Angelique - Gunnar Wiklund

Dario Compeotto represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 with the song 'Angelique'. The Swedish singer Gunnar Wiklund saw an opportunity and recorded his own version of the song - and filled an EP with two other Eurovision songs from the same year: 'Are you sure?' and 'April, April'. The fourth track, 'Spela på regnbågen' was the song that finished in second place at the Swedish national final for Eurovision in 1961, behind 'April, April'. 

Gunnar would record more Eurovision covers in 1966 on this EP.

My collection: 7" single no. 6794
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Angelique', 'Du kan vara säker på' / 'April, April', 'Spela på regnbågen'

Song for a friend - Maxi & Chris Garden

The funny thing about Eurovision singles is that there were often many editions and versions in different languages. I already owned Maxi & Chris Garden's 'Lied für einen Freund' in two languages, but there was also a version in English. Best of all, this version was released in a different sleeve. 

Maxi was actually called Meike Gärtner.When she grew up she acquired a solid music education. She appeared in several major musicals and had a big hit in Austria with ‘Ich Kann Dich Heilen’ as part of the group Aschenputtel in 2005.

My collection: 7" single no. 6793
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Song for a friend' / 'Chant pour un ami'

SloMo - Chanel

At the beginning of this century it was quite a task to acquire all the physical releases of Eurovision Song Contest entries. Around 25 CD-singles from various European countries was not easy to get hold of. Flash forward to 2022 and there are just a handful of physical releases of Eurovision songs - and some of them were only released on vinyl in the confusing trend to release more on vinyl than on CD, despite a shortage of vinyl.

And so it happened that 'De diepte' was released two weeks ago, and the Spanish entry 'SloMo' followed last week - both six months after the Contest took place. Granted, this release is an interesting one: it's a shaped picture disc that functions as a 7" vinyl but still contains four tracks. The weird shape of the disc was caused by a mango, pictured on the A-side of this disc, because of the lines "Te gusta to' lo que tengo / Te endulzo la cara en jugo de mango" ("You like everything I have / I sweeten your face in mango juice"). Chanel's song loses some of its appeal without the engaging stage show, but this is still a nice pop song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6792
Found: FNAC Spain, received 11 November 2022
Tracks: 'SloMo (single version)', 'SloMo (acoustic version)' / 'SloMo (Eurovision's Dancebreak Edit)', 'SloMo (Karaoke version)'

Human features - Black

It's hard to believe, but it's ten years since I saw Black, or should I say Colin Vearncombe, live at Paradiso in Amsterdam. It was the penultimate time, because I would see him again in Bruges in November 2015 - two months before his untimely death. 

Having been a fan of Black almost since the beginning (well, since 1984) it took me some time to get hold of his early singles, but I succeeded when I finally managed to get a copy of 'Human features' in 1998. It was Black's earliest release on the Rox label, and although the man himself disowned his earliest material, I very much enjoyed it. 

I was quite surprised when a limited edition of this single was released this year. It was released on the Optic Nerve label, in their series of Optic Sevens. Apparently it is a series of re-releases of "classic indie singles", always on coloured vinyl and with a poster and postcard. In this case, it is pressed on white vinyl. It is a lovely release and a new chance to get acquainted with these two fabulous tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 6776
Found: HHV (Germany), received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Human features' / 'Electric church'

Downtown - One 2 Many

The group One 2 Many only released one album, but it was a great pop album and one of those albums that I still play regularly. Their biggest hit was 'Downtown', released in 1988. I own two singles of the track and a CD-single, but somehow it got past me that there was also a 12" single with exclusive remixes on it. 

And so, a quarter of a century later, I acquired it from a Dutch seller on Discogs - an American promotional 12" single with two mixes on it. Actually, the 7" edit on this one also sounded different to me, because at 2'17 lead singer Camilla Griehsel sings 'This is no time in a village for a while', a line I never heard on the three discs I mentioned before. So, three 'new' tracks by One 2 Many - that's a good catch.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 November 2022
Tracks: 'Downtown (Way Downtown mix)' / 'Downtown (7" edit)', 'Downtown (2 Down Dub)'

Pazzo amore / Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno

The earliest Eurovision song to obtain legendary status is Domenico Modugno's 'Volare', or, more correctly, 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'. I'm not sure that everybody knows that Domenico actually re-recorded this song a few times, and this single, released in 1984, is one of those versions.

