The Eighties were loud, proud and percussive, as demonstrated on this 12" single by Taylor Dayne. 'Tell it to my heart' was her breakthrough hit in 1987, and it pretty much defines how dance music sounded around that time.
Instrumental breaks, drum beats, vocals that almost tear through your bone, and all that in three versions that don't necessarily sound all that different from one another. Still, this is a fine dance track that stands the test of time pretty well.
My collection: 12" single no. 183 Found: Record Exchange, London, 1992 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Tell it to my heart (Club mix)' / 'Tell it to my heart (Percapella mix)', 'Tell it to my heart (Dub mix)'
The Communards released 'So cold the night' in 1986 as a track from their self-titled album from the same year. The 12" single featured a nine minute extended version of the track. It drags out a bit but it is never boring.
The B-side 'When the walls come tumbling down' was dedicated to Nelson Mandela, who at the time was still imprisoned in South Africa.
My collection: 12" single no. 373 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1999 Cost: 2,5 guilders Tracks: 'So cold the night (extended)' / 'When the walls come tumbling down', 'Never no more'
The second single from Black's 1991 self-titled album was the beautiful 'Here it comes again'. It features backing vocals from Colin Vearncombe's wife Camilla Griehsel, who used to be a singer in the Norwegian band One 2 Many.
It was the last single by Black to reach the UK singles chart, peaking at number 70 in the summer of 1991.
My collection: 7" single no. 1693 Found: London, 1991 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Here it comes again' / 'Every waking hour'
In a way, the single 'De wereld' ('The world') was a charity singles. All the proceeds from the sales of this single were donated to the World Wildlife Fund. It wouldn't be a very big gesture, as in the end the single did not chart. All the band could give the WWF was 2500 guilders - which in itself is a nice sum, but not too shocking.
The B-side of this single was a new song, 'Holland is vrij' ('Holland is free'). It's a cynical commentary on the release of 'The two from Breda', two war criminals who were released on account of the fact that they were, according to the minister of justice, 'very old'. Boeijen sketches the image of an old woman who is still suffering from the crimes by these people every night. In a way, Holland is only a free country for those who commit crimes against humanity. It was not a pretty picture, but good enough to be re-recorded and included on the band's next album.
My collection: 7" single no. 750 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 17, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'De wereld' / 'Holland is vrij'
The song 'Afscheid van een vriend' ('Goodbye to a friend') was released as the fifth and last single from Clouseau's 1992 album 'Doorgaan'. According to Koen Wauters from the band, the song was about a friend of him. 'He had an illness, but instead of taking it a bit easier, he was getting more and more out of hand. I imagined him dead. I imagined burying him and wrote the song about that.'
The single reached number 12 in the Belgian singles chart. After this, it became an often requested song during funerals in Belgium.
My collection: 7" single no. 2068 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, February 19, 1994 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Afscheid van een vriend' / 'Een huis vol liefde'
'I can't say goodbye' was released as the third and final single from Kim Wilde's 1990 album 'Love moves' in the UK. It featured backing vocals by Jaki Graham. The album version was remixed for the single release, and the 7" single featured an edited version of this remix, whereas the 12" single featured the full length version of the remix. The B-side of the single was a megamix of Kim Wilde hits 'You came', 'You keep me hangin' on', 'The second time' and 'Can't get enough (of your love)'.
The single was released as a limited edition pack containing a poster, a Christmas postcard (well, it was that time of the year) and of course the single. 'I can't say goodbye' reached number 51 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1400 Found: 1990 Cost: ? Tracks: 'I can't say goodbye (edit)' / 'Sanjazz megamix (edit)'
'The big sky' was one of the tracks on Kate Bush's 1985 album 'Hounds of love'. The song is about remembering some of the simple pleasures enjoyed as children that most no longer find the time for, such as spending the afternoon looking at the sky, watching the clouds take on shapes. It's probably the most uplifting, poppy song on the album.
When the song was released as a single in April 1986, a special single remix was made with an alternate intro. It reached number 15 in the Irish singles chart and number 37 in the UK singles chart.
