In the navy - Village People

The song 'In the navy' was basically a promotion for the navy, describing it as an attractive employer. Until the bridge, when the lead singer declares upon hearing 'They want you': 'Who me? But... but... but... I'm afraid of water!'. It was a weird twist in the song that I understood even with my basic knowledge of English when I heard this song when I was nine years old.

I never bought this single despite this piece of youth nostalgia, until I finally spotted this Japanese edition at yesterday's record fair. What a treat!

My collection: 7" single no. 6194
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, Novembber 17, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'In the navy' / 'Manhattan woman'

YMCA - Village People

The Village People had the biggest hit of their career with 'Y.M.C.A.', a number one hit in the UK and the Netherlands, peaking at number 2 in the USA. Taking the song at face value, its lyrics marvel at the virtues of the Young Men's Christian Association. In the gay culture, from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the Y.M.C.A.'s reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot, particularly for the younger gay men to whom it was addressed. As such, this disco classic became a gay anthem, but bizarrely enough also a favourite at wedding parties and school dances.

Producer Henri Belolo recalls that he saw the Y.M.C.A. sign while walking down the street with composer Jacques Morali, who seemed to know the institution fairly well. He told Henri, that this was a place where a lot of people went when they were in town. Then Henri got the idea: 'Why don't we write a song about it?'

.

My collection: 7" single no. 6193

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'YMCA' / 'The women'

To know someone deeply is to know someone softly - Terence Trent d'Arby

I haven't written about Terence Trent d'Arby in ten years, I just found out, and there's a reason for that: I think I have all the singles I want from him. Even 'To know someone deeply is to know someone softly' was already in my colleciton, but I couldn't resist buying this UK edition with a gatefold sleeve, because it is different from that German version: it features two of his previous hits, 'Wishing well' and 'Dance little sister' on the B-side.

Musically, it's nothing new, but a beautifully designed limited edition EP is something I just have to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 6192
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'To know someone deeply is to know someone softly' / 'Wishing well', 'Dance little sister'

På en gammal bänk - Siw Malmkvist

Although the sleeve of this single simply credits the song 'På en gammal bänk' to Siw, the label clears up the mystery: yes, this is Siw Malmkvist, the Swedish singer who was popular both in Sweden and in Germany. In 1969 she participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Primaballerina', but this single proves that she was still interested in the Contest two years later: 'På en gammal bänk' is a Swedish version of 'Un arbre, un banc, une rue', with which Severine won the Contest that year.

What's more, the B-side, 'Ett Rött Äpple' is a Swedish version of 'Pomme pomme pomme', another Eurovision song from that year. No wonder, then, that this single had to end up in my collection. Even if the sleeve isn't in the best of conditions...

My collection: 7" single no. 6190
Found: Discogs.com, received November 12, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'På en gammal bänk' / 'Ett Rött Äpple'

Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig - Birthe Wilke

Birthe Wilke was born on March 19, 1936. When she was in her teens, she won a talent competition at the National Scala Theatre in Copenhagen, sang as soloist with Bruno Henriksen's Orchestra at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, made her first recording, and was named "Denmark's Doris Day" and recorded 'Que sera sera' in 1956. She participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 where she sang 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' ('The ship is leaving tonight') with Gustav Winckler. They ranked third of 10 competitors at the end of the voting, and stunned television audiences with a 13-second long kiss at the end of their performance.

Birthe returned to the Contest two years later with the song 'Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig' ('Oh - I wish I were you'). This time, she finished in fifth place. In 1961, she won the award for best singer at the first international song festival in the Gdansk shipyard hall, the forerunner of the Sopot festival and Intervision Song Contest. In 1966 she retired from public life, but made a short-lived return in 1973. In addition to her recording successes, she participated in radio, television, advertising and commercial film.

My collection: 7" single no. 6189
Found: Discogs.com, received November 12, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig' / 'Augustin'

The busker - Marty Wilde

Released in 1971, 'The busker' is one of the rarer Marty Wilde singles. Marty continued to release singles in the 1970's, even if he didn't manage to reach the singles charts anymore by himself. By contrast, his song 'I'm a tiger' was a hit for Lulu in 1968 and 'Jesamine' was a worldwide hit for the Casuals in 1969.

Written by Parker and Stirling, 'The busker' was the only Marty Wilde single I was still very much after - although obviously I'll continue to hunt for variations and EP's in the near future.

My collection: 7" single no. 6188
Found: Discogs.com, received November 9, 2019
Cost: 10 pounds
Tracks: 'The busker' / 'It's so unreal'

Wonderful life - Black / Hai hai - Roger Hodgson

Another Italian promo I acquired recently is this single, featuring a track by Black and one by Roger Hodgson. 'Wonderful life' went on to become a major hit worldwide, whereas ex-Supertramp frontman Hodgson didn't really make an impression with the title track of his second solo album.

