Il Padrino - Orchestra Mario Battaini

Mario Battaini (Milan, 6 October 1931 - 26 April 2000) was a multi-instrumentalist, arranger and italian conductor. He was very concerned with his privacy. For this reason he used various stage names during his career. One of them was Duke of Burlington. The hit 'Flash' was one of his biggest successes.

The A-side features an instrumental version of the theme from the movie 'The Godfather', entitled 'Il Padrino' in Italian. However, it is of course the B-side that interested me more: a version of Gershon Kingsley's immortal 'Popcorn'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6494
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Il Padrino' / 'Popcorn'

Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht - Gunnar Winckler & Bibi Johns

This is an extremely old single, but it's also in an unusually fine state. You won't find that many 64 year old singles sounding this good. It's also in its original record company sleeve. Online purchases can be disappointing sometimes, but this certainly exceeded my expectations.

What this single is, is a German version of a Danish entry to the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest. On stage, Gunnar (a.k.a. Gustav) Winckler and Birthe Wilke performed 'Skibet skal selje i nat', but for this German version Birthe made way for Bibi Johns, a Swedish singer and film actress. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6493
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht' / 'Gin und Rum'

Mein Ruf nach dir - Piera Martell

Piera Martell was born on 2 July 1943 in Jona, St. Gallen (Switzerland). She is best known for her participation in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. It's hard to believe that 'Mein Ruf nach dir' is from the same year as Abba's 'Waterloo', because it sounds so old-fashioned. The juries seemed to think so too, because it finished in joint last place (together with the German, Norwegian and Portuguese entries) of the 17 entries. 

Martell went on to make three further attempts to perform at Eurovision, without success. In 1976, she entered the German selection ('Ein neuer Tag' – 11th place), followed by two more participations in the Swiss selection in 1977 ('Aldo Rinaldo' – 4th place) and 1978 ('Hier, Pierre' – 6th place). She continued performing and releasing singles periodically until her retirement from the music industry in 1981. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6492
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Mein Ruf nach dir' / 'Du hast mir die Liebe gegeben'

Bonjour, bonjour - Paola

With a title like 'Bonjour, bonjour' you might suspect that this is a song in French, but the Swiss entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 was sung almost entirely in German - except for the title. Perhaps this was inspired by the fact that French was the most popular language at the time, both in the world and in the Contest. 

The song was performed by Paola del Medico, who was born on 5 October 1950 and was just 18 years old at the time of the Contest. Her song finished in fifth place in a field of 16 competitors. Considering the first four places were all winners in the old system, she did pretty well. She would return to the Contest in 1980 with the song 'Cinema'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6491
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Bonjour, bonjour' / 'Valse d'amour'

That's me - Abba

Today is release day for Abba - their first album in 40 years is called 'Voyage' and serves to remind people that music can be timeless if you ignore "current trends". Fortunately they didn't employ rappers or other "famous people" to create their new work.

On this special occasion I thought I'd get out one of the special items I have in my collection: I got a nice handful of Japanese Abba singles last month and this one is extra special, because it flipped the A- and B-sides, relegating 'Money, Money, Money' to the B-side whereas 'That's Me' was promoted to the A-side. Why the Japanese felt this necessary I don't know - perhaps they thought the message of 'Money, Money, Money' was unsuitable for the Japanese public? 

My collection: 7" single no. 6479
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $7
Tracks: 'That's me' / 'Money, Money, Money'

This is your life (Barcelona mix) - Banderas

I find it quite sad that Banderas only ever released one album. I have it in my collection and it's one of those albums I keep returning to, quite regularly at least. The only big hit they scored was their debut single 'This is your life', and much to my surprise I found this promotional single recently online, featuring the so-called 'Barcelona mix' of the track. It is actually a shorter version of the 'Easy Life mix', found on the song's 12" single. 

Both women are still active in music, it seems. Sally Herbert made a name for herself as violinist, orchestral arranger, composer and producer.and released a track called 'Everything must change' together with Jimmy Somerville in February this year, whereas Caroline Buckley appeared on an EP called 'Lovers Unlimited', on which that same Jimmy Somerville was the main man. Funny enough, Jimmy also appeared on the Banderas'  sole album, thirty years ago. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6490
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'This is your life (Barcelona mix)' / 'This is your life (Barcelona mix)'

Todo esto es la música - Serafin Zubiri

This single has been on my want list for a few years. It's the first of two Eurovision appearances by Serafin Zubiri. In 2000 he participated with 'Colgado de un sueño' - which, unfortunately, was never released on a 7" single, and in 1992 with this song, 'Todo esto es la música'. Curiously, this song was only ever released as a promotional item on both 7" single and CD-single. And it is a no frills affair: the CD only has one track, and this single features the same track on both sides.

