Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein) - Münchener Freiheit

The band Münchener Freiheit, composed of Stefan Zauner, Aron Strobel, Rennie Hatzke, Michael Kunzi and Alex Grünwald formed in the early Eighties. Between 1982 and 1985, they released three studio albums in German. The single 'Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein)' was their first convincing chart hit in Germany, also showing the direction the band was taking towards a more polished pop sound.

In the Netherlands, this single did chart. However, Dutch singer Erik Mesie recorded a cover version in Dutch, called 'Zonder jou'. That version peaked at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 3150

Found: October 23, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein)' / 'Tochter der Venus'

I know I can do it - Lisa Hall

When you collect singles you come to a point where you think you have pretty much everything and you're up for experiments. Especially when it comes to new singles. During a holiday in London I picked up this single by one Lisa Hall. I didn't know her, I didn't know the song - the sleeve just appealed to me, that's all.

Released in 1999, this single did not chart in the UK, and not in Europe either. The track sounds a bit like Garbage (the band), although the B-side 'Julianne' sounds different altogether. A nice find.

My collection: 7" single no. 3114

Found: HMV, London, May 14, 1999

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'I know I can do it' / 'Julianne'

I won't let you down - Ph.D.

Jim Diamond, Tony Hymas and Simon Phillips formed Ph.D. in 1980. Their self-titled debut album (1981) featured the hit single 'I won't let you down', which went number 1 in the Netherlands and number 3 in the UK. Part of the success could be attributed to the rather funny video that accompanied the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 895

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I won't let you down' / 'Hideaway'

Thank you - Pale Fountains

Michael Head, Chris McCaffery, Thomas Whelan and former Dislocation Dance trumpeter Andy Diagram formed The Pale Fountains in Liverpool in 1980. They released their debut album 'Pacific street' in 1984. Their sole UK singles chart top 50 single was 'Thank you', released two years before that. It reached number 48.

I heard 'Thank you' on a compilation album a few years later and quite liked the track. When I finally found the single in 1993, I was very happy to finally own it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1830

Found: Record palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Thank you' / 'Meadow of love'

Tom Pillibi - Jacqueline Boyer

Jacqueline Boyer was born as Jacqueline Docus on April 23, 1941. She represented France during the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Tom Pillibi', the winning song during that year's edition. This EP features four songs, with 'Tom Pillibi' being the first and most important one.

The lyric of the song describes Tom Pillibi who owns two castles, ships and has plenty of other women wanting to be with him. Then the singer admits that he has 'only one fault', being that he is 'such a liar' and that none of what she had previously said about him was true. Nonetheless, she sings, she still loves him.

My collection: 7" single no. 3711

Found: Marktplaats.nl, received May 15, 2009

Cost: 6 euro

Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi', 'Gouli gouli dou' / 'Le village de Sainte Bernadette', 'Toute jeune'

Back stabbers - O'Jays

Vindictive? Moi? I guess so. Every time I hear this song I think back to my student years, when I had to deal with a few teachers who were always grinning when I talked with them, but when it came down to re-evaluating a grade I got which was too low (by all accounts) they wouldn't listen to reason. So this one is for Swante and Henk.

The O'Jays had a hit with this back in 1972, peaking at number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 14 in the UK and number 11 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2808
Found: Record fair, January 26, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Back stabbers' / 'Sunshine'

Silent all these years - Tori Amos

Listening to Tori Amos these days you can't help but wonder what happened to the magic of her earlier work. It seems to have completely disappeared. But it would be difficult to keep performing on that level: 'Silent all these years', coupled with 'Me and a Gun' was a stunning debut. The latter, originally presented as the A-side of the single, was an acapella song about rape.

Tori herself commented: 'In the song I say it was 'Me and a Gun' but it wasn't a gun. It was a knife he had. And the idea was to take me to his friends and cut me up, and he kept telling me that, for hours. And if he hadn't needed more drugs I would have been just one more news report, where you see the parents grieving for their daughter. And I was singing hymns, as I say in the song, because he told me to. I sang to stay alive. Yet I survived that torture, which left me urinating all over myself and left me paralysed for years. That's what that night was all about, mutilation, more than violation through sex.'

