Boys and girls - Human League

The Human League started out in 1977 as a group consisting of Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, Philip Oakey and Adrian Wright. When Ware and Craig Marsh left the group in 1980 (subsequently forming B.E.F. and Heaven 17) the other two were left with the obligation to fulfill a tour and more releases. Recruiting the girls Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall they soldiered on, and 'Boys and girls' became their first single release in early 1981.

Amazingly, 'Girls and boys' went on to become the band's biggest hit since their debut 'Being Boiled', peaking at number 48, which in itself was a lowly chart placing, but it did offer the group some hope that things would turn around in their favour. Indeed it did: subsequent singles became bigger hits and between 1981 and 1983 they scored five top 10 hits, including one charttopper.

My collection: 7" single no. 7133
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 February 2024
Tracks: 'Boys and girls' / 'Tom Baker'

Absolutely fabulous - Pet Shop Boys

Although I have been quite successful in collecting Pet Shop Boys singles (with only a few titles missing), somehow I missed this one. It's not that surprising, because I felt that 'Absolutely fabulous' wasn't the duo's finest moment back in 1994. I did buy the CD-single a few years later, but the 7" single escaped my attention completely. Until recently, that is. I was going through my Pet Shop Boys singles (I take out some acts' singles from time to time) and noticed that this one was missing. In the age of Discogs it's not that hard to rectify such omissions, and so a few weeks later it landed in my mailbox.

'Absolutely fabulous' was, of course, a successful TV series based on the French and Saunders sketch, 'Modern Mother and Daughter', created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saunders, who also starred as one of the main characters with Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha. The B-side of this single contains an 8 minute remix, but unfortunately it is a bit, er, dull and soulless.

My collection: 7" single no. 7132
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 February 2024
Tracks: 'Absolutely fabulous' / 'Absolutely fabulous (Dull Soulless Dance Music Mix)'

Tom Pillibi - Les petits chanteurs a la croix de bois

Les petits chanteurs a la croix de bois ('The little singers with the wooden cross') are a Christian boys choir. It was founded in 1907 and the choir is still active at present. Through the years the choir recorded a few dozen albums and more than a few singles.

This particular single is a bit of a rarity, because of its connection to the Eurovision Song Contest. The choir performs a version of 'Tom Pillibi'. As far as I could find out, the choir didn't record any other Eurovision-related songs. Another interesting addition is a version of 'La mer', performed with its original performer Charles Trenet.

My collection: 7" single no. 7127
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi', 'L'enfant au tambour' / 'La mer'

La, la, la - Los Stop

After the EP 'Festival Eurovision 1967', Los Stop were back the next year with an EP featuring a Eurovision song. This time, they recorded a cover version of the winning song 'La, la, la' - coincidentally a Spanish entry. The other three tracks have no connection to the Contest.

Los Stop continued to release singles and EP's until 1975. 'La, la, la' remained the last Eurovision-related song they released.

My collection: 7" single no. 7125
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: 'La, la, la', 'La grua' / 'Yo te dare', 'Toledo'

Tom Pillibi - Terry van Ginderen

Esther Van Ginderen-Verbeeck (8 September 1931 – 30 January 2018), also known as Tante Terry (Aunt Terry), was a Belgian Flemish-speaking television presenter and businesswoman. She was best known as a host of children's TV shows, often alongside Bob Davidse, better known as Nonkel Bob (Uncle Bob).  Their best known show was 'Kom toch eens kijken'. 

Besides television Terry van Ginderen also recorded a handful of singles. In 1960 she recorded a Flemish version of 'Tom Pillibi', the song that had won that year's Eurovision Song Contest. The lyrics weren't translated literally but the content of the song stays virtually the same.

My collection: 7" single no. 7126
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi' / ''t Staat in the sterren'

On and on and on - Cashmere

Sometimes I buy singles out of curiosity. That can be a good thing at times, but sometimes it's not such a good thing. 

I guess it takes guts to cover an Abba song, even back in 1980, when the Swedish band wasn't as revered as it is now. Abba released 'On and on and on' on 12" single only, and so the Dutch duo Cashmere thought it was a clever idea to release that same song on a 7" single. It could have worked, but unfortunately the vocals are a bit rough and this version ends up being... not very good. And so the single failed to reach the charts.

My collection: 7" single no. 7124
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: 'On and on and on' / 'Hey you'

This is my night - Chaka Khan

After the phenomenal success of 'I feel for you', which topped the UK singles chart in late 1984, Chaka Khan followed that single up with 'This is my night', a comparatively weaker track. It's still got a funky hook, but other than that nothing spectacular happens. Hence, the single only reached number 14 in the UK singles chart. 

Still, it was the last time Chaka reached the UK top 20 for many years. Only remixes of her old hits, 'I'm every woman' and 'Ain't nobody', would help her back in the UK top 10 in 1989, but after that, she only managed to scrape the lower reaches of the chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7121
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: 'This is my night' / 'Caught in the act'

20/20 - George Benson

'20/20' was the title track of George Benson's 1985 album. The song was released as a single. In the UK, the single reached number 29 in the singles chart, but in the Netherlands the single did not chart at all.