'The big sky' was also the first Kate Bush single to be released as a picture disc. I wasn't aware of the release of this picture disc until years later. Such special items are notoriously expensive when the name Kate Bush is on it, but just when I had given up hope of finding this for a reasonable price, I found it. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.
My collection: 7" single no. 396 / no. 2948 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1986 / Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998 Cost: 6 guilders / 5 guilders Tracks: 'The big sky (special single mix)' / 'Not this time'
The band King were able to maintain a stylish image throughout their career. The sleeve designs, the music videos and even the songs had a certain glossy quality to them that attracted a faithful fanbase. This 12" single of 'Torture', their last single release, was released in a limited edition poster bag featuring a 1986 calendar with photographs of the band members.
All this to sell a set of tracks that were actually good as well: the extended version of 'Torture' is percussive and dynamic, whereas the extra B-side track 'These things' is recorded with piano and vocals only, creating a very intimate atmosphere.
My collection: 12" single no. 141 Found: Record Exchange, London, 1992 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Torture (PF extended mix)' / 'Groovin' with the Kings', 'These things (The reprise)'
Without Limahl, Kajagoogoo were still able to produce some cracking tracks. And the 1984 single 'Turn your back on me' with its great drums and percussion may be their finest track.
It was released as a 12" single as well, featuring an extended version that brought out all the best bits from the song plus some extras.
My collection: 12" single no. 537 Found: unknown Cost: 2,5 guilders Tracks: 'Turn your back on me (extended version)' / 'The pump rooms of Bath', 'Turn your back on me'
Father Marty Wilde wrote and produced 'I wanna go to a disco' for his son Ricky Wilde. It was released as a single in 1974. Like the singles before this one, it didn't chart in the UK but it did achieve some success in Scandinavia.
These singles by Ricky Wilde are great collectors items, as he went on to become his sister's producer and songwriter, but never returned to the spotlights himself.
My collection: 7" single no. 3269 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, October 22, 2000 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'I wanna go to a disco' / 'Mrs. Malinski'
'Just think of the good things / Instead of all the bad', is the first line of Kim Wilde's 1990 single 'World in perfect harmony'. It was the optimistic counterpart of 'Who's to blame', another track on the same album, 'Love moves'. Both songs were about the environment, a subject close to Kim's heart, but it's no wonder that the optimistic version made it to a single release.
At least, 'World in perfect harmony' was released as a single in Europe. No music video was made for this single, but it was promoted with many performances in television programmes. The single did not chart despite these efforts.
My collection: 7" single no. 1352 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, 1990 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'World in perfect harmony' / 'Can't get enough (of your love) (remix edit)'
Frank Boeijen wrote a song about the people from the Dutch West-Indies, who were forced to come to the Netherlands while waiting for a free republic in their homeland. 'Heimwee gaat nooit over naar het land van onze dromen' ('Homesickness for the country of our dreams never ends') is the key sentence of this song's lyric.
Released as the second single from the Frank Boeijen Groep's eighth album 'Dans in slow-motion', 'Heimwee' did not reach the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 700 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 15, 1988 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Heimwee' / 'De wind nam hem mee (live)'
Clouseau appeared on television quite regularly, and 'Als je me wil' ('If you want me') was one of the tracks that appeared during a television special with the band. I quite liked the song, although by this time I was growing a bit tired of their continuous output of music. Still, I bought the single quite quickly after that.
'Als je me wil' did not chart in the Netherlands but it did reach number 29 in the Belgian singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1719 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, September 26, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Als je me wil' / 'Alarm'
The story goes, that when Frank Boeijen told the members of his group that he'd written a song called 'Hoe verschrikkelijk ik ben' ('How terrible I am') they made jokes about it. And it's true, there aren't that many songwriters that qualify themselves as 'terrible'.
The song was released as the first single from the band's 1988 album 'Dans in slow motion' ('Dance in slow motion'), but it failed to chart. Still, the theatre tour that followed sold out and the album sold exceptionally well too.
The single was released in two different sleeves as well: the first edition featured a purple sleeve, whereas later editions (and the cd-single) featured a red sleeve. For no apparent reason, it has to be added.
