Anna-Marie Elena - Andy Paul

The singer/songwriter Andy Paul immigrated from Cyprus to the UK in the early Sixties. He was influenced by artists like Elvis, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. He won a talent contest imitating his childhood idol Elvis and got a recording contract on the strength of this. 

In 1984 he was asked to represent Cyprus with the song 'Anna-Marie Elena', a song he wrote himself. The song ended up in 15th place in a field of 19 contestants. The recordings on this single were produced by Pete Waterman, while the English version of this song was translated by Matt Aitken. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6399
Found: Discogs, received 16 June 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Anna-Marie Elena (English version)' / 'Anna-Marie Elena (Greek version)'

Female intuition / Body and soul - Mai Tai

Another re-release single by Mai Tai, also released by SMG last year, this time on purple vinyl. 

'Female intuition' reached number 9 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 54 in the UK in early 1986, whereas 'Body and soul' reached number 9 in the UK in the summer of 1985 and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40 near the end of 1984. 

Mai Tai fell apart in the 1980's but they had several reunions. They are actually performing live this December - Covid permitting - but the days of them having chart hits will probably never return.

My collection: 7" single no. 6397
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Female intuition' / 'Body and soul'

History / Am I losing you forever - Mai Tai

Although this single features two tracks that I already own on 7" single, I still couldn't resist buying this. It is actually a recent re-release and pressed on orange vinyl. Nice bonus on this single: 'Am I losing you forever' appears in the full length version, instead of the single edit. 

The SMG label (Suburban Music Group, apparently) specializes in releasing 7" singles of old hits, and so far they have released singles by Petula Clark, Gerard Joling and Hardwell - not very interesting for me despite the fact that those singles were also pressed on various colours of vinyl.

But as you know, I usually only buy singles with songs I like, and so this one did make the cut. Both 'History' and 'Am I losing you forever' were released in 1985 and reached number 22 and 27 in the Dutch Top 40 respectively. In the UK, 'History' reached number 8, while 'Am I losing you forever' only got to number 78.

My collection: 7" single no. 6396
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'History' / 'Am I losing you forever'

Oui, oui, oui, oui - Sacha Distel

The sleeve of this single proclaims that 'Oui, oui, oui, oui' is a song from the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, and that is correct - however, on the Eurovision stage this song was performed by Jean Philippe, not Sacha Distel. However, Distel recorded this song, presumably to profit from the Contest's popularity at the time. After all, the song ended up in a respectful third place at the time.

There's another remarkable thing about this EP: although 'Oui, oui, oui, oui' is listed as the first song, it is actually on the B-side of this EP. There are more cover versions on the EP: 'Dis! O Dis!' is a cover version of 'Everybody loves a lover', a hit for Doris Day in 1958, and 'Oh! Quelle Nuit' is a version of 'Lonesome me', which was released by Don Gibson, also in 1958. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6395
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dis! O Dis!', 'Quand Tu Es Partie...' / 'Oui, oui, oui, oui', 'Oh! Quelle nuit'

Colours of love - Vicky Leandros

Back in 1967, Vicky Leandros competed in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. She was just seventeen years old at the time, but had already released her first album, 'Songs Und Folklore' in October 1966. Although she lived in Germany since she was eight (having been born on the Greek island Corfu) she was asked to represent Luxembourgh with the song 'L'amour est bleu'. 

It's not easy to find a copy of that song on a single for a reasonable price, however I did recently buy a copy of the English version of that song. 'Colours of love' was released in the UK only (as far as I know) in a record company sleeve only. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6394
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 June 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Colours of love' / 'Who can tell'

I cried - The Wilde Three

Nothing, but nothing makes me happier than getting my hands on an ultra rare single. And this is certainly a good example. A year ago, I was happy to finally find Since you've gone, the first single by the Wilde Three. Their second release was to be their last: 'I cried' was released on 10 September 1965, five months after their first single. 

Four months after that, Justin Hayward released his debut solo single, the self-penned 'London is behind me'. He joined the Moody Blues and the rest became history. Meanwhile, Marty carved out a career as a songwriter - and a pretty successful one at that - and of course made a pop star of his daughter in the 1980's. The Wilde Three was a shortlived project, and only released four songs, but they are an essential piece of music history - and I am very glad to finally have these two discs.

My collection: 7" single no. 6393
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 June 2021
Cost: enough
Tracks: 'I cried' / 'Well who's that'

Printemps (Avril Carillonne) - Jean-Paul Mauric

When a song starts with 'Bing et bong et bing et bong' you know you're in for something interesting. This is how Jean-Paul Mauric started his song 'Printemps (Avril Carillonne)' in 1961 at the Eurovision Song Contest. Mauric was born on 17 June 1933 and started his career in music in 1957 after winning a talent contest. He released a series of EP's and was chosen to represent France in 1961. 

