Kom terug - Johnny White

Anne Marie David won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with 'Tu te reconnaitras'. It was a popular song at the time, so many other artists wanted to have a piece of the pie and started recording their own versions. 

One of them was Johnny White, whose real name was Johnny Wittevrouw, born in Belgium on 13 June 1946. During his career he released a handful of albums and over fifty singles. 'Kom terug' ('Come back') was his version of the Eurovision winner, and it sounds as emotional as this melody dictates.

My collection: 7" single no. 7859
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Kom terug' / 'Nu geen tranen' 

Aan de stroom - Erik van Neygen & Sanne

Erik Filip Van Neygen was born in Anderlecht (Belgium) on 1 May 1951. He started his career with the  skiffle group Motten Drizzle, which he founded together with his classmate Johan Verminnen. In 1975 he recorded his first solo single.

Since 1989 he primarily worked with singer Sanne, with whom he also had a relationship. Their 1992 single 'Aan de stroom' is a Flemish version of the 1975 Eurovision entry from Yugoslavia, 'Dan ljubezni'. It's quite unusual for such an obscure song to resurface after 17 years, but there you go!

My collection: 7" single no. 7858
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025 
Tracks: 'Aan de stroom' / 'Allemaal cinema'

9 to 5 - Sheena Easton

Although Sheena Easton's hit single was called 'Morning train' in Europe as a result of Dolly Parton's hit single already being called '9 to 5'. But in Japan, the single was unashamedly called '9 to 5'. The sleeve was a thing of beauty, with a very young Sheena Easton pictured in between the titles.  

Japanese singles tend to be very expensive for some reason, even when they're very old, but this time a dealer came up with the standard price of 3 euros. It was a good deal for this beautiful item.

My collection: 7" single no. 7865
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: '9 to 5' / 'Moody (My love)'

 

Money, money, money - Abba

Although this French sleeve of 'Money, money, money' uses the same photographs as the Dutch one, it uses them far more effectively. I didn't notice it until now, but the Italian one mirrored those photographs, which I guess was a mistake on the part of the Italian record company. 

The songs remain the same, obviously. I remember 'Money, money, money' from my early childhood and I remember that Frida's low voice certainly made an impression. It remains a great moment in pop history.  

My collection: 7" single no. 7869
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Money, money, money' / 'Crazy world'

Omdat ik van je hou - Louis Neefs

The sleeve of this single doesn't give it away, but 'Omdat ik van je hou' ('Because I love you') is actually a cover version of the song 'L'amore e un attimo'. Massimo Ranieri represented Italy with the song at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971. 

Louis obviously had some Eurovision experience himself, in 1967 and 1969, and kept a close eye on the competition afterwards. I imagine he heard the song and decided to record his own version with lyrics in Flemish. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7857
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Omdat ik van je hou' / 'Du bist mijn meisje' 

Zwischen Wolga und Don - Edina Pop

Just last month I bought a copy of 'Komm komm zu mir' by Edina Pop, and now I was lucky enough to find another Eurovision-themed cover version by the same artist.

'Zwischen Wolga und Don' is a version of 'Alors je chante', as proclaimed on the sleeve, and that, of course, is the French title of the Spanish Eurovision song 'Vivo cantando'. Just like other covers Edina recorded the lyrics were translated into German, and the title suggests that the subject has changed entirely yet again too.

My collection: 7" single no. 7856
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Zwischen Wolga und Don'/ 'Jambo' 

Wij waren jong - Rina Pia

Nini Watripont was born in Ninove (Belgium) on 21 July 1935. During her childhood she sang in the café run by her parents. She started having hits as Rina Pia during her twenties. In 1957 she wanted to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest, but that honour fell on Bobbejaan Schoepen with his 'Straatdeuntje'. In 1963 she tried again and participated in the Flemish national final, but she lost to Jacques Raymond. That year she married producer/composer Al Van Dam. 

In 1964 she recorded 'Wij waren jong' ('We were young'), a Flemish version of 'Non ho l'eta per amarti', the Eurovision winner of that year. The B-side, 'Jij bent een Judas' ('You are a Judas') is perhaps even more amusing. Rina Pia passed away on 24 August 2023.  

