Word up - Melanie G

After the Nineties were taken over by the Spice Girls, the group fell apart as quickly as they'd appeared in the charts and the members all went solo. Melanie G - who was previously called Melanie B, but changed that last letter after her marriage with Jimmy Gulzar - released a cover version of Cameo's 'Word up' in 1999. Interesting fact: 'Word up' was actually her only release as Melanie G. In 2000 she released her debut album 'Hot' as Melanie B. That's how brief her marriage was...

This jukebox release features the song in the radio edit and a remix version. I wasn't particularly intent on owning this single but as part of a bigger mail order I didn't mind getting it, especially since it wasn't that expensive.

My collection: 7" single no. 6020
Found: Discogs.com, received March 19, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Word up (radio edit)' / 'Word up (Tim's dance mix)'

Menina do alto da serra - Tonicha

Tonicha was born as Antónia de Jesus Montes Tonicha on 8 March 1946, in Beja, Alentejo, Portugal. She represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, with the song 'Menina do alto da serra' ('Girl from the country mountain'). She finished on ninth place in a field of eighteen competitors.

'Menina do alto da serra' is a classic Eurovision song, the kind you don't get to hear anymore these days. It's beautiful and melodious. This copy comes straight from Portugal, where I ordered it, and despite its age it looks almost like new.

My collection: 7" single no. 6012
Found: Discogs.com, received March 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Menina do alto da serra' / 'Mulher'

Midnight - Coldplay

Coldplay has become, for some, the epitome of uncool. Still the band manages to release some cool songs from time to time - although I must say that I lost track of them in recent years. I couldn't resist buying this single, though: it was released for Record Store Day in 2014, and limited to just 3000 copies. The B-side contains no music - it just has an etching which frankly isn't even that beautiful. 'Midnight' was taken from the band's album 'Ghost stories', also released in 2014.

I found this single while shopping in Delft, in a real 'bricks and mortar' record shop. 'Support your local record shop' a huge banner inside screamed. 'I would love to', I thought, 'but where I live there are no more record shops'. Still I didn't mind supporting this record shop because they did have a good selection: I also bought two cd's together with this single. It was a good day. It felt good buying music in a real record shop. Shit, I'm getting old.

My collection: 7" single no. 6017
Found: Sounds, Delft, March 16, 2019
Tracks: 'Midnight'

Leyla - Vayta

Vayta was born as Seid Memić on March 8, 1950. He was the vocalist for the Yugoslav rock band Teška Industrija between 1975 and 1979. In 1981, he was selected to represent Yugoslavia with the song 'Leyla'. The song ended up in 15th place in a field of 20 competitors, despite its noticeable dramatic qualities. This single is a Portuguese copy, which isn't surprising because it came from a Portuguese seller from whom I ordered quite a few singles.

Vayta went on to present a children's programme throughout the Eighties. In 2007, Teška Industrija reunited and released a new album, 'Kantina'. They continued to released new albums, their most recent being 'Selfie' (2016).

My collection: 7" single no. 6014
Found: Discogs.com, received March 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Leyla (Yugoslavian version)' / 'Leyla (English version)'

Both sides now - Clannad & Paul Young

After a successful album campaign for 'From time to time', a collection of Paul's hits since he went solo, he recorded 'Both sides now' with those Irish folk giants Clannad. The track was created for the motion picture 'Switch'. The single wasn't very successful; it peaked at number 74 in the UK singles chart. At the same time, it was the first time that Clannad appeared in the Canadian singles chart. No wonder: 'Both sides now' was a cover of a song by their beloved Joni Mitchell.

The B-side of this single features 'Broken man', a track taken from Paul's debut album 'No parlez'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6008
Found: Discogs.com, received March 9, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Both sides now' / 'Broken man'

Matador - Jeff Wayne

People who know me, know that any activities involving sports or anything associated with sports turn me off big time. So it's quite ironic that I should buy this single - a theme tune for the 1982 World Cup. In my defence: this is a Jeff Wayne single and since I am slightly obsessed with Jeff Wayne this single qualified as a nice-to-have in my book.

