeared on television quite regularly. It was a strange music video, which stuck in my head. Later on, the song became a happy obsession for a while.

I finally found the single in 1996, after I'd found the live version on single in 1989. This single peaked at number 32 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2685
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Visions of China' / 'Taking island in Africa'

De ambulance - Rubberen Robbie

Although I realise the joke is lost on foreign readers, I have committed myself to putting my record collection online and that includes a handful of Rubberen Robbie singles. 'De ambulance' is a parody of the song 'De diligence' and is all about boozing and fighting in a nearby pub.

The pub that was frequented by the members of Rubberen Robbie - and often mentioned in their songs - was 'De hut van Ome Henne' (Uncle Henne's cabin), a pub in Leiden that still exists. The B-side of this single was apparently recorded live there too.

My collection: 7" single no. 2567
Found: November 19, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'De ambulance' / 'Witte en rooie radijs (live)'

Better than this - Keane

'Better than this' was the last single release from Keane's 2008 album 'Perfect symmetry'. The single did not reach the UK singles top 100.

The 7" single came with a pair of 3d glasses, by way of promoting a concert that was shown in 3d on the internet a few months ago. That concert is still accessible via the band's official website, www.keanemusic.com.

My collection: 7" single no. 3615
Found: Keanemusic.com webshop
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Better than this' / 'Better than this (Stuart Price demo mix)'

Romeos - Alphaville

In 1989, Alphaville released their third album 'The breathtaking blue'. The album was released as a CD+G, a shortlived format including graphic representations of songs on the cd, which people could view from a CD+G-enabled cd player.

'Romeos' was the second single from the album, which reached number 45 in the German singles chart. In other territories, this single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2732
Found: Record fair, September 7, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Romeos' / 'Headlines'

The reflex - Duran Duran

Duran Duran had the biggest hit of their career in 1984 with 'The reflex'. It was the third and last single from their album 'Seven and the ragged tiger'. Originally the band wanted it to be the lead single, but the record company was afraid that the warbling singing during the 'Why don't you use it' segments would hinder its success as a single. How wrong they were! The single hit number 1 in the UK, America and the Netherlands.

The video appeared on television almost every hour at the time, until I got quite sick of it. I never bought the single as a result. Just recently I found out it was released as a limited edition with a poster sleeve in the UK. It took some time to find it for a reasonable price, but I'm glad I waited: instead of the usual 4 to 6 pounds asked for it, I paid a measly 1 pound. Plus postage, but oh well.

My collection: 7" single no. 4099
Found: eBay.co.uk, received October 6, 2009
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'The reflex' / 'Make me smile (Come up and see me) (live)'

Shipbuilding - Tasmin Archer

'Shipbuilding' was written by singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and producer Clive Langer during the Falklands War of 1982. Costello's lyrics discuss the contradiction of the war bringing back prosperity to traditional shipbuilding areas of Merseyside (Cammell Laird), Tyneside (Swan Hunter) and Belfast (Harland and Wolff) to build new ships to replace those being sunk in the war, whilst also sending off the sons of these areas to fight and, potentially, lose their lives in those same ships.

Tasmin Archer recorded the song as part of her 'Shipbuilding EP', which contains covers of four Costello songs. The EP reached number 40 in the UK singles chart in 1994.

My collection: 7" single no. 2665
Found: Leeds, June 30, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Shipbuilding', 'Deep dark truthful mirror' / 'All grown up', 'New Amsterdam'

Cry for help - Rick Astley

Having left the Stock-Aitken-Waterman stable of stars, Rick Astley presented himself as a 'serious' artist in 1991 with his third album 'Free'. 'Cry for help', released as the first single from the album, was written by Astley himself with Rob Fisher, one half of the duo Naked Eyes in the Eighties.

The single reached number 7 in both the UK singles chart and the US Billboard Hot 100. In the Netherlands, it reached number 11.

My collection: 7" single no. 1378
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 2, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Cry for help' / 'Behind the smile'