Space oddity - David Bowie

Following David Bowie's split from record label Deram, his manager Kenneth Pitt managed to negotiate a one-album deal with Mercury Records in 1969. Next he tried to find a producer. Tony Visconti liked the album demo-tracks, but considered the planned lead-off single, 'Space oddity', a gimmick track and delegated its production to Gus Dudgeon.

Following recording of the track, the single was rush-released on July 11, 1969 to coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landings. In the UK, it was used in conjunction with the BBC's coverage of the landing. This exposure finally gave Bowie a hit, reaching number 5 in the chart. The single also reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40. The song became so well-known that Bowie's second album, originally released as David Bowie in the UK (like his first album), was renamed after the track for its 1972 reissue by RCA, and has since become known by this name.

This particular single is a re-release from the mid-seventies, also containing the later hit single 'Changes'. While I am never too fond of re-releases (and especially those without a picture sleeve) I felt I had to buy it since getting an original copy from 1969 would - and will probably still - cost a fortune.

My collection: 7" single no. 550
Found: London, October 1987
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Space oddity' / 'Changes', 'Velvet goldmine'

Alleen in Dallas - John Lion

When John Lion sings 'Alleen in Dallas' ('Only in Dallas'), he isn't referring to the city in Texas, but rather the television series that was immensely popular in the Eighties. His encounter with a woman in a bar who turns out to have a big and rather aggressive boyfriend is apparently something that could only happen in a fictional television series.

The single was originally released in 1983, but failed to chart. I bought the single in 1988, when it was re-released. And again, the single failed to chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 633
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Alleen in Dallas' / 'Tussen wind en water'

King of pain - The Police

'King of pain' was released as the second single from the Police's 1983 album 'Synchronicity' in the USA and the fourth single in the UK. It was the only single from that album that didn't have an accompanying music video.

Despite this, the single reached number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 17 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1415
Found: Record fair, April 7, 1991
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'King of pain' / 'Once upon a daydream'

Other people are us - Howard Jones

There's a preacher in every popstar, and to prove this, Howard Jones recorded 'Don't be part of it' in 1991. 'As long as there are the slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields' he sings, proposing us to stop eating meat just because of this. Well, I don't know...

Fortunately, the A-side of this rare Italian promotional disc is less moralistic. 'Other people are us' is a song in the best Howard Jones tradition, with a great melody and pure, simple vocals.

My collection: 7" single no. 1913
Found: Record fair, May 22, 1993
Cost: 8 guilders
Tracks: 'Other people are us' / 'Don't be part of it'

Almost unreal - Roxette

Per Gessle wrote 'Almost unreal' for the soundtrack of the Bette Midler movie 'Hocus pocus' (1993), but it was not used. Instead, the song appeared in another movie soundtrack, from 'Super Mario Brothers'.

The track was also released as a single, peaking at number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1998
Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Almost unreal' / 'The heart shaped sea'

Crashed into love - Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet's career seemingly came to an end in 1990 with the release of 'Crashed into love', the fourth and final single from their 1989 album 'Heart like a sky'. The previous single 'Empty spaces' had stalled at number 94 in the UK singles chart and this one did no better, as it only reached number 96.

After this, Spandau Ballet, from whom Gary Kemp was already feeling estranged, split up. Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble launched a failed court case against Gary Kemp for a share of his song-writing royalties. Although initially vowing to appeal the verdict, they later decided against this. They subsequently toured as a trio, but as they had to sell their shares in Spandau Ballet's company to Gary Kemp to pay off legal debts, and that company owned the rights to the name of Spandau Ballet, they had to tour under the moniker of 'Hadley, Norman and Keeble, ex-Spandau Ballet'. In 2009, the band surprisingly reformed completely.

