All stood still - Ultravox

After 'Vienna' became a hit in 1981, I became a big fan of the band. This was helped along a bit by the fact that my parents took me on holiday to Vienna for five years between 1980 and 1984. I was impressed with the city, but even more impressed by the views of Ultravox's music video I saw in real life. And then there was the majestic album of the same name, which my sister bought. This is how I knew that the next single, 'All stood still' was almost just as good. Unfortunately, that one was never a hit.

I finally bought the single in 1995. I don't know why I waited so long, I do know I wanted to have it years earlier. But as always, back in 1981 I didn't have the money and in later years I never saw the single. So it was good to finally get hold of it in a second hand shop in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 2348
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'All stood still' / 'Alles klar'

Loreen - Sandra

German singer Sandra released 'Loreen' as the fourth and final single from her second album 'Mirrors'. It was less successful than the three previous singles, but still managed to peak at number 23 in Germany and number 29 in Switzerland.

This 12" single, unfortunately, doesn't contain a remix of the track. It happened more often in the Eighties: a 7" single and a 12" single with exactly the same tracks on them. Well, at least the sleeve and the disc were bigger.

My collection: 12" single no. 313
Found: Record fair, 1994
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Loreen' / 'Don't cry (The breakup of the world)'

Human nature - Michael Jackson

Now that his doctor/quack has been declared guilty of making him 'gone too soon', Michael Jackson can finally rest in relative peace. Although pop stars will never push the daisies without being talked about ad infinitum. I certainly hope the talk will be more about the man's music and less about real or fictitious scandals.

'Human nature' is a good example of what this man could do with his voice and a beautiful melody. It was released in July 1983 as the fifth single from his bestselling album 'Thriller'. It reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 35 in the UK singles chart and number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3532
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, January 9, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Human nature' / 'Baby be mine'

Broken wings - Mr. Mister

'Broken wings' was written by Mr. Mister band members Richard Page and Steve George with lyricist John Lang, who was inspired by a book called 'Broken Wings' written by Kahlil Gibran. The lyrics 'Take these broken wings and learn to fly again' may be a reference to The Beatles' song "Blackbird."

The song's hissing intro was an effect created by the sound of crash cymbal played in reverse. There is a distinct guitar sound in this track thanks to Steve Farris' innovation of the electric guitar, managing to extract a delay effect at an odd timing to create a contrast to the steadiness of the bass and beat. The outro to the song features Page singing very high and lengthy falsetto notes.

The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1985 and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 in January 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 387
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Broken wings' / 'Uniform of youth'

Prove your love - Taylor Dayne

Taylor Dayne released 'Prove your love' as the follow-up to her debut hit single 'Tell it to my heart'. It was another high energy dance track with aggressive vocal delivery.

It peaked at number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1988. It also reached number 8 in the UK singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40, it reached number 6.

My collection: 7" single no. 625
Found: Free Record Shop, July 1988
Cost: 7 guilders
Tracks: 'Prove your love' / 'Upon the journey's end'

Another man - One 2 Many

One 2 Many had a Europe-wide hit with 'Downtown' in 1988. The album 'Mirror' was met with considerably less enthusiasm, and the three following singles went by unnoticed as well. Don't know why, because the sleeve of this single alone would have been reason enough to buy it.

And the song is another Scandinavian slice of pure pop. The mid-tempo track should have done better in the charts than it did.

My collection: 7" single no. 827
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, May 20, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Another man' / 'You're the reason'

When the wind blows - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'When the wind blows' for the animation movie of the same name. It was always one of my favourite Bowie tracks, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this 12" single featuring an extended version of it.

Fortunately this extended version is well executed. The intro is intriguing and the many extra instrumental passages make sure that this extended version is indeed extended. It was a great find at the time, even if the vinyl quality left a bit to be desired.

My collection: 12" single no. 398
Found: Esprit Mailorder, 2000
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'When the wind blows (extended mix)' / 'When the wind blows (instrumental)'

Alright - Janet Jackson

Yesterday Jamaican-born American rapper Heavy D died. Apparently he collapsed outside his Beverly Hills home. After being taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he died as a result from respiratory issues.

