Arrival - Mike Oldfield

'Arrival' was composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from Abba, and recorded on their album of the same name. Mike Oldfield covered the track for his 1980 album 'QE2'. When 'Arrival' was released as a single, Oldfield created a parody of the Abba album sleeve, posing in his own Agusta Bell 47G helicopter.

Oldfield is good at making music, but unfortunately his opinions are less gifted. In 2007 he criticized Britain for being too controlling and overprotective, specifically concentrating on the smoking ban which England and Wales introduced that year. As if the world should make way for an addiction.

My collection: 7" single no. 3203

Found: Record fair, September 30, 2000

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Arrival' / 'Polka (live)'

Download: here

Another weekend - Five star

Five Star returned in 1988 with a raunchier image for their fourth album, 'Rock the world'. They'd had big success with their three previous albums, but they felt that they'd gone as far as they could with the sound they'd had ever since their debut. 'Another weekend' reached number 18 in the UK singles chart, but it also signalled the end of their three year reign of the charts: further singles couldn't equal their previous successes.

Since I have most of Five Star's 12" singles, I was happy to find this one. It almost completes my collection - but I will obviously write about the other ones on this blog later.

My collection: 12" single no. 479

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Another weekend (Friday Night mix)' / 'Another weekend (Friday Night Dub mix)', 'The mews'

Download: here

Doot doot - Freur

Freur was formed in the early 1980s in Cardiff, Wales by Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, John Warwicker and Bryn Burrows. In 1983 they got a contract with CBS Records. Originally the band's name was a graphic squiggle (see also the sleeve pictured here), but the label insisted on a pronounceable name. Thus Freur was chosen as the band name.

Their first single 'Doot doot' was their only hit, although it only peaked at no. 59 in the UK singles chart. The extended version of 'Doot doot' was a great find. I bought the 7" single soon after it came out, but this 12" only turned up a decade later.

My collection: 12" single no. 154

Found: Record fair, 1992

Cost: [unknown]

Tracks: 'Doot doot (special extended 12" mix)' / 'Hold me mother'

Download: here

Situation (remix) - Yazoo

Yazoo has always fascinated the eighties techno generation. Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet only recorded two albums together in the early eighties before going their separate ways. Since then, there have been many compilation albums. Sometimes these compilations were promoted with remixed singles, such as this one. The 1990 'Deadline mix' is an uncredited remix which tries to update the sound to 1990. Remixes are always interesting to me when I like a song enough. In this case, my verdict is undecided.

My collection: 7" single no. 2312

Found: Record fair, Leiden, May 27, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Situation (Deadline mix - edit)' / 'State farm (Madhouse mix - edit)'

Download: here

Torch songs for the heroine - Peter Godwin

One of the tracks on 'Dance emotions' is an extended version of 'Torch songs'. The single was released in 1981 under the title 'Torch songs for the heroine'. The single version and the ballad version (on the B-side) were both produced by Midge Ure, which explains the romantic, almost metallic, dreamy Ultravoxesque sound of this.

I bought this single because his later singles 'Emotional disguise' and 'Images of heaven' were so good. I never liked this single much until recently. Sometimes, like wine, music needs to wait a while before being appreciated fully.

My collection: 7" single no. 1906

Found: Groningen, May 15, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Torch songs for the heroine' / 'Torch songs for the heroine (Ballad version)'

Download: here

Flowers in December - Mazzy Star

I got to know Mazzy Star when they released 'Fade into you' (1994), a beautiful dreamy pop song. It was the group's biggest hit, peaking at no. 48 in the UK singles chart, until they released this single. 'Flowers in December' was released in 1996 and peaked at no. 40. In the Netherlands, they remained totally unknown.

I bought this single on the strength of 'Fade into you', hoping that this song would be equally wonderful. In short: it is.

My collection: 7" single no. 2777

Found: HMV, London, October 31, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Flowers in December' / 'Tell your honey', 'Hair and skin'

Download: here

Beetlebum - Blur

Like 'The day before yesterday's man', I bought this single during a weekend trip to London. It was a colourful buy, because where the other single was pressed on yellow vinyl, this one was released on orange vinyl. I knew 'Beetlebum' already before I went to London, so it was great being able to buy this single.