My collection: 7" single no. 1202
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 6, 1990
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Crashed into love' / 'How many lies (live)'

Invisible sun - The Police

'Invisible sun' was written by Sting about the tensions in Northern Ireland. The song is a departure from Police songs before it; it contains a dark, looping synthesizer beat, and powerful, haunting lyrics. Among other things, the lyrics refer to the ArmaLite rifle used by paramilitary organizations, but mainly by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

It was the first single taken from the 1982 Police album 'Ghost in the machine' and it reached number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 458
Found: Oldies Unlimited, received 1986
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Invisible sun' / 'Shambelle'

The lover in me - Sheena Easton

Under the wings of Prince, Sheena Easton reinvented herself as a sex bomb in the mid-Eighties. This image proved to be successful mostly in the United States, but sometimes her singles would have some chart success in Europe as well.

'The lover in me' was released in 1988 as the first single from Easton's album of the same name. Produced by LA & Babyface, it was one of her biggest hits in the USA and her first top 20 hit in the UK after eight years, peaking at number 15. In the Dutch Top 40, the single peaked at number 12.

My collection: 7" single no. 775
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, March 23, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'The lover in me' / 'The lover in me (instrumental)'

Anne - Clouseau

The Belgian group Clouseau participated in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Geef het op', but they also tried to get on the international Eurovision stage in 1989. Their song 'Anne' was one of the candidates at the 1989 national final in Belgium, but lost in the end to Ingeborg's 'Door de wind'.

In Belgium, the single 'Anne' still managed to become a big hit. The group found themselves in a wave of popularity that would last for at least three years.

'Anne' was re-released in 1990 in a limited edition with a different B-side. I had the re-release first, but when I came across a copy of the original release I couldn't resist buying that one as well. The B-side of that one is a great acapella track.

My collection: 7" single no. 1532 / no. 2845
Found: Bruxelles, October 11, 1991 / Record fair, April 5, 1997
Cost: 100 Belgian Francs / 2 guilders
Tracks (no. 1532): 'Anne' / 'Mary-Lou'
Tracks (no. 2845): 'Anne' / 'Killertip (ze zit)'

Little 15 - Depeche Mode

'Little 15' barely made it onto the album 'Music for the masses' and was never intended to become a single. However, the French record label insisted they release it, and so it still happened. Copies of the single did make it to the UK on import, however, giving the band a minor chart placing, as it peaked at number 60. In Germany, the single was a bigger hit, peaking at number 16, in Austria it reached number 25 and in Switzerland it peaked at number 18.

The B-side is a beautiful instrumental performed by Alan Wilder entitled 'Stjärna' (mislabelled 'Stjarna'), which is Swedish for 'star', written by Martin Gore.

My collection: 7" single no. 642
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 23, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Little 15' / 'Stjarna'

Un canto a Galicia - Julio Iglesias

Julio Iglesias was well known in his native Spain, but even his 1970 Eurovision entry 'Gwendolyn' didn't make him the international star he would become later on.

His first international success was the single 'Un canto a Galicia', released in the summer of 1972. That single sold 1 million copies in Germany and reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40. It was the start of an international career that would last well into the Eighties.

My collection: 7" single no. 4628
Found: Markt, Rotterdam, March 9, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Un canto a Galicia' / 'Como el alamo al camino'

Du - Peter Maffay

Peter Maffay was born on August 30, 1949 in the Romanian town of Brasov as Peter Alexander Makkay. He was the son of a German mother and Hungarian father. In 1963, he joined his first band, The Dukes. After completing his education and working for Chemigraphics, an art manufacturer, Maffay worked in clubs, where he distributed his music.

Peter Maffay's solo career started with the publication of his first single, 'Du' ('You'). It was the biggest German hit in 1970 and brought Maffay instant fame.The single also charted outside of Germany: in the Netherlands, the single was a number 1 hit for five weeks in March 1971.

My collection: 7" single no. 4627
Found: Markt, Rotterdam, March 9, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Du' / 'Jeder Junge braucht ein Mädchen'

Don't leave me this way - Communards

'Don't leave me this way' first charted in 1975 when it was recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. A year later, a cover version by Thelma Houston hit the international charts.

