Volare - Alan Dale

Alan Dale was born in Brooklyn, New York on 9 July 1925. He began his career at age 9 when his comedian father was running short on his program and called on Aldo to sing. Though Aldo fainted immediately upon completing his song, he was good enough that he became a regular on his father's program. 

Considered to have one of the top pop voices, Alan Dale had a career that spanned three decades and 16 record labels. He was a crooner who later flirted with rock 'n' roll. His version of 'Volare' was released in 1958, almost immediately after Domenico Modugno sang it at the Eurovision Song Contest.

My collection: 7" single no. 7336
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'Weeping willow in the wind'

Merci Cherie - Johnny White

Sometimes record company strategies can be mystifying. Why would 'Merci Cherie', a song from 1966, become a hit in 1992? Still, they gave Johnny Winter the chance to record this old song in two languages (Dutch and French) and went with it. 

Johnny White was Johnny Wittevrouw, the Belgian singer (born 13 June 1946) who had a career  in the Seventies, until success eluded him and he went AWOL for most of the Eighties. He came back in 1989 and released singles until 2006. After White suffered a heart attack he was admitted to the hospital for laparoscopy, but this proved fatal as he would never wake up after his anesthesia. He passed away on 13 January 2014.

My collection:  7" single no. 7335
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Merci Cherie (Dutch)' / 'Merci Cherie (French)'

San Remo Hits - Various

The 'Populaire Platen Kring' ('Popular Records Circle') was a Dutch phenomenon from the early Sixties. The labels do not bear dates. It is completely unknown how often a new edition appeared on the market. What is known is that most items contain imitated songs, a bit like the later English Top of the Pops albums.

This edition features hits from the San Remo festival - and indeed the Eurovision Song Contest. Of particular interest for me was the version of 'Addio Addio', performed by one Jean Couroyer and 'Romantica' by Togliani. Modugno himself appears with 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7333
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Quando quando quando' (Jean Couroyer), 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' (Modugno), 'Gondoli' Gondola'' (Jean Couroyer), 'Le mille bolle blu' (Renatino) / 'Addio addio' (Jean Couroyer), '24 milla baci' (Rondinella), 'Tango Italiano' (Jean Couroyer), 'Romantica' (Togliani)

The woman in me - Heart

'The woman in me' was a hit for Donna Summer. Heart probably thought they could also have a hit with the song (or were they pushed by their record company?) and so they recorded the song on their 1993 album Desire walks on. The single was released on CD-single only - plus a 7" single for jukeboxes only. It represents the last ever 7" single by Heart, because subsequent releases were never released on this format again.

As for 'The woman in me', it wasn't a big hit for the band. It reached number 13 in Canada after just missing the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 7332
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'The woman in me' / 'Risin' suspicion'

Eres tu - Young family

Although this EP doesn't really have a title, I bought it especially for the cover version of 'Eres tu', the Spanish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973. 

This EP was released in 1974 and was an initiative of the German Youth Red Cross. Young Family is a group formed by the Youth Red Cross in Nettersheim, not far from Aachen. They recorded four songs for this EP, which besides 'Eres tu' also contains the big hit 'Non, non rien n'a changé', a European hit for the French group Les Poppys around that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 7331
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Non, non rien n'a changé', 'Soolaimon' / 'Eres tu', 'Rock my soul'

Addio, addio (Good-bye) - Lou Monte

In 1962, Claudio Villa represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Addio, addio', a song composed by Domenico Modugno and lyrics by Franco Migliacci. The Italian American singer Louis Scaglione, better known as Lou Monte, was quick to jump on the bandwagon: his version of the song, translated into English by Carl Sigman, was released in May 1962.

Lou Monte (2 April 1917 – 12 June 1989) was an Italian American singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded for both RCA Victor and Reprise Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, most famously 'Lazy Mary' (1958) and the 1962/63 million-selling US single 'Pepino the Italian Mouse', plus the seasonal track 'Dominick the Donkey'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7330
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Addio, addio (Good-bye)' / 'Please mr. Columbus (Turn the ship around)'

Mammie waar is pappa - Anny & Tosca

Tosca Verkooyen was born in 1969. She recorded her first single in 1979 together with Anny van de Ruit, the singer who would go on to record solo singles as Annie. I bought this single mostly as a curiosity, because it predates Annie's slightly legendary solo work.

Of course, there is an element of tragedy in this single as well: Tosca wonders where her dad is in this song, and Anny replies that he ran away with another woman. And so it fits in wonderfully with the repertoire we've come to know so well from Annie.

My collection: 7" single no. 7329
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Mammie waar is pappa' / ''s Nachts langs de straat'

Romantica - Dalida

After recording 'Ciao ciao bambina (Piove)' in 1959, Dalida continued the next year with another cover version of an Italian Eurovision song: 'Romantica', originally performed by Renato Rascel. The version on this single was recorded in German, although a version in French also exists.

