Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants

In November 1981, Adam & the Ants released their third album, the highly successful 'Prince Charming'. The band had two UK number 1 singles. 'Stand and deliver' was the number 1 single in the UK for 5 weeks in May 1981, followed by 'Prince Charming', which topped the UK charts for 4 weeks in September 1981.

'Prince Charming' was released in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, which was even released on the European continent - which in itself was a rarity. I was always jealous of the copy my sister had since right when it was released, so I was really relieved when I finally bought my own copy a few years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 384

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Prince Charming' / 'Christian D'Or'

Ik hou van jou - Maribelle

Hard to believe, but it's twentyfive years ago that Maribelle represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Ik hou van jou' ('I love you'). The song finished 13th in a field of 19 competitors ('below Turkey', the Dutch rightwing newspaper 'de Telegraaf' cried in outrage). When you hear the debilitating noise of this year's Dutch entry, it's hard to believe that this country was once able to come up with a simple and effective ballad like this. The song has been covered by artists like Cilla Black, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jose Carreras and John McCook (yes, the 'Bold and the Beautiful' actor).

Maribelle didn't have a big hit with this in the Netherlands: the single peaked at number 33 in the Dutch top 40. She also recorded an English version, 'In love with you'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2158

Found: Bea Records, 1993

Cost: 4 guilders

Tracks: 'Ik hou van jou' / 'Maar vanavond'

Never again - Tomas Ledin and Agnetha Fältskog

Tomas Ledin was born on February 25, 1952 in Rätan, Sweden. He started his career in pop music in 1972, debuting with his single 'Då ska jag spela'. After six studio albums and one live album, Ledin was approached by Abba's Benny Andersson to record for the band's company Polar Music. He joined Abba as a backing vocalist during their tour, but also got the chance to sing his own composition 'Not bad at all' during the show.

In 1982, he released the duet 'Never again' with Agnetha Fältskog from Abba. The song reached number 1 in Chile and was popular across Europe. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1396

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 7, 1991

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Never again' (Tomas Ledin and Agnetha Fältskog) / 'Just for the fun' (Tomas Ledin)

Rush rush - Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul was born on June 19, 1962. In the 1980s, Abdul rose from being a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to being a sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era, then to being a pop singer with a string of hits in the late Eighties and early Nineties. After her debut album 'Forever your girl' had been incredibly successful worldwide, she released her second album 'Spellbound' in 1991.

The first single from that album was 'Rush rush'. The single was promoted with a music video with a 'Rebel without a cause' motif featuring Keanu Reeves in the role originally played by James Dean. As the first ballad ever released by Abdul as a single, it seemed like a risky choice, but it paid off: 'Rush rush' was a number 1 hit in America, peaking at number 6 in the UK and number 9 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1444

Found: June 1, 1991

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Rush rush (7" edit)' / 'Rush rush (Dub mix)'

Echo my heart - Lindy Layton

After the release of 'Silly games' Lindy Layton's debut album 'Pressure' (1991) followed. It was mostly produced by Norman Cook and Driza Bone. Her second solo single was 'Echo my heart', which peaked at number 42 in the UK.

I didn't buy this single for a long time, despite the fact that the shop had it for months at the same price. In the end, my curiosity could no longer be contained. I bought the single but didn't play it very often.

My collection: 7" single no. 2477

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 30, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Echo my heart' / 'This isn't fair'

The thin wall - Ultravox

'The thin wall' was released as the first single from Ultravox's 1981 album 'Rage in Eden'. Like the album, the single was produced by Conny Plank. Its stark synthesizer-based music was similar to Ultravox's previous singles from the album 'Vienna'. The band was rewarded with a reasonably good chart placing, peaking at number 14 in the UK singles chart.

I bought the single twice: the regular version on black vinyl in 1995, and a few years later the limited edition pressing on clear vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 2485 / no. 3228

Found: Record exchange, London, October 30, 1995 / London, 2004

Cost: 1 pound / 1 pound

Tracks: 'The thin wall' / 'I never wanted to begin'

Ik wil alles met je delen - Maywood

The sisters Alie en Doetie de Vries took on the names Alice May and Caren Wood and formed the duo Maywood in 1978. Their songs - performed in English - were mostly theatrical ballads and popsongs. Their early work was produced by ex-Kayak drummer Pim Koopman. After their success seemed to elude them in the late Eighties, they tried to regain public profile by representing the Netherlands in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest.

