Donna Summer's 1987 album 'All systems go' spawned the hit single 'Dinner with Gershwin', but the other singles from the album were less successful. 'Only the fool survives', a duet with Mickey Thomas, only reached number 40 in Canada, and this single, the title track from the album, only charted in the UK, peaking at number 54.
'All systems go' - the song - is a repetitive affair, particularly at the end where it seems the lyricist simply ran out of ideas. Donna Summer repeats the title of the track ad nauseum.
My collection: 7" single no. 5070 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'All systems go' / 'Bad reputation'
Buying records can be a bit like hunting in the wild. (Not that I ever did the latter, but anyway.) You see a prey, it escapes, you wait for it... and wait for it... and when you see it again, you snap it up. It's a bit like this with this single. My sister bought this limited edition with a poster bag way back in 1987 during a holiday in London. I didn't buy it at the time for lack of money, and then of course this edition never showed up again...
...until now. The good thing is, because of a little damage on the front it wasn't sold for a fortune, and so I could actually get it for very little money. The benefits of waiting 24 years, I guess.
My collection: 7" single no. 5067 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'If I was your girlfriend' / 'Shockadelica'
Commenting on the track in interview, Stevie Nicks says that 'Sara' is about her best friend Sara Recor Fleetwood, the wife of Mick Fleetwood. Nicks had an affair with Mick Fleetwood in early 1978 while he was married to Jenny Boyd. Then her best friend, model Sara Recor, fell for Fleetwood and began an affair with him whilst Nicks and Fleetwood were still together. The pair ultimately moved in together, and were subsequently married. Nicks felt very betrayed, but Recor and Fleetwood were undeniably in love. Sara claims that Nicks was never upset with her, only with Fleetwood.
The song originally had many more verses and ran for 16 minutes in demo form, according to Nicks, and referenced all Fleetwood Mac band members. The song was a commentary on all the tangled relationships and love affairs that were occurring in 1977-1978, but the final recorded version omitted most of this and focused on the triangle between Nicks, Fleetwood and Recor. The song remains one of the standout track of the band's 1979 album 'Tusk' and although I didn't have this single until now, I've always wanted to have it!
My collection: 7" single no. 5066 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Sara' / 'That's enough for me'
Released as a single from their 1987 album 'E.S.P.', 'Angela' was not the Bee Gees' most inspired song, nor was it very successful: released exclusively on mainland Europe, it only reached number 52 in the German singles chart.
However, if this song didn't turn you on - which I have to admit, it did me - the single was worth getting for the B-side: an extended version of the album's standout track 'You win again'. This remix was previously released on the 12" single of 'You win again' (which was released as the first single from 'E.S.P.') but obviously a 7" single was a lot cheaper... and it certainly was now.
My collection: 7" single no. 5065 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Angela' / 'You win again (extended version)'
There is no information on this single about the year of release, but several internet sources put this single in the year 1977. It makes sense: at the height of the disco era, pretty young girls were coupled to cheesy disco anthems or disco covers of wellknown songs. In this case, it's the latter: a version of a song originally recorded by Abba.
'Nina pretty ballerina' was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and recorded by the Swedish pop group in 1973. Released as a single in France and Austria only, it reached number 8 in Austria. This cover version was less successful: as far as I could find out, it didn't chart. However, the girls did make an appearance in the German music show Musikladen...
My collection: 7" single no. 5064 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Nina, pretty ballerina' / 'Sweet night of love'
'Love to hate you' was released as the second single from Erasure's 1991 album 'Chorus'. It is one of Erasure's most successful singles on the UK singles chart, peaking at number 4. It also reached number 19 in the German singles cra tand number 4 in Sweden.
It is one of those singles that has been missing from my collection for inexplicable reasons. At the time, I bought the cd-single, and in subsequent years I never realised I never bought the 7" vinyl version. It's always nice to make good on such an omission.
My collection: 7" single no. 5063 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love to hate you' / 'Vitamin C'
The Flying Pickets came up with the then novel concept of transferring the art of a cappella to the pop music scene. The members of the group were internationally renowned for their flamboyant appearance: Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripe's thick eye-liner, and four others showing off gaudy suits and large hats.
'Only you', their debut single, was a cover of the track by Yazoo and became the UK Christmas number one in 1983, spending a total of five weeks at the top, and also doing well around Europe and in Canada.