The other A-side (yes, this single actually has two A-sides) is the song 'Milord', which was another big hit around 1960. That song was recorded by a number of Eurovision artists, including Corry Brokken. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7328
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Romantica' / 'Milord'

Qu'est-ce qu'une autre annee - Noelle Cordier

Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 with 'What's another year'. Noelle Cordier, herself a Eurovision veteran having represented France with 'Il doit faire beau la-bas' in 1967, decided to record a cover version of the song - in French.

'Qu'est-ce qu'une autre annee' is a faithful reproduction of the original song, but with less feeling. The French lyrics were provided by Claude Lemesle.

My collection: 7" single no. 7327
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Qu'est-ce qu'une autre annee' / 'Un peu d'amour'

Een paljaske van ne vent - The Strangers

The Belgian band The Strangers have appeared on this blog before, and most of their singles I own are covers of Eurovision songs. This one is no exception, and it's the oldest one of the lot: 'Een paljaske van ne vent' is a version of 'Puppet on a string', the song with which Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967. 

This song turns the original idea of the lyric around: while the woman in the original version is a 'puppet on a string', in this song the man is a 'clown of a guy', because he is suppressed by his wife. He comes up with an idea to hook her up with another man but the same night she comes back, the other man by her side. As always, the song is probably better understood by those who speak the Antwerp dialect.

My collection: 7" single no. 7326
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Een paljaske van ne vent' / 'Een plat tangoke'

Ik ben verliefd - Ronny Temmer

Ronny Temmer (Oudenaarde, 23 April 1942) is a Flemish pop singer, who was popular during the 1960s. His name remains associated with the song 'De Ranke Roos'. This baker's son - born as Jean-Pierre De Temmerman - was initially a postman, but became a professional singer after his success in Canzonissima. Canzonissima was the biennial selection competition for participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, when it was the Flemish broadcaster's turn. 

In 1970 he recorded a Flemish version of the Luxembourg entrance to that year's Eurovision Song Contest, 'Je suis tombé du ciel'. It was translated as 'Ik ben verliefd' ('I'm in love') by Yves de Vriendt.

My collection: 7" single no. 7325
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Ik ben verliefd' / 'Mam'selle'

Voi-Voi - Nora Brockstedt

In 1988, Nora Brockstedt re-recorded 'Voi Voi', the song with which she represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960. The reason for thsi re-recording is unknown, but it does have all the trademarks of an Eighties recording, and sounds more 'modern' than the 1960 version.

In her last years, Brockstedt focused more on the jazz genre, with successful albums like As Time Goes By (JazzAvdelingen, 2004) and Christmas Songs (JazzAvdelingen, 2005). She sang jazz in the 1960s, but was more known for her 'conventional' pop songs. She died after a short illness at Ullevaal Hospital in Oslo on 5 November 2015, aged 92.

My collection: 7" single no. 7324
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Voi-Voi' / 'Oslo - Oslo'

Come-Comedie - Nicole Josy & Hugo Sigal

Nicole Josy and Hugo Sigal represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 (with 'Goeiemorgen morgen') and in 1973 (with 'Baby baby'). In 1972 they didn't compete, because in Belgium the Flemish and Walloon broadcasters take turns when they represent their country. Still, the Eurovision bug was scratching the duo, and so they decided to record a Flemish cover of the French entry of 1972: 'Come-comedie', originally performed by Betty Mars.

The lyrics for this version were written by Ernie Frank, a prolific songwriter in Belgium during the Sixties and Seventies.

My collection: 7" single no. 7323
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Come-comedie' / 'Hello my love'

Marcel - Margot Eskens

Although Heidi Brühl was selected internally to sing five songs for the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963, other artists were quick to jump on that bandwagon. The winning song, 'Marcel', which Heidi went to London with, was quickly covered by Margot Eskens, in the hopes of having a hit with it as well.

While Heid Brühl recorded 'Das grosse Spiel' as the B-side, a song she didn't perform at the national final, Margot did a smarter thing and recorded 'Ein schöner Tag' on the B-side - the song that was the runner-up during the national final. In the end, both versions of 'Marcel' only reached number 36 in the German chart during a one week run.

My collection: 7" single no. 7322
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Marcel' / 'Ein schöner Tag'

Mijn moesje - Annie

A lot has been written about Annie on this blog, particularly the lyrics of her Eighties singles which were a bit morbid at times. Those lyrics can't be followed by those of you who can't understand Dutch, which is why I try to describe them.

'Mijn moesje' ('My mum') is very different from previous singles, because it is a bit of a tribute to mothers. The singer expresses her love and gratitude to her mum, but in the last verse it turns out that mum is old and parked in a retirement home. The B-side, 'Je bent toch mijn zoon' ('You're still my son') sounds like a lament of a mum who has a son that never comes to visit. "Why don't you come and see me?", she complains.

This was Annie's last single, released in 1986. Annie passed away in 2013.