My collection: 7" single no. 653 (1 & 2) Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, September 15, 1988 / Leiden, November 26, 1988 Cost: 6 guilders / 6 guilders Tracks: 'Hoe verschrikkelijk ik ben' / 'Piccadilly Circus'
After Band Aid, Dance Aid, Ferry Aid and USA for Africa, the Gentlemen without weapons figured they had something to add to the growing amount of charity singles: a rainforest appeal. Together with the animal and rainforest noises which they'd already used for an album, they rounded up lots of famous artists to record 'Spirit of the forest'.
Somehow, the idea didn't quite work. The song sounded a bit naff and people were apparently not so concerned about the destruction of the rain forest as they were about starving children in Africa. The single was a commercial failure, but fans of Afrika Bambaataa, Jon Anderson, B52's, Michael de Barre, Big Country and the few dozen other artists mentioned on the sleeve of this single had another collector's item to get their hands on.
My collection: 7" single no. 900 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 23, 1989 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Spirit of the forest' / 'Spirit of the forest'
Colin Vearncombe, who on his own made up the band Black, was inspired to write 'Feel like change' by the events taking place in South Africa: the freeing of Nelson Mandela and the impending dismantling of the Apartheid regime.
The track was released as the first single from Black's third album, 'Black' (1991). Produced by Robin Millar, both the single and the album featured an altogether smoother sound. Coupled with Vearncombe's excellent vocals, this was a very enjoyable listening experience. 'Feel like change' reached number 56 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1439 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 18, 1991 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Feel like change' / 'Nice'
On March 6, 1987, the Herald of Free Enterprise - a ferry between Zeebrugge in Belgium and Dover in England - capsized, which killed 193 passengers and crew. The Sun newspaper, which had sold cheap tickets for the ferry on that day, quickly organized a recording of a charity recording. The song 'Let it be' was performed by an impressive array of artists, recorded on March 14, 15 and 16 at PWL studios. The recording was produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman.
Contributing artists were, in order of appearance: Paul McCartney, Boy George, Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward, Nick Kamen, Paul King, Mark King, Taffy, Andy Bell, Pepsi & Shirley, Mel & Kim, Jaki Graham, Mark Knopfler (guitar solo), Gary Moore (guitar solo), Kim Wilde, Nik Kershaw, Edwin Starr, Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, Ruby Turner and Kate Bush. The closing choruses of the song feature an ensemble choir featuring many of the above performers as well other recording artists, including Bonnie Tyler, Errol Brown, Hazel O'Connor, The Nolans, Rick Astley, Jim Diamond, Doctor and the Medics, Alvin Stardust, Steve Strange, Mandy Smith, Su Pollard, Maxi Priest and members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Go West, The Alarm and Bucks Fizz.
The single made number 1 in the UK singles chart and also topped the charts in Switzerland and Norway. In the Dutch Top 40, Ferry Aid reached number 3.
My collection: 7" single no. 575 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: 'Let it be' / 'Let it be (Gospel Jam mix)'
'Can't get enough (of your love)' was released as the second single from Kim Wilde's 1990 album 'Love moves' in Europe. It was promoted with a slightly hyperactive music video in which Kim and her band were placed on rotating platforms. Musically, the song resembled the 1988 hit 'Never trust a stranger'. Kim commented: ''Can't get enough' is about pure energy really. There is a reality to 'Can't get enough' but it's not very seriously.'
The single only reached number 58 in the German singles chart, in other territories it failed to reach the chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1255 Found: Melody Maker, July 5, 1990 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Can't get enough (of your love)' / 'Someday'
Released in July 1992, 'Ben je daar vannacht' ('Are you there tonight') was the third single from Clouseau's 1992 album 'Doorgaan'. Just like the two previous singles, it features a slightly harder rock sound than most people had become accustomed to from the band.
The single did not chart in the Netherlands - the first one in a long time not to do so - but did reach number 16 in the Belgian singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2067 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, February 19, 1994 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Ben je daar vannacht' / 'Mysterie alom'
I bought the 7" single of Bucks Fizz's 'New beginning (Mamba Seyra)' pretty soon after its release. The 12" single followed years later, after a period in which I'd grown tired of the song and eventually started to like it again. The fact that Puck was quite interested in this track also helped, of course.
