Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder

'Sir Duke' was written and recorded by Stevie Wonder in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Wonder had already experienced the passing of two of his idols (Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery) after attempting to collaborate with them. After Ellington died in 1974, Wonder wanted to write a song acknowledging musicians he felt were important. He later said, 'I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us. So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation.'

Released as a single from Stevie Wonder's 1976 album 'Songs in the key of life' in 1977, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5281
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Sir Duke' / 'He's misstra know it all'

Don't forget to remember - Bee Gees

When you take a look at the sleeve of this single, you might think that the Bee Gees went all religious in 1969. However, the title 'Don't forget to remember the Lord' is just a case of bad sleeve design. In fact it's a combination of the two song titles included in this package.

'Don't forget to remember' is a country ballad from the Bee Gees, taken from the album 'Cucumber Castle'. The single was a number 1 hit in the Dutch Top 40 in September 1969. In the UK singles chart, the song peaked at number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 5282
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 29, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Don't forget to remember' / 'The Lord'

An Englishman in New York - Sting

'Englishman in New York' was taken from Sting's 1987 album 'Nothing like the sun'. The 'Englishman' in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp. Sting wrote the song not long after Crisp moved from London to an apartment in New York's Bowery. Crisp had remarked jokingly to the musician 'that he looked forward to receiving his naturalization papers so that he could commit a crime and not be deported.'

The song was released as a single in 1988, but only reached number 51 on the UK singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40 it was considerably more successful, peaking at number 9.

My collection: 7" single no. 5280
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'An Englishman in New York' / 'Ghost in the strand'

Driftin' - Alessi

Although the Alessi brothers had only one significant hit in Europe with 'Oh Lori', they released several other singles and albums between 1977 and 1982. 'Driftin'' was released in 1978 as a single from their third album, also called 'Driftin''.

In the 2000s they resumed their touring and album recording career as a duo, with the release of two new albums as Alessi, and also as part of group Barnaby Bye.

My collection: 7" single no. 5279
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Driftin'' / 'Just can't stop it'

Killer / Papa was a rollin' stone - George Michael

After Freddie Mercury died in November 1991, the remaining members of Queen staged a charity concert at Wembley Stadium in London with several pop and rock icons taking the place of Freddie and performing his vocals. After the concert, the EP 'Five live' was released to further benefit the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

From this EP, only 'Somebody to love' and 'These are the days of our live' were performed during the tribute concert. The other three live tracks were recorded during George Michael's 'Cover to cover tour' from 1991. The medley of 'Killer' and 'Papa was a rollin' stone' was one of them, and it was remixed by PM Dawn for this 12" single.

My collection: 12" single no. 620
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Killer/Papa was a rollin' stone (PM Dawn remix)' / 'Killer/Papa was a rollin' stone (PM Dawn remix instrumental)'

Under the moon of love - Showaddywaddy

The Seventies group Showaddywaddy had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the Fifties and early Sixties. These cover versions included 'Three steps to heaven' (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), 'Heartbeat' (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly) and 'Under the moon of love' (originally a US hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce).

The Mike Hurst-produced version of that latter song spent three weeks at the top of the UK singles chart in December 1976. In the Dutch Top 40, the single peaked at number 3 in early 1977.

My collection: 7" single no. 5278
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Under the moon of love' / 'Showboat'

Hit me! - Shirley-Jane

Shirley Mescher was born in Den Haag, Netherlands in 1963 and first made a name for herself as part of the group Music Hall. In 1983, they released the single 'Voulez-vous danser?'. Shirley then became a playmate in the magazine Playboy. She appeared on the front cover of the April 1985 issue.

Back to music, Shirley became part of the duo Fresh in 1987. Together with Ingrid Brans she recorded a cover of 'Summer in the city'. After that single flopped, Ingrid moved on to the successful Dutch trio Barbarella and Shirley went solo as Shirley-Jane. Her first outing was this single: 'Hit me!', a cover of the infamous single by Ian Dury. Despite the sexy cover and the half-decent cover version, it wasn't a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5277
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hit me!' / 'This night'

Disco tango - Tommy Seebach

Tommy Seebach did his first of three performances at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 with 'Disco tango'. The song was well received and ended up in sixth place out of 19 competitors. It became a major hit in Denmark and other European countries.