'Beetlebum' was Blur's second number 1 single in the UK. It is believed that the song is about the experiences with drugs singer Damon Albarn had with his then-girlfriend, Justine Frischmann (from the band Elastica). Albarn has stated in an interview with MTV that the song describes a complicated emotion, sort of 'sleepy' and sort of 'sexy'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2836

Found: Virgin Megastore, London, February 9, 1997

Cost: 2,29 pounds

Tracks: 'Beetlebum' / 'Woodpigeon song'

Download: here

Owner of a lonely heart - Yes

'Owner of a lonely heart' by Yes is one of the great classics of the eighties. The rock band teamed up with Trevor Horn for their album '90125' and created a track that is powerful and memorable. According to a 1991 interview with Yes, 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' was originally written as a ballad. Jon Anderson convinced producer Trevor Horn to speed it up and add some guitar riffs to make it stand out and be more 'upbeat'.

The 1991 re-release of this track featured a remix by Martyn Phillips on the B-side. I bought this single for that remix, curious to hear how it turned out. It is a very intriguing version of a wonderful classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 2349

Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Owner of a lonely heart' / 'Owner of a lonely heart (Wonderous mix - edit)'

Download: here

The politics of dancing - Re-flex

Re-Flex was an English band formed in 1981 by John Baxter, Paul Fishman, Nigel Ross-Scott and Roland Kerridge. They released their debut single 'The politics of dancing' in 1983. It reached the American Billboard chart in 1984, peaking at number 24. They were one of the first English bands to reach number one in the US dance chart. The album 'The politics of dancing' was also released in 1983, but the band failed to make further dents in the charts. They were soon labelled one hit wonders after they didn't follow up their debut album at all. Their 1985 album 'Humanication' remains unreleased.

My collection: 7" single no. 3519

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'The politics of dancing' / 'Cruel world'

Download: here

Somebody (Hey girl) - Video

'Somebody (Hey girl)' was one of those radio hits from 1984 you just couldn't get out of your head. I recorded the track from the radio, only to buy the single when everyone else had forgotten about it years later (Who says that hometaping is killing the music?). I bought the 12" single out of curiosity, just to hear whether the extended version was interesting. Well, it is longer...

The vocals in this track were performed by George Aaron, who, according to this interview, is still making music these days.

My collection: 12" single no. 480

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Somebody (vocal version)' / 'Somebody (instrumental version)'

Download: here

God thank you woman - Culture Club

'God thank you woman' was the last single from the Culture Club before they broke up in 1986. Lacking the immediate appeal of their early singles, it has actually stood the test of time better than those big hits. At least, that's what I think now that I've heard this track for the first time in a long time. It is a positive, uplifting song with a few strange and surprising turns.

The B-side of this single is the track 'From luxury to heartache', which was the title of their 1986 album. This track, however, was only available here, on this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3521

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'God thank you woman' / 'From luxury to heartache'

Download: here

Soul kiss - Olivia Newton-John

In 1985, Olivia Newton-John released her comeback album 'Soul kiss' and the title track was also the lead single. She'd been out of the limelight since 1982 when she had a worldwide hit with 'Physical'. 'Soul kiss' was a steamy popsong performed by Olivia while pregnant. It limited her ability to do promotion for the album, which stalled at no. 66 in the UK albums chart. The single didn't even chart. In the Netherlands, it was only a small hit.

The extended remix version of 'Soul kiss' is a beautifully arranged version, which actually improves on the original shorter version. A great find.

My collection: 12" single no. 478

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Soul kiss (extended remix version)' / 'Soul kiss (dub mix)', 'Electric'

Download: 12" single 'Soul kiss', including these tracks

Sign of the times - Belle Stars

In January 1983 the Belle Stars, an all-female group consisting of Stella Barker, Sarah-Jane Owen, Miranda Joyce, Penny Leyton, Judy Parsons, Lesley Shone and Jennie Matthias, released 'Sign of the times'. It peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart, and would become their signature song.

I bought the 12" single today, being rather surprised because I'd never seen a 12" single of this track before. This 12" single was made in America.

My collection: 12" single no. 477

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Sign of the times (Remixed extended 12" version)' / 'Madness'

Download: here

Eve's volcano - Julian Cope

'Eve's volcano' was taken from Julian Cope's 1987 album 'Saint Julian', which also included the hit singles 'World shut your mouth' and 'Trampolene'. After the top 40 success in the UK of these two singles, 'Eve's volcano' did less well by comparison, only reaching no. 41. Still, I loved this single, which was played a lot on Dutch radio at the time. I bought the single soon after it came out. During that year's holiday in London, this was also the first cd-single I ever bought.

