Rock to the rhythm of love - Beloved

'Rock to the rhythm of love' was featured on this blog very recently, but yet again I've bought a 12" single of this track. And that's because this version contains different mixes!

This version of the 12" features an extended version of the 'MURK ride' which was featured on that other disc, plus a dub version that's not on that one at all. I would have been even happier if I'd had both discs of this 2 x 12" release, but that would only get me one extra mix - so in a way this was a good deal. However, if anyone can get me the 'C'est la vie power mix' of 'Celebrate your life', please do get in touch...

My collection: 12" single no. 571
Found: Discogs.com, received July 20, 2011
Cost: $6
Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (MURK extended ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Ride to the beat)', 'Celebrate your life (Beats for life)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Shelter me dub)'

Let's wait awhile - Janet Jackson

'I promise, I'll be worth the wait', said Janet Jackson back in 1986 when 'Let's wait awhile' hit the airwaves. We know now that she didn't lie: the many photographs and sexually charged songs she's released since then are evidence of the fact that Janet has left her prude days far behind.

This 12" single features the single remix of 'Let's wait awhile' plus the older remixes of 'Nasty', that were released as a separate 12" single a few months earlier.

My collection: 12" single no. 567
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Let's wait awhile (remix)', 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'

Sweet harmony - Beloved

The Beloved's 'Sweet harmony' was a big hit in 1992, and since the track was quite danceable it was no surprise that there were a few dance mixes. Except they turned out to be more than just 'a few'.

The cd-single of 'Sweet harmony' contained the 'Live the dream mix' and the 'Love the dub mix'. This double 12" single package features 9 (!) versions, of which only the 'Live the dream mix' and the original version are repeats of the cd-single. Not bad.

My collection: 12" single no. 570
Found: Discogs.com, received July 20, 2011
Cost: $8
Tracks: 'Sweet harmony (Live the dream mix)', 'Sweet harmony (Fertility dance mix)', 'Sweet harmony (album version)' / 'Sweet harmony (Sweet sensation mix)',''Sweet harmony (Bittersweet mix)' // 'Sweet harmony (Come together & Consolidate extended mix)', 'Sweet harmony (Come together & Consolidate bonus beats)' / 'Sweet harmony (Tout desuite dub)', 'Sweet harmony (Sweetheart club mix)'

Control - Janet Jackson

Listening to the 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'Control', the title track of her 1986 album, you can't help but notice how dated it all sounds. The big drums, the synthesized music, and even the vocal: here's something at work that needs some more maturity.

'I've got my own life / I wanna make my own decisions', Janet sings in this song. In the decades to come she would do plenty of that. It would lead to many successful albums and singles and some skin-uncovering scandals. But as she says in this song, she was always in control....

My collection: 12" single no. 566
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Control (extended)', 'Control (edit)' / 'Control (dub)', 'Pretty boy'

Rock to the rhythm of love - Beloved

'Rock to the rhythm of love' was a track on the Beloved's 1993 album 'Conscience'. Whereas other singles were released on 7" and cd-single, this one was released on 12" singles only. This copy is a 12" single made in the USA, featuring five mixes of the track.

Two teams worked on the track: The 'South Pacific mix' and the 'Swinging London mix' were made by Adam And Eve, whereas the 'Jungle dub' and the 'MURK ride' were made by Ralph Falcon and Oscar Gaetan.

My collection: 12" single no. 569
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Jungle dub)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Conscience album version)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (The MURK ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Swinging London mix)'

Nasty (Cool summer mix) - Janet Jackson

Following the original 12" single of 'Nasty', A&M records released the 'Cool summer mix' of 'Nasty'. The remix consisted of two parts of roughly eight and ten minutes. If you weren't sick of the track by then, you would be playing it until you were, because it actually is a nice remix.

Part 1 of the remix would appear on 'Control - the remixes', making part 2 quite a rarity.

My collection: 12" single no. 565
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'

Nasty - Janet Jackson

'Nasty' was released as the second single from Janet Jackson's 1986 album 'Control'. There were actually two 12" singles for that release, of which this one was the first. Featuring three remixes, it was a pretty standard package for that point in time: an extended version, an instrumental version and an a capella version made up this disc.

Only the extended version ended up on the album 'Control - the remixes', which was released in 1987.

My collection: 12" single no. 564
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Nasty (extended)' / 'Nasty (instrumental)', 'Nasty (a capella)'

Bright new morning - The Adventures

The beautiful folk-inspired track 'Bright new morning' was lifted from the Adventures' third album 'Trading secrets with the moon' and released as its second single. If there was any justice in the world, this single would have become a massive hit, but like the album it sunk without a trace.

Somehow the band failed to build on the success they'd had with the album 'The sea of love' two years earlier, in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 5190
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Bright new morning' / 'Loves lost town'

Diamonds - Chris Rea

'Diamonds', a single from Chris Rea's 1979 album 'Deltics', sounded a bit crude, not at all like the polished songs he would release during much of the Eighties. Still, it didn't totally put off the record-buying public: the single reached number 44 in the UK singles chart.

One other single was released from the album: 'Raincoat and a rose'. That single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5189
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Diamonds' / 'Cleveland calling'

Kool in the kaftan - B.A. Robertson

Released in February 1980, 'Kool in the kaftan' became B.A. Robertson's third chart hit in the UK. The single reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, but didn't reach the chart in other territories.

The single was released with a 'normal' sleeve and with a gatefold 'popup' sleeve. I bought the latter. The inner sleeve shows a hand with the 'V' sign.

