Um grande, grande amor - José Cid

Although I already own 'Un grand, grand amour' 13 years already, somehow I never got my hands on the original Portuguese version of this Portuguese entry of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980. Fortunately I was finally able to correct this omission recently by way of an order from a Portuguese dealer on Discogs.

'Um grande, grande amor' finished seventh in a field of 19 competitors, which was Portugal's best result up until then. It's easy to see why: with its catchy refrain of  'Addio, adieu, auf Wiederseh'n, goodbye / Amore, amour, meine Liebe, love of my life' it was accessible to all those who couldn't understand Portuguese and the disco tempo also did its thing.

My collection: 7" single no. 6916
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 March 2023
Tracks: 'Um grande, grande amor' / 'Barbara'

Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'? - Kirsten & Søren

Kirsten & Søren represented Denmark three times during the Eighties, and always with schlager-informed ditties that were either infectious or irritating depending on your own preferences. I already owned the original version and the English and French versions of their last attempt, but I didn't know until recently that there was also a 12" single featuring four versions of 'Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'?'. 

This 12" single, housed in a beautiful picture sleeve by the way, adds a German version and it completes the set for me. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'?', 'Who is wrong and who's right?' / 'Hab ichs dir nicht gesagt?', 'Ecoute moi mon amie?'

Efter stormen - Marie Fredriksson

I discovered Marie Fredriksson's solo material after she joined Per Gessle and started the Roxette phenomenon. During the Nineties they were always on the radio with their pop songs, sometimes great, sometimes inane. But what Marie did as a solo artist was much more interesting. Certainly her albums 'Den standiga resan' and 'I En Tid Som Vår' are among my alltime favourite albums by any artist.

'Efter stormen' was taken from an earlier album of the same name, released just after Roxette had started, in 1987. The title track is a decent pop track although the rest of the album never really grabbed me. 'Efter stormen' was Marie's first top 10 hit in Sweden, peaking at number 7. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6915
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Efter stormen' / 'Varmt och djupt'

Djingis Khan - Vikingarna

The song 'Dschinghis Khan' by the band of the same name was a big success in 1979. So much so, that several acts recorded cover versions of the song. This blog already featured versions by 5 Carat and Marco Polo, and here's another one: by the Swedish act Vikingarna.

Vikingarna were formed in 1958 in Arvika as Ji-Coo and the Vikings, a rock-and-roll and skiffle group. By the 1973, the band had changed both line-up and style several times, and settled on the new Swedish sound: dansband. The band released their first album that same year and their second the year after, before securing a record deal with Mariann Records in 1975. In 1975 they released "Kramgoa Låtar 1", the first album in a series of more than twenty records. After that, the band released a new album on a yearly basis, whilst touring between recording sessions. In 1992, after the release of "Kramgoa Låtar 20", the band went on hiatus, but returned in 1995 for new albums. In December 2003, they announced their retirement, and played their final concert on July 7, 2004 in Arvika to a record audience. By then, the band had sold more than 11 million records. 

Their version of 'Dschinghis Khan' is very much comparable to the original version even if it is sung in a lower key, but the real surprise is the B-side: a beautiful orchestral version of John Denver's classic 'Annie's song'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6913
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Djingis Khan' / 'Annie's song (instrumental)'

Hullu yö - Kaija Kärkinen

Although Finland only ever won the Eurovision Song Contest once with Lordi's 'Hard Rock Hallelujah', there's another hard-edged song that I find a lot more interesting. Kaija Kärkinen represented Finland in 1991 with 'Hullu yö' ('Crazy night'), a title that had presenter Toto Cotugno stuttering his way through (like he did throughout the broadcast). 

Finding a copy of this single wasn't easy for sure, and impossible in those internetless days. Even with internet the single commanded such high prices that I had to wait until recently to get a good copy for a decent price. 'Hullu yö' is finally mine.

My collection: 7" single no. 6912
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Hullu yö' / 'Ammu selkään'

Ghosts again - Depeche Mode

The new Depeche Mode album is called 'Memento mori' and it promises to be a dark affair. The lead single 'Ghosts again' certainly seems to point towards that, with a gloomy sound and serious lyrics. Undoubtedly the untimely death of Andy Fletcher has contributed to this. And so there's only two members now. I would think this album will also be Depeche Mode's last.

