Good life - Inner city

'Good Life' is a 1988 single by the US techno group Inner City, featuring vocals by Paris Grey. It was their second single and biggest hit, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart. In 1999, the song was rerecorded and remixed by producer Tommy Onyx and a Spanish language version was also released. The 1999 version hit number 10.

The track stuck in my mind for its utter simplicity. Lyrically the song doesn't have much more to say than 'Good life good life good life good life in the good life / Good life'. And ridicule is sometimes a reason to want to have something.

My collection: 7" single no. 2825
Found: House of rhythm, London, February 1, 1997
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Good life' / 'Good life (instrumental)'
Download: here

Parfum de rêve - Jo Lemaire

Jo Lemaire successfully continued her career after breaking up with her band Flouze. In 1983 she released her debut solo album 'Concorde'. One side of the record consisted of songs in French, whereas the other side contained songs in English.

'Parfum de rêve' was released as a single and did reasonably well in Belgium, although it failed to reach the charts in other territories. I bought this single because I knew of Jo Lemaire and because I liked the colourful sleeve. I was happily surprised when I heard the song: it's a cheerful popsong.

My collection: 7" single no. 1826

Found: Record palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Parfum de rêve' / 'Ceremonial spring'

Download: here

In a manner of speaking - Martin L. Gore

After having worked in Depeche Mode for almost a decade, the group went on hiatus and Martin L. Gore used his free time to record the 'Counterfeit e.p.': a disc with six covers of old songs. Among them was 'In a manner of speaking', originally performed by Tuxedomoon, a new wave group from San Francisco.

I'd bought the e.p. soon after it was released, then came across this promotional 7" single a year later. Since no songs from the e.p. were released as a single, I was very happy to get my hands on this promotional disc: a collector's item.

My collection: 7" single no. 1481

Found: Breda, July 3, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'In a manner of speaking' / 'In a manner of speaking'

Download: Album 'Counterfeit e.p.', including this track (password: stanley01 )

Love's not for me - Graham Gouldman

'Love's not for me' was taken from the soundtrack of the movie 'Animalypics'. The music was written and performed by Graham Gouldman, without the aid of his counterpart in 10CC, Eric Stewart. The backing musicians on the record were involved with the band 10CC at that time.

The song was promoted with a beautiful animated video, taken from the movie. The song itself became a personal anthem for many years.

My collection: 7" single no. 522

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Love's not for me' / 'Bionic boar'

Download: here

Blood of Eden - Peter Gabriel

'Blood of Eden' was originally written for the Wim Wenders movie 'Until the end of the world' (1991). Peter Gabriel performed the track solo. This version was not included on the soundtrack cd. (You can hear the solo version of Blood of Eden here.)

A year later, 'Blood of Eden' reappeared as a track on Peter Gabriel's album 'Us'. This time, it was performed as a duet with Sinéad O'Connor. It was this version that got a single release. It reached number 43 in the UK singles chart in 1993.

My collection: 7" single no. 1881

Found: April 10, 1993

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Blood of Eden' / 'Mercy street (William Orbit remix)'

Download: here

For a friend - Communards

Jimmy Somerville left his band Bronski Beat in 1985 and teamed up with classically trained musician Richard Coles. They will probably always be remembered for their versions of 'Don't leave me this way' and 'Never can say goodbye', but 'For a friend' remains, to me, their most beautiful song. They wrote the song for a close friend of theirs, whose life was taken by AIDS. And as the B-side track 'Victims' stated: 'No-one to blame there's only victims'. A good statement in a country where gays were continually blamed for the spreading of the disease at the time. Released in 1988, it reached number 28 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 628

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'For a friend' / 'Victims (live)'

Download: here

Mack the knife - King Kurt

Purists would probably hate King Kurt's version of 'Mack the knife', because it is slightly over the top. Originally entitled 'Die Moritat von Mackie Messer' ('The ballad of Mack the knife'), the track was composed by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht for their music drama 'Die Dreigroschenoper', which premiered in Berlin in 1928.

The 'psychobilly' band King Kurt had a minor hit with the track in 1984, reaching number 55 in the UK singles chart. The video was a regular on the music television channel Music Box. In the early Eighties, King Kurt were known for their stage performances in which eggs and bags of flour were thrown around and buckets of wallpaper paste dumped into the audience. Sometimes they also had a large wheel on stage called 'The Wheel of Misfortune' which fans were strapped to and force fed Snakebite through a tube pushed down into the throat, then spun round until they threw up. Nice...