'Hai hai' did make the album charts in strange places like Canada, Switzerland and Norway (peaking at number 42, 16 and 20 respectively) but it was released just after Hodgson fell from a loft in his home and broke both wrists, which disabled him from promoting the album. Doctors told him he would never play music again. Within a year and a half, he was playing again. These days, he is still touring, although I understand his Supertramp past is still what attracts the most attendees.

My collection: 7" single no. 5965
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'Wonderful life' (Black) / 'Hai hai' (Roger Hodgson)

Running up that hill - Kate Bush / Some people - Belouis Some

There's not much to be said about Kate Bush's 'Running up that hill' that hasn't already been said. It's the first of four remarkable singles from a remarkable album - some would say her creative peak (although the previous album 'The dreaming' and 2005's 'Aerial' are not to be missed either!). The single reached number 31 in Italy, and for this Italian promo it was paired with a track by Belouis Some.

Belouis Some's 'Some people' was a hit in Italy, reaching number 34, just one place below its chart peak in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 6109
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Running up that hill' (Kate Bush) / 'Some people' (Belouis Some)

Babooshka - Kate Bush / Dammelo - Bianca Berg

Two women on this single: one is a woman who has produced excellent music since 1978, the other has only ever released one single. They ended up on this Italian promotional single, because Bianca Berg's 'Dammelo' was released around the same time as Kate Bush's 'Babooshka'.

After the release of 'Dammelo', Bianca Berg faded back into anonymity, and today it's impossible to find information about this Italian singer with her thin voice. Kate Bush, on the other hand, is still going strong. There are even some rumours that there might be a new album in the works for the next decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 5994
Found: Discogs.com, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Babooshka' (Kate Bush) / 'Dammelo' (Bianca Berg)

Hammer horror - Kate Bush / Una serata in rima - Marras

Another odd pairing on this Italian promo single: Kate Bush and Italian singer Piero Marras. And since Kate Bush is a familiar name on this blog, here is some information about that Italian guy.

He started his musical career in Nuoro, playing in local bands like Jollymen and I Granchi. In 1967 he moved to Cagliari and joined the Nobles, immediately after he founded the Yamaha and later in 1971, he will be a singer keyboardist with the 2001 Group, which is part of the Italian progressive rock scene. The band releases three singles and one album, after which Marras went solo in 1974. 
An initial period of songs in Italian with three LPs released for EMI, was followed by a period of songs in Sardinian with the records Abbardente, Funtanafrisca and Tumbu. Their contents refer to characters and atmospheres of Sardinian culture. In 2000 he was invited to participate in the Christmas Concert in the Vatican before John Paul II.

My collection: 7" single no. 6107
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost:  5 euro
Tracks: 'Hammer horror' (Kate Bush) / 'Una serata in rima' (Marras)

Sat in your lap - Kate Bush / Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

The unlikely pairing of Kate Bush and Kim Carnes is something that can only happen in Italy. For years they released promotional 7" singles with two (potential) hits on them. I recently acquired quite a few of them.

Whether these singles became a hit in Italy is unknown: although the web offers mountains of information, I have yet to find a good source for Italian singles charts data from the past. Suggestions welcome in the comments, of course...

My collection: 7" single no. 6108
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Sat in your lap' (Kate Bush) / 'Bette Davis eyes' (Kim Carnes)

Ik wil me Donaldukkie - Bob Bouber

On August 25, 2019, Bob Bouber passed away. This is probably not a famous name for those outside the Netherlands, but during the Sixties he was quite famous in this country. In 1962 he founded the beat band ZZ en de Maskers. Their career lasted for four years. After this, Bouber went solo.

His most remarkable single has to be 'Ik wil me Donaldukkie' from 1968, which basically is a song about someone who wants his rubber duck (in the shape of Donald Duck) back. The song is loosely based on Napoleon XIV's 'They're coming to take me away ha-haaa!', which was released two years before.

I knew about this single and have searched for it for many years, but it was always too expensive. Prompted by Bouber's passing, I started looking for it online, with more luck this time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6187
Found: Discogs.com, received October 5, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Ik wil me Donaldukkie' / 'Kie ka kaketoe'

Star people '97 - George Michael

Taken from his third album 'Older', 'Star people '97' was the fifth single from that album. It was called 'Star people '97' because the single version is a remixed and re-recorded track. The lyrics make reference to the materialism and frivolity of certain (not specified) people in the show business, suggesting that those behaviors are derived from some insecurity or a bad childhood (parental neglect, being given up for adoption, etc.).The single peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

The B-side of the single was taken from George's MTV Unplugged performance, recorded in New York on April 10, 1996.

