I won't steal away - Time Bandits

I didn't actually like I won't steal away much when it came out, but in 2001 I actually bought the single. Tastes change, as they say. These days I think it's one of the band's better songs, so it's no surprise that when the opportunity came up to buy a stack of 12" singles, this was the one I picked up the quickest.

The extended remix was created by John Smit and Dan Hartman. The latter also produced this track - although you wouldn't need me to tell you that; it was advertised quite boldly on the sleeve of the disc.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I won't steal away (extended remix)' / 'Cool world'

See that glow - This Island Earth

Once popular Eighties tune verging on the forgotten - and then the 12" single. That's really what I like. Some 12" singles were never released on cd, and this one is an example of that. I already owned the single for many years, when I found this disc. I was immediately curious.

'See that glow' only made it to cd once, and of course that was only the 7" version. This extended version, then, is a true exclusive for this blog. Try as you might, you will not find it online. Until now!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record Exchange, London
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'See that glow [extended version]' / 'Fireflowers', 'See that glow (version)'

F.L.M. - Mel & Kim

There are rumours that a new Mel & Kim release is on its way. Although many compilation albums have already seen the light of day, there are still tracks out there that have only been released on vinyl. I'm not sure if any of the tracks on this 12" single are still unreleased on CD, though. Almost every Mel & Kim track has been remixed to death - especially the singles of course.

F.L.M. was the third single from their debut album of the same name, and in Germany it came in a special multicoloured vinyl version.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'F.L.M. (12")' / 'F.L.M. (club mix)', 'F.L.M. (dub mix)'

Dancing on a string - Time Bandits

Having bought a stack of Time Bandits 12" singles recently, you're bound to see more tracks of the band on this blog. This is the 12" single of 'Dancing on a string', the first of two in fact. I bought the single in 2010 and was pleasantly surprised - and this 12" extended mix continues that trend.

The remix was created by Ake Danielson, Kim Haworth and Ben Liebrand. The latter is of course well known for his many remixes for Dutch radio.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing on a string (extended)' / 'Dancing on a string (instrumental)', 'I'm only shooting love (dub version)'

Sweet release - Trouser Enthusiasts

Along with the other 12" I bought last year, this one arrived. It's a second disc of remixes of the only track released by the Trouser Enthusiasts on their own, 'Sweet release'. There are many versions of this track, which shouldn't be surprising for an act that has always been deeply into dance remixes.

For some time, I have collected and compiled Trouser Enthusiasts remixes and I think it's a shame they don't make new remixes anymore. This 12" was a nice addition to my collection. The CD-single of this track is, unfortunately, much too expensive.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 2015.
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Sweet release (Friday Night Posse mix)' / 'Sweet release (Harry Hard mix)'

I can laugh about it now - Black

As described in this blog before, the single 'I can laugh about it now' was released in Spain only, in 1989, presumably as the fourth single from his album 'Comedy'. While the 7" single was very hard to find, the 12" single was even more so. It was only thanks to the indispensible website Discogs.com, where I had the disc on my wish list, that it suddenly popped up when someone offered it for sale. This happens occasionally, I guess, but this time I was quick enough to snap it up. (Ironically, there are three copies for sale right now - but they are more expensive.)

The 12" single adds a third track to the two already available on the 7" single, and it is 'Under wraps' - a track that would be released in the UK three years later when the single 'Fly up to the moon' was released. The history of that track is an interesting one, since it was already demo'd in the mid-Eighties. How it ended up being released in Spain first, I truly do not know.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received July 2016
Cost: 12 euro
Tracks: 'I can laugh about it now' / 'All we need is the money [live]', 'Under wraps'

Way of the world - Max Q

The song 'Way of the world' by Max Q ended up in my singles collection pretty quickly, and it found its way into my blog eight years ago. A few years after the single, I bought the 12" single for just 50p in a record shop in London. I was pretty interested in remix versions of this song, and the price was of course a good incentive.

It would take a further few years to find the CD-single which I also own now. Since the CD-single contains the same tracks as this 12" single there's a good chance that I will get rid of this disc in due time. For now, it is still in my collection though.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record Exchange, London
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Way of the world (12" mix)', 'Way of the world (7" mix)' / 'Zero-2-0 (Todd Terry mix)', 'Ghost of the year (Todd Terry mix)'

Machinery - Propaganda

I can conclude my trilogy of Propaganda 12" singles today with this one, 'Machinery' from 1985. At the time of release I felt that this song was less strong and impressive than Duel, but three decades later it proves to have stood the test of time well. I'm incredibly fond of the Eighties 12" singles by ZTT anyway, because they were always so full of interesting extended remixes that were truly extended.

