Parles-vous Français? - Baccara

Spanish flamenco artists Mayte Mateos and Maria Mondola formed Baccara in 1977. They achieved international success almost immediately with 'Yes sir I can boogie', a disco hit that went number one in various European countries.

Luxembourg was quick to recognise their success and invited them to represent the country during the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. They performed the song 'Parlez-vous Français?', which became seventh in the Contest.

My collection: 7" single no. 3724

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Parlez-vous Français' / 'Amoureux'

Disco really made it - Gruppo Sportivo

Attentive readers of this blog know that I had some bad luck with Gruppo Sportivo nine years ago, when I bought the EP 'More mistakes'. The track billed as 'Disco really made it' was actually 'Real teeth are out', and so I still didn't have that track. Well, I knew it would only be a question of time until I would get 'Disco really made it' as a single, and so it finally happened yesterday.

Released in early 1979, this single was Gruppo Sportivo's last and biggest hit, peaking at number 11 in the Dutch Top 40. The sleeve says 'Limited edition black vinyl', and I guess that's true - although I doubt it was actually a 'limited' edition.

My collection: 7" single no. 3741
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Disco really made it' / 'I don't know'

Il jouait du piano debout - France Gall

France Gall was born on October 9, 1947 in Paris, France. She started her career in music in 1963. Two years later she was asked to represent Luxembourg during the Eurovision Song Contest. It meant that she would become wellknown in the whole of Europe after winning with 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son'.

In the Seventies she became inactive for a few years after marrying with French artist Michel Berger and giving birth to two children. She returned to the fore with the 1980 album 'Paris France' and the single 'Il jouait du piano debout', a hit in many European countries including the Netherlands, where it peaked at number 22.

Searching for a translation of the title, I came up with 'He played the piano standing up'. But it might as well mean 'He played the upright piano'. Language can be a barrier sometimes.

My collection: 7" single no. 3734
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Il jouait du piano debout' / 'La chanteuse qui a tout donné'

Crazy horses - The Osmonds

The Osmonds originally consisted of brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny, Marie and Jimmy Osmond. After their early bubblegum pop phase, they started writing and performing their own music, and their sound moved towards rock and roll. 'Crazy horses' was one of the first fruits of that labour. The song was a number one hit in the Netherlands in 1972, peaking at number 2 in the UK.

According to Donny Osmond: 'It was Alan, Wayne and Merrill who wrote 'Crazy Horses'. Wayne and Merrill were in the studio and Wayne had started the main riff for the song. Then Alan came in and brought a cohesive concept about pollution: the horses being horsepower. Then Merrill added the 'crazy' before the horses. It's a very serious song.'

My collection: 7" single no. 3737

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Crazy horses' / 'That's my girl'

P-Machinery medley with Relax - Propaganda for Frankie

This is an interesting one. Propaganda for Frankie is an Italian producer/DJ outfit that decided to profit from the ongoing popularity of the bands Propaganda and Frankie goes to Hollywood. Their track 'P-machinery medley with Relax' is what people would nowadays call a 'mashup'. The difference being that the songs are performed by other, unnamed, artists.

Although the concept is the same as Club House's 'Do it again with Billie Jean', this single didn't become a Europe-wide hit. Instead, it has become some sort of item for Italo House afficionados.

My collection: 7" single no. 3729

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'P-Machinery medley with Relax' / 'Deejay'

Love is love - Culture Club

In 1984, Culture Club was asked to write two songs for the soundtrack to the movie 'Electric Dreams'. Boy George and Roy Hay wrote 'The dream' and 'Love is love'. The latter was released as a single in Canada, Japan and France. It was only a hit in Japan.

I found this single and didn't even know it existed. It was interesting enough for me to want to have it, especially since that other song from 'Electric dreams' ('Together in electric dreams' by Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder) has become an Eighties classic. It was interesting to find out how this song would compare.

