Eurovision March - Band of the Royal Netherlands Air Force

The Band of the Royal Netherlands Air Force has been rather active in releasing singles and albums through the years. I've been able to track down a listing of over 12 singles and EP's and one album, all released between 1958 and 1965.

This particular single was released in 1959 and contains two marches: the Eurovision march and the March of the United Nations. The Eurovision march is well known for its annual use during the Eurovision Song Contest, and as such, this single piqued my interest. Housed in an authentic record company sleeve from that time, it seems I found a rather nice collector's item as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5272
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Eurovisie-mars' / 'March of the United Nations'

Hot in the city - Billy Idol

Billy Idol's 'Hot in the city' was originally released in 1982. This is a re-release from 1987. It features a remix of 'Catch my fall' on the B-side, taken from the album 'Vital Idol' which features several remixes of Billy Idol hits. I've been partial to that album ever since I got it from my parents during a holiday in Germany. Very cool music.

Although the released version of 'Hot in the city' contains a verse in which Idol shouts 'New York', other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including one in which he shouts 'Amarillo' or 'New Haven'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5271
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hot in the city' / 'Catch my fall (remix fix)'

Breakaway - Kim Appleby

One half of the popular duo Mel & Kim continued solo after the other half sadly passed away. Kim Appleby initially forged a successful career with hit singles like 'Don't worry' and 'G.L.A.D.', but her second solo album wasn't as popular and she soon ended up out of the music business.

This is the title track of that second album, remixed by La Camorra, Clive Farrington, "Mr. L", Harding & Curnow and Biffco for a promotional double 12" release. Most of these remixes were never released commercially, and only two of them appeared on cd as far as I know.

My collection: 12" single no. 619
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon mix 2)', 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon dub 2)' / 'Breakaway (The survivor mix)', 'Breakaway (Mr. L.'s Midnight mix)' // 'Breakaway (extended mix)' / 'Breakaway (Break dub - Diss Gust It mix)', 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon mix 1)'

Endless sleep - Marty Wilde

'Endless sleep' was originally written and recorded by American singer Jody Reynolds in early 1958. He wrote it in a single afternoon in 1956 in Yuma, Arizona. After it reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1958, Marty Wilde quickly recorded a version to be released in the UK. This was a common practice at that time, offering a chance for UK artists to score with proven stateside hits.

The single gave Marty his first shot at fame, as it reached number 4 in the UK singles chart in July 1958. While Jody Reynolds didn't have a hit with this song in the UK originally, it was released in April 1979, and had a one week chart run at number 66.

My collection: 7" single no. 5270
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Endless sleep' / 'Her hair was yellow'

I get lonely - Janet Jackson

Taken from her 1997 album 'The velvet rope', 'I get lonely' was one of those Janet Jackson tracks that contained an R&B feel more than her previous work. It was the kind of stuff she would record more often after this album, with increasingly less audience approval.

These remixes breathe a little life into the track, although it really can't compare with the hits she'd had in the decade before. Nice, but not too interesting is my verdict, alas.

My collection: 12" single no. 618
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'I get lonely (Janet vs Jason - The club remix)', 'I get lonely (Janet vs Jason - The remix sessions part 2)' / 'I get lonely (Jason's special sauce dub)', 'I get lonely (LP version)'

Ode to boy - Alison Moyet

'Ode to boy' was originally a B-side of Yazoo's 1982 single 'The other side of love' and a track on their second album 'You and me both'. Alison Moyet re-recorded the track solo on her fourth solo album 'Essex' in 1994.

I sort of knew that the track was released as a single, but I was unaware of the existance of a 12" single with remixes of the track. I've always liked the original version - a beautiful demonstration of stereo sound - and while I wasn't sure Alison's re-recording was as good, I was still curious enough to hear these remixes. And so, I ordered the disc. Have to say I quite like these mixes.

My collection: 12" single no. 617
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Ode to boy', 'Ode to boy (Factory mix)' / 'Ode to boy (NY-LA mix)', 'Ode to boy (NY-LA dub)', 'Ode to boy (Factory dub 2)'

I want you back '88 remix - Michael Jackson with the Jackson 5

The second half of the Eighties was littered with remixes of old tracks. Somehow record companies thought it was a cheap way to make profits without having to pay for studio time - except the time for the remixer of course. But in some cases, even the remixers didn't even spend that much time on it.

