Docklands - Betsy Cook

'Docklands' was produced by Trevor Horn. It was the only track on Betsy Cook's album 'The girl who ate herself' that was produced by him, and that fact alone must have been enough to make this track a single.

Well, it was good enough for me anyway: I loved the whole album, and so I bought all the singles that were drawn from it. I didn't know about this single until I found it in London - fortunately by that time it had arrived in the sales bin.

My collection: 7" single no. 1736

Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 17, 1992

Cost: 49p

Tracks: 'Docklands' / 'Nothing ventured'

Zoveel te doen - Toontje Lager

Back to the Eighties, when Dutch bands were still able to produce something listenable. Toontje Lager was a band that was founded in 1978. They released their self-titled debut album in 1980, then followed up with 'Er op of er onder' and 'Stiekem gedanst'. Those two albums were very successful in the Netherlands, peaking at number 12 and 2 in the album charts respectively.

From the third album comes this single, 'Zoveel te doen' ('So much to do'). It's about being busy all the time, being too busy to have time to leave this place. It's simple synthpop like more bands were making at that time in the Eighties - but not so much in Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 3604
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Zoveel te doen' / 'De deur staat altijd op een kier'

May this be your last sorrow - Banderas

Banderas appeared on the scene with 'This is your life', then followed up that single with 'She sells' and the debut album 'Ripe'. That was just about the extent of my knowledge circa 1994, when I suddenly found this single. 'May this be your last sorrow' was a great track from the album, so I was happy to buy this disc - especially since the B-side contained a non-album track, 'Nice to know'.

I have no idea what happened next with Sally Herbert and Caroline Buckley. They disappeared from the scene, unfortunately.
My collection: 7" single no. 2182
Found: Big Company records, London, September 27, 1994
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'May this be your last sorrow' / 'Nice to know'

Tomorrow - Communards

The Communards have released several great singles. 'Tomorrow' may not have been their biggest hits, but I think it's one that's stood the test of time very well. It was the first single from the duo's second album 'Red', which came out in 1987.

This single peaked at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40, and number 23 in the UK singles chart. The second single would be 'Never can say goodbye', one of their best known hits.

My collection: 7" single no. 636

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Tomorrow (remix)' / 'I just want to let you know'

Als jij maar wacht... - Sandra Reemer

I recently wrote about (and bought) the single 'Non ho l'eta', Gigliola Cinquetti's 1964 Eurovision winner. Not long after that, I found out that the song was actually covered by one of the Netherlands' most prominent Eurovision singers. Sandra Reemer participated in the Contest three times, but long before that she made singles as a very young girl.

'Als jij maar wacht' is a cover of 'Non ho l'eta' with alternate lyrics in Dutch. The single was released, probably in 1964, in the series 'Favorieten Expres', a series of singles on the Philips label. The sleeve only mentions Sandra's first name, but we all know it's her. I almost bought the single via a website recently, but the seller didn't come through. Now I've got the single for slightly less, because there's no postage charge!

My collection: 7" single no. 3603

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 4 euro

Tracks: 'Als jij maar wacht...' / 'Ben je 't heus?'

Don't say it's love - Johnny hates Jazz

'Don't say it's love' was the last single taken from Johnny hates Jazz's debut album 'Turn back the clock'. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that the single performed worse, chart-wise, than its predecessors. It peaked at number 48 in the UK singles chart.

The cd of 'Turn back the clock' included the extended mixes of previous singles 'I don't want to be a hero', 'Turn back the clock' and 'Heart of gold'. It's the reason why I bought this 12" single, because I was really curious what the extended version of this track would be like. I wasn't disappointed: it's an extended version like they should be.

My collection: 12" single no. 492

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Don't say it's love (12" extended remix)' / 'Living in the past', 'Don't say it's love (7" remix)'

Coming around again - Carly Simon

Carly Simon's thirteenth studio album was her first for the Arista record label, after her contract with CBS was cancelled following disappointing sales of her previous album, 'Spoiled girl'. 'Coming around again' was a strong comeback album and single. The album reached number 25 in America and the UK, whereas the single peaked at number 18 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 10 in the UK singles chart.

The two tracks on this single were written for and featured in the 1986 film 'Heartburn', starring Meryl Streep (ugh!) and Jack Nicholson.

My collection: 7" single no. 3606
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Track: 'Coming around again' / 'Itsy bitsy spider'