This single, featuring the new track and an etching of the DM logo on the other side, was offered free with the German magazine Musikexpress. I found out about this just recently, while the magazine was already sold out on the official website. I turned to other German sites to find a copy. I tried meine-Zeitschrift.de first, but they only offered postage within Germany. When I asked politely if they could send me a copy for increased postage costs, all I got was a reply that they didn't offer postage outside of Germany. Very well... so I found mein-Presseshop.de instead, and they sent me the magazine within a couple of days. You see, some German sites are useless, whereas other German sites are consumer-friendly. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6911
Found: mein-Presseshop.de, received 14 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ghosts again'

Près de ma rivière - Robert Cogoi

The Dutch 'favorieten expres' version of 'Près de ma rivière' appeared on this blog almost a decade ago, but recently I acquired the French 4 track EP, which is worth featuring here because it contains four tracks instead of just two, and it comes in a beautiful cover. Also, three of the four tracks don't appear on that other single. 

Robert appeared on the Eurovision stage in 1964. As a result, his performance has been lost in time, because along with the very first edition in 1956 the Eurovision Song Contest of 1964 was not properly stored in a video archive. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6910
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 10 March 2023
Tracks: 'Près de ma rivière', 'Present'moi' / 'Fille du soleil', 'Toute une vie'

Wir glauben an Morgen - Karina

I bought the 7" single 'En un mundo nuevo' 13 years ago, the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1971. The song was quite successful, ending up in second place.

I didn't know back then that Karina also recorded her song in English, French, German and Italian. It's not easy to find all these versions, but the German version is now mine. I didn't notice this before, but the song seems oddly inspired by Marty Wilde's 'Abergavenny' - just listen to the last part of this song. And that doesn't seem far-fetched; Karina actually recorded a version of that song as 'La fiesta' in 1968.

My collection: 7" single no. 6907
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2023
Tracks: 'Wir glauben an Morgen' / 'En un mundo nuevo'

Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder - Carmela Corren

Carmela Corren (née Bizman, 13 February 1938 – 15 January 2022) was an Israeli singer and actress. She dreamed of being a dancer, but switched to singing in the wake of an injury. American television producer Ed Sullivan discovered her in 1956 during a work venture in Jerusalem. Corren, just out of military service, was persuaded to come to New York to appear on his show. She later toured South Africa with Cliff Richard and sang in English clubs. Later, she starred in several films and television productions. 

With the beginning of the 1960s, Corren became well-known in Germany, as well as in Switzerland and Austria. In 1963, she represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song 'Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder', finishing in seventh place.

My collection: 7" single no. 6905
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2023
Tracks: 'Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder' / 'Always you'

Fantasy dream - Ami Aspelund

Ami Aspelund represented Finland in 1983 with the song 'Fantasiaa'. It was written Kaisu Liuhala and composed by Kari Kuusamo. According to some, Kuusamo had listened well to Kim Wilde's hit 'Cambodia' and based the melody of the chorus on the verses of Kim's song. If you listen to 'Fantasiaa' (or the English version, 'Fantasy dream', which is on the A-side of this single) you can certainly hear a certain reminiscence, but no claim has ever been made and the song went on to become reasonably successful. 

'Fantasiaa' ended up on 11th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a field of 20 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6904
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 March 2023
Tracks: 'Fantasy dream' / 'Fantasiaa'

Arrivederci Franz - Birthe Kjaer

Although Danish singer Birthe Kjaer didn't get to represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest until 1989 with the classic 'Vi maler byen rød', her interest in the competition started a lot earlier. It is evidenced on this single from 1968. 

Although 'Arrivederci Franz' is an original song, the B-side is actually a cover version of the Eurovision song 'Ein Hoch der Liebe', performed for Germany by Wencke Myhre. Thøger Olesen provided the Danish lyrics for Birthe's version.

