It's showtime - Katja Ebstein

Not content with just a German version ('Theater') and a French version ('Théàtre'), Katja Ebstein also recorded her 1980 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in English as 'It's showtime'. Like the French version, this English version did not appeal much to the people speaking that language, as it did not chart in the UK.

What's nice about the three different singles is that the sleeves are almost identical, except for the colouring of Katja's name. While the German version has a red logo and the French version has a blue logo, the English version came with an orange logo. It's easy to distinguish the sleeves that way. Ideal for record hunters...

My collection: 7" single no. 2975
Found: Bea Records, March 1, 1998
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'It's showtime' / 'What's her bag'

If you could read my mind - Viola Wills

Viola Wills was born as Viola Mae Wilkerson in Los Angeles on December 30, 1939. Wills was already married from her teens and was the mother of six children before the age of 21 when, in 1965, she was discovered by Barry White who signed her to Bronco Records and rechristened her with the shorter stage surname of Wills.

Her 1981 single 'If you could read my mind' was remixed by the DJ remix service Disconet. In that version, she had a hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 3. Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009 in Arizona.

My collection: 7" single no. 2058
Found: November 27, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'If you could read my mind (Special short US Disconet version)' / 'If you could read my mind'

December - All about Eve

Sad to say, but the track 'December' was butchered for the single release. The track was probably deemed too long for a single release, so someone decided to cut out guitar solos, long intros and just about everything else. I still believe it hurt the sales of the single, which only managed to reach number 34 in the UK singles chart. As usual, the single did not chart in other territories.

All this despite the release of a regular 7" single (pictured above), a picture disc 7" (pictured below), a 10" single, a 12" single, a cd-single and a limited edition picture cd-single. With so many formats, it's no wonder the chart rules were changed some years later, limiting the amount of formats eligible to count towards sales to three.

My collection: 7" single no. 1132 (regular single) / no. 1226 (picture disc)
Found: Tower Records mailorder, received December 23, 1989 / Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds / 17 guilders
Tracks (regular single): 'December' / 'Drowning'
Tracks (picture disc): 'December' / 'Drowning', 'Paradise '89'

The girl is mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney collaborated on 'Say say say' in 1981, a track that appeared in 1983 on McCartney's fifth solo album 'Pipes of peace'. The favour was returned with this song, 'The girl is mine'. The song has been the subject of two plagiarism lawsuits. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit found in the favour of the singer and his record label.

Producer Quincy Jones had initially told Jackson to write a song about two men fighting over a girl. Inspired, Jackson awoke during the night and sang the song into a tape recorder. The song was then recorded by Jackson and McCartney at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. Released as the first single from Jackson's bestselling album 'Thriller', it reached number 8 in the UK and number 12 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 842
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'The girl is mine' / 'Can't get outta the rain'

Young guns (Go for it) - Wham!

'Death by matrimony' is a phrase in the lyric of this song, which is a good summary of what the song is about. George Michael wrote 'Young guns (Go for it)' about a teenage lad's worry that his best friend was getting too committed to a girl when he should be enjoying his youth and the single life. One of the most talked about lines in the song is the spoken line 'Caution pays'. Since the line is played at a lower speed than originally recorded, people mistakenly thought that the line is 'Abortion pays', which, ironically, would have fit in with the overall theme of the song.

'Young guns' became Wham!'s first hit, reaching number 3 in the UK and number 4 in the Netherlands. Due to this success, the previous single 'Wham Rap' was re-released, becoming a top 10 hit for the band in both countries as a result.

My collection: 7" single no. 3847
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Young guns (Go for it)' / 'Going for it'

Love in the shadows - E.G. Daily

After E.G. Daily reached the chart in several countries with 'Say it say it', a second single was taken from her 1985 album 'Wild child': 'Love in the shadows'. The single proved less successful, as it did not chart in any territory.

However, the song was used in the movie 'Thief of hearts', released roughly around the same time.