I finally bought this 12" single in 1996. It features an extended version of the track as well as two bonus tracks. The extended version is loud and full of echoes - very Eighties indeed.
My collection: 12" single no. 297 Found: Record fair, 1996 Cost: 2,5 guilders Tracks: 'New beginning (Mamba Seyra) (extended version)' / 'In your eyes', 'I need your love'
The third and last single from Black's 1988 album 'Comedy' was the upbeat 'Now you're gone'. At least, the music sounded quite upbeat, the lyric was less optimistic. Still, it was a change from the mostly minor key tracks Black had released up until then. Not that it met with a lot of enthusiasm: the single only reached number 66 in the UK singles chart.
The B-side, a so-called 'Mardi Gras version' of 'Now you're gone', is a nice extra, and quite a surprising version of the song.
My collection: 7" single no. 724 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Now you're gone' / 'Now you're gone (Mardi Gras version)'
'Ik zie een ster' is the original Dutch version of the 1974 Eurovision entry by Mouth and MacNeal, 'I see a star'. Although they performed the song in English during the Contest - as a result of relaxed language rules - this single contains a version entirely in Dutch.
The song was released as a single in the Netherlands in March 1974 and reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. That's quite remarkable, as 'I see a star' finished third during the Contest as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 3694 Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Ik zie een ster' / 'Liefste'
In support of Record Store Day, EMI released a limited edition John Lennon vinyl package. It's titled 'Singles bag', but it's not really a bag, but rather a cardboard envelope with three singles, a poster, three postcard and one plastic adaptor in it. It's a real treat for John Lennon fans and those who appreciate his music.
Of course, there isn't really anything new in the bag: all three singles have been released in the past. Still, it is quite wonderful to hear 'Imagine' once again - still the highlight of this bag in my opinion - and of course who could resist the sound of Yoko Ono screaming like an escaped inmate of a psychiatric ward in 'Why'? The poster of the duo in the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam during their 'Bed-in for peace' action is a nice extra.
My collection: 7" single no. 4837 Found: La La Land, Den Haag, April 17, 2010 Cost: Well... let's just say it wasn't cheap. Tracks: 'Mother' (John Lennon) / 'Why' (Yoko Ono) // 'Imagine' / 'It's so hard' // 'Watching the wheels' (John Lennon) / 'Yes, I'm your angel' (Yoko Ono)
Last year, the Editors released their most recent album 'In this light and on this evening'. Produced by Flood, the sound of the album leaned a lot towards band he'd produced before, such as U2 and Depeche Mode. The first single from the album was 'Papillon', which appears on this single in a beautiful acoustic version.
The track 'Last day' was not included on the album, but most probably recorded during the sessions for it. This single was released exclusively on Record Store Day, April 17, 2010.
My collection: 7" single no. 4836 Found: La La Land, Den Haag, April 17, 2010 Cost: 10 euro Tracks: 'Last day' / 'Papillon (acoustic live at Studio Brussels)'
Pete Doherty formed Babyshambles during a hiatus from his band the Libertines in 2003. Although Doherty is mainly famous for his drug abuse, the band was actually able to find some sort of commercial recognition with their debut album 'Down in Albion' (2005). Initially an independent band, they signed with Parlophone in 2007.
On Record Store Day, Parlophone released this limited edition 7" vinyl with two tracks by Babyshambles. Personally, I think the B-side is better than the A-side.
My collection: 7" single no. 4835 Found: La La Land, April 17, 2010 Cost: 6 euro Tracks: 'Side of the road' / 'UnBiloTitled'
'Back to the start' is a track on Lily Allen's most recent album, 'It's not me, it's you' (2009). It was getting a lot of airplay in Australia, having peaked at number 21 in the Australian Airplay chart.
On Record Store Day (April 17, 2010), a limited edition 7" vinyl single was released, available only for one day. The single contains this track and the bonus track 'Kabul shit'. It is unlikely that the track will be released as a 'regular' single, but meanwhile, this is a great collector's item.