In this case, two versions of 'Machinery' are presented, and the 'Polish' version actually almost hits 10 minutes. You are probably tempted to disregard the B-side 'Frozen faces', but don't. It's a very interesting track.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Den Haag, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Machinery (Polish)' / 'Machinery (Passive)', 'Frozen faces'

Is there something I should know? - Duran Duran

The trick of Record Store Day for record companies is to get people to buy stuff they already have another time. Many different strategies are followed: exclusive tracks, posters, different formats, and of course... coloured vinyl.

In the case of 'Is there something I should know' by Duran Duran, which I already owned as a single, the coloured vinyl route was used in 2013. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of this song, EMI released this single on thick blue vinyl. I doubted for a little while but in the end I couldn't resist this one.

My collection: 7" single no. 5859
Found: Record Bag, Vienna, September 25, 2017
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Is there something I should know' / 'Faith in this colour'

All I want - Howard Jones

This single is an interesting one: a limited edition featuring a second disc, containing an interview with Howard Jones conducted by Paul Gambaccini. The other single of All I want that I have featured a booklet gatefold sleeve, so that was already a limited edition, and this one seems to be another one.

As far as I can tell, there's even another version of this single, featuring both discs and a gatefold sleeve. That one was released for promotional purposes only. The release of Howard Jones' 1986 singles was a feast of limited editions.

My collection: 7" single no. 1036a
Found: Discogs.com, received September 2017
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'All I want' / 'Roll right up' // 'Howard Jones interviewed by Paul Gambaccini (part 1)' / 'Howard Jones interviewed by Paul Gambaccini (part 2)'

Live it up - Time Bandits

It's not often that you find a shrink-wrapped 12" single from America from 35 years ago. But my recent order from Denmark gave me just this: a pristine copy of Time Bandits' debut single 'Live it up', remixed for the American market.

As mentioned before,  there were two different 12" singles. This one was released in 1982, whereas the other one was the original release in Europe in 1981. In the mean time, the remix became longer and better.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 August 2017
Cost: $3
Tracks: Live it up (remix) / Juvenile acquiantance

Questo amore - Ricchi e Poveri

'Questo amore' ('This love') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed by Ricchi e Poveri, at the time a quartet consisting of Franco Gatti, Angela Brambati, Angelo Sotgiu and Marina Occhiena. At the close of voting, the song received 53 points, placing 12th in a field of 20 competitors.

I bought this single in one of the strangest record shops I've had the pleasure to visit in Vienna this week. All of the singles cost more than 3 euros (most of them more than 5 euros) and the owners of the shop seemed more interested in their dog than they were in selling. I waited some time before I could pay, then left quickly. I'm not so fond of dogs.

My collection: 7" single no. 5864
Found: Sing Sing Records, Vienna, September 27, 2017
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Questo amore' / 'Anima'

Keeping the love alive - Air Supply

The band Air Supply rarely disappoint, if you like their music. It is almost formulaic but always melodious and catchy. They formed in Australia in 1975 and have included various accompanying musicians and singers.

'Keeping the love alive' was one of the band's lesser known singles, although it was released in Japan and achieved a top 10 status over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5862
Found: Teuchtler records, Vienna, September 25, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Keeping the love alive' / 'Don't turn me away'

Do I have to - Inga Humpe

Inga Humpe (born January 13, 1956 in Hagen) is a German singer, composer and lyricist. With bands like Neonbabies, DÖF and Humpe & Humpe, she is one of the best-known musicians of the New Deutsche Welle. She is the younger sister of Annette Humpe.

Her solo career started in 1989 with the single 'Something Stupid'. A year later, she released this single, a cover of a Pet Shop Boys B-side. The single was taken from her only solo album 'Planet Oz', also released in 1990. These days she is active as a member of the band 2raumwohnung, together with Tommi Eckart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5866
Found: Moses Records, September 27, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Do I have to' / 'Falling (forward)'

Sold gold easy action - T Rex

'Solid Gold Easy Action' was released as a single in 1972 and reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. While the song's musical style lies rooted in the Rock and roll of the 1950s, its lyrics are surrealistic and a typical example of Bolan's nonsense poetry. This song, like many of Bolan's hit singles, uses words such as "satisfaction" and "action". Combined with the rhythm and fast guitar strumming pattern on the song, Bolan creates an image of teenage sexual frustration.

