Dansez maintenant - Dave

I don't remember this myself, but I am told that I was very much impressed with the song 'Dansez maintenant' by Dave when I was five years old. Dave was born as Wouter Otto Levenbach on May 4, 1944 in Amsterdam. He had a string of number 1 hits in France in the Seventies, but he remained virtually unknown in his country of origin.

The exception was 'Dansez maintenant', a track based on 'Moonlight serenade' by Glenn Miller and Mitchell Parish. It reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40 in the autumn of 1975.

My collection: 7" single no. 4378
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dansez maintenant' / 'Dimanche avec toi'

S-S-S-Single bed - Fox

The British band Fox formed in 1974, with members Noosha Fox, Kenny Young, Herbie Armstrong, Jim Gannon, Pete Solley, Gary Taylor and Jim Frank. The band had a lot of success with their self-titled debut album, which was released in 1975 and featured the distinctive lead vocals by Noosha Fox. When she was relegated to backing vocals for half of the tracks on the second album 'Tails of illusion' (1975), success eluded the band.

They came back in 1976 with the single 'S-S-S-Single bed', which did feature Noosha Fox on lead vocals. The single topped the chart in Australia and reached number 10 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 4 in the UK singles chart. The track was recently covered by Bananarama on their 2009 album 'Viva'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4377
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'S-S-S-Single bed' / 'Silk milk'

She - Charles Aznavour

When Frenchmen speak English, it's always hilarious. And even on this classic recording by Charles Aznavour, you can't help but grin at the heavy French accent in this beautiful little song. 'She' was released in 1974 and reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and number 18 in the Dutch Top 40. The single did not have any success in the USA or France. Anavour also recorded the song in French, Italian, Spanish and German.

The British duo Vegas recorded a great cover version of 'She' on their eponymous and only album, released in 1992.

My collection: 7" single no. 4373
Found: Independent Oulet, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1.25 euro
Tracks: 'She' / 'La Barraka'

Christmas Anachronisms

I have added three Christmas singles to this blog today - but I have placed them under December 26, 2009. I bought these singles on December 30, 2009 and I decided I didn't want to make you wait until December 2010 to see them. So here they are:

• Easier said than done - Jon Anderson
• It should be Christmas everyday - Suzanne Michaels
• Do they know it's Christmas? - Band Aid
  

I'm coming out - Diana Ross

'I'm coming out' is a track on Diana Ross's 1980 album 'Diana', which was produced by Chic members Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. The lyric of the song focuses on coming into one's own self, that is, asserting oneself to reach self-actualization. These days, however, it has become some sort of gay anthem, as 'coming out' has taken on a different meaning in recent decades.

Released as a single, 'I'm coming out' peaked at number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 23 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4372
Found: Independent Outlet, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1,25 euro
Tracks: 'I'm coming out' / 'Never say I don't love you'

Illegal alien - Genesis

The lyric of 'Illegal alien' are a humorous depiction of the frustrations an illegal immigrant faces, leading up to the chorus: 'It's no fun/Being an illegal alien'. Even though the lyrics are intended as a satire and to be taken in jest, it can easily be misinterpreted as making light of the problem of illegal immigrants.

The single did not chart in many countries, but did reach number 46 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4371
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Illegal alien' / 'Turn it on again (new live version)'

Matters of the heart - Freur

'Matters of the heart' was the second single taken from Freur's debut album 'Doot doot'. As with all of their other singles, it didn't reach the chart. The single version is 15 seconds shorter than the album version.

Why Freur never had a breakthrough remains a mystery: their music was not so different from other bands around at the time, but they certainly packed more power and had great melodies. I for one am a collector.

My collection: 7" single no. 4370
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1,25 euro
Tracks: 'Matters of the heart' / 'You're a hoover'

Till I loved you - Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson

'Till I loved you' was a duet recorded by Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson, which appeared on Streisand's 1988 album of the same name. The track was produced by Phil Ramone. The single reached number 16 in the UK singles chart, number 25 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. I bought the 3" cd-single when this single came out, and now, two decades later, I finally own the 7" single as well.

The tenor Placido Domingo and Jennifer Rush recorded a cover version of the song in 1989.

My collection: 7" single no. 4369
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,75 euro
Tracks: 'Till I loved you' / 'Two people'

Baby I'm a fool for you - Sylvia and the Sapphires

Just like their debut single 'Shopping around', Sylvia and the Sapphires' 1982 single 'Baby I'm a fool for you' gives you the impression that you are listening to a Sixties Tamla Motown single. By that time, however, most people were listening to synthpop and new wave tracks, and so this single didn't really stand a chance in the charts.

My collection: 7" single no. 4368
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,75 euro
Tracks: 'Baby I'm a fool for you' / 'I only wish tonight could last forever'

Reach out - Time Bandits

Released in 1984, 'Reach out' was a single by the Time Bandits. While the B-side 'Ushi girl' was taken from their album 'Tracks', the A-side was a new track. It was also the only single by the band to reach the Dutch Top 40 in 1984, although a few more singles were released. 'Reach out' reached number 35 in the Top 40.

At the time of the release of this single in the Netherlands, an earlier single, 'I'm only shooting love', reached number 1 in New Zealand.

My collection: 7" single no. 4367
Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,75 euro
Tracks: 'Reach out' / 'Ushi girl'

Morning train - Sheena Easton

After Sheena Easton's debut single 'Modern girl' failed to chart, both that song and 'Morning train' featured in the BBC documentary 'The big time'. Both songs suddenly reached the chart as a result. 'Morning train' became a number 3 hit in the UK, also reaching number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

The song is about a woman who waits at home all day for her man to come home from work. The music video was filmed on the Bluebell Railway, a heritage line running between East and West Sussex in England.

