Drowning in Berlin - Mobiles

The Mobiles were founded in 1981 and featured band members Anna Marie, Jhon Smithson, Chris Downton, David Blundell, Russ Madge and Eddie Smithson. Their debut single 'You're not alone' didn't chart, but their second single 'Drowning in Berlin' became a massive hit single. It reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. They were invited to play in the television programme Top of the Pops as a result. The band members then claimed they were sacked from their day jobs because they took a day off in order to be able to appear in this programme. They only released one album, 'Drowning in Berlin', which was released on cd in 2005.

My collection: 7" single no. 2130

Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, July 30, 1994

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Drowning in Berlin' / 'Tiptoe in paradise'

Download: here

Gentleman who fell - Milla

Milla Jovovich is best known for her modelling and acting work, but in 1994 she released her only music album to date, 'The Divine Comedy'. 'Gentleman who fell' was the first and only single drawn from this album. I bought all the cd-singles I could find (there are quite a few different promo's around) so I also had to have the 7" vinyl single, of course.

While the album was not a commercial success, it was highly praised and well-received by critics. And rightfully so: the left-of-center sound, influenced by folk and played on mainly acoustic instruments is a treat for the ears.

My collection: 7" single no. 2170

Found: Virgin at Marble Arch, London, September 26, 1994

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Gentleman who fell' / 'You did it all before (acoustic)'

Download: cd-single 'Gentleman who fell', including both tracks

No regrets - Midge Ure

As a big fan of Ultravox, even at an early age of 11, I got very worried when Midge Ure released this solo single. Sure, 'No regrets' was a beautiful song, as skillfully performed as any Ultravox track, but did it mean that my favourite group was falling apart? Fortunately, it didn't: Ultravox were going to release a few albums yet.

I found out later that 'No regrets' was a cover of a song originally performed by the Walker Brothers. And even though I really like that version a lot, I have to say I'll always prefer Midge's synth-driven cover. The B-side delivers exactly what the title promises.

My collection: 7" single no. 329

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'No regrets' / 'Mood music'

Download: here

Together too long - The Meteors

The Dutch band Meteors was founded in 1977 Ferdinand Bakker, Job Tarenskeen and Hugo Sinzheimer. They enlist three more musicians: Åke Danielson, John Vee and Erik de Zwaan. In 1979 they record their debut album 'Teenage heart', which contains the minor hit 'It's you only you'. 'Together too long' is the lead single from their second album 'Hunger' (1980), which is recorded after Tarenskeen, Vee and De Zwaan quit the band. They are replaced by Kim Haworth and Gerrit Veen. 'Together too long' is by far the most intense song the group ever recorded, but like the other singles it doesn't reach the higher regions of the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 613

Found: All that music, Leiden, 1987

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Together too long' / 'Out of the race'

Download: here

Vox - Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan released her debut single 'Vox' in 1988. It was apparently a hit in Canada, but failed to reach the charts in other territories. I would have to assume that the 7" single that I have, which was made in Germany in 1989, is quite a rarity. It will have been pressed in a reasonable quantity in Germany, but there's no reference to it on discogs.com and Wikipedia.

The single features a radio version which is slightly shorter than the album version on 'Touch', Sarah McLachlan's debut album (1989).

My collection: 7" single no. 2235

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, January 21, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Vox (radio version)' / 'Touch'

Download: here

King without a crown - ABC

The third single from ABC's successful comeback album 'Alphabet street' was 'King without a crown'. Besides the single, 12" single and cd-single there were also some promo 12" singles doing the rounds. This one-sided disc was one of them. I scooped it up in a record shop in London, some time after its release. It's one of those moments when you know that you've bought something exclusive. The remix on this disc wasn't released commercially, and that makes it very worthwhile.

My collection: 12" single no. 131

Found: London, 1992

Cost: 5 pounds

Tracks: 'King without a crown (The Mendelsohn mix)'

Download: here

Terry - Kirsty MacColl

Amazingly, the wonderful video for Kirsty MacColl's 'Terry' cannot be found on YouTube. It was this video that made me interested in the song after a long time. At first I couldn't stand the video, then I began to think it was pretty funny and in the end, I had to admit that the song was pretty amazing too.

