Looking for a new love - Jody Watley

Jody Watley went solo after being part of the band Shalamar for several years. Her debut solo single was 'Looking for a new love', relased in 1987. The single hit number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 36 in the Dutch Top 40.

While listening to a tape of instrumental tracks given to her by producer André Cymone, Watley reflected on a recent sour romantic breakup. Fusing her own feelings of 'I'll show you' with the feel of the track, Watley came up with the basic idea of the song. The released version is the eight-track demo of the song; that way the emotional urgency of Watley's vocal was still intact. Watley's phrase 'Hasta la vista, baby' was later used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1035
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Looking for a new love' / 'Looking for a new love (acapella)'

Seagull - Kayak

Kayak were extremely popular in the Netherlands during the Seventies, but they entered the Eighties with a lot of problems. Personnel changes and a lack of single hits caused the band to eventually break up.

Their last hit was 'Seagull', released in the spring of 1981. It reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. It sounded a lot like earlier songs by the band, and that may have contributed to their demise: the audience simply had enough.

My collection: 7" single no. 885
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Seagull' / 'The sword in the stone'

Your love is king - Sade

In the UK and Europe, 'Your love is king' was Sade's debut single. It was a track from their debut album 'Diamond life', which only became a multimillionselling album after this song became a hit. Hard to believe, but it's still the band's only top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 6.

In the USA, 'Your love is king' was released as the third single from the album, with a different sleeve. I'm still looking for that one...

My collection: 7" single no. 1010
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'Your love is king' / 'Love affair with life (recorded live)'

What difference does it make - Earth and Fire

Although Earth & Fire started out as a symphonic rock band, in the second half of the Eighties they started to lean more and more towards disco-oriented singles. 'What difference does it make' is one of those songs that showed early signs of this change in direction.

The audience seemed unsure whether they liked this, as the single was only the second one to miss the top 10 in the Dutch Top 40, reaching number 12. Personally, it's still one of my favourite Earth & Fire tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 595
Found: All that music, Leiden, February 16, 1987
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'What difference does it make' / 'What difference does it make (instrumental)'

Three times a lady - Commodores

Lionel Richie from the Commodores reportedly wrote 'Three times a lady' about his love for his wife, his mother and his grandmother; hence the title. Released in 1978, it became the Commodores's first Billboard Hot 100 number 1 hit. It was also the band's only number 1 hit in the UK and it peaked at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.

Lionel Richie went solo at the beginning of the Eighties. The original Commodores version of the song was included as the final track on Lionel Richie's greatest hits compilation album Back To Front, released in 1992.

My collection: 7" single no. 1186
Found: Disco Market, March 3, 1990
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Three times a lady' / 'Look what you've done to me'

Love - John Lennon

John Lennon is probably one of the most prolific artists after dying. After his tragic death in December 1980, he's released an album or two with previously unreleased work and more than a dozen compilation albums. One of these was 'The John Lennon collection' (1982), from which this single, 'Love', was taken.

'Love' was originally released as a track on Lennon's 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' album (1970). This single is a remix of the track, adding a piano intro and outro, played by Phil Spector, mixed at the same volume as the rest of the song. On the album version, the intro fades in and the outro fades out. The single peaked at number 41 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2892
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Love' / 'Give me some truth'

Oblivious - Aztec Camera

Track 1 from Aztec Camera's debut album 'High land, hard rain' (1983) is 'Oblivious', which was also released as a single. The band consisted of Roddy Frame, Bernie Clark, Campbell Owens and Dave Ruffy.

The single was the band's first to reach the singles chart, peaking at number 47.

My collection: 7" single no. 3255
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Oblivious' / 'Orchid girl'

Such a shame - Talk Talk

It doesn't happen often that a record company decides to release several singles from a compilation album, especially when those singles have already been released originally a few years before. But this is what happened with 'Talk Talk' after the release of the compilation album 'Natural history'. The greedy bastards from EMI wanted to earn some extra cash with these releases.

The setup didn't work. On its original release in 1984, 'Such a shame' reached number 49 in the UK singles chart. This re-release from 1990 did not chart. Justice - although I have to admit this sleeve is very nice. And the bonus live track from Montreux 1986 is a nice teaser.

My collection: 7" single no. 2733
Found: September 9, 1996
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Such a shame' / 'Dum dum girl (live)'

Holding on - Beverley Craven

'Holding on' was the third single taken from Beverley Craven's self-titled debut album. Released in July 1991, it reached number 32 in the UK singles chart, but it didn't chart in the Netherlands, where it was released a few months previous.

The B-side was a new track that Beverley would re-record a year later for her next album. This original version wins out, because it sounds a lot more energetic and less contrived.

My collection: 7" single no. 1403
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 16, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Holding on' / 'Look no further'

Lady - Spargo

After Lilian Day Jackson left the Dutch band Spargo, the band continued with the four male members of the group. Success didn't elude them right away, as proven with this single, 'Lady', which reached number 15 in the Dutch Top 40 in April 1984.

It was, however, the last hit single for the band. The group broke up in 1985 and briefly reformed in 1997.

My collection: 7" single no. 1161
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 27, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Lady' / 'Lady (instrumental version)'

My arms keep missing you - Rick Astley

Sometimes singles with a double A-side appear, but it doesn't happen so often that there are actually two different releases, switching the two A-side along the way. Sounds confusing? Well, here it is: during the chart run of 'When I fall in love', the record company decided that the song might have been appropriate for the Christmas season, but come January the other A-side, 'My arms keep missing you' would be more commercially viable.