Seebach later became one of those tragic Eurovision heroes, as his other performances were less successful: 'Krøller eller ej' ended up in 11th place in 1981, and 'Under stjernerne på himlen' only reached 22nd place in 1993. The poor result meant that Denmark did not qualify for the ESC 1994, and Seebach was widely criticized, and never competed again. Seebach passed away on March 31, 2003 after a heart attack.

My collection: 7" single no. 5276
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Disco Tango (English Grand Prix version)' / 'Disco Tango (Danish Grand Prix version)'

Lookin' out - Time Bandits

'Lookin' out' was released in 1982 as the third single from the Time Bandits' self-titled debut album. Like most of the Time Bandits' material, the song was co-written by the band's singer and frontman Alides Hidding.

The single didn't reach the Dutch Top 40. New hits would follow when the band released their second album in 1983.

My collection: 7" single no. 5275
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Lookin' out' / 'In town'

Lay all your love on me - The Bank

At the time of its release, much was made of the decision to release Abba's song 'Lay all your love on me' on 12" single only. I'm guessing of course, but I think that's where the unusual term 'Legal bootleg 7"' on the sleeve of this single comes from.

The unknown band The Bank recorded a version of Abba's song and released it on the more popular 7" vinyl format. It didn't help this release, however: it was not a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5274
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Lay all your love on me' / 'Dance the night away'

Something's gotten hold of my heart - Marc Almond

Most people are familiar with the single 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' as a duet between Marc Almond and the song's original performer, Gene Pitney, but this single was released before the duet version. It's the album version of the track, as recorded by Marc Almond solo.

I don't know enough of the history, but I think this single was released just weeks before the duet version, and finally the duet version came in its place -and became a Europe-wide hit. This version of the single is therefore a bit more rare.

My collection: 7" single no. 5273
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' / 'King of the fools'

Eurovision March - Band of the Royal Netherlands Air Force

The Band of the Royal Netherlands Air Force has been rather active in releasing singles and albums through the years. I've been able to track down a listing of over 12 singles and EP's and one album, all released between 1958 and 1965.

This particular single was released in 1959 and contains two marches: the Eurovision march and the March of the United Nations. The Eurovision march is well known for its annual use during the Eurovision Song Contest, and as such, this single piqued my interest. Housed in an authentic record company sleeve from that time, it seems I found a rather nice collector's item as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5272
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Eurovisie-mars' / 'March of the United Nations'

Hot in the city - Billy Idol

Billy Idol's 'Hot in the city' was originally released in 1982. This is a re-release from 1987. It features a remix of 'Catch my fall' on the B-side, taken from the album 'Vital Idol' which features several remixes of Billy Idol hits. I've been partial to that album ever since I got it from my parents during a holiday in Germany. Very cool music.

Although the released version of 'Hot in the city' contains a verse in which Idol shouts 'New York', other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including one in which he shouts 'Amarillo' or 'New Haven'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5271
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hot in the city' / 'Catch my fall (remix fix)'

Breakaway - Kim Appleby

One half of the popular duo Mel & Kim continued solo after the other half sadly passed away. Kim Appleby initially forged a successful career with hit singles like 'Don't worry' and 'G.L.A.D.', but her second solo album wasn't as popular and she soon ended up out of the music business.

This is the title track of that second album, remixed by La Camorra, Clive Farrington, "Mr. L", Harding & Curnow and Biffco for a promotional double 12" release. Most of these remixes were never released commercially, and only two of them appeared on cd as far as I know.

