Forest fire - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

The second single by Lloyd Cole & the Commotions was released in a limited edition gatefold sleeve. The record shop where I bought my singles was importing singles from the UK, so I was lucky enough to score a copy. I wonder if I would have bought this single if it didn't come in a limited edition: I was always very choosy about which single to buy and this cannot have been at the top of my list.

Still, 'Forest fire' is one of the band's stronger tracks, even if that didn't reflect in the Dutch chart position (it did not chart). In the UK, it stalled at number 41, which was a disappointment in comparison to their debut single 'Perfect skin'.

My collection: 7" single no. 241

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Forest fire' / 'Andy's babies'

Jesamine - The Casuals

The Casuals formed in 1961. After working in the music industry for six years, John Tebb, Howard Newcombe, Alan Taylor and Bob O'Brien switched record labels and recorded a cover of 'When Jesamine goes', originally released in February 1968 by the Bystanders. The song was written by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott under the pseudonyms Frere Manston and Jack Gellar. The single reached number 2 in late 1968.

The B-side of this 'Old gold' single is 'I can't let Maggie go' by Honeybus. This song reached number 8 in the UK singles chart in April 1968.

My collection: 7" single n. 3234

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 18, 2000

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'Jesamine' (The Casuals) / 'I can't let Maggie go' (Honeybus)

Let be must the queen - Guesch Patti

The follow-up to Guesch Patti's single 'Etienne' was 'Let be must the queen'. With its nonsensical title and slightly complicated song structure, it fared less well in the charts than its predecessor. I'm not convinced that this is one of the best tracks of her album 'Labyrinthe' (1988), either. The B-side, on the other hand, should be one of the classic chansons of the past century.

Before I found the album cd, this single was one of my most often played discs - but usually the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 1294

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1990

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Let be must the queen' / 'Tout seul'

Come on home - Everything but the girl

It must be a shock for those who know Everything but the girl for their dance-oriented tracks in the Nineties to hear this orchestral ballad from 1986. The sparse beats of later years have made way for this lush, baroque sound.

'Come on home' comes from the duo's 1986 album 'Baby the stars shine bright', an entire album of original songs performed with an orchestra. The single peaked at number 44 in the UK, number 27 in Ireland and number 31 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2756

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Come on home' / 'Draining the bar'

Calling America - Electric Light Orchestra

After the 1983 album 'Secret messages' was not very successful, the Electric Light Orchestra effectively disbanded. However, Jeff Lynne was contractually obligated to deliver one more album to CBS Records, and so 'Balance of power' was released in 1986. The sound of this album was very different from the sound that had made the band so popular in the Seventies. There were no strings, just synthesizers, and the whole album kindof lacked the 'soul' previous albums had.

'Calling America' was the one and only hit from this album, reaching number 28 in the UK singles chart. It was also the band's last top 40 hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 2846

Found: Record fair, April 5, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Calling America' / 'Caught in a trap'

Love plus one - Haircut One Hundred

'Love plus one' was the second hit single for Haircut One Hundred in the UK, peaking at number 3. Outside of the UK, the band never really took off. The strange thing is, even though the band had four top 10 hits in the UK, this song was number 90 on VH1's '100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s' programme. Bad research, anyone?

I first heard this song when Nick Heyward performed it live during a Here & Now tour in 2001. Though he didn't do the best set of the evening, this song did stick in my mind.

My collection: 7" single no. 3731

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love plus one' / 'Marine boy'

Ti sento / I feel you - Matia Bazar

The Italian group Matia Bazar had a Europe-wide hit with 'Ti sento', a very infectious slice of Italian pop. In an attempt to conquer even the English-speaking parts of the world, the group decided to record a translation entitled 'I feel you'.

The French pressing of 'Ti sento' includes both versions of the song, with - incredibly - the English version on the A-side. I don't know whether it helped the chart performance in France, but in the Netherlands - where 'Ti sento' was released without the English version on the single - the track reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 3733

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'I feel you' / 'Ti sento'