E4 - Emiliana Torrini

Eight singles with remixes of Emiliana Torrini songs sounds like a good proposition, but when you expect all remixes to be great, this single will come as a disappointment. At least it did for me. The tracks have strange names and the sounds coming from these grooves are even stranger. 

I wonder why some remixers feel it's okay to create something that has absolutely nothing in common with the original tracks? At least back in the 1970's and 1980's, extended remixes were just that: extended versions of songs you knew and loved. By the end of the 1980's, some remixers started experimenting and this single is perhaps the worst example of such practices. Shame on Antenna Farm and Motion, I say.

My collection: 7" single no. 6404
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 June 2021
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Ambush Emiliana (Antenna Farm remix)' / 'Tracking Misalignment (Motion remix)'

Η Αγαπη Ακομα Ζει - Stavros & Dina

Cyprus was represented by the duo Stavros & Dina, singing 'Η Αγαπη Ακομα Ζει' ('I agapi akoma zi'), a plea for unity and peace on a folk-inspired musical backing. 

Stavros Sideras is a successful singer/songwriter, having been awarded two platinum and three gold albums during her career. Dina (a.k.a. Constantina) is equally successful - her career actually started with this Eurovision appearance but she's released more than 20 albums since then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6405
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 June 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Η Αγαπη Ακομα Ζει' / 'Love is still alive'

Twilight zone / When the lady smiles - Golden Earring

The annual Record Store Day is a feast for collectors and those who sell items on for ridiculous amounts of money on Ebay. But sometimes there are some scraps for casual buyers like me. I found not one, but about twenty copies of this Record Store Day release last week. Apparently a limited edition of 3000 copies on yellow vinyl was more than enough to satisfy everyone in the Netherlands.

I already had the single 'Twilight zone' already - I bought it back in 1982 - but the single 'When the lady smiles', which appears on the other side of this release, was still missing. That single became a classic for its controversial music video, although 'controversial' couldn't apply to a music video like that nowadays. Violence and nudity have become regular ingredients in music videos these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 6398
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Twilight zone' / 'When the lady smiles'

E6 - Emiliana Torrini

When I discovered these singles by Emiliana Torrini I was lucky enough to find an online seller who had five singles of the eight in the series. Unfortunately, one of them went missing, but he still sent me four of them. This number six contains another two remixes from her 1999 album 'Love in the time of science'.

Foehn is the working alias of Bristol-based Debbie Parsons. She's released three albums between 1998 and 2000 and a few self-released tracks more recently. Chasm is Robert Hampson, who to date has only released on 12" single himself.

My collection: 7" single no. 6401
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 June 2021
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Wednesday's child (Foehn remix)' / 'Dead things (Skywave) (Chasm remix)'

E3 - Emiliana Torrini

This single has no indication of track names, or artist name: it just says 'E3' on the sleeve, and that's all. I would never have bought this single in a shop, but in the online world, things are different. I discovered this single, along with seven others, on Discogs as a release by Emiliana Torrini. Apparently these singles were released in October 2000, a year after the release of her remarkable album 'Love in the time of science', which was produced by Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabal.

Each of these singles contain two remixes of tracks from that album. The remixes are sometimes reminiscent of the original tracks, sometimes they can't be recognized. These two fall in the second category.

My collection: 7" single no. 6400
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 June 2021
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Wednesday's child (Professor Ludlow & Dr. Smith remix)' / 'Love in the time of science (Stromba remix)'

Anna-Marie Elena - Andy Paul

The singer/songwriter Andy Paul immigrated from Cyprus to the UK in the early Sixties. He was influenced by artists like Elvis, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. He won a talent contest imitating his childhood idol Elvis and got a recording contract on the strength of this. 

In 1984 he was asked to represent Cyprus with the song 'Anna-Marie Elena', a song he wrote himself. The song ended up in 15th place in a field of 19 contestants. The recordings on this single were produced by Pete Waterman, while the English version of this song was translated by Matt Aitken. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6399
Found: Discogs, received 16 June 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Anna-Marie Elena (English version)' / 'Anna-Marie Elena (Greek version)'

Female intuition / Body and soul - Mai Tai

Another re-release single by Mai Tai, also released by SMG last year, this time on purple vinyl. 

'Female intuition' reached number 9 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 54 in the UK in early 1986, whereas 'Body and soul' reached number 9 in the UK in the summer of 1985 and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40 near the end of 1984. 

Mai Tai fell apart in the 1980's but they had several reunions. They are actually performing live this December - Covid permitting - but the days of them having chart hits will probably never return.

My collection: 7" single no. 6397
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Female intuition' / 'Body and soul'

History / Am I losing you forever - Mai Tai

Although this single features two tracks that I already own on 7" single, I still couldn't resist buying this. It is actually a recent re-release and pressed on orange vinyl. Nice bonus on this single: 'Am I losing you forever' appears in the full length version, instead of the single edit. 