My collection: 7" single 6186
Found: Discogs.com, received October 3, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Star people '97' / 'Everything she wants (Unplugged)'

Mitt liv - Kate

'Mitt liv' ('My life') was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987, performed in Norwegian by Kate Gulbrandsen. She was only 21 when she performed the song on the Eurovision stage. This was, after all, the year after Sandra 'Je suis quinze ans' Kim won the Contest, so young women and children were flocking towards that stage at the time. (It would take the EBU decades to finally organize a Junior contest for those who are actually interested in seeing children sing. For the record: I am not one of them.)

The song was written and composed by Norwegian Eurovision veterans Hanne Krogh and Rolf Lovland. It finished ninth in a field of 22 competitors. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6184
Found: Discogs.com, received October 2, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Mitt liv' / 'The woman and the girl in me'

Sangen om dig - Bjørn Tidmand

Bjørn Tidmand was born on January 24, 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark. After being a member of the Copenhagen Boys Choir as a child, Tidmand began performing in local nightclubs and signed a recording contract in 1959, having a hit with a Danish-language version of 'Only Sixteen'.

In 1964, he represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Sangen om dig'. He finished in ninth place in a field of 16 competitors. The song is a love ballad, with Tidmand singing that the song about his lover can never end because it would "never get everything said".

My collection: 7" single no. 6185
Found: Discogs.com, received October 2, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Sangen om dig' / 'Ingen'

Spinning the wheel - George Michael

You may have noticed a recent surge in my acquisition of George Michael singles. Truth is, I ordered this one online before I came across 'Older' and 'You have been loved' at the record fair last week. There's a few more I'd like to have, but that's something for another day.

'Spinning the wheel' was the third single from the album 'Older' and would have been the third number one hit in the UK, if it wasn't for the Spice Girls' debut single 'Wannabe' which kept it from the top spot. The song depicts the worry of a lover whose partner is sexually promiscuous during the period when AIDS was newly discovered and rampant in the West.

My collection: 7" single no. 6182
Found: Discogs.com, received September 26, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Spinning the wheel (radio edit)' / 'You know that I want you'

I was made for lovin' you - Kiss

The very first Kiss single I ever bought could also be my last - at least, I don't foresee any more purchases on disc from this legendary American band. But I had to have this one, because it appeared on red vinyl, back in 1979, when this single charted all over the world. This red vinyl single was released in Germany, and as far as I know it's the only territory where the 7" single was released on red vinyl.

A 12" single on red vinyl also exists, but since I don't collect 12" singles that much, I doubt that will ever appear in my collection. You never know, of course...

My collection: 7" single no. 6164
Found: Discogs.com, received September 18, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'I was made for lovin' you' / 'Hard times'

Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac (DD mix) - Hot Chocolate

After Errol Brown left Hot Chocolate in 1986, there must have been some panic at the record company quarters. In 1987 they put together a remix album, using the hits that the band racked up until then to 'update' the tracks to the dance flavours of the time. Confusingly, the remix album was called '2001'


Several singles were released from the remix album, one of which was this, 'Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac', remixed by Al Topo. Who? Exactly. Meanwhile, the band went on without Errol Brown - but didn't have any chart success with their releases.

My collection: 7" single no. 6181
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac (DD mix)' / 'Brother Louie'

Sovereign Light Cafe - Keane

Keane is back! They released a new album last week, and earlier this year they released a green vinyl single featuring two tracks from the so-called Dave Fridmann Sessions. 'Sovereign Light Cafe' and 'Disconnected' were taken from their previous album, 'Strangeland', released in 2012.

The Dave Fridmann Sessions took place in 2011, and were never released before. The single was released in April for Record Store Day for ridiculous amounts of money - but on the record fair this weekend I was able to get a copy for less.

My collection: 7" single no. 6180
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Tracks: 'Sovereign Light Cafe' / 'Disconnected'

Calling you - Paul Young

One of the big surprises of Paul Young's later career is that he started recording cover versions of better known song. 'Don't dream it's over' wasn't exactly an obscure track, as is 'Calling you', my latest catch.

The song was written by Bob Telson. Jevetta Steele and Telson himself both recorded versions of the song, and they both appeared on the soundtrack of the movie 'Bagdad Cafe' in 1987. The singing chainsaw Celine Dion also did a version during her live concerts in the 1990's. Less regrettable was this, Paul Young's version. It appeared on his 1990 album 'Other voices' and it was released as the album's fourth single. It stalled at number 57 in the UK singles chart, just before his career was revived by the duet with Zucchero, 'Senza una donna' and his compilation album 'From time to time'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6179
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Calling you' / 'Everything must change (live)'

Popmuzik (Hip Hop 1989 Re-mix) - M

This single serves to confuse matters more than they already were... Back in 2009 I bought the 1989 remix of 'Popmuzik', a UK release that was a hit in the UK. A year later I found the Ben Liebrand single edit, released in Europe. That single did not chart.

