House of fun - Madness

Released in May 1982, 'House of fun' is to date the only number one hit in the UK for Madness. It was released by Madness in between albums. The track did not appear on any previous or subsequent studio album - although it was obviously included in compilation albums, the first one being 'Complete Madness', released in 1982.

Madness guitarist Chris Foreman commented on the song in 1982: 'I'm not sure about this one... I think it's about coming of age, I cant remember much about because when it happened to me it was a long time ago. You could buy a packet of fags, a pint of beer and a three piece suit for half a crown and still have enough left to go and see Rudolf Valentino at the Gaumont! I can't afford to go to the pictures these days but I hear they talk in them now.'

My collection: 7" single no. 3699

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'House of fun' / 'Don't look back'

This is mine - Heaven 17

'This is mine' was released as the second single from Heaven 17's 1984 album 'How men are', which was their third. The video to this single was a hilarious piece in which the members of the band (Glenn Gregory, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh) played bankrobbers.

Peaking at number 23, this single was the last single to get into the UK top 40 for a while: the next single 'And that's no lie' stalled at number 52.

My collection: 7" single no. 3689

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'This is mine' / 'Mine'

A million in 1, 2, 3 - Dream Express

Everyone always thinks that Madonna was very original when she bared her navel in 1984. But on this sleeve, there's the ultimate proof that it was not so original: the girls from the Belgian group Dream Express did it already in 1977. It brought them less fame and fortune than the American hag.

Dream Express represented Belgium during the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. The sisters Bianca, Stella and Patricia Maessen sang 'A million in 1, 2, 3' in English under the relaxed language rules that lasted for a few years in the late Seventies. They were 7th in a field of 18 participants. It was not the first time that the sisters participated: in 1970 they represented the Netherlands as Hearts of Soul, singing 'Waterman'. More about that when I find the single (still looking for that one)...

My collection: 7" single no. 3706

Found: Bought for me by Puck in Oegstgeest, May 5, 2009

Cost: nothing, it was a present!

Tracks: 'A million in 1, 2, 3' / 'Spinning top'

Shine - Frida

'Shine' is the title track from Frida's 1984 album which was produced by Steve Lillywhite. He'd already worked with bands like U2, Rolling Stones and Peter Gabriel despite being only 25 years old at the time. 'Shine' was a deliberate move away from Abba's pop sound that Frida feared to be always connected to. In a recent comment, Frida said that 'maybe this album became a bit too modern for its time'.

'Shine' peaked at number 6 in Sweden, but didn't do so well elsewhere. In the Netherlands, it only made number 23.

My collection: 7" single no. 3703

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Shine' / 'That's tough'

Chariots of fire - Vangelis

In 1981, Vangelis wrote the score for the film 'Chariots of Fire', set at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The choice of music was unorthodox as most period films featured traditional orchestral scores, whereas Vangelis' music was modern and synthesizer-heavy. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Vangelis won the Academy Award for Original Music Score.

The opening theme of the film was released as a single in 1982, topping the American Billboard chart for one week after climbing steadily for five months.

My collection: 7" single no. 3691

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 5, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Chariots of fire' / 'Eric's theme'

Summer rain - Alphaville

Alphaville were best known for their hits 'Big in Japan' and 'Forever young', when they released this single in 1989. It was a beautiful song, very different from that early material, and so it was 'rewarded' with a total lack of commercial success.

The album from which this single was taken, 'The breathtaking blue', was an experimental sounding album, accompanied by an ambitious video project. Not surprisingly, this also went completely over the heads of the record buying public.

My collection: 7" single no. 969

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 29, 1989

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Summer rain' / 'Sister sun'

You win again - Bee Gees

The Bee Gees had not been in the charts for four years - an eternity in that time - when they returned in October 1987 with 'You win again'. In the UK it was a number one hit, and in the Netherlands the single peaked at number 5. In America the sales were disappointing: it only reached number 75.

Barry Gibb wrote the melody of the song, while Maurice Gibb created the drum sounds that open the track in his garage.

My collection: 7" single no. 1284

Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'You win again' / 'Backtafunk'