Still, it would be 1990 before I bought the single, because when I finally liked the song the single had disappeared from all the record shops.

My collection: 7" single no. 1366

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 28, 1990

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Terry' / 'Quietly alone'

Download: here

Midnight blue - Louise Tucker

Louise Tucker was born in Bristol. She set out to train as an opera singer and studied singing at the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She achieved success in the early eighties by recording two albums with producers Charlie Skarbek and Tim Smit. The albums are notable for combining Tucker's classically-trained opera voice with synthpop music.

Her 1982 album 'Midnight blue' is regarded as one of the first combinations of classical melody in a popular idiom to have enjoyed world-wide success. I bought this single when it reached the Dutch Top 40, where it peaked at number 13 near the end of 1982.

My collection: 7" single no. 162

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Midnight blue' / 'Voices in the wind'

Download: Album 'Midnight blue', including both tracks (password: louise)

It must be love - Labi Siffre

Made famous in 1981 by Madness, 'It must be love' was originally written and recorded by Labi Siffre. He was born on June 25, 1945 and recorded his debut album in 1970. 'It must be love' was released a year later as a track from his album 'Crying Laughing Loving Lying'. The original version is notable for its simplicity, whereas the Madness version was more heavily produced.

My collection: 7" single no. 3537

Found: Empire Records, January 9, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'It must be love' / 'To find love'

Download: here

Dancing in the dark - Tony Sherman

I found out about Tony Sherman's cover of 'Dancing in the dark' more than a decade after it was released. It was released in the same year as Kim Wilde's version, in 1983. Kim's version wasn't a hit, and neither was Tony Sherman's version. But a 12" single was released, and that was an item worth searching for.

Well, the search went on and on... but the disc never surfaced. Imagine my surprise when I finally found it, just two weeks ago, in my hometown! A very rare item, even if the music isn't very exciting.

My collection: 12" single no. 476

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

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Dancing in the dark [extended]' / 'Another fool, another love'

Download: here

Cars - Gary Numan

One more time on this blog: Gary Numan's track 'Cars'. After the releases in 1979 and 1987, 'Cars' was released once again in remixed form in 1993. The cd-single featured all seven versions that had appeared since then, whereas the 7" single only contained the '93 remix and an instrumental 'Top Gear' version. The single also included a poster bag, featuring a drawing of 1976 Formula 1 champion James Hunt by Brian Reaney.

My collection: 7" single no. 2432

Found: Fame, Amsterdam, August 19, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Cars ('93 sprint)' / 'Cars (Top Gear)'

Download: here

What's your name - Zinno

The Belgian act Zinno earned the status of one hit wonders with their single 'What's your name?'. The track was made with samples from James Bond movies, coupled with a dance beat. Zinno consisted of Fréderic Jannin and Jean-Paul Hautier. The refrain in this track was sung by Eleonore.

The single was released on the Magic label, which was started by Dan Lacksman and Marc Moulin from the group Telex.

My collection: 7" single no. 325

Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'What's your name?' / 'What's your name? (instrumental)'

Download: here

Un fait divers et rien de plus - Le Club

This 12" single was released in a limited edition. It features two mixes of Le Club's song 'Un fait divers et rien de plus', a track heavily influenced by American hiphop and dance club music. Le Club was a very anonymous group, which according to the credits of the song consisted of André Monet, Jacky Dieme and Olaf Zalcman.

I bought this 12" single because I liked the original version of the track. I have to say that it hasn't aged very well.

My collection: 12" single no. 317

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2004

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Un fait divers et rien de plus (remix)' / 'Un fait divers et rien de plus (re-remix)'

Download: here

I'm born again / Bahama Mama - Boney M

Released as a double A-side in December 1979, 'I'm born again' / 'Bahama mama' was another single in the successful run of singles Boney M had had since 1976. However, it was the first single since then that didn't reach the top 10 in the Netherlands. Perhaps the Christmas-tinted 'I'm born again' was a bit too sappy for the Dutch audience. The more uptempo 'Bahama mama' was a bit unsurprising. Aged nine and an avid Boney M fan, I had no problem buying this single as soon as I could.