The SMG label (Suburban Music Group, apparently) specializes in releasing 7" singles of old hits, and so far they have released singles by Petula Clark, Gerard Joling and Hardwell - not very interesting for me despite the fact that those singles were also pressed on various colours of vinyl.

But as you know, I usually only buy singles with songs I like, and so this one did make the cut. Both 'History' and 'Am I losing you forever' were released in 1985 and reached number 22 and 27 in the Dutch Top 40 respectively. In the UK, 'History' reached number 8, while 'Am I losing you forever' only got to number 78.

My collection: 7" single no. 6396
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'History' / 'Am I losing you forever'

Oui, oui, oui, oui - Sacha Distel

The sleeve of this single proclaims that 'Oui, oui, oui, oui' is a song from the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, and that is correct - however, on the Eurovision stage this song was performed by Jean Philippe, not Sacha Distel. However, Distel recorded this song, presumably to profit from the Contest's popularity at the time. After all, the song ended up in a respectful third place at the time.

There's another remarkable thing about this EP: although 'Oui, oui, oui, oui' is listed as the first song, it is actually on the B-side of this EP. There are more cover versions on the EP: 'Dis! O Dis!' is a cover version of 'Everybody loves a lover', a hit for Doris Day in 1958, and 'Oh! Quelle Nuit' is a version of 'Lonesome me', which was released by Don Gibson, also in 1958. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6395
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 12 June 2021
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dis! O Dis!', 'Quand Tu Es Partie...' / 'Oui, oui, oui, oui', 'Oh! Quelle nuit'

Colours of love - Vicky Leandros

Back in 1967, Vicky Leandros competed in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. She was just seventeen years old at the time, but had already released her first album, 'Songs Und Folklore' in October 1966. Although she lived in Germany since she was eight (having been born on the Greek island Corfu) she was asked to represent Luxembourgh with the song 'L'amour est bleu'. 

It's not easy to find a copy of that song on a single for a reasonable price, however I did recently buy a copy of the English version of that song. 'Colours of love' was released in the UK only (as far as I know) in a record company sleeve only. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6394
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 June 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Colours of love' / 'Who can tell'

I cried - The Wilde Three

Nothing, but nothing makes me happier than getting my hands on an ultra rare single. And this is certainly a good example. A year ago, I was happy to finally find Since you've gone, the first single by the Wilde Three. Their second release was to be their last: 'I cried' was released on 10 September 1965, five months after their first single. 

Four months after that, Justin Hayward released his debut solo single, the self-penned 'London is behind me'. He joined the Moody Blues and the rest became history. Meanwhile, Marty carved out a career as a songwriter - and a pretty successful one at that - and of course made a pop star of his daughter in the 1980's. The Wilde Three was a shortlived project, and only released four songs, but they are an essential piece of music history - and I am very glad to finally have these two discs.

My collection: 7" single no. 6393
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 June 2021
Cost: enough
Tracks: 'I cried' / 'Well who's that'

Printemps (Avril Carillonne) - Jean-Paul Mauric

When a song starts with 'Bing et bong et bing et bong' you know you're in for something interesting. This is how Jean-Paul Mauric started his song 'Printemps (Avril Carillonne)' in 1961 at the Eurovision Song Contest. Mauric was born on 17 June 1933 and started his career in music in 1957 after winning a talent contest. He released a series of EP's and was chosen to represent France in 1961. 

The lyric of 'Bing et bong et bing et bong...' is often cited as setting a precedent which would become very prolific in later Eurovisions. He ended up in fourth place in a field of 16 competitors. Although he released less records in the 1960's he still performed live a lot, until he was taken ill in December 1970.
On 5 January 1971 he died from complications of cardiomyopathic disease, aged just 37. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6392
Found: Ebay
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: Printemps (Avril Carillonne), Tendresse / C'est Joli La Mer, Les filles du midi

Summer is over - Aylin Vatankoş

It would be nice to see Turkey back in Eurovision, because they usually managed to enter with remarkable songs. That said, it would be nice if Turkey wasn't led by a maniac, but let's not go into politics here. 'Yaz Bitti' was Turkey's song for the 1992 edition and it's a relatively traditional ballad. 

Aylin Vatankoş was born in 1970 in Izmir and studied music in Istanbul. She represented her country in 1992 and ended up in 19th place in a field of 23 competitors. Her music career continued after this adventure: she released two albums, in 1995 and 2010. 

This single was released by the Belgian record company Madierpo, which specialized in releasing Eurovision songs throughout the 1990's. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6391
Found: Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'Summer is over' / 'Yaz bitti'

S.O.S. - Helen Patroklou

Two songs from the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest really made a big impression on me, and they were not the two songs that were competing for the win that year. Instead, I focused on the two Greek songs: 'I Anixi' by Sophia Vossou and 'S.O.S.' by Helen Patroklou. Both singles aren't exactly easy to get, but I finally managed to get at least the latter. 