The lyric of 'Bing et bong et bing et bong...' is often cited as setting a precedent which would become very prolific in later Eurovisions. He ended up in fourth place in a field of 16 competitors. Although he released less records in the 1960's he still performed live a lot, until he was taken ill in December 1970.
On 5 January 1971 he died from complications of cardiomyopathic disease, aged just 37. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6392
Found: Ebay
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: Printemps (Avril Carillonne), Tendresse / C'est Joli La Mer, Les filles du midi

Summer is over - Aylin Vatankoş

It would be nice to see Turkey back in Eurovision, because they usually managed to enter with remarkable songs. That said, it would be nice if Turkey wasn't led by a maniac, but let's not go into politics here. 'Yaz Bitti' was Turkey's song for the 1992 edition and it's a relatively traditional ballad. 

Aylin Vatankoş was born in 1970 in Izmir and studied music in Istanbul. She represented her country in 1992 and ended up in 19th place in a field of 23 competitors. Her music career continued after this adventure: she released two albums, in 1995 and 2010. 

This single was released by the Belgian record company Madierpo, which specialized in releasing Eurovision songs throughout the 1990's. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6391
Found: Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'Summer is over' / 'Yaz bitti'

S.O.S. - Helen Patroklou

Two songs from the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest really made a big impression on me, and they were not the two songs that were competing for the win that year. Instead, I focused on the two Greek songs: 'I Anixi' by Sophia Vossou and 'S.O.S.' by Helen Patroklou. Both singles aren't exactly easy to get, but I finally managed to get at least the latter. 

Patroklou was born in Nicosia in 1968. She began her musical career studying guitar and piano when she was just ten years old. She completed her musical studies in Vienna and Cyprus and received her music diploma in 1989. The song 'S.O.S.' earned her ninth place in the Eurovision Song Contest that year, out of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6390
Found:  Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'S.O.S. (Greek version)' / 'S.O.S. (English version)'

Tell me - Dulce

Dulce José Silva Pontes was born on 8 April 1969 in Montijo, near Lisbon. She trained as a pianist, and started a career in singing after entering a competition in her hometown at the age of 18. She soon became an actress on Portuguese television and theatre. In 1991 she won the national music festival with her song 'Lusitana Paixão', which led her to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished 8th in the competition, which is to date the fourth-best finish for a Portuguese performer

Dulce Pontes started her career as a mainstream pop artist, but over the years she has evolved to become a world music singer. She blends traditional fado with contemporary styles and searches out new forms of musical expression. Her career continues to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6389
Found: Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'Tell me' / 'Lusitana Paixão'

 

Krasi, thalassa ke t'agori mou - Marinella

Marinella was born as Kyriaki Papadopoulou on 20 May 1938 in Thessaloniki. She released her first song 'Nitsa Elenitsa' ('Little Helen') in 1957. Her early career was marked by her collaboration with singer Stelios Kazantzidis. Together they managed to become the greatest duet of Greece, unsurpassed even today. Starting at the night club "Luxembourg" in Thessaloniki where they enjoyed great success, they later moved to Athens, the capital, where they became widely known. Marinella married him on 7 May 1964 and they toured together in Germany and the United States. They divorced in September 1966. 

Marinella then began a solo career. In 1974 she represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Krasi, thalassi ke t'agori mou' ('Wine and sea and my boyfriend and me'). It was the first time Greece competed. Originally the Greek rock band Nostradamos would have had the honour but due to a scandal they were embroiled in, Marinella was sent instead. She ended up in 11th place in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6388
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Krasi, thalassi ke t'agori mou' / 'Xipna feggari mou'

Onde vais rio que eu canto - Sergio Borges

After the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest was won by four different artists - a result of a lack of rules in case of a tie - five countries decided not to participate in the 1970 edition. Portugal was one of them, but bizarrely enough, they had already selected a song and participant before they decided not to enter. And so Sergio Borges released 'Onde vais rio que eu canto' without actually going to the Netherlands, where the Contest was to be held.

The song is interesting enough, with its up-tempo ending and its pensive melody. This single was one of three I received from Portugal this month - proof that collecting Eurovision singles is truly an international endeavour these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 6385
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Onde vais rio que eu canto', 'A voz do chao' / 'Velho Sonho', 'Raining in my heart'

Save your kisses for me / Fernando

So who performed these two cover versions? There's no information on the sleeve or label. All we know is that this single was released in Portugal and there's a decidedly seductive sleeve on this one.

'Save Your Kisses For Me' is, of course, a cover version of Brotherhood Of Man's winning Eurovision song from 1976, whereas 'Fernando' was originally recorded by Abba in the same year (and by Frida from that band a year earlier). The Eurovision cover sounds a lot like the original, the other one... well, not so much. Still, it is an interesting rarity that I ordered together with two Portuguese Eurovision songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 6386
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Save Your Kisses For Me' / 'Fernando'

Desfolhada Portuguesa - Simone

Simone de Oliveira was born on 11 February 1938 and raised in Lisbon. Her Portuguese mother had black African roots in São Tomé and Príncipe (then a Portuguese territory), and her father was Belgian. She started singing in high school. She first represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965 with 'Sol de inverno'. 'Desfolhada Portuguesa' was her second attempt, in 1969.