Heavy D did a performance both on Michael Jackson's hit single 'Jam' in 1991 and on Janet Jackson's 1990 hit single 'Alright'. Personally I felt that it was a bit of needless talking through otherwise pretty nice pop music, but there you go. This promotional 12" single features no less than eight remixes of 'Alright' - with Heavy D appearing on most of them - plus three versions of 'Come back to me'.

My collection: 12" single no. 604
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Alright (12" house mix)', 'Alright (Hip house dub)', 'Alright (acappella)' / 'Alright (12" R&B mix)', 'Alright (House dub)' // 'Alright (7" house mix with rap)', 'Alright (7" house mix)', 'Alright (7" R&B mix)' / 'Come back to me (I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (Abandoned heart mix)', 'Come back to me (instrumental)'

Just can't get enough - Depeche Mode

'Just can't get enough' was Depeche Mode's third single release, back in September 1981. It was the final single to be written by founder member Vince Clarke, who would leave the band in December 1981. The song was included on the band's first album, 'Speak and spell', which was released a month after the single.

The single reached number 8 on the UK singles chart. It also became the band's first (and biggest) hit in Australia, reaching number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 5220
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Just can't get enough' / 'Any second now'

Prayer for the dying - Seal

The later single 'Kiss from a rose', also from Seal's second album, became a hit after inclusion on the soundtrack of a Batman movie, but this first single, 'Prayer for the dying', went by almost unnoticed.

I was so impressed with the song that I was a bit suspicious of this 12" single featuring remixes of the track. By the early Nineties remixes were rarely an improvement on the original track. But I have to admit that these remixes are pretty good. Daniel Abraham is hardly a well-known remixer, but he really did a good job on this disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 214
Found: Big Company records, London, October 1994
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit Radio edit)' / 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit mix)', 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit instrumental)'

Do it again, a little bit slower - Ricky Wilde

Today Ricky Wilde celebrates his 50th birthday. A good occasion to present one of the singles from his teen years, when he recorded tracks with his father Marty Wilde, under the guidance of record boss Jonathan King.

'Do it again, a little bit slower' was originally recorded in 1967 by Jon & Robin. Several other versions of the song exist, but Ricky recorded his version in 1973. This sleeve comes from the Swedish version of the single; Sweden being the only country where Ricky's singles actually charted despite releases all over Europe. I spotted this copy two weeks ago just in time for this birthday; and I was happy since this is the last Ricky Wilde single I didn't have!

My collection: 7" single no. 5221
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 12 euro
Tracks: 'Do it again, a little bit slower' / 'Love around'

Come back to me - Janet Jackson

When I ordered a copy of this 22 year old 12" single by Janet Jackson, I never in my wildest dreams suspected I would receive a mint copy, still sealed. That's quite rare. It's a consolation for the fact that I searched for the cd-single of this release for years but until now I haven't been able to locate a copy for a reasonable price.

'Come back to me' was released as a single from Janet's 1989 album 'Rhythm nation 1814' and it's one of the most beautiful melodies she has recorded. It's especially nice to hear the instrumental version on this disc. Unfortunately the previously unreleased track 'The skin game part 1' is a bit of a disappointment.

My collection: 12" single no. 598
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Come back to me (7" I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (instrumental)' / 'The skin game part 1', 'The skin game part 1 (instrumental)'

Cambodia - Kim Wilde

Hard to believe, but it's 30 years ago today that Kim Wilde's fourth single 'Cambodia' was released. At the time, I was only 11 years old and although I liked the music, I was a few years away from becoming a Kim Wilde 'fan'. There was a lot of good music around at the time, but this song stood out because of the strange lyrics and the music that was so different from the two previous hits by Kim, 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love' ('Water on glass' never got a full release in the Netherlands).

30 years later, 'Cambodia' has become a classic pop song. The song is still played regularly on the radio and it's one out of two songs by Kim that are always recalled by people from my generation - even those who don't listen to much pop at all. I have several copies of this single although I didn't buy the first one - a German pressing - until 1984, when I had found all the other Kim Wilde singles in the previous year. Back in 1981, I didn't buy new singles as they were too expensive....

