Life of surprises - Prefab Sprout

Prefab Sprout recorded 'Life of surprises' in 1985, just when 'When love breaks down' finally became a hit after its fourth re-release. The record company shelved the album with 'Life of surprises' on it. The track only resurfaced in 1993, when Prefab Sprout's greatest hits compilation was released.

The single was a success, peaking at number 24 in the UK singles chart. The B-side featured the band's only top 10 hit: 'The king of rock 'n' roll', originally released in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 1899
Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Life of surprises' / 'The king of rock 'n' roll'

The sound of the crowd - Human League

After the loss of original members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig-Marsh, Phil Oakey recruited 'dancing girls' Susan Ann Sulley (17) and Joanne Catherall (18) in order to be able to fulfill tour obligations. In January 1981, the band was still in debt to their record company. Oakey recorded and rushed out a new single, 'Boys and girls', without the involvement of Sulley and Catherall, to reasonable success. In March, Oakey was introduced to veteran producer Martin Rushent.

The first result of their sessions was the single 'The sound of the crowd'. The single was an instant success, peaking at number 12 in the UK singles chart. It was the first song to feature female vocals from Sulley and Catherall. The twelve inch mix is an interesting affair, with a lot of extra instrumental bits.

My collection: 12" single no. 491

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'The sound of the crowd (Complete)' / 'The sound of the crowd (Instrumental)'

Liian pian ilta päättyy - Eini

Eini is a Finnish singer who has recorded several covers of Eurovision songs. When I bought this one, a sticker on the sleeve suggested that it was a cover of Israel's 1979 winning song, 'Hallelujah'. This is why I bought the single. Unfortunately, the information was wrong. Instead, this is a cover of Israel's 1981 contribution to the Contest, 'Halayla' ('Tonight'), performed by Hakol over Habibi.

The original track is a dramatic ballad, with the singer describing what will happen between herself and a lover "tonight". The Finnish version is more upbeat. Now, how do you think 'Liian pian ilta päättyy' is pronounced?...

My collection: 7" single no. 3601
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: Liian pian ilta päättyy' / 'Rajana Taivas'

Strut - Sheena Easton

In 1984, sweet Scottish singing sensation Sheena Easton made a transition towards a sexy dance-pop siren. She collaborated with Prince on her new album 'A private heaven', which was a big success.

While the single 'Strut' was ignored in Europe, it became her fifth top 10 single in America. It was a sassy and suggestive song, with a great hook and interesting vocals. Compare, if you like, the A-side with the B-side track. Where Sheena sounds great on the former, her voice sounds shrill and uninspired on the latter. Well, at least, that's what I think. Great sleeve, by the way...

My collection: 12" single no. 494

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Strut (Dance mix)' / 'Letters from the road'

Vandaag - Het Goede Doel

After the chart success of 'Met open ogen', Het Goede Doel released a second single from their album 'Souvenir' entitled 'Vandaag' ('Today'). Clocking in at six minutes, it was another lengthy single from the group. (Previous hits 'België', 'Hou van mij' and 'Alles geprobeerd' were also over six minutes long).

The single went by unnoticed by the general public: it stalled outside the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3595

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,66 euro

Tracks: 'Vandaag' / 'Vandaag (instrumental)'

We gotta get out of here - Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter was born on June 3, 1939 in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. He was lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople between 1969 and 1974, and then pursued a solo career. He had one hit in the Netherlands: 'We gotta get out of here', released in the summer of 1980. The ending of the song sounds a bit like a pastiche of Meatloaf's 'Paradise by the dashboard light'. That's because of the vocals of Ellen Foley, who'd spoken on that song as well as this one.

The B-side of the single features a live version of 'All the young dudes', originally recorded by David Bowie.

My collection: 7" single no. 3597

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'We gotta get out of here' / 'All the young dudes'

Cry me a river - Mari Wilson

'Cry me a river' was written by Arthur Hamilton in 1953. It was orginally meant as a song for Ella Fitzgerald in the movie 'Pete Kelly's Blues' (1955). The record producer insisted that Hamilton would remove the word 'plebeian' in the lyric since 'audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the '20s using that word.' Hamilton refused, and the song was dropped. The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955.

Mari Wilson recorded her version in 1983, to be used in the crime drama series McCallum. It was her last UK top 40 hit, peaking at number 27.

My collection: 7" single no. 3607
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Cry me a river' / 'Rave'

Femme dans ses rêves aussi - Roger Bens

I visited a record fair today, hunting for new old vinyl. The fair was not spectacular (mainly Dutch dealers and a few lost Germans and one Englishman), but I managed to get some nice rarities anyway. A weird one is this one: plucked from the bargain bin, the French entry for the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest.