My collection: 7" single no. 6902
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Arrivederci Franz' / 'Sig ja til kaerlighed'

Everything's coming up roses (remix) - Black

Generally speaking, Australians aren't exactly good in preserving old records. There are several cd-singles and singles from Australia in my collection that look quite battered and worn, and in the case of this single by Black, the sleeve actually looks quite nice but the music is barely audible from the noise in the grooves on this disc. I wonder why.

I got this single from a dealer in Australia because it is quite rare and through the years I hadn't been able to find a copy. I had to have it, mostly because of the sleeve which is a variation on sleeves from that period. The remix, of course, appears on this promotional single from the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 6899
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Everything's coming up roses (remix)' / 'Ravel in the rain'

Ime anthropos ki ego - Evridiki

The big mystery of Eurovision Song Contest is why sometimes crap songs win while really beautiful songs are less successful. Case in point: 'Ime anthropos ki ego' ('I'm human too') by Evridiki. It's a beautifully composed song, performed with lots of emotion by Evridiki. A plea for worldwide peace, it was performed fourth on the night, following Ireland and preceding Iceland. At the close of voting, it finished in 11th place in a field of 25 competitors.

The winning song that year wasn't exactly awful, but certainly not the best song of the night: 'Rock 'n' Roll kids' by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. It was the third consecutive time that Ireland won the competition, during a decade in which jurors were unduly biased towards Irish entries. Of all the songs that were performed during the 1994 edition, 'Ime anthropos ki ego' has aged the best of them all. Finding this 12" single was a great catch.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ime anthropos ki ego' / 'Fenetre sur cour'

Why do you always haunt me - Radio Java

There's a record-breaking 38 years between me buying the two Radio Java singles that exist. I bought 'Fool' back in 1985, one of my total favourites from that year, and now, just recently, I found the other single online. 

'Why do you always haunt me' was released on blue vinyl and with a colourful picture sleeve that features the band. They only ever released two singles and one album, and none of them charted. On the basis of these two singles I have become rather curious about that album, but it would be great if that got a CD release one day. I keep dreaming for now.

My collection: 7" single no. 6898
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Why do you always haunt me?' / 'Radio Java'

White wedding - Billy Idol

'White wedding' was originally released as the second single from Billy Idol's self-titled studio album in 1982. Although not Idol's highest-charting hit, it is often considered one of his most recognizable songs. In the US, it reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was re-issued in 1983. 

This clear vinyl edition was released in 1985, when the Vital Idol remix album had to be promoted. This is also why a 'Mega-Idol mix' appears on the B-side. It was a successful re-release: it peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6897
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'White wedding' / 'Mega-Idol mix'

Sweet memory - Belle Stars

After the Belle Stars had a big hit with 'Sign of the times', they released this single: Sweet memory. They put 'Sign of the times' on the B-side for some reason, but it's just the regular version of that track.

The single reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 30 in Ireland, but didn't achieve any chart success in Europe. In fact, only the 1989 re-release of 'Iko Iko' would bring them success outside of the UK again.

My collection: 7" single no. 6896
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Sweet memory' / 'Sign of the times'

So long - Abba

Do I really need more Abba singles? Well, no, not really, but some covers are just too beautiful to resist. This copy of 'So long' was made in France and they gave it a colourful sleeve that was much more stylish than the boring German one.

I remember that, as a child, I thought this song was pure hardrock. Not much later I got into the 'disco-rock' of Kiss, and a few years later again I discovered that hardrock was actually quite a bit harder. And louder. But 'So long' is, to me at least, still Abba's big hardrock moment.

My collection: 7" single no. 6892
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'So long' / 'I've been waiting for you'

Medley no. 40 - Draaiorgel "De Arabier"

Dutch barrel organs are a bit of cultural heritage that mostly cause irritation when they're on the street these days. Back in the Seventies and earlier, people weren't so involved in Walkmans, ipods or iphones, and a bit of music was more appreciated. So much so, that the sound of these barrel organs was even recorded and released on singles.

Some of these singles are of special interest to me, for there's a bit of Eurovision on them. This EP is a good example: it finishes (on side B) with a version of 'Non ho l'eta', the only good Italian Eurovision winner (unless you think Toto Cotugno or Måneskin actually contributed beautiful melodies to Eurovision history). 