My collection: 7" single no. 4834 Found: La La Land, Den Haag, April 17, 2010 Cost: 7 euro Tracks: 'Back to the start' / 'Kabul shit'
Ricky Wilde's career never really took off outside of Scandinavia - which is quite extraordinary for a British artist. Ricky only released six singles on the UK records label, before concluding that the life of a pop star wasn't something he wanted. The fact that he was teased in the school yard because of his musical aspirations probably didn't help either.
'Teen wave' was the last single release of Ricky, released in 1974. The song was written and produced by his father Marty Wilde and is the roughest of his singles, leaning heavily into the glam rock genre.
My collection: 7" single no. 2921 Found: Record fair, November 9, 1997 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Teen wave' / 'Round and round'
The third and last single from the Frank Boeijen Groep's seventh album 'Welkom in Utopia' was 'Hier komt de storm' ('Here comes the storm'). The single version was heavily edited, which detracted a bit from the track. As a result, the single failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.
Meanwhile, the band had concluded their theatre tour across the Netherlands and work was already underway for the next album. They had never been as popular as they were right at that moment.
My collection: 7" single no. 584 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Hier komt de storm' / 'Oorlog der liefde'
The second single from Kim Wilde's 1990 album 'Love moves' was 'Time' - at least, it was in the UK and Australia. The record company in Europe opted for 'Can't get enough (of your love)' instead, and so a nightmare was born. Back in 1990, it was very hard to get hold of English singles.
I had to wait until a holiday in London in October - four months after the release of the single - to find a copy. And even then, it was very hard to find one. I eventually found a copy in a dark second hand shop off Kensington High Street - and it was the only copy I saw that week.
My collection: 7" single no. 1320 Found: London, Otcober 16, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Time' / 'Someday'
I've got very strong principles when it comes to my record collection: I never buy a single twice, unless it's from my favourite artists. Kate Bush is one of them, and so when I saw this American pressing of 'Hounds of love', I had to have it. Of course, there's always the small matter of the price: I never bought her Japanese singles because they are way too expensive.
But I happened on this American pressing for a reasonable price, and so I could get my hands on it. Not only the sleeve is different: the B-side is 'Burning bridge', which in Europe was the B-side to 'Cloudbusting'.
My collection: 7" single no. 2864 Found: Record fair, 1995 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Hounds of love' / 'Burning bridge'
The British music magazine Record Mirror released an EP with four tracks from various artists from time to time. This, apparently, was the first, released in 1989. It brings together two album tracks from INXS and Black plus an exclusive track from Transvision Vamp and an exclusive remix from Neneh Cherry.
I bought the EP mainly for 'You don't always do what's best for you', a track from Black's then-current album 'Comedy'. Although this is the album version, it fades away 30 seconds earlier and so this is an exclusive edit of the track.
My collection: 7" single no. 2032 Found: Sounds Familiar, London, October 19, 1993 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Johnson's Aeroplane' (INXS), 'Child of the age' (Transvision Vamp) / 'Buffalo stance (The There's Nothing Wrong Mix (Sukka Mix II))', 'You don't always do what's best for you' (Black)
'Vanavond ga ik uit' ('I'm going out tonight') was written by famous Belgian singer/songwriter Raymond van 't Groenewoud. He gave the song (together with another song, 'Verlangen' ('Desire')) to Clouseau, who recorded it on their new album 'Doorgaan' ('Going on') in 1992.
Released as the second single from the album, it reached number 26 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 9 in the Belgian singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1650 Found: Melody Maker, May 9, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Vanavond ga ik uit' / 'Er kan nog iemand mee'
Ireen Sheer was born on February 25, 1949 in Basildon, England. Sheer was discovered at the beginning of the Sixties through a talent competition, but still took time to graduate from a bank apprenticeship in spite of her early success. She sang for several pop groups, such as The Family Dogg, before she went solo in 1970. She was marked an official success when 'Goodbye Mama' became a Top 5 hit on the German charts in 1973. After that, she released several records, almost every one going on to become a hit.