It was one of Jeff's first single releases since the very successful 'War of the worlds' campaign and it is an interesting instrumental piece. The B-side is named 'Henry Higgins', presumably titled after the English bullfighter who lived between 1944 and 1978. 'Matador' reached number 57 in the UK singles charts in the summer of 1982.

My collection: 7" single no. 6010
Found: Discogs.com, received March 12, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Matador' / 'Henry Higgins'

Bravo tu as gagné - Mireille Mathieu

I wonder how many Abba fans are aware that this track happened. I don't recall any news items about this back in 1981, but it is pretty astounding that Benny, Björn and Frida contributed backing vocals to 'Bravo tu as gagné', a French cover version of their then-recent hit 'The winner takes it all', recorded by Mireille Mathieu. The back cover of this single even shows a photograph of the four in the studio. Why Agnetha wasn't present, I don't know - she was probably sulking at home somewhere.

The song was actually produced by Benny and Björn as well, which makes it almost an Abba single. I found this single while shopping online. It was a big surprise for me, especially since the single wasn't particularly expensive. You'd think that any rare Abba track would fetch a lot of money.

My collection: 7" single no. 6009
Found: Discogs.com, received March 9, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Bravo tu as gagné' / 'Viens chanter pour le Bon Dieu'

Die Roboter - Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk singles are pretty rare, so whenever I see one for an affordable price I leap at the chance to own it. Even if, in this case, the state of the sleeve is a bit questionable. 'Die Roboter' is the original German version of the track better known as 'The robots' in English speaking countries, and it was released in 1978.

Taken from the album 'Die Mensch Machine', the single reached number 25 in the German singles chart and number 23 in Austria. The track was remixed for the album 'The Mix' in 1991 and got to number 18 in Germany then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6006
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Die Roboter' / 'Spacelab'

Bang-a-boomerang - Sven & Charlotte

Svenne Hedlund and Charlotte Walker met in 1967 when Svenne was the vocalist in the band Hep Stars, which also included Benny Andersson who would go on to form Abba. They spent time together during the Swedish leg of Lotta's concert tour with the American band the Sherrys. Upon Lotta's return to America, the pair missed each other so greatly that Lotta soon travelled back to Sweden; this time with her three children. Seeking parental approval, Lotta also brought her mother to meet Svenne.

After the Hepstars broke up and Abba became a phenomenon  after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, Sven and Charlotte competed in the Swedish national finals for the Contest in 1975 with 'Bang-a-boomerang'. The song was composed by the male members of Abba, who didn't want to represent Sweden a year after having won the contest, so they gave the duo the song instead. It became a big hit in Scandinavia. Abba recorded the song as well, but from a Scandinavian perspective, this is primarily a Seven & Charlotte hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 6005
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Bang-a-boomerang' / 'Roly-poly girl'

The best things in life are free - Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson

The movie 'Mo' Money' featured this track by Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, 'The best things in life are free'. The 12" version presents six versions of that track. It can become a bit of a monotonous affair to listen to these remixes one after another, despite the fact that two different remixers have done their thing.

The first two tracks on the B-side were created by David Morales and Frankie Knuckles, whereas the three other remixes were made by CJ Mackintosh. The whole thing was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who were also responsible for Janet Jackson's other output at the time.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 2, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The best things in life are free (LP version)', 'The best things in life are free (CJ's UK 12" with rap)', 'The best things in life are free (CJ's Mackapella)' / 'The best things in life are free (Classic 12" with rap)', 'The best things in life are free (Def version)', 'The best things in life are free (CJ's UK dub 1)'

Wuthering heights / The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

There's been a lot of attention for Kate Bush these last few months, on the occasion of her 'Remastered' box sets. Re-releases of Kate Bush music have been very scarce - between 1978 and now there has even only been one official compilation album.

Which is why this 'Old gold' single is a bit of a rarity too. It presents Kate's first two hits on one single. It was released in 1983, while EMI also released the 7" singles box set 'The Single File'. Interestingly, this single features the single version of 'The man with the child in his eyes', which has never been released on any Kate Bush CD until now (although it does appear on a compilation CD of love songs somewhere...).