The song deals with the love of Portugal - the first occasion on which this was the theme of the Portuguese entry, but far from the last. The song compares the love from the conception of a child to patriotic love. At the close of voting, it had received 4 points, placing 15th in a field of 16 competitors. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6384
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Desfolhada Portuguesa', 'Cinco quadras cinco pedras' / 'Avé-Maria do Povo'

Shine - Five Star

Like many other acts, Five Star had trouble maintaining their success when the Eighties ended and the Nineties began. House and techno music were ruining the charts and pop stars were not as popular as before, audiences opting for anonymous acts and DJ's instead. Having said that, in the case of Five Star their material was becoming a bit bland too. Having made exciting pop hits in the mid-Eighties and a more aggressive style during their Another Weekend phase, 'Shine' (1991) sounded slightly bland.

As a result, 'Shine' did not chart and the accompanying album didn't either. It took them four years to return into the UK charts, although '(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons' and 'I Give You Give' would only reach number 84 and 83 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 6375
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 May 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Shine' / 'Feelings'

Come back to stay - Dickie Rock

Richard Rock, nicknamed 'Dickie' was born in the North Strand, Dublin and raised in Cabra on Dublin's Northside. Between 1963 and 1972 he was one of the frontmen of the Miami Showband. (The two tracks on the B-side of this EP are actually with that band.) 

In 1966 he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Come Back to Stay'. A number one hit in Ireland, it finished in fourth place in the Contest. Rock went solo in 1973, although still performed occasionally with the Miami Showband after this. He continues to tour in his eighties (as of 2020), after a career spanning almost sixty years. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6382
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Come back to stay', 'Can't make up my mind' / 'One by one', '(I lost my heart) In San Francisco'

Une chanson c'est une lettre - Sophie

Sophie was born on 9 October 1944 in Dax (France) as Sophie Hecquet. Early in her career, as Jenny Ann, she toured with French rock 'n roll legend Johnny Hallyday. In 1962 she appeared in a short film directed by Claude Lelouch. She started her recording career, as Sophie, in 1963, and appeared in Michel Boisrond's film Cherchez l'idole. She released a succession of singles and EPs for Decca Records in France, as an exponent of the yé-yé style, arranged by either Eddie Vartan or Jacques Loussier. She often recorded French language versions of American or British pop songs. After a break, she resumed a singing career in the early 1970s. In 1975, she represented Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Une chanson c’est une lettre', co-written and arranged by André Popp, finishing in 13th place.

Her career continued after this, working in radio and television, presenting children's programmes, among other things. In the early 2000s she opened the restaurant 'La Maison de Sophie' in Uccle, Belgium. In 2012, she was moved to Paris for an operation on a ruptured aneurysm, but died in hospital there, aged 68, on 28 October 2012.

My collection: 7" single no. 6381
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Une chanson c'est une lettre' / 'Madame à la faux'

Die Zeiger der Uhr - Margot Eskens

This single has been on my wantlist for some time. It's one of the prettiest cover photos from the Sixties-era Eurovision singles, partly because it ties in so neatly with the title of the song. 'Die Zeiger der Uhr' ('The hands of time') was the German entry to the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest. The song is a ballad, with Eskens singing about the feelings brought on by reading old love letters and seeing photographs from an old relationship. As she explains, however, 'The hands of time only turn / forwards, forwards and never backwards'. The song ended up in tenth place in a field of 18 competitors. 

Eskens' career continued for decades, although her success was limited to German-speaking countries only. In 2005 she celebrated 50 years on stage. She has sold over 40 million records during her long and impressive career.

My collection: 7" single no. 6380
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Die Zeiger der Uhr' / 'Nur deine Bilder'

Moskow Diskow / Eurovision - Telex

Nothing is more appropriate this month than highlighting that classic Belgian song 'Euro-vision' by Telex. They performed it on the Eurovision stage in The Hague in 1980. I do have the original single, of course, but more recently the track was re-released on a special cover 7" single with the magazine Electronic Sound. That issue - number 74 - is actually a few months old but I only discovered this one recently, and ordered it straight away.

This single presents the English version of 'Euro-vision' together with the track 'Moskow Diskow' on yellow vinyl. The hallucinating sleeve image requires you to look away after a few seconds in order to avoid going crazy - or getting a headache. Other than that, this is a brilliant little collector's item. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6379
Found: Electronic Sound magazine website, received 8 May 2021
Cost: 8 pounds
Tracks: 'Moscow Diskow' / 'Eurovision'

Voor altijd - André van Duin

During an impressive career of six decades, André van Duin started out as a comedian and did theatre shows, TV programmes, even performed as a support act for the Rolling Stones in the Netherlands. In recent years, he has reinvented himself as a 'serious' entertainer, acting in a dramatic series and presenting the Dutch version of the Great British Bake-off. 

After losing his partner Martin last year and going through treatment against a medical condition, things became increasingly serious. He made an impressive speech on 4 May on Remembrance Day in Amsterdam and, also recently, recorded this single. 'Voor altijd' ('For always') was dedicated to his late partner and benefits the Dutch Cancer Society. Although the song was co-created with the massively overrated Dutch artist Danny Vera it is actually quite beautiful. For the first time in months I had the chance to buy a single in a regular shop, and so I did.