Take this one for example: an '88 remix of the old Jacksons hit 'I want you back' with a young Michael Jackson. In 1988 the name Michael Jackson meant a lot to a lot of people. Popular remixers Phil Harding and Ian Curnow were recruited for a remix. They added a drumbeat, and there you had it: a new single. A poor effort, however. But even this reached number 8 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5269
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 1,5 pounds
Tracks: 'I want you back '88 remix' / 'Never can say goodbye'

Sugar mice - Marillion

The lyric of Marillion's 'Sugar mice' is quite depressing, and one suspects that a divorce drama is part of all the misery. But in fact, it's more about a British worker who emigrates to the USA to escape unemployment, leaving behind his family, and ends up drinking in a hotel bar in Milwaukee.

This 12" single features an extended mix of the track, as well as the album version which is about a minute longer than the single edit which was featured on the 7" single.

My collection: 12" single no. 145
Found: Record fair, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Sugar mice (extended version)' / 'Sugar mice (album version)', 'Tux on'

This woman's work - Kate Bush

For a long time, Kate Bush's 'This woman's work' was my favourite track of hers. Over the last six years she's released a few other tracks I consider my favourite, but it's weird how she keeps getting better - beyond the best of my expectations I would say.

Anyhow, this 12" single is a prized possession of mine, because of the beautiful poster sleeve and the two B-sides featured here. No extended version of the single mix of 'This woman's work', but I think it's impossible to improve on this already highly moving track.

My collection: 12" single no. 94
Found: unknown, 1990
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'This woman's work (single mix)' / 'Be kind to my mistakes', 'I'm still waiting'

Enjoy the silence - Depeche Mode

One of Depeche Mode's biggest hits was 'Enjoy the silence', released as the second single from their album 'Violator'. There were many different remixes of the track, released in as many different formats. The last remix to be released at the time was this one.

Entitled the 'Quad: Final mix', it was a remix of 15 minutes, released on cd-single and a 12" single, both containing just the one track. But it's a fascinating remix, going through a few 'movements', until reaching a rather desolate ending. The B-side of this disc features the DM logo from the sleeve, etched in.

My collection: 12" single no. 94
Found: Record fair, 1992
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Enjoy the silence (Quad: final mix)'

Rage hard - Frankie goes to Hollywood

Looking back over 50 years of pop history, only the last three decades have seen 12" singles and extended remixes being released. Out of the thousands and thousands of those remixes there could be a small selection deemed as 'classic'. And I would say that the extended remix of 'Rage hard', included on this disc, should be one of them.

Entitled 'Young person's guide into the 12" mix', it is an introduction to instruments and certain remix techniques, using the aforementioned Frankie goes to Hollywood track as an example. As far as I know, this remix was never released on cd - at least not entirely. This original version lasts for 12 minutes, a shorter version appeared on a Frankie goes to Hollywood compilation cd in 1994.

My collection: 12" single no. 208
Found: Record exchange, London, October 1994
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Rage hard [Young person's guide into the 12" mix]' / 'Suffragette city', 'Don't lose what's left (of your little mind)', ['Rage hard (reprise)']

Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wind & Fire

Released in 1979, 'Boogie Wonderland' became a signature song for the band Earth Wind & Fire. The track featured female soul and R&B singing group The Emotions and became a worldwide hit after its single release.

This 12" single features the full length version of 'Boogie Wonderland'. According to the label, it should clock in at 9'30 minutes but it is in fact a minute shorter than that. A mere typo? Who knows. As for the lyric of the song... Can you guess the first few lines being sung here?

My collection: 12" single no. 300
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1994
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Boogie wonderland' / 'Boogie wonderland (instrumental)'

Take on me - A-ha

After the first release of 'Take on me' flopped, the record company tried again and again to make it work. This 12" single represents the first re-release of the single, featuring a different sleeve and a different mix of the track. In the end, it took a second re-release and a new music video to make it a worldwide hit - although the music on the disc didn't change after this one.

The extended version is a little over a minute longer than the single version, but it sounds a lot better in my opinion. The copy I have was pressed in Italy. I bought it some time after the single finally reached the Dutch Top 40 and went to number 1.

My collection: 12" single no. 50
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 8 guilders
Tracks: 'Take on me (extended version)' / 'Love is reason', 'Take on me'

Pale shelter (You don't give me love) - Tears for fears

For a long time I didn't understand how it all worked with the different versions of Tears for Fears' early single 'Pale shelter'. It is quite confusing, actually, as the song was re-released no less than three times.