Kerrang! magazine founder Geoff Barton, wrote in an article for Classic Rock magazine that the first two lines of the song, "Life is the same and it always will be / Easy as picking foxes from a tree", appeared to predict Marc Bolan's own death in 1977. The license plate of the car Bolan was in during the fatal collision with a tree was FOX 661L. This is one of many supposed 'prophesies' surrounding Marc Bolan's death.

My collection: 7" single no. 5863
Found: Teuchtler, Vienna, 25 September 2017
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Solid gold easy action' / 'Born to boogie'

In the heat of a passionate moment - Princess

Sometimes buying records involves a little luck as well as knowledge. I didn't recognise the sleeve of this single, a Princess release from 1986. But when I looked at my collection, of course, I already had a single called In the heat of a passionate moment. That one was the German release, featuring a remixed version of the single.

But this is the original single! And it doesn't contain the remix, but the original version. It sounds very much like a Stock/Aitken/Waterman production, like all of their output circa 1986. And a worthy addition to my singles collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5865
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, September 27, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'In the heat of a passionate moment' / 'In the heat of a passionate moment (Garage mix)'

Working with fire and steel - China Crisis

Sometimes I like to upgrade my collection. Through the years I have bought many singles from Europe, whereas everyone knows that the UK pressings are much prettier. When I came across this mint copy of 'Working with fire and steel' by China Crisis, I thought it would be a much better one than the one I had.

When I came home, I found out that I didn't have this single at all! It's one of those omissions that you never really notice until you go search for it. Glad to have bought this single, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 5867
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, September 27, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Working with fire and steel' / 'Dockland', 'Forever I and I'

Love today - Mika

I don't know if anyone even remembers Mika these days. He was very popular when he released his debut album ten years ago, but I don't hear his name anymore. That's not to say that he stopped making music: his recent album 'No place in heaven' (2015) was pretty good, though perhaps not as good as 'The origin of love' (2012).

Anyway, I never bought the 7" singles from his debut album because they were only available for ridiculous prices. I was lucky enough to pick up the single Grace Kelly for just 2,5 euro seven years ago, and again this time, 'Love today' was there for me for just three euros. I wonder if, in time, I can find the other singles this cheap as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5861
Found: Record Bag, Vienna
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Love today' / 'Stuck in the middle (acoustic)'

Turks Fruit - Rogier van Otterloo

It is kindof strange that as a Dutchman you need to go to Austria to find a single that was made by Dutch people and released mainly (but I guess not exclusively) for the Dutch version of Record Store Day. But here we are.

'Turks Fruit' is still the most popular movie ever made in the Netherlands, and not only for its scenes of gratuitous sex (although that helped, obviously). The music was also integral to the success of the movie. This single, pressed on clear red vinyl, features the two main themes of the movie. Central to the theme on the B-side is the harmonica played by Toots Thielemans, who passed away earlier this year. The music was originally released in 1973, whereas this single was released in 2016.

My collection: 7" single no. 5860
Found: Record Bag, Vienna
Cost: 12,90 euro
Tracks: 'Turks Fruit' / 'Dat Mistige Rooie Beest'

Take on me - A-ha

Ah... Record Store Day. The annual feast during which record companies release expensive products that are snapped up by people who actually have record stores in their neighbourhood - if the products they want are actually stocked by those stores.

The picture disc of 'Take on me' by A-ha eluded me until now, because Den Haag no longer has decent record shops anymore. I actually saw a copy in a store once but they asked 40 euros for it. 40 euros! I mean, seriously? Online these things cost less than half that - but the added postage makes it more expensive again. Which is why I was happy to find this copy during my trip to Vienna earlier this week. Sure, I still paid too much for it, but a chance like this never comes up again, I am sure. The single is special because of the picture disc, and the B-side, which is a live version from Dermot O'Leary's Saturday Sessions on BBC Radio 2 on 25 July 2009.

