Alright - Janet Jackson

Yesterday Jamaican-born American rapper Heavy D died. Apparently he collapsed outside his Beverly Hills home. After being taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he died as a result from respiratory issues.

Heavy D did a performance both on Michael Jackson's hit single 'Jam' in 1991 and on Janet Jackson's 1990 hit single 'Alright'. Personally I felt that it was a bit of needless talking through otherwise pretty nice pop music, but there you go. This promotional 12" single features no less than eight remixes of 'Alright' - with Heavy D appearing on most of them - plus three versions of 'Come back to me'.

My collection: 12" single no. 604
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Alright (12" house mix)', 'Alright (Hip house dub)', 'Alright (acappella)' / 'Alright (12" R&B mix)', 'Alright (House dub)' // 'Alright (7" house mix with rap)', 'Alright (7" house mix)', 'Alright (7" R&B mix)' / 'Come back to me (I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (Abandoned heart mix)', 'Come back to me (instrumental)'

Just can't get enough - Depeche Mode

'Just can't get enough' was Depeche Mode's third single release, back in September 1981. It was the final single to be written by founder member Vince Clarke, who would leave the band in December 1981. The song was included on the band's first album, 'Speak and spell', which was released a month after the single.

The single reached number 8 on the UK singles chart. It also became the band's first (and biggest) hit in Australia, reaching number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 5220
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Just can't get enough' / 'Any second now'

Prayer for the dying - Seal

The later single 'Kiss from a rose', also from Seal's second album, became a hit after inclusion on the soundtrack of a Batman movie, but this first single, 'Prayer for the dying', went by almost unnoticed.

I was so impressed with the song that I was a bit suspicious of this 12" single featuring remixes of the track. By the early Nineties remixes were rarely an improvement on the original track. But I have to admit that these remixes are pretty good. Daniel Abraham is hardly a well-known remixer, but he really did a good job on this disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 214
Found: Big Company records, London, October 1994
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit Radio edit)' / 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit mix)', 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit instrumental)'

Do it again, a little bit slower - Ricky Wilde

Today Ricky Wilde celebrates his 50th birthday. A good occasion to present one of the singles from his teen years, when he recorded tracks with his father Marty Wilde, under the guidance of record boss Jonathan King.

'Do it again, a little bit slower' was originally recorded in 1967 by Jon & Robin. Several other versions of the song exist, but Ricky recorded his version in 1973. This sleeve comes from the Swedish version of the single; Sweden being the only country where Ricky's singles actually charted despite releases all over Europe. I spotted this copy two weeks ago just in time for this birthday; and I was happy since this is the last Ricky Wilde single I didn't have!

My collection: 7" single no. 5221
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 12 euro
Tracks: 'Do it again, a little bit slower' / 'Love around'

Come back to me - Janet Jackson

When I ordered a copy of this 22 year old 12" single by Janet Jackson, I never in my wildest dreams suspected I would receive a mint copy, still sealed. That's quite rare. It's a consolation for the fact that I searched for the cd-single of this release for years but until now I haven't been able to locate a copy for a reasonable price.

'Come back to me' was released as a single from Janet's 1989 album 'Rhythm nation 1814' and it's one of the most beautiful melodies she has recorded. It's especially nice to hear the instrumental version on this disc. Unfortunately the previously unreleased track 'The skin game part 1' is a bit of a disappointment.

My collection: 12" single no. 598
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Come back to me (7" I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (instrumental)' / 'The skin game part 1', 'The skin game part 1 (instrumental)'

Cambodia - Kim Wilde

Hard to believe, but it's 30 years ago today that Kim Wilde's fourth single 'Cambodia' was released. At the time, I was only 11 years old and although I liked the music, I was a few years away from becoming a Kim Wilde 'fan'. There was a lot of good music around at the time, but this song stood out because of the strange lyrics and the music that was so different from the two previous hits by Kim, 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love' ('Water on glass' never got a full release in the Netherlands).

30 years later, 'Cambodia' has become a classic pop song. The song is still played regularly on the radio and it's one out of two songs by Kim that are always recalled by people from my generation - even those who don't listen to much pop at all. I have several copies of this single although I didn't buy the first one - a German pressing - until 1984, when I had found all the other Kim Wilde singles in the previous year. Back in 1981, I didn't buy new singles as they were too expensive....

