Wonderful life - Black

I can't claim to have had a deep personal relationship with Colin Vearncombe, the man behind Black, but still his death in January 2016 hit me harder than any other musician's death ever did. And speaking of death: his 'Wonderful life' will probably end up being played when my funeral comes up. And you never know when that is.

'Wonderful life' was originally released in 1986 on the Ugly Man label. It was on the strength of this release and its indie chart success that Black ended up being signed on A&M Records. This song was their third single release on A&M and that version ended up being a worldwide hit. When you listen to the version of this 12" single, from 1986, you can hear subtle differences. The B-side contains the track 'Birthday night' which was never re-recorded, and an early version of 'Everything's coming up roses', which ended up being re-recorded and released as Black's first single for A&M. I was not even that keen on buying the 12" single when I did some 25 years ago - after all, I already had the double 7" single version - but now I'm very glad to own it.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: early 1990's
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Wonderful life' / 'Birthday night', 'Everything's coming up roses'

Mean woman blues - Marty Wilde

'Les rois du rock' declares the sleeve of this single, which means that it is some kind of reissue series, released in France. And indeed it is: 14 singles exist in this series, featuring artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and indeed, on vol. 10, Marty Wilde.

'Mean woman blues' and 'So glad you're mine' were never released as a single originally. Both tracks were taken from Marty's 1959 album 'Wilde about Marty'. The release date of the series 'Les rois du rock' is unknown because there is no year stated on the label. One source suggests that volume 1 was released in 1969, so this is most likely a late 1960's release.

My collection: 7" single no. 5855
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received July 19, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Mean woman blues' / 'So glad you're mine'

That's the way (I like it) - KC & the Sunshine Band

Those hit songs of the Seventies, they end up in your collection no matter how long you resist them. 'That's the way (I like it)' was one of the biggest anthems of the Seventies. The KC & the Sunshine Band classic was a number 1 hit in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands. In the UK it only reached number 4. Still, the song remains imprinted in the memories of millions of people because of its repeated airplay during the past four decades.

So how did this single finally get into my collection, 42 years after its release? In January, my wife visited a shop and, knowing that I still collect 7" singles, she came home with this single. I could never resist a freebie...

My collection: 7" single no. 5787
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 6, 2017
Cost: free
Tracks: 'That's the way (I like it)' / 'Ain't nothin' wrong'

Dis rien - François Deguelt

I bought François Deguelt's first Eurovision title, Ce soir-là, three years ago, and here's the second one. In 1962 he returned to the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Monaco for the second time with the song 'Dis rien'. While he finished in third place in 1960, this performance improved on that, because he finished second with this song.This EP presents four songs by Deguelt.

He continued to perform on the nostalgia circuit in French speaking countries, until his death at the age of 81 on January 22, 2014.

My collection: 7" single no. 5840
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dis rien', 'Don Juan' / 'Capuccina', 'L'animal blessé'

The sun rising - Beloved

Another band that has always fascinated me are the Beloved. They released some very interesting songs in the Eighties and Nineties, and there were plenty of remixes around too. I decided to pick up missing 12" singles last year - and there were a few.

This 12" single of 'The sun rising' is a good example. I already owned the 7" single and the CD-single, but this 12" features a few remixes that were not issued on CD. As with most of the Beloved's remixes, they're worth hearing too because they always sound fresh.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The sun rising (Il sole sorge)', 'The sun rising (Intensità)' / 'The sun rising (Danny's 'Love is...' remix)', 'The sun rising (Son of the rising house)'

Radio Heart - featuring Gary Numan

Having described my 7" single of 'Radio Heart' in 2009, it's not bad to add the 12" single today. I've owned it for years already, but somehow it didn't make it onto this blog yet. Maybe it's because the extended version of 'Radio Heart' is a little unremarkable: it simply adds some instrumental parts of the song in the middle, making it a 6 minute version instead of the 4'20 single version.

Gary Numan is, of course, still going strong, but Radio Heart only existed for one album and three singles.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered] 
Found: unknown
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Radio Heart (extended mix)' / 'Radio Heart (instrumental)'

Swell - Salt Tank

A little sigh comes over my lips every time I hear about new work by Tori Amos these days. As far as I'm concerned, she did her best work in the Nineties and then for some reason the fire went out and she started doing rehashes of her old work or uninspired semi-classical ditties. I would do anything for concert tickets back in the Nineties, whereas now I simply do not care.

Back in the Nineties, many exciting things happened. Not only did Tori release her quintessential albums 'Little Earthquakes', 'Under the pink' and 'From the choirgirl hotel', but she also worked with remixers like BT for more dance-oriented tracks. This remix by Salt Tank was another interesting one: 'Eugina' features her vocals, although in this case it was a random sample. This 12" single set was part of a bigger order online, and I bought it for old times sake. I have to say these tracks puzzle me and I'm not sure if I'll play them a lot.

