Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein) - Münchener Freiheit

The band Münchener Freiheit, composed of Stefan Zauner, Aron Strobel, Rennie Hatzke, Michael Kunzi and Alex Grünwald formed in the early Eighties. Between 1982 and 1985, they released three studio albums in German. The single 'Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein)' was their first convincing chart hit in Germany, also showing the direction the band was taking towards a more polished pop sound.

In the Netherlands, this single did chart. However, Dutch singer Erik Mesie recorded a cover version in Dutch, called 'Zonder jou'. That version peaked at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 3150

Found: October 23, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Ohne dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein)' / 'Tochter der Venus'

I know I can do it - Lisa Hall

When you collect singles you come to a point where you think you have pretty much everything and you're up for experiments. Especially when it comes to new singles. During a holiday in London I picked up this single by one Lisa Hall. I didn't know her, I didn't know the song - the sleeve just appealed to me, that's all.

Released in 1999, this single did not chart in the UK, and not in Europe either. The track sounds a bit like Garbage (the band), although the B-side 'Julianne' sounds different altogether. A nice find.

My collection: 7" single no. 3114

Found: HMV, London, May 14, 1999

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'I know I can do it' / 'Julianne'

I won't let you down - Ph.D.

Jim Diamond, Tony Hymas and Simon Phillips formed Ph.D. in 1980. Their self-titled debut album (1981) featured the hit single 'I won't let you down', which went number 1 in the Netherlands and number 3 in the UK. Part of the success could be attributed to the rather funny video that accompanied the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 895

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I won't let you down' / 'Hideaway'

Thank you - Pale Fountains

Michael Head, Chris McCaffery, Thomas Whelan and former Dislocation Dance trumpeter Andy Diagram formed The Pale Fountains in Liverpool in 1980. They released their debut album 'Pacific street' in 1984. Their sole UK singles chart top 50 single was 'Thank you', released two years before that. It reached number 48.

I heard 'Thank you' on a compilation album a few years later and quite liked the track. When I finally found the single in 1993, I was very happy to finally own it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1830

Found: Record palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Thank you' / 'Meadow of love'

Tom Pillibi - Jacqueline Boyer

Jacqueline Boyer was born as Jacqueline Docus on April 23, 1941. She represented France during the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Tom Pillibi', the winning song during that year's edition. This EP features four songs, with 'Tom Pillibi' being the first and most important one.

The lyric of the song describes Tom Pillibi who owns two castles, ships and has plenty of other women wanting to be with him. Then the singer admits that he has 'only one fault', being that he is 'such a liar' and that none of what she had previously said about him was true. Nonetheless, she sings, she still loves him.

My collection: 7" single no. 3711

Found: Marktplaats.nl, received May 15, 2009

Cost: 6 euro

Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi', 'Gouli gouli dou' / 'Le village de Sainte Bernadette', 'Toute jeune'

Back stabbers - O'Jays

Vindictive? Moi? I guess so. Every time I hear this song I think back to my student years, when I had to deal with a few teachers who were always grinning when I talked with them, but when it came down to re-evaluating a grade I got which was too low (by all accounts) they wouldn't listen to reason. So this one is for Swante and Henk.

The O'Jays had a hit with this back in 1972, peaking at number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 14 in the UK and number 11 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2808
Found: Record fair, January 26, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Back stabbers' / 'Sunshine'

Silent all these years - Tori Amos

Listening to Tori Amos these days you can't help but wonder what happened to the magic of her earlier work. It seems to have completely disappeared. But it would be difficult to keep performing on that level: 'Silent all these years', coupled with 'Me and a Gun' was a stunning debut. The latter, originally presented as the A-side of the single, was an acapella song about rape.

Tori herself commented: 'In the song I say it was 'Me and a Gun' but it wasn't a gun. It was a knife he had. And the idea was to take me to his friends and cut me up, and he kept telling me that, for hours. And if he hadn't needed more drugs I would have been just one more news report, where you see the parents grieving for their daughter. And I was singing hymns, as I say in the song, because he told me to. I sang to stay alive. Yet I survived that torture, which left me urinating all over myself and left me paralysed for years. That's what that night was all about, mutilation, more than violation through sex.'

'Silent all these years' was a more accessible song, and so radio stations began to play that instead. Ultimately the single was re-released with nearly identical packaging but retitled as 'Silent all these years'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1949

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Silent all these years' / 'Me and a gun'