Can't stop running - Space Monkey

Not only do I have the 7" single of 'Can't stop running', I've also got the 12" single. This contains an extended remix of the song, entitled the 'Powerblast mix'. It's not the most stunning remix ever, but it's a longer version of this very energetic Eighties track, and that's good enough for me.

I have no further records of Space Monkey, but the career of this one man band (Paul Goodchild being the only member) was rather short anyway.

My collection: 12" single no. 326
Found: London, 2000
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Can't stop running (Powerblast mix)' / 'Problem world (instrumental)'

Kiss and say goodbye - The Manhattans

This six track EP of the Manhattans was released in 1983 by Pickwick International, a UK label specialising in re-releasing old material. 'Kiss and say goodbye', track one on this EP, is their best known hit, reaching number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1976.

According to the blurb on the back sleeve of this EP, The Manhattans hail from the state of New Jersey and consist of Gerald Aiston, Ed Sonny, Bivins Jr., Kenny Kelly and Winfred Blue Lovett.

My collection: 7" single no. 646
Found: Free Record Shop, Leiden, August 12, 1988
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Kiss and say goodbye', 'La la la wish upon a star', 'Wonderful world of love' / 'There's no me without you', 'Don't take your love', 'We never danced to a love song'

I feel for you - Chaka Khan

'I feel for you' was originally written and recorded by Prince in 1979 on his self-titled album. In 1984, Chaka Khan recorded a cover of this song for her album which was also called 'I feel for you'. The repetition of Khan's name by rapper Melle Mel at the beginning of the song was originally a mistake made by producer Arif Mardin, who then decided to keep it. Khan's version featured an all-star supporting cast, with rapping from Melle Mel, keyboard and guitar by The System, and harmonica playing and sampled vocals by Stevie Wonder.

The single peaked at number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the UK singles chart, it reached number 1 and in the Dutch Top 40 the single peaked at number 7.

My collection: 7" single no. 1047
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'I feel for you' / 'Chinatown'

Red guitar - David Sylvian

'Red guitar' was David Sylvian's biggest solo hit, peaking at number 17 in the UK singles chart. It was a track on Sylvian's debut solo album 'Brilliant trees', which featured guest musicians Danny Thompson, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Holger Czukay.

The B-side is a new recording of the Sylvian & Sakamoto track 'Forbidden colours', which was originally featured on the soundtrack of the movie 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'.

My collection: 7" single no. 278
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Red guitar' / 'Forbidden colours'

Rooms on fire - Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks had a brief relationship with Rupert Hine, who produced her fourth solo album 'The other side of the mirror', released in 1989. According to Nicks, ''Rooms on fire' is about a girl who goes through a life like I have gone through, where she finally accepts the idea that there never will be those other things in her life. She will never be married, she will never have children, she will never do that part of life'.

The single reached number 15 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 16 in both the UK singles chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 929
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 6, 1989
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Rooms on fire' / 'Alice'

Rage hard - Frankie goes to Hollywood

Frankie goes to Hollywood were confronted with the 'difficult second album syndrome' after the phenomenal success of their debut album 'Welcome to the pleasuredome' and its accompanying singles. They recorded their second album 'Liverpool' in Amsterdam, and released 'Rage hard' as the first single from the album.

The single was released as a limited edition with a popup sleeve. It reached number 4 in the UK singles chart, number 1 in Germany and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2282
Found: London, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Rage hard' / '(Don't lose what's left) Of your little mind'

Miss you - The Rolling Stones

'Miss you' is the only Rolling Stones single in my collection. That's not to say they didn't make any good music: I am certainly looking for one or two more - but that's about it.

The song was mostly written by singer Mick Jagger, although Keith Richards is also credited for the composition. Mick Jagger and Ron Wood insist that the song wasn't conceived as a disco song, while Keith Richards said just the opposite. In any case, it did turn out as a bit of a disco track. The single was released in the summer of 1978 and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 902
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Miss you' / 'Far away eyes'

The meaning of love - Depeche Mode

If a Depeche Mode single would be released these days, it's hard to imagine that the sleeve would look like this one here. 'The meaning of love' was released in 1982 as a single from their second album 'A broken frame'. It's obvious that their much was much more simple and upbeat back then.

