Rosalyn - Vitesse

Vitesse is formed in 1975 by Herman van Boeyen, Herman Brood, Rob ten Bokum and Peter Smid. A year later, the band has already had several personnel changes and they release a debut album. When this album is not successful, Herman Brood leaves the band to go solo.

It takes several albums and singles to finally have some success in the Netherlands. In September 1982 they have their first top 10 hit with 'Rosalyn', which peaks at number 9.

My collection: 7" single no. 148

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Rosalyn' / 'Screwed, blewed and tattooed'

Cruel summer - Bananarama

Looking out the window today, I know exactly what a 'Cruel summer' is: expecting the sun, and getting nothing but rain. Bananarama recorded a song with this title back in 1983.

'Cruel summer' was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983, but wasn't an international success until it was included in the 1984 movie 'The Karate kid'. The group didn't allow the song to be included in the film's soundtrack, but it was still their first top ten hit in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 1914
Found: Record fair, Leiden, May 22, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Cruel summer' / 'Summer dub'

One draw - Rita Marley

Rita Marley is the widow of legendary reggae musician Bob Marley. She was born as Alpharita Constantia Anderson on July 25, 1946. In the mid sixties Rita was introduced to Bob at Studio One. After he learned that she was a singer, she was asked to audition for the Soulettes, later known as the I Threes. The group included Rita, her cousin Constantine "Dream" Walker, and Marlene "Precious" Giffordwas. Bob became the group's mentor and manager and through working together, he and Rita fell in love.

After Marley's death, Rita recorded a few albums. This single, 'One draw', became a hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 4. The lyric contains obvious drug references, but despite this, I quite like the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2460
Found: Record fair, September 9, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'One draw' / 'So high (One draw - dub)'

Past the mission - Tori Amos

'Past the mission' was released as the third single from Tori Amos' 1994 album 'Under the pink'. The song featured guest vocals by Trent Reznor from the band Nine Inch Nails. The single peaked at number 31 in the UK singles chart. The live version on the B-side was recorded at Vic Theatre, Chicago, March 24, 1994.

The 7" vinyl single wasn't my biggest problem to obtain: the double cd-single from the UK and the promotional cd-single featuring a spoken ad for Tori Amos' anti-rape network RAINN were a bigger problem. I'm glad to say that in the end I acquired them all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2119

Found: Record fair, June 15, 1994

Cost: 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Past the mission' / 'Past the mission (live)'

Muh - Matterhorn Project

Stella and PJ Wassermann started the Matterhorn Project in 1985 with their debut single 'Muh' (titled 'Boe' in the Netherlands as a Dutch onomatopoeia). The record shot straight to number two in the Swiss charts and stayed there for three weeks. It was also a number 5 hit in South Africa, amazingly enough.

I heard this single thanks to my sister who had bought it. I bought my copy some time later at discount price. As with many novelty singles, the joke does wear thin after many times of playing the track. But the Matterhorn Project still goes on, as is demonstrated by their own website.

My collection: 7" single no. 281

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Muh' / 'Moophonia'

Tainted love - Soft Cell

'Tainted love' was composed by Ed Cobb and originally recorded by Gloria Jones. It attained worldwide fame after this cover version by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart.

Soft Cell's record label chose to release 'Tainted love' as the band's second single (their first was 'Memorabilia', which did not chart). The label implied that this single would be Soft Cell's final release if the single did not sell. Produced by Mike Thorne, the track was recorded in a day and a half with the first vocal take being ultimately used on the record.

My collection: 7" single no. 2935

Found: January 31, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Tainted love' / 'Where did our love go'

If you had my love - Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in the South Bronx, New York. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 19. In the early Nineties she got her first jobs as a dancer for New Kids on the Block.

In 1999 she started a singing career with the album 'On the 6'. Her debut single was 'If you had my love' - in my opinion her first and last good single. The single was a number one hit in America and the Netherlands, peaking at number 4 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3236

Found: HMV, London, 1999

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'If you had my love' / 'No me ames' (duet with Marc Anthony)