France was represented by young Roger Bens who sang 'Femme dans ses rêves aussi'. I can honestly say that I didn't have a clue what this song was like. I have seen it a couple of times during my life (since I own the 1985 Eurovision on dvd) but it's passed me by completely. When you hear the single you will understand why: it is a very forgettable track. The main attraction is the B-side, a beautiful ballad with typical eighties romanticism.

My collection: 7" single no. 3605

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Femme dans ses rêves aussi' / 'Piano souvenir'

Jeanny - Falco

'Jeanny' was released in 1986 and would become one of Falco's best known and most controversial singles. The song is about a relationship between a man and a girl named Jeanny. The song is sung in a slightly unhinged voice, but the lyrics don't actually contain any direct reference to the act of rape or abduction. It is left to the listener's imagination. Falco argued that it's about the musings of a stalker, but also said the song was inspired by serial killer Jack Unterweger.

The song was banned in East Germany. There were also demands to prohibit the song in West Germany, but this didn't happen, although some radio stations did boycot the song. Despite all this, Falco had a number one hit in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland with 'Jeanny'.

My collection: 7" single no. 412

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Jeanny' / 'Männer des Westens'

Didn't you kill my brother? - Alexei Sayla

While Alexei Sayle's debut single ''Ullo John! Gotta new motor?' was a genuinely funny take on people with strange dialects saying the oddest things, I didn't quite 'get' 'Didn't you kill my brother?'.

As I've only recently found out, the single was the theme song of an episode of the satirical Comic Strip TV comedy series in which Alexei Sayle plays both halves of a pair of gangster twins, not so loosely modelled on the Kray twins, the notorious Moss brothers Carl and Sterling. The episode also remakes Bicycle Thieves whilst lampooning British liberal values. Produced by Sayle and Chaz Jankel, the single was a flop.

My collection: 7" single no. 333

Found: LP Top 100, Den haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Didn't you kill my brother?' / 'Dedicated'

Why me? - Linda Martin

Thousands of viewers of the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest must have struggled with the question Linda Martin raised at the end of the programme. Why did she, of all people, win that year's edition? It wasn't a remarkable song, like Cleopatra's 'Olou tou kosmou i elpida' for Greece, or slightly mysterious like Evridiki's 'Teriazoume' for Cyprus. And it certainly wasn't the jewel that Italy contributed in the form of Mia Martini's 'Rapsodia', which is still a favourite with many Eurovision fans to this day. If anything, the song was middle of the road. But then, maybe the juries were exactly that in 1992.

Written by Eurovision dinosaur Johnny Logan, 'Why me' wasn't exactly a big hit outside of Ireland, the country Linda represented. The single peaked at number 23 in the Dutch Top 40 and stalled at number 59 in the UK. Some winners are best left forgotten.

My collection: 7" single no. 1656
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 30, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Why me?' / 'Shades of blue'

Sex talk (live) - T'pau

T'pau's second single 'Intimate strangers' hadn't been a success, so after they'd had more luck with 'China in your hand' and 'Valentine', they tried it again with a live version of that track. Now titled 'Sex talk', it was more successful and peaked at number 23 in the UK. In Europe, the single wasn't released - and so I had to go to London to find a copy of this single.

Bizarrely, the cd-single of this live track was available in the Netherlands, so it became one of the first times that I had a cd-single before I had the vinyl version.

My collection: 7" single no. 1050
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Sex talk (live)' / 'Monkey house (live)'

The telephone call - Kraftwerk

Taken from their album 'Electric cafe', 'The telephone call' followed up 'Musique non stop'. The track appeared on side two of the album, which meant that it had a more conventional pop song structure. 'The telephone call' is notable for being the first and only Kraftwerk song to feature Karl Bartos on lead vocals.

The sleeve of this single features stills of the facial animation that was seen in the video for 'Musique non stop'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2617

Found: Record fair, February 10, 1996

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'The telephone call' / 'Der Telefon Anruf'

It won't be long - Alison Moyet

Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Alison Moyet released her third solo album 'Hoodoo' in 1991. 'Hoodoo' was a definite change in direction for Moyet: gone was the glossy softpop sheen of previous albums and a rawer, earthier sound and more personal lyrics replaced it. Compared to her earlier releases, 'Hoodoo' received little label support and only minimal promotion.

The first single from the album was the menacing 'It won't be long'. This single was nominated for a Grammy in the USA but fell behind commercially: it peaked at number 50 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 1449

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 15, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'It won't be long' / 'My right A.R.M.'

Such a shame - Talk Talk

I think it's fair to say that 'It's my life' was Talk Talk's breakthrough single, as it was the first to make the charts in various European countries. The band followed it up with a second single from their second album: 'Such a shame'.

