Released as the follow-up to their debut single 'Break it up', 'One night stand' was Lois Lane's second single, and the second and last one of their five singles released by WEA records to not reach the Dutch Top 40.
This particular copy appears to be a mispressing: although the B-side is announced as 'Goodbye girl' on the label, it simply plays 'One night stand' once again.
My collection: 7" single no. 4576 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, February 26, 2010 Cost: 1 euro Tracks (label): 'One night stand' / 'Goodbye girl' Tracks (disc): 'One night stand' / 'One night stand'
Chris Rea's 'The road to hell' was written about the frustrations of driving on the M25 during rush hour. It's strange how such a boring subject can lead to such a great song. It was the title track of his 1989 album, which featured two parts of the track.
Part 2 was released as a single. The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart. In 2009, the song inspired the title of a crime novel by northeast author Sheila Quigley, 'The road to hell', the fifth book in the Seahills series of novels.
My collection: 7" single no. 4580 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, February 26, 2010 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'The road to hell (part 2)' / 'He should know better'
At his best, Dingetje can be called the Weird Al Yankovic of the Netherlands. And this single represents one of his best parodies, which I have to admit didn't know existed. 'Een nacht in Mokum' translates as 'One night in Amsterdam', and is a parody of the Murray Head single 'One night in Bangkok', written by Tim Rice with Benny and Bjorn of Abba.
Dingetje describes a night out in the capital of the Netherlands in his version, using some elements from the original lyric, such as 'the massage parlours'. The single did not chart - and I have to say I've never seen it before.
My collection: 7" single no. 4585 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, February 26, 2010 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Een nacht in Mokum' / 'Sukke heb ze'
Fra Lippo Lippi released three singles from their 1985 album 'Songs', of which 'Every time I see you' was the last. The track was remixed before it was released as a single, but the single version and the version on this 12" single are the same.
The bonus is included on the B-side. Besides the single B-side 'The heather on the hills', it adds another beautiful instrumental track, 'The true story'. This track was definitely worth the money for buying this disc.
My collection: 12" single no. 142 Found: Record Exchange, London, 1992 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Every time I see you' / 'The true story', 'The heather on the hills'
'Looking for the summer' was a track on Chris Rea's 1990 album 'Auberge'. The album reached number 1 in the UK albums chart, however the three singles taken from the album wouldn't meet a similar fate in the singles chart.
The single version of 'Looking for the summer' was a remix, shorter and faster than the album version. It reached number 49 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1511 Found: August 17, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Looking for the summer' / 'Six up'
'Sex & drugs & rock & roll' was written by Ian Dury and Chas Jankel in Dury's flat in Oval Mansions, London. According to Chas, he would be repeatedly given the lyric for the song by Dury but Jankel kept rejecting the song only for it to be at the top of the pile again the next time - only to be rejected again. This went on until Dury sung the song's guitar riff to Chas and sang the song's title in time with it.
Released as it was at the height of the popularity of punk rock, the song was misinterpreted as a song about excess as its title would suggest. Dury himself maintained that the song was not a punk anthem and said he was trying to suggest that there was more to life than a 9-to-5 existence.
My collection: 7" single no. 1738 Found: Out on the floor, London, October 18, 1992 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Sex & drugs & rock & roll' / 'Razzle in my pocket'
The nicest feature of this single is the sleeve: the label which carries a photograph of flowers is visible through a larger hole at the front, whereas the back cover is entirely brown and doesn't have a hole in it.
'That's all' is a group composition by Genesis with lyrics written by Phil Collins. Released as the second single from their self-titled 1983 album, it reached number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1101 Found: All that music, Leiden, November 11, 1989 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: 'That's all' / 'Taking it all too hard'
Released as the first single from the Jacksons' album 'Triumph', 'Lovely one' was the followup to their 1979 hit, 'Shak your body (down to the ground)'. Lead vocals in this song were performed by Michael Jackson, while his brothers Jackie, Tito, Randy and Marlon performed backing vocals.
The single reached number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 29 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 102 Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Lovely one' / 'Bless his soul'
'Say it isn't so' was released as one of two new tracks on their greatest hits album 'Rock 'n' Soul part 1'. The song is about a love gone wrong and a fellow who asks his girl to "Say it isn't so".
