Autant d'amoureux que d'etoiles - Annick Thoumazeau

Annick Thoumazeau represented France during the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Autant d'amoureux que d'étoiles' ('As many lovers as stars'). The lyric speaks of unending devotion of the singer to a lover and stating that they are not the only lovers in the world, as there are 'as many lovers as stars in the sky'.

The song ended up in eighth place in a field of 19 contestants. The song was not a big hit, even in French speaking countries.

My collection: 7" single no. 4390
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Autant d'amoureux que d'etoiles' / 'Stars (instrumental)'

The message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

'Yo, motherfucker, yo uh-huh, gonna get your bitch, put your hands in the air, say yeah, uh-huh, yeah, fuck that bitch motherfucker, jigga with me, I'm a bad nigga, motherfucker, yo, yo, yo, uh-huh'. About 90% of all rap lyrics go like this.

What a difference, then, is 'The message'. This lyric does tell a story and it's quite critical of American society. I remember being quite impressed with this song, although I have to say these days I would never buy it anymore. I'm not impressed with any hiphop 'music' (and I'm using that last word loosely here) and gave up on it entirely. This single reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 8 in the UK singles chart. In a time when the charts were still filled with great songs, that was quite an impressive feat.

My collection: 7" single no. 217
Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The message' / 'The message (instrumental)'

Stand or fall - The Fixx

Back in 1982, 'Stand or fall' was the first track by the Fixx I ever heard. The song was produced by Rupert Hine, whose 'Eleven faces' had just made a big impression on me too. Like that single, this one sounded mysterious and dark.

There weren't that many people who agreed with me: the single reached number 54 in the UK singles chart and flopped almost everywhere else.

My collection: 7" single no. 268
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Stand or fall' / 'The strain'

Body language - Queen

When Queen had a big hit with 'Another one bites the dust', Queen were inspired to abandon their rock roots and experiment with disco, funk and soul music. 'Body language', one of the singles from their album 'Hot space' was perhaps the most obvious result of this. The song featured 'suggestive' lyrics, almost no guitras and a lot of Freddie Mercury's moans and groans.

The drastic change caused the single to stall at number 25 in the UK singles chart. It peaked at number 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 however, and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2108
Found: Record fair, June 4, 1994
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Body language' / 'Life is real'

The Jean Genie - David Bowie

David Bowie spent some time in New York City when he composed and recorded 'The Jean Genie'. The subject matter was inspired in part by Bowie's friend Iggy Pop or, in Bowie's own words, 'an Iggy-type character... it wasn't actually Iggy'. The title has long been taken as a pun on the name of the author Jean Genet. Bowie was once quoted as saying that this was 'subconscious... but it's probably there, yes'.

The track was released as the first single from Bowie's 1973 album 'Aladdin Sane'. There was some controversy in the UK upon its release, because the riff in the song sounded a lot like the Sweet's 'Block buster'. The song, written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, was recorded and released slightly later than Bowie's single, but both were in the top 10 at the same time. All parties maintained that the similarity was, in Nicky Chinn's words, 'absolute coincidence'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4426
Found: Any Record, Den Haag, January 13, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The Jean Genie' / 'Ziggy Stardust'

Guitar man - Bread

I've had an 'Original Oldies' single of Bread's 'Guitar man' for over 20 years now, but when I came across an original 1972 pressing of the single today, I couldn't resist buying it. 'Guitar man' is a classic track by Bread and as this sleeve testifies, it was chosen to be Veronica's Alarmschijf (a tip for the top from the famous Dutch radio station) upon its release. It went on to become a number 13 hit in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 4425
Found: Any Record, Den Haag, January 13, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The guitar man' / 'Just like yesterday'

Land of confusion - Genesis

'Land of confusion' was composed by Genesis, while the lyric was written by band member Mike Rutherford. It discusses the greed and uncertainty of the Cold War-era Eighties, but also evoke a sense of hope for the future. The song is remembered by most people for its music video, in which puppets from the Eighties show Spitting Image were used to portray the band and several contemporary politicians.