My collection: 7" single no. 6004
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'The man with the child in his eyes'

Don't give up - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush / Big time - Peter Gabriel

During the past year I have 'sanitized' my collection of Kate Bush singles. The ones I had - and which were featured on this blog - were often damaged and/or in damaged sleeves. As a Kate Bush fan, that wouldn't do, so I have bought new copies of most of them by now. There's still a handful missing, but I am almost satisfied that I have good UK, Dutch and German copies of those singles now (and even a few French ones!).

While looking for the last few, I found this American single, featuring 'Don't give up', the famous duet with Peter Gabriel, backed with Gabriel's 'Big time'. It is a re-released 'oldies' single in the 'Back to back hits' series. No-one knows when this single was released, apparently. I couldn't resist buying this little gem.

My collection: 7" single no. 6003
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Don't give up' (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush) / 'Big time' (Peter Gabriel)

Heaven can wait - Paul Young

Having had his biggest successes in the Eighties, Paul Young soldiered on in the Nineties with his album 'Other voices' (1990). One of the singles from that album was the opening track 'Heaven can wait', written by Paul Rutter. The single was a failure, peaking only at number 71 in the UK singles chart.

It would take a duet with Italian singer Zucchero to revive his career a year later, his last top 10 hit 'Senza una donna'. Later albums could not equal the worldwide success he had with his first three solo albums.

My collection: 7" single no. 6002
Found: Discogs.com, received March 1, 2019
Cost: 1,5 pound
Tracks: 'Heaven can wait' / 'Back where I started'

Wisconsin - Peter Shelley

The song 'Wisconsin' appears as the B-side of the single Little Julie, which I bought just six months ago. And here's the UK single of that very song, this time on the A-side. Released on the Magnet label, this single did not reach the UK charts, contrary to 'Gee baby' and Love me love my dog, which were minor hits in the UK.

This single is mainly an addition to my ever expanding Marty Wilde collection, but it has to be said that 'Wisconsin' is a beautiful composition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6001
Found: Discogs.com, received March 1, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Wisconsin' / 'I'm flying'

War of the worlds EP - Jeff Wayne

Several singles from the legendary 'War of the world' album by Jeff Wayne have already been featured on this blog, but today's addition to my collection is especially rare. While I was browing the Discogs website - I have done that a lot lately - I discovered this promotional EP, released in New Zealand only. Normally I wouldn't consider buying a single just like that, but it was cheap and the same seller also had an extremely rare New Zealand pressing of Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America'. It was simply an offer I couldn't resist.

So here it is, a rare EP from New Zealand with four tracks from 'War of the worlds' in edited form. These edits appear on the singles for 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', 'Forever autumn' and 'Thunderchild' as well, but anyway...

My collection: 7" single no. 5999
Found: Discogs.com, received February 20, 2019
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', 'Forever autumn' / 'The fighting machine', 'Thunder child'

The one that got away - Nana Mouskouri

Collecting Eurovision Song Contest singles is both a joy and a pain. The older the singles are, the more expensive they get. And in the case of artists that became famous, they can get very expensive indeed.

You can imagine my surprise when I found this single by Nana Mouskouri in a thrift store during a day out in Haarlem. Nana famously participated in the Contest in 1963 with 'A force de prier' for Luxembourg, but I haven't found that single until now - at least not for a reasonable price. This single features the English version of that song. After buying the single I checked online what it would cost me... Well that would be at least 30 times as much - not including shipping. My day started well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5998
Found: Rataplan, Haarlem, February 19, 2019
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'The one that got away (A force de prier)', 'My colouring book' / 'No moon at all', 'The touch of your lips'

Danswijsje - Corry Brokken

The Eurovision Song Contest isn't often won by the best song, but in 1963 it happened: 'Dansevise' by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann was the winner that year, representing Denmark. It is one of my favourite Eurovision tunes of all time.

What I didn't know was that previous Eurovision winner Corry Brokken (who represented the Netherlands when she won with 'Net als toen' in 1957) recorded a cover version of the song in Dutch. Entitled 'Danswijsje', the lyrics stay fairly true to the original and the music certainly does too. The B-side is called 'Ga niet weg', and that is a cover of the Swiss entry from 1963: 'T'en va pas' by Esther Ofarim, who represented Switzerland. The orchestra on this single was conducted by Jack Bulterman, who also conducted that legendary Dutch jazz ensemble The Ramblers.