It was recorded with the orchestra of maestro Nello Ciangherotti for the TV series La luna nel pozzo - although I'm not sure if that claim holds true for both tracks on this single. I can say for sure that 'Pazzo amore' was featured on that TV show. The modernized and slightly 'discofied' version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' is what is the real attraction on this disc for me, however. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6784
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'Pazzo amore' / 'Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)'

Eres tu - Mocedades

The Spanish group Mocedades represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with the song 'Eres Tu'. Without winning, the song still gained a legendary status and became a big hit all over the world.

Proof of this is found in this Mexican copy of the song. It is actually an EP, featuring four tracks by the band. I got my hands on it when I ordered the 12" single of 'Parlez-vous Français', which was released in Mexico only. But this is a very nice item too, and probably quite rare in this part of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6777
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Eres tu', 'Rin ron' / 'Adios amor', 'Ayer (fue un dia feliz)'

De diepte - S10

It was reported recently that the Netherlands will be sending two unknown singers to next year's Eurovision Song Contest. Some people think that we should send "big names"; that is, artists that are wellknown in the Netherlands. The past has proven that this is a recipe for disaster. Just remember Willeke Alberti, The Toppers and the 3JS for example. 

In recent years we've done pretty well with unknown artists. Duncan Laurence won a few years ago and this year's entry met critical acclaim. 'De diepte' ('The depth') reached 11th place in the contest and was released on 7" vinyl just recently. There were actually two versions: one on black vinyl and one on pink vinyl. The sleeve remained the same, and the tracks as well. One point of criticism: the 'acoustic live session' on the B-side sounds like a home tape. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6786 & 6787
Found: Top Notch website, received 12 October 2022
Tracks: 'De diepte' / 'De diepte (acoustic live session)'

Amiga Quartett - Abba

A few East German singles from Abba, released by the state-run record company Amiga have already popped up on this blog: Dancing Queen/Fernando, Mamma Mia and The winner takes it all. The collection is not complete yet, but I recently found perhaps the most interesting of them all: an EP that featured four of the Swedish band's hits. 

This quartet mops up singles from their last two albums, plus the track 'Under attack' that was released as the last original Abba single back in 1982. The cover actually features a photograph of the band, which didn't happen often on these Amiga releases. As far as I know, there's only two more singles to go. I'm sure they will pop up on here sometime.

My collection: 7" single no. 6778
Found: Discogs.com, 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'Super trouper', 'Head over heels' / 'One of us', 'Under attack'

All souls night - Loreena McKennitt

When I posted this single recently, I noticed that there was no previous entry about Loreena McKennitt on this blog. Which is strange, because I definitely own another single by her. I bought it on 30 December 1994 in a period of frantic singles buying because I'd just recently started - and lost - my first proper job. I bought this single in Utrecht in a shop called Grammophoonwinkel, and I recently found out that the shop had closed down back in May, after almost fifty years. I would have liked to visit the shop one last time, but I found out too late. 

Anyway, 'All souls night' is one of the singles I bought on that cold and dark December afternoon, just before a birthday party in the same city. I think this single must have been on this blog in the early days, but back then Blogger used to honour "copyright claims" from unknown parties who apparently protested against me writing about "their" records. Fortunately this doesn't happen anymore. So here it is, just a few days too late because the traditional Irish All Souls' Night happened a few days ago. 

My collection: 7" single no. 2230
Found: Grammophoonwinkel, Utrecht, 30 December 1994
Tracks: 'All souls night (edit)' / 'Bonny Portmore'

Liebe, so heisst meine Welt - Véronique Muller

The German language has a tendency to sound a bit aggressive, especially when during my childhood my peers did impressions of a certain leader. A song like 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' shows a more tender side of the language: Véronique Muller shows that German can sound tender and soft as well.