My collection: 7" single no. 255
Found: Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Cambodia' / 'Watching for shapes'

You to me are everything (The decade remix) - The Real Thing

The Real Thing originally released 'You to me are everything' in 1976. It reached the top of the charts in the UK in July of that year.

In the Eighties, remixes of old hits were all the rage, and so this old number 1 was up for a remix treatment a decade after its original remix. The label mentions that the remix was created by Froggy, Simon Harris & KC, which makes you wonder how three people couldn't come up with anything more original. Still, even this version reached number 5 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5219
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'You to me are everything (The decade remix)' / 'Foot tappin''

Goodbye stranger - Pepsi & Shirlie

Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque (Born 10 December 1958, Paddington, London) and Shirlie Holliman (born 18 April 1962, Watford, Hertfordshire) made a name for themselves as backing vocalists for Wham! In 1986, when Wham! was about to split up, they started recording singles in their own right.

They released their debut single "Heartache", which was produced by Phil Fearon and Tambi Fernando and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Goodbye Stranger", produced by Fernando and Pete Hammond, reached number 9. Subsequent singles and their debut album 'All right now', released later in the year, flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 5218
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Goodbye stranger' / 'Dreaming'

Bad habits - Jenny Burton

Jenny Burton was born on November 18, 1957 in New York. She was lead singer of the dance music band C-Bank. In 1983 Burton went solo, releasing the album 'In black and white'.

She had her biggest success a year later with the release of her second self-titled album, featuring the hit single 'Bad habits'. This single reached number 68 in the UK Singles chart in March 1985.

My collection: 7" single no. 5217
Found: Kringloop, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Bad habits' / 'Let's get back to love'

Alone without you - King

I wonder if anyone knew what success King would have with their debut album 'Steps in time'. 'Love and pride' became a massive hit in 1984, and subsequent singles also reached the top 40 in the UK. 'Alone without you' was to be their last top 10 hit, a second album followed, and then it was all over for the boys.

'Alone without you' was released on this attractive 12" single with not one, but three remixes of tracks from the album 'Steps in time'. The aforementioned 'Love and pride' appears here in a 'USA Summer mix'.

My collection: 12" single no. 422
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1999
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Alone without you (Scorcher mix)' / 'Love & pride (USA Summer mix)', 'I kissed the spikey fridge (Rock hard mix)'

From a river to a sea - Private Lives

I'm still hoping for a cd release of Private Lives' only album 'Prejudice & Pride'. It has never been issued on cd and not only is it a great album, there are also such great remixes of the singles available.

Take for instance their third single, 'From a river to a sea': not only an extended version and a dub mix of the title track, but also a version of 'Because you're young', an earlier single of the duo. Let's hope Cherry Pop will pick up the hint and start asking for a license for these tracks.

My collection: 12" single no. 597
Found: Discogs.com, received 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'From a river to a sea (version)' / 'Because you're young (version)', 'From a river to a sea (7" mix)', 'From a river to a sea (dub)'

Midnight man - Sandra

By the time German singer Sandra released 'Midnight man', her success had become limited to Central Europe only. She was still making melodious pop songs, but they sounded too much like her early hits, 'Maria Magdalena' and 'In the heat of the night'.

The 12" singles also offered much of the same: extended versions that were simply, well, extended. I have to say that I quite like these mixes, but I guess it wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

My collection: 12" single no. 202
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Midnight man (extended)' / 'Mirror of love'

Loving the alien - David Bowie

When you read articles in the 'serious' music press, there's always a kind of disdain for David Bowie's work in the Eighties. Commercially successful, yes, but artistically doubtful. I happen to disagree: during the Eighties he made some of his most beautiful work, especially the songs created for movie soundtracks such as 'Absolute beginners' and 'When the wind blows', but also this track, 'Loving the alien' from his 1985 album 'Tonight'.

The 12" single was released in a gatefold sleeve that covered in images from the video. A limited edition also included a fold-out poster. The extended dance mix on this disc is actually identical to the album version, but with an added drum break.

My collection: 12" single no. 371
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 2000
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Loving the alien (extended dance mix)' / 'Don't look down (extended dance mix)', 'Loving the alien (extended dub mix)'

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'