Enter this UK pressing of a 'Hip Hop 1989 re-mix' - also subtitled 'Ben Liebrand Re-mix'. A different sleeve, but it contains the same remix found on the European release. All I can conclude is that the record company was pretty busy with this track, but in all honesty it's quite confusing. All I know is that this version did not chart - the other one did.

My collection: 7" single no. 6177
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Popmuzik (Hip Hop 1989 Re-mix)' / 'Popmuzik (Original 1979 mix)'

The worker - Fischer Z

Of course I already own a copy of Fischer Z's 'The Worker' - I bought it 30 years ago! - but this picture disc was just too beautiful to pass up. It's so beautiful, in fact, that there is even a movie of it on YouTube.

Fischer Z continues to tour and record albums, the most recent being 'Swimming in thunderstorms', released earlier this year. Their earliest work remains the best, in my humble opinion.

My collection: 7" single no. 6176
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The worker' / 'Kitten curry'

No regrets - The Walker Brothers

One of the great classics of the 1970's was the Walker Brothers' 'No regrets', released in November 1975 as their comeback single after seven years. The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart, making it their fourth and last top 10 hit - and their last UK hit overall.

The single shown here was a re-release of the track in 1991, taken from a compilation album called 'No Regrets - The best of Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers 1965-1976'. While the album reached number 4 in the UK albums chart, this single did not chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 6174
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'No regrets' (Walker Brothers) / 'Boy child' (Scott Walker)

Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits

'Romeo and Juliet' was released as a single from Dire Straits' 1980 album 'Making Movies' in early 1981. The lyrics of the song describe the experience of the two lovers of the title, hinting at a situation that saw the Juliet figure abandon her Romeo after finding fame and moving on from the rough neighborhood where they first encountered each other.

Mark Knopfler, who wrote the song, said that it was inspired by his failed romance with Holly Vincent, lead singer of the short-lived band Holly and The Italians. The song speaks of a Romeo who is still very much in love with his Juliet, but she now treats him like "just another one of [her] deals". Knopfler has both stated and implied that he believes Vincent was using him to boost her career. The song's line "Now you just say, oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him," refers to an interview with Vincent, where she says "What happened was that I had a scene with Mark Knopfler and it got to the point where he couldn't handle it and we split up." 

The single matched the success of their debut single 'Sultans of Swing' three years earlier, peaking at number 8 in the UK singles chart. However, where the former charted in many other countries, this single did not.

My collection: 7" single no. 6173
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Romeo and Juliet' / 'Solid rock'

Vienna 92 (The classic mix) - Ultravox

Sometimes you find a single and you wonder: what the hell went wrong here? I was already familiar with the fact that Ultravox had released a version of 'Vienna' in the Nineties, and I even heard it once, years ago, but to find the single was a different challenge.

So now that I have it, here are the facts. Ultravox split up in 1988 after the lack of success of their album 'U-vox'. Having not toured after the album, Ure concentrated on his solo career and Chris Cross retired from music altogether and returned to his former career as a psychotherapist. And then, Billy Currie decided to reform Ultravox in 1992, without any of the other original members. This single was their first product. One has to wonder what went on in Billy Currie's mind: 'Oh, let's re-record the biggest hit Ultravox ever had, but with weaker vocals and cheaper instruments'. Or something like that. Its only redeeming quality in the drum beat, which is slightly original when compared to the original (and better) version. Predictably, the single failed to chart.

Undeterred, this version of Ultravox with vocalist Tony Fenelle recorded the album 'Revelation' (which it wasn't) and in 1994 the album 'Ingenuity' (well... no). The band dissolved again in 1996. When the "classic" line-up of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Warren Cann and Chris Cross reformed in 2012 for the album 'Brilliant', the results were lots better.

My collection: 7" single no. 6172
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Vienna 92 (the classic mix)' / 'Systems of love'

You have been loved - George Michael

Released as the sixth and final single from George Michael's third album 'Older', 'You have been loved' is a remarkably beautiful song. Although he continued to record music for another two decades, nothing comes close to this track.

The song's lyrics are about his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1993. It tells the story of Anselmo's mother, who visits his grave, while passing by the school he attended. The first chorus has Anselmo's mother saying goodbye, telling him 'You have been loved'. The ending chorus has Anselmo dying, telling George, 'You have been loved'. The line, 'If I was weak, forgive me; but I was terrified', refers to the trauma George felt during Anselmo's decline in health. The song also addresses a spiritual struggle: while Anselmo and his mother both say that God is not dead, George counters their comments, challenging God, 'What's the use in pressing palms, if you [God] won't keep such love from harm? It's a cruel world. You've so much to prove'.