But I've figured it out now. What you see here is the most recent re-release of the single. Subtitled 'You don't give me love', this version was released in 1985 after the success of the band's second album 'Songs from the big chair'. But... wait for it... It features the original version of the song! 'Pale shelter' was re-recorded for Tears for Fears' debut album 'The hurting', and that version was released as a single the second time around. However, this 12" single features the original single and 12" version, produced by Mike Howlett.

My collection: 12" single no. 290
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1996
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Pale shelter (extended version)' / 'Pale shelter', 'The prisoner'

The look of love - ABC

After the debut single 'Tears are not enough' and the hit single 'Poison arrow', ABC released 'The look of love'. The 12" single featured four parts of the track: part 1 is the standard album version, part 2 is an instrumental version, part 3 is a vocal remix and part 4 is a short acoustic instrumental part of the song, containing strings and horns, as well as occasional harp plucks and xylophone. Parts 1 and 4 appear on ABC's debut album 'The lexicon of love'.

Another remix was made by Trevor Horn and released exclusively on an American 12" single. That remix was finally released in the UK as a free single with 'Be near me' in 1985.

My collection: 12" single no. 150
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, 1992
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'The look of love (part 1)', 'The look of love (part 2)' / 'The look of love (part 3)', 'The look of love (part 4)'

Blue Jean - David Bowie

Having sworn off disguises and alternate identities for his 1983 album 'Let's dance', it was a bit odd to see the music video for David Bowie's 'Blue Jean' in 1984. Again using loads of make-up on his face, the video distracted a bit from the music. The album 'Tonight', released that year, is seen as an artistic failure, although there were a few nice songs on it.

The extended version of 'Blue Jean' is interesting enough, I'd say. However, the B-side, containing two remixes, is the kind of music I've played only once - but never more. Quite excruciating.

My collection: 12" single no. 372
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 2000
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Blue Jean (extended dance mix)' / 'Dancing with the big boys (extended dance mix)', 'Dancing with the big boys (extended dub mix)'

Walk on air - T'pau

There's something unusual about this 12" single: it's the sleeve! While the record company decided to release a picture disc, they released it in a normal 12" single sleeve, so at first you don't even notice it's a picture disc you're buying. I guess I'm just used to clear pvc sleeves for picture discs.

Anyway, 'Walk on air' was the penultimate single release of T'pau, because after the next one, 'Soul destruction', the band broke up. The name lived on via some greatest hits compilations, and in the end Carol Decker reappeared, using the name T'pau, in 1998 with the excellent album 'Red'. But this single didn't sell very well, and with the end of their contract in sight, the record company must have lost faith. Unfortunately!

My collection: 12" single no. 120
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, 1991
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Walk on air' / 'Hold on to love (alternative version)', 'Dirty town'

Living in a world (turned upside down) - Private Lives

Private Lives released a handful of singles, but their best known tracks remains 'Living in a world (turned upside down)'. Recorded at those legendary Select Sound Studios in Knebworth, it is one of the best pop songs from 1984. At least, that's what I think. The record company must have had similar thoughts as they re-released the track after two other singles didn't chart. The original single reached number 53 in the UK singles chart, this re-release didn't chart. The end of the duo came pretty quickly after that.

This 12" single features the new single version of the title track, but also a nice extended version and a dub remix of their very first single release, 'Because you're young'.

My collection: 12" single no. 614
Found: unknown
Price: unknown
Tracks: 'Living in a world (turned upside down) (5th Amendment)' / 'Because you're young', 'Living in a world (turned upside down) (7" mix)', 'Breakup (7" mix)'

The sensual world - Kate Bush

When I bought this 12" single, I did it mainly for the fact that it was cheap and it was a promotion copy. I don't know why I never bought the commercial 12" single, but considering it was 1989, it would probably have been a lack of funds.

Anyway, I was pretty surprised when I found out the A-side of this 12" single featured a so-called 'double groove'. One groove featured the regular version of 'The sensual world', the other played the instrumental version. The latter was also one of the B-sides, which made it a bit of a useless exercise. Bush re-recorded 'The sensual world' as 'Flower of the mountain' on her album 'Director's cut'. The new version was recorded as it was originally intended: with the words from James Joyce's book 'Ulysses'.

My collection: 12" single no. 97
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1990
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The sensual world', 'The sensual world (instrumental)' / 'Walk straight down the middle', 'The sensual world (instrumental)'

Cry wolf - A-ha

Released as the second single from A-ha's second album 'Scoundrel days', I never thought this was the best track to be released as a single. The title track should have been the one in my opinion, but perhaps it was deemed 'too intense'. This poppy track catered to the lightweight pop image the band had at the time, even if the album they made was full of more intricate musical arrangements.