My collection: 7" single no. 6378
Found: Paagman, Leidschendam, 8 May 2021
Cost: 9 euro
Tracks: 'Voor altijd' / 'Voor altijd (instrumental)'

Soldi - Mahmood

Alessandro Mahmood represented Italy during the 2019 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Born in Milan to an Italian mother from Sardinia and an Egyptian father, he was raised around Gratosoglio, a district of Milan.When he was five years old, his parents divorced and he was subsequently raised by his mother.

Mahmood revealed he started writing the song while hanging out with some friends. Its lyrics explore Mahmood's relationship with his father. It depicts a lying, contradictory and unreliable father, whose main priority is money instead of his own family. Mahmood explained that the song's lyrics "evoke a memory" and that "there's a lot of anger" in it. This was reflected during his performance: he looked angry throughout his appearance on the Eurovision stage, which surprisingly didn't affect the score: he finished in second place during the Eurovision final. 

This 7" single was sold together with the album 'Gioventù Bruciata' in Italy. Both the CD and this single feature two versions of the song 'Soldi'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6374
Found: Amazon Germany, received 24 April 2021
Cost: 20 euro (CD + single)
Tracks: 'Soldi' / 'Soldi (feat. Gue Pequeno)'

The wrong place - Hooverphonic

This month, the Eurovision Song Contest will finally take place in Rotterdam. Last year the Contest did not take place because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant that the Netherlands held the title of Eurovision winner for another year. The 2021 edition will still be a sad affair: although an audience will be present, it will only be half the capacity of the Ahoy hall where the event is taking place and where other countries have benefited greatly from tourists flocking in from all over Europe, Rotterdam will only host Dutch people (and perhaps a few lost people from other countries - although that seems unlikely).

To make things even worse, it seems that record companies have given up on physical products for their Eurovision acts. So far, only the Belgian band Hooverphonic have released their Eurovision song on 7" vinyl. And that, of course, is to be applauded. 'The wrong place' is an excellent song, although it doesn't seem likely that it will win this year's edition. We can only hope that the winning song will also be released on the 7" vinyl format. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6373
Found: Velvet Music, Leiden, received 24 April 2021
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'The wrong place' / 'The wrong place (instrumental)'

Refrain, du goldner Traum aus meiner Jugendzeit - Lys Assia

Only two years ago I was able to buy Refrain, the 7" single of the first ever winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest. The song made Lys Assia part of history. She would continue to be a special guest in the audience of the Contest even in recent years, until she passed away in March 2018. 

I was always aware that she recorded a German version of her winning song, but like the original single it wasn't easy to get hold of a copy. After all, this is a single that is hunted after by many Eurovision fans and it's 75 years old. But I was quite surprised two weeks ago when I saw one on Ebay for a few euros. I placed my bid and waited until last Saturday, when the auction would end. As usual, the bidding went crazy in the last few minutes, but I was successful in the end - even if I had to spend just a little more than I really wanted to. Never mind - now that record fairs are a thing of the past and the next one won't happen until 2025, probably, I have some budget to spare. I am grateful to the Austrian seller of this little piece of history.

My collection: 7" single no. 6372
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received 15 April 2021
Cost: 13,20 euro
Tracks: 'Refrain, Du Goldner Traum Aus Meiner Jugendzeit' / 'Addio, Bella Napoli'

Touch my life (with summer) - Ellen Nikolaysen

Ellen Helen Nikolaysen was born in Oslo (Norway) on 10 December 1951. She participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 as part of the Bendik Singers group with the song 'It's Just A Game' and as a solo artist in 1975 with 'Touch my life (with summer)'. The solo attempt wasn't very successful: she ended up in 18th place in a field of 19 competitors. The B-side song, 'You made me feel I could fly' was more successful: she won the Best Performance Award at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo in 1974 with it.

As you can see, the sleeve of this single has a name written on it. I have consulted my friend and Eurovision expert Puck about this and he confirmed that this is actually Ellen's autograph. Not bad, for a relatively cheap single I bought online!

My collection: 7" single no. 6371
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Touch my life (with summer)' / 'You made me feel I could fly'

Ding-a-dong - Teach-In

My collection already contains Teach-In's 'Ding-a-dong' in English, Dutch and German, so you might say that this addition to my collection is a bit superfluous. I could pretend that I bought this particular single for the fact that the B-side is different - 'Let me in' does not appear on any of the other three singles - but who would I be kidding? The fact is, this sleeve is just too curious to pass up on.

Quite why the Italians felt they had to release this single in such a tittilating sleeve is unknown, but perhaps they thought it wouldn't sell otherwise. I am pretty sure that a sleeve like this would be censored these days - which makes it even more amusing to own this little piece of shameless history.

