Bitter is better - Kim Wilde

I first heard of this single in the mid-Eighties, when a picture of it appeared in a magazine. The writer of the piece mentioned that this single could be found in the sale bins in Japan. That's nice, I thought, but how the hell do I get my hands on it? This proved to be a problem. I had to wait for almost five years until I saw a copy. When I did, I nearly froze. I considered whether I could shell out the amount the seller wanted for it, and in the end, I did. Caution to the wind, eyes closed, and just do it. Of course, in the 20 years since then I've seen this disc for fractions of the price. I can console myself with the thought that this is still a mint copy. But I'd never pay this much for a single ever again.

'Bitter is better' was released to coincide with an ad campaign for a Bitter Lemon softdrink in Japan. The track was written by Masami Tsuchiya (from the Japanese pop group Ippu Do) and Bill Crunchfield. The single was only released in Japan, in early 1982. I'm still curious whether it was a hit there - but there's no way to find out I'm afraid.

My collection: 7" single no. 1517
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1991
Cost: 100 guilders
Tracks: 'Bitter is better' / 'Boys'

Target practice - Belouis Some

Released in 1985, this remixed re-release of Belouis Some's debut single 'Target practice' came after the chart success of 'Imagination'. In an effort to try and sell more copies this time around, a live version of that hit was included on the B-side.

Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out: just like the first time around in 1984, this single did not chart in any territory.

My collection: 7" single no. 5216
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Target practice' / 'Imagination (live)'

Ik ben verkouwe! - Snip

'Ik ben verkouwe' ('I have a cold') is a Dutch parody on the famous 1990 hit 'The power' by Snap, released in the same year. The track was created by the team behind Rubberen Robbie, seven years after they stopped releasing tracks under that name.

The B-side featured a story by a new character called 'Ome Henk' ('Uncle Henk'), who would become a regular visitor of the Dutch Top 40 between 1991 and 1999.

My collection: 7" single no. 5215
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Ik ben verkouwe!' / 'De spannende verhalen van Ome Henk'

Young at heart - The Bluebells

The Bluebells was a Scotting band, performing jangly guitar based pop. Their single 'Young at heart', originally released in 1984, was written by guitarist and founder member Bobby Bluebell with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama (and originally recorded on Bananarama's album 'Deep sea skiving') and made it to number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band split up in the mid 1980s, but enjoyed an unexpected revival in 1993 when 'Young at heart" was used in a Volkswagen television advertisement. Re-issued as a single, it was number 1 in the UK for four weeks and led to the band reforming temporarily to perform the song on BBC Television's Top of the Pops. In the Netherlands, where the Bluebells never had a hit, the re-released single reached number 20.

My collection: 7" single no. 5214
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Young at heart' / 'Tendy mercy'

Blame it on the boogie - Big Fun

I bought Big Fun's cover of the Jackson's 'Blame it on the boogie' last year, a single that was released in 1989.

This 12" single features three remixes of the track, as well as a free giant poster of the boys. The remixes were made by Phil Harding, who was one of the big names from the Stock Aitken & Waterman stable.

My collection: 12" single no. 596
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Blame it on the boogie (PWL mix)' / 'Blame it on the boogie (dub mix)', 'Blame it on the boogie (instrumental mix)'

King of the mountain - Kate Bush

'King of the mountain' was released on October 24, 2005, 12 years after Kate Bush's previous single, 'And so is love'. Written about ten years before most of the songs on the album 'Aerial', the lyrics enquire whether Elvis Presley might still be alive someplace, '...looking like a happy man...' and playing with 'Rosebud', Kane's childhood's sledge, and comment on the pressures of extreme fame and wealth. In a November 2005 interview with BBC4's 'Front Row' Bush said, "I don't think human beings are really built to withstand that kind of fame.'

The B-side of the UK single is a cover version of Marvin Gaye's 'Sexual healing', which features Irish musician Davy Spillane on uilleann pipes, originally recorded for his 1994 'A place among the stones' album. The track was left off the Spillane album as it didn't fit with the sound of the rest of the record. Before the 2005 release, Kate's version of 'Sexual Healing' had only been heard publicly once, at the 1994 Kate Bush fan club convention in the Hippodrome, London.