My collection: 7" single no. 7258
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 July 2024
Tracks: 'Mijn moesje' / 'Je bent toch mijn zoon'

Linoleum smooth to the stockinged foot - The The

The The have released three singles from their new album Ensoulment until now, but unfortunately the first and third one have eluded me until now. Not strange when you realize the 7" singles sold out within a day online. 

'Linoleum smooth to the stockinged foot' was number two, and I managed to order that one from an online vendor recently. Matt Johnson - the only permanent member of The The - wrote the lyrics in a hospital bed, under the influence of morphine whilst recovering from a life-saving operation. As fate would have it, Johnson’s weeks in hospital had nothing to do with Covid, but occurred at precisely the time Covid reached crisis proportions, making for an even more surreal ordeal. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7317
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 September 2024
Tracks: 'Linoleum smooth to the stockinged foot' / 'Mycelium muse'

Under attack - Abba

Although war crept in to some Abba tracks from time to time (most notably 'Waterloo' and 'Fernando'), the feeling of paranoia and fear was never more obvious than on 'Under attack', a real Cold War song. It was released as Abba's last single - or so we thought. After 'Under attack' there were endless re-releases of singles until the band surprised us in 2021 with 'I still have faith in you'. 

'Under attack' was not a commercial success upon its release. ABBA's popularity was in decline and the two preceding singles ('Head over heels' and 'The day before you came') had failed to reach number 1 anywhere. Although a Top 5 hit in Belgium and the Netherlands, and a Top 20 single in a couple of other European charts, it did not become a major hit anywhere else. It peaked at number 26 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 7311
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Under attack' / 'You owe me one'

The day before you came - Abba

After a short break, Abba returned to the studio in the spring of 1982. The first results were deemed disappointing: the tracks 'Just like that' was never released (a snippet appeared on the box set Thank you for the music in 1994), 'I am the city' only made it out in 1993 on More Abba Gold and 'You owe me one' would become a B-side later in 1982. Concluding that a new full length album was not a realistic prospect for 1982, Polar Music decided instead to release a double-album compilation of ABBA’s most successful singles in autumn 1982, in which would be included some new recordings which could also be released as singles.

The group went back in the studio in August and recorded 'Cassandra' and 'Under attack'. Under the working title ‘Den lidande fågeln’ (‘The Suffering Bird’) they also started on what would become 'The day before you came'. The song was based on "a single melodic fragment that lent itself to being repeated in a series of ascending and descending phrases over several key changes", according to Benny. 

Björn wrote the lyrics at and following the session. His first task was to decide on a theme, and here he was inspired by the characteristics of the melody he and Benny had written: "The tune is narrative in itself, and relentless. That almost monotonous quality made me think of this girl who was living in a sort of gloominess and is now back in that same sense of gloom." His idea for a theme therefore was "a woman recounting all the dull, ordinary things she “guessed she must have done” the day before she had a highly charged encounter with a man" and began a relationship that would end unhappily: "He has left her, and her life has returned to how it ‘must have been’ before she met him.”

Many years after the song was recorded, Michael Tretow recalled Agnetha performing the lead vocals with dimmed lights and said that the mood had become sad and everybody in the studio knew that 'this was the end'. Although 'Under attack' would be released after 'The day before you came', this song certainly sounds like Abba's last great moment, and it remains one of my absolute favourite songs of the band. 

This edition is a picture disc released as part of a series accompanying the re-release of the album The Visitors in 2023.

My collection: 7" single no. 7310
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'The day before you came' / 'Cassandra'

Head over heels - Abba

'Head over heels' was released in March 1982 as the second single from the album The Visitors.  Agnetha Fältskog sang the lead vocals, singing about her "very good friend", played in the music video by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, an overactive high-society woman who rushes through the shops, with her hapless and exhausted husband (played by Ulvaeus) following behind and being forced to carry the shopping bags. 

The single reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40, while it stalled at number 25 in the UK singles chart. No further singles were released from the album - in Europe at least, because the B-side 'The Visitors' was released as a single in the USA in April 1982, with 'Head over heels' added on the other side.

This edition is a picture disc released as part of a series accompanying the re-release of the album The Visitors in 2023.

My collection: 7" single no. 7309
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Head over heels' / 'The visitors'

One of us - Abba

At the start of the 1980s, Abba was slowly falling apart. After the divorce of Björn and Agnetha (which some felt was documented in 'The winner takes it all'), Benny and Frida followed suit and the album The Visitors, released in 1981, was definitely a more sombre affair when compared to previous albums.

The lead single was 'One of us', one of a number of tracks that explored the darker territory of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's songwriting, as the two men's divorces were beginning to influence their musical output. The message of the song is about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended. The single reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40. 

This edition is a picture disc released as part of a series accompanying the re-release of the album The Visitors in 2023.

My collection: 7" single no. 7308
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'One of us' / 'Should I laugh or cry'