Mama - Genesis

'Mama' was written and recorded by Genesis on their 1983 album 'Genesis'. Phil Collins commented at the time: 'Our manager, when he first heard it, thought it was about abortion, the kind of feeling of the foetus saying to the mother 'Please give me a chance, can't you feel my heart, don't take away my last chance'. All those lyrics are in the song but in fact what it is, is just about a young teenager that's got a mother fixation with a prostitute that he's just happened to have met in passing and he has such a strong feeling for her and doesn't understand why she isn't interested in him.'

Most people remember the song for Phil Collins' sinister laugh halfway through. Producer Hugh Padgham revealed that the inspiration for the laugh came from rap music pioneer Grandmaster Flash's song 'The Message'. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 213
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Mama' / 'It's gonna get better'

1999 / Little red corvette - Prince

'1999' was recorded by Prince on his 1982 album of the same name. Prince shares lead vocals on the track with members of his band The Revolution, namely Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones. Originally conceived to be a three-part harmony, it was later decided to separate out the voices that started each verse. It was released as a single in the same year, launching Prince to superstardom along the way.

On New Year's Eve 1999, Prince (his stage name at that time still being an unpronounceable symbol) held a concert entitled 'Rave un2 the year 2000' at his Paisley Park Studios Soundstage, and he later vowed never to play it again. However, in August 2007, as part of his Earth Tour, he reintroduced the song to his set after an absence of eight years.

My collection: 7" single no. 2908
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 1997
Cost: 50p
Tracks: '1999' / 'Little red corvette'

How many lies - Spandau Ballet

'How many lies' was released in early 1987 as the third and final single from Spandau Ballet's 1986 album 'Through the barricades'. The single featured a live version of 'Communication', recorded at the NEC in Birmingham on the B-side.

The single reached number 34 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40. While the band was traditionally also successful in Australia and Germany, 'How many lies' did not chart in these countries.

My collection: 7" single no. 2603
Found: Record fair, January 27, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'How many lies?' / 'Communication (live)'

Bailemos un vals - José Vélez

José Vélez was born as José Velásquez Jiménez, November 15, 1951 in Telde, Gran Canaria. He started his career in music in the late Sixties as a member of the Grupo Marabilla. He started a solo career after the group dissolved.

He represented Spain during the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Bailmos un vals' ('Let's dance a Waltz'). The song was written by Manuel de la Calva and Ramón Arcusa, the team beind Massiel's winning entry in the 1968 Contest, 'La la la'. It ended up ninth in a field of 20 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4403
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Bailemos un vals' / 'Por que te fuiste 'pa'?'

Ik ben de man - Raymond van het Groenewoud

I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but in hindsight I wonder if it was really a good idea to accept this single into my collection: I never played it besides the time I got it and now for this blog. 'Ik ben de man' ('I am the man') by Belgian single Raymond van het Groenewoud is a nice song, but it's nothing remarkable.

I got it from the shop owner at the shop where I went to get my weekly chart singles back in 1990. It was probably the only way for him to get rid of these singles, as they didn't sell at all. Six months later, Van het Groenewoud would have his first and only number 1 hit in the Netherlands with 'Liefde voor muziek' ('Love for music').

My collection: 7" single no. 1271
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, July 28, 1990
Cost: -
Tracks: 'Ik ben de man' / 'Geen boodschap'

Red letter day - China Crisis

I don't know if Valentine's day qualifies as a red letter day, but it's Sunday today, so what the heck. Here's a special song for the occasion: China Crisis's 'Red letter day'. It was released as the second single from their 1989 album 'Diary of a hollow horse'. A special treat on this single is the acoustic version of the title track of that album, as it's been so beautifully done. I actually like the acoustic version better than the original version.

The single was not a hit in the UK, despite its special packaging: the single was housed in a special outer sleeve: a red envelope.

My collection: 7" single no. 995
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Red letter day' / 'Diary of a hollow horse (acoustic)'

Love take over - Five Star

I don't think anyone remembers the band The Limit. They had a hit in 1985 with the track 'Say yeah'. (And no, I don't have it either.) The Limit consisted of Rob van Schaik and Bernard Oates, and they also wrote 'Love take over' for Five Star.

'Love take over' was released as the fifth single from Five Star's debut album 'Luxury of life'. It reached number 25 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2409
Found: Record fair, 1994
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Love take over' / 'Keep in touch'

For your babies - Simply Red

In 1991, Simply Red released the album 'Stars'. It was arguably one of their best selling albums, also yielding five singles. The third single was 'For your babies', a midtempo track written and composed by Mick Hucknall.

The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in Ireland. It did not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1582
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 10, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'For your babies' / 'For your babies (Edition Français)'

The good times - José

José had two solo hits under her belt (with 'I will follow him' and 'Secret love') when she released her fourth solo single 'The good times'. It was a new track, composed by Piet Souer, with a lot of the trademarks of the two previous singles: a bright production, an upbeat sound and a recognisable melody.

However, it was not a cover version and it seemed like José could only have a hit with cover versions: 'The good times' did not chart in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 168
Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The good times' / 'Say no more'

Wrapped around your finger - The Police

The Police created an impressive music video for 'Wrapped around your finger'. They performed the song in a candle-lit room, interspersed with scenes of Sting running among several tall candlesticks carefully arranged in a sort of maze. The video suited the song very well.

'Wrapped around your finger' is a tale of an apprentice who seeks esoteric wisdom under the tutelage of an erotic teacher, eventually superseding the mentor to become the master. Like other Police songs from this period, it features mythological and literary references, notably to the Scylla and Charybdis monsters of Greek mythology, and the German legend of Faust. The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart, number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 495
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Wrapped around your finger' / 'Someone to talk to'

Anything for you - Gloria Estefan

'Anything for you' was recorded by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. Such was the success of this single, that the album 'Let it loose' whence it came from was repackaged and renamed 'Anything for you' at the time of its release.