My collection: 7" single no. 6370
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Ding-a-dong' / 'Let me in'

Popcorn - La Strana Societa

'Popcorn' needs no introduction on this blog: I have featured many different versions of this Gershon Kingsley composition, and they just keep on coming whenever I come across a version that I didn't already have. 

La Strana Societa is not as anonymous as the sleeve of this single might have you think. The group was formed in Torino by some musicians from I Ragazzi Del Sole, a beat band also from Turin, including drummer Valerio Liboni. The band was discovered around 1971 by club-owner and record producer Ivo Lunardi.The single 'Popcorn' was actually their debut single and reached number 1 in the Italian charts. Their career spanned ten years, five albums and fourteen singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 6369
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Nel giardino di Tamara'

Waterloo - Swedish Group

Swedish Group is the name of an anonymous band that recorded a cover version of 'Waterloo' right after Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with that song. You would think that Swedish Group was founded especially for this purpose, but dig a little deeper and you'll find that they also recorded Abba's 'Ring Ring' the year before, just after they didn't win the national finals in Sweden and narrowly missed out on representing Sweden internationally.

The fact that both singles were released in Italy makes one wonder whether the Swedish Group was a Swedish group after all. Some riddles will never be solved, I guess.

My collection: 7" single no. 6368
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Waterloo' / 'Down down down'

Dio, come ti amo - Domenico Modugno

The name of Domenico Modugno is forever linked to the legendary Eurovision song Volare. That was his first Eurovision appearance. People tend to forget that he represented Italy three times in the contest, following up his appearance in 1958 with the song Piove in 1959 and returning in 1966 with 'Dio, come ti amo'. His last attempt was also his least successful one: he ended in last place with zero points.

So is this a bad song? Well, not really, although I tend to think that the version by Gigliola Cinquetti is a bit more charming. But you know how cruel competitions can be - especially music competitions. Modugno died on 6 August 1994, at the age of 66, from a heart attack, on the island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, while he was in his home by the sea.

My collection: 7" single no. 6367
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Dio come ti amo' / 'Io di piu'

The spirit of Joe Hill - Laurie Dryden

Laurie Dryden only ever released one single, this 'The Spirit of Joe Hill', a song written by Mike Hawker and Marty Wilde. Hawker also produced the two tracks on this single. It was released on 10 March 1972, after which many cover versions followed, particularly in Scandinavia, where the song 'Legenden om Joe Hill' was recorded by a.o. Stein Ingebrigtsen, Göran Hagwall, Bruno Skogmann and Inge Birgersson & Lasse Kenth's.

The song is all about Joe Hill, a Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter, who lived between 1879 and 1915. Hill, an immigrant worker frequently facing unemployment and underemployment, became a popular songwriter and cartoonist for the union. His most famous songs include "The Preacher and the Slave" (in which he coined the phrase "pie in the sky"), "The Tramp", "There Is Power in a Union", "The Rebel Girl", and "Casey Jones—the Union Scab", which express the harsh and combative life of itinerant workers, and call for workers to organize their efforts to improve working conditions.

My collection: 7" single no. 6365
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received 3 April 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'The spirit of Joe Hill' / 'Half of me'

At Veani - Schlomo Artzi

Schlomo Artzi was born on November 26, 1949, in Moshav. When Artzi was eight years old, his family moved to northern Tel Aviv. Artzi's schoolmates thought he would become an actor, not a musician, as he was known for his acting skills at elementary school. However, at the age of twelve he started playing the guitar and singing in a boy scouts group and at friends' parties. At age 16, he began writing and composing songs. 

In 1970, Artzi had the opportunity to take part in the Israel Song Festival, a prestigious song contest held every year. Still in military service and wearing a military uniform, he sang Pitom Achshav, Pitom Hayom (Suddenly Now, Suddenly Today), also known as Ahavtiha (I loved her). The song, written by Tirza Atar and composed by Ya'akov Hollander, won first prize. It was included in his first album, Shlomo Artzi, which came out in 1970. Artzi was voted Singer of the Year. 

In 1975 he was selected to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. The selected song was 'At Veani', written by the legendary Israeli songwriter Ehud Manor, and composed by Artzi himself. To seize the moment, Artzi's record label pressured him to record a completely new record in less than 2 weeks. However, when At Veani ended up in 11th place in a field of 20 competitors, the album became a big disappointment and started a less successful period in Artzi's career. However, his career recovered and he is still active in music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6360
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'At Veani' / 'Hey Liza'

Petit Bonhomme - Camillo

This cheerful young man is called Camillo Felgen, born in Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg on 17 November 1920. He started his career as a teacher. During the Second World War, Felgen was a translator for the German occupiers, and then a reporter with a French-language newspaper. He studied theater and opera in Brussels and Liège; in 1946, he joined Radio Luxembourg as a chorus singer and a French-language reporter. In 1949, the mastering of his baritone completed his theatre and opera studies. 

In 1951, he had his first international hit record, 'Bonjour les amies' ('Hello Friends'). The song went on to become the theme song for his national broadcaster. He represented his home country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 with 'So laang we's du do bast', becoming the first Luxembourger and the first male contestant to represent Luxembourg and the first participant to sing in Luxembourgish. He finished last with only one point. Two years later he entered the contest again, this time doing much better by finishing in third place with the song 'Petit bonhomme'. 

