Rock me - Riva

I wouldn't be surprised if this song was responsible for the war in Yugoslavia that would break out a couple of years later. It must rank as one of the worst winners in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Riva, a group of five fronted by singer Emilija Kokić debuted on Zagrebfest in 1988. They performed their song 'Rock me' in Serbo-Croatian as the last act on the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest. When they unexpectedly won the Contest, BBC TV commentator Terry Wogan described it as 'the death knell' for the Contest. The group parted ways in 1991 after being unable to build on their sudden success with this unlistenable song.

My collection: 7" single no. 3599

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Rock me baby (Original version)' / 'Rock me baby (English version)'

Slow emotion replay - The The

In 1993, it became increasingly difficult to find 7" vinyl singles of songs that were released as a single. More often than not, I could only find a cd-single version. It became quite a challenge to still find vinyl singles and I always had a sense of victory when I succeeded. This was one of those proud achievements.

Taken from the album 'Dusk', The The released 'Slow emotion replay' as the second single from that album. While 'Dogs of lust', single number one, was released as a limited edition 7" single in the UK, this one was only released on two different cd-singles. I found this Spanish promotional 7" with just one track on one side: the other side was not even playable. Which made this item all the more desirable, because a one-sided 7" single is a rarity in itself.

My collection: 7" single no. 2654

Found: London, June 29, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Slow emotion replay'

There's more to love - The Communards

This was the last single released by the Communards before Richard Coles and Jimmy Somerville split up. The upbeat song comes with a serious message: 'There's more to love than boy meets girl / For love is strange and uncontrolled and it can happen to anyone'. Not surprisingly for this band the subject of the song was gay rights.

The B-side of this single is also interesting: it's a cover of the 1934 song written and composed by James F. Hanley. It was performed in the Broadway revue 'Thumbs up!'. The most famous version was performed by Judy Garland.

My collection: 7" single no. 2382

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

Cost: 60p

Tracks: 'There's more to love' / 'Zing went the strings of my heart'

If you want my love - Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick made a name for themselves with the big hit 'I want you to want me'. I thought it was a very irritating song, and it had its effect: I hated the band for a long time. It took some getting used to that 'If you want my love' was actually a rather accomplished pop/rock ballad.

When I bought the single, it was in the middle of the period I've described on this blog a couple of times before: when my sister and I decided to buy different singles. She hated this song, I liked it. So I bought it - and she wasn't impressed with my choice.

My collection: 7" single no. 145

Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'If you want my love' / 'Four letter word'

Can't set rules about love - Adam Ant

Adam Ant was one of the big names of the Eighties. That statement alone says a lot about how he was perceived by the general public circa 1990: almost forgotten. After having been out of the charts since 1985, he had a brief comeback with 'Room at the top', which reached number 13 in the UK singles chart in 1990. The next single was 'Can't set rules about love', which peaked at number 47.

I didn't hear this song until three years later, when I got my hands on a promotional instore video of various artists. I wasn't impressed by the video, but the song was nice enough. I spent several years trying to find the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2868

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 1997

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Can't set rules about love' / 'How to steal the world'

In too deep - Belinda Carlisle

I'm not the world's biggest Belinda Carlisle fan, but I do have a few singles by her. And this is one of them: a rather attractive limited edition picture disc 7", bought during a holiday in England.

The interesting thing is, I've forgotten all about the A-side track 'In too deep' but I still remember the B-side track '(We want) The same thing'. I know why, too: I once saw her perform that song live in Bournemouth, in the middle of the summer, with Ricky Wilde backing her on guitar. It was an extremely happy sunny day.

My collection: 7" single no. 2714

Found: HMV, London, July 4, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'In too deep' / '(We want) The same thing'

Want you to be mine - Kayak

The Dutch band Kayak formed in 1972. Their early single 'Mammoth' featured on this blog a couple of months ago. 'Want you to be mine' was released five years later, in 1978. It's a more straightforward rock song, sounding rather a lot like much of their work around that time.

I don't remember how I got to hear this song, but I know I was very impressed when I did. I went searching for the single and found it within a few months.