The single reached number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4424
Found: Any Record, Den Haag, January 13, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Land of confusion' / 'Feeding the fire'

Happy together - The Turtles

'Happy together' was written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon and recorded by the Turtles on their 1967 album of the same name. It was released as a single in the spring of 1967, reaching number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.

Since then, this song has been used in several movies and tv shows, and is also a favourite during wedding parties.

My collection: 7" single no. 4423
Found: Any Record, Den Haag, January 13, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Happy together' / 'It ain't me babe'

Hypnotised - Simple Minds

'Hypnotised' was the second single taken from the Simple Minds' 1995 album 'Good news from the next world'. The 7" single was a numbered limited edition. This is number 1839.

The single was not as big a success as earlier releases from the band. It reached number 18 in the UK singles chart, but it stalled outside the top 20 in Germany, Ireland and Canada. In other countries, the single didn't even chart. And things would get even worse: subsequent singles were a hit in the UK and sometimes Germany only. Gone were the stadium-filling days of the late Eighties - although the band still manages to fill the bigger concert halls.

My collection: 7" single no. 2399
Found: HMV, London, July 6, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Hypnotised' / '#4'

Loving the alien - David Bowie

The lyric of 'Loving the alien' reflects David Bowie's dislike of organised religion, and is a plea for greater unity between the faiths of the world. It was recorded as a track on David Bowie's 1984 album 'Tonight', and released as the third single from the album, but only nine months after the release of the album. Some reports say it was chosen as a single because Bowie read a review saying it would make a good single.

The single reached number 19 in the UK singles chart, number 27 in the German singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40. The single was released in a limited edition gatefold sleeve featuring stills from the accompanying music video.

My collection: 7" single no. 314
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Loving the alien' / 'Don't look down (remixed version)'

Stayin' alive - Bee Gees

Robin Gibb commented about 'Stayin' alive': '[It] is about survival in the big city—any big city—but especially New York.' It was written for the soundtrack of the movie 'Saturday night fever' when it wasn't even ready yet. All the producer of the soundtrack had to go on was that it was a New York story about disco-mania.

The song was not originally supposed to be released as a single, but fans called radio stations and RSO Records immediately after seeing trailers for the movie, in which part of the song was played. The single reached number 1 all over the world, including the USA and the Netherlands. In the UK singles chart, it peaked at number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 1977
Found: October 17, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Stayin' alive' / 'If I can't have you'

Papa Pingouin - Sophie et Magaly

The twin sisters Sophie and Magaly Gilles represented Luxembourg during the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Papa Pingouin'. It is often cited as an example of the strange and naff nature of the Song Contest, because the song was performed with three backing singers dressed in black and white and a man in a penguin costume. The song was written by the prolific duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, who are normally associated with Germany as a composer-lyricist combination.

When original singers Sophie & Magaly signed with Ralph Siegel, they were still minors and their parents were quite ignorant of business dealings in showbiz. A contract was signed between Ralph Siegel and the parents, giving only a very small percentage of the sales to the sisters. They later reported that each of the sisters only got the equivalent of 5000 euros, while more than one million singles wer sold.

Things didn't end well for the two: Magaly contracted HIV in the late Eighties and died of AIDS in April 1996. Sophie suffers from depressions and now lives in the south of France.

My collection: 7" single no. 4404
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Papa pingouin' / 'Tous les enfants du monde'

Highly strung - Spandau Ballet

'Highly strung' was released in the autumn of 1984 as the third single from Spandau Ballet's fourth album 'Parade'.

While the first two singles from the album were top 10 hits in the UK, this single only managed to peak at number 15. In the Dutch Top 40, it fared even less well, stalling at number 32.

