Where did tomorrow go - Ellis Beggs and Howard

The album 'Homelands' by Ellis, Beggs & Howard was not a successful one, despite the fact that their debut single 'Big bubbles, no troubles' was a hit in some European countries. The second single from the album, 'Bad times', was a flop.

Despite this, a third single was released, the uptempo 'Where did tomorrow go?'. Unfortunately, this single also failed to make the chart. The trio started to record a second album in 1989, but it was not released in the end. The tracks did surface several years later as 'The lost years volume 1', including contributions from Warren Cuccurullo and Robert Fripp.

My collection: 7" single no. 4157
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Where did tomorrow go?' / 'Nobody knows'

A brand new day - The Wiz Stars

In 1978, the soundtrack album for the movie 'The Wiz' was released. Chiefly produced by Quincy Jones, the soundtrack features cast performances by the stars of the movie, including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell and Ted Ross, amongst others.

This quartet also starred on the first single taken from the soundtrack, 'A brand new day', which was released as a single in the summer of 1979. It reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40. The soundtrack marks Jones' first collaboration with Michael Jackson; he would go on to produce Jackson's hit solo albums 'Off the wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4155
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'A brand new day' / 'Liberation ballet: a brand new day'

The planet doesn't mind - New Musik

You know a single is rare when it is offered on eBay for enormous amounts of money. It is even more rare when it isn't offered on eBay at all. Ever since I knew about the existance of New Musik's single 'The planet doesn't mind' (which really isn't that long ago) I have been searching for this single to no avail. A copy recently popped up on discogs.com, offered on sale for the amount of 20 euros.

How lucky I was to find this copy of the single for one tenth of that amount. It means that I am very close to completing my collection of New Musik singles. The only one I am looking for now is the title track of their third album, 'Warp'. For a reasonable price, of course. After all, all these singles flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 4151
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The planet doesn't mind' / '24 hours from culture (part 2)'

I wanna dance - Novi Fosili

Novi Fosili (English: The new fossils) was a Croatian pop band, one of the most popular music acts in former Yugoslavia. They formed in Zagreb in 1969. They found success when composer Rajko Dujmić joined the band in 1976. That same year the band played at the Split Festival, where their song 'Diridonda' became a hit throughout the country. Their next several albums sold millions of copies and delivered many hits that are still aired on radios in Croatia today. The first female singer was Đurđica Barlović, in 1984 replaced by Sanja Doležal. The group's male vocalists were Vladimir Kočiš Zec and Rajko Dujmić.

In 1987 the band represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest. With their song 'Ja sam za ples' they reached fourth place. The single was released all over Europe, but this didn't bring them international success. The band disbanded when the former Yugoslavia fell apart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4150
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'I wanna dance' / 'Ja sam za ples'

Cygnus - Nova

The synthesizer wizards of Nova recorded two albums, but they will always be remembered for their debut single 'Aurora'. It's as if they never recorded anything else! But they did.

'Cygnus' was the first single from their second album 'Quo vadis', released in 1983. The single did not make a dent in the charts, although it didn't sound very different from the material on their first album. But perhaps that was the problem...

My collection: 7" single no. 4149
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cygnus' / 'Jig'

Starchild - Level 42

'Starchild' was written by Wally Badarou, Mark King and Phil Gould. It was released in 1981 as a track on Level 42's debut studio album. It was subsequently released as a single.

The single peaked at number 57 on the UK singles chart and number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4148
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Starchild' / 'Foundation and empire part 1'

Megamix - Imagination

In 1989, Imagination released a compilation album entitled 'Like it is: revised and remixed classics'. To promote the album, this Megamix was released. The single did not chart in any territory.

I don't know many megamixes that were chart hits. Perhaps it's because, as this single demonstrates quite effectively, a megamix makes the entire catalogue of an artist sound like they've only made one song: everything blends together too much. Still, it is amusing to hear four Imagination tracks within five minutes.

My collection: 7" single no. 4147
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Megamix' / 'Burning up'

Young 'n' Russian - Korgis

'Young 'n' Russian' was the debut single of the Korgis, back in 1979. The label Rialto records, on which it was released, was owned by their managers Nick and Tim Heath.

The single did not chart, but it would appear on their self-titled debut album, released a few months later.

My collection: 7" single no. 4146
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Young 'n' Russian' / 'Cold tea'

Burning questions - Korgis

Things got rather confusing circa 1985. While James Warren recorded a solo album entitled 'Burning questions' in 1986, singles from this album were released under the band name 'The Korgis'. The title track was already released in 1985 as 'Burning questions' by the Korgis. The single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4145
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Burning questions' / 'Waiting for Godot'

Around and around - Frizzle Sizzle

'Around and around' was another unsuccessful single by Frizzle Sizzle, which failed to reach the Dutch charts when it was released in September 1988. The song was written and produced by the Dutch duo Van Tijn and Fluitsma.

Frizzle Sizzle broke up in 1990, after releasing a terrible football-related single. The girls remained active in the entertainment business.

