Is this love - Whitesnake

Rock ballads are quite an interesting phenomenon. What drives these tough looking men, who usually shake their heads to screaming guitar solos and thundering drums to suddenly start making softhearted ballads? Who knows... Anyway, the result is usually interesting.

'Is this love' is a power ballad like only Eighties rock bands could bring forth. A number 2 hit in America and peaking at number 23 in the Netherlands, the single was promoted with a video containing all the Eighties rock cliches: men with big hair, sexy women on cars and of course... the smoke machine.

My collection: 7"single no. 597

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 25, 1988

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Is this love' / 'Standing in the shadows'

Download: Album 'Greatest hits', including both tracks

Wet day in September - Pussycat

Pussycat was a Dutch band formed in the Seventies by the sisters Toni, Marianne and Betty Kowalczyk. With muicians Lou Wille (Toni's husband), Theo Wetzels, Theo Coumans and John Theunissen they recorded several albums and singles. Their biggest success was 'Mississippi' (1975), which reached number 1 in the UK singles chart.

'Wet day in September' was released in 1978 and peaked at number 7 in the Dutch Top 40. It's one of the first singles I ever bought - although unfortunately it came in a standard 'EMI-Bovema Holland' record company sleeve instead of the picture sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 7

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1978

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Wet day in September' / 'I remember springtime'

Can't stop running - Space Monkey

Space Monkey was a British pop group from the mid-1980s led by singer, songwriter and guitarist Paul Goodchild. They released 'Can't stop running' in the autumn of 1983. While it only reached number 53 in the UK, the single peaked at number 12 in the Dutch Top 40. I was listening to the top 40 every week during that time, so that is how I got to know the track.

According to Wikipedia, the group also released an album in 1985, called 'On the Beam'. Space Monkey was not a 'group' per se; Goodchild was in fact the only person to appear on every one of the tracks on 'On the Beam'. Various session musicians were utilized. The album failed to make any chart impact, and Space Monkey ceased to exist soon after that.

My collection: 7" single no. 1940

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 11, 1993

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Can't stop running' / 'Can't stop running (Impact Instrumental)'

Better the devil you know - Sonia

Not to be confused with one of Kylie Minogue's best songs of her career, this is the song with which Sonia represented the UK in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest. She sang eight different songs on the national final, but this track, written by Brian Teasdale and Dean Collinson. On the night of the Eurovision Song Contest, she received the maximum 12 points from Belgium, Iceland, Austria and Israel. Amazingly, she made 2nd place in the competition.

It may be obvious from my tone of writing: I wasn't impressed with this voice. It was just as uninspiring as that year's winner, Niamh Kavanagh's 'In your eyes' (Ireland). My favourite track, 'Alle mine tankar' by Silje Vige (Norway), ended up in fifth place.

My collection: 7" single no. 3273

Found: Record fair, November 11, 2000

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Better the devil you know' / 'Not what I call love'

Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer

In the mid-Eighties, synthesizers were getting increasingly popular as a means to make movie soundtracks. Jan Hammer made a living making soundtracks for 'Miami Vice', and Harold Faltermeyer scored the 'Beverley Hills Cop' movies. His biggest success was the track 'Axel F', which reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the Netherlands.

When you listen to it now, it sound a bit dated but it is still a catchy tune. It's hard to believe, though, that movie producers didn't prefer large orchestras instead. It always sounds more impressive, I think.

My collection: 7" single no. 2421

Found: All that music, Leiden, 1994

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Axel F' / 'Shoot out'

Unconditional love - Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs followed up her debut solo single 'My side of the bed' with another track from her album 'When you're a boy': 'Unconditional love'. The song was written by Kelly, Steinberg and Cyndi Lauper. The single did not chart in America and the Netherlands, and in the UK it peaked at number 65. I guess that means it wasn't a hit anywhere then.

In the UK the single was also released as a picture disc, just like its predecessor. I found it in 1996 together with the other one, so buying the two of them was a logical decision. The B-side of the regular single and the picture disc single is the non-album track 'Circus girl'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1446 / 7" single no. 2669

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 15, 1991 / Record fair, Leeds, June 30, 1996

Cost: 3,5 guilders / 1 pound

Tracks: 'Unconditional love' / 'Circus girl'

Download: here

Knock on wood - Amii Stewart

Disco queen Amii Stewart tried her hand at two cover versions in 1979 and it did her career some good. 'Knock on wood' was originally performed by Eddie Floyd in 1966. It was covered by many artists, but Amii's version reached number 1 in the American chart, making it the most well-known version of that song.

The same cannot be said for 'Light my fire', originally performed by the Doors. The original will always be the most fondly remembered, but Amii did a good danceable version of it in 1979. It reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1662

Found: Record fair, June 13, 1992

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Knock on wood' / 'Light my fire'