My collection: 7" single no. 6895
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'De winter was lang / Zondag in Amsterdam / Gib mir dein Wort' / 'Vous permettez monsieur / Ik heb 't geluk besteld / Non ho l'eta'

Love detonator - Jona Lewie

Jona Lewie only ever had two big hits in the UK, but he released several more singles, as you can see on this blog. 'Love detonator' was released in 1983 and represents his penultimate single release on the Stiff label. 

During the 1990s, Lewie appeared with solo public performances on a 60-day UK tour as guest of the Blues Band, playing venues such as theatres and civic centres, while occasionally playing one-off gigs such as that at the Hackney Empire, London and taking part in occasional radio and television broadcasts.

My collection: 7" single no. 6889
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Love detonator' / 'The baby, she's on the street'

Johnny Blue (English version) - Lena Valaitis

One of the nicest features of Eurovision Song Contest songs from the last century was the release of several versions of the song by the original artists. They recorded their song in several languages, and often they were released on separate singles.

'Johnny Blue' was of course Lena Valaitis' Eurovision song in 1981, and despite the title she performed it entirely in German on the night. But an English version was recorded and released on a separate single, and even the B-side 'Jeder Mensch hat seinen Traum' was translated into English. 

I was very fortunate to find this copy for 50 eurocents - finds like these are what make record fairs so great. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6888
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Johnny Blue (English version)' / 'Everybody has a dream'

Every kinda people - Mint Juleps

The group Mint Juleps, named after an alcoholic drink, consisted of four sisters: Sandra, Debbie, Lizzie and Marcia Charles, who were joined by two school friends, Julie Isaac and Debbie Longworth. They released three albums between 1985 and 1993. Their second album from 1987 was produced, remarkably, by Trevor Horn, and the single 'Every kinda people', a cover of the Robert Palmer track, was taken from that album. 

I could say it was their biggest hit, although it only reached number 58. The other charting single, 'Only love can break your heart', released in 1986, only made it to number 62. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6887
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Every kinda people' / 'Ain't seen nothin' yet'

Am I losing you forever - Mai Tai

After the Dutch trio Mai Tai had two big hits in the UK in 1985, they tried their luck with the ballad 'Am I losing you forever' in November of that year. Despite an attractive sleeve, this single didn't find favour with the British audience: it only managed to reach number 78 during a two week chart run. It effectively ended their UK adventure: two subsequent releases in the UK only reached similar lowly positions.

For me, this single was a bit of an impulse buy, based on the glossy cover. But I wasn't disappointed: the B-side is actually very enjoyable too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6886
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Am I losing you forever' / 'The rules of love'

Step off - Junior Giscombe

Junior Giscombe had his biggest success with 'Mama used to say' and 'Too late' in 1982, but all the singles he released next landed outside of the UK top 40. Until, that is, in 1987 when his duet with Kim Wiled 'Another step (closer to you)' made it to number 6.

Junior eventually switched to Kim's record label and in 1990 he released this single, 'Step off'. He wrote the song himself, together with Gregg Smith, and it's another example of his brand of funky music. The B-side is unfortunately less inspired.

My collection: 7" single no. 6885
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Step off ' / 'Step off (the boogie pella)'

A whiter shade of pale - Procol Harum

An old, familiar song like 'A whiter shade of pale' is an essential part of any music collection. I've had a single for many decades, but it was a slightly embarrassing reissue from the 1980's. 

This single is also a reissue, but from 1974. And best of all, it features a credible picture sleeve and the B-side 'A salty dog', which is another fabulous track from the band. It being on sale for just half a euro, I couldn't resist.

My collection: 7" single no. 6884
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'A whiter shade of pale' / 'A salty dog'

Chiquitita - Abba / Too much heaven - Bee Gees

This single is a nice curiosity, since it features two big hits from the year 1979: Abba's 'Chiquitita' and 'Too much heaven' by the Bee Gees. Both tracks feature on the album 'Music for Unicef concert: a gift of song', which was released in 1979. It was the album that accompanied the benefit concert of popular music held in the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on 9 January 1979. It was intended to raise money for UNICEF world hunger programs and to mark the beginning of the International Year of the Child. The concert was the idea of impresario Robert Stigwood, the Bee Gees, and David Frost, who originally conceived it as an annual event. Not all of the performances were truly live, with ABBA lip-synching their new song 'Chiquitita' and the Bee Gees lip-synching their song 'Too Much Heaven'. It's kindof ironic that these two songs were chosen for a single release.