'Silent all these years' was a more accessible song, and so radio stations began to play that instead. Ultimately the single was re-released with nearly identical packaging but retitled as 'Silent all these years'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1949

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Silent all these years' / 'Me and a gun'

I wanna dance - Kat-mandu

Kat Mandu is Jimmy"Bullet"Ray. Born and raised in Guyana, Jimmy began singing at an early age. As a lead singer and guitarist he became so well recognized that he was invited to appear with renowned artists including: Sam & Dave, Ben E. King, and Carla Thomas. Jimmy first toured England with the Telstars and remained in London for 2 years performing with Dave Clark on a hectic club date schedule.

After this, Jimmy began his own recording career in New York by co-authoring and recording three albums under the name of Kat-mandu producing such hits as 'The break’ and ‘Don’t stop keep on’. His single 'I wanna dance' was a hit in Canada, America and various European countries. In the Netherlands the single stalled just outside the Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 124

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'I wanna dance' / 'I wanna dance'

Turaluraluralu - Trio

The German pop band Trio consisted of Stephan Remmler, Gert Krawinkel and Peter Behrens. Formed in 1979 they became part of the 'Neue Deutsche Welle' movement in the early Eighties. Their single 'Da da da I don't love you' (1982) was a worldwide hit.

In 1984 they released 'Turaluraluralu (ich mach BuBu, was machst du' (also released in an English version titled 'Tooralooralooraloo (is it old and is it new)'. It was their last hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 34. Personally I thought it was their best single for its unashamed relaxedness and simple melody.

My collection: 7" single no. 3348

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2002

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Turaluraluralu (ich mach BuBu, was machst du' / 'Immer noch einmal'

Hymn to her - The Pretenders

The fourth album by the Pretenders was released in 1986 and was titled 'Get close'. The first single taken from that album was 'Don't get me wrong', an up-tempo pop/rock track with a music video that looked like a tribute to the TV series 'The Avengers'.

The second single was 'Hymn to her', a ballad that was popularly interpreted as a hymn to the Goddess. The single peaked at number 8 in the UK and only managed a number 35 placing in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1251

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 24, 1990

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Hymn to her' / 'Room full of mirrors'

On the air tonight - Willy Finlayson

Willy Finlayson is a singer from Scotland who first came to London in the late 60's with Scottish Soul band The Writing On The Wall. He went on to become a core member of the band Meal Ticket and Bees make Honey. Willy then formed his own band The Hurters with Micky Moody, Matt Cheadle, Nigel Portman Smith and Alan Coulter.

This band ran parallel with a solo career that spawned the top 20 hit and video with Pete Barden's 'On the air tonight'. Released in 1985, I picked up the track from a local radio station that played the song regularly, despite it not becoming a hit in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 280

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'On the air tonight' / 'After the fall'

Street life - Crusaders

The Crusaders formed in 1961 as the Jazz Crusaders. Since then, they have released over fourty albums, including some live and compilation albums. Their biggest hit was the 1979 single 'Street life', with vocals performed by Randy Crawford, who would go on to have a very successful solo career. 'Street life' peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 13 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2478

Found: October 14, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Street life' / 'The hustler'

Through the years - Tim Finn

'Through the years' was released as the last single from Tim Finn's solo debut album 'Escapade'. It was a nice upbeat song, which saw him conquer the charts in Canada (where the single peaked at number 34) and the Netherlands (number 34).

Tim's next release was 'Home for my heart', released from the soundtrack of the movie 'The Coca-cola kid', in which he also made an appearance for about five minutes.

My collection: 7" single no. 2463

Found: April 9, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Through the years' / 'Grand adventure'

Glam slam - Prince

'Glam slam' was the second single taken from Prince's 1988 album 'Lovesexy'. The title originates from the sexual quote 'Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am,' which is an allusion to the popularized line from glam-rock star David Bowie's 'Suffragette City'.

In late 1989, Prince opened a nightclub in Minneapolis named after the song. After eight years of frustration he sold it to new owners, who renamed it The Quest. The club had since become one of the premier nightspots, rivaling First Avenue as a live music venue, before closing in 2006.

