April love - Ricky Wilde

After Ricky Wilde debuted in 1972 with 'I am an astronaut', his second single 'April love' was released in early 1973. The song was originally written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster and recorded in 1957 by Pat Boone. Young Ricky didn't reach the UK singles chart with this effort, and I have no further chart statistics for this single. (He reportedly did well in Scandinavia with some singles, but it's never been described which singles exactly).

I found this copy of the single, with a picture sleeve and made in the UK, on eBay, sold by a Danish person. The disc is in pretty fine condition, considering its age of 36 years. And yes, all of Ricky's singles have become a bit of a collector's item: they are rarely offered for sale and especially copies with a picture sleeve are very hard to find.

My collection: 7" single no. 4098
Found: eBay.com, received September 29, 2009
Cost: 9 euro
Tracks: 'April love' / 'Round and round'

Left to my own devices - Pet Shop Boys

Produced by Trevor Horn, it's no surprise that 'Left to my devices', taken from the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 album 'Introspective', is quite a bombastic tune. As for the lyrics, Neil Tennant explains: 'I liked the idea of writing a really up pop song about being left alone. This song is a day in the life of someone, so it starts off with getting out of bed and being on the phone and drinking tea and all the rest of it, and it ends up with coming home. By this time I was making the words very exaggerated and camp, though writing a book and going on stage were both things I had wanted to do when I was young.'

The single peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. It did much worse in America, where it stalled at number 84. The Pet Shop Boys failed to regain their popularity there ever since.

My collection: 7" single no. 707
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 17, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Left to my own devices' / 'The sound of the atom splitting'

In my arms - Erasure

While in the UK their record company had stopped releasing 7" singles by Erasure after 'Run to the sun', their American record company apparently continued for some time, judging from this copy of 'In my arms', released in 1997.

'In my arms', released as the first single from Erasure's 1997 album 'Cowboy', became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry since 1994's 'Always', peaking at number 55. In the UK, the single reached number 13. The B-side features a cover of Blondie's 'Heart of glass'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4059
Found: eBay.com, received September 23, 2009
Cost: $4
Tracks: 'In my arms' / 'Heart of glass'

My first night without you - Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg wrote 'My first night without you', a song about coming home for the first time without a partner being there after a break up. The single was considered a failure in most of the world because it failed to make a big impact on most charts. However, in South America it was a big success, reaching number 1 in Brazil and Colombia.

The track is also a personal favourite of mine. I remember playing it lots of times after I bought it out of curiosity.

My collection: 7" single no. 1269
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 14, 1990
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'My first night without you' / 'Unabbreviated love'

Bet that's what you say - Mai Tai

Released in April 1987, 'Bet that's what you say' was Mai Tai's penultimate hit single in the Netherlands. The song was produced by Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma, who also wrote the it. The single reached number 36 in the Dutch Top 40 during a three week chart run.

The sleeve photograph was taken by one of the Netherlands' most wellknown photographers, Govert de Roos.

My collection: 7" single no. 4090
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Bet that's what you say' / 'Bet that's what you say (dub mix)'

Don't forget to dance - The Kinks

'Don't forget to dance' is a beautiful ballad from the Kinks' 1983 album 'State of confusion'. The single followed 'Come dancing', which was one of the band's most successful singles in the United States. By comparison, this single did not do well.

In the UK, this single reached number 58, while in the Netherlands it did not chart. It was the first Kinks single I ever bought. The band has of course been active since the early Sixties, but most of their material just doesn't interest me much.

My collection: 7" single no. 497
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't forget to dance' / 'Young conservatives'

Maid of Orleans - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

The intro of 'Maid of Orleans' is one of the strangest sounds I'd ever heard in 1982. It piqued my interest, and with the aid of the intriguing music video, this became one of my favourite tracks of the year. About the intro, Andy McCluskey explained: 'The idea came about because we actually had the song recorded but thought the track started oddly and needed something else to announce its arrival. It's not meant to "mean" anything specific, just set up a feeling to let the track grow out of the strange noises. I think that it worked well! Most of the noises are mellotron vocal sounds slowed down/sped up and greatly distorted simply by completely overdriving the old Helios desk in The Manor Studio. Pink noise and snare drum in lots of reverb.'

The song was a big success, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 308
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 1985
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Maid of Orleans' / 'Navigation'

Love is stronger than pride - Sade

The first single from Sade's third album 'Stronger than pride' was the track 'Love is stronger than pride'. On the sleeve and in the accompanying music video, frontwoman Sade Adu was pictured on the beach in an attempt to 'sex up' the band. It didn't entirely work, as there was a certain distance exuding from her.

The single performed best, chart-wise, in the Netherlands, where it reached number 18. In the UK, where this limited edition single with a free colour poster was released, the single stalled at number 44.

My collection: 7" single no. 2631
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 16, 1996
Cost: 7 guilders
Tracks: 'Love is stronger than pride' / 'Super bien total'

The lifeboat party - Kid Creole and the Coconuts

Kid Creole and the Coconuts released their fourth album 'Doppelganger' in 1983. The opening track of the album was 'The lifeboat party', which was subsequently released as the album's second single.

The single reached number 49 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in other territories. Still, it's a fine party song.

My collection: 7" single no. 4084
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The lifeboat party' / 'Gina Gina'

State of love - Imagination

Taken from their fourth album 'Scandalous', 'State of love' was another single by Imagination produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. The single only charted in the UK, where it reached number 67 in the singles chart.

With 9 out of the 10 singles released before this one having reached the UK singles chart, it's interesting to note that from the 13 singles that followed, only 2 charted in the UK - and none of them anywhere else.