The single peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart, behind Elton John's tribute to the then recently deceased Lady Diana, Candle in the wind 1997. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6171
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'You have been loved' / 'The strangest thing '97'

Older - George Michael

These jukebox singles aren't very pretty to look at, but it never ceases to amaze me that so many of them were made long after vinyl singles had left the shops seemingly forever. 'Older' was the fourth single taken from George Michael's third album of the same name, and this single was produced for the UK jukebox market only.

The B-side is the real attraction of this single - it's a version of the Bonnie Raitt song 'I can't make you love me' and George Michael's interpretation of the track is a beautiful, soulful one. It was a few years before his ill-fated 'Songs of the century' album, on which his cover versions sounded a lot less inspired...

My collection: 7" single no. 6170
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Older' / 'I can't make you love me'

Falling - Alison Moyet

'Falling' was released as the lead single of Alison Moyet's fourth studio album 'Essex'. The album was originally rejected by Columbia, who insisted that it be re-recorded to create a more commercial package. Ian Broudie was hired to produce the re-recorded tracks. This single was released in October 1993, almost half a year before the album's release.

The single stalled at number 42 in the UK singles chart, which prompted more resistance from the record label. The next single, 'Whispering your name', had to be remixed to become an upbeat dance track, for release as the following single in early 1994. That single was not released on 7" vinyl anymore, making this single the last Alison Moyet vinyl single ever.

My collection: 7" single no. 6169
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Falling' / 'Ode to boy'

Downtown - Lloyd Cole

It is very possible that Lloyd Cole is one of Britain's best songwriters, but he is also largely ignored. His first four solo albums made the album top 40 in the UK, but after that (from 2000 onwards) they didn't make a dent anymore, except in Sweden where two of his albums made the top 20.

'Downtown' comes from his first solo outing, and was released as its third single. It didn't chart, despite its catchy hook. I bought that solo album some time ago and when I saw this single I decided to pick it up. I think Lloyd Cole needs more recognition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6168
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Downtown' / 'A long way down (live)'

Miss me blind - Culture Club

'Miss me blind' was released as the third single from Culture Club's album 'Colour by numbers'in the USA, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in spring 1984. This gave the band its sixth consecutive top 10 hit, as well as its final top 10 hit there to date.

This single is the French pressing. For some reason, the single was not released in the UK, but it reached number 28 in France and number 32 in Italy - which says something about the popularity of this track in this part of the world. It is a nice single, though, and I was glad to add this to my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6167
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Miss me blind' / 'Colour by numbers'

Hit me with your rhythm stick '91 (The Flying remix) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Usually I know what I am buying, but I like to experiment a little from time to time as well. In the case of this single, I'd never heard this remix of the classic 'Hit me with your rhythm stick'. I already owned the Paul Hardcastle version from 1984, but I'd never heard of this 1991 version until I found it online recently. I decided to buy this single.

It is an interesting enough remix, but I think it's a shame that it omits one of the best sax solos ever. Fortunately, the original version can be found on the B-side, so the record-buying public at the time still had a chance to hear it.

My collection: 7" single no. 6166
Found: Discogs.com, received September 20, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Hit me with your rhythm stick '91 (The Flying remix)' / 'Hit me with your rhythm stick (original version)'

My computer - Prince feat. Kate Bush

In November 1996, Prince released 'Emancipation', a massive three disc set of 36 songs. The single 'Betcha by golly wow', a cover of the Stylistics song, was the album's only big hit, but there were a few more interesting tracks on the album.

One of them was 'My computer', a song that was a collaboration with Kate Bush. Its lyrics examined the burgeoning online dating scene and its implications on how romantic relationships can develop in the internet age. What's interesting is that Kate can hardly be heard on this track. Some reports say that she sings backing vocals from 0'29 onwards, but who can tell? Still, this single, released with the October 2019 issue of the German magazine Musikexpress, belongs in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6164
Found: Musikexpress (Germany), received September 18, 2019
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'My computer' / 'Shhh (x-cerpt)'

Se a vida é - Pet Shop Boys

When the Pet Shop Boys released 'Bilingual' in 1996, there were suspicions that their holidays in Spanish speaking countries had gotten the best of them. There were quite a few Spanish expressions on the album, most visibly on the song 'Se a vida é', which was released as the album's second single. It reached number 8 in the UK singles chart.