From 1965 until 1973, Felgen was the host and commentator for the German broadcasts of Jeux Sans Frontières (Spiel Ohne Grenzen). He died in his birthplace on 16 July 2005. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6355
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 March 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Petit bonhomme', 'Ballade pour une trompette' / 'Le tango de minuit', 'Demain'

I got stung / One night - Elvis Presley

Another icon from the past that hasn't featured much on this blog is Elvis Presley. Important though he was, his music never touched me quite the same way as pop music from the late Seventies and first half of the Eighties did. But as I am reaching a certain age, my interest in his work has increased slightly, and there was another good reason for buying this single: 'One Night' was covered by none other than Kim Wilde back in 1987. 

This single is, apparently, quite sought after, because to my surprise it was listed for a mere 30 euros on Discogs. I got my copy for considerably less, so who knows, I might sell it one day. But for now, I am quite pleased to own this - even if it is a reissue of these two songs from 1969. They were originally released in 1958!

My collection: 7" single no. 6359
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, 20 March 2021
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'I Got Stung' / 'One Night'

Lay lady lay - Bob Dylan

Those of you who are into Bob Dylan will probably wonder why he has never appeared on this blog before. To some, he is truly the best ever and they worship him like he's some kind of godlike entity. To me, it has always been a mediocre singer at best, and his music never managed to touch me in any way. His lyrics, amazingly awarded the Nobel Prize for literature a few years ago, seemed a bit inane to me as well. 'The answer is blowing in the wind' has become some sort of catchphrase but I never really understood why.

Which makes the purchase of this single, perhaps, a mystery. I only heard 'Lay Lady Lay' some years ago and I didn't really recognize Bob Dylan as the singer. I mean, the man isn't exactly renowned for holding a melody is he? But this is a nice tune, even if it is hardly Nobel Prize material.

My collection: 7" single no. 6358
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, 20 March 2021
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Lay lady lay' / 'I threw it all away'

Rock this town - Stray Cats

These days you don't hear any rock 'n' roll or rockabilly music in the charts anymore, but 40 years ago, while pop music was being taken over by synthpop artists, the Stray Cats still managed to score with this great music style. 'Rock this town' entered the UK singles chart on 2 July 1981 and peaked at number 9 during a chart run of 8 weeks. They also scored in Europe: the single peaked at number 3 in the Netherlands and also made top 10 in several other European countries.

In fact, the Stray Cats kept making music all through the Eighties, despite breaking up a few times in between. After 1992's Dave Edmunds-produced 'Choo Choo Hot Fish', and the cover album 'Original Cool', the group called it quits again. Further reunions happened in 2008 and 2018. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6357
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, 20 March 2021
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Rock this town' / 'Can't hurry love'

Lapponia (English version) - Monica Aspelund

My collection of Monica Aspelund singles seems to revolve around one song: Lapponia, the song she represented Finland with at the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. I have the original Finnish version and a Dutch version, and now I can add the English version of the song. 

Circa 1980 Aspelund, who had just been divorced, relocated with her two-year-old son to Lake Worth, Florida. She performed locally and on Caribbean cruise ships making periodic visits to Finland and Sweden, notably in 1986 when she headlined in the stage musical Cats in Helsinki. It was reported in 2010 that Aspelund had returned to Finland on a permanent basis. No doubt she's visited Lapponia a few times since then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6353
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 March 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Lapponia (English version)' / 'La la sing a song'

A day of love - Ashes and blood

The Yugoslavian band Pepel In Kri - credited in the Eurovision Song Contest as Ashes and Blood - represented their country with the song 'Dan ljubezni' in 1975. It marked the fourth and final time the Socialist Republic of Slovenia represented the whole of Yugoslavia at Eurovision. The music composition was written by Tadej Hrušovar, lyrics were written by Dušan Velkaverh and arranged by Dečo Žgur. At the close of voting, it had received 22 points, placing 13th in a field of 19 competitors.

The song is a ballad, with the band calling for a day of love in the whole world that never ends. The song was released as 'A day of love', the version that is presented on this single. This version failed to chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6352
Found: Discogs.com, received March 19, 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'A day of love' / 'Naj bo baby'

Mikado - Simone Drexel

Simone Drexel was born on 13 May 1957 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. In 1973 she took first place in the talent competition of the youth magazine Bravo. Drexel's entry into the music business was when she represented her country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975. With the song 'Mikado' she ended up in sixth place in a field of 19 competitors. After a few more singles she decided against a long-term career as a pop singer. 

After training to be a medical practice assistant, Drexel married a musician, changed her last name to Johnson and became a mother in 1984. A year later she began her work in a transfusion medicine laboratory. In recent years Drexel has returned to the music industry as a music teacher, she is also the lead singer of the group Bluesonix. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6351
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 March 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Mikado' / 'Die Marionetten'

Eons roll by - Gentlemen without weapons

I didn't really know that the Gentlemen without weapons album 'Transmission' came with two single releases. I bought Unconditional Love (Planet Earth) back in 1989 around the time of its release, but this single, 'Eons Roll By' passed me by. I wasn't the only one: the single didn't chart in any territory. 