The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 744
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 11, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Anything for you' / 'Anything for you (English/Spanish version)'

Butterfly on a wheel - The Mission

The history of the bands All about Eve and The Mission has been intertwined from the very beginning. Mission frontman Wayne Hussey sang backing vocals on some tracks on All about Eve's debut album, whereas Julianne Regan from All about Eve sang backing vocals on the Mission's 'Severina'.

Also, Regan was in a relationship with Mission guitarist Simon Hinkler for some time. When the couple broke up, it inspired Hussey to write 'Butterfly on a wheel'. The track was featured on the Mission's album 'Carved in sand' and was released as a single just before the end of 1989. It reached number 12 in the UK singles chart in January 1990.

My collection: 7" single no. 1165
Found: Free Record Shop, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Butterfly on a wheel' / 'The grip of disease'

Kinder dieser Welt - Gary Lux

Gary Lux was born in Ontario, Canada, but returned to live in Austria with his parents during his childhood. He represented Austria during the Eurovision Song Contest on six occasions, first as a member of the group Westend in 1983 and as a backing singer in 1984, 1993 and 1995. Only in 1985 and 1987 he was the starring performer.

His 1985 entry was 'Kinder dieser Welt' ('Children of the world'). The song finished eighth in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4469
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received January 28, 2010
Cost: 1,8 euro
Tracks: 'Kinder dieser Welt' / 'Kino'

Linda - Frank Boeijen Groep

Frank Boeijen has often expressed that he regretted recording 'Linda'. There was some pressure from the record company to finally come up with a hit single, and this repetitive piece of Dutch pop did the trick. The line 'Linda / Ik wil alles voor je doen' ('Linda / I'd do anything for you') is repeated more than a dozen times, and the verses are not very imaginative either.

'Linda', released in May 1983, reached number 28 in the Dutch Top 40 and gave the Frank Boeijen Groep their first hit single.

My collection: 7" single no. 348
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Linda' / 'Nachtportier'

Light of the world - Kim Appleby

This 12" single is a good example of how a 12" single should be. Kim Appleby released 'Light of the world' as the first single from her second album 'Breakaway' and had several remixers do their job on this track. The result is three different remixes of 'Light of the world'.

The first remix is made by Phil Kelsey, who would also remix Kim Wilde's 'If I can't have you' that same year. The second remix is an extended version of the single version, while the third remix is made by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, long standing Stock Aitken & Waterman collaborators. At over 20 minutes, this is a good package for your money.

My collection: 12" single no. 527
Found: London, 1994
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Light of the world (Phil Kelsey remix)' / 'Light of the world (extended mix)', 'Light of the world (Harding & Curnow remix)'

The hollow man - Marillion

After trying and failing to reach a wider audience with Holidays in Eden, Marillion figured it was time to go back to their roots and make a more progressive rock-oriented album again. The result was 'Brave', a concept album based on a news story Steve Hogarth heard on the radio about a girl who was taken into police custody after being found wandering the Severn Bridge. She did not know who she was, where she came from and refused to even speak. This inspired Hogarth to write a fictional story about this girl and what might have led to her being on Severn Bridge in this state.

'Brave' was not a hit album because of EMI's lack of promotion and the fact that it had no real single potential. However, three singles were released: 'The great escape', 'The hollow man' and 'Alone again in the lap Of luxury'. 'The hollow man' was the most successful of the three, peaking at number 30 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2083
Found: UK, received March 26, 1994
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The hollow man' / 'Brave'

Fields of gold - Sting

Although 'Fields of gold' was covered by Eva Cassidy and reportedly brought many people to tears, it still is a bit of an overlooked Sting classic. He wrote and recorded the track on his 1993 album 'Ten summoner's tales'. It was released as the third single from the album that year.

The single reached number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 52 in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 2392
Found: Marlyn Music, Eastbourne, July 5, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Fields of gold' / 'We work the black seam'

Come closer - Renée

'Come closer' is another single by the Dutch band Renée that didn't make the Dutch Top 40. Not that the track wasn't promoted: several television appearances have survived the three decades since its release (see here and here).

I didn't like the song when it came out, but I appreciated it more in hindsight. This is why I bought the single 20 years after its original release.

My collection: 7" single no. 3272
Found: November 10, 2000
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Come closer' / 'It's absurd'

Right by your side - Eurythmics

One of the most successful collaborations in Eighties pop is the Eurythmics. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox were continually changing their sound, releasing one hit single after another. 'Right by your side' was lyrically and sonically different from past single releases from the band. The track is an uptempo love song featuring calypso music, synthesized steel drum and marimba sounds as well as a horn section.

The track was released as the second single from Eurythmics' third album 'Touch'. It reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3097
Found: House of Rhythm, London, May 13, 1999
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Right by your side' / 'Right by your side (Party mix)'

So natural - Lisa Stansfield

After the big success of her first two albums and the track 'In all the right places' for the soundtrack of the movie 'Indecent proposal', Lisa Stansfield released her third solo album 'So natural' in 1993. It was her very first musical work almost entirely realized by the singer herself along with her husband and collaborator Ian Devaney. Previously, the pair had worked in a trio with Andy Morris, but he only shared writing credits on three tracks on this album.

It's all speculation whether this is really the cause, of course, but without Morris, Stansfield had a hard time maintaining her commercial success. The title track was released as a single, which reached number 15 in the UK singles chart but failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1994
Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'So natural' / 'So natural (Roger's club mix)'