Hocus pocus - Focus

The Dutch band Focus was formed in 1969. After their debut album the line-up changed to Jan Akkerman, Cyril Havermans, Pierre van der Linden and Thijs van Leer. Their 1971 album 'Moving waves' included the song 'Hocus pocus', which would achieve international fame. The instrumental rock classic consists of Akkerman's guitar chord sequence used as a recurring theme, with interludes that include alto flute riffs, accordion, guitar, and drum solos, whistling, nonsensical vocals, falsetto singing, and yodeling.

Their third album 'Focus III' (1972) included the track 'Sylvia', written by Van Leer, which became a major hit in many countries including the UK, where it reached number 4. This single contains both tracks, which made number 9 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2950

Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Hocus pocus' / 'Sylvia'

Forbidden colours - David Sylvian and Riuichi Sakamoto

'Forbidden colours' is the vocal version of the track 'Merry Christmas mr Lawrence'. The lyrics were written and performed by David Sylvian, who had worked with Riuichi Sakamoto once before on the single release 'Bamboo houses'. This single peaked at number 16 in the UK singles chart.

Since the release of this single, both Sakamoto and Sylvian have recorded several interpretations of the song, both instrumental and vocal. An orchestral version featuring vocals by Sylvian was included on Sakamoto's 1999 album 'Cinemage'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2879

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 28, 1997

Cost: 40p

Tracks: 'Forbidden colours' / 'The seed and the sower'

Reggae OK - Riki Sorsa

Riki Sorsa, born December 26, 1952, represented Finland in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with a song about that typically Finnish music style: 'Reggae OK'. It surprised the international juries so much that they forgot to vote for it. The song ended up in 16th place (with 20 countries participating).

Sorsa started his music career in 1975 in the band ZOO. Despite his poor placing in the Contest, he continued his career in Finland, releasing more than a dozen albums between 1981 and now.

My collection: 7" single no. 3715

Found: Marktplaats.nl, received May 22, 2009

Cost: 2,5 euro

Tracks: 'Reggae OK' / 'Autograph'

Dancing with tears in my eyes - Ultravox

More than anything else, I've always considered 'Dancing with tears in my eyes' a soundtrack to the music video Ultravox made in 1984. I can't imagine the music without that video anymore. I thought bringing down the enormous theme of a nuclear holocaust to the story of one man and woman was incredibly moving.

'Dancing with tears in my eyes' was the second single from 'Lament', Ultravox's seventh studio album, released in 1984. The single effectively put Ultravox back on the map, peaking at number 3 in the UK single charts, and reaching the top 10 in many European countries. In the Netherlands, it peaked at number 6.

I bought the single as soon as it came out. It was the German pressing with tour dates on the front cover (pictured above). A few years later I found a UK limited edition of the single with a booklet sleeve, pressed on clear vinyl (pictured below).

My collection: 7" single no. 235
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Dancing with tears in my eyes' / 'Building'

The sound of crying - Prefab Sprout

Released as the first single from the compilation album 'A life of surprises: the best of Prefab Sprout', 'The sound of crying' was the biggest success Prefab Sprout had in the UK since 'The king of Rock 'n' Roll' reached number 7 in the UK.

'The sound of crying' was also more successful than the four subsequent singles taken from the compilation album. This single peaked at number 23, but it was only the first time in four years that the band cracked the top 30 again.

My collection: 7" single no. 1674

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 27, 1992

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'The sound of crying (edit)' / 'The sound of crying (full version)'

Was soll ich tun - Sandra en Andres

Like I mentioned here, it's a miracle that Puck and I didn't buy the same singles on May 5. While he bought 'Als het om de liefde gaat' and its English version (soon on this blog) somewhere else in the country, I was back in my hometown buying this single: 'Was soll ich tun', the German version of 'Als het om de liefde gaat'.

Part of the charm of Eurovision collections is owning different language versions of entries. They are often collectable, because Eurovision artists usually don't have a lot of success abroad. As was the case with this one: it did not chart anywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 3696

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Was soll ich tun' / 'Wenn der Zigeuner lacht'

Change - Tears for Fears

Released in February 1983, 'Change' was a number 3 hit for Tears for Fears in the UK. The song also gave the band their first charting single in America when it cracked the Billboard Top 75 in August 1983. Roland Orzabal commented about the song: 'It's not really about much. It's just one of those cheap pop lyrics.'