When it was released as a single, it reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the turn of the year 1983/1984. In the UK, it did considerably less well, peaking at number 69. In the Netherlands, where the single was played on the radio regularly, it didn't chart at all.
My collection: 7" single no. 2498 Found: London, October 30, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Say it isn't so' / 'Did it in a minute'
'What's going on' was written by Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye. It was the title track of Gaye's groundbreaking 1971 album. A meditation on the troubles and problems of the world, the song was released as a single to worldwide success.
The song has been covered by multiple artists, notably Cyndi Lauper, whose version was released as the third single from her 1986 album 'True colours'. On the album version, the song starts off with a series of gunshots in reference to the Vietnam war, while the single release is a remix with an alternate vocal used in the intro. The single reached number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 30 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 531 Found: Free Record Shop, 1987 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'What's going on' / 'One track mind'
Roger Troutman was well known for his use of the talkbox, a device that is connected to an instrument (frequently a keyboard) to create different vocal effects.After scoring a hit with 'I want to be your man' in 1987, he collaborated with Green Gartside from Scritti Politti on the single 'Boom! There she was'.
Released in November 1988, 'Boom! There she was' reached number 55 in the UK singles chart. Scritti Politti then disappeared from the scene for three years.
My collection: 7" single no. 809 Found: May 6, 1989 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Boom! There she was' / 'World come back to life'
Taken from the soundtrack for the movie 'The falcon and the snowman', 'This is not America' was a collaboration between David Bowie and the jazz fusion band the Pat Metheny Group.
The single reached number 14 in the UK singles chart, number 32 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 366 Found: Bruxelles, January 11, 1986 Cost: 105 Belgian Francs Track: 'This is not America' / 'This is not America (instrumental)'
Although the label on this single claims that 'Paradise by the dashboard light' has a running time of 7 minutes and 55 seconds, it is actually only 5 minutes and 25 seconds - which means it is a single edit of the epic album version, excluding the lengthy baseball commentary and some minor musical bits. I would regret this if I was actually planning on listening to this song ever again - which I won't for another decade or two.
Still, I have to concede that 'Paradise by the dashboard light' is a classic track, one that is forever synonymous to Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman's brilliant collaboration. I wish it wasn't played so damn often though.
My collection: 7" single no. 378 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Paradise by the dashboard light' / ''Bat' Overture'
The Dutch band De Dijk ('The Dike') released the single 'Bloedend hart' ('Bleeding heart') in the summer of 1982. The amusing tale of the Christian broadcaster NCRV always stuck with me: they took offence to the line 'Ik kijk wat door de ramen / en ik krab wat aan mijn kont' ('I'm looking through the windows / and I'm scratching my ass') and through some clever manipulation they managed to change the line to '...en ik krab wat aan mijn hond' ('...and I'm scratching my dog'). Personally, I think scratching your dog is a lot nastier than scratching your own ass.
This minor controversy didn't help the single: it failed to reach the Dutch Top 40 when it was released.
My collection: 7" single no. 158 Found: Den Haag, 1982 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Bloedend hart' / 'Geldgebrek en rock & roll'
The production process of making 7" vinyl singles has been successful for millions of copies: you take a piece of vinyl, press the grooves on it, cut off the edges to make a round piece of vinyl and punch a hole in the middle. But sometimes, things go wrong. My copy of 'As long as you follow' by Fleetwood Mac had a hole in the middle, but it was not exactly in the middle. As a result, the sides were unlistenable.
I never went back to the shop with the single, but I did buy a promotional copy of it, made in Spain, seven years later. This copy featured 'As long as you follow' on both sides. For this blog, I used my original copy to record the B-side. It's a matter of putting the record on the right spot on the record player. I think the recording still turned out alright!
'As long as you follow' was a new track on the compilation album 'Greatest hits', released in 1988 after Fleetwood Mac's previous album 'Tango in the night' was very successful. Lindsey Buckingham had left the band and he was replaced by Billy Burnette (mainly for lead vocals) and Rick Vito. The single reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 66 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 756 / no. 2612 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 23, 1989 / Record fair, Den Haag, February 10, 1996 Cost: 6 guilders / 3 guilders Tracks (no. 756): 'As long as you follow' / 'Oh well (live)' Tracks (no. 2612): 'As long as you follow' / 'As long as you follow'
The album 'Running in the family' by Level 42 was a big success, and part of the success was the singles that kept entering the charts. 'To be with you again' was the third single from the album and it was just as successful as the previous two.