My collection: 7" single no. 5062 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Only you' / 'Disco down'
Collecting Boney M singles has become a very amusing pastime for me. The original singles from the Seventies are all in my collection, but in the second half of the Eighties an endless stream of remixes was apparently released on single. I have already found a couple of these (and you can see them on this blog here), but yet another one turned up.
This one is the 'Lambada remix' of 'Malaika'. It was not a very commercial song to begin with, and this remix doesn't help matters much. There isn't a lot of Lambada in this remix and the added beats don't get one on their dancing feet. Well, at least the B-side is more interesting: a Nineties remix of that song that started it all, 'Baby do you wanna bump'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5061 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Malaika (Lambada remix)' / 'Baby do you wanna bump (Remix for the 90's)'
The duo David van Day and Thereza Bazar had a rather stormy career in the first half of the Eighties, then broke up after relations between the two became increasingly strained. In 1986 they reformed and had a big hit with a cover of the Erasure track 'Oh l'amour'.
The group then hit a stumbling block in deciding on a follow-up and past ill-feeling between the pair was rising again. Six months later they finally released another single, 'It's nature's way', but it was to be their last release as the single flopped and work on a possible album had been long delayed. In late 1988, Dollar disbanded again.
My collection: 7" single no. 5060 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'It's nature's way (No problem)' / 'Dia y noche'
I'm not ashamed to admit that photography is one of the reasons I like Belinda Carlisle's singles so much. She's always managed to find the right photographer to put her on the cover of her singles - and this one is a good example of that.
That's not to say that 'World without you' is a bad song: it's very pleasant pop, written by one of America's most famous writers, Diane Warren. Okay, it's a bit formulaic, but most of Carlisle's songs have that quality to them: formulaic pop, delivered with that strange voice that is a mix between a sheep and a nasal whistle-tone. The single reached number 34 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5059 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'World without you' / 'Nobody owns me'
Limahl is forever associated to his band Kajagoogoo and his dodgy haircut. But people tend to forget that he's also had a solo career with considerable success, mostly in central Europe. And he's made some very nice pop tunes too.
'Inside to outside' was released in 1986 as the follow-up to 'Love in your eyes', a track from his second solo album 'Colour all my days'. The single reached number 57 in the German singles chart - and actually his last chart hit in that country until now.
My collection: 7" single no. 5058 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Inside to outside' / 'Shock'
Every now and then I play an old cd that's been orphaned in my collection. A few weeks ago I took out the greatest hits collection of the Fine Young Cannibals, and the standout track on that, I felt, was their version of 'Suspicious minds'. I never liked this track much in the past, but things change. The hysterical backing vocals by Jimmy Somerville add a certain something to this track. I decided I had to buy the single after all these years.
'Suspicious minds' was a hit in the UK, peaking at number 8. The track was also used in the cult films 'Dangerously close' and 'Down twisted'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5057 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Suspicious minds' / 'Prick up your ears'
'Heavenly Action' was released in November 1985 as Erasure's second single. Released after 'Who needs love like that', it was another commercial failure for the duo. In the UK it is still their lowest charting single, peaking as it did at number 100.
The song was later included on the duo's debut album Wonderland, released in June 1986. This German pressing is a limited edition on red vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 5056 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Heavenly action' / 'Don't say no'
When Siobhan Fahey left Bananarama some might have thought she would disappear into nothingness, but nothing was further from the truth: within months she set up Shakespear's sister together with Marcella Detroit and the duo released a couple of very successful and artistically interestig albums.
Their debut single, released in 1988, was 'Break my heart', a track that would also appear on their debut album in 1989. Siobhan Fahey wanted 'Heroine' to be the group's debut single, but her label was not convinced it was a strong enough single, and instead opted for 'Break my heart'. It didn't matter much: the single flopped anyway. Thankfully, later singles would be more successful.
My collection: 7" single no. 5055 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Break my heart' / 'Heroine'
In August 1981, Bowie had begun rehearsals to appear in the BBC version of Bertolt Brecht's play 'Baal'. The lyrics to the songs were all translated by Ralph Manheim and John Willett. Dominic Muldowney provided all new musical settings, except for 'The drowned girl', which was a setting by Kurt Weill done originally for Das Berliner Requiem. In September 1981, Bowie and Tony Visconti returned to the Hansa studios in Berlin to re-record the five songs Baal performed in the play.