As for this 7" single, it was a picture disc release only, featuring a drawing by Kate's son Bertie on the A-side. The quality of the vinyl left much to be desire as you can clearly hear below. Despite all this, the single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart. It is the only single from the album 'Aerial'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3417
Found: HMV, London, received November 2005
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'King of the mountain' / 'Sexual healing'

Your love takes me higher - The Beloved

Regular readers of this blog will have seen another 12" single of the Beloved's 'Your love takes me higher' some time ago. When I bought this 12" single I'd frankly forgotten about that other one.

Fortunately, I didn't buy this disc for nothing: two different tracks appear on this disc, i.e. the 7" version and the 'Rise up higher' remix. Whether it was truly worth the price of this disc, I'll let you decide.

My collection: 12" single no. 594
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher (Deep joy)', 'Your love takes me higher (7" mix)' / 'Your love takes me higher (Simply divine)', 'Your love takes me higher (Rise up higher)'

Sexdrive - Grace Jones

'Sexdrive' is a 1993 single by Grace Jones, which was due to be featured on her now shelved album, 'Black Marilyn'. It was released on September 23, 1993 by Island Records, and it is a cover version of the Sheep on Drugs song 'Track X'. The song was eventually included in a French version of Island Life, called 'Island Life 2' in the form of two remixes.

This American promotional 12" single was released on see-through red vinyl. The track reached number 82 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 595
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Sex drive (Sex pitch mix)', 'Sex drive (Sexstrumental)' / 'Sex drive (Hard drive mix)'

Red frame/White light - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

'Red frame/White light' is the second single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song is about the red telephone box that was used by the band to make calls to organise their gigs. The single reached number 67 in the UK singles chart.

The telephone box is located at the crossing of Birkenhead Road and Greenwood Road in Meols. In the nearby pub 'The Railway Inn' the band would meet. In the songs lyrics the phone number is mentioned: 6323003[3]. Fans would ring the number expecting to get one of the band members, but got a confused home owner in their own area code. Over the years it has become a bit of a sacred place for OMD fans. In 2004 OMD fan Stephen Cork started a successful campaign to get the telephone box repainted in time for a fan tour on April 10, 2005.

My collection: 7" single no. 5213
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Red frame/White light' / 'I betray my friends'

Wham Rap (US remix) - Wham!

I already own a copy of the 1982 Wham! single 'Wham rap', but this one seemed different because of the 'Special US remix' badge on the sleeve. And indeed, when you compare the intro of the other single with this one, you'll notice that it sounds different.

It gets better. Whereas the sleeve and label of this single speak of a 'Special US remix' and a 'Special club mix', the tracks included on this disc are in fact part 1 and part 2 of a special US remix, which is also included on the 12" single as the A-side. This single was released in 1983 as a reissue, which - contrary to the 1982 release - charted in the UK and Australia, peaking at number 8 and 9 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 5212
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Wham rap (Special US remix) [= Special US remix part 1]' / 'Wham rap (Special Club mix) [= Special US remix part 2]'

Stand by love - Simple Minds

'Stand by love' was released in 1991 as the third single from their tenth album 'Real life'. The song was written by Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr and was produced by Stephen Lipson. The B-side was recorded live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles (USA) on June 19, 1991.

This numbered limited edition (this is number 16403) features an exclusive colour poster. Unfortunately, this copy suffers from water damage, so I haven't been able to watch the poster...

My collection: 7" single no. 5211
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Stand by love' / 'King is white and in the crowd (live)'

Wastelands - Midge Ure

'Wastelands' was the third single taken from Midge Ure's debut album 'The gift'. The album was released in 1985, the single followed in early 1986. It reached number 46 in the UK singles chart, but was unsuccessful in other territories.

The B-side was recorded live at the Wembley Arena on December 23, 1985. This limited edition features a clear vinyl disc.

My collection: 7" single no. 5210
Found: Out on the floor, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Wastelands' / 'The chieftain/The dancer (live)'

Planet earth - Duran Duran

Finding the debut single of Duran Duran has become something of a nightmare for me in recent years. I think I have all of their 7" singles, but this one eluded me - until this weekend. It's not that I never saw a copy, it's just that I wasn't prepared to spend double digits in any western currency for it.