'To be with you again' reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 10 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2752 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'To be with you again' / 'Microkid (live)'
'Last days of summer' was released in the summer of 1985 as a single by Imagination. Their last hit was 1984's 'Thank you my love', and this new single would be the second in a long line of singles that would be unsuccessful in all territories.
The B-side featured a live recording of the earlier hit 'Shoobedoo da dabba doobee', recorded at Hammersmith Odeon in London.
My collection: 7" single no. 3107 Found: Big Company Records, London, May 13, 1999 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Last days of summer' / 'Shoobedoo da dabba doobee (live)'
'Oye mi canto' showed off some of Gloria Estefan's musical roots, much like in the style of her earlier music with Miami Sound Machine, and is in the style of the earlier hit 'Conga', which is included on this single as the B-side track.
Released as the fourth single from her album 'Cuts both ways', it reached number 48 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1058 Found: London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Oye mi canto' / 'Conga'
In the song 'If', Janet Jackson is consumed with sexual fantasies of a man who doesn't even know she exists. An electric guitar and a sample from Diana Ross & the Supremes' 1969 song 'Someday we'll be together' are the musical ingredients for this fast-paced track. The single contains a B-side track called 'One more chance', which is a cover of a song her brother Randy wrote, produced, and performed for The Jacksons' 1984 album 'Victory'.
'If' was released as the second single from Janet's album 'janet.' in the summer of 1993. It reached number 1 in Canada, number 14 in the UK singles chart, number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2004 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'If' / 'One more chance'
The tale of Milli Vanilli is all too familiar: they had a lot of success in the late Eighties, then people found out that they didn't actually sing the songs themselves and started burning their records. I never quite understood that attitude: you like a song or you don't, and it doesn't really matter who sings them, does it? Sure, it is misleading, but Frank Farian was never the most honest man in pop: Boney M's songs were rarely sung by the band members either - and no-one ever complained about that.
Anyway, 'Girl you know it's true' is a fine example of a Milli Vanilli track. (And let's be honest: when you've heard one, you've heard them all.) This remix is of special interest for Boney M fans. What a coincidence!
My collection: 12" single no. 528 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 199X Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Girl you know it's true (Super club mix)' / 'Girl you know it's true (radio mix)', 'Magic touch'
E.S.P. stands for Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability, but it's also the title track of the Bee Gees' 1987 album, which was released as a single in the autumn of 1987. The acapella intro on the album version was edited out for the single version.
The single reached number 51 in the UK singles chart and number 32 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2596 Found: Utrecht, December 30, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'E.S.P.' / 'Overnight'
Syrupy sweet and slightly silly, the ballad 'Babe' was a big hit at the end of the Seventies for the American band Styx. Written by band member Dennis DeYoung as a birthday present for his wife Suzanne, it was not originally intended to be a Styx track, but the band decided to include it on their album 'Cornerstone' upon hearing the demo by DeYoung and Styx membes John and Chuck Panozzo.
The song became Styx's first and last US number-one single, also reaching number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1089 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 27, 1988 Cost: 1 guilders Tracks: 'Babe' / 'I'm OK'
'Strangelove' may well be one of Depeche Mode's best singles ever. The melody, the hook, the lyric and the instrumentation: it's all damn near perfect. The band was able to combine the upbeat poppy influences of their earlier work with the gloomy, disturbing vibe of their later work.
I wasn't the only one to appreciate the single: even in the Netherlands, where Depeche Mode have always had a hard time reaching the charts, it peaked at number 24 in the Dutch Top 40. In the UK singles chart, 'Strangelove' hit number 16.
My collection: 7" single no. 523 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Strangelove' / 'Pimpf'
I remember the feeling of disillusionment when I first heard 'When tomorrow comes' by the Eurythmics. They were always known for their synthpop tracks, but on this song, there was literally no synthesizer in sight. And weren't there already too many guitar bands?
'When tomorrow comes' isn't a bad song, though. The album 'Revenge' would continue this rock sound, making the synthpop label on Eurythmics a bit misplaced anyway. Meanwhile, this single only reached number 30 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40, while becoming a top 10 hit in Scandinavia and Australia.