The extended version of 'Cry wolf' included here was a decent remix however. I never bought the 12" single myself, but I got a copy last year when someone sent me a package and used this to make it more sturdy. And you know: when something is free, you enjoy it even more.

My collection: 12" single no. 613
Found: unknown, 2011
Cost: nothing
Tracks: 'Cry wolf (extended version)' / 'Cry wolf', 'Maybe maybe'

A gentleman's excuse me - Fish

I bought several different discs of Fish's 'A gentleman's excuse me'. Besides two 7" singles, a cd-single and a shaped picture disc, the 12" single was a piece of vinyl that ended up in my collection pretty soon after its release.

On this format, the demo version of the song is added. It also appears on the cd-single, but this is, as far as I know, the only vinyl format on which the demo appears.

My collection: 12" single no. 93
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1990
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'A gentleman's excuse me' / 'Whiplash', 'A gentleman's excuse me (demo)'

The promise you made - Cock Robin

'The promise you made' reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40 in March 1986 and it was one of those rare occasions when I just couldn't agree more. Even during the Eighties, when we were spoilt for good artists making excellent music, the chart was often topped by crap songs. (From 1986 alone I can remember 'When the going gets tough the tough get going' by Billy Ocean and 'Holiday rap' by MC Miker G & DJ Sven.)

The 12" single of 'The promise you made' featured an excellent extended mix. The mix was done in an elegant way, adding interesting instrumental breaks and an intriguing intro. Judge for yourself...

My collection: 12" single no. 23
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'The promise you made (extended version)' / 'The promise you made', 'Have you any sympathy?'

Mini LP - Talk Talk

Released exclusively in Greece in 1986, this mini LP (imaginatively titled 'Mini LP') features five 12" remixes of Talk Talk hits. From the early hit 'Talk Talk' to the two most recent singles 'Life's what you make it' and 'Living in another world', this LP represents the 'pop' era of Talk Talk just before they would become a very imaginative, postmodern pop band.

Only in 1998 a double CD set entitled 'Asides besides' would be released, collecting all these remixes and more, so at the time of finding this, I was pretty excited. Even if the quality of the vinyl wasn't all that good, it was an opportunity to buy five remixes in one go - and that wasn't bad.

My collection: LP no. 99
Found: Record fair, 1994
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Such a shame (USA 12" mix)', 'Living in another world (USA 12" mix)' / 'Life's what you make it (USA 12" mix)', 'It's my life (USA 12" mix)', 'Talk Talk (USA 12" mix)'

We'll be together - Sandra

The last record I'm describing this year is also the last 12" single by Sandra I have to describe. After 'We'll be together' a few more 12" singles were released, but as they were also available on cd-single with the same content, I preferred buying those for some reason.

'We'll be together' was released in 1989, almost a year after the release of the album 'Into a secret land', and so got the 'trendy' label "'89 remix". The extended and dub versions certainly add some punch to the pop song. It's a lovely sentiment to end the year with... We'll be together!

My collection: 12" single no. 612
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, 2002
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'We'll be together (extended version)' / 'We'll be together (dub version)', 'We'll be together (single version)'

Live-in world - Anti-Heroin Project

Fish, Nik Kershaw, Cliff Richard, Dave Stewart, Holly Johnson, Robin Gibb, Kim Wilde and many others contributed their voices and music to the Anti-Heroin Project in 1986. It was one of many charity projects in music that took place in the mid-Eighties, following the lead of Band Aid and Live Aid.

The single 'Live-in world' was lifted from a double album that contained tracks from various artists. This was the track that contained vocals from over fifty artists on a new song written by Charley Foskett. The Anti-Heroin Project was not very successful: neither the single nor the album charted. This 12" single adds two tracks to the two included on the 7" single release: one by Lenny Henry and one by Ringo Starr.

My collection: 12" single no. 392
Found: Record fair, 2000
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Live-in world' (Anti-Heroin Project), 'On the street' (Lenny Henry) / 'Something better' (Anti-Heroin Project), 'You know it makes sense' (Ringo Starr)

Montuno - Gloria Estefan

'Montuno' was the fourth single released by Gloria Estefan on her first Spanish album 'Mi Tierra'. It was released only in the UK, while 'Tradición' was released in the United States and 'Si Señor!...' in selected European countries.

