I'm falling - The Babys

I guess I've always liked fullblown popsongs with orchestral backings. 'I'm falling' is a good example of this: a strong popsong with beautiful music performed by a fullblown orchestra. The Babys didn't have a lot of success with this song, though: it didn't chart in the Netherlands.

I was too young to buy it in 1978 - not getting enough pocket money to buy all the good music that was around back then. Fortunately, in 1987 I did find it - and at a good price, too.

My collection: 7" single no. 567

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'I'm falling' / 'I believe in love'

Pourvu qu'elles soient douces - Mylene Farmer

Anyone who watched music video channels regularly in the eighties would get to know Mylene Farmer at some point. Her epic music videos were shown, usually in late night programmes, because of their regular inclusion of violence and nudity. The video for 'Pourvu qu'elles soient douces' was one of them.

Once I'd bought 'Désenchantée', I slowly started to collect more Mylene Farmer singles. I found 'Douces', the Dutch release of the mentioned song quite quickly, because it was re-released after the success of 'Désenchantée'. It didn't reach the Dutch Top 40, though.

Not so much later, I saw the original French single. I had to admit this sleeve was a bit more daring, and since I liked the sleeve and the song, I decided to buy it on the spot. The two singles have the exact same tracklisting. The B-side is a beautiful ballad, which has quite moving lyrics. Or so I think, because my French is not so good.

My collection: 7" single no. 1888 / no. 1922
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 2, 1993 / Record fair, Amsterdam, June 5, 1993

Cost: 3 guilders / 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Pourvu qu'elles soient douces' / 'Puisque...'

I won't let you go - Agnetha Fältskog

After the virtual demise of Abba in 1982, Agnetha Fältskog enjoyed a lot of success with her solo album 'Wrap your arms around me' (1983). She followed this up with 'Eyes of a woman', released in 1985 and produced by Eric Stewart from 10CC. The album sold well in parts of Europe, but failed to match the success of its predecessor.

The first single from the album was 'I won't let you go', composed by Fältskog herself. It peaked at number 18 in the Netherlands, but did not chart in the UK. It would be 2003 before she returned in the singles chart in that country with 'If I thought you'd ever change your mind'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1134

Found: All that music, Leiden, December 28, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I won't let you go' / 'You're there'

Oh l'amour - Dollar

During a promotional trip to Japan in February 1983, relations between the two members of Dollar, Tereza Bazar and David van Day, had become increasingly strained and Van Day quit the band. Both tried a solo career, but without one another, they weren't very successful. In 1986 they reformed and released two less successful singles, 'We walked in love' and 'Haven't we said goodbye before'. New success came when they recorded a cover version of Erasure's 'Oh l'amour' in 1987. It became one of their biggest hits and peaked at number 7 in the UK. In late 1988, after one more unsuccessful single, Dollar disbanded again.

This single has become an important one in my collection more or less by accident: it's the last single I ever bought in Disco Market. It's where I bought my first single, and literally hundreds of singles since then. The shop has closed down a couple of years ago, sadly. The last time I visited it, a year ago, I had to embarrass myself during a bachelor party. It had turned into a regular apartment.

My collection: 7" single no. 3373

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 11, 2003

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Oh l'amour' / 'B-beat'

Why can't we live together - Mike Anthony

Jamaican DJ Mike Anthony recorded a version of Timmy Thomas's 'Why can't we live together' in 1982. The version caused some controversy when it became apparent that Anthony had used the original recording by Thomas. The single was retracted and re-released with new recordings of the music.

This 12" single was pressed as a limited edition on white vinyl. The extended version on this disc is based on the original controversial version. The disc plays the same track on both sides.

My collection: 12" single no. 454

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2008

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Why can't we live together (Super Dancing Discomix)' / 'Why can't we live together (Super Dancing Discomix)'

Woman in love - Three Degrees

I've got 'Out of love again', the B-side of this single, as the B-side of another single, 'The runner'. And the A-side, 'Woman in love', is on another single I own, 'Giving up giving in'. But in January 1979, 'Woman in love' was released as a single in the UK, and it was a big hit, peaking at number 3. While the Three Degrees are famous for their disco tracks, this is a soulful ballad.

I bought this single not because I knew the song, but because of the beautiful sleeve and the record, which was pressed on blue vinyl. Fortunately, the song isn't bad at all!

My collection: 7" single no. 3252

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000

Cost: 1,4 pounds

Tracks: 'Woman in love' / 'Out of love again'

Road to our dream - T'pau

'Road to our dream' was the second single from T'pau's second album 'Rage' (1988). This was the least successful of the three singles released from the album, peaking at number 42 in the UK, and not reaching the charts in other countries at all.

Truth be told, the track is a bit of a non-starter. I bought the cd-single before I bought the album and I almost lost the appetite to buy the 7" single - and subsequent singles. It's hard to pinpoint what is missing exactly, but for lack of a better word, I'll say that this song misses a 'soul'.

My collection: 7" single no. 714

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 6, 1989

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Road to our dream (edit)' / 'Time of our lives'