My collection: 7" single no. 4144
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Around and around' / 'Around and around (instrumental)'

Daddy - Frizzle Sizzle

Frizzle Sizzle continued releasing singles until the end of 1988, although their last hit single was 'Second chance', released in August 1987. 'Daddy' was the follow-up to that one, but it did not chart at all.

Lyrically, the song is about divorce from the perspective of a couple's child. In a way, this puts the girl group firmly back to their roots, as they were previously members of a Dutch children's choir.

My collection: 7" single no. 4143
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Daddy' / 'Look at the stars'

The bed's too big without you - Julie Roberts

'The bed's too big without you' was originally written by Sting and recorded by the Police on their 1979 album 'Reggatta de Blanc'. The song was covered in 1981 by Sheila Hylton, who reached number 35 in the UK singles chart with it.

However, this cover version by Julie Roberts was released a year earlier. Not much is known about the artist, all I know is that this one did not become a chart hit. It is a reasonably good cover of the Police track.

My collection: 7" single no. 4142
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The bed's too big without you' / 'Since you've been gone'

School - Supertramp

For some strange reason, the track 'School' from Supertramp's 1974 album 'Crime of the century' was never released as a single. It achieved a cult status in the Netherlands, as it appeared in Radio Veronica's Top 100 of all times every year.

When the Dutch record company Arcade released a compilation album of Supertramp tracks in 1989, they decided to release 'School' as a single. It proved to be a good idea: the single reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. At the time, I only bought the cd-single. Now I've found the 7" single that was released back then as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 4141
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'School' / 'School (live)'

Sunset people - Donna Summer

Donna Summer's 1979 album 'Bad girls' continued to produce successful singles. Donna Summer had fulfilled her contract with Casablanca records with this albums, and while she was moving on with Geffen Records, recording and releasing a new album with them, Casablanca continued to release singles from this album.

'Sunset people' was one of them. It was released in May 1980, and reached number 46 in the UK singles chart. Three months later, Summer would release her first album with Geffen.

My collection: 7" single no. 4140
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Sunset people' / 'Our love'

Dinner with Gershwin - Donna Summer

Brenda Russell wrote 'Dinner with Gershwin', which was recorded in 1987 by Donna Summer. It was the first single from her album 'All systems go', Summer's first album of new material in four years. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 34 in the Dutch Top 40.

Brenda Russell recorded her own version of her song for her 1990 album 'Kiss me with the wind'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4139
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dinner with Gershwin' / 'Dinner with Gershwin (instrumental)'

I'm cryin' - Shanice

'I'm cryin'' was another single from Shanice Wilson's 1991 album 'Inner child'. It's a typical American ballad, produced by Narada Michael Walden, who co-wrote the song with Wilson.

I've never been very impressed with the vocal part of this song, as it lacks emotion and sounds too much like a child trying to sing, but the music had a certain appeal - and because of the instrumental version on this single I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 4138
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I'm cryin'' / 'I'm cryin' (instrumental)'

Si tu aimes ma musique - Stella

'Si tu aimes ma musique' ('If you like my music') was the Belgian entry for the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Stella. The song finished 4th in a field of 18 competitors.

Stella Maessen was born in Zandvoort, the Netherlands on August 6, 1953. She previously competed for the Netherlands in 1970 with her sisters in a group called Hearts of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium in the group Dream Express.

My collection: 7" single no. 4137
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Si tu aimes ma musique' / 'Renegade'

Su canción - Betty Missiego

Beatriz Teresa 'Betty' Missiego was born January 1, 1945 in Lima, Peru. She began her career as a dancer in Peru, but had to stop this career after an injury. In 1969 she moved to Spain to pursue a singing career. She took on Spanish citizenship in 1972.

In 1979, she represented Spain in the 24th Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Su canción'. She ended up in second place, behind Israel's Milk and Honey with the song 'Hallelujah'. The single was (obviously) a hit in Spain, but it was also released elsewhere in Europe. To this day, copies of this single pop up everywhere as it didn't chart in most countries. I finally bought my copy of the single this weekend.

My collection: 7" single no. 4136
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Su canción' / 'Contrastes'

Honey honey - Abba

This French version of the single 'Honey honey' by Abba features a photograph of their performance of 'Waterloo', the song that gave them a Eurovision victory earlier on in 1974. 'Honey honey' was released as the followup to that hit around the world, with the exception of the UK.

The single reached number 2 in Germany and number 4 in Austria and Switzerland. Elsewhere in Europe, it was less successful, peaking at number 16 in the Netherlands and number 12 in Belgium. However, it was a hit for Abba in the USA, peaking at number 27.

My collection: 7" single no. 4135
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Honey honey' / 'King Kong song'

That's the way the money goes - M

Robin Scott, a.k.a. M, released his debut album 'New York, London, Paris, Munich' in 1979. The best known single (as well as the first one) from the album is 'Popmuzik', but 'That's the way the money goes' was another single taken from that album - the third one.

Not that it was as successful: it did not chart in most of Europe, and only reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4134
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'That's the way the money goes' / 'Satisfy your lust (before you go bust)'