Patroklou was born in Nicosia in 1968. She began her musical career studying guitar and piano when she was just ten years old. She completed her musical studies in Vienna and Cyprus and received her music diploma in 1989. The song 'S.O.S.' earned her ninth place in the Eurovision Song Contest that year, out of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6390
Found:  Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'S.O.S. (Greek version)' / 'S.O.S. (English version)'

Tell me - Dulce

Dulce José Silva Pontes was born on 8 April 1969 in Montijo, near Lisbon. She trained as a pianist, and started a career in singing after entering a competition in her hometown at the age of 18. She soon became an actress on Portuguese television and theatre. In 1991 she won the national music festival with her song 'Lusitana Paixão', which led her to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished 8th in the competition, which is to date the fourth-best finish for a Portuguese performer

Dulce Pontes started her career as a mainstream pop artist, but over the years she has evolved to become a world music singer. She blends traditional fado with contemporary styles and searches out new forms of musical expression. Her career continues to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6389
Found: Bea Records, received 27 May 2021
Tracks: 'Tell me' / 'Lusitana Paixão'

 

Krasi, thalassa ke t'agori mou - Marinella

Marinella was born as Kyriaki Papadopoulou on 20 May 1938 in Thessaloniki. She released her first song 'Nitsa Elenitsa' ('Little Helen') in 1957. Her early career was marked by her collaboration with singer Stelios Kazantzidis. Together they managed to become the greatest duet of Greece, unsurpassed even today. Starting at the night club "Luxembourg" in Thessaloniki where they enjoyed great success, they later moved to Athens, the capital, where they became widely known. Marinella married him on 7 May 1964 and they toured together in Germany and the United States. They divorced in September 1966. 

Marinella then began a solo career. In 1974 she represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Krasi, thalassi ke t'agori mou' ('Wine and sea and my boyfriend and me'). It was the first time Greece competed. Originally the Greek rock band Nostradamos would have had the honour but due to a scandal they were embroiled in, Marinella was sent instead. She ended up in 11th place in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6388
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Krasi, thalassi ke t'agori mou' / 'Xipna feggari mou'

Onde vais rio que eu canto - Sergio Borges

After the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest was won by four different artists - a result of a lack of rules in case of a tie - five countries decided not to participate in the 1970 edition. Portugal was one of them, but bizarrely enough, they had already selected a song and participant before they decided not to enter. And so Sergio Borges released 'Onde vais rio que eu canto' without actually going to the Netherlands, where the Contest was to be held.

The song is interesting enough, with its up-tempo ending and its pensive melody. This single was one of three I received from Portugal this month - proof that collecting Eurovision singles is truly an international endeavour these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 6385
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Onde vais rio que eu canto', 'A voz do chao' / 'Velho Sonho', 'Raining in my heart'

Save your kisses for me / Fernando

So who performed these two cover versions? There's no information on the sleeve or label. All we know is that this single was released in Portugal and there's a decidedly seductive sleeve on this one.

'Save Your Kisses For Me' is, of course, a cover version of Brotherhood Of Man's winning Eurovision song from 1976, whereas 'Fernando' was originally recorded by Abba in the same year (and by Frida from that band a year earlier). The Eurovision cover sounds a lot like the original, the other one... well, not so much. Still, it is an interesting rarity that I ordered together with two Portuguese Eurovision songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 6386
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Save Your Kisses For Me' / 'Fernando'

Desfolhada Portuguesa - Simone

Simone de Oliveira was born on 11 February 1938 and raised in Lisbon. Her Portuguese mother had black African roots in São Tomé and Príncipe (then a Portuguese territory), and her father was Belgian. She started singing in high school. She first represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965 with 'Sol de inverno'. 'Desfolhada Portuguesa' was her second attempt, in 1969.

The song deals with the love of Portugal - the first occasion on which this was the theme of the Portuguese entry, but far from the last. The song compares the love from the conception of a child to patriotic love. At the close of voting, it had received 4 points, placing 15th in a field of 16 competitors. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6384
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Desfolhada Portuguesa', 'Cinco quadras cinco pedras' / 'Avé-Maria do Povo'

Shine - Five Star

Like many other acts, Five Star had trouble maintaining their success when the Eighties ended and the Nineties began. House and techno music were ruining the charts and pop stars were not as popular as before, audiences opting for anonymous acts and DJ's instead. Having said that, in the case of Five Star their material was becoming a bit bland too. Having made exciting pop hits in the mid-Eighties and a more aggressive style during their Another Weekend phase, 'Shine' (1991) sounded slightly bland.

As a result, 'Shine' did not chart and the accompanying album didn't either. It took them four years to return into the UK charts, although '(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons' and 'I Give You Give' would only reach number 84 and 83 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 6375
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 May 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Shine' / 'Feelings'