I still remember the song from the many times that I watched Sky Channel and Music Box, the two premier satellite channels that used to play music videos for most of the day. Somehow the song crept back into my mind recently, and so I thought it would be nice to own the single after all these years. The B-side is a jazzy instrumental.

My collection: 7" single no. 7120
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 February 2024
Tracks: '20/20' / 'Shark bite'

Refrains - Cora Vaucaire

Cora Vaucaire was a French chanson singer, born 22 July 1918 in Marseille (France) and died 17 September 2011 in Paris (France). She recorded over a dozen singles and a handful of studio albums. She was known for singing songs from the middle ages, but this single is a bit different.

It features a cover version of the very first winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest, 'Refrain' by Lys Assia. I was particularly impressed, upon receiving this single, that it is absolutely flawless: the sleeve is in mint condition, the disc is flawless as well. That's pretty astonishing for a single from 1957. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7119
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 February 2024
Tracks: 'Refrains' / 'Gregory'

Piano piano - Mariella Farré & Pino Gasparini

Switzerland won the very first Eurovision Song Contest, but after that... nothing. For decades they tried and tried, but nothing ever became as successful. When you listen to some of those entries, you understand why: it regularly borders on the inane.

This entry from 1985 is a good example. 'Piano piano' is a good show tune, but couldn't compete with some of the other songs in that year's edition (although it still amazes me that the boring 'La det swinge' won that year). The song was performed by Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini. Gasparini was previously on the Eurovision stage with the Pepe Lienhard Band in 1977, and Farré in 1983 with 'Io così non-ci sto'. This new attempt was rewarded with a mediocre 12th place. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7118
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 January 2024
Tracks: 'Piano piano' / 'Donna'

Macedomienne - Philippe Lafontaine

Philippe Lafontaine (born 24 May 1955) spent a short time in a Jesuit college that he left at 17 to pursue a career in music.His first successes came from the writing and recording of jingles for television commercials, including Stella Artois and Coca-Cola. The song 'Cœur de loup' was his first big hit and launched his career. 

In 1990 he represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb with his own composition 'Macédomienne', dedicated to his Macedonian wife, ending in 12th place. Although a limited edition of singles was pressed - featuring only one track; the B-side remained empty - Lafontaine famously smashed the matrix of the disc, proclaiming that he didn't want the song to be commercialized. And so, this 7" single of 'Macedomienne' became a true collectors item, since only these promotional singles were ever made. Obviously these singles now command extremely high prices, but I still managed to buy a copy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7117
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 January 2024
Tracks: 'Macedomienne'

Heroes (live) - David Bowie

'Heroes' is undoubtedly one of the highlights of David Bowie's genre, perhaps bridging the gap between lovers of 'Seventies Bowie' and 'Eighties Bowie'. This particular single seems to be an unofficial released by Reel to Reel Records, featuring two different live versions of the track.

The first recording was made live at Montreal Forum on 13 July 1983, the second was recorded live at the Tokyo Dome, 16 May 1990. The two don't sound very different really, but it's a nice item for fans nonetheless. The added attraction of it being a picture disc drew me in - after all, there have been quite a few picture disc releases of Bowie during the last decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 7116
Found: Sounds, Delft, 27 January 2024
Tracks: 'Heroes (live at Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada, 13th July 1983)' / 'Heroes (live at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, 16 May 1990)'

Every breath you take - The Police

Record Store Day has been vilified on this blog a few times before, just like it should be. Singles one could buy for a few quid in the Eighties are sold for extortionate prices four decades later. Certainly the popularity of vinyl has grown since the turn of the century, but record companies are all too eager to earn money from vinyl discs, even going as far as declaring the CD dead, while that is still the format on which the most units are sold (but since CD's are much cheaper, record companies make more money from vinyl, get it?) 

Anyway, on last year's Record Store Day this double single of 'Every breath you take' was sold, featuring a second disc with the previously unreleased track 'Every bomb you make'. That track was recorded for Spitting Image in 1985 with new vocals by Sting. The instrumental version of 'Every breath you take' is an added bonus.

My collection: 7" single no. 7115
Found: Sounds, Delft, 27 January 2024
Tracks: 'Every breath you take' / 'Murder by numbers' // 'Every bomb you make' / 'Every breath you take (instrumental)'

Melodie einer Nacht (T'en vas pas) - Esther Ofarim

With 'T'en vas pas' Esther Ofarim represented Switerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963. I bought the single in January 2020, just before the whole Covid thing had its way with the world. 

I didn't know at the time that Ofarim also recorded her song in German. I was happy to find a copy of 'Melodie einer Nacht' along with a few Eurovision CD-singles in the Discogs account of one of my oldest and best known dealers. Here's to good old Bea Records!