On the B-side of this jukebox-only 7" single there's the single mix of the previous single, 'Before'. Released on April 22, 1996 it reached number 7 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6163
Found: Discogs.com, received September 17, 2109
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Se a vida é' / 'Before (single mix)'

Paninaro '95 - Pet Shop Boys

For a long time, I believed the Pet Shop Boys didn't release a vinyl single in the 1990's after Liberation, but it turns out I was wrong. A recent discovery on Discogs was the release of a handful 7" singles from that era, although they were only produced for the apparently lively jukebox circuit.

'Paninaro '95' was released to promote the B-side compilation 'Alternative'. It was a re-recording of a song that originally appeared on the B-side of the single Suburbia. The new recording included a rap in the middle of the song, newly written by Chris Lowe; it laments the loss of the "lover" referred to in the pre-existing lyrics. The written lyrics in the final are also changed to "were" rather than "are" in referring to the lost love.

My collection: 7" single no. 6162
Found: Discogs.com, received September 17, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Paninaro '95' / 'In the night'

West end girls '86 - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys became famous with their 1985 single 'West end girls', but the song was actually recorded before the version that made them famous. That version was produced by Bobby Orlando, and released in 1984. And of course I have that single, I bought it back in 1986.

But this single is a different beast: while the Pet Shop Boys were riding high in the charts with their first handful of singles and their debut album, ZYX Records decided to release a 'remix' of the original version of 'West end girls'. The track was remixed by Tess at Hurricane Studio Munich, and that probably tells you all you need to know. It's the sound of a record company trying to make money off a product that probably shouldn't have been made at all. Although I have to say that I do like this version.... actually.

My collection: 7" single no. 6161
Found: Ebay.com, received September 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'West end girls (remix '86)' / 'Theme for the Pet Shop Boys'

Speeldoos - Annie Palmen

Annie Palmen was born in IJmuiden on August 19, 1926. She started her career singing with dance orchestras around the city of Haarlem, then sang on various radio stations before her first hit record, 'Ik zal je nooit meer vergeten', in 1958. In 1960, Palmen took part in the Dutch Eurovision selection, as one of the artists singing 'Wat een geluk', which was eventually performed by Rudi Carrell on the international Eurovision stage.

Palmen returned in 1963 in a more straightforward procedure, performing three songs from which a professional jury would pick a winner. The song 'Geen ander' ('Nobody else') was chosen to go to the eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held in London on 23 March. Before the contest however, the lyrics to the song were completely rewritten, and it became 'Een speeldoos'. The song was not successful; it was one of four songs that received the dreaded 'nul points' in a field of sixteen competitors. Her career continued until 1972, after five years of monthly appearances in the television programme 'Mik' on Dutch TV. Palmen died in Beverwijk on 15 January 2000, after a long illness of an undisclosed nature, aged 73.

'Een speeldoos' was the only Dutch Eurovision single missing in my collection, so it is with great pleasure that I acquired this disc. (A few more Eurovision songs happened in the last century, but these were never released as a single.) 

My collection: 7" single no. 6159
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2019
Tracks: 'Speeldoos' / 'Bij jou'

Malaika - Anicken Loken

Anicken Loken released this single - and only this single - in 1989. There is no information about her anywhere on the internet, although back in February 2018 I wrote a little piece about this single on one of my other websites. But back then I didn't have the single myself - and now I do.

The single features two tracks: a version of the African traditional 'Malaika', and a cover version of the debut single by Ricky Wilde, 'I am an astronaut'. The original lyric by Marty Wilde was translated into Norwegian by Elvind Torp. And there you have it: it's very hard to find this Wilde-related single, but when it's Wilde-related, I gotta have it.

My collection: 7" single 6160
Found: Discogs.com, received August 22, 2019
Tracks: 'Malaika' / 'Jeg er en astronaut'

Profoundly in love with Pandora - Ian Dury

Ian Dury wrote and performed the song 'Profoundly in love with Pandora' for the television series 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾', based on the book of the same name by Sue Townsend. I remember I was a bit shocked at the time,because I knew Dury from slightly controversial songs like 'Spasticus Autisticus' and 'Sex & drugs & rock & roll', and this was almost a 'normal' pop song.

I'd almost forgotten about this release over the years, but it recently popped up during an online shopping spree, and so I picked it up. Always nice to have some Ian Dury in your life, innit.

My collection: 7" single no. 6156
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Profoundly in love with Pandora' / 'Eugenius (You're a genius)'

Enjoy - Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box

This single comes with a promotional sticker on the front - as you can see - and a press release from EastWest Records. It explains a little about this release: "After enjoying an extended period of (expensive) bootlegged notoriety, this year's orbital theme-tune, "Enjoy" from Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box, is commercially released through East West Records on 21st May [1990]."

""Enjoy" in its original form is an old B-side from the outfit who scored top 10 hits in 1985 & 1986 with "Lean on me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" and "For America". The track's current notoriety began when DJ's like Paul Oakenfold unearthed the song and began playing it at orbital parties around the capital and elsewhere."