The concert raised less than one million dollars at the time for UNICEF, although this figure did not include longer-term royalties from the songs and repeat performances. (The Bee Gees' song 'Too much heaven', for example, earned more than seven million dollars for UNICEF as of 2003). 

My collection: 7" single no. 6881
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 March 2023
Tracks: 'Chiquitita' (Abba) / 'Too much heaven' (Bee Gees)

En gång i Stockholm - Monica Zetterlund

Monica Zetterlund was born as Eva Monica Nilsson on 20 September 1937. During her lifetime, she starred in over 10 Swedish film productions and recorded over 20 studio albums. 

Her long career also included the song 'En gång i Stockholm', a jazz ballad with which she represented Sweden in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. She finished last, however and scored nul points, but remained successful in Sweden.  

It was quite difficult to find a good copy of this single for a reasonable price, so I had to make do with this one, which comes without the four prong centre.

My collection: 7" single no. 6880
Found: Discogs.com, received  March 2023
Tracks: 'En gång i Stockholm' / 'En gospel om dej'

Mit potpourri - Katy Bødtger

If you want to buy a copy of the single 'Det var en yndig tid', the song with which Katy Bødtger represented Denmark at the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest, you will have to pay 45 euros or more. By contrast, this 10" compilation LP, which includes the song, only costs a few euros. So obviously I went for the latter. 

It is actually a very nice collection of songs that presents the state of music in the early 1960's quite well. It all sounds ancient right now, but these were real instruments and a very capable singer. Katy Bødtger ended up in joint tenth place with 'Det var en yndig tid' at the Eurovision Song Contest, which I think is one of those inexplicable injustices by the international juries.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 February 2023
Tracks: 'To rode roser', 'Min barndoms klokker', 'Visne roser', 'Fiskerpigens sang', 'Det var en yndig tid' / 'Sa laenge du er til', 'Bla viol', 'Somand, mon du drømmer?', 'Jeg elsker dig fordi', 'Farvel Jimmy, farvel'

Hush - Tommy Körberg et al.

EP's like this were quite popular in the Sixties and Seventies, because it was a way to own several hits for a reduced price. The only downside was that they were not the original versions of the hits, but rather recorded by other artists. 

This Swedish EP is a bit weird, because it features Tommy Körberg quite prominently on the front sleeve. Tommy, of course, went on to become quite a wellknown Swedish performer, representing Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 and 1988. On this disc he performs a version of the Deep Purple song 'Hush'. Another attraction is Sue Miller's version of the Marty Wilde song 'I'm a tiger', made famous by Lulu. And that, of course, is the reason I bought this disc. There's an interesting version of 'Son of a preacher man' by Martha Dove. And finally there's an interesting song called 'Lord of the ring', which indeed is a musical retelling of the Tolkien story. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6877
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 February 2023
Tracks: 'Hush' (Tommy Körberg), 'I'm a tiger' (Sue Miller) / 'Son of a preacher man' (Martha Dove), 'Lord of the ring' (Downliners Sect)

Ring! RIng! - Klaus & Servants

Even before Abba reached worldwide fame, they were quite successful in Sweden. They participated in the Swedish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with 'Ring! Ring!', and although this song did not win, it inspired quite a few Scandinavian acts to cover the song.

Klaus & Servants was a Danish pop band, established in 1965 in Præstø by Klaus Strand-Holm. They made their recording debut as The Servants in 1968 with two unsuccessful singles. From 1971 the band was marketed as Klaus & Servants, and the national break-through came same year with the single 'Bank tre gange' that reached number 1 on the Danish chart. 'Ring! Ring!' was released in May 1973, just two months after the song was performed at the Swedish national final.

My collection: 7" single no. 6876
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 February 2023
Tracks: 'Ring! Ring!' / 'Har du glemt?'