The Communards decided to record another cover version in 1986. It was a very Hi-NRG version, featuring guest vocals by Sarah Jane Morris. The single topped the UK singles chart for four weeks in September 1986 and stayed at number 1 for five weeks in the Dutch Top 40. Several remixes were issued, notably the 'Son of Gotham City Mix' which was split across two sides of a 12" single and ran for a total of 22 minutes 55 seconds.

My collection: 7" single no. 4626
Found: Markt, Rotterdam, March 9, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Don't leave me this way' / 'Sanctified'

On every street - Dire Straits

'On every street' was released in early 1992 as the third single of Dire Straits' sixth and final studio album from 1991. I wasn't too wild about the two earlier singles 'Calling Elvis' and 'Heavy fuel', but this single seemed to be a return to the atmospheric tracks like 'Private investigations' and 'Brothers in arms'.

No promotional video was made for the song, and the B-side was an old track, from the band's 1980 album 'Making movies'. The single stalled at number 42 in the UK singles chart as a result.

My collection: 7" single no. 1590
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 29, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'On every street' / 'Romeo & Juliet'

Niet meer nodig - Sietze Dolstra

These days I'm not too wild about Dutch language music, but as a child that was difference. I guess the main attraction was that I could understand what people were singing, but I also guess that the music was a bit better back then.

There's a lot of drama in Sietze Dolstra's 'Niet meer nodig' ('Not needed anymore'): it's the story of a woman who is married to a trucker who is always away from home, a son that grows up and leaves her alone - and when she reaches out to the church because she doesn't feel so well, she gets an answering machine on the line. All this is set to a beautiful melody, as you can hear even if you don't understand Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 57
Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1980
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Niet meer nodig' / 'Liedje van verlangen'

Can't wait another minute - Five Star

'Can't wait another minute' was originally recorded by Lewis and covered by Five Star on their 1986 album 'Silk and steel'. It was released as the first single from that album.

The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 41 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1794
Found: All that music, Leiden, November 25, 1992
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Can't wait another minute' / 'Don't you know I love it'

All over the world - Electric Light Orchestra

'All over the world' is taken from the soundtrack of the movie 'Xanadu' (1980) featuring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck. The song also appears on the soundtrack album and was released as the second single from that album in 1980.

he single reached number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 11 in the Dutch Top 40 and also number 11 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2817
Found: February 1, 1997
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'All over the world' / 'Midnight blue'

Sara - Circus Custers / Achter de wolken schijnt de zon - Johan Verminnen

When the men from the Dutch group Het Goede Doel decided to record an album with different Dutch and Belgian artists, choosing a different artist for every track, deciding the best single from that album wasn't a very easy task.

The record company finally decided to release two tracks from the album on two one-sided singles in one bundle. As luck would have it, the two songs were exact counterparts of one another: 'Sara' is a sad tale of two people having a baby which turns out to have Down syndrome, whereas 'Achter de wolken schijnt de zon' ('Every cloud has a silver lining') is an optimistic tale of people who don't let themselves be brought down by life's negative twists and turns. The package did not become a hit, however.

My collection: 7" single no. 694
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 3, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Sara' (Circus Custers) // 'Achter de wolken schijnt de zon' (Johan Verminnen)

Come along - Duo Datz

Duo Datz consists of Orna and Moshe Datz. They are best known in Israel for their middle of the road type music and their series of children's dvd's.

In 1991, they represented Israel with the song 'Kan'. They finished third in a field of 22 competitors. This single features both the original and the English version of the song.

My collection: 7" single no. 1490
Found: Den Haag, July 7, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Come along' / 'Kan'

L'amour de ma vie - Sherisse Laurence

Sherisse Stevens was born as Sherisse Laurence in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. From 1978 to 1983 she hosted the show 'Circus' on CTV in Canada.

In 1986 she was chosen to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song 'L'amour de ma vie' ('The love of my life'), performed first on the night, was written by Frank Dostal and Alain Garcia and composed by Rolf Soja. The song finished third with 117 points.