The song 'Ik wil alles met je delen' ('I want to share everything with you') wasn't the success they were hoping for: they finished 15th in the Contest. After this, the duo fell apart and even went to court on a few occasions. Alice May is still touring the Netherlands with Maywood songs these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 3687

Found: Private seller, received May 4, 2009

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Ik wil alles met je delen' / 'Wat zijn we met de wereld aan het doen'

From a lover to a friend - Paul McCartney

The sticker on the sleeve of this single states that the profits from the sales of this single will go to aid families of the New York firemen and police. This statement makes it clear that the single was released after September 11, 2001. And indeed it was: although 'From a lover to a friend' was recorded earlier in the year, the single was released in October 2001.

Still, the subject matter of the single doesn't have much to do with the events in New York: it's a personal song in which Paul McCartney tries to come to terms with the death of his wife Linda McCartney. When he sings 'Let me love again', little does he know that he will fall victim to greedy mrs. Mills. But did the police and firemen in New York get a lot of money? I doubt it; the single only made number 45 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3351

Found: HMV, London, November 2001

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'From a lover to a friend' / 'Riding into Jaipur'

When the snow falls - Ten Sharp

The band Ten Sharp debuted in January 1985 with this single, 'When the snow falls'. It was quite an impressive debut, with its melodramatic chorus and heavy instrumentation. But even though critics were very positive about this single, the record-buying audiences were not impressed: the single stalled in the Dutch bubbling under chart and did not reach the Top 40. After three more singles, the band fell apart.

However, after Ten Sharp returned with only core members Marcel Kapteijn and Niels Hermes remaining, they had a big European hit with 'You'. This led to them recording a debut album 'Under the water-line'. This album featured a version of 'When the snow falls'.

My collection: 7" single no. 262

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'When the snow falls' / 'Time and time'

Love is like oxygen - Sweet

The Sweet were a popular glam rock band throughout the Seventies in the UK, racking up no less than 10 top 10 hits, including one number 1 hit. 'Love is like oxygen' was their last hit single, peaking at number 9 in the UK singles chart. The single was released after the band had switched labels and took on a different style, comparable to Electric Light Orchestra. Indeed, 'Love is like oxygen' is often mistaken for an ELO song.

In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 16. I think I've always liked the song, but I did forget about it for a couple of years. When I heard it again in the early Nineties, I started to look for this single. It took me ages to finally find it.

My collection: 7" single no. 2840

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 5, 1997

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Love is like oxygen' / 'Cover girl'

Mirror man - Human League

'Mirror man' was released in November 1982 as the first single after the Human League's hugely successful 'Dare!' album and tour. The track was reportedly inspired by the Motown sound. The lyric was subject to a lot of speculation, until in 1988 Phil Oakey revealed that it was about Adam Ant. Oakey had become concerned that Adam was starting to believe his own publicity, and was in danger of losing touch with reality. Oakey had avoided revealing this at the time for fear of offending the song's subject.

The single became a number two hit in the UK, and peaked at number 24 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2815
Found: Record fair, February 1, 1997
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Mirror man' / 'You remind me of gold'

White horse - Laid Back

The Danish group Laid Back was formed by Tim Stahl and John Guldberg in Copenhagen in 1979. After hitting it big in Europe in 1982 with 'Sunshine reggae', they released 'White horse', an anti-drug abuse themed track about people who were lured into the drug culture/lifestyle that was commonplace in the 1980s.

The single reached number 17 in the Netherlands and also was a number 1 hit in the American dance/disco chart (as shown on the sleeve).

My collection: 7" single no. 2796

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 14, 1996

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'White horse' / 'Don't be mean'

I got a feeling - Lisa Stansfield

Before Lisa Stansfield hit it big in 1989, performing vocals on the Coldcut track 'People hold on', she tried her hand at solo singles for a couple of years. This was one of them: 'I got a feeling', a track written by Lamont Dozier and Brian and Edward Holland, better known as the Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland.

This single, released in 1983, was not a hit, just like early singles 'Alibis' (1981), 'The only way' (1982) and 'Listen to your heart' (1983).

My collection: 7" single no. 2675
Found: Record Exchange, London, July 2, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'I got a feeling' / 'Red lights'

You're history - Shakespear's sister

'You're history' was released as the second single by Shakespear's Sister after the double A-side 'Heroine/Break my heart', which failed to chart in 1988. In the summer of 1989, 'You're history' became their first UK hit peaking at number 7 on the UK singles chart.

The single was released as a limited edition box set featuring the single, a full colour poster and a lyric sheet.