My collection: 7" single no. 850

Found: All that music, Leiden, May 27, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Want you to be mine' / 'Golddust'

Diggi loo diggi ley - The Herrey's

The Swedish brothers Per, Richard and Louis Herrey were the first act to perform on stage in Luxemburg during the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest. The nonsensical title harked back to previous winning entries such as 'Boom bang-a-bang', 'Ding-a-dong' and 'La la la'.

I thought it wasn't a very spectacular song, and would have thought that Italy's Alice & Franco Battiato with 'I treni di Tozeur' would win. Instead, this song went away with victory. It's one of many occasions when I felt really disappointed with the winner in the Contest. I did buy the single, though, starting a tradition of buying winning songs in that year - although I would 'forget' to buy it in later years. The B-side is interesting for its lyric about an obsessive fan.

My collection: 7" single no. 234

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1984

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Diggi loo / Diggi ley' / 'Every song you sing'

I promised myself - Nick Kamen

Nick Kamen was born as Ivor Neville Kamen on April 15, 1962 in Harlow, Essex, England. He was first brought to the public's attention in 1984 when Ray Petri featured him on the front cover of the UK magazine The Face. A year later, he appeared in a Levi's commercial. In 1986, he released his debut single 'Each time you break my heart', written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray.

In 1990, he released his fourth album 'Move until we fly'. It contained the self-penned 'I promised myself', which would be his biggest hit in Europe. The single topped the chart in Austria and Sweden, and reached number 6 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1636
Found: April 20, 1992
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'I promised myself' / 'You are'

Cathedral song - Tanita Tikaram

Tanita Tikaram was born in Münster, Germany on August 12, 1969 as the daughter of Fatimah Rohani of Malaysian descent and Indo-Fijian British Army officer Pramod Tikaram. She grew up in Basingstoke, England. She released her debut album 'Ancient heart' when she was only nineteen years old.

'Cathedral song' was the third single taken from that album. It reached number 48 in the UK singles chart. Like other tracks on the album, it was a moody, guitar-based song.

My collection: 7" single no. 765
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, March 11, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Cathedral song' / 'Sighing innocents'

Oh what a circus - David Essex

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote the musical Evita in 1976. The best known song from that musical is of course 'Don't cry for me Argentina', recorded by Julie Covington and Madonna, amongst others. The same melody line was used for this single, 'Oh what a circus', performed by David Essex. Like 'Argentina', this song was taken from the musical 'Evita'.

Essex had a hit with this single: it reached number 3 in the UK and number 18 in the Netherlands. It didn't become quite the classic that 'Don't cry for me Argentina' is now. My copy of the single was bought at Beanos, a wellknown record shop in the South of London. It's housed in a custom Beanos sleeve - probably because the original sleeve has gone missing.

My collection: 7" single no. 2889

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Oh what a circus' / 'High flying adored'

Don't feed the animals - Fay Lovski

Fay Lovski was born as Fay Luyendijk in Leiden on September 11, 1955. Her music career started in 1980 with the album 'Sound on sound', named after the recording technique she used to make her songs.

'Don't feed the animals' was a single taken from her third album 'Origami' (1983). Like the majority of her singles it didn't make the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2138

Found: Grammofoonplatenwinkel, Utrecht, August 2, 1994

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Don't feed the animals' / 'Palmtree luxury'

L'oiseau et l'enfant - Marie Myriam

Hard to believe, but it's now 32 years ago that a French-language song won the Eurovision Song Contest. Amina came close in 1991, but it's been mainly English songs since 1977. Between 1956 and 1977, 11 songs in French won the contest. And this was the last one: 'L'oiseau et l'enfant' by Marie Myriam.

She was born as Miriam Lopes on May 8, 1957 in Braga, Portugal. She represented France in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest and won with 15 points more than the number 2, 'Rock bottom' by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran for the United Kingdom.

My collection: 7" single no. 3609

Found: eBay, France, received March 20, 2009

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'L'oiseau et l'enfant' / 'On garde toujours'

Hot water - Level 42

Level 42 was founded in 1979 by Mark King, Mike Lindup, Rowland Gould and Phil Gould. 'Hot water' was a single taken from their fifth album 'True colours'. The single was a big hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 3. By comparison, it fared worse in the UK, where it only got to number 18.