'The meaning of love' reached number 12 in the UK singles chart, but was less successful in Germany, where it reached number 64. It did not chart in the Netherlands at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2708
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'The meaning of love' / 'Oberkorn (It's a small town)'

Stand by me - Ben E. King

Benjamin Earl Nelson was born on September 28, 1938. After a music career as a member of the Five Crowns and the Drifters, he went solo in 1960, taking on the stage name Ben E. King. That same year, he wrote 'Stand by me', originally intended for use by the Drifters, but they passed on the chance to record it.

King then recorded the song himself, and released it as a single in 1961. It reached number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This single is a UK re-release from 1987 on the occasion of the track featuring on the movie 'Stand by me'. On this occasion, it reached number 1 in the UK and number 7 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1016
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Stand by me' (Ben E. King) / 'Yakety yak' (The Coasters)

Moments in love - Art of Noise

'Moments in love' was a beautiful electronic track by Art of Noise, released in the spring of 1987. Although it wasn't their biggest hit in the UK, where it peaked at number 51, it did reach number 10 in the Dutch Top 40, making it their biggest hit up to that point - surpassed only when they released 'Kiss' with Tom Jones a few years later.

There are several versions of 'Moments in love', but this single version is by far the most concise.

My collection: 7" single no. 529
Found: Free Record Shop, 1987
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Moments in love' / 'Beatbox diversion 10'

What love can be - Kingdom come

Kingdom Come formed in 1987 after frontman Lenny Wolf's band Stone Fury broke up. He recruited Pittsburgh-based lead guitarist Danny Stag, Louisvillians Rick Steier and James Kottak and Northern Californian Johnny B. Frank on bass. The band's debut album, 'Kingdom Come' was their only international hit. The musical style was very close to the early blues-rock style of Led Zeppelin.

Their second single was the power ballad 'What love can be'. It was a big hit in America, but sold less well in Europe. Still, I picked it up from the radio and played it a lot for a couple of weeks during the summer of 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 650
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, August 25, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'What love can be' / 'The shuffle'

DJ Culture - Pet Shop Boys

'DJ culture' was a new track on the Pet Shop Boys compilation album 'Discography', released in 1991. It was released as a single to promote that compilation. According to the singer Neil Tennant, the lyric of the song was about the insincerity of President George H. W. Bush's speeches at the time of the First Gulf War, utilising Winston Churchill's wartime rhetoric, in a manner similar to how artists sample music from other artists.

When the single was released, it peaked at number 13 on the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1556
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 14, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'DJ Culture' / 'Music for boys'

One more little kissy - Luv'

In 1980, just like previous years, Luv's career is going well. They are successful in various countries around the world, such as Mexico where a Spanish version of 'Ooh, yes I di' ('Si que si') reaches the top of the charts. In the Netherlands, meanwhile, the single 'One more little kissy' is released, reaching number 9 in the Dutch Top 40.

It is to be their last single release with band member Patty Brard, who announces in the autumn of 1980 that she is leaving Luv'. She also demands half a million guilders from the Luv' company, a sum which she is awarded after a court case. It is not the end of Luv', however: in September 1980 Ria Thielsch takes Brard's place.

My collection: 7" single no. 54
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'One more little kissy' / 'I win it'

Bridge over troubled water - Simon and Garfunkel

Paul Simon wrote 'Bridge over troubled water' in the summer of 1969 while Art Garfunkel was filming 'Catch-22' in Europe. When the duo got together to record what was to be their last album together, Garfunkel liked Simon's falsetto voice on the demo and suggested that Simon sing. He and producer Roy Halee also thought the song needed three verses and a 'bigger' sound towards the end. Simon agreed and penned the final verse, though he felt it was less than fully cohesive with the earlier verses.

