Surrender - Jon Anderson

My wife went to a Kringloop store today and brought back a few singles for me. One of them was 'Surrender' by Jon Anderson. There were two problems with that: (1) I already had the singles and (2) the sleeve contained the wrong disc. And the latter was true for the other two singles as well. Well, at least the intention was good.

'Surrender' was a brilliant track from Jon Anderson, who is probably best known for his work with Yes and Vangelis. This single was taken from his solo album 'Animation' (1982). It gave him a top 10 hit in the Netherlands: 'Surrender' peaked at number 7 in June 1982.

My collection: 7" single no. 2055

Found: November 27, 1993

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Surrender' / 'Spider'

I'm gonna be strong - Blue Angel

Blue Angel consisted of John Turi, Arthur Neilson, Lee Brovitz, Johnny Morelli and Cyndi Lauper. The band was briefly popular in the New York club scene. They recorded one self-titled album in 1980. This album included the single 'I'm gonna be strong'. This track was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was originally recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and Gene Pitney in 1964.

The single did not chart in Europe, but it's still a fine demonstration of Cyndi Lauper's powerful vocals. She would of course go on to have a very successful solo career later on in the Eighties. She re-recorded this song for a compilation album of her solo hits in 1994.

My collection: 7" single no. 265

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'I'm gonna be strong' / 'Just the other day'

The heaven I need - Three Degrees

After the Three Degrees single 'My simple heart' reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, the group disappeared from the scene for half a decade. They released two albums on their own 3D label, 'Album of love' and 'Live in the UK', but neither charted.

They returned to the charts in 1985 with the single 'The heaven I need', written and produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who were quickly conquering the pop scene at the time. The single peaked at number 42, which was not a very high placing, but it still became one of the more convincing dance tracks of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 3001

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2001

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'The heaven I need' / 'Gimme gimme gimme'

Is she really going out with him? - Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson was born as David Ian Jackson on August 11, 1954. He released his debut album 'Look sharp!' in 1979. Prior to that, 'Is she really going out with him?' was released as his debut single in September 1978.

A flop in the UK, the single managed to become a radio hit in Europe, although this didn't lead to chart placings. In the Netherlands the single managed a few weeks in the bubbling under chart in April 1979. It took a re-release in August 1979 to become a number 13 hit in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 823

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Is she really going out with him?' / 'You got the fever'

Nothing (Chad Jackson remixes) - Frazier Chorus

Frazier Chorus changed track in 1990 when they released their second album 'Ray'. They positioned themselves as an act that had a certain danceability to them. The singles were remixed by prominent DJ's such as Paul Oakenfold and Chad Jackson.

This 12" single featuring three versions of a remix by Chad Jackson was an interesting find when I got it. I'd bought the single 'Nothing' during a holiday in London and thought it was one of their better singles. This remix appealed less to me, but I was still glad that I was able to find it. After all, Frazier Chorus were completely unknown in the Netherlands.

My collection: 12" single no. 110

Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, 1993

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Nothing (has been proved mix)' / 'Nothing (Instrumental)', 'Nothing (beats mix 2)'

The way you are - Tears for fears

After the record company had released several singles from Tears for fears' debut album 'The hurting', the band released a new single, 'The way you are' towards the end of 1983. The single kept the band in the public eye while they were working on their second album. It peaked at number 23 in the UK and as such didn't live up to the expectations caused by the three top 5 singles taken from 'The hurting'.

The single, which heavily featured sampling and programmed rhythms, led to a departure in Tears for Fears' musical approach. In the liner notes to their 1996 B-sides album Saturnine Martial & Lunatic they wrote that 'this was the point we realised we had to change direction'. I had a hard time finding this single, since it wasn't released in the Netherlands. I finally found it in a second hand store while on holiday in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 1027
Found: Record exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 80p

Tracks: 'The way you are' / 'The marauders'

U.O. Me - Luv'

Reportedly inspired by Raffaella Carra's 'A far l'amore comincia tu', 'U.O. me' was the third single release by the Dutch girl group Luv', released in early 1978. The single reversed their fortunes in a dramatic way: second single 'Dream dream' did not chart, after debut single 'My man' had been a top 20 hit in the Netherlands. 'U.O. me' peaked at number 3 in the Netherlands, but also provided them with an international breakthrough hit.

German Schlager singer Peter Petrel recorded a German cover version entitled 'Wer hat hier denn wohl wen verführt' later on in 1978.

My collection: 7" single no. 3688

Found: Empire Records, May 5, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'U.O. me' / 'Hang on'