The single was released on February 2, 1981, and was an immediate hit in the UK, peaking at number 12 later that month. The track was the first to explicitly acknowledge the New Romantic fashion movement, with the line 'Like some New Romantic looking for the TV sound'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5209
Found: Out on the floor, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Planet earth' / 'Late bar'

The pleasure principle / Alright - Janet Jackson

This is the second of two promotional double 12" single packages of Janet Jackson remixes I bought this weekend. Whereas 'Runaway / When I think of you' featured remixes of one recent track and an old one, this package featured remixes of two old tracks: 'The pleasure principle' (from Janet's 1986 album 'Control') and 'Alright' (from the follow-up, 'Rhythm nation 1814').

The remixes were created by Danny Tenaglia and Todd Terry and these may not be their best work, actually. At least, I've certainly heard better remixes from both of them.

My collection: 12" single no. 593
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The pleasure principle (Legendary Club mix)' / 'The pleasure principle (NuFlava Vocal Dub)', 'The pleasure principle (Banji dub)' // 'The pleasure principle (DT's Twilo dub)' / 'Alright (Tee's club mix)', 'Alright (Tee's Beats)'

Innocent love - Sandra

There isn't much point in denying the good looks of Sandra during the mid-Eighties. It may have been part of what her career was all about. With sleeves like this, people are bound to buy your records. Fortunately, she also made some pretty good pop tunes, as this 'Innocent love' - despite the slightly inane lyrics - proves.

The 12" single features an extended version that was quite common at the time: with more instrumental passages and an extra chorus here and there.

My collection: 12" single no. 201
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Innocent love (extended)' / 'Innocent theme'

Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim

Mel & Kim Appleby debuted in 1986 with 'Showing out (Get Fresh at the weekend)'. The Stock/Aitken/Waterman production was an immediate success and reached number 1 in various European countries.

This 12" single, released at the time, features an extended remix of the track, as well as a remix of 'System', a track that was originally planned as an A-side, but set aside when 'Showing out' was deemed to be a better track. The sleeve was, as with all Mel & Kim releases, another strong argument for buying this record.

My collection: 12" single no. 591
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) [extended]' / 'System (House mix)'

Like a dream - Freda Gothenburg

'World's first backward playing record' screams the sleeve of this 7" single, and with that, the subliminal message 'novelty item'. An irresistible thing for me, as I have more than 5000 7" singles, but all of them play from the outside in - and this one promised plays from the inside outwards. At least, the A-side does: the record company was wise enough to also include the same track on the B-side with a 'normal' groove. Most record players won't let you play from the centre, as they pick up the needle automatically when the centre is reached.

So is this the only interesting thing about this single? Indeed it is: Freda Gothenburg is not a good singer and the song isn't very much cop at all. I guess the record company thought that this would be the only thing to sell this particular track: a record that plays from the centre outwards.

See it in action in this video:



My collection: 7" single no. 5208
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Like a dream' / 'Like a dream'

Sweat in bullet - Simple Minds

'Sweat in bullet' was released in 1981 as the second single from Simple Minds' fourth album 'Sons and fascination'. The single was released as a special double single, featuring a second disc with two live recordings from a performance at the Hammersmith Odeon on September 25, 1981.

The single became a modest hit for the band, reaching number 52 in the UK singles chart, number 47 in New Zealand and number 17 in Sweden.

My collection: 7" single no. 5207
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Sweat in bullet' / '20th century promised land' // 'Premonition (live)' / 'League of nations (live)'

Crushed by the wheels of industry - Heaven 17

'Crushed by the wheels of industry' was the last single taken from Heaven 17's 1983 album 'The luxury gap'. It peaked at number 17 in the UK singles chart, spending 7 weeks in the chart. It would be the band's last top 20 hit until 1992, when a remix of 'Temptation' was released.

The name of the album 'The luxury gap' was another description of the divide between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' (just like the band's debut album, 'Penthouse and pavement') and this track described a lot of what was going on in Thatcher's England at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 5206
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Crushed by the wheels of industry (part 1)' / 'Crushed by the wheels of industry (part 2)'

Beautiful - Athlete

'Beautiful' was originally released as a single from Athlete's debut album 'Vehicles and animals' in 2002. It was re-released in 2010 when the band released their contract-fulfilling compilation album 'Singles 01-10'.