'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' is the German version of 'C'est la chanson de mon amour', with which she represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. I bought that single almost a year ago, and this one is the only other version of that song. Even the B-side was translated into German: 'Quand le printemps revient' became 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6791
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2022
Tracks: 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' / 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'

Nur ein Lied - Thomas Forstner

In 1989 Thomas Forstner represented Austria with the song 'Nur ein Lied'. Avid readers of this blog will know this because I already wrote about the single back in 2009. 

A recent discovery was the 12" single of this song, which featured an extended version of the song. It still contains the rather bombastic sound of the single recording, but adds an instrumental part in the middle. It wouldn't be hard to construct this extended version using the single, since that one already contains the instrumental as well as the vocal version of the song, but there you go. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'Nur ein Lied [extended]' / 'Nur ein Lied (instrumental)', 'Nur ein Lied'

The big one - Black / King of emotion - Big Country

A collection of singles by Black can't be complete without those Italian promos that feature two (possible) hit tracks on one disc. In the case of 'The Big One', Black was coupled with Big Country's 'King Of Emotion'. In short: two tracks that had little in common, except that both the artists came from the UK.

Surprisingly, 'King of emotion' was the bigger hit of the two, reaching number 16 in the UK singles chart, whereas 'The Big One' only made it to number 54. In Italy it was the other way around: 'The Big One' reached number 17 whereas 'King of emotion' did not chart. I would be tempted to call that justice.

My collection: 7" single no. 6581
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 December 2021
Tracks: 'The big one' (Black) / 'King of emotion' (Big Country)

Out on the ropes - The Shirts

Nothing could beat the great pop track 'Laugh and walk away' by the Shirts, a single I bought when I was just nine years old. Apparently they released another single from the same album with almost the same sleeve and the same B-side, and it is this one: 'Out on the ropes'. This copy is a so-called 'demo record', as it says on the label. 

Interestingly enough, the band reunited two decades after breaking up in 1981. Since then, they have released two new albums. The last one, 'The Tiger Must Jump' (2010) included a new version of 'Out on the ropes'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6789
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Out on the ropes' / 'Maybe, maybe not'

Tot bloedens toe - Frank Boeijen

The Dutch singer Frank Boeijen has continued his career to this day, but 'Tot bloedens toe' is the last of his singles that was released on 7" vinyl. As such it is a true rarity, because it is rarely offered for sale. The only chance to grab hold of a copy is to hunt for it online - and even then it is not easy. 

This single had been on my wantlist for four or five years, and suddenly, earlier this month, one copy was offered for sale. Naturally I had to buy it. The single features a rather ugly single edit (fading out much earlier than the album version) and a beautiful B-side. It is certainly worth a listen, even if you don't understand Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 6788
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Tot bloedens toe' / 'Stormvogels'

The mummers' dance - Loreena McKennitt / Only if... - Enya

This Italian promo brings together two ethereal artists. Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer who made a career out of recording Celtic folk music, owing to her Irish and Scottish descent. 'The mummers' dance' was a track from her 1997 album 'The book of secrets'. Her music by then was often compared to the work of Enya. 

And that's funny, because this promo features an Enya track on the B-side. 'Only if...' was released as a new track on the compilation album 'Paint the sky with stars', also in 1997. The song was only released on a 7" in the USA and on this Italian promo. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6785
Found: Discogs, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'The Mummers' dance' (Loreena McKennitt) / 'Only if...' (Enya)

Al di la - Betty Curtis

Only two Italian Eurovision songs were still missing from my 7" singles collection, and this one was one of them. 'Al di la' was performed by Betty Curtis in the 1961 edition, and the single is very difficult to find - especially if you prefer a picture sleeve. They are for sale, of course, but only if you are willing to pay up to €50 for it. And I am not that crazy.

