Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich explained that the band wanted to try something new with the idea of a ballad - instead of the standard melodic verse and heavy chorus, the band opted to reverse the dynamic, with heavy, distorted verses and a softer, melodic chorus, played with classical guitars. The song describes a man who never took risks and ultimately regretted it.
The single became another hit for the band, peaking at number 27 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 15 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1553 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 7, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The unforgiven' / 'Killing time'
The proceeds of the very successful album and movie 'Purple rain' enabled Prince to build his recording studio Paisley Park Studios. So what came first, the studio or this song? Well, the song was recorded before 'Purple rain' was completed, so you do the math.
'Paisley Park' was included on Prince's 1985 album 'Around the world in a day'. It has a psychedelic feel, similar to some of The Beatles' later work with echoed guitar and finger cymbals. The lyrics describe a Utopian place that one can feel in their heart, despite the chaos of the world around them. The single reached number 18 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 301 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Paisley Park' / 'She's always in my hair'
I've always considered this EP to be great value for money: not only did you get a double A-side with 'Somebody' and 'Blasphemous rumours', this disc also contained two live tracks, of which especially 'Everything counts' is quite fabulous. The single reached number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.
'Somebody' is a soft, gentle love song in which Martin Gore sings of his desire to find a lover and confidant. The lyric does suggest a hint of sarcasm with the final lines: 'Things like this make me sick. In a case like this, I'll get away with it'. The song was reportedly sung in the studio by Gore without his clothes on.
By contrast, 'Blasphemous rumours' is a loud, angry song. The lyric tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl's failed attempt to kill herself by slitting her wrists. This story is continued when the girl is 18. She renews her faith in God only to be struck by a car, end up on life support, and dying shortly afterwards. The conclusion: 'I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours but I think that God's got a sick sense of humour, and when I die, I expect to find Him laughing.' The song was considered offensive and was banned on some American radio stations. In the UK, although the song was not banned, it also aroused a firestorm of controversy, leading even the Church itself to speak out against the song. Well, of course... God forbid that people would even think about these things!
My collection: 7" single no. 254 Found: Den Haag, 1984 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Somebody', 'Everything counts (live)' / 'Blasphemous rumours', 'Told you so (live)'
Here's another nice track from the Netherlands for your listening pleasure. 'Laat mij maar alleen' ('Just leave me alone') by the Klein orkest ('Little orchestra') is a charming piece of pop from the summer of 1982. Stating 'Even if loneliness is hard, sometimes it's worse when you're together', it's one of those 'Can't live with you, can't live without you' statements, set to upbeat music.
The single reached number 27 in the Dutch Top 40 and was the first of only three hit singles for the group that existed for seven years, between 1978 and 1985.
My collection: 7" single no. 161 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'Laat mij maar alleen' / 'Het leed versierd'
'A groovy kind of love' was written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer Sager. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi. The song was first recorded by Diane & Annita in 1965.
Phil Collins recorded his cover of the song in 1988. He decided to record it when he took a starring role in the film 'Buster', which had a Sixties setting. The song first appeared on the soundtrack of the movie, while it was also released as a single. It hit number 1 in the USA, the UK and the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 799 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 17, 1989 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'A groovy kind of love' / 'Big noise (instrumental)'
Tina Turner was famous for her big hits in the Sixties, but by 1984, she was totally forgotten. She released a new album 'Private dancer' in 1984, from which this single, 'What's love got to do with it' was taken. The song was originally written for the R&B singer Phyllis Hyman.
No-one expected this single to become the great success it became. It reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 15 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1008 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'What's love got to do with it' / 'Don't rush the good things'
Duran Duran's guitarist at the time, Warren Cuccurullo, is credited with developing the instrumentation for 'Come undone', most importantly its guitar hook, which he developed while trying to do a re-interpretation of 'First Impression' from their 1990 album Liberty. The lyrics were written by vocalist Simon Le Bon as a birthday gift for his wife, Yasmin le Bon.
The single reached number 13 in the UK and number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. By contrast, it did not chart in the Netherlands at all.
My collection: 7" single no. 1915 Found: Record fair, May 22, 1993 Cost: 8 guilders Tracks: 'Come undone' / 'Ordinary world (acoustic)'
Although the rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War, Billy Idol reportedly refers to the whiskey brand of the same name, a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled at the Bernheim distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. During an event he attended, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones were taking swigs of 'Rebel Yell'; Billy decided and stated that he would set off to write a 'Rebel Yell' song.
The song was co-written by guitarist Steve Stevens. The instrumental introduction, which sounds like a combination of electric guitar and electronic keyboard, is performed by Stevens on guitar alone, who intended it to sound this way. The single was originally released in 1984, but re-released in a gatefold sleeve in the UK in 1985 and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart on that occasion.
My collection: 7" single no. 1740 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 18, 1992 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Rebel yell' / '(Do not) Stand in the shadows'
As the years went by, it was easy to accuse Janet Jackson of using a formula for her albums: there were always a few ballads, some dance songs and one obligatory rock-oriented track. In the case of her 1989 album 'Rhythm Nation 1814', it was 'Black cat', released as the sixth single from the album.
The B-side of the single features 'The 1814 Megamix'. Remixed by Alan Coulthard, it includes snippets of Jackson's previous hit singles 'Alright', 'Escapade', 'Rhythm nation', and 'Miss you much'.