My collection: 7" single no. 4391
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'L'amour de ma vie' / 'The love of my life'

Hold me - Fleetwood Mac

In 1989, the record company shied away from releasing 'No questions asked', one of two new tracks on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 'Greatest Hits' album. Instead, they put it on the B-side of a re-release of the song 'Hold me', which was originally a hit in 1982. Written by Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, it became one of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits in the USA. Released in July 1982, it peaked at number 4 for seven weeks.

The 1989 re-release was not quite as successful. It reached number 94 in the UK singles chart and number 29 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 806
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, April 28, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Hold me' / 'No questions asked'

Nous on veut des violons - Morgane

Morgane was born as Ingrid Simonis in Blegny, Belgium on August 23, 1975. In 1992, she was selected to represent Belgium during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Nous on veut des violons' ('We want violins'). It proved to be an unsuccessful entry, finishing 20th in a field of 23 competitors.

Morgane released several more records after the contest, but after a few years he gave up her own career to become the mother of three children. In 2009, she relaunched her career, now performing rock/gothic-influenced music.

My collection: 7" single no. 4393
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Nous on veut des violons' / 'Nous on veut des violons (instrumental)'

I'll set you free - The Bangles

'I'll set you free' was released as the fourth and final single from the Bangles' 1988 album 'Everything'. The track was remixed by Bernard Edwards, making it 24 seconds longer than the album version and featuring a vocal introduction by Susanna Hoffs.

Although the three previous singles were a big success, this single stalled at number 74 in the UK singles chart. It was also a minor hit in Australia, reaching number 81. No promotional film was made for the single, as the band had all but broken up.

My collection: 7" single no. 993
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'I'll set you free (remix)' / 'Watching the sky'

I'm not satisfied - Fine Young Cannibals

Although I have the limited edition singles in a tin can from all four previous single releases from Fine Young Cannibals' 1989 album 'The raw and the cooked' (1989) - 'She drives me crazy', 'Good thing', 'Don't look back' and 'I'm not the man I used to be' - I have not been able to locate the fifth one. It's not even offered on eBay or similar websites these days. It's a frustration, but I do have the 'normal' single.

Written by lead vocalist Roland Gift and bassist David Steele, 'I'm Not Satisfied' depicts a man who criticizes the weekends for being too short, his girlfriend for being too possessive, and the city for being too depressing. This fifth single release from 'The raw and the cooked' (1989) reached number 46 in the UK singles chart, number 83 in Canada and number 90 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1193
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, March 9, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'I'm not satisfied' / 'I'm not satisfied (The Nicci edit)'

Looking at midnight - Imagination

'Looking at midnight' was released in May 1983, while Imagination were very much a part of the chart scene. Produced and co-written by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, the single followed a formula that had become familiar for the band: falsetto vocals and swirling synth sounds.

The single reached number 29 in the UK singles chart, but was the first after a long line of single releases to not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 3176
Found: February 19, 2000
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Looking at midnight' / 'Follow me'

No son of mine - Genesis

'No son of mine' was released as the first single from Genesis' 1991 album 'We can't dance'. The lyric tells the story of a boy who runs away from his abusive home, and - after some reconsideration - attempts to return, only to be rebuked by his father. In interviews, Phil Collins has said that the lyrics are deliberately vague as to whether the narrator or his mother is the victim of the abuse.

The track is notable for a distinctive sound heard during the intro and before the second verse. Referred to by the band as 'elephantus', the sound was created by Tony Banks recording Mike Rutherford's guitar with a sampler and then playing three notes on the bottom register of the keyboard, greatly lowering the pitch. The single relaunched Genesis' career after four years absence from the charts, peaking at number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1547
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 2, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'No son of mine' / 'Living forever'

Over de muur - Klein orkest

'Over de muur' ('Over the wall') can be considered an Eighties classic in Dutch pop music. It was recorded by Klein orkest in 1984, at the height of the cold war. The song bemoaned the existance of the wall in Berlin and the strange differences between the two sides of the city: the stern greyness of communism on one side, exorbitant behaviour of capitalism on the other side. 'Only the bird flying from west to east Berlin are not called back and not shot down'.