I was therefore very happy when I found a listing of the single with an original record company sleeve. It is the next best thing. CGD released this single back in 1961 and it's great to have an original CGD sleeve with this disc. It almost completes my Italian Eurovision singles collection. Now I just need that elusive 'Corde della mia chitarra' by Nunzio Gallo. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6783
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'Al di la' / 'Vicino a te'

Ich sehe dich weinen - Bobby Solo

The Italian song for the Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was performed by Bobby Solo and was called 'Se piangi, se ridi'. At the time, it wasn't unusual for artists to record their songs in different languages, and Bobby was no exception. He recorded his song in French and German.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of the German version online, for a price that wasn't too ridiculous. The title, 'Ich sehe dich weinen', is not a direct translation of the Italian original. Two pressings of this version exist: a Swiss one and a Dutch one. This is the Dutch one.

My collection: 7" single no. 6772
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 August 2022
Tracks: 'Ich sehe dich weinen' / 'Buon giorno, signorina'

Der Tingler singt für euch alle - Jürgen Marcus

The only other single I have of Jürgen Marcus is 'Chansons pour ceux qui s'aiment', the song he performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. This single, with a slightly different cover, is the German version of that song. Back in the early days of the Contest it was not unusual to record songs in different languages - it improved the chance of a hit in different territories. Besides, Jürgen, as his name indicates, was better in speaking German than he was in speaking French. 

The search for this single wasn't exactly easy, because most people ask more for it than it's really worth. But I found a bargain, and that's always nice. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6779
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'Der Tingler singt für euch alle' / 'Nur Liebe zählt'

This wheels on fire - Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity

'This wheels on fire' was originally written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko and recorded by The Band in 1967. In 1968, a version by Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and the Trinity became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. With its use of distortion, phasing, the evocative imagery of the song's title and the group's flamboyant dress, this version is closely associated with the psychedelic era in British music. 

The song was also covered by Siouxie and the Banshees, and I bought that single back in 1996. I never bought the Driscoll version, partly because I thought I already had it. But I didn't, and I found out when I came across this copy. It is a German double single featuring four tracks by the band. I needn't really have bothered because aside from the first track this isn't really the kind of thing I take pleasure in listening to, but it's good to finally have this track nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 6778
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'This wheels on fire' / 'Road to Cairo' // 'Save Me, part 1', 'Tramp'

Go - Scott Fitzgerald

Here's a single that I find a bit confusing. This is the UK pressing of Scott Fitzgerald's 'Go', the song with which he represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988. The A-side should feature the studio version and the B-side a live version.

What I am hearing: the A-side presents a sort of demo version of the song, whereas the B-side is the same as the A-side of the European version of the single. There is no answer to the question if the record company messed up somehow.

My collection: 7" single no. 6773
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 September 2022
Tracks: 'Go' / 'Go (live version)' [sic]

Just an illusion (the 1989 remix) - Imagination

In the second half of the Eighties, it became a bit of a habit to remix everything that moved, basically. Old hits by Jackie Wilson or Marilyn Monrie, for instance, but also more recent songs fell victim to this. Even songs that were pretty perfect to begin with. 

Imagination's 'Just an illusion' is a good example. There was nothing wrong with this Jolley and Swain production, but still Mike Pickering and Graeme Park thought they could improve on the track. The 1989 remix was released in, er, 1989, and failed to trouble the charts, predictably. The single was taken from a remix album called 'Like it is: hot sensational re-mixes', but this album also failed to chart. Sometimes people prefer to hear songs like they are.

My collection: 7" single no. 6774
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 September 2022
Tracks: 'Just an illusion (the 1989 remix)' / 'LTO (Love's taking over) (L.J.´s Blues Mix)'

Gwendolyne - Salomé

In 1970, Julio Iglesias represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Gwendolyne'. Salomé, who was one of the four winners in 1969 when she performed 'Vivo cantando', thought it was a good idea to record her own version of this song, and perhaps profit a little from the success that Iglesias might have with this song in Spain.