My collection: 7" single no. 463 Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'When tomorrow comes' / 'Take your pain away'
Released in August 1987, 'Whenever you're ready' was the first single from Five Star's third album 'Between the lines'. It is a bouncy popsong full of subtle sounds and a rather straightforward chorus-verse structure.
The single reached number 11 in the UK singles chart and number 18 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1184 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 3, 1990 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Whenever you're ready' / 'Forever yours'
'I'm scared of the changes' says a little voice in this track, 'Suspended in gaffa' by Kate Bush. It's a minor detail in the enormous soundscape created by Kate Bush in this track, but one that caused me to listen to this track over and over again from 1982 until today. The song lyric is about seeing something one really wants, then not being able to see or experience it ever again. The 'gaffa' of the title and chorus refers to gaffer tape, the tough black tape used by technicians in film and concert industries.
Released as the third single from her fourth album 'The dreaming' - with the exception of the UK where 'There goes a tenner' was released instead - it was not a commercial success for Kate Bush. I actually own two versions of this single: I bought the first one, a German pressing, as soon as it came out. Just four months ago, I found the Dutch edition with a slightly different sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 172 / no. 4116 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'Suspended in gaffa' / 'Ne t'en fuis pas'
Although 'On my own' was a duet between Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald, both were in separate cities when they recorded their individual parts. They were mixed together during mastering. This was reflected in the music video, which showed Labelle and McDonald performing the song on two different locations. 'On my own' couldn't have been a more apt title for this song.
The track was taken from LaBelle's album 'Winner in you' and written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager. The single reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 448 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, August 26, 1986 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: 'On my own' / 'Stir it up'
Sometimes even Wikipedia is intriguing. In the description for 'Everlasting love' by Howard Jones it says: 'The video had mummies.' I'm sure this is true, but having never seen the video, it was a bit puzzling. These days, fortunately, you can hop over to YouTube and see it for yourself. (Proving the point that this blog is still a journey of discovery for me too.)
The song was co-produced by ex-Tears for Fears band member Ian Stanley. It was released as the first single from Howard Jones' 1989 album 'Cross that line'. It reached number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, while stalling at number 62 on the UK Singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1019 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Everlasting love' / 'The brutality of fact'
The Frank Boeijen Groep had to come up with another hit after their previous single 'Zwart wit' had been such a convincing top 5 hit. '1.000.000 sterren' ('1,000,0000 stars') was a song that didn't meet these expectations, although it was still able to reach number 29 in the Dutch Top 40.
Having been successful with their first music video for 'Zwart wit', another music video was made for this single. While 'Zwart wit' was shown sometimes in later years, the video for '1.000.000 sterren' disappeared from tv screens forever.
My collection: 7" single no. 229 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: '1.000.000 sterren' / 'Het antwoord (live)'
'Aufrecht geh'n' ('Walk tall') was the German entry in the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Mary Roos. The song was composed by Michael Reinecke with lyrics by Michael Kunze, who previously had written the lyrics to Silver Convention's 1977 entry 'Telegram'. This was also Mary Roos' second Eurovision entry; she had represented Germany at the 1972 Contest with 'Nur die Liebe läßt uns leben', which finished third in a field of 18 competitors.
Obviously, the Germans were hoping for a similar result in 1984. But this time around Mary Roos wasn't so lucky: she finished 13th in a field of 19 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 4392 Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Aufrecht geh'n' / 'Wer sagt, daß ich verlier''
This is the last single by Mylene Farmer to be released on the 7" vinyl format. It was released to coincide with the release of the album 'Dance remixes', which was a collection of remixes of previous hits by Mylene. The track was originally recorded for a charity compilation album coordinated by Etienne Daho, which would benefit AIDS research. However, it was refused for that album, because the lyric was considered to be too ambiguous and seemed to advocate sexual intercourse without the use of a condom. Mylene did refute these claims, but in the end she recorded an acoustic version of an other track for the charity album, and this track ended up being a single.
The single reached number 9 in the French singles chart and number 8 in the Belgian (Wallonia) singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2629 Found: Record fair, March 16, 1996 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Que mon coeur lâche' / 'Que mon coeur lâche'
The third and final single from Clouseau's second English language album 'In every small town' (1993) was the beautiful ballad 'Worship'. A simple yet effective track with just vocals and keyboards, it is one of the essential love songs in my collection.