My collection: 7" single no. 5997
Found: Discogs.com, received February 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Danswijsje' / 'Ga niet weg'

Save your love for me - Marty Wilde

In my ongoing quest for Marty Wilde singles, I have found yet another one. It is slightly damaged as you can see here, but finding a copy of 'Save your love for me' isn't easy to begin with. Released in 1963, it was one of the first singles that didn't end up in the UK singles charts, and also one of the first singles that Marty released for Columbia instead of Philips.

The hits of Marty Wilde have become very wellknown, but I have to say that I heard these two songs for the first time. And I liked them a lot. It's interesting how the music from half a century ago is more captivating than whatever's in the charts right now.

My collection: 7" single no. 5996
Found: Discogs.com, received February 12, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Save your love for me' / 'Bless my broken heart'

Them heavy people - Ray Shell

It should be no surprise that I love Kate Bush's music, just look at my collection of Kate Bush records on this blog. I also like cover versions, so any cover version of Kate Bush songs will catch my attention. The problem is: some are good, others can be very bad.

I'm not really sure in which category Ray Shell's disco version of 'Them heavy people' should belong. It's innocent fun, but could also be considered sacrilege. It's quite weird to sing about whirling dervishes on the disco handclap beat in this track. But for some reason, it does tickle me in a pleasant way. The fact that I've searched for this single a long time (it is usually much too expensive) makes the relief that I finally own it now that much bigger.

My collection: 7" single no. 5995
Found: Discogs.com, received February 5, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Them heavy people' / 'Them heavy people (version)'

Respectable - Mel & Kim

When I bought the Japanese single of 'Showing out', the same online dealer also offered the Japanese single of 'Respectable'. And these are the only two 7" singles from Mel & Kim ever released in Japan, so that makes a complete collection in this case.

Interesting on this release is the mention of the 'dub mix' on the B-side. It is actually the very same track that is listed as 'instrumental' on the European releases of this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5988
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Respectable' / 'Respectable (dub mix)'

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

This single has been featured on this blog a few times before, both as a 7" single and as a 12" single (oh, and another 12" single). This Japanese 7" single is an interesting one, because it features the album version of 'Showing out', whereas the European versions had an edited single version.

Japanese singles are always interesting, of course, because the Japanese make a special package of every single: a record company sleeve with the disc in it comes with a special inlay that often features the song lyrics in English and Japanese and sometimes an extra photograph - and then there's the picture front which in this case is different from the European ones. The fact that I got this single for a low price also helped, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 5987
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend)' / 'System (House mix)'

Love is - Vikki

I have very few 12" singles of Eurovision entries. Not that many have been made, an some of the ones that have been made are overly expensive. But every once in a while I come across one for a reasonable price - and then of course I have to have it. Especially since the remixes on such 12" singles are very rare, because they have rarely been released on CD in later years.

A good example is my most recent acquisition: Vikki represented the UK with 'Love is' in 1985. The 12" single features a special remix. Clocking in at 4 minutes and 23 seconds, it's not very much longer than the original verison but still a different take on this slightly cheesy song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Love is (special remix)' / 'Lead me through the darkness'

Two hearts beat as one - U2

U2 is an undeniably popular band, and so I am surprised that somehow I always get hold of these double packs. The unforgettable fire was produced in large quantities, but Pride (In the name of love) was a rather more limited edition, and this 'Two hearts beat as one' double pack is probably even rarer.

I'm not really a U2 fan, but I love limited editions like this and a remix of 'New years day' was just too delicious to pass up on. It's one of my favourite U2 tracks, and the intro of this remix is beautiful. The US remixes were created by François Kevorkian. 'Two hearts beat as one'  reached number 18 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in Ireland.

Tracks: 'Two hearts beat as one' / 'Endless deep' // 'New years day (US remix)' / 'Two hearts beat as one (US remix)'

Here it comes again - Black

So this is an odd one. I ordered this promotional 7" single because it only had one side - the B-side was reportedly empty. And indeed, although it looks like this side can be played, the only sound on side B is the sound of silence.