Unfortunately, Salomé's version doesn't come close to the subtle beauty of Iglesias' version; it is a bit bland to be honest. Still, with singles like this it is always interesting to add a bit of history to your collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6768
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 August 2022
Tracks: 'Gwendolyne' / 'Llévatelo'

Parlez-vous Français - Baccara

I've only got two singles by Baccara in my collection, and they are both called 'Parlez-vous Français?'. One features the French version, the other presents the English version. I recently found out that there was also an extended version of the song, but bizarrely it was only ever released in Mexico. And, get this: it was pressed on various colours of vinyl. 

I ordered one copy of this 12" single, pressed on red vinyl, and not only does it feature an extended version of the song (incorporating both the French and English versions), the B-side features a version of that ole Doors classic 'Light my fire'. What's not to like? It is a very interesting addition to my collection. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Parlez-vous Français? [extended]' / 'Baby, why don't you reach out? Light my fire'

Verona - Koit Toome & Laura

It's always nice when Eurovision songs are released on 7" or CD-single. Somehow, a 12" release is always a bit of a pain - especially when a song is released on 12" only. This was the case with one of the best entries in the Eurovision Song Contest of 2017 - 'Verona' by Koit Toome and Laura from Estonia. For a long time, this 12" single was only available for premium prices, and sad to say, the price hasn't really dropped in the years that followed.

Still, this particular 12" single was worth obtaining, because it offers six different versions of the song. I can't help but wonder why this was not released on a CD-single as well, but we know by now that record companies are not interested in consumer preferences. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 September 2022
Tracks: 'Verona (radio version), 'Verona (Italian version)', 'Verona (Moon Taxi remix)' / 'Verona (Eurovision 2017 version)', 'Verona (club remix)', 'Verona (1985 version)'

Popcorn - Danny Danova

Danny Danova is the stage name of Danny Boddin, a Belgian producer and keyboard player, who released a couple of singles in the mid-1970s. Not much is known about this man, unfortunately. 

This single is a bit of a strange one: it features the wellknown Kingsley composition Popcorn, as performed by Danova, but it is released in the 'Golden 45's' series, which is all about re-releasing old hits. Except: there is no other (original) release of Danova's 'Popcorn'! The B-side, 'Pagoda', was originally released in 1975. Both tracks are very enjoyable, with spacey sounds and great melodies. It's just weird that some artists seem to have vanished off the face of the earth...

My collection: 7" single no. 6767
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 August 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Pagoda'

Verão - Carlos Mendes

I already owned 'A festa da vida', Carlos Mendes' second Eurovision song from 1972, but six years earlier he represented Portugal for the first time with the song 'Verão'. The song, composed by Pedro Vaz Osório and written by José Alberto Diogo, was about a man with a broken heart who realises that summer is over and he can’t wait until summer starts again. It was a very short song, clocking in at just over two minutes. 

This EP presents three more songs, of which 'I'll get over it' is the most enjoyable. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6766
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 August 2022
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Verão', 'Nobody wants you when you're down and out' / 'I'll get over it', 'Mensagem'

Ensemble - Ilanit

It's impossible to find copies of Ilanit's two Eurovision songs in Hebrew, so for now I have to be satisfied with versions in other languages, which are sometimes available for more affordable prices. Like for instance this one: 'Ensemble' is the French version of  'Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim', the song she performed at the 1977 edition when she represented Israel for the second time.

The French translation was contributed by Patrick Loubié, who would also deliver a translation for the Turkish song 'Pet'r Oil' in 1980. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6765
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 August 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Ensemble' / 'Bon voyage bonne chance'

Dansevise - The Cousins

The Belgian band The Cousins formed in the late Fifties. They started under the name Les jeunes équipes, but inspired by their frequent performances in the dance club Les Cousins ​​near the Brussels Grand-Place, they changed the name to The Cousins. In 1960 the band was discovered by record executive Jean Kluger. They had a big hit that year with 'Kili Watch', which sold a million singles. The success of 'Kili Watch' caused disputes in the band over royalties. After composer Gustave Derese had registered the copyright of the gigantic hit with SABAM, he left the group. He later founded the less successful band The Killy Jacks. 

