Ha Ha the sound of laughing - Mo

Mo released the title track of their second album 'Ha Ha the sound of laughing as the second single from that album. It met with muted response from audiences and critics alike. While the previous single 'Cheese' managed a low position in the Dutch Top 40, this single flopped entirely. 'Cheese' would prove to be their last chart success by the way: all the singles that followed didn't chart either.

You would almost think that Mo didn't make interesting music, but they did. Just listen to this track and the energetic B-side 'Stress' and you will hear that the band made glorious synthpop before the term had become popular.

My collection: 7" single no. 3004

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2000

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Ha Ha the sound of laughing' / 'Stress'

Under the milky way - The Church

The Church formed in Canberra, Australia in 1980. Eight years and six albums later, the band released 'Starfish', which spawned their most successful single, 'Under the milky way'. It was written by the band's bassist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson. The single peaked at number 22 in Australia, and stayed in the US top 40 for several weeks.

According to a press release issued with 'Starfish', the song was written about the Amsterdam music and cultural venue called De Melkweg (Dutch for 'Milky Way'), which Kilbey used to frequent. In the Dutch radio programme '2 meter sessies' the band performed an acoustic version which equalled this studio version, despite being totally different in instrumentation.

My collection: 7" single no. 905

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Under the milky way' / 'Musk'

Disenchanted - The Communards

'Disenchanted' is one of the forgotten singles by the Communards. Known for their high energy dance tracks like 'Never can say goodbye' and 'Don't leave me this way', 'Disenchanted was a bit too intricate for most audiences. In the Netherlands, it didn't chart and in the UK it peaked at number 30 in the singles chart.

To be honest, I'd forgotten about this track when I bought it too. But I had most of the other Communards singles, so this one shouldn't be left out. I'm glad I have it now.

My collection: 7" single no. 2683

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

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Disenchanted' / 'Johnny Verso'

I'll always love you - Taylor Dayne

After scoring two big hits with the dance anthems 'Tell it to my heart' and 'Prove your love', Taylor Dayne tried her luck with a ballad. Titled 'I'll always love you', it showed a softer side of the American singer, something that was appreciated a lot in America (it peaked at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart), but not so much in Europe, where it stalled outside the top 40 in the Netherlands and only managed a lowly position at number 41 in the UK singles chart.

Personally, I thought this was one of Dayne's better tracks, and it was the first single of her which I bought.

My collection: 7" single no. 638

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'I'll always love you' / 'Where does that boy hang out'

Download: Album 'Tell it to my heart', including both tracks

Lonely symphony (We will be free) - Frances Ruffelle

Frances Ruffelle was born on August 29, 1965. She is the daughter of Sylvia Young OBE, founder of the famous theatre school where Frances trained and started to perform at the age of seven. She worked in various West End musicals in London, before entering in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, performing 'Lonely symphony'. When asked about her motivations for joining the competition, she jokingly replied that since none of the four constituent nations of the UK (Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland) had qualified for that year's football World Cup finals, it was her responsibility to try to restore some national pride.

She finished tenth in that year's contest, and went on to record a few solo cd's. 'Lonely symphony' peaked at number 25 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2894

Found:Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 24, 1997

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Lonely symphony (We will be free)' / 'Is this a broken heart?'

Substitute - Clout

Clout formed in 1977 in South Africa. Original members were Glenda Hyam, Lee Tomlinson, Ingrid Herbst, Cindy Alter and Jenni Garson. Their first hit was 'Substitute', a cover version of a song originally recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1975.

When Clout made number 2 with this single in the Netherlands in 1978, my knowledge of English was only rudimentary. I understood a few lines of the songs, but the conclusion I made was - in hindsight - quite funny: I thought the chorus meant 'I'll be your prostitute'. These days there are websites about misheard lyrics, but misinterpreted lyrics, now that's a whole different ballgame...

My collection: 7" single no. 3479

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Substitute' / 'When will you be mine'

Shut up - Madness

'Shut up' was another single drawn from Madness' 1981 album '7'. The lyric of the song tells a story of a criminal who, despite obvious evidence, tries to convince people he is not guilty. Even though the song is called 'Shut up', the two words do not appear in the lyric. However, they were the final words of an additional verse which was part of an early version of the song.