My collection: 7" single no. 652

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, September 10, 1988

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Glam slam (edit)' / 'Escape (edit)'

Doin' la bamba - Pussycat

Released in July 1980, 'Doin' la bamba' was to be the last top 10 hit for Pussycat in the Netherlands. The single peaked at number 6 in August. In subsequent years, the group slowly lost its members until only a quartet was left in 1983. The group fell apart in 1985.

I don't have much Pussycat singles, because most of their early material doesn't really interest me. This is a strong enough track, although it always amazes me that a Dutch group would sing about Latin American fiestas.

My collection: 7" single no. 1451

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 15, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Doin' la bamba' / 'On the corner of my life'

Answers to nothing - Midge Ure

Having already written about the 12" single of 'Answers to nothing', there's not so much to add here. Except this: the 7" single contains the original version of the track, which is the same as the album version. And a limited edition was available on clear vinyl. I'd already bought the normal version when I found the clear vinyl pressing. Obviously, I bought that one as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 2375

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

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Answers to nothing' / 'Honorare'

School's out - Cretu and Thiers

Michael Cretu was born on May 18, 1957 in Bucharest, Romania. In the Seventies he started his music career playing keyboards and producing for German producer Frank Farian. In the Eighties, he played keyboards during Arabesque's live shows. This is how he met Sandra, whose albums he started to produce once she went solo in 1985. The couple got married in 1988.

A year before that, he teamed up with producer Manfred Thiers to form 'Cretu & Thiers'. Their debut single was a poppy cover of Alice Cooper's 'School's out'. Although this single didn't become a hit, the B-side 'Collage' was a first peek at what was to come: in 1990 Cretu started his Enigma project, which sounds a lot like this track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2803

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 4, 1997

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'School's out' / 'Collage'

Song to the siren - This mortal coil

Ivo Watts-Russell had founded the record label 4AD in 1980, and it quickly established itself as one of the key labels in the British post-punk movement. One of the label's earliest signings was Modern English. In 1983, Watts-Russell suggested that the band re-record two of their earliest songs, 'Sixteen days' and 'Gathering dust', as a medley. At the time, the band was closing their sets with this medley, and Watts-Russell felt it was strong enough to warrant a re-recording. When the band rebuffed the idea, Watts-Russell decided to assemble a group of musicians to record the medley: Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins; Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk; and a few members of Modern English. An EP, Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust, resulted from these sessions.
Recorded as a b-side for the EP was a cover of Tim Buckley's 'Song to the siren', performed by Fraser and Guthrie alone. Pleased with the result, Watts-Russell decided to make this the A-side of the 7" single version of the EP, and the song quickly became a hit, peaking at number 66 in the UK and number 29 in the Netherlnads. The band subsequently recorded three albums, until the name was retired in 1991.

My collection: 7" single no. 666

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Track: 'Song to the siren' / 'Sixteen days (reprise)'

The Beatles and the Stones - The house of love

Guy Chadwick, Terry Bickers, Andrea Heukamp, Chris Groothuizen and Pete Evans formed The House of Love in 1986 in Camberwell, London. They released three singles and a debut album while signed to Creation records. After this, they switched to Fontana records and released their second album, which was, like the first, untitled. Three singles were released from this album, of which 'The Beatles and the Stones' was the third. It reached number 36 in the UK singles chart.

This limited edition release included a poster and a foldout sleeve. I bought it mainly because of this, since I wasn't that impressed with the track at the time. Now, almost two decades later, I actually think it's a great track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2512

Found: October 30, 1995

Cost: 1,2 pounds

Tracks: 'The Beatles and the Stones' / 'Love IV'

Trapped - Colonel Abrams

'Trapped' was Colonel Abrams' biggest hit in 1985, just after he signed a contract with MCA Records. So much so, that it was re-released in remixed form in 1997 and 2005. This is the original single, which peaked at number 3 in the UK. Colonel Abrams (his real name, incidentally!) never matched this success in later years.

Producers Stock Aitken and Waterman, who had created Rick Astley's 'Never gonna give you up' in 1987, were accused of lifting key elements of Abrams' single for their own music, however there was no successful lawsuit regarding this claim.

My collection: 7" single no. 3251

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000

Cost: 20p

Tracks: 'Trapped' / 'Trapped (acapella)'