My collection: 7" single no. 2279

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, May 6, 1995

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Mack the knife' / 'Wreckaparty rock'

Download: here

Indulgence no. 2 - The Divine Comedy

In 1994, the Divine Comedy supported Tori Amos during her European tour. They played a few dozen dates all over Europe, including three in the Netherlands. I went to see Tori Amos on May 8 and in Scheveningen on May 9, and was pleasantly surprised by the support act. (That in itself was a remarkable feat!) The beautiful melodies and humorous lyrics appealed to me greatly.

It didn't take long to get 'Promenade', their then-current album, but soon I started to look for other things as well. I found this ep in London, while I was on holiday there. It contains three live recordings from that 1994 tour. Later it turned out to be a collector's item - I still haven't found 'Indulgence no. 1'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2183

Found: Sister Ray, London, September 28, 1994

Cost: 5 pounds

Tracks: 'A drinking song (live)' / 'When the lights go out all over Europe (live)', 'Tonight we fly (live)'
Download: here

Happy Birthday - Altered Images

'Happy Birthday' was Altered Images' biggest hit, reaching number 2 in the UK singles chart in the autumn of 1981. It was the third single taken from the album of the same name. 'Happy Birthday' was later included in the soundtrack to the John Hughes movie 'Sixteen Candles' (1984).

I bought this single as one of three Altered Images singles in December 2002, while I was following the Here and Now Tour in the UK. This was one of the tracks performed live by Clare Grogan, and one of those instantly hummable tunes you either love or loathe. In my case, I loved it.

My collection: 7" single no. 3370

Found: Record Exchange, December 2002

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Happy Birthday' / 'So we go whispering'

Download: here

Oops upside your head - The Gap Band

'Oops upside your head' is a 1979 funk track recorded by the Gap Band. It was the lead single from their third album, 'Gap Band'. This single became an international hit for the group upon its late 1979 release, though it failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100. The song mainly features humorous spoken monologues by Gap Band lead singer Charlie Wilson, who was inspired by his cousin Bootsy Collins' own humorous slant in his songs. The song is said to be one of the first songs to use hiphop-styled monologues in a song.

When it came out, I hated this song, preferring the Gap Band's next single, 'Burn rubber'. Somewhere in the Nineties, I actually started to like it, preferring it to even worse hiphop tracks that were so prominent at that time. But I've come full circle: I hate it again. But the B-side is a nice song.

My collection: 7" single no. 2116

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, June 11, 1994

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Oops upside your head' / 'The boys are back in town'

Download: here

Peaches - The presidents of the United States of America

The alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America formed in 1993 in Seattle, USA. The band consisted of Chris Ballew, Jason Finn, Andrew McKeag and Dave Dederer. In 1995 they released their self-titled debut album. Party thanks to the success of the singles, the album became a big hit in the USA, but it also did well in the UK.

Their biggest hit was the song 'Peaches'. It reached number 8 in the UK singles chart. Although the meaning has been argued, the band has stated that the song is just about peaches. Chris Ballew said that he wrote it about a girl he once had a crush on. He allegedly wrote this song after sitting under a peach tree she had in her yard while waiting for her.

My collection: 7" single no. 2652

Found: HMV, London, June 29, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Peaches' / 'Confusion'

Download: here

The eve of the war - Ben Liebrand

Ben Liebrand found fame in the Netherlands because of his remixes of hits during the Eighties. A weekly show during nighttime and a 'minimix', broadcast every Friday night on the popular Veronica radio station guaranteed a following that was quite big. By the end of the Eighties, Liebrand started to record cd's of his own. This resulted in the 1990 release of the album 'Styles'.

A year earlier, Liebrand created a remix of Jeff Wayne's 'Eve of the war', from his millionselling 1978 album 'The war of the worlds'. The single didn't chart, but it did become a collector's item for fans of the musical version of the H.G. Wells book.

My collection: 7" single no. 2694

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, July 3, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'The eve of the war (radio edit)' / 'Mankind strikes back'

Download: here

Rock around the clock - Telex

Marc Moulin, Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers formed the Belgian synthpop group in 1978. Their debut single was a stripped-down synthesized cover of 'Twist à St. Tropez' by Les Chats Sauvages. They followed this up with 'Rock around the clock', which would become their only hit in the UK. It reached number 34 in that country in the Summer of 1979.

Like Kraftwerk, Telex built their music entirely from electronic instruments, and the sounds of the two groups have a certain similarity. However, unlike Kraftwerk's studied irony, Telex favour a more joyously irreverent humour.

My collection: 7" single no. 3112

Found: Big Company records, London, May 13, 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Rock around the clock' / 'Moskow Diskow'

Download: here

Happy ever after - Julia Fordham

I heard 'Happy ever after' for the first time on a compilation cd. At first I figured I owned the track, but a true vinyl collector is never happy until he owns the original single too. And so when I found the single, I bought it.