In the UK, 'Shut up' peaked at number 7 in the singles chart. The single was only a minor hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 31 in the Dutch Top 40. I remembered it vividly from the tense atmosphere and the great piano backing in the last few seconds of the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 429
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Shut up' / 'A town with no name'

You rock my world - Michael jackson

Now that Michael Jackson has announced his final concerts in London for July this year, I thought it would be appropriate to look back on the most recent single I have from him. It's a vinyl single of 'You rock my world', the first single from his last studio album 'Invincible'. And if that album proved anything, it's that the man wasn't invincible at all. The album sold worse than all the previous ones, and the record company only released two singles from the album. While the next one, 'Cry', didn't perform too well in the charts, this one made the top 10 in almost every country imaginable.

Michael Jackson and Rodney Jerkins played all the instruments in the song, which was recorded at Record One studios in Los Angeles. Recorded between July and September 2000, the track sounds a bit like a less exciting reprise of Jackson's previous hits 'The way you make me feel' and 'Remember the time'. This vinyl single features the same track on both sides, and is made in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 3350
Found: HMV, London, 2001
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'You rock my world' / 'You rock my world'

Only love - Susanna Hoffs

The third and last single from Susanna Hoffs' solo album 'When you're a boy' was so unsuccessful that I didn't even know it existed until I saw it two years after it was released. It didn't chart anywhere. The B-side of the single features a non-album track, 'You were on my mind', which is slightly different from the very polished material on the album.

There was no picture disc edition of this single, unlike the two previous ones. If it existed, I would have bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 2048
Found: Record fair, November 13, 1993
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Only love' / 'You were on my mind'

Digging in the dirt - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel released his sixth studio album 'Us' in 1992, six years after his previous album 'So' . The first single was 'Digging in the dirt', an intricate song but a slightly understated affair after all the bombast of 'Sledgehammer' and 'Big time'. The song was an exploration of the issues in his personal life at the time - the end of his relationship with Rosanna Arquette, his desire to reconnect with his daughter and even the self healing he was looking for in therapy. On the B-side there was a beautiful silent version of the album's next single, 'Steam'.

'Digging in the dirt' peaked at number 24 in the UK and number 30 in the Netherlands. I bought this single on discount and found a nice boxed edition of the cd-single years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 1787
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 14, 1992
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Digging in the dirt' / 'Quiet steam'

All you need is love - New Musik

Taken from New Musik's third and last album 'Warp', 'All you need is love' is a daring cover of a Beatles classic. On the album, it appeared as track six, just after track five which was also named 'All you need is love', but in that case was a new composition by New Musik.

Their version of the Beatles song was a very mechanic synthesized track, which removed a lot of the spirit and soul of the original track and replaced it with a kindof technological efficiency which would appeal, well, basically to New Musik fans alone. It's no wonder that this single failed to make any chart impact. Personally I think it's one of 'Warp's more interesting tracks, and what's more... the single includes a new track not on the album!

My collection: 7" single no. 2918

Found: Record fair, November 9, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'All you need is love' / 'Twelfth house'

Everybody's laughing - Phil Fearon and Galaxy

Phil Fearon was born in London on July 30, 1956. He was lead singer, songwriter, keyboardist and producer of the band Galaxy. Galaxy was not a 'band' in the true sense: Fearon made all the music himself and hired backing singers to supplement the sound.

Galaxy's singles were all upbeat commercial pop songs, some of which made it into the UK top 10. Outside of the UK, some of those singles also scored well. 'Everybody's laughing' peaked at number 10 in the UK and at number 21 in the Netherlands. It's one of those singles which I must have played no more than three times since I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1388

Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Everybody's laughing' / 'Everybody's laughing (instrumental)'

Musique non stop - Kraftwerk

In 1986, Kraftwerk released the album 'Electric cafe', an album that took the band almost half a decade to produce. Work is said to have begun on the album as early as 1982. 'Musique non stop' was one of three tracks that took up the 'A' side of the album. 'Boing Boom Tschak', 'Techno pop' and 'Musique Non Stop' were all similar in atmosphere and instrumentation. 'Musique non stop' was remixed and edited for the single version, and two different edits appear on the single.

Although the single didn't chart in any country, a version of 'Musique Non Stop' – slower and more melodic – was used extensively as a jingle on the MTV Europe channel. 'Musique Non Stop' has been the closing track of Kraftwerk's concerts since its release.