My collection: 7" single no. 4079
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'State of love' / 'Wrong in love'

Oh Carolina - Shaggy

'Oh Carolina' was originally written by John Folkes and performed by the Folkes Brothers in 1960. The original track incorporated African-influenced Niyabinghi-style drumming and chanting.

In 1993, Shaggy revived the song. His cover version spent two weeks at number 1 in the UK singles chart and reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. I finally bought the single six months after its release to irk a friend of mine who hated the song with a passion. He's since moved to China, although I'm not sure it's because I own this single now.

My collection: 7" single no. 2034
Found: HMV, London, October 22, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Oh Carolina' / 'Oh Carolina (Raas Bumba Claat version)'

Goodnight girl - Wet Wet Wet

Graeme Clark was inspired to write 'Goodnight girl' for his then girlfriend but has never publicly named her. It became the third single taken from Wet Wet Wet's fourth studio album 'High on the happy side'. It was released in December 1991 and became the second number 1 hit single for the band in the UK .

In he Netherlands, the single reached number 2 in March 1992. A 1994 version reached number 11 in the Netherlands, but did not chart in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 1583
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 15, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Goodnight girl' / 'Ambrose Wykes'

Go for it! - Risqué

It's Puck's brother's lucky weekend, as here's another single by Risqué. As far as I know, it's their last single. The track 'Go for it' was produced by Sander Bos and Ben Liebrand. The latter is better known for his remixes of tracks, which were broadcast on Dutch radio weekly on Fridays around that time (1984).

However much the girls went for it, this single did not chart - not even in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 4096
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Go for it!' / 'Go for it! (dub version)'

Jack in the box - Clodagh Rodgers

Clodagh Rodgers was born on March 5, 1947 in Northern Ireland. In 1970 she was asked to represent the United Kingdom in the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest. Part of the reasoning behind the BBC's invitation was their concern over what reaction the UK entrant would get on the stage from the Irish public. She received death threats from the I.R.A. as a result of her appearing for the UK.

The singer expresses her strong feelings of love to a man who treats her like a toy. She feels that in exchange of his love, she would gladly 'bounce on a spring' like the aforementioned toy. After ending fourth in the Contest, the song coincidentally also peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4097
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Jack in the box' / 'Some to love me'

Remedy - Little Boots

Not that 'New in town' was a bad song, but the second single by Little boots, 'Remedy' is a lot better. According to Little Boots, ''Remedy' is about dancing and music being a remedy to some kind of poison in your life. I wanted to write a dark dance pop song a bit like Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. The lyrics are not really very personal, I was more imagining a situation.'

The B-side of this single contains a beautiful cover version of Freddie Mercury's 'Love kills'. The single reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in Ireland.

My collection: 7" single no. 4063
Found: eBay.co.uk, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Remedy' / 'Love kills'

Burn it up (Mr. DJ) - Risqué

Risqué were never excessively popular, even in their native Netherlands, because the formula just didn't fit: they never worked with the best producers, they were trying to be sexy but they couldn't (because they were ugly!) and there was little or no variation in their music. It's rather strange to notice that they perform all their tracks singing together - there are no solos and that makes the whole thing go flat. All this gives Risqué this naff Eighties quality that I'm a sucker for.

'Burn it up (Mr. DJ)' was the last chart hit for the quartet, released in September 1983. It peaked at number 20 in the Dutch Top 40. Two further singles did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4095
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Burn it up (Mr. DJ)' / 'Burn it up (instrumental)'

Money don't matter 2 night - Prince and the New Power Generation

Personally, I think Prince perfected his craft with this particular song. It sounds very Prince, but the lyric has more substance than any other Prince song. It deals directly with money, poverty and greed - both on a personal and a political level.

The song is notable for its promotional video, directed by Spike Lee. Featuring a poverty-stricken African-American family, with no shots of Prince at all, it was considered overly political and not 'MTV-friendly'. A second version was issued, which included footage of the song being performed by Prince and The New Power Generation. The single reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 19 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4094
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Money don't matter 2 night' / 'Call the law'

Toughen up - Olivia Newton-John

In 1985, Olivia Newton-John released the album 'Soul kiss'. The first single was the title track, and the second single was 'Toughen up'. While the first single was a hit in several countries, 'Toughen up' did not chart anywhere - the only exception being Australia, where the single stalled at number 93.

Olivia's pregnancy limited her ability to promote the album and singles properly. Her daughter Chloe Rose Lattanzi was born in January 1986 - by then, the album 'Soul kiss' was already forgotten by most people.

My collection: 7" single no. 4093
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Toughen up' / 'Driving music'

Asia - Mo

The Dutch synthpop band Mo, it has been written on here many times before, was sadly underrated. It has become some sort of mission for me to hunt down their singles, and 'Asia' is the latest victory in that search.

'Asia' was released in April 1984 and it was, as far as I know, the band's last single. It was taken from their third and last album, 'Stop staring'. The beautiful sleeve of this single was designed by Ton Friesen.

My collection: 7" single no. 4092
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Asia' / 'He's so silly negative'

Turn your love around - Mai Tai

It took an international breakthrough for the Dutch group Mai Tai to become popular in the Netherlands. After 'History' reached the charts all over the world, the first single from their second album '1 touch 2 much' entitled 'Turn your love around' suddenly reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40 - after their previous efforts barely reached the top 20.

Their music was produced by Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma, one of the leading producer duos in the Netherlands at the time. Both the producers and the performers would later be involved in Eurovision music: Mai Tai failed to reach the international Contest, while the producers would - and repeatedly too.

My collection: 7" single no. 4089
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Turn your love around' / 'Turn your love around (dub mix)'