My collection: 7" single no. 6153
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Enjoy (Paul Oakenfold future mix)' / 'Enjoy (Original Golden Lay)'

Give love a chance - Seija Simola

Seija Simola was born in Helsinki on September 25, 1944. She began her musical career in the mid-Sixties in the band Eero Seija & Kristian Trio, and her debut solo album was released in 1970: Seija Simola 1.

In 1978, she represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang 'Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus', which finished in 18th place, in a field of 20 competitors. Despite this poor result, Simola continued a long and successful career in her native Finland. She passed away in Vantaa on August 21, 2017.

This single presents the English version of her Eurovision song: 'Give love a chance'. It comes in one of the thinnest paper sleeves I have ever seen.

My collection: 7" single no. 6155
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Give love a chance' / 'Little smile'

Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Every year when the Netherlands announce their Eurovision candidate, there is a sigh of desperation and the resigned thought: 'Okay, so we won't win this year - again'. Ever since Teach In won the contest back in 1975 - a feat I didn't consciously experience - there have been many attempts to get to the top spot, but with dud artists like Bernadette, Gerard Joling, Willeke Alberti, Glennis Grace and - oh how terrible - De Toppers, we didn't have a shadow a chance.

And then suddenly, the unknown artist Duncan Laurence was announced as this year's entry. The song sounded weird at first, but it was way better than most songs from previous years. And when the bookmakers started predicting that the Netherlands could win this year, a mixture of disbelief and hope started to rise. I couldn't believe it when 'Arcade' won the Contest in May. And then, of course, the question came: will it be released on any physical format? The answer came two full months later: 'Arcade' was released last week on 7" vinyl. So there you have it - a winning Dutch Eurovision song on vinyl. It doesn't really get much better than this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6151
Found: Bea Records, received July 30, 2019
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Arcade' / 'Arcade (acoustic version)'

Smoke - Natalie Imbruglia

Natalie Imbruglia was born on February 4, 1975 in Sydney, Australia. After appearing in commercials for Coca-Cola and Australian snack Twisties, she joined the cast of Neighbours. After just two years she left the show to move to London in 1994. She met Anne Barret, who became her manager and convinced her to record a demo of four songs. One of those songs was a cover of the Ednaswap composition 'Torn', which landed her a record deal with RCA. Released as her first single, it was an immediate international hit.

The album 'Left of the middle' spawned a few more singles, of which 'Smoke' was artistically the most accomplished. Having been under the impression that none of her singles were ever released on vinyl, I was excited to get my hands on this one. 'Smoke' reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 42 in Australia.

My collection: 7" single no. 6150
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Smoke' / 'Smoke (Martyn Philips & Marc Fox mix)'

Tell me when - Human League

Released on December 26, 1994, 'Tell me when' was the first single by Human League in four years. A lot had changed in the record industry: gone were most of the vinyl singles in favour of cd-singles. Until recently I didn't even know a vinyl single of this track existed. It became the Human League's most commercially successful single in nine years and reintroduced the band to many of the British general public. 'Tell me when' received considerable radio promotion in advance of its late 1994 UK release, hitting the airwaves at a time when many people started to get Christmas song fatigue.

The single peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart and even made it into the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 31. The album from which this single was taken, 'Octopus', peaked at number 6 in the UK albums chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6149
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Tell me when (7" edit)' / 'Tell me when (Mix 1)'

Do I dream - Maxi

Maxi was the stage name of Irene McCoubrey, born February 23, 1950. In the late 1960s Maxi teamed up with Barbara Dixon and Adele King to form Maxi, Dick and Twink. The trio toured Ireland, the UK and Canada and recorded two singles. They also worked a session singers in Motown studios in Detroit, Michigan, before disbanding. Following this she pursued a career with Danny Doyle and Music Box before going solo. She represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 singing 'Do I Dream', finishing tenth in a field of 17 competitors.
 
In the late 1970s, Maxi became part of another all-girl trio Sheeba, with Marion Fossett and Frances Campbell. The group represented Ireland in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Horoscopes'. Maxi embarked on a career in broadcasting with the Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). Working mainly on radio, she also took on some television work including a quiz show, presenting Ireland's lottery and fronting the Miss Ireland contest. In 1987 Maxi presented the national final for Eurovision alongside Marty Whelan.

My collection: 7" single no. 6148
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Do I dream' / 'Here today and gone tomorrow'

DJ - David Bowie

Just days after buying the 'Space oddity' box set, I found this picture disc of DJ in Parlophone's series of '40th anniversary' discs. I bought the 'Boys keep swinging' picture disc a few weeks ago in Antwerpen, so it's nice to have found this one in Paris. Like the one before, it is quite an expensive acquisition, but online prices have not been any lower.