It's not entirely clear when this 7" single was made. The sleeve and label only state the year 2002, but I suspect this record was actually made in 2010. However, I can't be sure. I'm just glad I found this single as it's pretty difficult to find.

My collection: 7" single no. 5205
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Beautiful' / 'On and on'

Love is just the great pretender - Animal Nightlife

Animal Nightlife had a hit with 'Love is just the great pretender' in July 1985, reaching number 28 in the UK singles chart. That single was featured on this blog two years ago (here).

I found this single the other day, which features a rather different version of the song. It was released in 1982 on the Inner Vision label. Proof that the band existed a few years before they actually became better known.

My collection: 7" single no. 5204
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Love is just the great pretender' / 'The great pretender'

Little Jeannie - Elton John

Elton John and Gary Osborne wrote this song, which was released in 1980 as a single from Elton John's album '21 at 33'. The song can be described as an uptempo ballad. In the US, it would be Elton's highest-charting single co-written with Gary Osborne, while in the UK, where the song only reached number 33, 'Blue eyes' would eventually hold that honour.

Despite its impressive performance in the US charts, Elton has rarely performed 'Little Jeannie' live, doing so only on his 1980 tour and during 2000's One Night Only concerts.

My collection: 7" single no. 5203
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Little Jeannie' / 'Conquer the sun'

Covers EP - Everything but the girl

Those who know Everything but the girl from their big hit 'Missing' will be surprised to hear this intimate set of covers, recorded entirely acoustic. But of course, the first decade and a half of their career was almost entirely centered about such intimate material.

According to the blurb on the sleeve: 'In October 1991 we played two concerts at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London made up largely of cover versions - we had no band, just a guitar, a piano and two voices. Many people asked us to record some of the songs.' The four track EP reached number 13 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5202
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Love is strange', 'Tougher than the rest' / 'Time after time', 'Alison'

Runaway / When I think of you - Janet Jackson

As readers of this blog may have realised, I have been hunting down old Janet Jackson 12" singles over recent months. American promotional double 12" singles were quite hard to get - I thought they were only available via mail order these days.

Imagine my surprise when I found not one, but two of these double 12" single sets in a second hand shop in London this weekend. This is the first of them: a package of remixes of Janet's 1996 single 'Runaway' backed with three slightly disappointing remixes of 'When I think of you'.

My collection: 12" single no. 592
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Runaway (JR Factory Mix)', 'Runaway (JR Tribal mix)' / 'When I think of you (Deep Dish Chocolate City mix)' // 'When I think of you (Deep Dish Quiet Storm dub)' / 'When I think of you (Dished out dub)'

Stop stop stop - Lisa

When I saw this single, I thought it was an early release by Lisa Stansfield. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a single from 1978 featuring a track called 'Sagoland', subtitled 'Fairytale'. I immediately thought of the Dana hit from 1976, and as it turns out, it is indeed a translated version of that song.

Looking for more information, I couldn't find much more information about Lisa than this single and the accompanying album, released in 1978 too, featuring 12 tracks, more than half of them in Swedish. Forget the A-side of this single. 'Fairytale' in Swedish: it still sounds good.

My collection: 7" single no. 5201
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Stop stop stop' / 'Sagoland (Fairytale)'

Too late - Junior

In 1987, Junior Giscombe had a hit in the UK together with Kim Wilde, singing 'Another step (closer to you)'. In 1992, Kim Wilde recorded a song called 'Too late' on her album 'Love is'. And Junior recorded a song called 'Too late' ten years previous, released as a single in 1982.

It may be a bit farfetched but it was curiosity that drove me to buy this single. I wondered how this song would sound, knowing that Junior was in the business of creating funky dance tracks, and not - as was the case with Kim's 1992 track - plaintive ballads. This single does not disappoint. No-one does funk like Junior Giscombe.

My collection: 7" single no. 5200
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Too late' / 'In words'

An everlasting love - Andy Gibb

'An everlasting love' was released in the summer of 1978 as the second single from Andy Gibb's second solo album 'Shadow dancing'. At the time of the Bee Gees biggest success 'Saturday Night Fever' it was perhaps no surprise that their brother would also have considerable success with the famous Gibb sound.