Julia Fordham was born in Portsmouth, England on August 10, 1962. In 1988, she released her debut album, simply titled 'Julia Fordham'. The single 'Happy ever after' introduced her as a singer with considerable vocal range. It reached number 27 in the UK singles chart. 'Happy ever after' was re-recorded and re-released in 1998, but that version didn't chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2073

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, February 19, 1994

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Happy ever after' / 'My lover's keeper'

Download: cd-single 'Happy ever after', including both tracks

The nameless one - Wendy James

After Transvision Vamp disbanded, Wendy James set out to start a solo career. She wrote a letter to Elvis Costello asking for his guidance. In response Costello wrote a full album's worth of material for her. These songs became the tracks on her 1993 solo album 'Now ain't the time for your tears'. The album entered at number 43 in the UK Albums chart - and then disappeared again. The single did slightly better, peaking at number 34 in the Singles chart.

It's great to hear this single even now. The vocals are slightly over the top, but they sizzle with venom and a touch of hysteria that is always apparent in miss James's vocals.

My collection: 7" single no. 1869

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, March 27, 1993

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'The nameless one' / 'I just don't want it anymore'

Download: cd-single 'The nameless one', including both tracks (password: pwemb.blogspot.com )

Fantasy Island - Tight Fit

In 1981, record producer Ken Gold came up with the idea to record a single made up of a medley of 60s songs, following in the footsteps of Starsound and their Stars on 45 singles. He put together a group of session singers and released 'Back to the 60s' under the title Tight Fit. The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart. 'Back to the 60s Part 2' was released soon after and also hit the UK top 40.

Later in the year record producer Tim Friese-Greene recorded the song 'The lion sleeps tonight' with another group of session singers. The song was released in early 1982, again by Tight Fit. It caught a lot of attention and so a group was formed to front it. Dancer, singer and male model Steve Grant was teamed up with female singers Denise Gyngell and Julie Harris. The song reached number 1 in the UK for three weeks and the line-up were catapulted into sudden and unexpected stardom. Satisfied that this line-up could actually sing in their own right, Friese-Greene produced their next single, 'Fantasy Island', a cover of the song which had been a hit for the Millionaires earlier that year. While not charting in the Netherlands, it did become a hit in the UK and reached number 5.

My collection: 7" single no. 3359

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2002

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Fantasy Island' / 'Saturday heartbreak'

Download: here

Free - Deniece Williams

Born as June Deniece Chandler, Deniece Williams debuted in the Seventies when she performed backing vocals for Stevie Wonder, together with Minnie Riperton and Syreeta Wright. In 1976, she signed to Columbia Records and recorded her debut album 'This is Niecy'.

The first single from this album was 'Free'. It reached number 25 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and in the UK it topped the chart for two weeks. I got to know the song because of a compilation cd and eventually when I came across the single, I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 3343

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 2001

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Free' / 'Cause you love me baby'

Download: Album 'This is Niecy', including both tracks

A girl called Johnny - The Waterboys

'A girl called Johnny' was released in March 1983, as the first single from the album 'The Waterboys'. The song was a tribute to Patti Smith. It reached number 80 in the UK singles chart.

I bought the single during an outdoor music festival. It turned out to be an Italian pressing. Always nice to buy foreign pressings, because they seem more worthwhile to me.

My collection: 7" single no. 1458

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 27, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'A girl called Johnny' / 'The late train to heaven'

Download: here

Underwater - Harry Thumann

Harry Thumann was a German electronic music composer and sound engineer. He was quick to adapt to new technologies and started working with synthesizers early on in the Seventies. His single 'Underwater', released originally in 1979, was embraced in several European countries. Released in the Netherlands in the summer of 1980, it shot to number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

Harry Thumann died in 2001.

My collection: 7" single no. 1946

Found: Leiden, August 20, 1993

Cost: 0,25 guilder

Tracks: 'Underwater part I' / 'Underwater part II'

Download: here

Je suis venue te dire que je m'en vais - Jo Lemaire + Flouze

Jo Lemaire was born on January 5, 1956 in Gembloux, Namur (Belgium). She debuted in the late Seventies with her musical group, Jo Lemaire + Flouze. When they released the synthpop track 'Je suis venue te dire que je m'en vais', a moody uptempo track, they became instantly wellknown in Europe and Canada. A year later, in 1982, the group separated, and Lemaire divorced Philippe Depireux, a fellow former bandmember. She moved to Bilzen with her new partler, Fa Vanham, and started a solo career.

'Je suis venue te dire que je m'en vais' is still one of the great synthpop classics and personally it's one of my all-time favourites.

My collection: 7" single no. 667

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Je suis venue te dire que je m'en vais' / 'Escape'

Download: Album 'Pigmy world', including both tracks