My collection: 7" single no. 3844
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Love in the shadows' / 'Little toy'

Neon City - Mistral

Another single, another singer. The studio band Mistral had a different singer for every single - although they were all released in 1978. 'Neon city' was the least futuristic-sounding of the three, while the vocals on this one were performed by Mariska Veres, who was like band member Robbie van Leeuwen formerly in Shocking Blue.

This single only made it to number 37 in the Dutch Top 40. Although Mistral released three further singles in 1980, this one was the last to reach the chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3842
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Neon city' / 'Asphalt'

Tunnel of love - Fun Boy Three

Fun Boy Three released 'The tunnel of love' in 1983. It was a rather cynical song, bemoaning life and the twists and turns it takes. Despite this rather dark subject, the single made number 10 in the UK and peaked a number 25 in the Netherlands.

The single would be the trio's penultimate success in the UK, the rather more poppy 'Our lips are sealed' being the last.

My collection: 7" single no. 3834
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'The tunnel of love' / 'The lunacy legacy'

If I had words - Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley

Before Scott Fitzgerald represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 with 'Go', he'd had one previous success, a decade earlier. Together with Yvonne Keeley and the St. Thomas Moore School Choir he performed 'If I had words', a song that topped the chart in the Netherlands and peaked at number 3 in the UK.

The music was taken from the main theme of the Maestoso from Saint-Saens Symphony No.3 in C minor (Organ Symphony) with an added reggae beat. The lyrics and arrangement were by Jonathan Hodge, a prolific writer of TV jingles and movie themes, who also produced the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3838
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'If I had words' / 'This time of year'

Heaven on earth - Nathalie

Beautiful Belgian girl Nathalie had only one international hit - 'My love won't let you down' - but released a few more singles during the Eighties. The 1984 single 'Heaven on earth' was, like the hit single that preceded it, produced by Peter Godwin, a minor god of Eighties pop music.

Things become more interesting when you listen to the B-side, which is produced by 'Twilight'. It becomes rather obvious on that track that the girl can't really sing that well... But her looks are still, er, heaven on earth - as is obvious from the cover.

My collection: 7" single no. 3835
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Heaven on earth' / 'Cyclops dancer'

Lovers of a kind - Pussycat

After their success in the Seventies, the Dutch band Pussycat never really recovered during the Eighties. They only managed a few minor hits in the Netherlands. What's more, the band slimmed down to only four members, having originally started with eight.

'Lovers of a kind', a modern sounding song was their last hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 15 in February 1983.

My collection: 7" single no. 3840
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Lovers of a kind' / 'Closer to you'

Barracuda - Heart

'Barracuda' was released in 1977 as the first single from Heart's third album 'Little queen'. The song is an aggressive hard rock number notable for its galloping guitar riff. In interviews, Ann Wilson commented that the song was about the band's anger towards Mushroom Records, after they attempted a publicity stunt involving sisters Ann and Nancy and a made-up lesbian affair. The song particularly focuses on Ann's rage towards a man who came up to her after a concert asking how her 'lover' was. She initially thought he was talking about her then-boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher. After he revealed he was talking about her sister Nancy Wilson, Ann became angry and went back to her hotel room to write the original lyrics of the song.

The single reached number 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, but wasn't such a success in Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 3839
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Barracuda' / 'Cry to me'

Nobody does it better - Carly Simon

'Nobody does it better' was written by Carole Bayer Sager and composed by Marvin Hamlisch. Carly Simon recorded it as the theme song for the 1977 James Bond film 'The spy who loved me'. For the first time, the Bond theme song did not have the same title as the movie itself, although the phrase 'The spy who loved me' does appear in the lyric.