On the A-side this single features 'Here it comes again', the second single from Black's 1991 album. But while the commercially available 7" contains the album version of that track, this promotional 7" single features a remix! I knew this remix from a promotional cd-single released in the USA at the time - but this single was made in England! How very confusing. Why would the record company promote a remixed version of a track when it isn't available commercially? Answers on a postcard please...

My collection: 7" single no. 5986
Found: Ebay, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Here it comes again [remix]'

Horsell Common and the Heat Ray - Jeff Wayne

I didn't know this single existed. It was released in 1981, when Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' album was edited into a single LP and released as 'Highlights from The War of the Worlds'. The single featured an edited version of 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', with an extra sprinkling of 'Ulla's here and there.

Oddly enough, this is an instrumental track and anyone could have foreseen that this wouldn't be a hit. But perhaps record company executives were more optimistic back then, I don't know. It is a nice addition to my ever growing collection of 'War of the Worlds' singles anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5986
Found: Vinyl Tap, received February 1, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray' / 'Dead London'

It's nice to be in love again - The Swarbriggs plus two

The Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 was performed by the Swarbriggs Plus Two. Following on from The Swarbriggs' first appearance at the Contest two years earlier, Thomas (Tommy) and John James (Jimmy) Swarbrigg recruited Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll to form the bizarrely named quartet The Swarbriggs Plus Two. They were dressed in dark blue outfits, with the two men wearing their blazers of that colour over white suits.


The song was performed first on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 119 points, placing third in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5983
Found: Discogs.com, received January 16, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'It's nice to be in love again' / 'Here we are again'

Rayo de luna - Matia Bazar

The Italian band Matia Bazar has had a few hits in Europe, but their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest seems to have been forgotten by many. In 1979 they represented Italy with the song 'Raggio di luna'.

They recorded the song both in Italian and in Spanish - and the single containing the Spanish version appeared when I was ordering some singles from Spain recently. Of course I wanted to have it, because it's always a delight when an artist records their own song in a different language.

My collection: 7" single no. 5981
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Rayo de luna' / 'Esta tarde... Que tarde'

Estoy sonando - Abba

'Estoy sonando' is of course the Spanish version of 'I have a dream'. With the help of Buddy and Mary McCluskey the ballad was turned into a warm-blooded version for the Spanish speaking market.

I ordered this single along with a few others from Spain. The problem with online ordering is illustrated right here: this was by far the worst sleeve of the whole package. You can't always know what you'll get. The might be an occasion to replace this single, but I am not rushing it. For now this is good enough to have - a nice curiosity doesn't always need to be perfect.

My collection: 7" single no. 5980
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Estoy sonando' / 'As good as new'

Que mas quisiera yo - Massiel

Spanish singer Massiel won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968 with the song 'La la la'. It was a much-criticised win, which 40 years later was revealed to be fraudulent. Whatever the facts, 'La la la' remains a curiosity: in a contest that has given us many 'la's through the years, this song probably used that two letter word the most.

I didn't know until recently that a live version of the song existed and was put on a B-side of a single. In 1985, Massiel, who was still a performing artist in Spain after all those years, released 'Que mas quisiera yo', with 'La la la' in a live version on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 5979
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Que mas quisiera yo' / 'La la la (live)'

Dame! Dame! Dame! - Abba

Abba was a successful band, but while they were having success in Europe and beyond, they also achieved quite a bit in the Spanish-speaking world. They translated some of their songs and released them as a single in those countries as well.

Obviously, since these singles were never released around these parts, I never actually bought them. Since I recently completed my collection of 'normal' Abba singles, these rarities have started to catch my eye. I recently acquired two Spanish Abba singles, and this the first of them: 'Dame! Dame! Dame!' is the Spanish version of 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'. Although it is not among their most successful singles, it has always been one of my own favourites, and hearing it in Spanish is something special.

My collection: 7" single no. 5978
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dame! Dame! Dame!' / 'The king has lost his crown'

Come on to me / I don't know - Paul McCartney

I am closing the year on this blog with a single from this year! And that's become a rarity, because really there haven't been a lot of good vinyl singles out this year. In fact, I've only bought three: David Bowie and Mylene Farmer being the previous two.