The single was not a commercial success, but I'm still happy to have found a 7" vinyl copy. These were the days that 7" singles were becoming extinct, after all.
My collection: 7" single no. 2844 Found: Record fair, April 5, 1997 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Worship' / 'How long'
'Burning bush' was one of those strange synthpop singles from 1984 that irritated me at first, until I grew to like it later. Although none of the four singles from Savage Progress were a hit in the UK, 'Burning bush' is probably their best known song.
This 12" single features both the A- and B-sides of the 7" single, plus a remix entitled 'Mad Mix II'. It's one of those remixes you either love or loathe. I've still not decided, though.
My collection: 12" single no. 416 Found: Record fair, 1999 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Burning bush (Mad Mix II)' / 'Burning bush', 'Tears of love'
David Bowie played a starring role in the Jim Henson movie 'Labyrinth' and also contributed music to the soundtrack of that movie. 'Underground' was selected as the lead single, a deviation from Bowie's catalogue in that it sounded slightly like a gospel track, with a large chorus of backing vocalists and blues guitarist Albert Collins.
The single reached number 21 in the UK charts and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1459 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 27, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Underground' / 'Underground (instrumental)'
'Brothers in arms' is a classic album by Dire Straits, which spawned the hit single 'Money for nothing'. A few years later, things got turned around: the compilation album 'Money for nothing' spawned the single 'Brothers in arms'. The single was re-released to promote the compilation album, which came out just in time for Christmas 1988.
'Brothers in arms' was a hit in the UK in 1985, but this re-release was unsuccessful in all territories. For me, it was the first opportunity to get this track on a 7" single.
My collection: 7" single no. 695 Found: Den Haag, December 5, 1988 Cost: - (present) Tracks: 'Brothers in arms' / 'Going home (live)'
'If I ever lose my faith in you' was released as the second single from Sting's 1993 album 'Ten summoner's tales' in January 1993.
The single reached number 17 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, also winning a Grammy award in 1994 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In the Dutch top 40, the single reached number 15 and in the UK singles chart it reached number 14.
My collection: 7" single no. 2345 Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'If I ever lose my faith in you' / 'Every breath you take (live)'
Although Howard Jones's current album 'Ordinary heroes' is full of ballads, none of them can come close to this epic ballad, 'Little bit of snow'. It's a very intimate work, but this is what makes it so special. A track on his third album 'One to one', it was an unlikely single release.
Hence, the UK single release was the only one: the song was not released as a single in other territories. The success wasn't overwhelming either: during a one week chart run, it reached number 70 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2529 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Little bit of snow' / 'Let it flow'
Recorded as a track on Foreigner's 1987 album 'Inside information', 'I don't want to live without you' was released as the second single from that album.
The single became the band's sixteenth and - to this day - final entry in the Billboard top 40, peaking at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single did not chart in the UK, but reached number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1978 Found: London, October 17, 1993 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'I don't want to live without you' / 'Face to face'
'Talking in your sleep' was written and recorded by the Romantics in 1983. It was a hit in the USA, but failed to chart in the UK.
The song was picked up in 1984 by Bucks Fizz. Their version was recorded on their fourth album 'I hear talk' and released as a single. Their version reached number 15 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3143 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 18, 1999 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Talking in your sleep' / 'Don't think you're fooling me'
After having been a member of the Frank Boeijen Groep for a year, Maarten Peters embarked on a solo career that gave him some success in the second half of the Eighties. His first taste of chart success came when he released the single 'Away', a song written by himself and produced by Jos Haagmans, not coincidentally a member of the Frank Boeijen Groep.
The single reached number 36 in the Dutch Top 40 during a 4 week chart run. Not a high placing, but then better things were on their way in the years to come.
My collection: 7" single no. 514 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Away' / 'Away (instrumental)'
Although this single was released in 1983, I didn't hear it until 1988. When I did hear it, it was hard to believe that this was a Hot Chocolate track: it was a poppy track, but lacked the funky feel of most of their material. Still, I liked it a lot and after some time hunting for this single, I found it.