My collection: 7" single no. 255
Found: Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Cambodia' / 'Watching for shapes'

You to me are everything (The decade remix) - The Real Thing

The Real Thing originally released 'You to me are everything' in 1976. It reached the top of the charts in the UK in July of that year.

In the Eighties, remixes of old hits were all the rage, and so this old number 1 was up for a remix treatment a decade after its original remix. The label mentions that the remix was created by Froggy, Simon Harris & KC, which makes you wonder how three people couldn't come up with anything more original. Still, even this version reached number 5 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5219
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'You to me are everything (The decade remix)' / 'Foot tappin''

Goodbye stranger - Pepsi & Shirlie

Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque (Born 10 December 1958, Paddington, London) and Shirlie Holliman (born 18 April 1962, Watford, Hertfordshire) made a name for themselves as backing vocalists for Wham! In 1986, when Wham! was about to split up, they started recording singles in their own right.

They released their debut single "Heartache", which was produced by Phil Fearon and Tambi Fernando and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Goodbye Stranger", produced by Fernando and Pete Hammond, reached number 9. Subsequent singles and their debut album 'All right now', released later in the year, flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 5218
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Goodbye stranger' / 'Dreaming'

Bad habits - Jenny Burton

Jenny Burton was born on November 18, 1957 in New York. She was lead singer of the dance music band C-Bank. In 1983 Burton went solo, releasing the album 'In black and white'.

She had her biggest success a year later with the release of her second self-titled album, featuring the hit single 'Bad habits'. This single reached number 68 in the UK Singles chart in March 1985.

My collection: 7" single no. 5217
Found: Kringloop, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Bad habits' / 'Let's get back to love'

Alone without you - King

I wonder if anyone knew what success King would have with their debut album 'Steps in time'. 'Love and pride' became a massive hit in 1984, and subsequent singles also reached the top 40 in the UK. 'Alone without you' was to be their last top 10 hit, a second album followed, and then it was all over for the boys.

'Alone without you' was released on this attractive 12" single with not one, but three remixes of tracks from the album 'Steps in time'. The aforementioned 'Love and pride' appears here in a 'USA Summer mix'.

My collection: 12" single no. 422
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1999
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Alone without you (Scorcher mix)' / 'Love & pride (USA Summer mix)', 'I kissed the spikey fridge (Rock hard mix)'

From a river to a sea - Private Lives

I'm still hoping for a cd release of Private Lives' only album 'Prejudice & Pride'. It has never been issued on cd and not only is it a great album, there are also such great remixes of the singles available.

Take for instance their third single, 'From a river to a sea': not only an extended version and a dub mix of the title track, but also a version of 'Because you're young', an earlier single of the duo. Let's hope Cherry Pop will pick up the hint and start asking for a license for these tracks.

My collection: 12" single no. 597
Found: Discogs.com, received 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'From a river to a sea (version)' / 'Because you're young (version)', 'From a river to a sea (7" mix)', 'From a river to a sea (dub)'

Midnight man - Sandra

By the time German singer Sandra released 'Midnight man', her success had become limited to Central Europe only. She was still making melodious pop songs, but they sounded too much like her early hits, 'Maria Magdalena' and 'In the heat of the night'.

The 12" singles also offered much of the same: extended versions that were simply, well, extended. I have to say that I quite like these mixes, but I guess it wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

My collection: 12" single no. 202
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Midnight man (extended)' / 'Mirror of love'

Loving the alien - David Bowie

When you read articles in the 'serious' music press, there's always a kind of disdain for David Bowie's work in the Eighties. Commercially successful, yes, but artistically doubtful. I happen to disagree: during the Eighties he made some of his most beautiful work, especially the songs created for movie soundtracks such as 'Absolute beginners' and 'When the wind blows', but also this track, 'Loving the alien' from his 1985 album 'Tonight'.

The 12" single was released in a gatefold sleeve that covered in images from the video. A limited edition also included a fold-out poster. The extended dance mix on this disc is actually identical to the album version, but with an added drum break.

My collection: 12" single no. 371
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 2000
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Loving the alien (extended dance mix)' / 'Don't look down (extended dance mix)', 'Loving the alien (extended dub mix)'