My collection: 7" single no. 5858
Found: Record Bag, Vienna
Cost: 19,90 euro
Tracks: 'Take on me' / 'Take on me (live)'

Listen to the song

Bad Boy - Freddie Starr

Marty Wilde's 'Bad Boy' has been covered a good many times, and some versions are more rare than others. I couldn't find Freddie Starr's version online, so there was nothing I could do except buy the single. These days you can buy singles online so easily, it only depends what you're prepared to pay for them. I try to be as selective as I can.

Freddie Starr, born 9 January 1943, was an English comedian who was previously the lead singer of the Merseybeat pop group the Midnighters. He released several solo albums during the 1970's and 1980's. 'Bad boy' was released in 1975, but it wasn't a hit. After the death of sex offender Jimmy Saville, Starr became one of the suspects but the Crown Prosecution Office decided not to bring charges on the grounds of 'insufficient evidence'. He lost a subsequent court case against his accuser, causing him to flee to an apartment in Spain.

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 September 2017.
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Bad boy' / 'Only sixteen'

Listen to the song

Romancing the stone - Eddy Grant

In 1984 Eddy Grant composed the song 'Romancing the stone' for the movie of the same name. Strangely enough, the song was not used. The movie’s producers left nearly all of the song on the cutting room floor and completely off the soundtrack album. Only a remnant of the song — a guitar solo — can be heard in the scene when Douglas and Turner are in a small house in the jungle.

Eddy Grant then decided to release the track himself on his album 'Going for broke'. Released as a single, it was not a hit in the UK. However, across the Atlantic, it romanced its way into the Top 30 and became his first hit since 'Electric avenue'. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1994
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'Romancing the stone (alternative version)' / 'My turn to love you (live)'

Fallen - Sarah McLachlan

Although I have a near-complete collection of Sarah McLachlan albums and singles on CD, she rarely features on this blog, and that's because there's not a whole lot of stuff on vinyl from her - especially when I focus on tracks that are only available on vinyl.

This 12" single is a nice exception. These two remixes of 'Fallen', a track from her 2003 album 'Afterglow', both appear on the remix album 'Bloom', released in 2005 - although the 'Satoshi Tomiie Interpretation' only appears on the Japanese edition as a bonus track, and the '
Gabriel & Dresden Anti-Gravity Mix' is over 2 minutes shorter than on this 12" single. So basically, I bought this disc for those two minutes. In my defence, it was an extra disc in a bigger order I received last year.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Fallen (Gabriel & Dresden Anti-Gravity Mix)' / 'Fallen (Satoshi Tomiie Interpretation)'

Physical love - Beloved

The oft-neglected third album by the Beloved 'X' (1996) was not a commercial success, but there were many releases from the album - although most of them were so-called 'white label 12 inches', records pressed mainly for distribution among DJ's and clubs.

One of them was this release, 'Physical love' c/w 'Three steps to heaven'. Both tracks were remixed to almost 10 minute versions, well suited for nighttime club life. Whether these mixes are actually any good.... You be the judge. I do like them in a sort of strange way.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Physical love' / 'Three steps to heaven'

No! Dance with me - Marty Wilde

Released in 1963, 'No! Dance with me' was one of the first singles released by Marty Wilde not to chart after his run of hit singles between 1958 and 1962. The song was written by Marty himself, as might well be the B-side, which is incorrectly credited to Gerald Goffin and Carole King. They did indeed write a song with a similar title, but it does not resemble this song here.

This single was one of five Marty Wilde singles I ordered back in May, but for your pleasure I've spread the posting of them a little bit. After all, this is not a Marty Wilde tribute website - although I am quickly completing my collection now. There's still a handful of - rather expensive - singles missing, but I'll get there eventually.

My collection: 7" single no. 5822
Found: Recordsale.de, received May 11, 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'No! Dance with me' / 'Little miss Happiness'

Don't look now - Torch Song

It was becoming a bit weird: on the day I bought Ode to Billy Joe, I was quite shocked that I still didn't have a copy of the 7" of Torch Song's 'Don't look now'. Sure, I have the 12" single, but the single remained elusive. So I did what any sensible collector would do: I ordered a copy online. I immediately noticed that apparently no commercial copies were ever made: all I could find was a promotional version, with a radio edit of the song. Which is fine by me: if there is no commercial single to be had, I'll happily make do with a promotional version.