'I gave you my heart (didn't I)' was the last original hit single for Hot Chocolate in the UK, peaking at number 13 in early 1984. Although the band never formally broke up, they stopped releasing original material in 1984. Remixes and reissues did manage to get into the UK singles chart subsequently, but this single represents the end of Hot Chocolate as an active band.
My collection: 7" single no. 841 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'I gave you my heart (Didn't I)' / 'Jeannie'
Released in 1983, 'Hey now, whatcha gonna do' was another single by José that failed to chart in the Dutch Top 40. The song was written and produced by Pim Koopman and stayed faithful to the uptempo, major key popsongs that José was known for even when she was still a member of the girl trio Luv'. Still, the single failed to become a success.
I bought the single when it came out, and always wondered about the photograph on the sleeve: for a woman, the upper body looks decidedly, er, flat.
My collection: 7" single no. 219 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'Hey now whatcha gonna do' / 'Hey now whatcha gonna do (instrumental)'
Micky was born as Miguel Ángel Carreño Schmelter in Madrid in 1943. He began his music career in 1962 leading the band Micky y Los Tonys, which released 30 singles and 5 albums. He started a solo career in the Seventies. After his single 'Bye bye fräulein' (1976) entered the charts in Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, he was chosen to represent Spain during the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest.
The song 'Enséñame a cantar' ('Teach me to sing') was written by Fernando Arbex. On the night of the Contest, it finished ninth in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 4458 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received January 28, 2010 Cost: 1,5 euro Tracks: 'Enséñame a cantar' / 'Profundamente'
'Young Turks' is a track on Rod Stewart's 1981 album 'Tonight I'm yours'. It was released as the second single from the album. In English slang, a 'Young Turk' is a rebellious kind of teenager who would go against the grain.
The single reached number 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 11 on the UK Singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40, the single reached number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 445 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 9, 1986 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Young Turks' / 'Tora tora tora'
The last single taken from Lisa Stansfield's 1993 album 'So natural' was the dance track 'Little bit of heaven'. Written by Lisa Stansfield and her husband Ian Devaney, it was one of the few uptempo tracks on the album, and a bit of a return to form.
The single reached number 32 in the UK singles chart during a 4 week chart run. After this, Stansfield's career went into a nosedive, as subsequent albums failed to impress the recordbuying audiences.
My collection: 7" single no. 2091 Found: April 16, 1994 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Little bit of heaven' / 'Gonna try it anyway'
'Queen of rain' was originally written and recorded for Roxette's highly successful album 'Joyride' and considered as the closing track. When it was replaced by another ballad called 'Perfect day', the song reappeared on Roxette's next album, 'Tourism'.
It was released as the second single from that album in the autumn of 1992. It reached number 12 in Sweden, number 19 in Germany, number 28 in the UK singles chart and number 26 in the Dutch Top 40. The B-side was recorded live at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia in December 1991.
My collection: 7" single no. 1781 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, October 31, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Queen of rain' / 'It must have been love (live)'
'Empty garden' was written by Elton John after his friend John Lennon was murdered by an obsessed fan in front of his New York City apartment on December 8, 1980. He first performed the song live at Madison Square Garden in 1982, with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and their son Sean in the audience.
The 'Empty garden' referred to in the song is Madison Square Garden, where John Lennon did a duet with Elton in 1974 during his last stage performance. Elton has since performed the song several times at Madison Square Garden. The single was released in the summer of 1982, reaching number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 51 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2435 Found: All that music, Leiden, August 19, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Empty garden' / 'Take me down to the ocean'
'Adieu sweet Bahnhof' is the title of the Nits' 1984 album, which they recorded with producer Jaap Eggermont, who became famous internationally thanks to his 'Stars on 45' project. The song was the title track of that album.
It is also the title of a single, which the Nits released five years later. The single version was recorded live and included on their 3LP box 'Urk', a collection of live recordings made in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Moscow in the winter of 1988. The single reached number 26 in the Dutch Top 40 and was their last hit single until 1992's 'Soap bubble box'.
My collection: 7" single no. 1124 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Adieu sweet Bahnhof (live)' / 'In the Dutch mountains (live)'
Released as the follow-up to their debut single 'Break it up', 'One night stand' was Lois Lane's second single, and the second and last one of their five singles released by WEA records to not reach the Dutch Top 40.