A limited edition 7" single was released, featuring two B-sides: the single remix of 'Go away', taken from her 'Greatest hits' album, and the then-unreleased 'This Christmas', which was a track from her album 'Christmas through your eyes'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5254
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Montuno' / 'This Christmas', 'Go away (single remix)'

Rockin' around the Christmas tree - Mel & Kim

Mel Smith and Kim Wilde were asked to record a song for Comic Relief, to be released just in time for Christmas 1987. At the time, Mel and Kim Appleby were storming the charts as Mel & Kim, so this 'Mel & Kim' release was quite an original invention.

The 12" single features extra comedy dialogues by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys-Jones, who were wellknown for their comedy TV series 'Alas Smith & Jones'. Kim Wilde still sings 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' live whenever an appropriate occasion comes up, such as this month's Quofestive tour together with Roy Wood and Status Quo.

My collection: 12" single no. 61
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree (The Mega Merry Magimix)' / 'Deck the blooming halls' (The Mel Smith Yuletide Choir)

Experiment IV - Kate Bush

Kate Bush released 'Experiment IV' in October 1986 as a single from the compilation album 'The whole story'. The song tells a story about a secret military plan to create a sound that is horrific enough to kill people. The ending of the story is unclear, but in the music video nearly every person working on the project is killed by the horrific sound, which is personified by Bush herself as she changed from an angelic woman into a banshee (a horrifying screaming apparition of Irish lore).

The 12" single features an extended mix which highlights the violin solos by Nigel Kennedy even more than in the single version. An extra bonus is the track 'December will be magic again' on the B-side, which gives this disc some relevance for Christmas.

My collection: 12" single no. 37
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Experiment IV (12" mix)' / 'Wuthering heights (new vocal)', 'December will be magic again'

Cheers then - Bananarama

'Cheers then' appears on Bananarama's 1983 debut album 'Deep sea skiving' and was released as its third single. The song was the first Bananarama single to be written by group members Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward and also their first ballad release.

The 12" single remix has a decidedly seasonal flavour to it, with added jingle bells. The song was originally recorded in January 1982, but the single was released in December of that year.

My collection: 12" single no. 611
Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, December 5, 2011
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Cheers then (extended version)' / 'Girl about town (extended version)'

Merry Christmas darling - The Carpenters

The voice of Karen Carpenter is almost universally lauded as one of the loveliest ever recorded. No wonder, then, that the Carpenters tried their hand at a Christmas recording. 'Merry Christmas darling' was originally recorded in 1970. The single reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.

In 1978, The Carpenters issued their 'Christmas Portrait' album, which contained a new remix of 'Merry Christmas Darling'. The original 1970 mix continued to be used for all single releases, however. The major difference between it and the 1978 version is a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter on the latter. Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister's very best.

My collection: 7" single no. 5008
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Merry Christmas darling' / 'Ticket to ride', 'Saturday'

Christmas through your eyes - Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan was very popular in the second half of the Eighties, but it seemed she lost her touch in the Nineties somehow. She remained popular for her solid fanbase, of course, but the rest of the world didn't seem to care as much anymore.

Maybe her music became too predictable. Even 'Christmas through your eyes', released in 1992 in time for the Christmas season, never became a seasonal classic, which for most artists is very easy once they have become a household name. The song is nice enough, but the Megamix on the B-side is a nice treat, too.

My collection: 7" single no. 4996
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 15, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Christmas through your eyes' / 'Megamix'

Saturday night - The Blue Nile

I bought this 12" single of 'Saturday night' a few years after its release. When I spotted it, I wasn't entirely sure whether a cd-single of this release also existed - and so I snapped it up. Of course, a few years later I would find the cd-single with exactly the same track listing. Still, it is nice to showcase this disc here - and on a Saturday too.

On the B-side an instrumental piece called 'Our lives' appears, divided in three parts, entited 'Lost', 'Bolivia' and 'New York'.

My collection: 12" single no. 209
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1994
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Saturday night (edit)', 'Saturday night (album version)' / 'Our lives'

The big sky - Kate Bush

The last release from Kate Bush's milestone album 'Hounds of love' was 'The big sky'. The track was remixed for the single release and the 12" single featured an extended remix of the track plus a previously unreleased B-side called 'Not this time', a euphoric singalong track that remains quite rare in Kate's musical output.

I remember having a hard time deciding to buy this disc. Of course I was very much into Kate Bush but the constant flow of singles meant a drain on my pocket money. In the end, I bought this disc a few months after its release - just before it became unavailable in fact.