I finally received the single yesterday so here it is, in all its glory. And if you know the full length version of this track you will notice that this edit was cut quite randomly. Which might explain why it didn't become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5856
Found: Discogs.com, received July 31, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Don't look now (radio edit)' / 'P2E (remix) (radio edit)'

Hollywood seven - Alides Hidding

Alides Hidding was born in Schoonoord, the Netherlands on January 30, 1954. He founded the Dutch band the Time Bandits that enjoyed international success. But before that, he released a solo single which even in the Netherlands is not so well known. This is surprising, because it was a hit.

'Hollywood seven' was released in June 1980 and reached number 25 in the Dutch top 40. It was a very American sounding song. I remember being very surprised when I found out this was actually a Dutchman.

My collection: 7" single no. 1820

Found: Record palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: Hollywood seven / All alone

Reach out - Time Bandits

When a 12" single announces that a special re-mix is provided by Ben Liebrand, you know you're in for a treat. During the Eighties, Ben Liebrand made a name for himself by making remixes of chart hits on a weekly basis for a Dutch radio programme. Also, at the end of the year he would make a 60 minute remix containing much of the best and biggest hits of the year.

'Reach out' was released by the Time Bandits in 1984, when they had their biggest success with previous singles 'Listen to the man with the golden voice' and 'I'm only shooting love'. 'Reach out' doesn't quite have the same impact but this remix does make the song that much more attractive.


My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Reach out (special re-mix by Ben Liebrand)' / 'Ushi girl'

More than the sun - Black

Despite keeping rather up to date on what happened in the UK in the Eighties, partially thanks to a local radio station I listened to on a daily basis and the satellite TV channel Music Box, I didn't know about this single when it came out. I had seen and heard its predecessor 'Hey presto' numerous times so I knew about the band Black already, but I would only find out about Black again in 1987, when 'Sweetest smile' hit the TV screen.

The tracks on this 12" single came to me via a compilation album released by WEA in 1987 after 'Wonderful life' was such a success. After buying that album, the hunt for this 12" single was on, but it would take me some years to get hold of it. Best track on this one? Without a doubt, 'Butterfly man'. A mysterious piece of music that wouldn't be out of place in the current (third) season of Twin Peaks.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'More than the sun', 'Butterfly man' / 'I could kill you', 'Widemouth', 'Stephen'

Duel - Propaganda

It took Propaganda a year to release a follow-up to Dr Mabuse. Or rather, their record company because after the phenomenal success of Frankie goes to Hollywood they seemed a little fazed.But when 'Duel' was finally released, it was a big success, especially in the Netherlands where the single peaked at number 5. In the UK, the single only reached number 21.

The 12" single featured extended versions of both the A- and B-side. 'Jewel', on the B-side, was simply a different, more industrial-sounding version of 'Duel'. As always, the record company ZTT made the sleeve of the 12" single look very different from the 7" version, creating a very interesting item for fans and collectors.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Cost: 7,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Duel (Bittersweet)' / 'Jewel (Cut rough)'

Elizabeth's eyes - Nik Kershaw

Released in 1989, Nik Kershaw's fourth album 'The Works' wasn't the commercial success it might (or should) have been. Only two singles were taken from the album, of which 'Elizabeth's eyes' was the second. This 12" single features an extended version of the track as well as a dub version.

According to Nik: "The single is a song written from the point of view a guy called Willie Darden, who was America's longest serving death row prisoner. He was on death row for fifteen years and during the last twelve years of his life he corresponded with a lady in Essex called Elisabeth Allen who's a school teacher. The two never met and they sort of developed a relationship over the years, which is very strange 'cause they never actually existed, a lot of it existed in the mind of Darden. I was trying to imagine how he felt - I've read some of the letters which are absolutely unbelievable - they're poetry, they're love letters, they're incredible things." The song's final line of the third verse reads "Tuesday at seven I will find my heaven, and I'll see you there", which is accurate to the time and death of Darden in reality, on Tuesday, 15 March 1988 at 7am.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Elisabeth's eyes (extended version)' / 'My friend John', 'Elisabeth's eyes (club dub)'

Sweet release - Trouser Enthusiasts

Through the years you will have seen a few remixes by Trouser Enthusiasts on this blog, but so far I didn't write about their only single, 'Sweet release'. Released in 1999 as a limited edition, it has been hard to find a copy at a reasonable price but I finally succeeded last year, in combination with a couple of other 12" singles ordered online.