In the UK, the single was largely ignored, peaking at number 49, whereas it became a top 10 hit in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. In the Netherlands, it peaked at number 11. It's weird, because only in the UK there was this special edition with a poster bag and a free second single containing three demo tracks. A truly great package and probably a collector's item now.

My collection: 7" single no. 1300

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 1990

Cost: 5 pounds

Tracks: 'Such a shame' / 'Again a game... again' // 'Candy (demo version)' / 'Talk Talk (demo version)', 'Mirror man (demo version)'

Download: here

Tubular affair - Samoa Park

This track could best be described as a lifeless, soulless 'mashup' (as they are called these days) of 'Tubular bells' and 'Foreign affair', both Mike Oldfield tracks.

The single was released in 1983 on the ZYX Music label (liberal pronounciation: 'It Sucks Music') and I bought it because my neverending thirst for version of Mike Oldfield's masterpiece. In this instance, it was an unfortunate acquisition.

My collection: 7" single no. 3185

Found: Music Machine Mailorder, Hoorn, 2002

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Tubular affair' / 'Tubular affair (instrumental)'

Flash in the night - Secret Service

It's now 27 years ago that this single was released, and I still think that this is one of the Best Songs Ever. I still get goosebumps when I hear the intro and I love every second of this track. I was in a difficult position when I bought this single: not so long before, I'd agreed with my sister that I would not buy singles she had, so that together we'd have more records to play. It went alright for a month or two, but when I saw this single - one that I'd played a lot - for a discount price, I had to buy it. In time, the agreement went out of the window altogether, of course.

Secret Service hails from Sweden. The band consisted of Ola Håkansson, Tim Norell, Ulf Wahlberg, Tony Lindberg, Leif Paulsen and Leif Johansson. 'Flash in the night' (1982) became their biggest international hit, reaching number 23 in Germany, number 12 in Italy and Sweden, number 9 in Switzerland, number 6 in Norway and number 5 in France. Inexplicably, the song didn't reach the chart in the UK and the Netherlands.

This one comes highly recommended. Even the B-side is nice!

My collection: 7" single no. 113

Found: 7" single no. 113

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Flash in the night' / 'Watching Julietta'

We are the world - USA for Africa

After Band Aid had sold millions of copies worldwide with 'Do they know it's Christmas?', it was almost inevitable that American popstars would rise to the challenge and come up with their own charity single. 'We are the world' was the result: a single of an epic 6'22 minutes length which is fine for the first three minutes but then turns into a long, protracted death rattle of a song, with far too many artists claiming a few lines of their own to sing.

The lyric 'There's a choice we're making / we're saving our own lives' was originally written as 'There's a chance we're taking / we're taking our own lives'. It was rewritten when it was feared the original phrasing's first part might look like the artists are patting themselves on the back while the last part might suggest collective suicide.

The single became a worldwide number 1 hit, raising more money for emergency needs in Africa, where several countries were suffering from an unprecedented famine. Not much has changed in over thirty years though: Africa is still in need.

My collection: 7" single no. 3541
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 9, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'We are the world' (USA for Africa) / 'Grace' (Quincy Jones)

Loving you - Feargal Sharkey

Feargal Sharkey's solo career began in 1984 with the single 'Listen to your father', which he co-wrote with Cathal Smyth from Madness. That single peaked at number 23 in the UK. The second solo single was released in early 1985. Called 'Loving you', this single reached number 26 in the UK, but also number 23 in Switzerland. It would only be a matter of time before Sharkey had a big international breakthrough with 'A good heart', which gave him a top 10 all over Europe.

Both 'Listen to your father' and 'Loving you' were omitted from Feargal Sharkey's self-titled debut album, which was released in 1985. This makes both the singles great collector's items. Personally, I always thought 'Loving you' was the better of the two.

My collection: 7" single no. 1297

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 1990

Cost: 30p

Tracks: 'Loving you' / 'Is this an explanation?'

Misplaced love - Rupert Hine

In 1981, Rupert Hine released the album 'Immunity'. This single, 'Misplaced love' was taken from that album. It featured guest vocals by Marianne Faithfull and became Rupert's best known single, mainly because of the fact that it peaked at number 22 in Australia. In Europe, the single started a tradition, because it was the first of many singles that would not chart in any country.

Today his work as a solo artist is mainly recognized by music enthusiasts, fellow artists and electronic music insiders, with many fans considering his tryptichon 'Immunity', 'Waving not drowning' and 'Wildest wish to fly' to be his masterwork.

My collection: 7" single no. 2721

Found: Record fair, 1996

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Misplaced love' / 'Psycho-surrender'