A lot of publicity was given to the new album 'Egypt station' by Paul McCartney. He promoted the album by appearing in a car with James Corden and talking about his time in the Beatles, and giving several interviews in 'serious' music publications in which he was talking about his time in the Beatles. Not a lot of attention went to his new material. This single deserves some attention, though. 'Come on to me' was preferred by most, but I prefer the other A-side: 'I don't know', which Paul shows a more vulnerable side of himself. I like McCartney best when he's not rocking and rolling.

My collection: 7" single no. 5971
Found: Amazon, received December 22, 2018
Cost: 10 pounds (I know, it's ridiculous)
Tracks: 'Come on to me' / 'I don't know'

We'll be dancing - Time Bandits

The 12" single of 'We'll be dancing' treats the listener to three versions of the song. All three remixes were made by Rutger Kroese, which causes the 12" single to become a bit repetitive.

Having posted a lot of Time Bandits 12" singles on this blog recently, I can't help but being surprised that none of these have ever appeared on CD or even on those streaming services that seem so popular these days. It just goes to prove that nothing beats a good record collection: you get to own the music you like instead of relying on incomplete online collections.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 August 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'We'll be dancing (club remix)' / 'We'll be dancing (dub remix)', 'We'll be dancing (reprise)'

Only a fool - Time Bandits

There have been some Time Bandits 12" singles on this blog recently, but it appears I forgot to post a few. So here goes: I bought 'Only a fool' last year as part of a stack of Time Bandits 12" singles. I bought the 7" single in 2010, despite not knowing the song too well.

This 12" single contains an extended remix with a beautiful instrumental intro. It is an improvement on the single version, I think.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Only a fool (extended remix)' / '1 2 3'

I'm not afraid - Black

I couldn't let the year pass without sparing a thought for Colin Vearncombe, the sole member of the band Black, who tragically died in January 2016. My collection of his records is pretty complete, but once in a while I still find a version I don't have yet.

Like this Japanese single of 'I'm not afraid'. I love Japanese singles for their beautiful appearance (a vinyl single in a record company sleeve with an insert that usually contains some Japanese translation of the lyrics). Curiously, there are no Japanese 7" singles of 'Sweetest smile' and 'Wonderful life', so this single appears to be a one-off.

My collection: 7" single no. 5948
Found: Recordsale.de website, received November 3, 2018
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'I'm not afraid' / 'Have it your own way'

Go for it! - Risqué

Risqué's 1984 single 'Go for it' was produced by Sander Bos and Ben Liebrand. I bought the 7" single in 2009, and almost a decade later I found a cheap copy of the 12" single.

It features two remixes of the track: the long version and the dance version. There are many similarities between the two, but then they were presumably both created by the same remixer. The track times on the sleeve are incorrect: the remixes clock in at 7 minutes and 6 minutes and 50 seconds respectively.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received December 22, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Go for it! (Long version)' / 'Go for it! (Dance version)'

Shine for tomorrow - Gili & Galit

The 1989 Eurovision Song Contest became immortal for me because I managed to find a CD featuring almost all of the songs from that year, and I played it almost constantly during that year. Those songs have become a firm part of my memory and I would be very happy to find all the singles that were released.

To prove that it's not the easiest task, I have seen some of them online for ridiculous prices. This Israeli entry commands prices of at least 14 euros these days, so I was very lucky to find a copy for less recently. 'Shine for tomorrow' is a reasonably good song, marred only by the young boy who probably only competed for his 'cute factor', not for his ability to sing well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5968
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Shine for tomorrow' / 'Derech ha'melech'

Chance in time - Severine

When Severine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 with 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue', she also recorded the song in other languages. I already found the German version ('Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)') in 2010, and yesterday I suddenly found the English version. 'Chance in time' was released in several countries, and this is the Dutch pressing.

Now all that's left for me to find is the Italian version, 'Il Posto'. I am sure it will come to me some day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5977
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Chance in time' / 'Nothing bad can be this good'

O Supermarkt - Rudolf de Robot

The joke will be lost on those who can't understand Dutch, but this song is as ridiculous as the title sounds: 'O Supermarkt' ('O Supermarket') is a parody of the Laurie Anderson song 'O Superman'. While that is a truly magnificent song, it is almost too easy to make fun of the repeating 'ah ah ah' sound in it.In this parody, Rudolf the Robot goes into the supermarket to search for chicken soup. Of course it is hard to find, like anything in any supermarket. And then of course the battery runs low... To fully appreciate the joke, you'll have to learn Dutch.