Ian Masterson and David Green formed Trouser Enthusiasts in the mid-1990's. They were best known as producers of pop and dance remixes, having worked for, most prominently, Pet Shop Boys, Dannii Minogue, and Saint Etienne. 'Sweet release' was their only original single, which didn't trouble the singles charts.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Sweet release (Trouser Enthusiasts' Full On Mix)' / 'Sweet release (Olmec Heads remix)', 'Sweet release ('Trouser Enthusiasts Second Coming)'

Hon går rakt fram - Leyla

'Hon går rakt fram', backed with 'En enda rad' are actually Swedish-language covers of Kim Wilde's 'Love blonde' and Yazoo's 'Nobody's diary' respectively. They were originally released on an album by the band Cotton Club in 1984. The album featured more cover versions, such as Thompson Twins' 'Hold me now' and Eurythmics' 'Sweet dreams' - all in Swedish.

For some reason, when this single was released, the band name was dropped and the single was credited to Leyla, which is Leyla Yilbar-Norgren, who was the lead singer on these two tracks. She released two more singles but then faded into anonymity.

My collection: 7" single no. 5770
Found: Discogs.com, received July 27, 2016
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Hon går rakt fram' / 'En enda rad'

Wonderful life - Black

I can't claim to have had a deep personal relationship with Colin Vearncombe, the man behind Black, but still his death in January 2016 hit me harder than any other musician's death ever did. And speaking of death: his 'Wonderful life' will probably end up being played when my funeral comes up. And you never know when that is.

'Wonderful life' was originally released in 1986 on the Ugly Man label. It was on the strength of this release and its indie chart success that Black ended up being signed on A&M Records. This song was their third single release on A&M and that version ended up being a worldwide hit. When you listen to the version of this 12" single, from 1986, you can hear subtle differences. The B-side contains the track 'Birthday night' which was never re-recorded, and an early version of 'Everything's coming up roses', which ended up being re-recorded and released as Black's first single for A&M. I was not even that keen on buying the 12" single when I did some 25 years ago - after all, I already had the double 7" single version - but now I'm very glad to own it.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: early 1990's
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Wonderful life' / 'Birthday night', 'Everything's coming up roses'

Mean woman blues - Marty Wilde

'Les rois du rock' declares the sleeve of this single, which means that it is some kind of reissue series, released in France. And indeed it is: 14 singles exist in this series, featuring artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and indeed, on vol. 10, Marty Wilde.

'Mean woman blues' and 'So glad you're mine' were never released as a single originally. Both tracks were taken from Marty's 1959 album 'Wilde about Marty'. The release date of the series 'Les rois du rock' is unknown because there is no year stated on the label. One source suggests that volume 1 was released in 1969, so this is most likely a late 1960's release.

My collection: 7" single no. 5855
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received July 19, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Mean woman blues' / 'So glad you're mine'

That's the way (I like it) - KC & the Sunshine Band

Those hit songs of the Seventies, they end up in your collection no matter how long you resist them. 'That's the way (I like it)' was one of the biggest anthems of the Seventies. The KC & the Sunshine Band classic was a number 1 hit in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands. In the UK it only reached number 4. Still, the song remains imprinted in the memories of millions of people because of its repeated airplay during the past four decades.

So how did this single finally get into my collection, 42 years after its release? In January, my wife visited a shop and, knowing that I still collect 7" singles, she came home with this single. I could never resist a freebie...

My collection: 7" single no. 5787
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 6, 2017
Cost: free
Tracks: 'That's the way (I like it)' / 'Ain't nothin' wrong'

Dis rien - François Deguelt

I bought François Deguelt's first Eurovision title, Ce soir-là, three years ago, and here's the second one. In 1962 he returned to the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Monaco for the second time with the song 'Dis rien'. While he finished in third place in 1960, this performance improved on that, because he finished second with this song.This EP presents four songs by Deguelt.

He continued to perform on the nostalgia circuit in French speaking countries, until his death at the age of 81 on January 22, 2014.

My collection: 7" single no. 5840
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dis rien', 'Don Juan' / 'Capuccina', 'L'animal blessé'

The sun rising - Beloved

Another band that has always fascinated me are the Beloved. They released some very interesting songs in the Eighties and Nineties, and there were plenty of remixes around too. I decided to pick up missing 12" singles last year - and there were a few.