The single reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This UK single features his two previous American number 1 hits, '(Love is) Thicker than water' and 'I just want to be your everything'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5199
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'An everlasting love' / 'I just want to be your everything', '(Love is) Thicker than water'

A child's prayer - Hot Chocolate

Released in the summer of 1975, 'A child's prayer' was Hot Chocolate's fifth top 10 hit in the UK and the last single release before one of the band's best known hits, 'You sexy thing'. This song is very different from that one, however, with quite 'deep' lyrics.

The B-side, by contrast, has a very simple message: 'Everything should be funky'. Well maybe.

My collection: 7" single no. 5198
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'A child's prayer' / 'Everything should be funky'

Woman of the 80's - Julia Fordham

Kim Wilde. Kate Bush. Cyndi Lauper. Sam Brown. Sade. Judie Tzuke. Hazel O'Connor. Thereza Bazar. Cheryl Baker. Naomi Campbel. Carol Decker. Margaret Thatcher. Cindy Crawford. Olivia Newton-John. Julianne Regan. Tracey Thorn. Sonia. Kylie Minogue. Toyah Willcox. Tracey Ullman. Belinda Carlisle. Samantha Fox. Sabrina.

But what, exactly, is a woman of the 80's? Julia Fordham explains...

My collection: 7" single no. 5197
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Woman of the 80s' / 'Behind closed doors'

Rubber bullets - 10CC

Written and sung by Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Graham Gouldman and produced by 10CC, "Rubber Bullets" was the band's first number 1 hit in the United Kingdom, spending one week at the top in June 1973. The track is a tongue in cheek homage to 'Jailhouse Rock' with a Beach Boys influence.

Band member Eric Stewart recalled: 'I was amazed, but pleased that the BBC never banned the track, although they limited its airplay, because they thought it was about the ongoing Northern Ireland conflicts. In fact, it was about an Attica State Prison riot like the ones in the old James Cagney films.'

My collection: 7" single no. 5196
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Rubber bullets' / 'Waterfall'

Brand new friend - Lloyd Cole & the Commotions

'Brand new friend' was the first single from Lloyd Cole & the Commotions' second album 'Easy pieces'. The title betrayed the content of the album: Lloyd Cole was never known for making 'easy' music. This single is a fine example of a carefully crafted song with subtle instrumentation.

The single actually did better than all of the singles before it, reaching number 19 in the UK singles chart, while also reaching the Irish singles chart for the first time, peaking at number 11.

My collection: 7" single no. 5195
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Brand new friend' / 'Her last fling'

The fame and fortune EP - Various

The UK magazine Record Mirror sometimes released a 7" single as a freebie, featuring rare and exclusive tracks. Fortunately, decades later, these EP's still pop up in second hand stores now and again - a great opportunity to still get your hands on these tracks.

In this case, it was the remix of the Beloved's 'Your love takes me higher' I was after. The other three tracks, unfortunately, aren't much to write home about.

My collection: 7" single no. 5194
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'I'll be with you' (Brother Delphi), 'Your love takes me higher (Depth & Desire mix)' (The Beloved) / 'Rave on' (Happy Mondays), 'I dream of you' (Adamski)

For America - Red Box

The biggest hit from the duo Red Box is undoubtledly 'For America'. For some reason, neither the 7" single nor the 12" single have made it onto this blog so far (but I am sure they will) - but this 10" single is quite a rare find.

It features a different mix of the track, although it is only slightly different from the album mix. Both B-sides also turn up on the 12" single.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'For America (Boys Own mix)' / 'Ain't got no... I got life', 'R 'n' A'

That's the way it is - Mel and Kim

The excellent remastered and expanded edition of Mel & Kim's only album, 'F.L.M.' by Cherry Pop, released last year, collected a lot of remixes of their singles, but these 'acid' remixes of their last hit single 'That's the way it is' were omitted.

Stylistically they're very different from most of the remixes on that package, so that could be an explanation for this, but it's also possible that they couldn't be found in the archives. They're probably never going to be released on cd, so enjoy these rare gems while you can.