My collection: 7" single no. 2751

Found: October 28, 1996

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'You're history' / 'Dirty mind (Live in Leningrad)'

Bohemian rhapsody - Queen

What can you write about a monumental piece of music like 'Bohemian rhapsody' that hasn't already been written dozens of times - and with more eloquence - by others? Suffice to say that a lengthy article in Wikipedia contains all you need to know.

This sleeve of the Dutch pressing of 'Bohemian rhapsody' is quite amusing for it lists the B-side as 'With my car I'm in love'. The track is of course named 'I'm in love with my car'.

My collection: 7" single no. 305

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Bohemian rhapsody' / 'I'm in love with my car'

Just outside of heaven - H2O

H2O were a Scottish band, formed in 1978 in Glasgow by Colin Ferguson, Colin Gavigan, Ian Donaldson, Kenny Dorman, Pete Keane and Ross Alcock. Their biggest success was the synthpop single 'I dream to sleep' which reached number 17 on the UK singles chart in June 1983.

'Just outside of heaven' was the band's second single. It reached number 38 later the same year. In 1984 they released their only album 'Faith', but further success eluded them and they split soon after.

My collection: 7" single no. 2472
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 16, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Just outside of heaven' / 'Stranger to stranger'

Don't look back - Lloyd Cole

'Don't look back' was the second single taken from Lloyd Cole's first solo album, 'Lloyd Cole' (1990). It was released in a limited edition box set featuring the single (of course) and three prints. One wonder why they weren't just stuck into the sleeve of the single, but anyway...

Released in April 1990, the single didn't make the UK top 40, stalling at number 59 instead. I only knew 'No blue skies', Cole's previous single when I saw this boxset, but I took the gamble. I'm glad I did, because this song is equally great.

My collection: 7" single no. 1301

Found: Record exchange, London, October 15, 1990

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Don't look back' / 'Blame Mary Jane'

Speed of sound - Coldplay

Released as the first single from Coldplay's third album 'X&Y', the lyric of the song 'Speed of sound' was written by singer Chris Martin about his daughter Apple. He explains: 'That's a song where we were listening to a lot of Kate Bush last summer, and we wanted a song which had a lot of tom-toms in it. I just had my daughter up also, and was kind of feeling in a sense of awe and wonderment, so the song is kind of a Kate Bush song about miracles.'

The single was released in May 2005. It reached number 2 in the UK, being held off the top spot by Crazy Frog's cover of 'Axel F'. In America, the single peaked at number 8 and in the Netherlands it reached number 6.

My collection: 7" single no. 3413

Found: HMV, London, 2005

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Speed of sound' / 'Things I don't understand'

Save your kisses for me - Brotherhood of man

Songwriter and producer Tony Hiller formed the group Brotherhood of man in 1969. The early lineup consisted of John Goodison, Tony Burrows, Roger Greenaway, Sue Glover and Sunny Leslie. After a few years they were replaced by Martin Lee, Lee Sheriden, Sandra Stevens and Nicky Stevens. This lineup was the one that participated in the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest in an effort to make a big impact in UK as well as in Europe.

'Save your kisses for me' was a number 1 hit in the UK two weeks before the Contest final. During the Contest final it was awarded the maximum twelve points by seven countries, totalling 164 points compared to the second-placed French entry with 147 points. After their Eurovision win, the song became the biggest selling single for a winning entry in the history of the Contest. It reached number 1 in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Norway and eventually sold more than five million copies.

My collection: 7" single no. 3569

Found: La la land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Save your kisses for me' / 'Let's love together'

S.O.S. - Abba

'S.O.S.' was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. The title itself was coined by Stig, though the lyrics he provided were re-written by Ulvaeus. 'S.O.S.' was among the first three songs recorded for the group's upcoming 1975 album, ABBA. Despite the song's catchiness, it was passed over as the lead single from the album; the track 'So long' was chosen instead. 'So long' was chosen primarily because it had the same uptempo beat as their 1974 hit single, 'Waterloo'.

After 'So long' performed less well than expected, 'S.O.S.' became Abba's comeback single. It was a number one hit in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa. In the UK, the single peaked at number 6 and in the Netherlands at number 2. Abba would from then on remain a force to be recogned with in pop music.

I have two versions of the single: I first bought the French edition (pictured above) during a record fair. 18 months later I bought a Dutch pressing (pictured below). When I bought the cd-singles box set a few years ago, the sleeve of 'S.O.S.' was different. So now I'm still looking for the German edition...

My collection: 7" single no. 2049 / no. 2298

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, November 13, 1993 / Record fair, Utrecht, May 27, 1995

Cost: 3 guilders / 2 guilders

Tracks: 'S.O.S.' / 'Man in the middle'