The single reached number 10 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1984. When the record company released a greatest hits compilation of the band in 1989, the single was re-released. Even now the wall had come down, the single was again a hit, peaking at number 25 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1129
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 8, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Over de muur' / 'Achter elke deur'

Family man - Daryl Hall and John Oates

Mike Oldfield recorded 'Family man' as a track on his 1982 album 'Five miles out'. He wrote all of the music for the chorus, and verses were written by the other writers: Tim Cross, Rick Fenn, Mike Frye, Morris Pert and Maggie Reilly. Tim Cross has also claimed to have written the majority of the lyrics for the song, and cited Rick Fenn as the inspiration of the 'family man' mentioned in the song.

Daryl Hall & John Oates recorded their cover version a year later on their album 'H2O'. The single reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 15 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3172
Found: London, January 18, 2000
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Family man' / 'Open all night'

Frei zu leben - Chris Kempers and Daniel Kovac

'Frei zu leben' was performed during the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest by Chris Kempers and Daniel Kovac. Like more songs during that year's edition, the obvious theme was war and freedom, triggered by the fall of the Berlin wall in the autumn of 1989. Originally performed in German, the B-side of this single also featured a French version, while it was also recorded in English and Croation (since Daniel Kovac was born in Croatia).

The German entry was composed by Eurovision veteran Ralph Siegel with lyrics by Michael Kunze. It finished 9th in a field of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4394
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Frei zu leben' / 'Laissez vivre'

It never rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond

'It never rains in Southern California' was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. The lyric of the song concerns the struggles of a singer who moves out to California to pursue a career in Hollywood but does not have any success and deteriorates in the process. In the chorus, Hammond sings, 'It never rains in California / but girl don't they warn ya / It pours, man it pours.'

The single was released in 1972 and reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 26 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 398
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'It never rains in Southern California' / 'Anyone here in the audience'

Again - Janet Jackson

'Again' was included as the closing song of Janet Jackson's 1993 movie debut in 'Poetic Justice'. The song was, however, not included on the soundtrack album. It reappeared on Janet Jackson's own album 'janet.', also released in 1993.

The track became her seventh number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while reaching number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2081
Found: March 8, 1994
Cost: 8 guilders
Tracks: 'Again' / 'Again (Piano/Vocal)'

The tide is high - Blondie

'The tide is high' was written in 1967 by John Holt and performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. The song was popular in Jamaica and became popular amongst West Indians and skinheads in the UK when a deejay version by U-Roy was released in 1971. The song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980 by Blondie.

They recorded the song in a reggae/ska style that included horns and strings. It was released as a single from their fifth album 'Autoamerican'. It reached number 1 in the USA and the UK, while peaking at number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 119
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1981
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'The tide is high' / 'Suzy and Jeffrey'

Children, Kinder, enfants - Margo, Franck Olivier, Diane Solomon, Malcolm Roberts, Ireen Sheer, Chris Roberts

Sometimes you wonder why people don't think of the most obvious things. So why was the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest entry from Luxembourg performed by a group called Margo, Franck Olivier, Diane Solomon, Ireen Sheer, Malcolm and Chris Roberts? The group was sometimes referred to as 'The Internationals', since Margo is Dutch, Franck Olivier is Luxembourgian (the fourth Lucembourgish representative to actually be native to the Grand Duchy), Diane Solomon is American, Ireen Sheer is British, the late Malcolm Roberts (1944-2003) was British and Chris Roberts is German.

This was Ireen Sheer's third participiation in the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1974 she represented Luxembourg with 'Bye bye I love you' and in 1978 she sang 'Feuer' for Germany. 'Children, Kinder, enfants', a song about the positive qualities of children, finished 13th in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4401
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Children, Kinder, enfants (French version)' / 'Children, Kinder, enfants (International version)'

Ne t'enfuis pas - Kate Bush

I ordered Kate Bush's 1983 single 'Ne t'enfuis pas' some 10 years after its release, as described in this post. However, the disc never arrived in one piece and for years I only had the sleeve. When I wrote about this unlucky adventure a few days ago, I realised suddenly that the age of internet would have made this single readily available. I don't know why I didn't think of this before!

