A letter to Elise - The Cure

The Cure have consistently released albums and singles until about ten years ago. The recent revival with their excellent new album Songs from the lost world came after a few unremarkable albums - in my opinion then.

'A letter to Elise' came from their last great album before that, Wish. It reached number 28 in the UK singles chart, but it failed to chart in the Netherlands, like all the singles after that. For the longest time I didn't think this single was released on vinyl, so I was quite surprised to find this one after all these years.

My collection: 7" single no. 7585
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 February 2025
Tracks: 'A letter to Elise' / 'The big hand'

Days are OK - The Motels

The singles 'Suddenly last summer' and 'Footsteps' are pretty iconic to me, but I am not really familiar with the Motels's other work. I kept coming across picture discs of 'Days are OK' in shops and record fairs however, and I decided to check the song out. It was OK, I felt. 

The single was released in 1980, and so it actually precedes the other two. It features a louder sound from the band, which I guess is logical: most people mellow with age. The picture disc is a beauty, and so I finally decided to get me a copy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7584
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 February 2025
Tracks: 'Days are OK' / 'Slow town'

Can't wait for another world - Time Bandits

The Time Bandits enjoyed success in the first half of the Eighties, but by 1986 the singles struggled to get into the charts. Their last hit was 'I won't steal away'. Subsequent singles 'Only a fool', 'We'll be dancing' and 'Wildfire' didn't get into the Dutch Top 40, but did end up in the 'bubbling under' Tipparade chart. 

The latter two were taken from the album 'Can't wait for another world', and the title track was released as the third single from that album. It was the first time a single from the band didn't even get into the Tipparade. They called it quits after that - although lead singer Alides Hidding soldiered on with changing line-ups after that. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7582
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 February 2025
Tracks: 'Can't wait for another world' / 'Sail'

Tooralooralooraloo - Trio

I didn't really notice it at the time, but the German band Trio had a bilingual career. Their most famous single 'Da da da' was recorded in German and English, and it turns out that 'Turaluraluralu' also had an English counterpart. The title makes it look like a throwaway track, but it is actually a very enjoyable song. 

It didn't earn them a lot of international success, unfortunately. The single didn't chart in the UK at all. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 34 in the Dutch Top 40 during a three week chart run. After this, Trio was heard outside of Germany no more.

My collection: 7" single no. 7581
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 February 2025
Tracks: 'Tooralooralooraloo (is it old is it new)' / 'Immer noch einmal'

Ice in the sun - Status Quo

Although I already had a single featuring 'Ice in the sun' on the B-side of 'Pictures of matchstick men' on an unsightly 'old gold' release, I always wanted to have the original single as well - but for a fair price. When I finally saw one I snapped it up. 

'Ice in the sun' was written by Marty Wilde, of course, together with Ronnie Scott. They created many songs during the Sixties, but this was one of the better known ones. 'Ice in the sun', reached number 8 in the UK and number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 7565
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Ice in the sun' / 'When my mind is not live'

I need a man - Eurythmics

When I ordered a few singles from the UK I accidentally also ordered this one, because I thought I didn't have it. Obviously I did: I bought 'I need a man' a mere six years ago. But! It was a different sleeve and a different B-side. And this one is just too good to go. We call it 'bijvangst' in Dutch. 

And so, here is 'I need a man' again, with the alternative B-side 'I need you'. It's different from the US edition, and that's because this one was made in the UK. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7576
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 February 2025
Tracks: 'I need a man' / 'I need you'

Fallen angel - Robbie Robertson

I recently rediscovered Robbie Robertson's singles and then I realized that one was still missing from my collection. It's 'Fallen Angel', a track from the same album that contains 'Somewhere down the crazy river' and 'Showdown at big sky'. Both are excellent, but this one even more so. I mean, it contains vocals by Peter Gabriel! 

'Fallen angel' was actually the second single taken from Robbie's self-titled album, and also the least successful, inexplicably. It only made it to number 95 in the UK singles chart. Some things are just too weird for me.

My collection: 7" single no. 7575
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 February 2025
Tracks: 'Fallen angel' / 'Hell's half acre'

You don't believe - Alan Parsons Project

'You don't believe' appeared on the B-side of the single 'Don't answer me'. Both songs appeared on the Alan Parsons Project's 1984 album Ammonia Avenue. 