The real rarity on this single is the B-side. 'The conflict' was never released on cd as far as I know. It describes a conflict between two individuals. Sung by Curt Smith, this is one of the few songs in the Tears for Fears catalogue on which he shares a writing credit.

My collection: 7" single no. 910

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Change' / 'The conflict'

The promise of a new day - Paula Abdul

The second single from Paula Abdul's 1991 album 'Spellbound' was the upbeat 'The promise of a new day'. A number one hit in the USA, it fared less well in Europe. Probably because this part of the world is less vulnerable to hollow phrases like 'Tides are turning bringing winds of change'.

Despite the tacky lyric, I did like the song and had no qualms about buying this single. 'Spellbound' was one of my favourite albums of 1991 but it has not aged so well, unfortunately.

My collection: 7" single no. 1512
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, August 23, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'The promise of a new day' / 'The promise of a new day (West Coast 7 inch edit)'

I.G.Y. - Donald Fagen

The band Steely Dan broke up in 1981 after nine years. Founder member Donald Fagen didn't sit on his laurels: he recorded a solo album instead. 'The Nightfly' (1982) became a critical and commercial success and yielded a few hit singles, of which 'I.G.Y.' was the biggest. It peaked at number 30 in the Netherlands.

Synthpop wizard Howard Jones recorded a cover version of this song as a new track for his 1993 compilation album 'The best of Howard Jones'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1810
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 4, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I.G.Y.' / 'Walk between raindrops'

Love - Dream Academy

'Love' was written by John Lennon and originally appeared on his 1970 album 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'. The Dream Academy recorded their cover version of the song in 1990 and released it as a single. Although it sounded very contemporary (or perhaps because of that), it did not chart in any territory.

The song did appear on their third and last album 'A different kind of weather' (1991). The cd-single of 'Love' featured six remixes of the track, with other remixes appearing on other formats. Perhaps they overdid it a bit.

My collection: 7" single no. 2854

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Love' / 'Mordechai Vanunu'

Eloise - Barry Ryan

Barry Ryan was born as Barry Stephenson on October 24, 1948 in Leeds, UK. Barry and his twin brother Paul started performing at the age of fifteen. As Paul & Barry Ryan they released several singles. When Paul couldn't cope with all the stress involved with showbusiness, the two brothers decided that Barry would go solo, while Paul wrote songs for him. The biggest success they had was 'Eloise', a dramatic and heavily orchestrated track, released in 1968. The single peaked at number 2 in the UK and topped the chart in the Netherlands.

I couldn't find the original single so I settled for this 'Old Gold' re-release from 1984. The B-side is Jim Stafford's 'Spiders and snakes', a far more modest hit from 1973. It peaked at number 13 in the UK and did not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1413
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, April 3, 1991
Cost: 4,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Eloise' (Barry Ryan) / 'Spiders and snakes' (Jim Stafford)

That's the way it is - Mel and Kim

In February 1988, Supreme Records released what would become Mel & Kim's last single, 'That's the way it is'. Mel Appleby had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment in a specialized hospital. Pete Waterman later explained: 'Mel had to check herself out of the cancer hospital in order for her to lay vocals down for that track. The doctors said that it would be at least twelve months before Mel would be able to record material again, so we put the second album on hold and prayed that she'd get better soon. Tragically that never happened.'

'That's the way it is' was promoted with a music video that didn't feature Mel & Kim, just dancers. Still, the single was a success, peaking at number 10 in the UK and number 8 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 588

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 13, 1988

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'That's the way it is' / 'You changed my life'

Mr. Solitaire - Animal Nightlife

It would be fair to say that the band Animal Nightlife made music very much like the band Sade: funky, jazzy, soulful music with good melodies and catchy choruses. The band formed in the early Eighties, its members were vocalist 'Flid', Leonardo Chignoli, Billy Chapman, Paul Waller and Andy Polaris.

The music video for 'Mr. Solitaire' was a regular on music channels in 1984. It caused me to get a bit sick of it in the end. That summer, it peaked at number 25 in the UK singles chart. Years later, I realised I wanted to have this song - and then spent ages trying to find it.

My collection: 7" single no. 2579

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 16, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Mr. Solitaire' / 'Lazy afternoon'

Heaven give me words - Propaganda

In late 1985, Propaganda's management introduced the group to the London based music lawyer Brian Carr of Compton Carr, who studied both contracts Propaganda have been given to ZTT Records and Perfect Songs, contracts which had been signed by the band members without legal advice. He came to the conclusion that under these contracts, the members of the group could go on making records for the rest of their lives and never make any money from them.