My collection: 7" single no. 4366
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Morning train' / 'Moody (My love)'

Let me be the one - The Shadows

The Shadows, who are best known for their work with Cliff Richard in the Sixties, represented the United Kingdom during the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Let me be the one'. The song finished second in the Contest, behind Teach-In from the Netherlands with 'Ding-a-dong'.

The single subsequently reached number 12 in the UK singles chart. It was also released in Europe, but without much chart success. This particular pressing comes from France.

My collection: 7" single no. 4365
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Let me be the one' / 'Stand up like a man'

Home on Monday - Little River Band

'Home on Monday' is one of those songs I heard on the radio quite regularly in the Eighties, without actually knowing the name of the band that performed the song. It turned out to be the Little River Band, an Australian rock band, that had a hit with this song in 1977.

The single reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40, as well as scoring top 10 in Australia and the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 4363
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Home on Monday' / 'The inner light'

Girl crazy - Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate have had several big hits during their 15 year career, and 'Girl crazy' is one of them. It reached number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40. At the time, I was not impressed with the song, but these days it's at least a lot better than most current chart hits.

'Girl crazy' was produced by the late great Mickie Most and released on his RAK record label, as with all of Hot Chocolate's output between 1970 and 1984.

My collection: 7" single no. 4362
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Girl crazy' / 'Bed games'

Obsession - Animotion

Animotion was formed in 1983 by Astrid Plane, Paul Antonelli, Charles Ottavio, Frenchy O'Brien, Bill Wadhams and Don Kirkpatrick. They released their self-titled debut album in 1984. A few months later, in early 1985, 'Obsesison' gave the band international success.

The song was originally written and recorded as a duet by songwriter Holly Knight and musician Michael Des Barres in 1983, but this version did not meet with commercial success. Animotion's version reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in Canada and the USA. In the Netherlands, the single was not a hit, but it was prominently featured in a TV programme. I forget which one...

My collection: 7" single no. 4361
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Obsession' / 'Turn around'

What's another year - Johnny Logan

After almost thirty years, I think it's time to concede that 'What's another year' is actually a briliant, if someone melodramatic, pop song. I listened to it today and couldn't help but feel impressed by the melody and even the lyric. It was of course the song that launched Johnny Logan's career as Eurovision celebrity - even if in 1980 it wasn't yet obvious that he would win the Contest twice again: in 1987 with 'Hold me now' and in 1992 as a songwriter with 'Why me', performed by Linda Martin.

'What's another year' was written by Shay Healy about watching his father coming to terms with the death of his wife and companion, Mairin. After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, the single reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 1 in the UK singles chart.

I bought the Irish pressing of 'What's another year', which amazingly is a few seconds longer than the Dutch pressing which I've had for a couple of years. You can hear that the song fades out slightly earlier on the Dutch pressing.

My collection: 7" single no. 3487 / no. 4364
Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003 / Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro / 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'What's another year' / 'One night stand'

Mea culpa (part 2) - Enigma

'Mea culpa' was released as the second single from Enigma's debut album 'MCMXD a.D.'. The title of the song comes from the Latin phrase for 'My fault'. The origin of the expression is from a traditional prayer in the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church known as Confiteor (Latin for 'I confess'), in which the individual recognizes his or her flaws before God.

The single reached number 4 in France, number 7 in Germany and Italy, and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4360
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Mea culpa (Orthodox version)' / 'Mea culpa (Catholic version)'

Shouldn't do that - Kaja

I always am a bit miffed when I find out that there's a special edition of a record or cd I already have. And so, just a few weeks after buying Kaja's 'Shouldn't do that', I found out there was a limited edition double single edition - and I was rather irritated by that. Fortunately, I didn't spend a fortune on the single I bought in April, and this double single version wasn't particularly expensive either, so I've got three discs for the price of one, so to speak.

'Shouldn't do that' was only a minor hit in the UK, peaking at number 63. No further singles by Kaja, as the band named themselves in 1985 when they tried to shed the image of the teen idol band Kajagoogoo, charted.

My collection: 7" single no. 4359
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Shouldn't do that' / 'Charm of a gun' // 'Huricane' / 'What ever you want'

Runaway - Thompson Twins

The single 'Runaway' by the Thompson Twins was the second single from their second album 'Set', and the follow-up to the American hit single 'In the name of love'. At the time of release, Thompson Twins was a seven piece band, consisting of later core members Alannah Currie, Tom Baily and Joe Leeway, along with Chris Bell, Peter Dodd, John Roog and Matthew Seligman.

The single was released as a limited edition double single in the UK, featuring two live tracks on the second disc. It didn't help: the single flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 4358
Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Runaway' / 'Open your eyes' // 'Living in Europe' / 'Make believe'

The belle of St. Mark - Sheila E

Taken from her debut album 'The glamorous life', 'The belle of St. Mark' was a 1984 hit single for Sheila E., written and produced by herself. The single reached number 34 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.

The single came out during a time when Sheila E. was still part of Prince's entourage. Around the same time, the duo had a brief romantic relationship, although Prince was also still involved with Susannah Melvoin, twin sister of Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa fame.

My collection: 7" single no. 4357
Found: Record mania, Amterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The belle of St. Mark' / 'Too sexy'