My collection: 7" single no. 521

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Eve's volcano' / 'Almost beautiful child (I & II)'

Download: Album 'The followers of Saint Julian', including both tracks

Eaten alive - Diana Ross

Last week I wrote about Diana Ross's second single from her 1985 album 'Eaten alive', 'Chain reaction'. I was a bit surprised when I came across a copy of the first single and title track from that album today. I couldn't resist buying it, I hadn't heard it for more than a decade. The song was written by the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson, with the latter and Barry Gibb doing backing vocals on the track. Jackson sings the lead vocals with Diana Ross here and there.

My collection: 7" single no. 3520

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 3, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Eaten alive' / 'I'm watching you'

Download: Album 'Eaten alive', including both tracks

Barco a venus - Mecano

The Spanish group Mecano started as a synthpop outfit in 1981 in Madrid. Mecano consisted of brothers Nacho and Jose Maria Cano and singer Ana Torroja. Their debut album 'Mecano' (1982) was a hit in Spain despite criticism of their overt commercial sound. The follow-up album '¿Dónde Está El País De Las Hadas?' ('Where is fairyland?') featured this single, 'Barco a venus'. It is a slice of cheerful synthpop that attracted my attention almost a decade later.

I found this single during a daytrip in Brussels. It's always nice to stumble upon a single you've been searching for a long time, and this time was no exception.

My collection: 7" single no. 1536

Found: Brussels, October 11, 1991

Cost: 40 Belgian Francs

Tracks: 'Barco a venus' / 'Este chico es una joya'

Download: Album '¿Dónde Está El País De Las Hadas?', including both tracks

Monté la rivié - Kali

In 1992, France decided to send a reggae king to the Eurovision Song Contest. Kali's 'Monté la rivié' was a beautifully arranged reggae track, sung in French and Haitian Creole. The lyrics are full of metaphors about the river, which the listener should 'go up'. The listener is told that 'One day you'll see the source of the river'. Thus, the lyrics deal with the need to find peace and love in the modern world.

The b-side of the single contains a live cover of the Bob Marley track 'One drop'. I bought my copy of the single in Vienna during a holiday. Not the most predictable place to find a French single...

My collection: 7" single no. 1931

Found: Vienna, July 6, 1993

Cost: 55 Austrian Schilling

Tracks: 'Monté la rivié' / 'One drop (live)'

Download: here

Nearly there - One 2 Many

Well, at least they were optimistic. After the failure of previous single 'Another man', One 2 Many followed up with another single, 'Nearly there'. Like its predecessor, it didn't trouble the charts. The 12" single is an attractive proposition, nonetheless, because it features an extended version of 'Nearly there'. I didn't know about this single, so I was very surprised when I found this 12". It was 1990, a year after it was released. I was even more surprised a couple of years later when I found out that there was even a cd-single. Strangely enough, I never found a 7" single of this!

My collection: 12" single no. 101

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1990

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Nearly there (extended version)' / 'In my heart'

Download: here

Message in the box - World Party

World Party is a British pop/rock band, consisting of only one member, Karl Wallinger. He started World Party after he left the Waterboys in 1985. In 1987, he released the first album titled 'Private Revolution', but it wasn't until 1990, when he released 'Goodbye Jumbo', that his music got more widespread notice. 'Message in the box' was the first single taken from the album. It reached number 39 in the UK singles chart.

I bought this single box set in 2004, when I visited London. The box included, besides the single, a button and a large poster, both promoting the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 3408

Found: Record Exchange, London, December 2004

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Message in the box' / 'Nature girl'

Download: here

Mad world - Tears for fears

These days, 'Mad world' is considered to be a ballad performed by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, but I am old enough to remember the original version, released by Tears for fears in 1982. The single reached no. 3 in the UK singles chart, making it the band's first hit. Roland Orzabal said about the song: 'That came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad - I should have called it 'Bourgeois World'!'

I bought the single of 'Mad world' in 1990. It wasn't until 1999 that I found the double single version, which included the rare 'World remix' of the track. The second single featured 'Suffer the children' and 'Ideas as opiates', both in versions that were different from the ones that would be recorded for Tears for fears's debut album 'The Hurting' (1983).

My collection: 7" single no. 1334 / 7" double single no. 3163

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 / Record fair, Utrecht, 1999

Cost: 50p / 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Mad world' / 'Ideas as opiates'

Tracks (double single): 'Mad world' / 'Mad world (World remix)' // 'Suffer the children' / 'Ideas as opiates'

Download: here