And so, I ordered another copy of this single, again from France, but this time at a much lower price. It's incredible: within days it was delivered - and in one piece, too. Long live the internet.

My collection: 7" single no. 4625
Found: Priceminister.com, received March 6, 2010
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Ne t'enfuis pas' / 'Un baiser d'enfant'

Magazines - Media

Henk Van Der Neut, Richard Emans, Rob Van Zomeren, Robert van der Tol and Robin van Vliet form Media in the mid-Eighties. They are signed by Sony Records in 1985. Dutch magazines like 'Oor' ('Ear') and 'Vinyl' compare their new wave music to the works of The Blue Nile, Talking Heads en Talk Talk.

They release three singles, one of which was this one, 'Magazines'. None of their singles have any commercial success. In 1987 the band breaks up.

My collection: 7" single no. 4624
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Magazines' / 'Down at Eddy's'

Girl I'm gonna miss you - Milli Vanilli

So Milli Vanilli didn't really sing themselves. Their music was produced by Frank Farian and the vocals were apparently performed by studio musicians who were too unattractive to become pop idols. And so Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were put into the limelight.

Partly thanks to their appeal, 'Girl I'm gonna miss you' became a number 1 hit in Australia, Switzerland, USA and the Netherlands. In the UK singles chart, the single reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 4623
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Girl I'm gonna miss you' / 'Can't you feel my love'

Get down tonight - KC and the Sunshine Band

Band member Richard Finch has commented that 'Get down tonight' was inspired by the Gilbert O'Sullivan single 'Get down'. 'That record was really hot back then. And I was like, 'Okay, this guy has a great idea.' He's talking about 'get down'. But I didn't find out until later on he was talking about his dog.'

The single was released in the summer of 1975 and reached number 21 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4622
Found: La La Land, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Get down tonight' / 'You don't know'

Rock the boat - The Hues Corporation

'Rock the boat' was released in 1974 by the Hues Corporation as the second single from their 1973 album 'Freedom for the stallion'. Initially, it appeared as though it would flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco/club favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to number 1 in July 1974. The single also reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 6 in the UK singles chart.

The song features a lead vocal by Fleming Williams, who left the Hues Corporation shortly after the song was recorded. The song also features an important post-Motown performance of James Jamerson, the father of modern bass players.

My collection: 7" single no. 4621
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Rock the boat' / 'All goin' down together'

Nights on Broadway - Bee Gees

Robin Gibb commented about this song: 'This song holds a special place for a variety of factors. One, the start of a long, lasting relationship with producer Arif Mardin. The second, that it enabled the Bee Gees to get back to their R&B/Soul roots, which in the previous years we had neglected, and thirdly, I think it was just a well constructed song! And if I may say so... one to be proud (of)'.

'Nights on Broadway' was recorded in January 1975 and released as a single nine months later, as a single from the Bee Gees album 'Main course'. The single reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4620
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Nights on Broadway' / 'Edge of universe'

Keep on loving you - REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon took its name from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck and fire engine, manufactured by the REO Motor Car Company. (R.E.O. are initials of the company's founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who also founded Oldsmobile, once a division of General Motors.)

The band released their most popular song, 'Keep on loving you' in 1981 as a single from their album 'Hi Infidelity'. It features the lead guitar work of band member Gary Richrath. The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 7 in the UK Singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4619
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Keep on loving you' / 'Follow my heart'

Someone belonging to someone - Bee Gees

After 'The woman in you', the ballad 'Someone belonging to someone' was the second single release from the soundtrack of the movie 'Staying alive', a movie featuring John Travolta dancing his heart out to in the sequel to the movie 'Saturday night fever'.