This 12" single of 'The sun rising' is a good example. I already owned the 7" single and the CD-single, but this 12" features a few remixes that were not issued on CD. As with most of the Beloved's remixes, they're worth hearing too because they always sound fresh.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The sun rising (Il sole sorge)', 'The sun rising (Intensità)' / 'The sun rising (Danny's 'Love is...' remix)', 'The sun rising (Son of the rising house)'

Radio Heart - featuring Gary Numan

Having described my 7" single of 'Radio Heart' in 2009, it's not bad to add the 12" single today. I've owned it for years already, but somehow it didn't make it onto this blog yet. Maybe it's because the extended version of 'Radio Heart' is a little unremarkable: it simply adds some instrumental parts of the song in the middle, making it a 6 minute version instead of the 4'20 single version.

Gary Numan is, of course, still going strong, but Radio Heart only existed for one album and three singles.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered] 
Found: unknown
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Radio Heart (extended mix)' / 'Radio Heart (instrumental)'

Swell - Salt Tank

A little sigh comes over my lips every time I hear about new work by Tori Amos these days. As far as I'm concerned, she did her best work in the Nineties and then for some reason the fire went out and she started doing rehashes of her old work or uninspired semi-classical ditties. I would do anything for concert tickets back in the Nineties, whereas now I simply do not care.

Back in the Nineties, many exciting things happened. Not only did Tori release her quintessential albums 'Little Earthquakes', 'Under the pink' and 'From the choirgirl hotel', but she also worked with remixers like BT for more dance-oriented tracks. This remix by Salt Tank was another interesting one: 'Eugina' features her vocals, although in this case it was a random sample. This 12" single set was part of a bigger order online, and I bought it for old times sake. I have to say these tracks puzzle me and I'm not sure if I'll play them a lot.

Who do you hear in the tracks 'Eden' and 'Orinoco', on the other hand? Well, it's Kate Bush. And she is still the Goddess she's always been of course.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Eden' / 'Flammable' // 'Eugina (Pacific rage)', 'Orinoco' / 'Origin of species', 'Astral'

Love will keep us together - Captain & Tennille

Two years ago, Kim Wilde released a cover version of Captain & Tennille's 'Love will keep us together' on a compilation album of Eighties artists covering Seventies tracks. Out of all the tracks on that compilation, this was the only song I didn't know - which surprised me because I always think I have a rather complete knowledge of pop music from the mid-Seventies onwards. Released in 1975, 'Love will keep us together' didn't become a hit in the Netherlands, which could explain this gap in my memory.

I figured I would buy this single when I came across it cheaply, and last Friday, I did. Just to add to my collection of 'songs covered by Kim Wilde' - one of my many subcollections.

My collection: 7" single no. 5852
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Love will keep us together' / 'Gentle stranger'

I can't stay away from you - Viola Wills

Released in 1981, 'I can't stay away from you' was an ill-fated single for Viola Wills. Best known for her disco hits 'Gonna get along without you now' and 'If you could read my mind', this song was simply too middle of the road for the disco generation, which had probably moved on anyway.

I actually bought this single for the B-side: a cover version of one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded: Chicago's 'If you leave me now'. Unfortunately, this disco version also disappoints. Still, sometimes curiousity has to win and it's a nice enough single to add to my collection. Although Viola continued to record albums and singles until well into the Nineties, she did not have another hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5854
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I can't stay away from you'/ 'If you leave me now'

When day is done - Marty Wilde

I guess I'm not giving away a big secret when I say that Marty Wilde is a big fan of Elvis Presley. Out of all of his recordings, I find it's most evident in this recording: 'When day is done', released as a single in 1964.

The song was originally written in 1924 by Austrian composer Robert Katscher as 'Madonna, du bist schöner als der Sonnenschein'. It was translated into English by Buddy DeSylva and released as 'When day is done' in 1926. The earliest recordings were made by Art Kahn, Harry Archer and his Orchestra and Nat Shilkret. Later the song was covered by artists such as George Benson, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and indeed Marty Wilde. His version didn't become a hit, although listening to this I can't imagine why not. Simply beautiful!

My collection: 7" single no. 5844
Found: Discogs.com, received June 25, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'When day is done' / 'I can't help the way that I feel'

Jesamine - Jason Chase

Some singles are mysterious. This single by Jason Chase is a good example. Released in 1968 on the Atco label in the USA, it features two cover versions: the A-side is a version of Marty Wilde and Jack Gellar's 'Jesamine' (made famous by the Casuals), and the B-side is a version of Leonard Cohen's 'Suzanne'.