The single reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 7 in the UK and a rather disappointing number 31 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 3845
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Nobody does it better' / 'After the storm'

In and out of love - Imagination

Leee John (yes, with three 'e's!) and Ashley Ingram met in the late Seventies and formed a songwriting partnership, trying to start their own 'slinky, sexy and erotic' group, initially working in a short-lived band called Fizzz. Whilst auditioning for another short-lived band, Midnight Express, they met drummer Errol Kennedy.

Together they made a demo of the song 'Body talk' using the band name Imagination, which they took to producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. They agreed to produce their debut album, which was also named 'Body talk', and a story of success followed. The debut single 'Body talk' was a top 10 hit in the UK during the summer of 1981. Released in September 1981, their second single 'In and out of love' reached number 16 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3833
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'In and out of love' / 'In and out of love (instrumental)'

Take a chance with me - Roxy Music

'Take a chance with me' is the last single release by Roxy Music. It was released in August 1982 as the third single from the band's final album 'Avalon'. The single reached number 26 in the UK and number 18 in the Netherlands.

Roxy Music toured extensively until 1983, when Bryan Ferry dissolved the band and band members devoted themselves full time to solo careers.

My collection: 7" single no. 3837
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Take a chance with me' / 'The main thing (remix)'

Starship 109 - Mistral

The studio group Mistral was initiated by Robbie van Leeuwen (ex-Shocking Blue) and Rick van der Linden. While on their debut single 'Jamie' the vocals were performed by Sylvia van Asten, on the next single 'Starship 109' Marjan Schattelijn took care of this. Sylvia had left because of internal differences.

'Starship 109' was even more successful than 'Jamie' had been: the single reached number 9 in April 1978.

My collection: 7" single no. 3841
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Starship 109' / 'Love destruction'

It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it - Fun Boy Three with Bananarama

'It ain't what you do (It's the way that you do it)' was originally written by jazz musicians Melvin 'Sy' Oliver and James 'Trummy' Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by both Jimmie Lunceford and Ella Fitzgerald.

It was transformed to a ska/pop song in 1982, when Fun Boy Three recorded their debut album.
Terry Hall of the trio owned a copy of Bananarama's previous single 'Aie a mwana' and after reading an article about them he decided he wanted them to sing background vocals on this song, solely based on the fact that he liked their look. It became the first chart success for Bananarama and the start of their long and fruitful career. In the Netherlands, both bands debuted in the chart with this song, reaching number 3.

My collection: 7" single no. 3831
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it' / 'The 'Funrama' theme'

Automatic pilot - Fay Lovski

Fay Lovski was one of the more interesting artists in the Netherlands during the first half of the Eighties. Her 1982 single 'Automatic pilot' did not reach the Dutch Top 40, but it is still a very charming song, making great use of the new sounds of that time.

I have to say that I've mostly forgotten about this song. I still decided to buy the single because most of her songs during that time are quite special. Fortunately, this one is no exception.

My collection: 7" single no. 3832
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Automatic pilot' / 'Walk don't walk'

Say it say it - E.G. Daily

So I've had the 12" single of 'Say it say it' for more than 20 years. I didn't buy the single because I didn't have enough money at the time. I didn't have that excuse anymore when I saw the single today - a steal at only 50 eurocents. Besides, the single had a B-side that didn't appear on the 12" single!

The single was a reasonable success for the American singer. It reached number 11 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 70 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3843
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Say it say it' / 'Don't let them take the child away'

Blow the house down - Living in a box

Having seen the Here and Now tours in the UK between 2001 and 2004, I've also had the pleasure to see Living in a box live. It was a mixed pleasure, actually. The songs were decent enough, but the band members had become a bit older and didn't move too subtle anymore. Especially 'Blow the house down' lacked the power it should have.

Back in 1989, this single was a hit for the band. It reached number 10 in the UK and number 11 in the Netherlands. I didn't like it back then. But the live performances did change that: it's actually quite a powerful song. Just as long as singer Richard Darbyshire didn't try to clap his hands in the air, though...

My collection: 7" single no. 3830
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Blow the house down' / 'Dance the mayonnaise'