My collection: 7" single no. 1330 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Black cat' / 'The 1814 Megamix'
'Hello, you fool, I love you'. It was the message Per Gessle's girlfriend left on his piano - and a chorus was born. 'Joyride' was the first single release from Roxette's 1991 album 'Joyride'. The single topped the charts across Europe (including the Netherlands), Australia, Canada and the United States. In the UK, 'Joyride' peaked at number 4.
The B-side, 'Come back (before you leave)', reappeared on Roxette's next album, 'Tourism'.
My collection: 7" single no. 1437 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 26, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Joyride' / 'Come back (before you leave)'
'Change of heart' was the second single taken from Cyndi Lauper's second album, 'True colours' (1986). The Bangles sang background vocals on the track. In the US Billboard Hot 100 chart the single reached number 3. In Europe, audience reaction was much less enthousiastic: in the UK singles chart the single stalled at number 67, whereas it didn't chart in the Netherlands at all.
I had to search for quite a long time for this single: when it was released, it didn't appear in Dutch record shops at all. I found a 12" single a few years later, and only in 1991 I found the single.
My collection: 7" single no. 1483 Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, July 3, 1991 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Change of heart' / 'Witness'
Exactly a year ago, I wrote about the 12" single of 'Un fait divers et rien de plus' by Le Club. As I said then, Le Club was a very anonymous group, which according to the credits of the song consisted of André Monet, Jacky Dieme and Olaf Zalcman.
I bought the 7" single eleven years before the 12" single during a record fair the day before I had a holiday in London. It was like the first course in a six course meal: I spent those days in London visiting numerous record shops.
My collection: 7" single no. 1986 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 17, 1993 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Un fait divers et rien de plus' / 'Un fait divers et rien de plus (remix)'
In the second half of the Eighties, the Dutch band The Nits was lauded by critics and bought by the audience: a perfect combination.
They won an Edison (the Dutch version of the Grammy's) in 1987 after their album 'In the Dutch mountains'. A year later, they released the mini-album 'Hat'. 'The dream' was the first single taken from the album, which peaked at number 26 in the Dutch Top 40. They won another Edison for this album.
My collection: 7" single no. 723 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 24, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The dream' / 'The house'
'So far away' was released as the first single from Dire Straits' 1985 album 'Brothers in arms'. The single reached number 19 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.
The B-side of this single is 'Walk of life', which was subsequently released as the fourth single from the album.
My collection: 7" single no. 908 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'So far away' / 'Walk of life'
'If I say yes' was released in 1986 as the fourth single from Five Star's second album 'Silk and steel'. The single reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, but failed to chart in other territories.
The sleeve of this single featured a few photographs taken during the filming of the accompanying music video. Although Five Star never reached the kind of popularity they found in the UK, it was through music videos that I still got to know most of their singles, as music stations were all broadcasting from the UK.
My collection: 7" single no. 2174 Found: House of Rhythm, London, September 27, 1994 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'If I say yes' / 'Let me down easy'
Albert Hammond was born in London on May 18, 1944. He is one of the more successful songwriters to come out of England during the Sixties and Seventies, and has also enjoyed a long career as a recording artist.
One of his hit singles is the 1974 track 'Air disaster'. It appeared regularly on the radio in the Eighties as a 'golden oldie', which is how I found out about this song. I bought this single at the first opportunity. Perhaps I shouldn't have: in more recent years I have seen this single with a picture sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 307 Found: Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Air disaster' / 'Candle light, sweet candle light'
'Hungry eyes' is a rather unknown single by the British band Sniff 'n' the Tears. Core member of the band is Paul Roberts, who is also a noted painter. He is responsible for much of the band's singles, and it was the sleeve of this single more than anything else that made me buy this single. I liked the picture, and in fact I still do.
The song, meanwhile, is not much to write home about. Maybe that's why it didn't chart in any territory.
My collection: 7" single no. 2592 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, December 30, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Hungry eyes' / 'Fight for love'
'Run for your life' was one of the single releases from Bucks Fizz's third album 'Hand cut'. It suffers from all the hallmarks of Eighties production values: loads of synths, loads of echos and a much too busy arrangement. And still it is a nice pop song, somehow.
The song's lyric talks about feelings of paranoia and insecurity. The single eventually rose to a peak of number 14 in the UK singles chart during a 7 week chart run.
My collection: 7" single no. 3230 Found: London, November 2001 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Run for your life' / 'Shot me through the heart'
It didn't happen very often - even in the UK - that a single was released in two different limited editions, but in the case of the Bangles, it did happen. 'Walking down your street' was first released as a double single featuring the previous single 'Walk like an Egyptian' as disc number 2, but then there was also this edition: a gatefold sleeve with a 'highlights of the year' foldout.
The single peaked at number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 33 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2663 Found: Record fair, June 30, 1996 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Walking down your street' / 'Return post'
Foreigner had a worldwide number 1 hit with 'I want to know what love is', a powerballad written by Mick Jones, with some degree of uncredited contribution by Lou Gramm. It was the first single from their 1984 album 'Agent provocateur'.
The single features backing vocals from the New Jersey Mass Choir, which soon after Foreigner's single topped the charts, released its own, similar-sounding version of the song.
My collection: 7" single no. 250 Found: Wouters, Den Haag, December 1984 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'I want to know what love is' / 'Street thunder'
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich explained that the band wanted to try something new with the idea of a ballad - instead of the standard melodic verse and heavy chorus, the band opted to reverse the dynamic, with heavy, distorted verses and a softer, melodic chorus, played with classical guitars. The song describes a man who never took risks and ultimately regretted it.