However, the album The best of the Alan Parsons Project was released in 1983 and 'You don't believe' appeared on that album too. The B-side is also interesting: 'Lucifer' was used on a radio programme in the Netherlands (I forget which one, unfortunately), and so this single is an unexpected great find.

My collection: 7" single no. 7574
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'You don't believe' / 'Lucifer'

Crying in the rain - Everly Brothers

'Crying in the rain' was composed by Carole King with lyrics by Howard Greenfield, originally recorded by American duo the Everly Brothers. Their version was released as a single in December 1961, peaking at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1962.

The song was a collaboration between Greenfield and King, both of whom worked for music publisher Aldon Music at the time. On a whim, two Aldon songwriting partnerships decided to switch partners for a day; King's regular lyricist and then-husband Gerry Goffin partnered with Greenfield's frequent collaborator Jack Keller, leaving King and Greenfield to pair up.

For younger listeners, the song is best known in a version by A-ha.

My collection: 7" single no. 7570
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Track: 'Crying in the rain' / 'That's old fashioned (That's the way love should be)'

I just don't know what to do with myself - Dusty Springfield

'I just don't know what to do with myself' is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was first recorded by Chuck Jackson in 1962. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached number 3 on the UK singles chart in 1964. 

Production was credited to Philips Records owner Johnny Franz - although Springfield later stated her solo Philips tracks were self-produced - and arranged by Ivor Raymonde who conducted his orchestra. Springfield, whose first solo recordings had included covers of the Bacharach/David compositions 'Anyone who had a heart' and 'Wishin' and hopin'' - had brought back 'I just don't know what to do with myself' from an overnight trip to New York City where she met up with Bacharach in February 1964. Two years later, the song was also recorded by Dionne Warwick.

My collection: 7" single no. 7567
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'I just don't know what to do with myself' / 'My colouring book'

Zijn eigen wonder - Willeke Alberti

Dutch singer Willeke Alberti had profited from the Eurovision Song Contest before, having recorded 'Uno per tutte' with her father Willy in 1963. Six years later she went at it on her own, recording a version of Frida Boccara's moving chanson 'Un jour, un enfant' - but in a Dutch translation.

Cees Nooteboom provided the lyrics for this song. The Dutch novelist, poet and journalist used to write lyrics for his then-partner Liesbeth List, but later made a name for himself as a writer. The book 'Rituelen' became an international success and he was even mentioned recently as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in literature. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7572
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Zijn eigen wonder' / 'Happy, happy, happy'.

Blue diamond - H2O

I vaguely recall this song from the Eighties, it probably featured on the radio at some point. It didn't chart in the Netherlands, and even in the UK it only managed to scrape to number 77. In fact, the only singles by H2O to get into the UK top 40 were 'Dream to sleep' and 'Just outside of heaven' in 1983. 

'Blue diamond' was released in 1987 and was also released on a cd-single which is now very expensive - at least, on Discogs. (I bet some kind reader of this blog would gladly send it to me for free.) By comparison, this 7" single was a steal for just 1 euro.

My collection: 7" single no. 7569
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Blue diamond' / 'Go on'

Mama's pearl - The Jackson 5

'Mama's pearl' was a hit recording for The Jackson 5 in 1971 and was written by The Corporation, a songwriting team that had helped the group score four consecutive number 1 singles. The song, while sung mostly by Michael featured cameo spots from brothers Jermaine and Jackie. According to a Jackson biographer, it was originally called 'Guess who's making whoopie (with your girlfriend)'. Producer Deke Richards reportedly had the lyrics and title changed to preserve Michael Jackson's youthful, innocent image. 

The single reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 25 in the UK singles chart, whereas it didn't chart in Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 7562
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025 
Tracks: 'Mama's pearl' / 'Darling dear'

Pictures of matchstick men - Status Quo

Although I already had 'Pictures of matchstick men' in my collection, it was an unsightly 'old gold' release, without a picture sleeve. Fortunately I now own an original release of that song, courtesy of a seller who didn't charge a ridiculous price for it.

