Respectable - Mel & Kim

When I bought the Japanese single of 'Showing out', the same online dealer also offered the Japanese single of 'Respectable'. And these are the only two 7" singles from Mel & Kim ever released in Japan, so that makes a complete collection in this case.

Interesting on this release is the mention of the 'dub mix' on the B-side. It is actually the very same track that is listed as 'instrumental' on the European releases of this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5988
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Respectable' / 'Respectable (dub mix)'

Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim

This single has been featured on this blog a few times before, both as a 7" single and as a 12" single (oh, and another 12" single). This Japanese 7" single is an interesting one, because it features the album version of 'Showing out', whereas the European versions had an edited single version.

Japanese singles are always interesting, of course, because the Japanese make a special package of every single: a record company sleeve with the disc in it comes with a special inlay that often features the song lyrics in English and Japanese and sometimes an extra photograph - and then there's the picture front which in this case is different from the European ones. The fact that I got this single for a low price also helped, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 5987
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend)' / 'System (House mix)'

Love is - Vikki

I have very few 12" singles of Eurovision entries. Not that many have been made, an some of the ones that have been made are overly expensive. But every once in a while I come across one for a reasonable price - and then of course I have to have it. Especially since the remixes on such 12" singles are very rare, because they have rarely been released on CD in later years.

A good example is my most recent acquisition: Vikki represented the UK with 'Love is' in 1985. The 12" single features a special remix. Clocking in at 4 minutes and 23 seconds, it's not very much longer than the original verison but still a different take on this slightly cheesy song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Love is (special remix)' / 'Lead me through the darkness'

Two hearts beat as one - U2

U2 is an undeniably popular band, and so I am surprised that somehow I always get hold of these double packs. The unforgettable fire was produced in large quantities, but Pride (In the name of love) was a rather more limited edition, and this 'Two hearts beat as one' double pack is probably even rarer.

I'm not really a U2 fan, but I love limited editions like this and a remix of 'New years day' was just too delicious to pass up on. It's one of my favourite U2 tracks, and the intro of this remix is beautiful. The US remixes were created by François Kevorkian. 'Two hearts beat as one'  reached number 18 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in Ireland.

Tracks: 'Two hearts beat as one' / 'Endless deep' // 'New years day (US remix)' / 'Two hearts beat as one (US remix)'

Here it comes again - Black

So this is an odd one. I ordered this promotional 7" single because it only had one side - the B-side was reportedly empty. And indeed, although it looks like this side can be played, the only sound on side B is the sound of silence.

On the A-side this single features 'Here it comes again', the second single from Black's 1991 album. But while the commercially available 7" contains the album version of that track, this promotional 7" single features a remix! I knew this remix from a promotional cd-single released in the USA at the time - but this single was made in England! How very confusing. Why would the record company promote a remixed version of a track when it isn't available commercially? Answers on a postcard please...

My collection: 7" single no. 5986
Found: Ebay, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Here it comes again [remix]'

Horsell Common and the Heat Ray - Jeff Wayne

I didn't know this single existed. It was released in 1981, when Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' album was edited into a single LP and released as 'Highlights from The War of the Worlds'. The single featured an edited version of 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray', with an extra sprinkling of 'Ulla's here and there.

Oddly enough, this is an instrumental track and anyone could have foreseen that this wouldn't be a hit. But perhaps record company executives were more optimistic back then, I don't know. It is a nice addition to my ever growing collection of 'War of the Worlds' singles anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5986
Found: Vinyl Tap, received February 1, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray' / 'Dead London'

It's nice to be in love again - The Swarbriggs plus two

The Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 was performed by the Swarbriggs Plus Two. Following on from The Swarbriggs' first appearance at the Contest two years earlier, Thomas (Tommy) and John James (Jimmy) Swarbrigg recruited Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll to form the bizarrely named quartet The Swarbriggs Plus Two. They were dressed in dark blue outfits, with the two men wearing their blazers of that colour over white suits.


