All for a reason - Alessi

'All for a reason' sounds a bit like a telephone conversation set to music - although you can only hear one side of the conversation and the other one hanging up at some point. Besides this technical innovation, the rest of the song sounds a lot like other Alessi songs: in other words, laidback Seventies fare.

In the Netherlands, this was the Alessi brothers' second and last hit, peaking at number 22. The track was taken from the album of the same name, which reached number 27 in the albums chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 683

Found: All that music, Leiden, 1988

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'All for a reason' / 'Make it last'

Libertine - Mylene Farmer

Although the music video of 'Libertine' cannot be found on YouTube, I'm certain there is one. It was one of the videos that made me interested in the Canadian-born singer in the first place. When she had a hit in the Netherlands with 'Désenchantée', I started buying her records and I was glad to find 'Libertine' quite quickly.

I have no record of its chart position of France, but I am pretty sure that this one was her first big hit there. After this, her superstar status continued to rise.

My collection: 7" single no. 1900

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, May 2, 1993

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Libertine' / 'Greta'

Chalk dust (The umpire strikes back) - The Brat

Roger Kitter is a British actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Captain Bertorelli in the seventh season of the comedy series ''Allo 'Allo'.

In 1982, Kitter released a single as The Brat, entitled 'Chalk dust (The umpire strikes back)'. In the track, he parodied John McEnroe, who was famous for his verbal fights with umpires during tennis matches. 'The ball's in, everyone can see that the ball's in! Chalk dust!' was one of the most famous expressions of the year 1982, when this single reached third place in the Netherlands. In the UK, the single reached number 19.

My collection: 7" single no. 1094

Found: All that music, Leiden, November 11, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Chalk dust (The umpire strikes back)' / 'Moody mole'

Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

'Rattlesnakes' was the title track of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions' debut album, released in 1984. While it only peaked at number 65 in the UK, the single was the band's only hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 31.

The repeated mention of Simone de Beauvoir in the lyric gave the band their literary, slightly geeky image. Cole cites Bob Dylan and Booker T. & the MGs as major influences, but also notes the impact of his studies in English and philosophy on both the album's title, a reference to the novel 'Play it as it lays' by Joan Didion.

My collection: 7" single no. 3360
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2002
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Rattlesnakes' / 'Sweetness'

What kind of fool - All about Eve

'What kind of fool' was the last single to be released from All about Eve's self-titled debut album. It was a new version of the track, backed with a version of 'Gold and silver', a track that would reappear on All about Eve's second album 'Scarlet and other stories', released a year later. The single did worse in the UK singles chart than 'Martha's harbour', peaking at number 29.

I bought this single while on holiday in London. I wasn't aware of its release, so it was a happy find. I was very impressed with the beautiful sleeve, but only became a real All about Eve fan when I bought the new single that same week... It was 'Road to your soul'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1004

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 19, 1989

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'What kind of fool' / 'Gold and silver'

Touch - Noiseworks

Noiseworks formed in Sydney in 1985. The original lineup of Noiseworks was Jon Stevens, Stuart Fraser, Steve Balbi, Justin Stanley and Kevin Nicol. Their self-titled debut in 1987 had a series of successful singles, such as 'No lies', 'Take me back' and 'Welcome to the world.' The album sold more than 200,000 copies in Australia.

The band's second album, 1988's 'Touch', proved to be another big hit going Top 10 on debut. From this album, the title track was released as a single. It peaked at number 9 in Australia. The video was televised in Europe, and when I saw it, I decided to buy the single. However, I can't say I've played it often since then... The single was not a hit in Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 802

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 21, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Touch' / '5 more days'

I need your loving - Human League

Back in the Eighties, I used to buy the UK music magazine Smash Hits regularly. One of the features of that magazine was the song lyrics from recent singles. Some of them weren't successful in the Netherlands at all, but mostly I did hear them despite that fact. In the case of the Human League's 1986 single 'I need your loving', I didn't hear the track until I bought the single in 1989.