My collection: 7" single no. 1224
Found: April 22, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Highly strung' / 'Highly strung (version)'

Human touch - Bruce Springsteen

'Human touch' was released in 1992 as the first single from Bruce Springsteen's album of the same name. The song topped the chart in Norway and was also a top ten hit in many countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, and Switzerland. In the U.S., the song reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while peaking at number 11 in the UK singles chart.

At 6 minutes and 28 seconds, it is quite a lengthy single. Strangely enough, it is actually the longest track on the album that was selected as a single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1616
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 4, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Human touch' / 'Souls of the departed'

Cuts both ways - Gloria Estefan

I've always had mixed feelings about Gloria Estefan and her music. It was always bloody commercial, but then, what does 'commercial' mean? In the end, every artist wants to sell records but no-one really knows why a record sells. So the only reason why Estefan sounds 'commercial' is because her music was so very popular in the late Eighties and early Nineties.

'Cuts both ways' was the fifth and final single from the 1989 album of the same name. The ballad scored reasonably well in the UK and USA, reaching number 15 and 44 respectively. In the UK, the single was released in a limited edition poster bag, which is always a good reason for me to buy a single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1323
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Cuts both ways' / 'You made a fool of me'

Close encounters - Clouseau

The Belgian group Clouseau had a big hit in Belgium and the Netherlands with 'Daar gaat ze' (literally: 'There she goes') in 1990. A year later, they represented Belgium with the song 'Geef het op', while also recording an entire album in English. Their international career was never that big, but it did result in some very nice singles.

'Close encounters' is an English version of 'Daar gaat ze' with different lyrics written by Jan Savenberg from the band, who also wrote the original version. It was taken from the album of the same name, which was released all over Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 1848
Found: January 23, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Close encounters' / 'She's after me'

System addict - Five Star

'System Addict' was released in early 1986 as the seventh and last single from Five Star's debut album 'Luxury of life' (1985). It was becoming a very successful year for the band, as they won a BPI award for 'best group' and this single became their first top 10 hit, peaking at number 3. They would release four more singles in 1986, with all but one reaching the top 10.

'System addict' was remixed and re-released in 2005, but this version did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1759
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'System addict' / 'Pure energy'

Dit is de zender van illegale Joop - Dingetje

If all the visitors of this blog would start sending me free singles, I would be a very happy man indeed. But in fact, one visitor did today: I received this single from Puck. Many thanks for that. (And to everyone else: follow his great example!)

'Dit is de zender van illegale Joop' ('This is illegal Joop broadcasting') was released in 1980, when the practice of setting up small radio stations with the aid of a so-called 27MC was very popular in the Netherlands. Most people used the 27MC to exchange inane rantings, something which is demonstrated quite skillfully on this track. The single became quite popular too: it reached number 27 in the Dutch Top 40 in the spring of 1980.

My collection: 7" single no. 4422
Found: Sassenheim / Den Haag, January 12, 2009
Cost: - (present)
Tracks: 'Dit is de zender van illegale Joop' / 'Dit is de zender van illegale Joop (part 2)'

Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me - U2

'Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me' was originally recorded during the sessions for U2's 1993 album 'Zooropa'. It didn't make it onto the album, but in 1995, it was contributed by the band to the soundtrack of the movie 'Batman forever'. The track was also released as a single. In the UK, a 7" single was released as a limited edition, pressed on red vinyl.

The single reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in the Dutch Top 40. In the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, it got to number 16.

My collection: 7" single no. 2334
Found: HMV, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me' / 'Themes from Batman Forever'

Lullaby - The Cure

The Cure released 'Lullaby' as the first single from their 1989 album 'Disintegration'. The lyric of the song explores the territory of nightmares.

The single reached number 5 in the UK singles chart, becoming their only top 5 hit in the UK to this day. In the Dutch Top 40, 'Lullaby' reached number 9.

My collection: 7" single no. 790
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, April 13, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Lullaby' / 'Babble'