In 1974 she represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Bye bye, I love you'. It reached 4th place in a field of 17 competitors. It wouldn't be the last time she appeared in the Contest: she returned in 1978 for Germany and in 1985 for Luxembourg again.
My collection: 7" single no. 4833 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Bye bye I love you' / 'Tous les grands sentiments'
Lucia was born as María Isabel Rodríguez Lineros on April 2, 1964 in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. She is best known for representing Spain at the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Él' ('He'). She finished tenth in a field of 18 competitors.
She has also worked as a radio and TV presenter in Seville, and she participated at the reality show contest 'La Granja' (Spanish version of 'The Farm') in 2003.
My collection: 7" single no. 4832 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'El' / 'Tendras que decidir'
Kikki was born as Ann-Kristin Danielsson on May 10, 1952 in Osby, Sweden. She was adopted and lived on a farm in Älmhult, Småland from the age of five. There, she became the only child in the family while her younger sister was adopted to another place. At 5 years old, Kikki made her first singing performance, singing the Christmas song 'När Jesusbarnet låg en gång' in church. As a child, she sang in the local church choir.
In the Seventies, her career in music started seriously, as part of the bands Nickies and Wizex. In 1982, she joined the band Chips, which represented Sweden duing the Eurovision Song Contest that year. She returned on the Eurovision stage in 1985, with the song 'Bra vibrationer'. This single contains the English version of that song.
My collection: 7" single no. 4831 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Right night for loving' / 'Love can hurt'
Mike Brant was born as Moshe Brand on February 1, 1947 on Cyprus as the son of a Polish mother who survived Auschwitz and married a Polish resistance fighter. Mike didn't start speaking until 6 years of age, and very soon told his family and friends that when he grew up he'd be "a star... or a tramp!" At the age of 11 he joined his school choir.
His career in music started in the early Sixties. He soon became very popular in France. By 1973, he was giving 250 concerts a year, some attended by 6,000 to 10,000 people. This went on for two years. He suffered from depression and loneliness. On November 22, 1974, he attempted suicide, jumping out the window of his manager's hotel room in Geneva. He received fractures but survived. He cut the number of performances and concentrated on another album, 'Dis-lui'. On April 25, 1975, the day this new album was released, Brant leapt to his death from an apartment in Paris.
My collection: 7" single no. 4830 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Donne un peu de toi' / 'Essayer de lui mentir' // 'Summertime (Tchop, Tchop)' / 'Malaguena'
Mary Cristy was born as Marie Ruggieri. In 1976, she represented Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest with the disco-inspired 'Toi, la musique et moi'. The song finished third in a field of 18 contestants.
Cristy subsequently also recorded her song in Italian (as 'La musica e noi due'), Spanish ('La música, tú y yo'), German ('Die Musik und ich') and English ('Thank you for rushing into my life').
My collection: 7"single no. 4829 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Toi, la musique et moi' / 'Juste un peu de chagrin'
Riccardo Fogli was born on October 21, 1947 in Pontedera, Italy. During the Sixties, he became a fan of The Beatles, which also influenced his decision to start his career as a singer. After some time in bands like Slenders and Pooh, he started a solo career in 1973. His main success, however, came in the Eighties.
In 1983, he represented Italy during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Per Lucia' ('For Lucia'). He finished in eleventh place in a field of 20 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 4828 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Per Lucia' / 'Altri tempi'
Ingrid Peters was born in Dudweiler, Germany on April 19, 1954. During her career, she made several attempts to represent Germany during the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song 'Du bist nicht frei' didn't win the national final in 1979 and in 1983 she finished second during the national final with 'Viva la mamma'.
In 1986, she was finally selected to do the job with the optimistic song 'Über die Brücke geh'n'. She finished eighth in a field of 20 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 4827 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Über die Brücke geh'n' / 'Mitten ins Herz'
Karina was born as María Isabel Bárbara Llaudés Santiago in Jaén, Andalusia on December 4, 1943. She recorded her first album in 1964 and had her biggest success in the late Sixties and early Seventies, after her breakthrough with a Spanish version of France Gall's 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son'.
