Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson

'Dirty Diana' was the fifth single taken from Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad'. Like the four previous singles, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, whereas it reached number 4 in the UK and number 2 in the Netherlands.

Jackson hired Billy Idol's former guitarist Steve Stevens to back him on the track. There were rumours that the lyric (and title) of the song referred to Diana, Princess of Wales or Diana Ross, but in a recent interview with Quincy Jones, he revealed that the song was actually about groupies. When Jackson performed live in London at Wembley Stadium in the presence of Lady Diana, he cut the song from the set. Ironically, she then confessed that it was one of her personal favourites.

My collection: 7" single no. 3504

Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Dirty Diana' / 'Dirty Diana (instrumental)'

Download: here

Fantastic day - Haircut One Hundred

I didn't know the song 'Fantastic day' when Nick Heyward appeared as one of the artists during the 2001 Here and Now tour. He played this track and it was a real live favourite. The compilation cd I bought during this tour only contained a live version, so it was great to hear the studio version when I finally found the single.

Haircut One Hundred was formed in 1980 by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes, Tim Jenkins and Rob Stroud. Jenkins left the band before they were signed to a record company, followed later by Stroud. They were replaced with Graham Jones and Blair Cunningham. With this lineup they achieved their biggest commercial successes with this single, 'Boy meets girl' (1981) and 'Love plus one' (1982).

My collection: 7" single no. 3567

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Fantastic day' / 'Ski club'

Download: here

The jam was moving - Debbie Harry

'The Jam Was Moving' was the second and final single from Debbie Harry's debut solo album, 'Koo Koo'. After Debbie's debut solo single, 'Backfired' failed to become the big hit everyone expected, there was no video and little promotion for this single. Unsurprisingly, this second single flopped. In 1988 Debbie Harry and Chris Stein themselves remixed 'The Jam Was Moving' for inclusion on the Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation 'Once More into the Bleach'.

I bought this single because I was curious about the track. It is a nice track but I can see why it didn't appeal to the general public: it's a bit of a boring, repetitive song.

My collection: 7" single no. 3565
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009
Cost: 1,5 euro
Tracks: 'The jam was moving [7" remix]' / 'Chrome'
Download: here

Revolution baby - Transvision Vamp

'Revolution baby' was the last single by Transvision Vamp I ever bought. It was a gamble: whereas I knew the three others before I bought them, I hadn't heard this one at all. It is a far less memorable song, which is why I stopped buying their singles.

Still, it was a hit, reaching number 30 in the UK in the summer of 1988. The band went on to release the hit album 'Pop Art' in October. It stayed on the album chart for 32 weeks, peaking at number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 2906

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Revolutoin baby' / 'Honey honey', 'Long lonely weekend'

Download: here

You should be dancing - Bee Gees

'You should be dancing' was released by the Bee Gees in 1976. It became a US number one hit, whereas it reached number 5 in the UK and number 17 in the Netherlands. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into disco stardom, although rock-oriented drums and guitars can be heard in the background.

'You Should Be Dancing' is known today as the first charttopper in which Barry Gibb uses his now-trademark falsetto. The song was prominently featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever and appears on its soundtrack album.

My collection: 7" single no. 3563

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'You should be dancing' / 'Subway'

Download: Album 'Children of the world', including both tracks

Soul Cha Cha - Van McCoy

Van McCoy was born on January 6, 1940. McCoy moved to Philadelphia just before he was twenty, where he formed his own label Rockin' Records, and released his first single Hey Mr. DJ in 1959. This single gained the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired McCoy as a staff writer and A&R Representative. As a writer there, McCoy wrote many hits for Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chris Bartley and Jackie Wilson, amongst others. He also put together the hit-making duo of Peaches & Herb, arranging and co-producing their first hit, 'Let's Fall In Love'.

In the second half of the Seventies he made a series of solo albums. His biggest single success was 'The Hustle' (1975), but in 1977 he had two hits in the UK with 'Soul Cha Cha' and 'The Shuffle'. These two tracks are both mainly instrumental, although the former contains vocals by a certain Zulema. In the Netherlands, only 'Soul Cha Cha' became a hit, reaching number 7 in the spring of 1977, but 'The Shuffle' was included on the B-side and became a popular radio tune for Radio Veronica.

Van McCoy died from a heart attack in Englewood, New Jersey on July 6, 1979.

My collection: 7" single no. 3474

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Soul Cha Cha' / 'The Shuffle'

Download: here

Take on me - A-ha

After the original release of 'Take on me' in 1984 failed to chart, the record company tried it for the second time - again without success. Then, in 1985, they released the single for the third time, this time with an innovative video to accompany it. It was a success: the song peaked at number on in the USA and the Netherlands, and reached number 2 in the UK. At the MTV Video Music Awards in 1986, the video won six awards.

The single was released with a new sleeve, but there was also a limited edition sleeve with a booklet, featuring several images from the video. I bought the regular single back in 1985, and last year I bought the limited edition - finally.

My collection: 7" single no. 344

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Take on me' / 'Love is reason'

Download: Album 'Hunting high and low', including both tracks