My collection: 7" single no. 3726

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love is love' / 'Don't go down that street'

Abergavenny - Marty Wilde

On the occasion of his daughter Roxanne's wedding today, I thought it might be nice to get out a real classic today: Marty Wilde's 'Abergavenny'. While all of the UK knows him for his hits beween 1958 and 1962, the European continent was more impressed with this song from 1968. Marty performed it at the Knokke festival, and subsequently had a great European hit on his hands: in the Netherlands the song peaked at number 5. The song also became a top 50 hit in America under Marty's pseudonym Shannon. 'Abergavenny' also appears on Marty's 1969 album 'Diversions', a collection of truly great songs including 'Jesamine', the 1968 hitsong he wrote for the Casuals.

I was incredibly lucky to get this Belgian pressing from a dealer who probably wasn't aware that this single normally sells for anything above 10 euros. I should know, I've searched for this one for years...

My collection: 7" single no. 3716
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Abergavenny' / 'Alice in blue'

Rendez-vous - Jean Michel Jarre

Jarre recorded the album 'Rendez-vous' after being inspired by the sounds of the Elka synthesizer, which he used a lot on the record. It also features his first heavy use of the Moog synthesizer on a studio album. This single featured part 4 of the album.

In 1986 NASA and the city of Houston asked Jarre to stage a concert to celebrate NASA's 25th and the city of Houston's 150th anniversaries. During that concert, astronaut Ronald McNair was to have played the saxophone part of Jarre's piece "Rendez-vous VI" while in orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was to have been the first piece of music recorded in space, for the album. After the Challenger disaster of January 28 1986 which killed McNair, the piece was recorded with a different saxophonist, retitled 'Ron's piece' and the album dedicated to the seven dead Challenger astronauts.

My collection: 7" single no. 3736

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Fourth Rendez-vous' / 'First Rendez-vous'

Love and loneliness - The Motors

'Tenement steps' was taken from the Motors' third and last album of the same name. But so was this single, also released in 1980. It peaked at number 58 in the UK singles chart, making it the band's last hit before they finally disbanded in 1982.

'Love and loneliness' was covered by Chris Thompson in 1986 for the soundtrack of the movie 'American Anthem'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3720

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love and loneliness' / 'Time for make-up'

Oh Susie - Secret Service

The Swedish band Secret Service was formed in 1979 by Ola Håkansson, Tim Norell, Ulf Wahlberg, Tony Lindberg, Leif Paulsen and Leif Johansson. Their debut single 'Oh Susie' became a number one hit in Sweden, but also scored in other countries of Europe and South America. In Norway it peaked at number 6, in Germany it went to number 9. The debut album, also named 'Oh Susie', went gold in Sweden.

My collection: 7" single no. 3722
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Oh Susie' / 'Give me your love'

The kid's a punk - Slik

After the UK hits 'Forever and ever' and 'Requiem', Slik tried to make it a hattrick with the song 'The kid's a punk'. Unfortunately, this attempt was unsuccessful: the single flopped.

I have to say that buying this single was a gamble: I bought 'Forever and ever' not so long ago and liked that song so I hoped this would be just as nice. It isn't, but the B-side does make up for it: it's very out of style for the band, but a very infectious tune.

My collection: 7" single no. 3717

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'The kid's a punk' / 'Slik shuffle'

Un jour, un enfant - Frida Boccara

Frida Boccara was born on October 29, 1940 in Casablanca, Marocco. She started her singing career in the Sixties. In 1969, she represented France during the Eurovision Song Contest. Her monumental ballad 'Un jour, un enfant' was one of the four songs to win the Contest that year, since no rules were in place for a tiebreak.

This single was made in Holland and contains mono versions of the two tracks. It did not reach the charts in the Netherlands, which may be caused by the country's own victory by Lenny Kuhr. Frida Boccara died on August 1, 1996.

My collection: 7" single no. 3745

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 4 euro

Tracks: 'Un jour, un enfant' / 'Belle du Luxembourg'

I think I'll get my haircut - Jona Lewie

This is one of many singles by Jona Lewie that never made the UK singles chart. 'I think I'll get my haircut' was released in 1981, as always on the Stiff label. Lewie's music is basically always the same: a strong melody, funny lyrics and short songs. Always a safe bet when you buy a single by him.