This was the point where everything ended between Propaganda and ZTT Records/Perfect Songs Ltd. Claudia Brücken left Propaganda to pursue a solo career. In 1988, the band signed to Virgin Records, and began recording new material. Alongside Michael Mertens were the new line-up of vocalist Betsi Miller, Derek Forbes and Brian McGee. The result was a new album, released in 1990 called '1234'. The single 'Heaven give me words', co-written by Howard Jones, was not a huge success, perhaps in part due to MTV dropping the video for 'Heaven give me words' after only very few plays. The single peaked at number 36 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1254
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 26, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Heaven give me words' / 'Count zero'

Kiss like ether - Claudia Brücken

In 1991 Claudia Brücken released her solo album 'Love: and a million other things'. In the United Kingdom two singles were released from this album: 'Absolut(e)' in 1990, and 'Kiss like ether' in 1991.

While 'Absolut(e)' was released in a limited edition box set, 'Kiss like ether' was released in a gatefold sleeve. I was lucky enough to find this one as well, so both Claudia Brücken singles I own are actually quite special items.

My collection: 7" single no. 3082

Found: London, May 10, 1999

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Kiss like ether' / 'I, dream'

A forest - The Cure

I discovered 'A forest' a few years after its original release in the Top 100 of all times, the annual chart compiled by listeners of Veronica radio in the Netherlands. It was the only single taken from the Cure's album 'Seventeen seconds', and also their first charting single in both the UK and the Netherlands. In both countries it reached number 31.

The lyrics tell a vague story about a man looking for a girl in a forest. He hears her calling for him, and as he chases her, he suddenly stops and realizes that he is lost and that the girl is not there. The song is fairly upbeat compared to the other material on the album, and Lol Tolhurst's machine-like steady beat together with Simon Gallup's minimalistic bassline gives this nervous chase more depth and keeps the song on the edge of a frantic groove until the end.

My collection: 7" single no. 2811

Found: Den Haag, January 26, 1997

Cost: nothing (present)

Tracks: 'A forest' / 'Another journey by train'

Only the moment - Marc Almond

In 1988, the compact disc was still a relatively new medium so every disc my sister and I bought was shared. I heard Marc Almond's album 'The stars we are' because my sister had bought it and I liked almost every track from that album. Come to think of it, I wonder why I never bought it later.

I did buy all the singles that were taken from the album - and that was also down to the fact that there were such attractive limited editions of them. 'Only the moment' was released on clear vinyl. It was the last single drawn from the album, released in April 1989 and peaking at number 45 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3103

Found: House of Rhythm, London, May 13, 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Only the moment' / 'Real evil'

Flowers in our hair - All about Eve

My All about Eve collection was only just starting when I found this rarity in a shop in London: a DJ single, 'promotional only' of 'Flowers in our hair'. It featured an edited version of the song, plus the original version on the B-side. As far as I can remember, I didn't even pay that much for it.

'Flowers in our hair' was All about Eve's first single on a major label and their fourth single overall. They were going to breakthrough with their next single, but this one, like the three previous ones, didn't chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1070
Found: London, October 19, 1989

Cost: 4 pounds

Tracks: 'Flowers in our hair (edited version)' / 'Flowers in our hair'

Train of thought - A-ha

The third single from A-ha's debut album 'Hunting high and low' came in the most beautiful sleeve they ever had. The image of the band members in the same drawing style of the accompanying music video was something very arty indeed. I was lucky enough to get the UK pressing of the single, with a stiff cardboard sleeve.

I was disappointed when the single did not chart in the Netherlands. In the UK, it was also the lowest charting single of the four that were released from the album, but it still peaked at number 8.

My collection: 7" single no. 395

Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Train of thought (remix)' / 'And you tell me (demo)'

I.M.U.R. - Luv'

This single is a present which I got from my parents when we were on holiday in Paris. Being only eight years old, my musical taste was still forming, but I did already have an ear for pretty melodies. Luv' had just hit the Dutch charts with 'Eeny meeny miny moe' (where it would reach number 11), a pretty but vacuous popsong, and I was very surprised to find that the French had put that song on the B-side in favour of 'I.M.U.R.'.

I knew that song too, and thought it was pretty modern-sounding. Indeed, in the Eighties this sound would become very popular. Girl group pop never sounded so nice.

My collection: 7" single no. 24

Found: Paris, 1979

Cost: nothing (it was a present)

Tracks: 'I.M.U.R.' / 'Eeny meeny miny moe'