My collection: 12" single no. 31
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'The big sky (Metereological mix)' / 'Not this time', 'The morning fog'

I'm not scared - Eighth wonder

The Pet Shop Boys produced 'I'm not scared' for Eighth Wonder, the group with frontwoman Patsy Kensit. She appeared in the BBC programme 'Saturday kitchen' earlier this month, with some people commenting that she looked like she'd had some cosmetic surgery done. Shame, because she always looked so great in the past and cosmetic surgery rarely does anything to enhance looks. Just ask Pete Burns.

The single 'I'm not scared' was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Phil Harding. This 12" single features an extended 'disco mix'. I looked for the cd-single for ages, but it's very hard to find a copy for a reasonable price. So in the mean time, this disc will have to do.

My collection: 12" single no. 433
Found: House of Rhythm, London, 2003
Cost: 1,4 pounds
Tracks: 'I'm not scared (disco mix)' / 'I'm not scared', 'J'ai pas peur'

Secret land - Sandra

Personally I consider 'Secret land' to be one of Sandra's best ever tracks. The 12" single was particularly interesting for its inclusion of both an extended remix (called the 'reverse mix') and a dub version. The melody of the track and the rhythms are engaging enough to keep the listener interested throughout the length of the entire disc.

'Secret land' was taken from Sandra's third album, which again I consider to be her best. After this album, her music became increasingly 'Enigma'-ish, and less pop.

My collection: 12" single no. 204
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Secret land (Reverse mix)' / 'Secret land (single version)', 'Secret land (dub mix)'

Hounds of love - Kate Bush

The third single from Kate Bush's classic album 'Hounds of love' (1985) was the title track. Released in February 1986, the single came with an unreleased B-side: the near-acapella 'The handsome cabin boy'.

The 12" single featured an alternative version of 'Hounds of love', apparently created by Kate in the autumn of 1985. With less lyrics and a different backing track, it was a real treat for fans who had been waiting for the album for three years. It seemed an eternity back then, but later in life fans would learn that Kate wouldn't always be as prolific as she's been in 1978 or 2011.

My collection: 12" single no. 25
Found: Free Record Shop, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Alternative Hounds of love' / 'Jig of life', 'The handsome cabin boy'

Love pains - Liza Minelli

After the American and European 12" single of Liza Minelli's 'Love pains', I should probably confess that I have the UK 12" single as well. It's the least interesting of the three, since all tracks can be found on the other two, but the truth is, the sleeve is so different from the other two even my photographic memory didn't help much when I thought of whether I had this one or not.

Or at least, that's how I remember it. But in fact, this was the first one I bought, so the other two discs were improvements on this one.

My collection: 12" single no. 186
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1993
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Love pains (Steve 'Silk' Hurley's remix)' / 'Love pains (Deep dub)', 'Rent'

Cloudbusting - Kate Bush

The American 12" single of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting' was released a year after the European one. EMI had just released 'The whole story', a compilation album of Kate's biggest hits between 1978 and 1985, and used this album as a vehicle to promote her music Stateside.

'Cloudbusting' appears on this disc as the 'Meteorological mix', which is actually a mislabeling: it is the 'Organon remix', whereas the single 'The big sky' was released in Europe in a 'Meteorological mix' a few months before this disc. A cd-single of 'Cloudbusting' was also released in the USA - and I'm still looking for a copy...

My collection: 12" single no. 15 (2)
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Cloudbusting (Meteorological mix) [= The Organon remix]' / 'The man with the child in his eyes', 'Sat in your lap'

Heaven can wait - Sandra

Sandra released 'Heaven can wait' as the first single from her third studio album 'Into a secret land'. Sandra had just gotten married to her producer Michael Cretu and they had moved to Ibiza. The album would showcase a more open sound, and stronger melodies than in the two previous albums.

The 12" single contained three versions of the song, all of them quite similar to the album version that appeared shortly afterwards.

My collection: 12" single no. 203
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1993
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Heaven can wait (extended version)' / 'Heaven can wait (dub mix)', 'Heaven can wait (single version)'

Bon Anniversaire - Guesch Patti & Encore

'Bon anniversaire' was released as the fourth and final single from Guesch Patti's 1988 album 'Labyrinthe'. The single failed to chart, although the song was a good single choice in my humble opinion.

This 12" single features a remix version of the track, which is 90 seconds longer than the original version.

My collection: 12" single no. 458
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Bon anniversaire (version remix)' / 'Bon anniversaire', 'Backstage d'une star'