According to Francis Rossi, who wrote the song: 'I wrote it on the bog. I'd gone there, not for the usual reasons... but to get away from the wife and mother-in-law. I used to go into this narrow frizzing toilet and sit there for hours, until they finally went out. I got three quarters of the song finished in that khazi. The rest I finished in the lounge.' So basically we know where the song was written, but not what it's about.

My collection: 7" single no. 7564
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Pictures of matchstick men' / 'Gentleman Jim's sidewalk cafe'

As tears go by - Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull passed away recently, on 30 January. I bought her debut single just 11 days earlier and I really wanted to post this single earlier but I just didn't have the time. So here it is, still: quite a bit of history in this 61 year old disc. The song was written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Marianne Faithfull recorded and released it as a single in the United Kingdom in 1964. Her song peaked at number 9 on both the UK and Irish singles charts. 

It was actually Marianne's re-recording from 1987 which made me quite fond of the song. It adds a layer of nostalgia which is abent on this early recording. Marianne actually said it herself: "Forty is the age to sing it, not seventeen".

My collection: 7" single no. 7566
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'As tears go by' / 'Greensleeves'

Pop life - Prince and the Revolution

Although Prince was at the top of his game in the mid-Eighties, some singles were simply not released in the Netherlands and so we missed out on a few good songs. One of those songs was 'Pop life', which got its release in the UK after 'Raspberry beret' and before 'Kiss'. 

The single wasn't very successful: it only reached number 60 in the UK and spent two weeks in the chart. Which probably explains why the record company didn't bother releasing it in other territories. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7560
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Pop life' / 'Girl'

Wherever I lay my hat - Paul Young

I've never had any burning desire to buy every Paul Young single that exists, but there are sometimes curiosities that I can't resist. This is the American promotional single for 'Wherever I lay my hat', the first single Paul had any solo success with, and it features an edit of the song.

The edit appears on both sides, which isn't a rare thing for American promotional singles. I guess in America DJ's were prone to play the B-side more often, which makes this a rather convenient disc for them.

My collection: 7" single no. 7559
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Wherever I lay my hat (edit)' / 'Wherever I lay my hat (edit)'

Look out any window - Bruce Hornsby & the Range

Although I haven't really delved into the repertoire of the man, I think Bruce Hornsby plays a mean piano solo. Having played the instrument myself, I know how hard it out to get those sounds out of it, but that it someone who seems to do it effortlessly.

That was one reason to buy this single without ever having heard the song. The other reason was the state of it: it looks like it was released yesterday, even if the sticker mentions the actual release date: 8 August 1988. Yes, this is a promotional copy, and that's a bit of a bonus. The track really doesn't disappoint. I'm going to play this single more than once.

My collection: 7" single no. 7558
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Look out any window' / 'On the Western skyline (live)'

Rage hard (Stamped) - Frankie goes to Hollywood

Although I have a lot of Eighties singles and I consider myself to be quite well informed about the pop music of the Eighties, still I sometimes get surprised. I bought this single by Frankie goes to Hollywood because the sleeve was different to the one I have; it made me curious because the sleeve mentions "(stamped)" under the title. And indeed, it is a different version of the song. 

Apparently, this single was released after 'Rage hard' entered the UK singles chart at number 6. Releasing a different version was probably a way to try and keep the single longer in the charts, and maybe get it higher up. The ploy worked partly, because the peak position ended up being number 4, but it only stayed in the chart for 7 weeks.

My collection: 7" single no. 7557
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Rage hard (Stamped)' / '(Don't lose what's left) Of your little mind'

Piove - André Hazes

Under normal circumstances you would never see a single by André Hazes on this blog, because the man has produced an unspeakable array of terrible singles and albums in my opinion. But these are not normal circumstances, because I discovered that the man recorded an entire album of Italian classics in 1986, and of course four Eurovision songs are among those tracks.

One of them was the classic 'Piove', originally performed by Domenico Modugno for Italy in 1959. And André's version was released as a single. And although all those terrible singles reached the Dutch Top 40, this one failed to chart. 

The copy I bought initially played like boots on a gravel path, but a little dishwashing liquid worked miraculously well; the single sounds pretty good now.

My collection: 7" single no. 7549
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Piove' / 'Melancholie'