The Cousins continued their career but couldn't match the success of 'Kili Watch'. In 1963 they released this single, a cover version of the winning song of that year's Eurovision Song Contest, 'Dansevise'. It was an instrumental version. In 1966 the band broke up. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6763
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 August 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Dansevise' / 'Boomeranga'

Bien plus fort - Tereza

Tereza Ana Kesovija was born on 3 October 1938. She graduated from the flute program at the Zagreb Music Academy, and as a student began appearing in amateur music events. In 1962, shortly after the start of her professional career, she won her first international contest at Saint-Vincent, Italy. After this success, Tereza had a tour in USSR and she recorded one EP with Italian songs for the biggest Russian music company – Melodiya. She spent 1963 and 1964 touring USSR, Poland, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden. She also had a lot of TV appearances in these countries. 

In 1965, she moved to France. One year later, she was chosen by Grace Kelly to represent Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song was 'Bien plus fort'. She also recorded the song as 'Još Mnogo Jače', in Serbo Croat. I had that version earlier than this original French version - but it's good to finally own it now.

My collection: 7" single no. 6762
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 August 2022
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Bien plus fort', 'Tu viens de très loin' / 'Demain', 'Et c'est pour toi'

Leila - Seid Memic Vaita

Sometimes it seems like I am buying things multiple times, but this single is a good example how that makes sense. I already own the single 'Leyla' by Vayta, which was released internationally after he represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. 

However, in Yugoslavia itself, this single was released. 'Leila' is the original version of the song, which is very different from the Yugoslavian version on that other single. As a bonus, this single features another song by the singer - and a totally different sleeve. This is one of the things that make a Eurovision singles collection so great: there's always something to discover.

My collection: 7" single no. 6689
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Leila' / 'Covjek bez problema'

Saludos al mundo - Ivan & M's

Seven years ago I got my hands on the original single by 4M, 'Dobar Dan'. Last year, I added an EP featuring four songs from the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, on which that song was presented by the Yugoslavian quartet in Spanish. And now, here's the actual single, released in Spain, with the Spanish version of  'Dobar Dan', entitled 'Saludos al mundo'.

What's interesting about this single, is that the B-side, 'Don Pasquale', was actually recorded in 1964 and released as a title track of an EP in Yugoslavia at the time. The sleeve of this single is in the style of other singles released in Spain at the time of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, since the event took place in Spain that year.

My collection: 7" single no. 6749
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 July 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Saludos al mundo' / 'Don Pasquale'

When the boys talk about the girls - Valerie Carr

Valerie Carr was born in 1936. She made her singing debut in the Fifties, recording some singles for the King Records label, until she signed with Roulette in 1958. This single, 'When the boys talk about the girls' peaked at number 19 in the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1958 and number 29 in the UK singles chart. It is a charming little song, which was covered in 1966 by the Shirelles.

I bought this single along with a handful of other ones, but unfortunately this copy is warped. I'll leave it under a stack of heavy books for some time, but in the mean time I found some recordings of both sides so I can still hear these tracks. Buying singles online can be a bit like Russian Roulette sometimes.

My collection: 7" single no. 6746
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 July 2022
Cost: 0 (yep, I got a refund)
Tracks: 'When the boys talk about the girls' / 'Padre'

The winner takes it all - Abba

What can I say about Abba that hasn't been said already a hundred times before? Well, maybe that their "live" show in London is absolutely groundbreaking, but also prohibitively expensive. You would think that once the expenses of creating a purpose-built arena in London have been earned back, the prices for those seat would go down but there is no sign of that happening anytime soon. And so Abba will remain the biggest money-making machine Sweden has ever created (with only the possible exception of Ikea). 'The winner takes it all', indeed. 

This 7" single was released in the GDR, or East-Germany as we would call it back then. We didn't know much about that part of Germany except that it was ruled by communists and that Amiga was their state-controlled record company. Those Amiga Abba-singles have now become a nice little sub-collection for me, and I'm glad to add this one to my already too large Abba collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6624
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'The winner takes it all' / 'Elaine'