I knew about this song almost immediately after it came out, but never came across a cheap enough copy. Until yesterday.

My collection: 7" single no. 5976
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'O Supermarkt' / 'Mag ik even uw aandacht?'

Without you - David Bowie

In my mind, only three singles were ever taken from David Bowie's 1983 album 'Let's Dance': the title track, 'China Girl' and 'Modern Love'. And then I saw this single yesterday: 'Without you'. The sleeve looked vaguely familiar - because of the Keith Haring artwork I bet - but otherwise I have no recollection of this ever being released.

Sure enough, the single only charted in the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching a lowly number 73. Both the A- and B-side appear on the album. And unusually, the guitar riff on 'Criminal World' sounds a lot like the one in Dutch band Frank Boeijen Groep's 'Doe iets'. Or was it the other way around? Probably...

My collection: 7" single no. 5975
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Without you' / 'Criminal world'

Dancing queen - Abba

The compilation album 'Abba Gold' may be one of the most successful compilation albums of all time. Released in 1992, it was the catalyst of a reappreciation of Sweden's most successful export product. Before 1992, the band was snubbed by all 'serious' music lovers, but ten years after the band's unofficial breakup, it had become clear that their pop music stood the test of time and perhaps sounded as modern as anything that was in the charts during the Nineties.

'Dancing queen' was released as the first single from 'Abba Gold', and again became a hit. I didn't buy this single back then, because I already owned a copy of the original 'Dancing queen', but over time I started to regret that decision. These days it's not easy to get hold of those 'Abba Gold' single, but I finally found a copy yesterday... and of course I leapt at the chance.

My collection: 7" single no. 5974
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Lay all your love on me'

The angels cry - Agnetha Fältskog

My second find in the circus tent yesterday was this single by Agnetha Fältskog. I have always had an interest in Abba and, slighly less important, its individual members. 'The angels cry' was written by Justin Hayward and released in 1985 as a single from Agnetha's solo album 'Eyes of a woman', the follow-up to the more successful solo album 'Wrap your arms around me'.

I was shocked to find out that the single is for sale online for prices upwards of 86 UK pounds. It is a nice single, but it doesn't warrant such a high price. That said, if someone offers me a 100 euros for this one, it may not be in my collection for long...

My collection: 7" single no. 5973
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The angels cry' / 'We move as one'

Whatever happened to Benny Santini? - Chris Rea

During my life I have shopped for singles in many strange places. Yesterday was a very strange one indeed. Two days ago I went to the circus with my daughters, and discovered a record shop inside the tent. Turns out the organiser of the circus also acquired a record collection, to sell during the event until today. With two children by my side I didn't have time to browse all the singles, and so I went back yesterday.

My first find was immediately a good one: this Chris Rea single on red vinyl. Released in the UK in 1978, this track, the title track of Rea's debut album, was an unsuccessful follow-up to 'Fool (If you think it's over)'. The single did reach number 71 in the US Billboard Hot 100 for some curious reason.

My collection: 7" single no. 5972
Found: Top 2000 cafe, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Whatever happened to Benny Santini?' / 'Three angels'

All the love I have - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde released 'All the love I have' in 1969, after he had some success in Europe with his single 'Abergavenny'. The album 'Diversions' (from which the B-side 'Any day' was taken) had not been as successful, but Marty was still at it, writing great songs and recording them himself. Unfortunately this single did not chart, despite the fact that he revealed himself to be quite the singer once again.

This single and 'The busker' (which I am still searching for) represent probably some of the rarest Marty Wilde singles, because only one run was made and they appear online for fairly high prices if they do at all. This is why I am glad to have obtained this single - I am nearing completion.

My collection: 7" single no. 5969
Found: Discogs.com, received December 24, 2018
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'All the love I have' / 'Any day'

Chiquitita (cantado en español) - Abba

I have memories of Abba premiering 'Chiquitita', the song they wrote for Unicef, which was performed at a special concert and broadcast everywhere including the Netherlands. I was only eight years old but somehow the moment stuck in my head. I was never too fond of the song: compared to their earlier songs it was too schmaltzy, too kitsch and too slow for my taste. There was of course one exception: the last few seconds of the song with the impressive piano solo.