My collection: 7" single no. 2790

Found: November 9, 1996

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Musique non stop' / 'Musique non stop'

Download: here

It's my party - Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin

'It's my party' was originally recorded in 1963 by Lesley Gore. She recorded the song at the age of sixteen. It peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles chart.

After the success of 'What becomes of the broken hearted', which Dave Stewart recorded with Colin Blunstone, he recruited Barbara Gaskin to sing in his cover version of 'It's my party'. The single became a number one hit in the UK and Germany. Stewart and Gaskin continued to work together, but they never equalled this level of success.

My collection: 7" single no. 1137

Found: All that music, Leiden, December 28, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'It's my party' / 'Waiting in the wings'

Download: here

Heroes (French version) - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'Heroes' in 1977. It appeared on the album of the same name, and as a single. Although it wasn't a very big hit at the time for Bowie, it has become one of his better known tracks. It was also included on the soundtrack to the movie 'Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo', which portrayed the drug scene in Berlin in the Seventies.

I knew that Bowie recorded a German version of the song, but I was a bit surprised when I saw a French version of the song as well. This happened today, actually, and the single was so (relatively) cheap that I decided to buy it on the spot. It's funny to hear this track: it's not the best French I've ever heard...

My collection: 7" single no. 3590

Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, March 5, 2009

Cost: 3,5 euro

Tracks: 'Heroes (French version)' / 'V2 Schneider'

Secret garden - Bruce Springsteen

In 1995, Bruce Springsteen released a 'Greatest hits' album. I was never much of a fan of Bruce Springsteen, but this album contained one new track, 'Secret garden', which was quite intriguing. So I was happy when that song was released as a single. And just like previous single 'Streets of Philadelphia' before it, I went searching for a vinyl release of this track.

I was quite stunned when I actually found one. Some time had passed and I had bought the cd-single in the mean time, but there it was: an American 7" single. I bought it, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 2300

Found: Record fair, May 27, 1995

Cost: 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Secret garden' / 'Thunder road (live)'

Isn't it time - The Babys

'Isn't it time' was taken from the Babys 1977 album 'Broken heart'. The lyrics are motivated by band member Ray Kennedy's love for a French woman that he knew during the writing of the song.

The song enjoyed a peak position number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was the only single of the band to make it into the UK singles chart, peaking at number 45. And in the Netherlands it peaked at number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 536
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 28, 1987
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Isn't it time' / 'Give me your love'

Rock me Amadeus - Falco

Falco released 'Rock me Amadeus' in 1985. The song was produced by the Dutch brothers Bolland, who co-wrote the song with Falco. The lyric was inspired by the movie 'Amadeus' (1984) and talks about Mozart's poverty and his debts.

For the U.S. release, the song was remixed with an English background overlay by L.A. DJ Chris Modig. This is also the version included on this single, which is a Dutch pressing. Interestingly enough, the song only became a hit in the Netherlands when this version was released.

My collection: 7" single no. 2286
Found: Record fair, May 6, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Rock me Amadeus' / 'Tango the night'

Wrap your arms around me - Agnetha Fältskog

'Wrap your arms around me' was Agnetha Fältskog's second solo single since the breakup of Abba. It was the title track of her solo album, which was released shortly before the release of this single. The single featured an edit of the longer album track, which featured some extra groaning and erotically charged sounds.

Strangely enough, Agnetha never really sounded very erotic. She just didn't have the trashy quality singers like Donna Summer and Madonna had. The single, nonetheless, was a success. It was a number one hit in Belgium and peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2045

Found: Record fair, October 30, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Wrap your arms around me' / 'Take good care of your children'

Saving forever for you - Shanice

Shanice Lorraine Wilson was born on May 14, 1973 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she was only eight years old, she appeared in a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken with Ella Fitzgerald. In 1984, she performed on 'Star search', an American talent show on TV. Shortly after her appearance, she was signed to A&M Records.

'Saving forever for you' was Shanice's second top 5 hit in America. It is a pretty straightforward soul song, written by Diane Warren, which explains its slightly formulaic character. The song appeared on the soundtrack cd of the popular television series 'Beverley Hills 90210', which was recently brought back to life in the form of the spin-off series '90210'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1867

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 13, 1993

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Saving forever for you (radio edit)' / 'Saving forever for you (instrumental)'