My collection: 7" single no. 7114
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 January 2024
Tracks: 'Melodie einer Nacht (T'en vas pas)' / 'Komm doch zu mir'

Populaire Hoogtepunten Op-De-Plaat Van 1960 - Concertgebouworkest o.l.v. Dolf van der Linden

The esteemed orchestra of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw recorded many things, mainly classical music, but in 1960 they filled two EP's that were sold during a record promotion week in the Netherlands. One EP was devoted to classical music (of course), the other to a more popular genre. This is the latter.

The orchestra plays a medley (well, two, actually) of popular songs, of which Domenico Modugno's 'Piove' is one, and Jacqueline Boyer's 'Tom Pillbi' is another. It's very interesting to hear a more classical rendition of these two Eurovision songs. It's a good deal, too: if you bought this for 1 guilder (approx. 45 eurocents these days, but more like 5 eurocents if you take inflation into account) you got this EP with almost 15 minutes of music!

My collection: 7" single no. 7113
Found: De Schatkamer, Leidschendam, 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Sleighride in Alaska, Tom Pillibi, Piove, Marina, Kriminal Tango, Una Marcia in Fa' / 'Kleine Lucienne, Morgen, Elisabethan Serenade, Mack the Knife, Petite Fleur, Milord'

Accordeon Potpourri no. 41 - The 3 Jacksons

In December 2021 I bought two singles by the 3 Jacksons; one because of their version of 'Abergavenny', and one because of their version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'.This month I added one more single by this accordeon-crazy group, because of their inclusion of no less than two Eurovision songs in the 41st potpourri. 

'Piove' opens the proceedings, and it is followed by 'Sing little birdie'. Both songs were performed in the 1959 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. I wouldn't say that I am exactly a fan of music on accordeons, but this single is a nice curiosity nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 7112
Found: De Schatkamer, Leidschendam, 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Piove, Sing Little Birdie, Una Marcia in Fa' / 'Tom Dooley, Mandolins in the moonlight, Li per li'

Which way you goin' Billy? - The Poppy Family

Seventeen-year-old Susan Pesklevits met Terry Jacks in the mid-1960s when he appeared as a guest on the national teen TV show Music Hop where she was a regular performer. She later called Jacks to accompany her on rhythm guitar for one of her live appearances. Eventually, although she continued to do solo shows on television, with the addition of Craig McCaw on lead guitar, Susan decided that all her live performances would be as part of her newly formed trio. Susan and Terry married in 1967 and Susan Pesklevits became Susan Jacks. Craig McCaw later introduced Satwant Singh on tabla drums from India and the Poppy Family's unique sound was complete. 

'Which way you goin' Billy?' was their first big hit. Although they'd released two singles before that, those two only reached the lower part of the Canadian singles chart, but this single became a charttopper. It also reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 in the UK singles chart. The B-side, 'Endless sleep', had been a hit for Marty Wilde in 1958.

My collection: 7" single no. 7111
Found: De Schatkamer, Leidschendam, 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Which way you goin' Billy?' / 'Endless sleep'

Tom Pillibi - Les Scarlet

Back in 1960, Jacqueline Boyer won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Tom Pillibi'.You wouldn't think so these days - Loreen's 'Tattoo' came and went and no other artist even tried to cover the song - but back then artists were scrambling all over the place to record their own versions of songs that won the Contest.

Les Scarlet was a French girl group that was quick to try their hand at the song, using the services of an orchestra directed by James Award. It isn't necessarily a very original take on the song - with the exception of the intro that starts with a nice harmony from the girls.

My collection: 7" single no. 7110
Found: De Schatkamer, Leidschendam, 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi' / 'Rossel Cadet'

Little lies / Songbird - The Corrs

I didn't have any 7" singles of the Corrs yet, although I do have all their CD's and a lot of their CD-singles. The Irish band of the four siblings named Corr was very successful just after the turn of the century, before going on hiatus in 2006. When they returned as a band in 2015 with the albums 'White light' (2015) and 'Jupiter calling' (2017), their success was not quite as big, and for some reason they recently only play live in Australia and surrounding countries. 

But there was one new release recently: this double A single of Fleetwood Mac covers, as a tribute to Christine McVie who passed away on 30 November 2022. The single did not chart, but it's a nice one nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 7108
Found: Dig! webstore, received 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Little lies' / 'Songbird'

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl

Shane MacGowan, the illustrious frontman of the Pogues, passed away last year after an eventful drug- and drink-filled life. Whatever you might think of him, he certainly wasn't a boring character. On 30 November 2023, after receiving last rites, MacGowan died from pneumonia at his home in Dublin with his wife by his side; he was 65.

Warner Records thought it was a fitting idea to rush-release this vinyl single with the man's most famous performance, on the Christmas song 'Fairytale of New York'. It would of course have been great if this song was the UK's Christmas number 1 of 2023, but that honour went to another dead man: George Michael of Wham! Still, this single is a great item because it features an instrumental version of that famous Christmas tune. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7109
Found: Dig website, received 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Fairytale of New York' / 'Fairytale of New York (instrumental)'