My collection: 12" single no. 619
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon mix 2)', 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon dub 2)' / 'Breakaway (The survivor mix)', 'Breakaway (Mr. L.'s Midnight mix)' // 'Breakaway (extended mix)' / 'Breakaway (Break dub - Diss Gust It mix)', 'Breakaway (Headless Pigeon mix 1)'

Endless sleep - Marty Wilde

'Endless sleep' was originally written and recorded by American singer Jody Reynolds in early 1958. He wrote it in a single afternoon in 1956 in Yuma, Arizona. After it reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1958, Marty Wilde quickly recorded a version to be released in the UK. This was a common practice at that time, offering a chance for UK artists to score with proven stateside hits.

The single gave Marty his first shot at fame, as it reached number 4 in the UK singles chart in July 1958. While Jody Reynolds didn't have a hit with this song in the UK originally, it was released in April 1979, and had a one week chart run at number 66.

My collection: 7" single no. 5270
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Endless sleep' / 'Her hair was yellow'

I get lonely - Janet Jackson

Taken from her 1997 album 'The velvet rope', 'I get lonely' was one of those Janet Jackson tracks that contained an R&B feel more than her previous work. It was the kind of stuff she would record more often after this album, with increasingly less audience approval.

These remixes breathe a little life into the track, although it really can't compare with the hits she'd had in the decade before. Nice, but not too interesting is my verdict, alas.

My collection: 12" single no. 618
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'I get lonely (Janet vs Jason - The club remix)', 'I get lonely (Janet vs Jason - The remix sessions part 2)' / 'I get lonely (Jason's special sauce dub)', 'I get lonely (LP version)'

Ode to boy - Alison Moyet

'Ode to boy' was originally a B-side of Yazoo's 1982 single 'The other side of love' and a track on their second album 'You and me both'. Alison Moyet re-recorded the track solo on her fourth solo album 'Essex' in 1994.

I sort of knew that the track was released as a single, but I was unaware of the existance of a 12" single with remixes of the track. I've always liked the original version - a beautiful demonstration of stereo sound - and while I wasn't sure Alison's re-recording was as good, I was still curious enough to hear these remixes. And so, I ordered the disc. Have to say I quite like these mixes.

My collection: 12" single no. 617
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Ode to boy', 'Ode to boy (Factory mix)' / 'Ode to boy (NY-LA mix)', 'Ode to boy (NY-LA dub)', 'Ode to boy (Factory dub 2)'

I want you back '88 remix - Michael Jackson with the Jackson 5

The second half of the Eighties was littered with remixes of old tracks. Somehow record companies thought it was a cheap way to make profits without having to pay for studio time - except the time for the remixer of course. But in some cases, even the remixers didn't even spend that much time on it.

Take this one for example: an '88 remix of the old Jacksons hit 'I want you back' with a young Michael Jackson. In 1988 the name Michael Jackson meant a lot to a lot of people. Popular remixers Phil Harding and Ian Curnow were recruited for a remix. They added a drumbeat, and there you had it: a new single. A poor effort, however. But even this reached number 8 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5269
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 1,5 pounds
Tracks: 'I want you back '88 remix' / 'Never can say goodbye'

Sugar mice - Marillion

The lyric of Marillion's 'Sugar mice' is quite depressing, and one suspects that a divorce drama is part of all the misery. But in fact, it's more about a British worker who emigrates to the USA to escape unemployment, leaving behind his family, and ends up drinking in a hotel bar in Milwaukee.

This 12" single features an extended mix of the track, as well as the album version which is about a minute longer than the single edit which was featured on the 7" single.

My collection: 12" single no. 145
Found: Record fair, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Sugar mice (extended version)' / 'Sugar mice (album version)', 'Tux on'

This woman's work - Kate Bush

For a long time, Kate Bush's 'This woman's work' was my favourite track of hers. Over the last six years she's released a few other tracks I consider my favourite, but it's weird how she keeps getting better - beyond the best of my expectations I would say.

Anyhow, this 12" single is a prized possession of mine, because of the beautiful poster sleeve and the two B-sides featured here. No extended version of the single mix of 'This woman's work', but I think it's impossible to improve on this already highly moving track.

My collection: 12" single no. 94
Found: unknown, 1990
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'This woman's work (single mix)' / 'Be kind to my mistakes', 'I'm still waiting'