People are people - Götz Alsmann and the sentimental pounders

Depeche Mode have written many great songs that have stood the test of time. One of them is 'People are people' (1984). Having heard the original countless times, sometimes I get curious how other bands would perform this track.

My curiosity was finally satisfied when I found this single by Götz Alsmann and the sentimental pounders. Contrary to Depeche Mode, this band worked entirely with acoustic instruments to create a very 'cosy' version of the song. It always makes me happy when I hear this version.

My collection: 7" single no. 2820

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'People are people' / 'Lonesome Pine'

Download: here

Promises, promises - Naked Eyes

Naked Eyes was an English synthpop band, consisting of childhood friends Pete Byrne (vocals) and Rob Fisher (keyboards). The latter would continue his career in the second half of the eighties as one half of the duo Climie Fisher.

'Promises, promises' was their first self-penned hit in the USA, after their version of Bacharach's standard 'Always something there to remind me'. The extended version of 'Promises, promises' apparently features backing vocals by Madonna, although I never heard them... What's more interesting is that the B-side of the 12 inch features an early version of 'In the name of love', a track they would re-record a year later and have another hit with.

My collection: 12" single no. 107

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Promises, promises (extended version)' / 'Low life', 'In the name of love'

Download: here

Everybody's got to learn sometime - Korgis

It's hard to imagine now, but in the days before the internet, there were ways of getting singles from abroad. One of those ways was Oldies Unlimited, a mail order company based in the UK where one could order 7" and 12" singles. This was in the days before cd's, mind. I used to go to the post office, exchange guilders for pounds and then send letters to the UK containing a few five or ten pound notes and my order form. A week or so later I would get a parcel with records. Every time it felt like Christmas.

However, there were also disappointments. Like this one: I ordered a copy of the Korgis 'Everybody's got to learn sometime', and got a copy in a plain yellow sleeve instead of a photo cover. It's the music that counts, but still... I didn't get what I expected. That's the one thing about mail ordering from abroad via snail mail: you never went back with a complaint, because that was too expensive to begin with.

My collection: 7" single no. 336

Found: Oldies Unlimited, UK, 1985

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Everybody's got to learn sometime' / 'Dirty postcards'

Download: here

Final love song - PS & the Footnotes

The Dutch band PS & the Footnotes is not so wellknown. Their first single, 'Final love song', never reached the charts in the Netherlands, and other singles went the same way. No wonder, then, that their records were never released on cd. It's a shame, because 'Final love song' is a beautiful track. It makes one wonder whether they recorded more stuff like this.

My collection: 7" single no. 779

Found: All that music, Leiden, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Final love song' / 'Love at second sight'

Download: here

Everybody wants to rule the world - Tears for fears

One of the most successful songs Tears for fears released, was this: 'Everybody wants to rule the world' stormed the charts in 1985 and went top 3 in most countries. The single reached number two in the UK, and this was partly thanks to the attractive double single, released by Mercury records. Not only did it contain a remix of the track, it also offered an interview with Curt and Roland, explaining more about the tracks on their then-current album 'Songs from the big chair'.

Double singles were hard to get outside the UK, but fortunately small quantities were imported. One of those copies ended up at my home after a few moments of desperation: why are these things so darn expensive?

My collection: 7" single no. 380

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 12,95 guilders

Tracks: 'Everybody wants to rule the world' / 'Pharaohs' - 'Everybody wants to rule the world (Urban mix)' / 'Interview with Curt & Roland'

Download: here

Senses working overtime - XTC

It's not that I'm such a fan of XTC. I did love the song 'Making plans for Nigel' when it was in the charts, but 'Senses working overtime' made less of an impression on me. Still, that was the first XTC record I bought. It was probably because it was the only track in the 'out of charts'-bin that I liked when I visited my usual record shop in 1982. I paid half price for 'out of charts' singles, which made it worthwhile to choose from that selection.

'Senses working overtime' was the last hit for XTC in the Netherlands. They would continue to release singles but they never made a dent in the charts. In the UK they fared only slightly better: most singles didn't make the top 40 anymore, with the exception of 'The disappointed' (1992).

My collection: 7" single no. 141

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Senses working overtime' / 'Blame the weather', 'Tissue tigers (the arguers)'

Download: here

Goodbye - The Sundays

After I'd become interested in Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan, there was a whole bunch of alternative artists and bands to be discovered. I discovered a whole new bunch of friends and they kept confronting me with new music. And I loved a lot of it. One of these discoveries was The Sundays. I never really liked all of their work, but the single 'Goodbye' was pretty impressive to me. I snapped up the single when I was in London and then never bought anything else from them ever again.

My collection: 7" single no. 1758

Found: HMV London, October 19, 1992

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Goodye' / 'Wild horses'

Download: here