Accoing to the brothers Gibb in the liner notes to their 1990 box set, the song was 'a fair ballad from a silly film'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4618
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Someone belonging to someone' (Bee Gees) / 'I love you too much' (David Sanborn)

Give me the night - George Benson

'Give me the night' was the title track of George Benson's 1980 album. The song was written by Rod Temperton, who would go on to work with people like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer and Kim Wilde.

When it was released as a single, it was Benson's most successful single up to that point, peaking at number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" sigle no. 4617
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Give me the night' / 'Dinorah, Dinorah'

Life is a minestrone - 10CC

In 1975, 10CC made an important step in their career. Eric Stewart comments: 'At that point in time we were still on Jonathan King's label, but struggling. We were absolutely skint, the lot of us, we were really struggling seriously, and Philips Phonogram wanted to do a deal with us. They wanted to buy Jonathan King's contract. I rang them. I said come and have a listen to what we've done, come and have a listen to this track. And they came up and they freaked, and they said 'This is a masterpiece. How much money, what do you want? What sort of a contract do you want? We'll do anything, we'll sign it'. On the strength of that one song, we did a five-year deal with them for five albums and they paid us a serious amount of money.'

The song was 'I'm not in love', one of the tracks on 10CC's 1975 album 'Original Soundtrack', their first to be released on the Mercury label. But the first single from that album was not 'I'm not in love', but 'Life is a minestrone', a track that was more similar to 10CC's earlier work. It reached number 17 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 7 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4616
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Life is a minestrone' / 'Channel swimmer'

Bad boy - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde himself wrote 'Bad boy'. Until then, his hits had been covers of American rock 'n' roll songs. It proved to be his last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 7 in early 1960. The song was also a top 50 hit in the USA. Shortly after its release, it was covered by Robin Luke, in 1964 by Françoise Hardy and later by Nirvana and Robert Gordon.

The B-side, 'It's been nice', was a Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman composition, and was later recorded by The Everly Brothers and Freddy Cannon.

My collection: 7" single no. 1763
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Bad boy' / 'It's been nice'

Die Sommermelodie - Cindy und Bert

Cindy & Bert are a German schlager vocal duo from Völklingen, Saarland consisting of Jutta Gusenberger (born 26 January 1948) and Norbert Berger (born 12 September 1945). They were most successful in the Seventies, and are known for their participation in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

'Die Sommermelodie' was chosen as the country's entry for the 19th Eurovision Song Contest through an internal selection. German observers considered it a particularly weak song choice. They finished last place together with three other songs that received only 3 points. Cindy & Bert divorced in 1988, with Cindy starting a solo career as Cindy Berger while Bert moved into production.

My collection: 7" single no. 4615
Found: Vinylroy.nl, received March 3, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Die Sommermelodie' / 'Musik für zwei Verliebte'

Flieger - Nino de Angelo

'Flieger' ('Flyers') was the German entry for the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest, performed in German by Italian singer Nino de Angelo. Five years before, De Angelo had his breakthrough with 'Jenseits von Eden', a number 1 hit in Germany and Switzerland, and a top 10 hit most of Europe.

This Eurovision song was composed by Dieter Bohlen, internationally best known as one half of the very successful German Europop duo Modern Talking. The song finished 14th in a field of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4614
Found: Vinylroy.nl, received March 3, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Flieger' / 'Laureen'

Soldiers of love (Version Française) - Liliane Saint-Pierre

Liliane Saint-Pierre performed the song 'Soldiers of love' almost entirely in Flemish during the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest. However, two versions of the single were released at the time: one single featured the Flemish version on the A-side, and this single featured a French version on the A-side.

In the bilingual country of Belgium, this may have been a wise decision, because the south of Belgium simply refuses to feign interest in any Flemish entry. Although I have to admit, I don't know if this helped matters much for Liliane over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 4613
Found: Vinylroy.nl, received March 3, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Soldiers of love (Version Française)' / 'Soldiers of love (instrumental)'