Being an Abba fan - and having been one for over forty years now, I am proud to say - I have recently acquired all the original German singles of them. It started when I bought the singles box set and saw all these replicas, and I wanted to have the originals as well. I found most of them for less than a euro, and some of them cost a little more - but I am very satisfied to have them all now. I have started looking into the rarer singles - as long as they are not insanely expensive, like most 'weird' Abba singles tend to be.

This Spanish version of 'Chiquitita' is my most recent Abba acquisition. I couldn't fault the price and it was nice to reacquaint myself with this little beauty. I think I like the Spanish version a little better than the original version, in fact!

My collection: 7" single no. 5964
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Chiquitita (cantado en español)' / 'Lovelight'

Toi - Geraldine

After Abba won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, some countries were quick to adapt to the new times... and others were not. The Netherlands almost copied the style of that song, 'Waterloo', and won the contest.

Other countries weren't so smart and went ahead the way they always had, with boring ballads and incomprehensible lyrics. One of them was Luxembourg's Geraldine Brannigan with the song 'Toi'. She still managed to reach fifth place in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5967
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Toi' / 'C'est mon secret'

Popcorn festival - Mat Camison

I have a lot of versions of the immortal Gershon Kingsley composition 'Popcorn', but there are very few with lyrics as it was originally an instrumental track. Mat Camison recorded this version in 1974 and it features French lyrics. Not that they make any sense: apparently it's all about girls and guys hanging out at the Woodstock festival and cops who apparently don't like the music.

I found this single by accident, browsing the stock of one of those online vendors you have to check out these days because there are no record stores anymore. It's hard to find anything by accident unless, like me, you have lots of weird little sub-collections in your record collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5966
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Popcorn festival' / 'Ma fleur d'amour'

You're hurting me - Dora

In 1986, Portugal was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest by Dora Maria Reis Dias de Jesus (born 1966), simply called Dora for the occasion. She sang the song 'Não sejas mau para mim', written by Guilherme Inês, Zé Da Ponte and Luís Manuel de Oliveira Fernandes. The song finished in 14th place in a field of 20 competitors.

For this single release, the song was translated by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey and called 'You're hurting me'. It was released in several European countries but without any chart success.

My collection: 7" single no. 5962
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'You're hurting me' / 'This will be the last time'

That's what friends are for - Swarbrigg

When you listen to 'That's what friends are for', you hear it's a rather quaint, slightly boring song. You certainly wouldn't expect a band to win a song contest with it.

Thomas and John James Swarbrigg, two Irish music promoters, still got on with it and took it to the Eurovision Song Contest stage in 1975. Their performance was notable for the fact that the singers wore identical electric blue suits, taking full advantage of the increasing trend towards bright and eye-catching costumes. At the close of voting, they ended up in ninth place in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5960
Found: Discogs.com, received November 30, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'That's what friends are for' / 'Love is'

Send me an angel 88 version - Real Life

The Australian band Real Life became one of the shooting stars of the year 1984 when they released 'Send me an angel'. In Germany they reached number 1 in the singles charts, and stayed there for four weeks.

In 1988, the band released a remixed version of the track. The single appeared on translucent red vinyl, making it more interesting for the record buying public. Still, this single didn't chart in Germany. The remix did fairly well in Australia and the USA, reaching number 51 and 26 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 5953
Found: Discogs.com, received November 14, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Send me an angel 88 version' / 'Send me an angel (Cloud nine mix)'

Ne vois-tu pas? - Madeleine Pascal

Born in Paris in 1946, Madeleine Pascal started to sing when she was just 13 years old. Her professional singing career was short-lived: she released five EP's in 1965 and 1966, and then disappeared from the scene.

In the middle of all that was her appearance at the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest, representing Switzerland with 'Ne vois-tu pas?', a song written by Pierre Brenner and Roland Schweizer. The song ended up in sixth place.

My collection: 7" single no. 5906
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ne vois-tu pas?', 'François' / 'Aux amoureux du monde', 'Le jour ou il va m'embrasser'