My collection: 7" single no. 5088
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Kool in the kaftan' / 'Baby I'm a bat'

Outer space girl - The Beloved

The uplifting dance music from The Beloved went mainstream when they had a hit with 'Sweet harmony'. Shortly thereafter, they went back underground, as the follow-up singles 'You got me thinking' and 'Outer space girl' didn't get the same kind of treatment from the fickle audience.

Still, 'Outer space girl' in particular is a beautiful piece of electronic dance music that still sounds about as fresh as it did when it was first released. This double 12" single package is a varied ensemble of mixes: some are faithful to the original tracks, and some are not. It never bores, which is quite rare for dance mixes.

My collection: 12" single no.
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, July 9, 2011
Cost: 3,8 euro
Tracks: 'Outerspace girl (Space cadet mix)', 'Outerspace girl' / 'Outerspace girl (Organism mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Space hopper mix)' // 'Outerspace girl (Destination moon mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Instrumental mix)' / 'Outerspace girl (Lost in bass mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Space dust mix)'

What have you done for me lately - Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson shot to fame when she released 'What have you done for me lately', the first single from her third album 'Control', in 1986. Although I liked the song, it took some time for me to buy the 7" single because by the time it finished its chart run, I was pretty sick of it.

The 12" single took me even longer: a quarter of a century. Now that I bought it, I had the bad luck of getting a copy with a slight damage on the disc. The perils of mail order...

My collection: 12" single no. 563
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1,95 euro
Tracks: 'What have you done for me lately (extended)' / 'What have you done for me lately (dub)', 'What have you done for me lately (acapella)'

R.S.V.P. - Five Star

Next week my friend Puck is celebrating his birthday. On his wish list was a cd by Five Star, so I thought that would be a good occasion to dig out this 12" single with versions of one of their lesser known hits, 'R.S.V.P.'

Released in 1985 as a single from their album 'Luxury of life', the track was written by Paul Gurvitz and remixed by John Morales. This 12" single features three remixes of 'R.S.V.P. plus two B-side tracks.'

My collection: 12" single no. 562
Found: [unknown]
Cost: [unknown]
Tracks: 'R.S.V.P. (Remix s'il vous plait)', 'R.S.V.P. (Original Philly mix)' / 'R.S.V.P. (Urban remix)', 'Love games', 'Say goodbye'

Let it loose - Chris Rea

'Let it loose' was recorded by Chris Rea for the soundtrack of the movie 'Cross country'. The track also appeared on his 1983 album 'Water sign'.

Released as a single in February 1983, it only reached number 85 in the UK singles chart. At the time, the record company was barely interested in working with Rea, to a point that his album 'Water sign' was basically a collection of demos.

My collection: 7" single no. 5172
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Let it loose' / 'Urban samurai'

Tokyo nights - Bee Gees

'Tokyo nights' was released as the third single from the Bee Gees 1989 album 'One', but in Europe only. In America, the track 'Bodyguard' was released as a single instead.

The single was not a commercial success; as far as I know it didn't chart in any territory.

My collection: 7" single no. 5139
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Tokyo nights' / 'Will you ever let me'

One - Bee Gees

'One' is the second international single (and lead single in the U.S.) from the Bee Gees' 1989 album of the same name. This was the song that returned the Bee Gees back to American radio and would turn out to be their biggest US hit in the 1980s. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989, and it stayed in the Top 40 for ten weeks.

Over in Europe, the single didn't do as well: it only reached number 37 in Germany, number 26 in Belgium and number 71 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5135
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'One' / 'Flesh and blood'

Halleluja - The Bunker Boys

Some single releases are just ill-advised. Take for instance this single by the Belgian Bunker Boys. Released in 1979 on the unknown (and probably self-financed) Velpia Records label, it was a cover of that year's Eurovision winner 'Halleluja'. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful melody, but this instrumental version does not do any justice to it.

The Bunker Boys sound like a bunch of amateurs who by some freak of circumstances managed to get their rehearsals recorded and splurged out on vinyl. Well, it's a novelty record and a Eurovision cover - amusing enough to want to hear once.

My collection: 7" single no. 5186
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Hallelujah' / 'Espagnola'

I can't help it - Andy Gibb & Olivia Newton-John

In 1979, Andy Gibb performed along with the Bee Gees, ABBA, and Olivia Newton-John at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly, which was broadcast worldwide. After this, he returned to the studio to begin recording sessions for his final full studio album, 'After Dark'.

In March 1980, the last of Gibb's top 10 singles charted just ahead of the album's release: 'Desire'. A second single, 'I can't help it', a duet with family friend Olivia Newton-John, reached the top 20.

My collection: 7" single no. 5144
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I can't help it' / 'Someone I ain't'

I see a star - Mouth & MacNeal

Besides the Dutch version 'Ik zie een ster', Mouth & MacNeal also released the English version of their 1974 Eurovision Song Contest entry as a single in Europe. In the case of the Belgian pressing, the sleeve was a variation on the Dutch one, making it quite a beautiful set.

'I see a star' actually became a hit in the UK, peaking at number 8 in the singles chart during the summer of 1974. They remained one hit wonders in that country though: follow-up singles never charted.

My collection: 7" single no. 5183
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'I see a star' / 'My friend'

Ik zie een ster - Mouth & MacNeal

'Ik zie een ster' is the original Dutch version of the 1974 Eurovision entry by Mouth and MacNeal, 'I see a star'. Although they performed the song in English during the Contest - as a result of relaxed language rules - this single contains a version entirely in Dutch.

The song was released as a single in the Netherlands in March 1974 and reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. That's quite remarkable, as 'I see a star' finished third during the Contest as well. This Belgian pressing features a much more beautiful sleeve than the Dutch pressing.

My collection: 7" single no. 5184
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ik zie een ster' / 'Liefste'