I didn't actually remember the song when I bought this single, but playing it made me realise I have heard it before.... Although it may be a quarter of a century ago now.

My collection: 7" single no. 3727

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'I think I'll get my haircut' / 'What have I done'

Got to let you know - Belle and the Devotions

Although Belle and the Devotions were a threesome when they represented the United Kingdom in the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, the band started out as a name for British singer Kit Rolfe. Under this name she released the singles 'Where did love go wrong?' and 'Got to let you know' in 1983.

Both singles failed to chart, but the tide turned - albeit briefly - with 'Love games'. It would be their only hit single in a short career.

My collection: 7" single no. 3742

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Got to let you know' / 'Reach out for love'

What do I do - Sandra and Andres

Sandra and Andres represented the Netherlands in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Als het om de liefde gaat'. They also recorded two versions in other languages: the song was titled 'Was soll ich tun' in German and 'What do I do' in English.

It's a miracle that my friend Puck and I didn't buy the same singles on May 5. While he bought 'Als het om de liefde gaat' and this English single somewhere else in the country, I was back in my hometown buying the single 'Was soll ich tun'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3705
Found: May 5, 2009
Cost: -
Tracks: 'What do I do' / 'Gypsy man'

Sad songs - Alessi

The twin brothers Billy and Bobby Alessi were born on July 12, 1954 on Long Island, New York. In 1977 they hit it big with the single 'Oh Lori'. 'Sad songs' was released that same year, but that single did not chart.

I'd completely missed out on the Alessi brothers and only found out about them at the end of the Eighties, when my sister bought a compilation cd of their music. Some of their songs really impressed me, so I bought the singles. I never had a craving for an entire cd of their music, though.

My collection: 7" single no. 2563

Found: November 19, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Sad songs' / 'Don't hold back'

Respect yourself - The Kane Gang

Martin Brammer, Paul Woods and Dave Brewis met in 1982 and formed the trio The Kane Gang, naming themselves after the movie 'Citizen Kane'. They signed a record deal in 1983 and released their debut album 'Bad and lowdown world of the Kane Gang' in 1984.

The single 'Respect yourself', taken from that album, is a cover of The Staples Singers song. The song was written in 1970 by Luther Ingram, a Stax Records singer, and Mack Rice, a Stax house songwriter. Ingram, who was frustrated with the state of the world at the time, told Rice 'black folk need to learn to respect themselves.'

My collection: 7" single no. 2137
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, August 2, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Respect yourself' / 'Amusement park'

Flowers in our hair - All about Eve

Owning the promotional version of 'Flowers in our hair' is one thing, but of course I needed to own the commercial version of that single as well. If only for the exclusive B-side, 'Paradise', that didn't appear anywhere else for a long time. I found the 12" single a long time before I found this 7" single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2651
Found: London, June 29, 1996
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Flowers in our hair' / 'Paradise'

Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham was born on October 3, 1949. He joined Fleetwood Mac in 1972 and would be a prominent member of the band (on and off) between then and now. During the recording sessions of the Fleetwood Mac album 'Tusk' (1979) Lindsey started working on his first solo album, 'Law and order', released in 1982.

'Trouble' was the first single from that album, released in December 1981. The single went number 1 in Australia, peaked at number 9 in the USA and number 31 in the UK. In the Netherlands, it did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 684

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Trouble' / 'I'll tell you now'

Walk on air - T'pau

By the time 'Walk on air' was released as a single, my faith in T'pau had been restored. After the disastrous second album 'Rage', the third one, 'The promise' was a lot better and I would buy all the singles without hesitation. The only problem was, that after 'Whenever you need me' no further singles seemed to appear. Until I finally spotted 'Walk on air' during a record fair in early 1992, I wasn't aware that a second single had come out.

I couldn't have known. The single only managed a number 62 placing in the UK singles chart and I think it wasn't even released in the Netherlands. I do have a German pressing, with a press info sheet in German.

My collection: 7" single no. 1606

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, March 28, 1992

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Walk on air' / 'Hold on to love'