And so, 'My arms keep missing you' was remixed and made the most important track of the double A-side release. It may have extended the chart life of this single, and at the very least it was an interesting new release for Rick Astley fans.

My collection: 7" single no. 2340
Found: Big Company Records, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 35p
Tracks: 'My arms keep missing you (The 'Where's Harry?' remix)' / 'When I fall in love'

When I fall in love - Rick Astley

Due to his deep bass-baritone voice, Rick Astley was confronted often with the assumption that he was an African-American singer. Perhaps he and his producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman were pushing this point a bit when they released 'When I fall in love' in late 1987, a cover of Nat King Cole's 1956 hit.

It didn't matter much to the record-buying public: the single became a hit, peaking at number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. The single was in fact a double A-side with 'My arms keep missing you', but more about that in the following entry...

My collection: 7" single no. 1426
Found: Record fair, April 7, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'When I fall in love' / 'My arms keep missing you'

Cat people (Putting out fire) - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' for the soundtrack of the 1982 movie 'Cat people'. The track was produced by Giorgio Moroder. Director Paul Schrader contacted Bowie for a theme song in 1981, while Moroder had already recorded most of the music. Bowie put lyrics to the main theme composed by Moroder. The words only had a basic relation to the film.

The single reached number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 67 in the USA. This 12" single features the full length version of the track, which also appears on the soundtrack album, whereas it was edited for the 7" single. Bowie re-recorded the song in 1983 for his album 'Let's dance'.

My collection: 12" single no. 504
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' / 'Paul's theme' (Giorgio Moroder)

Don't speak - No doubt

No doubt was founded in 1986 by siblings Eric and Gwen Stefani. They recruited other members and started playing live. After some years and several line-up changes they finally signed a record deal, which led to their debut album 'No doubt', released in 1992. Three years later, they released 'Tragic kingdom', which spawned their first worldwide hit, 'Don't speak'.

'Don't speak' reached number 1 in several countries around the world, including the UK and the Netherlands. This limited edition picture disc (which you can hear is not of the best quality sound-wise) was released in the UK only.

My collection: 7" single no. 2838
Found: Record fair, April 5, 1997
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't speak' / 'Greener pastures'

I won't let the sun go down - Nik Kershaw

'I won't let the sun go down on me' is a track from Nik Kershaw's debut album 'Human racing', and released as the fourth single from that album. Written during the last few years of the cold war period, when a nuclear threat was imminent, Kershaw wrote a lyric like 'forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red?'.

Upon its first release, the single reached number 47 in the UK singles chart. After 'Wouldn't it be good' reached the top 5, the single was re-released and reached number 2 on this occasion. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 6 after that.

I have two versions of the single: one in a 'blue' sleeve, which according to a fan is a rare item, because he never saw this sleeve before, and another one in a limited edition postersleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 1062 ('blue' sleeve)
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 18, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
My collection: 7" single no. 2496 (postersleeve)
Found: London, October 30, 199
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'I won't let the sun go down' / 'Dark glasses'

More than a feeling - Boston

The American rock band Boston released their self-titled debut album in 1976. It was an instant success. The album's biggest hit was 'More than a feeling', a song that has since become a rock classic. The song took writer Tom Scholz five years to complete. He cited 'Walk away Renee' by the Left Banke as the song's main inspiration.

'More than a feeling' reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40. This single is a re-release, also featuring the later hit 'Don't look back'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1369
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, January 3, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'More than a feeling' / 'Don't look back'

Sign of the times - Belle Stars

Only this year I bought the 12" single of 'Sign of the times' by the Belle Stars, but I've had the 7" single for years. I bought my copy during a holiday in London 16 years ago - and then again a few years later as I'd forgotten I already had it.

The song borrows loosely from Sixties Motown tracks, but sounds very Eighties production-wise. The single peaked at number 3 in the UK and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2025
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 19, 1993
Cost: 80p
Tracks: 'Sign of the times' / 'Madness'

Atlantic - Keane

'Atlantic' is a track from Keane's second album 'Under the iron sea', released in 2006. This one-sided vinyl 7" single was released in a numbered limited edition of 1000 copies (this is number 34) in a boxed set together with the first single taken from that album, 'Is it any wonder'. 'Atlantic' was promoted with a music video before the album was released, but it wasn't released as a single commercially.

My collection: 7" single no. 3489
Found: eBay.co.uk, received December 20, 2008
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Atlantic'

Malaika - Boney M

Malaika means 'Angel' in Swahili. The song was first recorded by Kenyan musician Fadhili William and his band Jambo Boys in 1960. In 1981, the song was covered by Boney M for their album 'Boonoonoonoos'. The single reached number 13 in the German charts and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40.

These lower placings were a first sign of Boney M's popularity decreasing. In the Netherlands, they would never reach the top 20 again (except for a Megamix released in 1993, which reached number 13).

My collection: 7" single no. 86
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1981
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Malaika' / 'Consuela Biaz'

Tainted love 91 - Soft Cell

In 1991, the compilation album 'Memorabilia' was released, featuring the biggest hits by Soft Cell and Marc Almond. There was one problem: some of the tracks were remixes and re-recordings. Soft Cell's 'Tainted love', for instance, was slightly remixed - a version that would later reappear on less well documented Eighties compilation albums.

This 91 version of 'Tainted love' still became a hit in the UK, peaking at number 5, whereas the original version had been a charttopper.

My collection: 7" single no. 3312
Found: Record fair, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Tainted love 91' / 'Where the heart is'