Why did I buy the single? Mostly because the Human League released more than a few good singles during their career. But also because the song lyric I read in Smash Hits intrigued me. The whole lyric was basically a repeat of 'I need your loving / I need your kissing baby'. I'm pretty sure this is why the single only had a one week chart run in the UK, at number 72.

My collection: 7" single no. 848

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I need your loving' / 'I need your loving (instrumental)'

Don't come around here no more - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

'Don't come around here no more' is a track from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 1985 album 'Southern accents' and one of Tom Petty's biggest hits. The track was co-written and co-produced with David A. Stewart of Eurythmics. The original inspiration was a romantic encounter that Stewart had with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.

The single peaked at number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 50 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2764

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996

Cost: 40p

Tracks: 'Don't come around here no more' / 'Trailer'

Did you see me coming - Pet Shop Boys

A very recent release for a change. 'Did you see me coming?' was released on June 1, 2009 as the second single from the Pet Shop Boys' tenth studio album 'Yes'. It entered the UK singles chart at number 21 a week later - only the third Pet Shop Boys single ever to miss the top 20 in Britain.

The single was released on two different cd-singles and this 12" single, which featured two remixes not on the cd-singles.

My collection: 12" single no. 498

Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received June 16, 2009

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Did you see me coming? (PSB Possibly more mix)', 'Did you see me coming? (Unicorn Kid mix)' / 'The way it used to be (Richard X mix)'

Bedsitter - Soft Cell

After the phenomenal international success of Soft Cell's 'Tainted love', the band struggled to find equal success. While they continued to be a hot act in the UK and Ireland, they would never revisit the charts in most other countries.

That's not to say that their singles were bad. The follow-up 'Bedsitter', for instance, is a beautiful melancholic synthpop song. The single peaked at number 4 in the UK and number 10 in Ireland.

My collection: 7" single no. 3249

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

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Bedsitter' / 'Facility girls'

Skandal im Sperrbezirk - Spider Murphy Gang

The German new wave movement was not only a success in Germany itself: other European countries caught on quickly. Nena was one of the most successful bands in the genre, but the Spider Murphy Gang was quick to cash in on international success with their unlikely hit 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk'.

The Spider Murphy Gang was founded in 1977 by Günther Sigl, together with Gerhard Gmell, Michael Busse and Franz Trojan. Their name is a reference to Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse rock', in which a 'Spider Murphy' played the tenor saxophone. 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk' peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands - however the band had no further hits in this country.

My collection: 7" single no. 2936

Found: January 31, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Skandal im Sperrbezirk' / 'Vis-a-vis'

Footsteps - The Motels

The single 'Footsteps' was taken from The Motels' 1983 album 'Little robbers', just like previous single 'Suddenly last summer'. While that single was a top 10 hit in various countries, this single did not chart in any territory.

My buying the single was the direct result of hearing it over and over on the radio, until one day I recorded it. Eight years later, I found the single. I have to say I spent a long time searching for it, but it wasn't widely available.

My collection: 7" single no. 1463
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 27, 1991

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Footsteps' / 'Into the heartland'

Come into my life - Joyce Sims

Joyce Sims was born on August 6, 1959 in Rochester, New York. Her debut album, 'Come into my life', was largely mixed and produced by Kurtis Mantronik of the hip hop/electro funk crew Mantronix.

The title track was released as a single in early 1988 and became a number 7 hit in the UK and the Netherlands. It has become quite a wellknown soul/dance ballad since then.

My collection: 7" single no. 2856

Found: June 21, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Come into my life (radio version)' / 'Come into my life (dub version)'

Turn back the clock - Johnny hates Jazz

When you know that I collect records by Kim Wilde, you would think that I would have bought Johnny hates Jazz's single 'Turn back the clock' at the drop of a hat, since she's singing backing vocals on this track. But the embarrassing truth is: I didn't know this until a few years later! When I did find out, I had to really hunt for this single.

'Turn back the clock' was the title track of Johnny hates Jazz's debut album, released in 1987. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK and number 5 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1779
Found: Record fair, October 25, 1992
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Turn back the clock' / 'Cracking up'

The talk of all the USA - Middle of the road

Remember what Alfred Hitchcock used to say; never give away the clue of a movie. With a song like 'The talk of all the USA' it's just the same. It's because of the clue of this song that it wasn't released in the UK, I suppose. The B-side of this single, 'Samson & Delilah' was a reasonable hit for the band in the UK, peaking at number 26.