The song was performed first on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 119 points, placing third in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5983
Found: Discogs.com, received January 16, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'It's nice to be in love again' / 'Here we are again'

Rayo de luna - Matia Bazar

The Italian band Matia Bazar has had a few hits in Europe, but their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest seems to have been forgotten by many. In 1979 they represented Italy with the song 'Raggio di luna'.

They recorded the song both in Italian and in Spanish - and the single containing the Spanish version appeared when I was ordering some singles from Spain recently. Of course I wanted to have it, because it's always a delight when an artist records their own song in a different language.

My collection: 7" single no. 5981
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Rayo de luna' / 'Esta tarde... Que tarde'

Estoy sonando - Abba

'Estoy sonando' is of course the Spanish version of 'I have a dream'. With the help of Buddy and Mary McCluskey the ballad was turned into a warm-blooded version for the Spanish speaking market.

I ordered this single along with a few others from Spain. The problem with online ordering is illustrated right here: this was by far the worst sleeve of the whole package. You can't always know what you'll get. The might be an occasion to replace this single, but I am not rushing it. For now this is good enough to have - a nice curiosity doesn't always need to be perfect.

My collection: 7" single no. 5980
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Estoy sonando' / 'As good as new'

Que mas quisiera yo - Massiel

Spanish singer Massiel won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968 with the song 'La la la'. It was a much-criticised win, which 40 years later was revealed to be fraudulent. Whatever the facts, 'La la la' remains a curiosity: in a contest that has given us many 'la's through the years, this song probably used that two letter word the most.

I didn't know until recently that a live version of the song existed and was put on a B-side of a single. In 1985, Massiel, who was still a performing artist in Spain after all those years, released 'Que mas quisiera yo', with 'La la la' in a live version on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 5979
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Que mas quisiera yo' / 'La la la (live)'

Dame! Dame! Dame! - Abba

Abba was a successful band, but while they were having success in Europe and beyond, they also achieved quite a bit in the Spanish-speaking world. They translated some of their songs and released them as a single in those countries as well.

Obviously, since these singles were never released around these parts, I never actually bought them. Since I recently completed my collection of 'normal' Abba singles, these rarities have started to catch my eye. I recently acquired two Spanish Abba singles, and this the first of them: 'Dame! Dame! Dame!' is the Spanish version of 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'. Although it is not among their most successful singles, it has always been one of my own favourites, and hearing it in Spanish is something special.

My collection: 7" single no. 5978
Found: Discogs.com, received January 4, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dame! Dame! Dame!' / 'The king has lost his crown'

Come on to me / I don't know - Paul McCartney

I am closing the year on this blog with a single from this year! And that's become a rarity, because really there haven't been a lot of good vinyl singles out this year. In fact, I've only bought three: David Bowie and Mylene Farmer being the previous two.

A lot of publicity was given to the new album 'Egypt station' by Paul McCartney. He promoted the album by appearing in a car with James Corden and talking about his time in the Beatles, and giving several interviews in 'serious' music publications in which he was talking about his time in the Beatles. Not a lot of attention went to his new material. This single deserves some attention, though. 'Come on to me' was preferred by most, but I prefer the other A-side: 'I don't know', which Paul shows a more vulnerable side of himself. I like McCartney best when he's not rocking and rolling.

My collection: 7" single no. 5971
Found: Amazon, received December 22, 2018
Cost: 10 pounds (I know, it's ridiculous)
Tracks: 'Come on to me' / 'I don't know'

We'll be dancing - Time Bandits

The 12" single of 'We'll be dancing' treats the listener to three versions of the song. All three remixes were made by Rutger Kroese, which causes the 12" single to become a bit repetitive.

Having posted a lot of Time Bandits 12" singles on this blog recently, I can't help but being surprised that none of these have ever appeared on CD or even on those streaming services that seem so popular these days. It just goes to prove that nothing beats a good record collection: you get to own the music you like instead of relying on incomplete online collections.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 August 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'We'll be dancing (club remix)' / 'We'll be dancing (dub remix)', 'We'll be dancing (reprise)'

Only a fool - Time Bandits

There have been some Time Bandits 12" singles on this blog recently, but it appears I forgot to post a few. So here goes: I bought 'Only a fool' last year as part of a stack of Time Bandits 12" singles. I bought the 7" single in 2010, despite not knowing the song too well.

