Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello wrote 'Oliver's Army' at a time when unemployment in the UK reached the three million mark. Former workers were made dependent on state support and charity to survive. It reminded Elvis of the main character in Charles Dickens' story 'Oliver Twist'. The cheery summertime sound of the song contrasts with a bitter, melancholy lyric on comtemporary life - the chorus line saying 'And I would rather be anywhere else than here today.' During the recording of the album 'Armed forces', 'Oliver's Army' was nearly dropped, but was eventually kept after keyboardist Steve Nieve created a piano part for the song that was reminiscent of 'Dancing Queen' by Abba.

It became Elvis Costello's biggest hit ever, reaching number 2 in the UK singles chart in the summer of 1979.

My collection: 7" single no. 2296

Found: Music Machine Mailorder, Hoorn, May 18, 1995

Cost: 4 guilders

Tracks: 'Oliver's Army' / 'My funny Valentine'

Download: Album 'Armed forces', including both tracks

Heaven sent - INXS

INXS's 1992 album 'Welcome to wherever you are' was a conscious change in direction for the band. Creating a rawer sound and including sitars and an orchestra they wanted to set themselves apart from the straight rock sounds of grunge bands that became popular at the time. The first single was 'Heaven sent', which became only a minor hit for the band.

At the time I'd fallen in love with a girl who was really into this band and I also spent a lot of time in libraries with her. Although we never really spoke, I found out that she was actually into INXS. So much coincidence... It was meant to be that I would buy this single and then the album. The music became some sort of consolation for the fact that nothing ever really happened.

My collection: 7" single no. 1697
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 15, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Heaven sent' / 'It ain't easy'
Download: here

Hold me now - Johnny Logan

In 1987, Johnny Logan participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time. He'd won the 1980 edition with 'What's another year' and wrote 'Terminal 3' for Linda Martin in 1984, which came third in the competition. He tried it again himself with 'Hold me now', a melodramatic ballad that, to the surprise of many, won the contest that year.

Personally, I felt, just like the first time, Logan was an unjust winner. There were many better songs in the competition, like the sunny summer song 'Laß die Sonne in dein Herz' by Wind (Germany) or the commercially successful 'Gente di mare' by Umberto Tozzi & Raf (Italy). In the end, I had to admit that if I wanted to have a complete collection of Eurovision winners, I would have to buy this single as well.

And if you really want to see something humiliating, you can watch these McDonald's advertisements starring Johnny Logan: here, here and here.

My collection: 7" single no. 3375
Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hold me now' / 'Living a lie'
Download: Album 'Hold me now', including both tracks

Tell that girl to shut up - Transvision Vamp

'Tell that girl to shut up' was originally released in 1980 by Holly and the Italians, a short-lived American pop punk band. It was covered by Transvision Vamp in 1988, and released as their second single. Transvision Vamp was founded in 1988 by Nick Christian Sayer, Wendy James, Dave Parsons and Anthony Doughty. James, lead singer and frontwoman of the group, attracted media attention with her sexually-charged and rebellious image.

My collection: 7" single no. 798

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 15, 1989

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Tell that girl to shut up' / 'God save the royalties'

Download: here

Alice, I want you just for me - Full Force

As a certified hater of hiphop, it is a mystery how some singles do end up in my collection. This is one of those mysteries. Full Force is an American group of hiphop performers and producers from Brooklyn, New York. Members are the brothers Brian, Paul Anthony and Lucien George, plus their cousins Junior Clark, Curt Bedeau and Gerry Charles.

'Alice, I want you just for me' was taken from their 1985 debut album 'Full Force', and reached number 9 in the UK and number 7 in the Netherlands. There's just a hint of melody in the vocals and the rhythm is strong and quite interesting, which may be why I still bought it. Now, two decades later, the track sounds hopelessly dated though.

My collection: 7" single no. 2364

Found: London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Alice, I want you just for me' / 'Alice, I want you just for me (Ecrof's Favourite mix)'

Download: here

Trick of the night - Bananarama

There are basically two versions of Bananarama's 1986 single 'Trick of the night': one is produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, the other is produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Personally I always preferred the former, whereas the latter signalled a change in direction for the group: in 1987 they would release their next album, fully produced by the trio that was responsible for Kylie Minogue, Mel & Kim and Rick Astley's phenomenal success in that year.

The lyric of the song is about someone who has gone to seek his fortune in the big city and ended up a rentboy. The 12" single featured a remix version of both versions of the song, plus the B-side track 'Set on you', which has all the trademarks of a Stock/Aitken/Waterman remix written all over it.

My collection: 12" single no. 354

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Trick of the night (Number One remix)' / 'Trick of the night (Tricky mix)', 'Set on you'

Download: here

Eye of heaven - Esther Tuely

Taken from Esther Tuely's self-titled debut solo album, 'Eye of heaven' was her second single. It didn't reach the Dutch Top 40, just like the third single, 'Silence in my heart', which wasn't released on vinyl anymore - only on a one track cd-single.

Esther Tuely was awarded a Golden Harp - a Dutch music prize - in 1991, meant to encourage her to go on with making music. It didn't have the desired effect: she would not release a second album at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2213

Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, November 14, 1994

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Eye of heaven (radio edit)' / 'Eye of heaven (remix)'

Download: here