My collection: 7" single no. 37

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'I'm born again' / 'Bahama mama'

Download: Album 'Oceans of fantasy', including both tracks

There ain't no age for rock 'n roll - The Veterans

The Veterans was a Belgian duo consisting of Gus Roan and Marc Malyster. They debuted in 1980 with the single 'I'm jogging'. Roan produced and composed the song that played on the jogging hype that took place that year. The video featured a jogging old man, surrounded by beautiful ladies.

'There ain't no age for rock 'n roll' was their second single, a slightly more sophisticated, synth-driven song that even made the lower regions of Dutch singles chart. Having known this song since my childhood, I bought this single recently and quite enjoyed hearing it again.

My collection: 7" single no. 3459

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'There ain't no age for rock'n roll' / 'Nigel Gold grows old'

Download: here

Saskatchewan - Red Box

'Chenko' is not the only single released before Red Box's debut album 'The circle and the square'. 'Saskatchewan' also appeared in a more rudimentary form as a 7" and 12" single. By then, the band had signed to Sire Records. The single was recorded in the summer of 1984 and released soon thereafter. Like 'Chenko', the single wasn't a hit. Fortunately, they were able to record their album after this, otherwise the world might never have heard the wonderful songs that followed...

My collection: 7" single no. 2381

Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Saskatchewan' / 'Speeches'

Download: here

Don't box me in - Stewart Copeland and Stanard Ridgway

While the world was waiting for a new album by The Police, the members of the group went their own way to do solo projects. Sting recorded a solo single, and drummer Stewart Copeland recorded the soundtrack for the movie 'Rumblefish', which was directed, produced and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola.

As Coppola started to work on the soundtrack of the movie, he envisioned a mainly percussive soundtrack to symbolize the idea of time running out. He asked Copeland to improvise a rhythm track. Coppola soon realized that Copeland was a far superior composer and let him take over. The song 'Don't Box Me In' was a collaboration between Copeland and singer/songwriter Stan Ridgway, leader and frontman of the band Wall of Voodoo.

My collection: 7" single no. 3115

Found: London, May 14, 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Don't box me in' / 'Drama at home'

Download: here

Visioni - Alice

Alice is an Italian singer, who rose to prominence in Europe in 1984 when she represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest together with Franco Battiato, singing 'I treni di Tozeur'. She has had a very successful solo career in her native Italy.

I bought this single, 'Visioni', at a time when I was always trying out new music. Sometimes it was based on nothing more than the sleeve, like in this instance. The style of music is obvious from the sleeve layout: I was expecting pop and that's what I got. It's a nice little song, although the B-side is actually stronger and more intriguing than the A-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 2437

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, August 19, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Visioni' / 'Il sole nella pioggia'

Download: here

Oh Sheila - Ready for the world

Ready for the world was founded by Melvin Riley and Gordon Strozier in Flint, Michigan. They were joined by Gregory Potts, Willie Triplett, John Eaton and Gerald Valentine to form a pop/soul/dance band. Their best known hit is 'Oh Sheila', which sounds a lot like a Prince song and could be interpreted as an ode to Sheila E.

The double single which I bought in 1999 features not only the original version of this song but also an 'Extraterrestrial mix' made by John Morales.

My collection: 7" single no. 3071

Found: May 10, 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Oh Sheila (Extraterrestrial mix)' / 'Slide over' // 'Oh Sheila (original mix)' / 'I'm the one who loves you'

Download: 'Oh Sheila (Extraterrestrial mix)', Album 'Ready for the world', including the three other tracks

Real wild child (Wild one) - Iggy Pop

In 1994, one of pop's most underrated artists included a cover of one of rock's most overrated artists in her live set. Kim Wilde went on a Hits Tour, performing most of her own biggest hits, but she also played Iggy Pop's 'Real wild child'. Personally I never understood what the big deal was about Iggy Pop: formerly with The Stooges, a punkrock band, he continued to make the same kind of songs throughout his career. Compare 'Lust for life' (1977) with this track (1987) and you will hardly notice any difference.

Still, as part of my Kim Wilde collection I also had to have this original song, and so I bought this single in 1995 after some months of searching.

My collection: 7" single no. 2551

Found: Record fair, November 19, 1995

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Real wild child (Wild one)' / 'Fire girl'
Download: Album 'Blah Blah Blah', including both tracks