My collection: 7" single no. 7855
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Wij waren jong' / 'Jij bent een Judas' 

 

Private life - Grace Jones

Although Grace Jones' 'Private life' was originally released in 1980, the track was re-released in 1986 after the huge success of 'Slave to the rhythm'. This track is decidedly more sedate and brings you back to the days of disco and dub reggae. 

The song was actually written by Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders, and included on that band's debut album from 1979. She said: 'I wanted to do reggae, and I wrote "Private Life". When I first heard Grace's version I thought 'Now that's how it's supposed to sound!' In fact it was one of the high points of my career – what with Sly and Robbie being the masters, and Grace Jones with her scorching delivery.'

My collection: 7" single no. 7860
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Private life' / 'My Jamaican guy' 

I loved you (Dansevise) - Tony Osborne, his piano and orchestra

One of the best winners of the Eurovision Song Contest ever was 'Dansevise', in my humble opinion at least. It's no wonder that many other artists wanted to profit from the song's popularity; a lot of cover versions were released in the year 1963 alone - and more in the years after that. 

Tony Osborne recorded his version already in 1963. Osborne was born in June 1922 in Cambridge (UK) and passed away on 1 March 2009 in Sydney (Australia). He released many albums and singles, mainly in the Sixties and Seventies. The bulk of his work was based on other people's songwriting. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7854
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'I loved you (Dansevise)' / 'Mombasa' 

Un, dos, tres - Catherine Ferry

Catherine Ferry recorded 'Eins zwei drei' for the German market, after coming second at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976 with '1, 2, 3' - sung in French.

But that was not all: she also recorded the song in Spanish. I saw this single at the record fair in Den Bosch in April, but decided not to buy it because the sleeve was not in the best shape. However, since I saw it again this weekend I decided to get it this time, because the single isn't that easy to get in a better shape. I mean, on Discogs it is on offer for about 2 euros, but with the shipping costs from Spain it quickly adds up to more than I paid for it here. So I'm glad the disc is in better shape than the sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 7853
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Un, dos, tres' / 'Petit Jean'

Mikado, Mikado - Simone Drexel

Simone Drexel represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with 'Mikado'. She performed the song in German, but she also recorded a French version, entitled 'Mikado, Mikado' (in order to identify a different version I guess). 

Even the B-side was recorded in French: 'Die Marionetten' became 'Les marionnettes'. Simone also did this for the English version - which I have yet to find.

My collection: 7" single no. 7852
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Mikado, Mikado' / 'Les marionnettes' 

Love conquistador - Da Vinci

Although I already own the single 'Conquistador', I felt it was amusing to also buy 'Love conquistador', which is the English version of that song. Of course, that version appears on the B-side of the other single, but for this release, the two sides are flipped and the English version suddenly becomes the A-side.

Obviously this is the German release of the song, whereas the other single is the original Portuguese release. It's interesting to compare how the photograph is cropped on this sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 7851
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Love conquistador' / 'Conquistador'

Nous - Mary Roos

'Nur die Liebe läßt uns leben' sang Mary Roos in 1972, and it gave Germany an honourable third place at that year's Eurovision Song Contest. Such was the success of the song that she decided to record it in English, French and Italian as well. 

This is the French version, released in Germany by her record company as 'Nous'. The language always sounds beautiful, but this version lacks the engaging nature of the original version.

My collection: 7" single no.  7850
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Nous' / 'N'oublie pas lorsque tu chantes'

La notte non lo sa - Nana Mouskouri

The Eurovision song 'A force de prier', performed by Nana Mouskouri in 1963, was recorded by her in different languages. There was an English version and a German version, and when I found the latter two years ago, I wrote down the hope that I would find the Italian version in 2025. Well, I did just that!

'La notte non lo sa' was released with yet another sleeve design, together with an Italian version of 'Weisse rosen aus Athen', which was another successful song by the Greek singer. Now aged 91, she continues to make occasional appearances on TV shows despite her 'farewell tour' and 'final concert' a few years ago.

My collection: 7" single no. 7849
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 20 November 2025
Tracks: 'La notte non lo sa' / 'Rosa d'Atene' 

Love's great adventure - Ultravox

Next month sees the release of an expanded deluxe edition of Ultravox's The Collection, a 'greatest hits' album originally released in 1984 to celebrate the success of the band up until then. The new track on that album was called 'Love's great adventure', and it was a very unexpected and nice surprise that that track was released as a cd-single and 10" single recently. 