In 1971, she represented Spain during the Eurovision Song Contest with 'En un mundo nuevo' ('In a new world'). The song finished second, behind Severine's 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue' for Monaco.
My collection: 7" single no. 4826 Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'En un mundo nuevo' / 'Quisiera tener'
Obviously, when I ordered the 12" single of Bananarama's most recent single 'Love don't live here', I bought the 7" single as well. This 7" single comes with an exclusive new track on the B-side, 'Here comes the rain'.
Producer Ian Masterson was once part of the remix outfit the Trouser Enthusiasts, and it shows on these excellent tracks. Now let's hope that the single turns up in tomorrow's UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4825 Found: What records, received April 14, 2010 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Love don't live here' / 'Here comes the rain'
'Hounds of love' is the title track of Kate Bush's 1985 album. The track starts with a sample from the British 1957 horror film 'Night of the demon'. The words 'It's in the trees! It's coming!' are spoken by an actor from the film, Maurice Denham. The song is about being afraid to fall in love; in the song this feeling is compared to being chased by a pack of hounds.
Released as the third single from the album in February 1986, 'Hounds of love' reached number 18 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 392 Found: Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Hounds of love' / 'The handsome cabin boy'
'Anne' was the only single from Kayak's album 'Periscope life' to become a hit in the Netherlands. And rightfully so, I should add: it's a beautiful track with a great melody, performed in style by the Dutch symphonic rockers.
Released in March 1980, 'Anne' reached number 26. The artwork on the sleeve was identical to the album sleeve, which makes it look a bit odd.
My collection: 7" single no. 4817 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Anne' / 'The sight'
'Going through the motions' was the title track of Hot Chocolate's 1979 album, released as a single in July 1979.
Despite its haunting atmosphere and lyrics, the song did not catch on: it only managed to reach number 53 in the UK singles chart and failed to chart in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 4793 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Going through the motions' / 'Stay with me'
Guy Mardel was born as Mardochée Elkoubi in Oran, Algeria on June 30, 1944. He moved to France at the age of 15. During his studies in law school, he occasionally sang in a jazz band. In 1963 he signed a recording contract with AZ Records and released two singles, until he was chosen to represent France during the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest.
He performed the song 'N'avoue jamais' ('Never admit'), written by himself and composed by Françoise Dorin. The song finished third in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 4770 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'N'avoue jamais', 'Sans rien me dire' / 'S'il pleut ajourd'hui', 'Songe songe'
'The way life's meant to be' was the last single to be released from Electric Light Orchestra's 1981 album 'Time'. The song starts with gentle violins, and continues with flamenco-like guitar playing, and castanets. The south Mediterranean sound continues throughout the vocal and choiring on the refrain.
According to Jeff Lynne, 'It seemed to be [a pessimistic view] on that song. Yeah, well, and absolute that song... He's walking down the same street that it was before, like say a hundred years before. But uh, even though he's on the same bit of ground, everything that he knew is, like, buried under this new shit, y'know, that's growing up... on top of it, all these plastic towers and stuff. Ah, the castanets. It was a bit Russian but we put castanets on it and it became Spanish.'
My collection: 7" single no. 4796 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'The way life's meant to be' / 'Wishing'
This four track EP was included for free with a copy of Popfoto, the music magazine I read every month back in 1989. The label Mercury promoted four of their rock bands with this single. I couldn't decide whether to keep or throw away this disc, and in the end I decided to include it in my collection.
Basically, the tracks on the A-side I find boring, whereas the B-side tracks are marginally better. Kingdom Come's track is probably the best of the four, as it contains less rock cliches than the other three. Why, Dare's song even sounds like a Europe castoff!
My collection: 7" single no. 942 Found: Den Haag, July 8, 1989 Cost: - Tracks: 'Born to be my baby' (Bon Jovi), 'Gypsy road' (Cinderella) / 'Gotta go (Can't wage a war)' (Kingdom come), 'Into the fire' (Dare)
The Eighties were loud, proud and percussive, as demonstrated on this 12" single by Taylor Dayne. 'Tell it to my heart' was her breakthrough hit in 1987, and it pretty much defines how dance music sounded around that time.
Cost: 1 pound