The album 'Te veo con el corazon' followed later in 1992, after Serafin reached 14th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a field of 23 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6489
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Todo esto es la música' / 'Todo esto es la música'

The old street musician - Ben Cramer

Even this week Ben Cramer was still on Dutch TV. The enduring career of this singer proves that he certainly wasn't a one hit wonder - even if his success didn't necessarily translate to other countries. His 1973 Eurovision entry 'De oude muzikant' was recorded in several other languages, but that didn't give him any hits. 

This single, a Portuguese pressing, features the English version of the song, correctly translated into 'The old street musician'. And even the B-side, 'Kom Sylvia dans met mij' was translated into 'Sylvia, come dance with me', which is also a literal translation. The A-side was written, and both sides produced, by Pierre Kartner a.k.a. Father Abraham, who made himself internationally known as the Smurfs man later on in that decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 6488
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'The old street musician' / 'Sylvia, come dance with me'

Tie uuteen päivään - Markku Aro

Markku Aro was born as Markku Tuomas Puputti on 3 February 1950 in Mouhijärvi, Finland. Together with the pop duo Koivistolaiset he represented his country at the 1971 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Tie uuteen päivään' ('Road to a new day'). The song deals with the progress of humanity towards "a new day", contending that this is not something to be afraid of. The song finished in eighth place, in a field of 18 competitors.

This single may not look much - and the center has been pushed out unfortunately - but it is a true collector's item: for a couple of years no other copy has been offered for sale online, and so I am still happy to have this one. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6485
Found:  Discogs.com, received 12 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Tie uuteen päivään' / 'Silmät ja suu'

I still have faith in you - Abba

One of the most anticipated comebacks of all time: it's easy to see that when Abba announced not only a few new tracks (which were already announced a couple of years ago), but a full album, the music world shook on its foundations. During a live streamed press moment the music video for 'I still have faith in you' was shown - undoubtedly an emotional moment for Abba fans worldwide.

While it is easy to get caught up in this hype, the question remains: is the new song any good? Without reservation I would say, yes of course. Thankfully they remained true to their own sound and didn't employ rappers, modern producers or "big names". They just made their own music, and released it, thankfully, on 7" vinyl as well. The only disappointing thing is that they didn't include a B-side: that side is etched with the lyrics of the song. That's beautiful, of course, but another song would have been nicer.

My collection: 7" single no. 6444
Found: Platenzaak.nl, received 4 September 2021
Cost: € 9,99
Tracks: 'I still have faith in you'

You don't have to say you love me - Dusty Springfield

I do have versions of this song by Michael Ball and Guys and Dolls, but the version by Dusty Springfield remains the best of all times. The original version of the song comes from Italy and was introduced at the Sanremo Festival by Pino Donaggio as 'Io che non vivo (senza te)'. The song reached the final at Sanremo and, as recorded by Donaggio, reached No. 1 in Italy in March 1965.

Dusty Springfield, who participated at the 1965 Sanremo Festival, was in the audience when Donaggio performed the song and, although she did not know the meaning of the lyrics, the song moved Springfield to tears. She obtained an acetate recording of Donaggio's song, but allowed a year to go by before actively pursuing the idea of recording an English version. English lyrics were provided by her friend Vicki Wickham together with her own friend Simon Napier-Bell. Dusty's recording became a number 1 hit in the UK and went top 10 in most of the other countries around the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6471
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $2
Tracks: 'You don't have to say you love me' / 'Little by little'

Having it all - Eighth Wonder feat. Patsy Kensit

Most people know the movie 'Absolute beginners' from the single 'Absolute beginners' by David Bowie, but this movie had so much more to offer. Who could forget Sade's beautiful song 'Killer blow'? It's a shame that was never released as a single.

I thought the same about 'Having it all', performed in the movie by Patsy Kensit from Eighth Wonder. I was surprised, and pleased, to find that this song was released as a single, albeit in Japan only. The jazzy track is a departure from their other material, which is much more synth-driven, but I guess that's what makes this track extra special.

My collection: 7" single no. 6467
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Having it all' / 'Stay with me (instrumental)'

Forever autumn - Vigrass & Osborne

'Forever autumn' is a rather familiar title on this blog: I own a UK single, a Dutch single and a re-released single from 1989. One thing was still missing, though: the original version by Paul Vigrass and Gary Osborne.