The album 'Transmissions', from which both singles were taken, was equally unsuccessful in reaching the charts, but the trio remained undeterred and started the project Spirit Of The Forest, enlisting the help of many famous stars to create a song that would perhaps persuade more people to think about the environment. Thirty years later, my cynical conlusion is that people didn't care then, and they still don't care now. At least we got some remarkable songs out of it. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6350
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 February 2021
Cost: 1,66 euro
Tracks: 'Eons roll by' / 'Uchu o mamoro'

Green mellow hill - The Sparklings

The Sparklings are best known for their work with Dutch singer Ben Cramer. They were previously known as the Rhythm Boys. In 1965 they started performing with Ben Cramer, making their TV debut the next year. Besides working with Ben Cramer they release their own album '...And The Sparklings' in 1966. The album contains a cover version of the Spanish Eurovision entry 'Hablemos Del Amor' and various original 'beat' tracks. 

'Green Mellow Hill' is the last release by the Sparklings, a single that features a cover version of the Marty Wilde composition 'Running Forwards' on the B-side. It was released in 1970. Obviously I was after this B-side track, but it was a search of many years, since this single has become a bit of a rarity. With an average asking price of 40 euros on Discogs, I was lucky to find a copy on the Dutch Ebay recently for just one tenth of that price. The only downside being that the single came without the picture sleeve. I still think it's a good deal.

My collection: 7" single no. 6349
Found: Ebay.nl, received 12 February 2021
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Green Mellow Hill' / 'Running Forwards'

Je leven lang verliefd - Bandjo with Anne Cathrine Herdorf

It's Valentine's Day and it gives me great pleasure to post an appropriate song on this special day. 

Bandjo and Anne Cathrine Herdorf represented Denmark during the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest with 'En Lille Melodi'. I also have the English version of that song, 'A simple little song', which I bought in 2009. What I didn't know, was that there is also a Dutch version of the song. At least, Anne Cathrine tries to sing the song in Dutch but clearly it is not her mother tongue. It makes this song sound a lot like those Eastern European acts that try to sing in English. So if you're from abroad and you're worried that you can't understand the lyrics of 'Je Leven Lang Verliefd' ('Your Entire Life In Love') : don't worry, even Dutch people can't understand them.

My collection: 7" single no. 6348
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 February 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Je leven lang verliefd' / 'En lille melodi (instrumental)'

Jungle Jim - Pete Pantechnicon

There is something mysterious about this single, as it was only released as a promotional 7" single, if I am to believe the Discogs listing. As as for Pete Pantechnicon, his identity remains a mystery as well. 

So what do we know about 'Jungle Jim'? Only that it was written by Ronnie Scott and Marty Wilde, and that Marty Wilde recorded a demo of the song which was included in last year's box set 'Marty: A Lifetime In Music 1957-2019'. The track was arranged by Barry Guard, who also wrote the B-side, 'Point Of No Return'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6347
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 January 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Jungle Jim' / 'Point Of No Return'

Little Ray Of Sunshine - Joe Brown

Released in 1966, Joe Brown's 'Little Ray Of Sunshine' failed to reach the charts in the UK. It was one of an impressive nine singles to fail, in between 'Sally Ann', which reached number 28 in 1963 and 'With A Little Help From My Friends', which reached number 32 in 1967. By today's standards, an artist would already have been dropped by their record label a few times over, but back in the 1960's Pye obviously had faith in mister Brown.

My interest in this single is explained once again by the B-side: 'Your Loving Touch' was written - and previously recorded - by Marty Wilde. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6346
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 January 2021
Cost: 7 euro
Tracks: 'Little Ray Of Sunshine' / 'Your Loving Touch'

Not So Manic Now (acoustic) - Dubstar

One of the nicest singles from the Nineties was Dubstar's 'Not So Manic Now'. For me, the song was overshadowed by 'No More Talk', another fantastic release by the same band. Their album 'Make It Better', released in 2000 was a relative disappointment, and they disappeared for almost two decades.

Back in 2018, without me knowing it, they released a new album called 'One'. That album was recently re-released and was quickly followed by this single, an acoustic rendition of 'Not So Manic Now' with a cover of the Beatles song 'Free As A Bird' on the B-side. Pressed on orange vinyl, it truly is a thing of beauty - and the first 7" single of Dubstar in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6345
Found: Townsend Music, received 27 January 2021
Cost: 9 euro
Tracks: 'Not So Manic Now (acoustic)' / 'Free As A Bird'

Meillä Potkii Hyvin - Danny

My collection of Wilde-related singles is growing lately and it's thanks to the internet. I have found some pretty obscure singles these last few years, and here is another example of that. Finnish singer Danny released 'Meillä Potkii Hyvin' ('We Kick Well') in 1970, with a song originally written by Ronnie Scott and Marty Wilde on the B-side. 