My collection: 12" single no. 64
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'That's the way it is (Acid House remix)' / 'That's the way it is (Acid dub)', 'You changed my life'

Is this love - Alison Moyet

Alison Moyet released 'Is this love' as a single in 1986, and as evidenced by this 12" single, it was released in the USA too. Featuring an extended remix by Mike Shipley, it is a longer and slightly more exciting version of this pleasant pop song.

The B-side also features a long version of the non-album track 'Blow wind blow', which unfortunately is a less inspired affair.

My collection: 12" single no. 360
Found: Record fair, 2000
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Is this love? (LA mix)' / 'Is this love? (single version)', 'Blow wind blow (long version)'

Feel like change - Black

Apparently, Black's single 'Feel like change' became quite big in South Africa. At the time, the country was slowly getting rid of its Apartheid regime, and so a song called 'Feel like change' sung by a white guy called Black would have been quite apt.

This 12" single doesn't feature any remix, but instead it offers four tracks: the title track, a new track called 'Nice', a cover of a Michael McDonald track and of course the wellknown hit 'Wonderful life'.

My collection: 12" single no. 589
Found: Discogs.com, received October 8, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Feel like change', 'Nice' / 'I can let go now', 'Wonderful life'

Newborn friend - Seal

Not a very wellknown single, this 'Newborn friend' by Seal. Released after 'Kiss from a rose' as the third single from his second album in October 1994, it faded into obscurity almost everywhere. It still managed to reach number 45 in the UK singles chart and number 24 in New Zealand, but that was pretty much it.

The track was remixed by Brothers in Rhythm, Tom Elmhirst, Ronin and David Morales. This promotional 12" single features four remixes by David Morales, who actually created quite a few different remixes from this track. As I'm sure you'll hear, they sound pretty much the same though.

My collection: 12" single no. 218
Found: Big Company Records, London, October 1994
Cost: 4,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Newborn friend (Morales Club mix)', 'Newborn friend (Morales Dub)' / 'Newborn friend (Morales Radio mix)', 'Newborn friend (Mo-Mo's Bass mix)'

House of thorns - Fiat Lux

While I was not impressed with the 7" single of 'House of thorns' by Fiat Lux (see it here), this 12" single pleases me more. It features a remix of the title track plus two B-side tracks.

The remix of 'House of thorns' makes it sound less like a demo and more like a track that could actually be danceable. The first B-side, 'Threes company' appears on the 7" single too, but the second B-side, 'Sally free and easy' is a bonus, and a good one at that: it's a modern version of a folk song written in the 1950's by Cyril Tawney. It's how Enya would sound if she was a bit more experimental.

My collection: 12" single no. 409
Found: Record Exchange, London, 2000
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'House of thorns [remix]' / 'Threes company', 'Sally free and easy'

The day it rained forever - Aurora

When Aurora released 'The day it rained forever' as a single, two promotional double 12" single sets were released. I already wrote about one set here, an attractive set with seven remixes.

This second set, alas, is a different matter. It features just four remixes of the track, created by Headfunk and Thick Dick (no, I'm not making this up). Have a listen and I'm sure you'll agree that the other set is the better of the two.

My collection: 12" single no. 580
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'The day it rained forever (Thick Club mix)' / 'The day it rained forever (Deep in my head mix)' // 'The day it rained forever (Thick Dub)' / 'The day it rained forever (Deep in my dub mix)'

Scarlet - All about Eve

All about Eve were in the business of creating beautiful songs, but they were also smart enough to saturate the market with many different versions of their singles. In 1990, they released 'Scarlet' as the third single from their second album 'Scarlet and other stories' on 7", 12" and two different cd-singles.

The 12" single was very special because of its gatefold sleeve, free poster and the four tracks. Three of them were included on the cd-singles as well, but the live version of 'Scarlet' could be found on this 12" single only. Longtime All about Eve fans were especially pleased with a live version of the early single 'Our summer'. A cracking version it is, too.

My collection: 12" single no. 136
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1993
Cost: 3,50 pounds
Tracks: 'Scarlet (live)', 'Candy tree (live)' / 'Tuesday's child (live)', 'Our summer (live)'

Hi! Hi! Hi! - Sandra

Being a Sandra fan these days can be considered very uncool, given her recent albums, but back in the Eighties she was still dealing out the pleasant pop songs effortlessly. 'Hi! Hi! Hi!' was another example of a chart-friendly song, although Sandra didn't get to the charts outside of Central Europe.