What's most interesting about this disc - to me at least - is not the A-side, but the B-side, because it contains a version of 'Boys keep swinging' that was performed in a television show in 1979. Why Parlophone decided to include this instead of the original B-side 'Repetition' is therefore obvious to me.

Note: now that picosong has ceased existing I will have to link to other online files to offer sound and sometimes vision with the tracks that are on my singles. In this case, it's extra interesting because you get to see the full TV performance along with the sound that's on the single. Obviously the single fades out until 2'33.  

My collection: 7" single no. 6147
Found: Fnac, Paris, July 28, 2019
Cost: 14 euro (!)
Tracks: 'DJ (2017 Tony Visconti mix - single edit)' / 'Boys keep swinging (Kenny Everett Video Show version)'

Space oddity - David Bowie

It's hard to believe that it's already been 3½ years since David Bowie died. Since then, a shedload of new releases has seen the light of day. It's becoming more obvious every month that the record company and the rights holders are making the most of the neverending lust for new product that seems to exist.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing which made 'Space oddity' such a big hit, Parlophone has now released a boxed set of two singles with two versions of 'Space oddity' and its B-side, 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud': the original mono versions and new 2019 mixes by Tony Visconti. The box comes with a poster, an insert detailing all the credits for the tracks and some background information and a photo card - plus of course both the singles in different picture sleeves. I used an official packshot for this post, because the glossy box can not be scanned properly!

My collection: 7" single no. 6146
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Tracks: 'Space oddity (original mono single edit)' / 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud (original mono single version)' // 'Space oddity (2019 mix - single edit)' / 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud (2019 mix - single version)'

Hélène - Julien Clerc

'Hélène' is the Eighties summer hit you may have missed if you weren't living in France or the Netherlands at the time. It was Julien Clerc's last hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1987.

Clerc was best known for his Seventies hits 'Venise' and 'This melody' and this summery song with the mock-'Lion sleeps tonight' rhythm was a bit of a diversion in style for him. I didn't like the song very much back then, but these days it sounds fresh and much better than most music that is released these days...

My collection: 7" single no. 6145
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hélène' / 'Avoir 15 ans'

Hijo de la luna (Dis-moi lune d'argent) - Mecano

When I saw this single, I had to look twice. Although the title 'Hijo de la luna' is featured prominently on the sleeve, the French subtitle is less so. And what did it mean - a French version of the song, or just a translation for the French who don't speak many languages other than French? It turned out to be the former, as made more obvious on the back of the sleeve, where lyrics for the French and Spanish versions appeared.

The Spanish band Mecano have always recorded their songs in multiple languages - and I have the single 'Une femme avec une femme' to prove it. That one was released in 1990, this one a year later - three years after 'Hijo de la luna' was recorded and one year after it was a hit in most of Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 6144
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hijo de la luna (Dis-moi lune d'argent)' / 'Hijo de la luna'

Shang shang a lang - Sylvie Vartan

During what was probably the hottest week of this year, I was on holiday in Paris with the family. And like every year there wasn't a lot of time to scour the record shops. However, last Wednesday, as the temperature was rising near 40 degrees Celsius, they went back to the apartment during the afternoon and I suddenly had a few hours on my own. Much to my dismay I found that Parisian record shops are a weird thing: they are either on holiday or unwelcoming to guests. The two shops that were open were 'Musiques Musiques' (but the owner turned me away for no apparent reason) and 'Monster Melodies' (which had closed their upper floor where the vinyl was stacked up high).

And so I had only one address left: Gilbert Joseph, a large store for second hand books, films and comics as well as records. Their second hand singles were quite interesting, I found. My first find was an old Sylvie Vartan single. 'Shang shang a lang' was written by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley. I was so familiar with the sleeve of this single that I thought I already had it, but it turns out I didn't. It was very nice to scoop up this disc.

My collection: 7" single no. 6143
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Shang shang a lang' / 'Toi mon aventure'

Living in Tooneland - Park Cafe

I bought the single 'Monsieur' four years ago, a rare Eurovision single from the act hailing from Luxembourg. I was quite surprised when I saw this single, featuring the English version of that song on the A-side. That version also appears on the B-side of 'Monsieur', but still... I was buying some Eurovision cd-singles from the same online seller so I didn't feel bad about adding this one to the stack.

The B-side 'Passion' comes from the band's 1989 album 'Goodtime boy'. That album also features 'Living in Tooneland', but not the Eurovision entry 'Monsieur'. That single remains the rarest of the two, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6142
Found: Discogs.com, received July 19, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Living in Tooneland' / 'Passion'