Meanwhile, this single, which was released in the Netherlands, gave them a number 1 hit. Could it be because of the lyric? I have to say that the music is very memorable as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 2723

Found: September 2, 1996

Cost: 1 guilders

Tracks: 'The talk of all the USA' / 'Samson & Delilah'

Stay on these roads - A-ha

The first single from A-ha's third album 'Stay on these roads' was the title track. The music of this song was created on a Roland D-50 synthesizer, the sound patch is called 'staccatto heaven'. The wind sound during the instrumental was made on a Roland Juno 60 or Juno 106 synthesizer.

As always, Morten Harket's crystal clear voice sways through this song like there's no tomorrow. The single was a number 1 hit in Norway (of course) and went top 10 everywhere else in Europe. The first single from this album was also the best.

My collection: 7" single no. 601
Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, March 25, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Stay on these roads' / 'Soft rains of April (original mix)'

Ride on time - Black box

Due to the fact that the cover and the label of this single contain no information about this track, it's impossible to determine whether this is the original release of Black Box's 'Ride on time' or a re-release. My guess is that it's the original, since even the track 'Love sensation', on which 'Ride on time' is based is included on the B-side.

'Ride on time' was written and produced by the Italian production team Groove Groove Melody, consisting of DJ Daniel Davoli, programmer Mirko Limoni and musician Valerio Semplici. The team worked with model Catherine Quinol (aka Katrin), who was the face of Black Box. In the video and in live performances she lip-synced to the original vocals.

The song sampled Loleatta Holloway's 1980 disco hit 'Love Sensation' and attracted some controversy for the uncredited use of Holloway's vocals from that song. Holloway's counsel engaged in a press attack on Black Box, successfully securing a settlement that paid the singer an undisclosed sum.

My collection: 7" single no. 2408

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ride on time' (Black box) / 'Love sensation' (Loleatta Holloway & Dan Hartman)

Easier said than done - Shakatak

Bill Sharpe, Jackie Rawe, Roger Odell, George Anderson and Keith Winter formed the British jazz-funk band Shakatak in 1980. In 1981, they released their debut album 'Drivin' hard', from which the single 'Easier said than done' was taken. It gave the band their first top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 12. The single did almost equally well in the Netherlands, peaking at number 17.

The music of Shakatak is often described as elevator music. Indeed, originally I wasn't impressed by this single at all. After some time I still wanted to have it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1121

Found: December 1, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Easier said than done' / 'Late night flight'

Le dernier qui a parlé... - Amina

Amina Annabi was born on March 5, 1962 in Carthage, Tunisia. She started to forge a career in music in 1978, when she formed a group. After five years of playing in schools all over France, she started to go solo. By that time she got involved with Radio Nova, the leading radio station in Paris for world music. One of the producers of the station was Martin Messonier. He started to work with Amina - a relationship that eventually became romantic as well. Their daughter was born in 1986.

Her debut solo album 'Yalil (Night)' was released in 1990. A year later, she was awarded 'Le prix Piaf' as Best Female Singer of the Year. Also in 1991, Amina represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest with a song of her own, entitled 'Le dernier qui a parlé...'. She tied with the swedish participant Carola for the first place but due to insane EBU rules, the French entry ranked second and the award was given to Sweden. However, this single was the artistic triumph of the two. In the Netherlands, it was also a bigger hit: the single peaked at number 35 in the Dutch Top 40, whereas Carola's single flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 1442
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 24, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Le dernier qui a parlé...' / 'Neila'

Building a bridge to your heart - Wax

Starting off with the most confusing countdown in pop history, Wax (a duo consisting of Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman) released 'Building a bridge to your heart' as the first single of their second album 'American English'.

Although the single did not get any further than 12th place in the UK singles chart, it was a number 1 hit in Sweden and the Netherlands. It would also be their last hit in most territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 1024

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Building a bridge to your heart' / 'Heaven in her bed'