God only knows - Judie Tzuke

'God only knows' was written by Tony Asher and Brian Wilson and originally performed by the Beach Boys on their famous album 'Pet Sounds'. The song was one of the first pop songs to use the word 'God' in the title. Tony Asher once noted the irony that this, one of the all-time greatest love songs, starts with the line 'I may not always love you'.

The song was covered by many artists, including Andy Williams, Neil Diamond and David Bowie. Judie Tzuke's version was released in 1990, but, like all her other singles with the exception of 'Stay with me 'till dawn', it didn't reach the charts. It is still a great version.

My collection: 7" single no. 2812

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, February 1, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'God only knows' / 'Safe house'

Download: here

Quit playing games (with my heart) - Backstreet Boys

It is extremely uncool to confess that one owns a Backstreet Boys single. But I have to. And I'm not even ashamed about it. 'Quit playing games (with my heart)' is simply a well-produced, well executed pop song. No more, no less.

This single is a picture disc 7". When this song was released in 1995, the 7" format was becoming extinct. Few singles were released on vinyl, so whenever there was a song I liked, I always bought it. Obviously this was meant for young girls, so they could hang the record on their walls. My goal was to keep buying 7" singles for as long as I could. And I'm happy to say, I am still doing that.

My collection: 7" single no. 2807

Found: January 25, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Quit playing games (with my heart)' / 'Give me your heart'

Download: Album 'Backstreet Boys', including both tracks

Quién maneja mi barca - Remedios Amaya

Like many Europeans, I first saw Remedios Amaya on television during the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest with this performance. But unlike many Europeans, I became rather interested. The Spanish singer received zero points from the international juries, but the story that she was an analphabetic - according to the Dutch commentator; I couldn't verify this - who performed on bare feet made me laugh and I continued to watch this performance with big eyes.

Nothing happened for many years: I had no recording of the event, just my memory. When the internet started to become popular, I had a new chance to hear the song. And so I finally got to buy the single in 1999. Quite a rare find, in the Netherlands. Thank God for record fairs.

My collection: 7" single no. 3152

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1999

Cost: 7 guilders

Tracks: 'Quién maneja mi barca' / 'Noche, luna y olivo'

Download: here

It's all in the game - Nena

After her international success with '99 red balloons', German singer Nena tried to equal that success with later work. Her attempts were sympathetic, but not successful. Her first album 'Nena' was slightly successful in the UK, but the second English-language album 'It's all in the game' sunk without a trace.

For European fans the album was somewhat of a rarity. Until its recent re-release on cd, copies were changing hands for as much as 300 dollars on eBay. When I bought this 12" single, it was considerably cheaper. I stumbled upon it during a record fair and fancied owning an early version of 'Anyplace anywhere anytime', the song that Nena would re-record in 2002 as a duet with Kim Wilde. And that version reached number one in several European countries...

My collection: 12" single no. 471

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2004

Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'It's all in the game (remix)' / 'Anyplace, anywhere, anytime (remix)', 'Let's humanize'

Download: here

Talk to me - Kiss

The second single to be taken from Kiss's album 'Unmasked' (at least, in the Netherlands), 'Talk to me' was written by Ace Frehley, who also performed lead vocals on this track. It performed even worse than 'Shandi' in the charts, because it didn't make the Dutch Top 40.

Band member Peter Criss didn't play drums on the album 'Unmasked', although he was credited for this. It was the beginning of the end: Peter Criss left the band in 1980. He was replaced by Eric Carr, who debuted during a lip-synched performance of 'Talk to me' and 'She's so European' on German television. Carr would be drumming in Kiss until his death in 1991.

My collection: 7" single no. 62

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Talk to me' / 'Naked city'

Download: Album 'Unmasked', including both tracks

I didn't mean to turn you on - Robert Palmer

There was also a 12" version of 'I didn't mean to turn you on'. It appeared one day at discount price and with a totally different sleeve and three versions of the track, I simply had to have it. I was sortof disappointed when I played the record, though: Robert Palmer's voice sounded a bit weaker in this mix and it seemed to be an early version of the track. Later I would find out that remixer Bruce Forrest has done more bad remixes in his career. I'm not a fan of this guy.

'I didn't mean to turn you on' went to number 9 in the UK charts in the summer of 1986. Mariah Carey covered the track in 2001 for her ill-fated movie 'Glitter'. That version was produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, like the original version by Cherrelle. Robert's version was produced by Bernard Edwards (from Chic).

My collection: 12" single no. 43

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 7,95 guilders

Tracks: 'I didn't mean to turn you on (extended dance mix)', 'I didn't mean to turn you on (A cappella beats)' / 'I didn't mean to turn you on (dub version)', 'Addicted to love (LP version)'

Download: here

I didn't mean to turn you on - Robert Palmer

I first heard 'I didn't mean to turn you on' on television, as performed by Cherrelle. I wasn't impressed, although I have to admit now that I've seen that video again (it's here) I have to say I do like the very eighties funk.

Robert Palmer's version appeared not much later. His video was certainly more interesting (as you can see here), with all those dancing girls. (It was a variation on the 'Addicted to love' video (here it is!), where models were handling instruments as well.) His version of the song was better too. No wonder then, that I bought it as soon as I could.

My collection: 7" single no. 442
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 31, 1986
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'I didn't mean to turn you on' / 'Get it through your heart'
Download: here