If there's a rocket tie me to it - Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol made the unusual choice to release their third single off their latest album 'A hundred million suns', 'If there's a rocket tie me to it', on 7" vinyl only. There was also a digital download of the track, but that was all. It may have explained the lack of chart success of this single: it did not chart in any territory.

The B-side 'In a dream I saw satellites' is an acoustic song solely written and performed by lead singer and frontman Gary Lightbody. It was recorded on the banks of Lough Corrib, Galway, Ireland.

My collection: 7" single no. 3712

Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received May 19, 2009

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'If there's a rocket tie me to it' / 'In a dream I saw satellites'

Innocent love - Sandra

After the success of her debut album and the first two singles, 'Maria Magdalena' and 'In the heat of the night', Sandra and her husband Michael Cretu had to come up with new material to entertain the fans. 'Innocent love' was released in the summer of 1986 as the first single from the second album 'Mirrors'. Sounding a lot like previous singles, Sandra had reasonable success with it. The single peaked at number 14 in Germany and Switzerland, but at number 4 in Israel and Norway.

The single version of 'Innocent love' fades out earlier than the album version and is shorter by a few seconds.

My collection: 7" single no. 1889

Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Innocent love' / 'Innocent theme'

Somebody's watching me - Rockwell

Rockwell is the son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., Kennedy Gordy. He had himself signed to Motown without his father's knowledge. Dad did not find out until 'Somebody's watching me' and the accompanying debut album were released on his own Motown label.

Backing vocals on 'Somebody's watching me' were provided by Michael Jackson, who was not credited on the single for this. It may have contributed to the big success of the single, which peaked at number 6 in the UK and number 2 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2428

Found: August 19, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Somebody's watching me' / 'Somebody's watching me (instrumental)'

Just like that - Gemini

'Just like that' was written and composed by Abba members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson in 1982. The song was one of many to be recorded for Abba's new studio album. After several attempts at recording it, the band finally decided to put it aside (A part of it was finally released in 1994 when Abba released the 'Thank you for the music' box set).

In 1985, Ulvaeus and Andersson decided to rework both composition and lyrics, offering it to Karin and Anders Glenmark, who recorded an album as Gemini, produced by the two Abba members. The single reached number 21 in the Netherlands, making it their only hit single in this country to date.

My collection: 7" single no. 408

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Just like that' / 'Live on the love'

The story of me - Everly Brothers

Don and Phil Everly, better known as the Everly Brothers, had a very successful music career between 1957 and 1973, but split acrimoniously when Don Everly came onstage too drunk to perform live on July 14, 1973. They did not speak for ten years, and only met once in 1975 on their father's funeral.

The brothers reformed in 1983 with 'EB 84', an album produced by Dave Edmunds. The track 'On the wings of a nightingale', written by Paul McCartney, was a minor success and returned them to the charts. 'The story of me' was the second single taken from this album. While this didn't become a hit, it's my favourite Everly Brothers track and until now the only single of theirs that I have in my collection!

My collection: 7" single no. 269

Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1984

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'The story of me' / 'Following the sun'

I'll be your shelter - Taylor Dayne

'I'll be your shelter' was released as the second single from Taylor Dayne's 1989 album 'Can't fight fate'. Sounding more like a rock track than any of her previous singles, this was a bit of a departure from her dance-oriented repertoire. It didn't win over the audience: the single still only managed a number 43 placing in the UK, and did not chart in the Netherlands.

I thought it was a better single than 'With every beat of my heart', so I was really happy to buy this one.

My collection: 7" single no. 1176

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 17, 1990

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'I'll be your shelter' / 'Ain't no good'

Ouragan / Irresistible - Stephanie

Royalty are usually old and boring, even the young ones. But Princess Stephanie of Monaco is an exception to this rule: she was a swimwear designer, a fashion model and a singer. She released her debut album 'Besoin' in 1986, a collection of Europop songs, with 'Ouragan / Irresistible' as the first single taken from that album.

The song was written by Romano Musumarra, who had already written hits for French singers Jeanne Mas and Elsa. He actually offered 'Ouragan' to Jeanne Mas, but after she declined, he decided to offer it to the princess. The single was a number 1 hit in France, where it topped the chart for two months. In Germany it peaked at number 2, and in the Netherlands it reached number 31.

My friend Puck once made a nice remix of this track. Perhaps he will upload it here...

My collection: 7" single no. 3361

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 2002

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Ouragan' / 'Irresistible'