Rough justice - Bananarama

It's hard to tell from this image, but the sleeve of this single has a 3D postcard on the front. It's this kind of collectable issues that always draws me in. I had to buy 'Rough justice' anyway, because it's one of those tracks that take me right back to the year 1984, the year in which I avoided homework by watching music videos on television every day.

The socially conscious 'Rough justice' deals with social apathy towards children, poverty and starvation. The single peaked at number 23 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3670

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Rough justice' / 'Live now'

Friends - Shalamar

Jody Watley was one of the members of Shalamar, and she would go on to have solo success. One of her solo singles was called 'Friends', just like this single by Shalamar. As you might expect, they are two different songs.

Shalamar released 'Friends' in November 1982, and it peaked in at number 12 in the UK singles chart. Like much of their material, it's a very groovy, danceable song.

My collection: 7" single no. 3625

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Friends' / 'I just stopped by because I had to'

Love to stay - Altered Images

'Love to stay' was the third single from Altered Images' 1983 album 'Bite' and also their penultimate single. It was their first single since 1981's 'A day's wait' that didn't reach the UK top 40, halting at number 46. It is one of their more polished-sounding singles, thanks to Mike Chapman, who produced the track.

It has become my wish to collect all of Altered Images' singles. Six down, only four to go now...

My collection: 7" single no. 3659

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love to stay' / 'Another lost look (recorded live)'

Shouldn't do that - Kaja

After all the international success as Kajagoogoo, first together with singer Limahl and then without him, the band found themselves reduced to a trio when Jez Strode left the band in 1985. The band was relaunched as Kaja in 1985.

The first single released by Kaja was 'Shouldn't do that', as a taster from the album 'Crazy people's right to speak'. It also featured on the soundtrack for 'Santa Claus: The Movie'. Still, this single peaked only at number 63 in the UK, and it signalled the end for the band in this line-up. Kajagoogoo has recently reformed and they are touring Europe and the UK again.

My collection: 7" single no. 3644

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 0,8 euro

Tracks: 'Shouldn't do that' / 'Charm of a gun'

Words of love - Sanci Bell

Corinne Hermes won the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Si la vie est cadeau'. That same year, the singer Sanci Bell recorded an English version of that song entitled 'Words of love'. It's hard to find any information on Sanci Bell, she didn't release much more than this one single, I have to assume.

And even this cover isn't a very pretty version. One has to wonder why a French singer has to record an English version of a French song anyway...

My collection: 7" single no. 3675

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009

Cost: 6 euro

Tracks: 'Words of love' / 'Si la vie est cadeau (Version Orchestrale)'

King Kong - Bobby Pickett and Peter Ferrara

At the height of the disco rage, novelty songs were all around. I described one of them on this blog: Rick Dees and his 'Disco Duck'. And this is another one: 'King Kong', a song about the movie gorilla of the same name.

Bobby Pickett had a hit in 1962 with another novelty song, 'Monster Mash', a number one hit in America. Pickett proceeded to make further novelty songs, such as 'Star Drek' (about the television series 'Star Trek') and this one. Based firmly on the story of the movie 'King Kong', Pickett and Ferrara perform the various voices on this track. The single was released in 1976, but didn't become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 3658
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'King Kong' / 'Disco Kong'

Waiting for a star to fall - Boy meets girl

I heard this song for the first time last year, twenty years after its release. It appeared regularly on the show 'Secret songs', which is presented by Kim Wilde on Magic FM in the UK. Magic FM actually doesn't broadcast abroad, but a kind friend from the UK has been sending me a recording of every show for months now.

Boys Meets Girl consists of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam. 'Waiting for a star to fall' was their most successful single, taken from their second album 'Reel life'. It peaked at number 9 in the UK and number 5 in the USA. The song was originally written by the duo for Whitney Houston, but she rejected it. Belinda Carlisle did record a demo of the song while she was recording her 'Heaven on earth' album, but it didn't make the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 3632
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Waiting for a star to fall' / 'No apologies'