But who is Jason Chase? Other than the fact that he sings both these tracks and has also produced them, there is no information anywhere about this man. I'd be interested to find out more, but for now, he remains a total mystery.

My collection: 7" single no. 5849
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2017
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Jesamine' / 'Suzanne'

Wrong - Everything but the girl

Just like Walking wounded and Single, 'Wrong' was released as a jukebox-only 7" single. I only found out about this quite recently, and this prompted me to get hold of these singles as quickly as possible. Thanks to the internet, it isn't so hard to find rare singles these days, although obviously it depends on how much you'd like to spend on them.

I do have to wonder why record companies in 1996 felt it wasn't necessary to release vinyl singles commercially anymore. They were obviously being made, so why not make them available to the general public? But then, the workings of the record industry have baffled me ever since those days anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received June 1, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Wrong (Todd Terry remix edit)' / 'Wrong (Deep Dish remix edit)'

Dr. Mabuse - Propaganda

As you may have gathered from today's entires, I am cleaning up my 12" singles collection. Or rather, I'm going through them to see whether there's any stuff I haven't yet digitised. I was pleased to see that there's not a whole lot of work left to do, although there have been some surprising omissions. For instance, I haven't posted any of my Propaganda 12" singles!

I only have three of them, but they're the classics: taken from their debut album, both the songs and their respective 12" singles have been exciting. To begin with, there's 'Dr. Mabuse': a song that was transformed into a 10 minute epic, backed with an impressive cover version of Lou Reed's 'Femme fatale'. Time to rectify the situation. 'Duel' and 'Machinery' are due to follow soon, of course!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Price: unknown
Tracks: 'Das Testament des Mabuse' / 'Femme fatale (The woman with the orchid)', '(The ninth life of) Dr. Mabuse'

Let me go - Wendy Wu

On the back cover of this 12" single it is announced: 'produced by Tony Mansfield'. For those in the know, this is a recommendation. For Tony Mansfield was also the backbone of New Musik, he produced A-ha's debut, as well as producing acts like Captain Sensible and Naked Eyes.

Wendy Wu's career was more short-lived: she released just three singles, of which 'Let me go' was the last one. However, on those singles she worked with Graham Gouldman, Gary Barnacle and Tony Mansfield respectively. After these singles flopped she went on to work with Visage's Steve Strange in the band Strange Cruise.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, 201X
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Let me go (long version)' / 'Love tonight'

Invincible - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar had her biggest success with 'Love is a battlefield', but after that single a few more slightly successful titles followed. One of them was 'Invincible', a song taken from the soundtrack of 'The legend of Billie Jean'.

I owned the single since it came out, but I never bought the 12" single at the time. I bought it a couple of years ago and then it again disappeared anonymously in my collection. It's a shame, because this is a really decent extended version of that track.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Invincible (extended version)' / 'Invincible (instrumental)', 'Heartbreaker'

Come summer - Fra Lippo Lippi

The sleeve of Fra Lippo Lippi's 'Come summer' is one of the most beautiful sleeve designs ever. Made by StyleForEveryMood in Stockholm, it looks deceptively simple: just a beautiful image with the lyric of the song printed over it. Sometimes you wonder how people come up with something like this.

The song, of course, is no less beautiful. Taken from the band's album 'Songs', it followed 'Shouldn't have to be like that' but didn't achieve the same amount of international success. It's strange, because it is the better of the two songs. Even three decades ago, people didn't recognise a hit when it was slammed in their face.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Den Haag, 1993
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Come summer (extended, remixed)' / 'Come summer', 'Even tall trees bend (original version)'

Live it up - Time Bandits

This copy of the 12" single of Time Bandits' debut single 'Live it up' was not in a very good shape when I bought it. My needle kept sliding off the record after playing a few seconds, barricades by clouds of dust. Fortunately, it was nothing that a good cleaning session couldn't fix.

There were actually two 12" singles of 'Live it up' back in 1981: a version with a remix of over 7 minutes, and this one, which just contains the album version of the track. The single version was shorter by a minute or so, so this could still be considered an 'extended' version, but I guess some fans felt disappointed back then after hearing this one...

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Live it up' / 'Juvenile acquaintance'