This 12" single contains an extended remix with a beautiful instrumental intro. It is an improvement on the single version, I think.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Only a fool (extended remix)' / '1 2 3'

I'm not afraid - Black

I couldn't let the year pass without sparing a thought for Colin Vearncombe, the sole member of the band Black, who tragically died in January 2016. My collection of his records is pretty complete, but once in a while I still find a version I don't have yet.

Like this Japanese single of 'I'm not afraid'. I love Japanese singles for their beautiful appearance (a vinyl single in a record company sleeve with an insert that usually contains some Japanese translation of the lyrics). Curiously, there are no Japanese 7" singles of 'Sweetest smile' and 'Wonderful life', so this single appears to be a one-off.

My collection: 7" single no. 5948
Found: Recordsale.de website, received November 3, 2018
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'I'm not afraid' / 'Have it your own way'

Go for it! - Risqué

Risqué's 1984 single 'Go for it' was produced by Sander Bos and Ben Liebrand. I bought the 7" single in 2009, and almost a decade later I found a cheap copy of the 12" single.

It features two remixes of the track: the long version and the dance version. There are many similarities between the two, but then they were presumably both created by the same remixer. The track times on the sleeve are incorrect: the remixes clock in at 7 minutes and 6 minutes and 50 seconds respectively.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received December 22, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Go for it! (Long version)' / 'Go for it! (Dance version)'

Shine for tomorrow - Gili & Galit

The 1989 Eurovision Song Contest became immortal for me because I managed to find a CD featuring almost all of the songs from that year, and I played it almost constantly during that year. Those songs have become a firm part of my memory and I would be very happy to find all the singles that were released.

To prove that it's not the easiest task, I have seen some of them online for ridiculous prices. This Israeli entry commands prices of at least 14 euros these days, so I was very lucky to find a copy for less recently. 'Shine for tomorrow' is a reasonably good song, marred only by the young boy who probably only competed for his 'cute factor', not for his ability to sing well.

My collection: 7" single no. 5968
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Shine for tomorrow' / 'Derech ha'melech'

Chance in time - Severine

When Severine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 with 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue', she also recorded the song in other languages. I already found the German version ('Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)') in 2010, and yesterday I suddenly found the English version. 'Chance in time' was released in several countries, and this is the Dutch pressing.

Now all that's left for me to find is the Italian version, 'Il Posto'. I am sure it will come to me some day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5977
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Chance in time' / 'Nothing bad can be this good'

O Supermarkt - Rudolf de Robot

The joke will be lost on those who can't understand Dutch, but this song is as ridiculous as the title sounds: 'O Supermarkt' ('O Supermarket') is a parody of the Laurie Anderson song 'O Superman'. While that is a truly magnificent song, it is almost too easy to make fun of the repeating 'ah ah ah' sound in it.In this parody, Rudolf the Robot goes into the supermarket to search for chicken soup. Of course it is hard to find, like anything in any supermarket. And then of course the battery runs low... To fully appreciate the joke, you'll have to learn Dutch.

I knew about this song almost immediately after it came out, but never came across a cheap enough copy. Until yesterday.

My collection: 7" single no. 5976
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'O Supermarkt' / 'Mag ik even uw aandacht?'

Without you - David Bowie

In my mind, only three singles were ever taken from David Bowie's 1983 album 'Let's Dance': the title track, 'China Girl' and 'Modern Love'. And then I saw this single yesterday: 'Without you'. The sleeve looked vaguely familiar - because of the Keith Haring artwork I bet - but otherwise I have no recollection of this ever being released.

Sure enough, the single only charted in the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching a lowly number 73. Both the A- and B-side appear on the album. And unusually, the guitar riff on 'Criminal World' sounds a lot like the one in Dutch band Frank Boeijen Groep's 'Doe iets'. Or was it the other way around? Probably...

My collection: 7" single no. 5975
Found: Top 2000 café, Circus, Den Haag
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Without you' / 'Criminal world'