'Baal’s Hymn' is a combination of the vignettes spread throughout the play, and establishes Baal’s amoral character. 'Remembering Marie A' concerns Baal’s reminiscences of a past conquest, where he can remember a cloud drifting overhead, but not the face of the girl he was with. 'Ballad of the Adventurers' is Baal’s aggressive lament to the death of his mother. 'The Drowned Girl' relates the suicide of one of Baal’s conquests. 'The Dirty Song' is a short number, with Baal humiliating his lover Sophie.
Bowie's performance as Baal was broadcast on February 2, 1982, and RCA issued the EP to coincide with this. Both the play and EP were well received, with the latter reaching number 29 in the UK chart, which was a high placing considering the unconventional tracks. The 7" single comes packaged in a double gatefold sleeve containing extensive notes pertaining to the musical content and a short biography of Bertolt Brecht. This EP was Bowie’s final new release for RCA Records. Bowie's next release was issued by EMI. The EP was re-released as a digital download in 2007.
My collection: 7" single no. 5054 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Baal's hymn', 'Remembering Marie A.' / 'Ballad of the adventurers', 'The drowned girl', 'The dirty song'
Giorgio Moroder made a restoration and new edit of 'Metropolis', the 1927 movie by Fritz Lang. Moroder’s version of the film introduced a new contemporary pop music soundtrack for the film. Although it restored a number of previously missing scenes and plot details from the original release (in particular, Moroder's version restores the character of Hel, who was omitted from the original release version of the film), his version of the film runs to only 80 minutes in length, compared to the original 153 minute version.
The lead single for the soundtrack was Freddie Mercury's 'Love kills', a Moroder-produced track that sounded very similar to Queen tracks that were released around the same time. The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in Ireland. It also reached the charts around Europe, but peaking at lower positions.
My collection: 7" single no. 5053 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love kills' / 'Rotwang's party (Robot dance)' (Giorgio Moroder)
In 1992, Erasure released the Abba-esque EP, featuring four covers of Abba songs. All formats were released with four tracks on them, so one would think no other formats would exist.
But here it is: a Spanish promotional one-track single, featuring the track 'Take a chance on me'. Probably worth something to a Erasure fan, but I just happened to stumble across this copy while browsing the racks.
My collection: 7" single no. 5052 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Take a chance on me'
Freda Charcilia Payne was born on September 19, 1945. She's an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, 'Band of Gold'. The song, written by the famous writing team Holland-Dozier-Holland, tells a story of a recently married woman whose husband is incapable of loving her (even though he tried), resulting in the couple sleeping in separate rooms on their honeymoon, to her dismay. It would appear that the marriage ended in the husband's abandoning his bride, leaving her with no more than the titular 'band of gold'.
The single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and remains a wellknown classic to this day.
My collection: 7" single no. 5051 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Band of gold' / 'The easiest way to fall'
'We'll live it all again' (Italian title: 'Noi lo rivivremo di nuovo') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed in Italian and English by Al Bano & Romina Power. So far, this the country's only ever entry not to be sung entirely in Italian (although this year's entry will also be in English, I understand).
Bano and Power also recorded the song in French, entitled 'T'aimer encore une fois'. This single contains the original English/Italian version and the French version. At the close of voting, the duo's song had received 69 points, placing 7th in a field of 18 contenders.
My collection: 7" single no. 5050 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'T'aimer encore une fois' / 'We'll live it all again'
In 1974, France did not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Still, here it is: a single of the 1974 entry by Dani. How come?
France had been going to enter the contest with the song 'La vie à vingt-cinq ans' by Dani, but they withdrew after the French President, Georges Pompidou, died during the week before the contest. Since his funeral was held the day of the contest, it was deemed inappropriate for the French to take part. Dani was seen by viewers in the audience at the point the French song should have been performed, after the Irish and before the German entry.
My collection: 7" single no. 5049 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'La vie a 25 ans' / 'Pour que ça dure'
Donna Summer's 1987 album 'All systems go' spawned the hit single 'Dinner with Gershwin', but the other singles from the album were less successful. 'Only the fool survives', a duet with Mickey Thomas, only reached number 40 in Canada, and this single, the title track from the album, only charted in the UK, peaking at number 54.