Paul Simon then insisted that Garfunkel should sing the song. He later expressed regret that he did this, as it focused attention on Garfunkel and relegated Simon to a backing position. When the song was released as a single, it became a worldwide hit, reaching the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40. My copy of the single was made in Australia.

My collection: 7" single no. 622
Found: Parkpop, June 1988
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Bridge over troubled water' / 'Keep the customer satisfied'

It don't matter to me - Phil Collins

While in the UK 'Why can't it wait til morning' was released as a single, mainland Europe preferred the more uptempo 'It don't matter to me'. With this rather simplistic sleeve, it still didn't manage high chart placings.

As a result, this was the last single release from Phil Collins' 1982 album 'Hello, I must be going!'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2316
Found: June 3, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'It don't matter to me' / 'Why can't it wait til morning'

Teriazoume - Evridiki

Evridiki Theokleous was born on February 25, 1968 in Limassol, Cyprus. After studying music, theatre and dance at Le Studio des Variétés in Paris, France, she moved to Athens, Greece in 1989 to launch a career in music. Her debut album 'Gia proti fora' was released in 1991.

In 1992, she represented Cyprus during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Teriazoume'. This song ended in eleventh place. This 12" single features the original Greek version as well as English and French translations. Evridiki would return to the Contest in 1994 with 'Ime anthropos ki ego' (which finished in 11th place as well) and in 2007 with 'Comme ci, comme ça', which didn't end up in the final.

My collection: 12" single no. 329
Found: Trehantiri, London, 2000
Cost: 10 pounds
Tracks: 'Teriazoume' / 'In love I trust', 'Le feu c'est nous'

Let there be love - Simple Minds

The first single from the Simple Minds' 1991 album 'Real life' was 'Let there be love'. Although the song still had a very full sound, gone were the days of stadium rock and misplaced missionarism. Jim Kerr was becoming less of a Bono clone and started focusing on music again. What a nice change.

The single reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. The single version was an edit of the album version.

My collection: 7" single no. 1404
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, March 30, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Let there be love' / 'Good night'

The taste of your tears - King

'The taste of your tears' was the second single taken from King's second album 'Bitter sweet', both released in 1985. The beautiful sleeve of this single and the equally beautiful music video helped it become a big hit in the UK, peaking at number 11 in the singles chart in the autumn of 1985.

In the Netherlands, the single did not chart. Since I was an avid follower of UK-based music video television stations, I picked up this track soon enough, but then had to wait for years to finally find this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1029
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The taste of your tears' / 'Crazy party'

Lovin' Whiskey - Rory Block

Rory Block was born as Aurora Block on November 6, 1949. She grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and studied classical guitar during her teens. She came in contact with the folk and blues scene and soon enough started writing her own songs.

The album 'Best blues and originals', released in 1987, was Rory Block's tenth album. It featured the song 'Lovin' whiskey', which became a surprise hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1427
Found: April 7, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Lovin' whiskey' / 'Ain't no way to do'

The look - Roxette

''Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer'... The first two verses are guide lyrics, words just scribbled down to have something to sing. Couldn't come up with anything better, so we kept them. Everybody gets lucky sometimes...', said Per Gessle, after the 1989 Roxette single 'The look' had become a worldwide hit.

When 'The look' was about to be released in Sweden as the third single from Roxette's second album 'Look sharp!', an American exchange named Dean Cushman returned from Sweden and urged radio station KDWB in Minneapolis to play the song. From there, 'The look' spread on cassette copies to other radio stations. With the song's radio success, EMI quickly released 'The look'. Suddenly, Roxette had a number 1 hit in the USA before the album was even released.

Personally, I didn't like the song at all, but eventually bought it because of the B-side: 'Silver blue' ended up on Roxette's 1992 album 'Tourism'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2602
Found: January 27, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'The look' / 'Silver blue (demo)'