Both formats feature a new '80s style' remix by Blank & Jones, along with a few other unreleased tracks. Some would label these four tracks as 'inessential', but I think Ultravox fans are delighted with this release - just as I am. 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Ultravox website, received 12 November 2025
Tracks: 'Love's great adventure (Blank & Jones so80s Reconstruction)', 'All stood still (12" extended re-mix extra)' / 'Love's great adventure (Steven Wilson instrumental mix)', 'Hymn (alternative instrumental outtake)' 

Unrequited / Live and let live - The The

Just when the campaign for The The's most recent album Ensoulment had ended, there was a new single. 'Unrequited / Live and let live' is a double A-side single taken from the soundtrack of the movie Odyssey, which features music from The The, i.e. Matt Johnson.

These two tracks come with prominent vocals from Gillian Glover, who also plays an instrumental part in running the record label Cinéola, which these singles are released on. And as always there are the illustrations by Andy Dog a.k.a. Matt's brother Andrew, who passed away in 2016.

My collection: 7" single no. 7848
Found: The The website, received 13 November 2025
Tracks: 'Unrequited' / 'Live and let live'

The winner takes it all - Abba

The final Japanese Abba single for today is the monumental track 'The winner takes it all'. It should be fitting to end with this one, because it is truly one of the band's best. 

Ulvaeus denies the song is about his and Fältskog's divorce, saying the basis of the song 'is the experience of a divorce, but it's fiction. 'Cause one thing I can say is that there wasn't a winner or a loser in our case. A lot of people think it's straight out of reality, but it's not'. However, Ulvaeus admitted that the heartache of their breakup inspired the song, but noted that the words in the song should not be taken literally. He said: 'Neither Agnetha nor I were winners in our divorce.' 

My collection: 7" single no. 6163
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Tracks: 'The winner takes it all' / 'Elaine' 

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A man after midnight) - Abba

'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)' was written and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with the lead vocal sung by Agnetha Fältskog. Fältskog, as the narrator, weaves the image of a lonely woman who longs for a romantic relationship and views her loneliness as a forbidding darkness of night, even drawing parallels to how the happy endings of movie stars are so different from her existence. The melody line of the song was played on an ARP Odyssey synthesizer.

The song came about after Benny and Bjorn heard Donna Summer's hit 'Hot stuff', and upon hearing it, it inspired the riffs, melody and sentiment of the song with Agnetha yearning for 'a man after midnight' whilst Donna was in need of some 'hot stuff'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6155
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Tracks: 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A man after midnight)' / 'The king has lost his crown'

Chiquitita - Abba

'Chiquitita' proved to be one of Abba's bigger hits. It was featured in the Music for UNICEF Concert, broadcast worldwide from the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. As a direct result of this event, Abba donated 50% of all royalties from the song to UNICEF in recognition of the "International Year of the Child". In 2014, all ABBA members agreed on increasing their donation to 100% of all royalties from the song to UNICEF. As of 2021, the song's royalties had raised $4.8 million for the charity.

The Japanese sleeve only adds a few Japanese characters, which makes it less original when compared to earlier releases.

My collection: 7" single no. 6153
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Tracks: 'Chiquitita' / 'Lovelight' 

Summer night city - Abba

While 'Summer night city' was recorded during sessions for the group's then-upcoming sixth studio album Voulez-Vous (1979), it was scrapped from the album. It was, however, included on the group's compilation album Greatest Hits Vol. 2, a year after its release. Both Andersson and Ulvaeus have shared dislike of the song, due to being unsatisfied with the final mix. 

A planned US release was cancelled, the second ABBA single to be shelved following 'Eagle', and charted poorly in Canada. The single was, however, released in Japan, and with the same sleeve as in most of Europe. Due to the fact that the group was going to tour in Japan at the time, the sleeve also proclaims 'Welcome ABBA'. It's a nice touch.

My collection: 7" single no. 6154
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Tracks: 'Summer night city' / 'Medley: Pick a bale of cotton * On top of old Smokey * Midnight special'