Who do you hear in the tracks 'Eden' and 'Orinoco', on the other hand? Well, it's Kate Bush. And she is still the Goddess she's always been of course.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Eden' / 'Flammable' // 'Eugina (Pacific rage)', 'Orinoco' / 'Origin of species', 'Astral'

Love will keep us together - Captain & Tennille

Two years ago, Kim Wilde released a cover version of Captain & Tennille's 'Love will keep us together' on a compilation album of Eighties artists covering Seventies tracks. Out of all the tracks on that compilation, this was the only song I didn't know - which surprised me because I always think I have a rather complete knowledge of pop music from the mid-Seventies onwards. Released in 1975, 'Love will keep us together' didn't become a hit in the Netherlands, which could explain this gap in my memory.

I figured I would buy this single when I came across it cheaply, and last Friday, I did. Just to add to my collection of 'songs covered by Kim Wilde' - one of my many subcollections.

My collection: 7" single no. 5852
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Love will keep us together' / 'Gentle stranger'

I can't stay away from you - Viola Wills

Released in 1981, 'I can't stay away from you' was an ill-fated single for Viola Wills. Best known for her disco hits 'Gonna get along without you now' and 'If you could read my mind', this song was simply too middle of the road for the disco generation, which had probably moved on anyway.

I actually bought this single for the B-side: a cover version of one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded: Chicago's 'If you leave me now'. Unfortunately, this disco version also disappoints. Still, sometimes curiousity has to win and it's a nice enough single to add to my collection. Although Viola continued to record albums and singles until well into the Nineties, she did not have another hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5854
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I can't stay away from you'/ 'If you leave me now'

When day is done - Marty Wilde

I guess I'm not giving away a big secret when I say that Marty Wilde is a big fan of Elvis Presley. Out of all of his recordings, I find it's most evident in this recording: 'When day is done', released as a single in 1964.

The song was originally written in 1924 by Austrian composer Robert Katscher as 'Madonna, du bist schöner als der Sonnenschein'. It was translated into English by Buddy DeSylva and released as 'When day is done' in 1926. The earliest recordings were made by Art Kahn, Harry Archer and his Orchestra and Nat Shilkret. Later the song was covered by artists such as George Benson, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and indeed Marty Wilde. His version didn't become a hit, although listening to this I can't imagine why not. Simply beautiful!

My collection: 7" single no. 5844
Found: Discogs.com, received June 25, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'When day is done' / 'I can't help the way that I feel'

Jesamine - Jason Chase

Some singles are mysterious. This single by Jason Chase is a good example. Released in 1968 on the Atco label in the USA, it features two cover versions: the A-side is a version of Marty Wilde and Jack Gellar's 'Jesamine' (made famous by the Casuals), and the B-side is a version of Leonard Cohen's 'Suzanne'.

But who is Jason Chase? Other than the fact that he sings both these tracks and has also produced them, there is no information anywhere about this man. I'd be interested to find out more, but for now, he remains a total mystery.

My collection: 7" single no. 5849
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2017
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Jesamine' / 'Suzanne'

Wrong - Everything but the girl

Just like Walking wounded and Single, 'Wrong' was released as a jukebox-only 7" single. I only found out about this quite recently, and this prompted me to get hold of these singles as quickly as possible. Thanks to the internet, it isn't so hard to find rare singles these days, although obviously it depends on how much you'd like to spend on them.

I do have to wonder why record companies in 1996 felt it wasn't necessary to release vinyl singles commercially anymore. They were obviously being made, so why not make them available to the general public? But then, the workings of the record industry have baffled me ever since those days anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received June 1, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Wrong (Todd Terry remix edit)' / 'Wrong (Deep Dish remix edit)'

Dr. Mabuse - Propaganda

As you may have gathered from today's entires, I am cleaning up my 12" singles collection. Or rather, I'm going through them to see whether there's any stuff I haven't yet digitised. I was pleased to see that there's not a whole lot of work left to do, although there have been some surprising omissions. For instance, I haven't posted any of my Propaganda 12" singles!

I only have three of them, but they're the classics: taken from their debut album, both the songs and their respective 12" singles have been exciting. To begin with, there's 'Dr. Mabuse': a song that was transformed into a 10 minute epic, backed with an impressive cover version of Lou Reed's 'Femme fatale'. Time to rectify the situation. 'Duel' and 'Machinery' are due to follow soon, of course!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Price: unknown
Tracks: 'Das Testament des Mabuse' / 'Femme fatale (The woman with the orchid)', '(The ninth life of) Dr. Mabuse'

Let me go - Wendy Wu

On the back cover of this 12" single it is announced: 'produced by Tony Mansfield'. For those in the know, this is a recommendation. For Tony Mansfield was also the backbone of New Musik, he produced A-ha's debut, as well as producing acts like Captain Sensible and Naked Eyes.