When this single charted, it was played on the radio so often that I didn't need to buy the single. I went on to buy some Level 42 singles in the Nineties, but this one never got into my collection. On my birthday in 2007, my wife (who was then still my girlfriend) gave me this single, which she'd gotten from a Kringloop store while looking around there. It was really funny, because I don't think she knew I didn't have this yet and probably had no clue what this song sounded like. I'm glad to have it now.

My collection: 7" single no. 3614
Found: Birthday present, Den Haag, August 31, 2007
Cost: nothing
Tracks: 'Hot water' / 'Standing in the light'

Turn it on again - Genesis

As Genesis had been recording and touring constantly in 1977 and 1978, it was decided by the members Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford to take the majority of 1979 off. Banks and Rutherford started working on solo material, while Collins made an attempt to save his marriage by following his wife to Canada. This didn't work, and so Collins returned to the UK and started working on solo material of his own, as well as new songs for Genesis.

'Turn it on again' appeared on their comeback album 'Duke' (1980) and subsequently became a live favourite. It peaked at number 8 in the UK, whereas it only made number 38 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 52

Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Turn it on again' / 'Behind the lines part 2'

Unconditional love (Planet earth) - Gentlemen without weapons

Kenny Young is an American songwriter who has been active as writer, artist and producer since 1963. In 1988, he was the founder member of the group Gentlemen without weapons. They released one album, 'Transmissions', from which this single was taken.

The album was unique because it used no instruments, only samples of animal noises. The point being that Young wanted to draw attention towards environmental awareness. The unique album was accompanied by a video produced by Pink Floyd's art director Storm Thorgeson, who also designed the album and single covers.

My collection: 7" single no. 766

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 16, 1989

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Unconditional love (Planet earth)' / 'The way of the dodo'

Hey little girl - Icehouse

The European release of 'Hey little girl' was different from the UK one. At least, that's what I concluded after I found this copy. And it wasn't just the sleeve, either: the single was pressed on clear vinyl, the title track was shorter than the one on the single I already had and the B-side was a different track as well.

'Hey little girl' peaked at number 17 in the UK, whereas in the Netherlands it got to number 13. Perhaps the European release was slightly better than the UK one? Well, I don't know, I always think that quality has nothing to do with popularity in the charts...

My collection: 7" single no. 2699

Found: Record Exchange, London, July 3, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Hey little girl' / 'Mysterious thing'

Strawberry fields forever - Candy flip

Candy Flip were a British electronic dance band associated with the Madchester music scene in the early Nineties. They were named after the slang term for the practice of taking ecstasy and LSD at the same time. The band consisted of Danny Spencer, Kelvin Andrews and Ric Peet.

The band reached number 3 in the UK singles chart with their electronic cover version of the Beatles' 'Strawberry fields forever' in 1990. The track sampled the drum beat from the track 'Funky Drummer' by James Brown. Candy Flip split up in 1992.

My collection: 7" single no. 2216

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, November 14, 1994

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Strawberry fields forever' / 'Can you feel the love'

Tutti Ragazzi - The Nits

Henk Hofstede and Alex Roelofs formed the Nits in 1974 together with Michiel Peters and Rob Kloet. They participated in a contest a year later and won a recording contract with Dureco Records as a result. Their debut single 'Yes or no' was featured in the popular TV programme Toppop, but the limited availability of the single caused it to flop.

The band performed live a lot, and contributed 'Tutti Ragazzi' to a compilation album made by the Dutch magazine Oor. Manager Aad Link was very interested in the band and arranged a new contract with record company CBS. The album 'Tent' was released in 1979, and the single 'Tutti Ragazzi' was taken from it. It entered the Dutch Top 40 in February 1980, and peaked at number 31. It was the Nits' first hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 44

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Tutti Ragazzi' / 'Harrow accident'

Falling - Cathy Dennis

Cathy Dennis was born as Catherine Roseanne Dennis on March 25, 1969 in Norwich, England. As a teenager she was spotted recording demos at The Kitchen in Norwich. Simon Fuller signed her to his 19 Management company and to label Polydor at age 17. A successful career in music followed.

'Falling' was the third single from Cathy's second album 'Into the skyline'. The track was remixed for the single release by the then-popular band PM Dawn. It peaked at number 32 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2667

Found: Record fair, Leeds, June 30, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Falling (PM Dawn version)' / 'Nothing moves me'