'Yhä Virta Venhettä Kantaa' was translated into Finnish by Pertti Reponen and Esko Linnavalli and is a cover version of 'I Still Believe In Tomorrow'. I received this single from Finland in the original Scandia record label sleeve. Danny's real name is Ilkka Johannes Lipsanen and he was born in Pori, Finland on 24 September 1942. When he started his career in music in the 1960's as part of the band The Islanders he sang songs in English but as he moved on to a successful solo career, he switched to Finnish.Although he'd already released three solo albums by 1970, 'Meillä potkii hyvin' was a non-album single and both sides never appeared on any album.

My collection: 7" single no. 6344
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 January 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Meillä potkii hyvin' / 'Yhä virta venhettä kantaa'

The Shang-a-lang song - Ruby Pearl and the Dreamboats

Some time ago I bought the Shang-a-lang-song single on a German pressing. I recently found out that there was a UK version with a different B-side. 'Will you stop that!' is, like the A-side, entirely produced and recorded by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley, and is an interesting piece of music because it takes glam rock to its most annoying extremes. Hence the title, probably.

I never realised this when I wrote the previous entry about this song, but Ruby Pearl does not actually exist: in reality it was one of the many guises Marty Wilde used during the 1970's to release various singles on the Magnet label.

My collection: 7" single no. 6343
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 January 2021
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The Shang-a-lang song' / 'Will you stop that!'

Happy Birthday Captain Columbus - The Philistines Jr.

Adam Pierce, Leon Dewan, Peter Katis and Tarquin Katis formed the Philistines Jr. and released this short history lesson on music in 1992. The 7" single was pressed on red vinyl, but also contained a novely: the B-side contains two tracks. To hear them, you need to use the Balance knob on your amplifier. You guessed it: I had to do a little cutting and pasting in order to provide neat-ish sound files. Neat-ish, because the channels are actually leaking. I bought this single, obviously, for yet another cover version of 'Kids in America', but you can hear the other track, 'I'll Stop The World And Melt With You' in the background - and vice versa. It's a shame because the guitar solo at the end of 'Kids In America' is actually quite nice, and creative too. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6342
Found: Discogs.com, recevied 13 January 2021
Cost: 1,5 pound
Tracks: 'Happy Birthday Captain Columbus' / 'Kids in America' & 'I'll Stop The World And Melt With You'

Tubular Bells - Champs Boys

Buying cover versions is always a gamble, but an amusing one. You never know what you might end up with. In this particular case, it's a Seventies disco version of 'Tubular Bells', performed by an orchestra conducted by Hervé Roy. He was a French singer, arranger, songwriter and orchestra leader who was born in 1943 and died in 2009. 

Attentive listeners will recognize Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' as well as Mike Oldfield's instrumental masterpiece. And the string arrangement is borrowed from any contemporary disco track. An amusing piece of music.

My collection: 7" single no. 6341
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 January 2021
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Tubular Bells' / 'Fleur'

When the lights go out - Naked Eyes

The single 'When the lights go out' was only released in Canada and the USA, and this copy is the promotional 7" single, made in the USA. Instead of the album track 'Low life' on the B-side, this single plays the same song on both sides, which is not unusual for promotional 7" singles. 

Naked Eyes had a very distinctive sound, made possible by the extraordinary producer Tony Mansfield, who had previously created those great New Musik singles and albums. I've been playing those albums a lot lately, and so it was no wonder that I went to search for related singles recently. Here I was thinking that I had all the Naked Eyes singles - but I didn't. 

It's an appropriate title to end this year with. Let's put out the lights on 2020, it's time to enter 2021. Hopefully it will be a better year for all of us.

My collection: 7" single no. 6340
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 December 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'When the lights go out' / 'When the lights go out'

Someone's in love - Leapy Lee

Leapy Lee was born on 2 July 1939 as Graham Pulleyblank, but later changed his name to Lee Graham. He's best known for his 1968 single 'Little Arrows', which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.He only had one other hit in the UK, 1970's 'Good Morning'. 

This single, 1969's 'Someone's In Love', was written by Ronnie Scott and Marty Wilde, which would explain my interest in this track. But to be honest, the B-side 'Best to Forget' is an equally charming track.

My collection: 7" single no. 6336
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 December 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Someone's in love' / 'Best to forget'

Scarlet - All about Eve

The British band All about Eve has few equals. Born from the goth scene they managed to cross over to the mainstream with their first and second albums, only to triumph artistically if not commercially with their third and fourth album. 

'Scarlet' was the third single from their second album 'Scarlet and Other Stories', released near the end of the Eighties. The B-side features a live version of one of their earliest tracks, 'Our Summer'. This promotional 7" single features a slightly edited version of 'Scarlet', chopping off 20 seconds without doing the kind of damage some other single edits can do. Still, this edit does not appear anywhere else, which makes this single a bit of a rarity.

My collection: 7" single no. 6335
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 December 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Scarlet [edit]' / 'Our Summer (live)'