Slaughter on 10th avenue - Los Valentinos

Los Valentinos was a Danish group who made a name for themselves with instrumental numbers between 1974 and 2000. In the band's heyday from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the group recorded 10 albums.

One of their first releases was this single, 'Slaughter on 10th avenue'. What makes this single interesting for me is the B-side: it's a version of the Marty Wilde composition 'Polaris', which he created for a group called The Boys - which was a pseudonym for the Wildcats. And the Wildcats, of course, were the band who supported Marty, much like the Shadows did for Cliff Richard. I haven't found a copy of The Boys' version yet, but at least I have this cover version now.

My collection: 7" single no. 6875
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 February 2023
Tracks: 'Slaughter on 10th avenue' / 'Polaris'

Marlene - Dominique Dussault

The song 'Marlène' was a tribute to Marlène Dietrich, and the words included references to the movie ‘The Blue Angel’, which featured the song ‘Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt’, a sentence that is also paraphrased – in German – in this song.

The song was performed by Dominique Dussault, who was just 16 years old at the time. When she was much younger, she spent five years in hospital. That’s when she started singing. According to legend, it’s also where she was discovered. At the Eurovision Song Contest, she finished in eighth place. 

I have searched for this single for the longest time, because it's the last one I needed to complete my collection of Monegasque Eurovision entries. Their first, 'Mon ami Pierrot' by Jacques Pills, was never released on record, unfortunately. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6871
Found: Discogs.com, received 23 February 2023
Tracks: 'Marlène' / 'Marlène (instrumental)'

To be a lover - Billy Idol

It may seem like I am on a buying spree with regards to Billy Idol singles recently, but that's all because I discovered some very delicious limited editions. Take this one: a double pack of singles, featuring 'To be a lover' and 'White wedding'. The latter appears in a record company sleeve, and it is of course a previous single by Billy that the record company probably had to get rid of.

Still, if you bought this you got four pretty great tracks, because even the B-sides are worth a spin. I've never heard the 'Mega-Idol mix' before; a medley of 'Flesh for fantasy' and 'Hot in the city' which you have to hear to believe. It's actually quite messy... But great fun, as most of the Billy Idol tracks at that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6870
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'To be a lover' / 'All summer single' // 'White wedding' / 'Mega-Idol mix'

La, la, la (French version) - Joan Manuel Serrat

After the original version and the Italian version, I found the French version of 'La, la, la' by Joan Manuel Serrat recently. Inevitably I started to compare the three sleeves and I have to say that this one is the ugliest of the three. 

As for the French version, obviously it is beautiful. Somehow Joan Manuel Serrat manages to pull off singing like he's a French chansonnier. This third single is a nice addition to my collection of versions, now there's only his Portuguese and English versions to go...

My collection: 7" single no. 6869
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'La, la, la [French version]' / 'Poeme pour une voix'

J'aime la vie - Sandra Kim

The Japanese really know how to package their singles - they regularly come with totally different sleeves and then there's the sleeve notes at the back in Japanese too. And in this case, a totally different B-side! 

'J'aime la vie' was, of course, the song that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986. It remains the only time that Belgium won the Contest, and with a rather dreadful song I might add. But it still has all the hallmarks of an Eighties production, with synthesizers and drum beats galore. 

In a 2006 online interview with 12points.be, Kim was asked if she sings 'J'aime la vie' "with pleasure" at concerts and events now, to which she responded, "Not always." She then said, "It's a little girl's song, with little girl's lyrics, with a young adolescent's atmosphere. Nowadays, singing 'J'aime la vie'... do you like life every day? Me neither."

My collection: 7" single no. 6868
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'J'aime la vie' / 'Liberté'

Musik - Marianne Mendt

Marianne Mendt was born on 29 September 1945. She trained as a jazz singer and actress and toured as a singer and bass player, with group the Internationals, around Europe. In 1971 she represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Musik'. Performed as the first song of the evening, it was the first time that Austria was represented with a song in a Viennese dialect. At the end of voting 'Musik' could only manage 16th place of the 18 competing entries.

Mendt remains an active performer, regularly appearing at concerts and jazz festivals in Austria. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6867
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'Musik' / 'I hob di...'