They wrote the song together with Jeff Wayne. It was Wayne who wrote the original melody as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album 'Queues'. Their interpretation was also released as a single and gained moderate commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a top-20 hit on the country's record chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6466
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Forever autumn' / 'Men of learning'

En un mundo nuevo - Waldo de los Rios

In 1971, Karina represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'En un mundo nuevo'. It was a successful entry for the country, because it finished in second place. The song was arranged and conducted by Waldo de los Rios, who was smart enough to also record a version of the song himself - albeit instrumental. This single presents that version.

Waldo de los Ríos (real name: Osvaldo Nicolás Ferraro Gutiérrez) was a native of Buenos Aires who relocated to the USA in 1958 and then Spain in 1962. He is best-remembered for his ability to transform European classical music into pop music. De los Ríos committed suicide in 1977. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6464
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'En un mundo nuevo' / 'Pamperito'

Este mundo - Katja Ebstein

Katja Ebstein represented Germany in 1971 with the song 'Diese Welt'. And just like the song 'Wunder gibt es immer wider' (which she recorded in Spanish as 'Siempre hay algun milagro'), she recorded this song in Spanish. 'Este mundo' was released in Spain just after her Eurovision appearance. Strange thing is, the B-side was still in German, unlike that other Spanish single.

'Diese Welt' reached third place in the 1971 edition of Eurovision. In her autobiography, Ebstein wrote: "For me, this placement was the international breakthrough... I took bronze, with the eco-song 'Diese Welt' by Dieter Zimmermann and Fred Jay."

My collection: 7" single no. 6463
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Este mundo' / 'Wind in der Nacht'

Popcorn - Popcorn Orchestra

This cheap looking sleeve hides the fact that the Popcorn Orchestra is actually French synth god Jean Michel Jarre. At least, that is what more knowledgeable people have told me. No wonder, then, that this single fetches some stunning prices online, especially when it is in pristine condition.

My copy is reasonably good, but the seller already warned that the B-side sounded a bit off. That was no problem: it was, after all, the A-side that I was after. You can tell from this blog that I am a bit of a Popcorn collector, and so the version by Jarre was one I just had to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 6462
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Blackbird'

Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt - Marianne Rosenberg

German singer Marianne Rosenberg released this single in 1980, featuring not just one, but two cover versions in German of contemporary hits. The A-side featured a version of Barbra Streisand's evergreen 'Woman in love', and the B-side a version of the immortal 'The winner takes it all' by Abba. Quite why she thought this would improve those two songs is unknown.

Still, this single became a hit in Germany, reaching number 31 at the turn of the year. And she wasn't the only one to cover 'Woman in love' either: Gitte Haenning released 'Die Frau, die dich liebt' and Mireille Mathieu released 'Une femme amoureuse'. And that was just in 1980. There have also been lots of cover versions of 'The winner takes it all', although most of those were released after 1980.

My collection: 7" single no. 6460
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt' / 'Nur Sieger stehn im Licht'

Walk away - Matt Monro

When Matt Monro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 with 'I love the little things', he was quite impressed with the Austrian entry by Udo Jürgens, 'Warum nur warum?'. He decided to record a cover version, with English lyrics by Don Black. This became 'Walk away', released before the end of the year. It became a hit for him, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart and even number 6 in Australia. Monro would go on to record a cover version of Udo Jürgens' Eurovision winner, 'Merci Chérie', in 1966.

This EP features four tracks by Monro. The two tracks on side one are quite enjoyable, the two on the other side... not so much.

My collection: 7" single no. 6461
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Walk away', 'Around the world' / 'Fools rush in', 'Walk into the dawn'

Dancing queen / Fernando - Abba

This single was released in the GDR, or 'East Germany' as we called it until 1990, when that part of Germany was under communist rule. The state-run label Amiga released singles for the wealthier part of the public - although there were, apparently, also lots of illegal tapes doing the rounds.

I bought this single because it feels a bit like a rarity. It's not really that rare - it is available regularly online - but it's always nice to own a piece of history, and this is it. Amiga released a couple of Abba singles, and this one features two of their biggest hits: 'Dancing queen' and 'Fernando'. Who knows I may find those other Amiga singles someday too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6459
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Fernando'

Hotel California - Eagles

Although I do own 'Hotel California' on one of those re-release singles from the 'Old Gold' series, it always feels a bit like cheating to just have that. I wasn't exactly inclined to buy the original single, until I saw this Japanese beauty at the record fair. This is the original Japanese single from 1976, and it features a slightly edited version of that classic track: it's 20 seconds shorter than the orginal album version.

It's no wonder that the guitar solo at the end of this track is often quoted as one of the best guitar solos of all time. It takes up the last two minutes of the track (which originally runs at 6½ minutes) and includes some impressive twists and turns. Would such a track still become a hit these days? When hell freezes over, perhaps.

My collection: 7" single no. 6458
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Hotel California' / 'Pretty maids all in a row'