Wendy Wu's career was more short-lived: she released just three singles, of which 'Let me go' was the last one. However, on those singles she worked with Graham Gouldman, Gary Barnacle and Tony Mansfield respectively. After these singles flopped she went on to work with Visage's Steve Strange in the band Strange Cruise.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, 201X
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Let me go (long version)' / 'Love tonight'

Invincible - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar had her biggest success with 'Love is a battlefield', but after that single a few more slightly successful titles followed. One of them was 'Invincible', a song taken from the soundtrack of 'The legend of Billie Jean'.

I owned the single since it came out, but I never bought the 12" single at the time. I bought it a couple of years ago and then it again disappeared anonymously in my collection. It's a shame, because this is a really decent extended version of that track.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Invincible (extended version)' / 'Invincible (instrumental)', 'Heartbreaker'

Come summer - Fra Lippo Lippi

The sleeve of Fra Lippo Lippi's 'Come summer' is one of the most beautiful sleeve designs ever. Made by StyleForEveryMood in Stockholm, it looks deceptively simple: just a beautiful image with the lyric of the song printed over it. Sometimes you wonder how people come up with something like this.

The song, of course, is no less beautiful. Taken from the band's album 'Songs', it followed 'Shouldn't have to be like that' but didn't achieve the same amount of international success. It's strange, because it is the better of the two songs. Even three decades ago, people didn't recognise a hit when it was slammed in their face.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Den Haag, 1993
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Come summer (extended, remixed)' / 'Come summer', 'Even tall trees bend (original version)'

Live it up - Time Bandits

This copy of the 12" single of Time Bandits' debut single 'Live it up' was not in a very good shape when I bought it. My needle kept sliding off the record after playing a few seconds, barricades by clouds of dust. Fortunately, it was nothing that a good cleaning session couldn't fix.

There were actually two 12" singles of 'Live it up' back in 1981: a version with a remix of over 7 minutes, and this one, which just contains the album version of the track. The single version was shorter by a minute or so, so this could still be considered an 'extended' version, but I guess some fans felt disappointed back then after hearing this one...

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Live it up' / 'Juvenile acquaintance'

I'm lovin' it - Justin Timberlake

This is a mysterious 12" single. Released unofficially, it is supposed to contain two remixes by the Trouser Enthusiasts, but it sounds rather different than their other work. There are no credits on the label, so it is hard to find out.

Justin Timberlake released 'I'm lovin' it' in 2003, after he was paid $6 million to sing a jingle for McDonald's. The Neptunes produced a song based on this jingle, and this was released in November 2003. The single became a number 1 hit in the Wallonian part of Belgium and reached number 13 in the Netherlands. It did not chart in the UK or USA.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, January 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'I'm lovin' it' / 'I'm dubin' it'

Hey, hey - Gershon Kingsley and the Moog

Gershon Kingsley of course gave the world Popcorn, he did release some more music. This single is an example. Also made on the famous Moog synthesizer, 'Hey, hey' is a nice but forgettable piece of instrumental music.

The B-side is a poppy Moog version of Beethoven's 'Fur Elise', although for some reason Beethoven does not get composer credits (Kingsley does) and the track is called 'For Alisse Beethoven'. Interestingly, a different single with a different sleeve also exists: with the A-side on the B-side and vice versa. It wasn't always easy to decide which track would do best. (In this case, neither did chart.)

My collection: 7" single no. 5849
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hey, hey' / 'For Alisse Beethoven'

Ragtime piano Joe - Peter Straker

One of the many tracks on the The best of the Top 40 of the year double album, which basically started my obsession with collecting music, was Peter Straker's 'Ragtime piano Joe'. Through the years I have bought almost all the tracks on single, but for some reason I never did buy this one. Even now I thought I already had it, strangely enough.

Peter Straker was born on November 7, 1943. The Jamaican singer and actor became best known for his appearances in the London production of the musical 'Hair', and in the 1979 series of Doctor Who. 'Ragtime piano Joe' was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Peter's close friend Freddie Mercury. The single reached number 11 in the Dutch Top 40 but, weirdly enough, did not chart in the UK. The B-side of this single is also worth listening to, for its moving sentimentality.

My collection: 7" single no. 5951
Found: Velvet Vinyl outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ragtime piano Joe' / 'The saddest clown'