This 12" single features both the A- and the B-side of the 7" single, but also an extended remix of the title track, which is actually quite good. Give it a virtual spin and I'm sure you'll agree.

My collection: 12" single no. 311
Found: Record fair, 199X
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Hi! Hi! Hi! (extended)' / 'You'll be mine', 'Hi! Hi! Hi!'

All nite (don't stop) - Janet Jackson

'All nite (Don't stop)' was released as the third single from Janet Jackson's 2004 album 'Damita Jo'. The song contains a sample of Herbie Hancock's 1975 track 'Hang up your hang ups'. This 12" features two remixes of the track.

After what has become known as the 'Superbowl incident' in which Jackson flashed a boob during prime time on American television, MTV refused to air the video, leading to a failure of the single. However, in 2008 the single still reached number 40 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 12" single no. 583
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'All nite (Don't stop) (Sander Kleinenberg Club Mix)' / 'All nite (Don't stop) (Low End Specialists Main Mix)'

Hey Presto - Black

Back in 1984, music videos were an integral part of my daily routine. Watching television for a few hours a day just to catch my favourite videos (and songs) was a bit crazy in retrospect, but it did huge favours for developing my own taste in music.

One of the videos I saw back then was Black's 'Hey Presto'. It's one of very few videos I never saw again - and I'm still searching for it now. I bought the 7" single years later and I only found the 12" single now. It was never a hit for Black, although he would be more successful in 1987 with his eternal classic 'Wonderful life'. To hear what the man is up to these days read my entry on Any colour you like.

My collection: 12" single no. 587
Found: Discogs.com, received October 5, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Hey Presto' / 'Stephen', 'Liquid dream'

Kids in America - Euphrasia

Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America' has been covered by numerous singers, punk rock bands, death metal bands and even the occasional dance acts.

Euphrasia was a Belgian outfit, apparently consisting of Peter Neefs and Jan Voermans. Their version of 'Kids in America', released in 1992, is quite dynamic. It has a few nice sound effects, and although the track never becomes better than 'average', it's still an interesting take on a classic track. This 12" single features a 12" version that wasn't available on the cd-single at the time.

My collection: 12" single no. 588
Found: Discogs.com, received October 5, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Kids in America (12" version)' / 'Kids in the house (12" version)'

Worlds apart - The Sinceros

Mark Kjeldsen, Bobby Irwin and Ron François first played together in a London R&B band called The Strutters. The Sinceros were primarily a vehicle for Kjeldsen's composing talents. He sang lead vocals on most of the band's material although François contributed more songs on their later albums.

Their first album, The Sound of Sunbathing, was produced by Joe Wissert and recorded at Wessex Studios in London. The band achieved considerable radio play with its first single, 'Take me to your leader'. The single 'Worlds apart' was released in September 1979 and although it didn't chart in the UK, it managed to reach number 33 in the Dutch Top 40 a month later. I totally forgot about this song, but I remembered the sleeve. And so I finally decided to buy the single today - and memories slowly came back to me. This is a great new wave track.

My collection: 7" single no. 5193
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, September 17, 2011
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Worlds apart' / 'Girl I realise (live)'

State of the world - Janet Jackson

'Rhythm nation' was perhaps Janet Jackson's most serious album, with lyrics about themes like racism, social injustice and more things like that. 'State of the world' was one of the essential tracks on the album, although it wasn't released as a single in most territories.

This promotional double 12" single features no less than 10 versions of the track, including a 'State of the world Suite' that lasts an impressive 14 minutes. Listening to all the remixes in one go is not recommended: a collection like this needs to be ingested with care.

My collection: 12" single no. 584
Found: Discogs.com, received August 31, 2011
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'State of the world (United Nations 12")', 'State of the world (United Nations Dub)', 'State of the world (United Nations instrumental)' / 'State of the world (Third world 7"), 'State of the world (Third world dub)', 'State of the world (Third world instrumental)' // 'State of the world (Suite)' / 'State of the world (State of the house 12")', 'State of the world (Make a change dub)', 'State of the world (World dance mix)'