Martha's harbour - All about Eve

All about Eve's success was slowly rising, until this single was released. 'Martha's harbour', a rather uncharacteristic ballad by the band, was their first and last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 10.

On its creation, Julianne Regan commented: 'This song happened by accident when we were recording the first album. It was one of those things when we had the day off and we were sat in this very idyllic setting beneath a willow tree besides a stream by this beautiful residential recording studio and it just came out so naturally. It was a miracle of a little song and its very dear to us because of that, because it was very pure, a really happy accident. Everybody went to the pub and we put it down and by the time they got back Martha's Harbour was committed to tape. Martha's Harbour is a fictitious backdrop for this happening.'

My collection: 7" single no. 649

Found: Melody Maker, August 25, 1988

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Martha's harbour' / 'Another door'

Another you, another me - Gemini

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, 'Another you, another me' was the second single taken from Gemini's self-titled debut album. Compared to 'Just like that', this was the weaker track. The single didn't reach the chart in as many countries, either.

The B-side of this single is the album track 'Falling', although in Scandinavia the B-side was another album track 'Slowly'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2965
Found: February 4, 1998
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Another you, another me' / 'Falling'

Can you feel the force - Real Thing

There's something strangely 'Can you feel it'-esque about 'Can you feel the force'. Unlike the Jacksons, Real Thing hails from Liverpool, UK. Members Eddie Amoo, Chris Amoo, Dave Smith and Ray Lake debuted in 1976 with 'You to me are everything'.

This single reached number 5 in the UK and number 11 in the Netherlands. It was their last hit in the Netherlands (although a remix of 'You to me are everything' did chart in 1986), but their success continued vigorously in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3008
Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2001

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Can you feel the force' / 'Children of the ghetto'

Don't fall in love - Toyah

'Don't fall in love', released in 1985, was Toyah Wilcox's last top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 22. She'd had a lot of hit singles since 1977, when she started her career as part of a band named Toyah. A year later she married guitarist Robert Fripp.

I bought this single because my sister said she liked the song a lot. Myself, I was more impressed with the colourful and visually striking cover of the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2368

Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 40p

Tracks: 'Don't fall in love' / 'Snow covers the kiss'

This melody - Julien Clerc

Julien Clerc was born as Paul-Alain Clerc on October 4, 1947 in Paris, France. In 1969 he got the leading role in the musical 'Hair'. Since then, he's released a few dozen albums and even more singles. Some of them achieved international fame.

'This melody' was released in the summer of 1976 and rose to number 1 in the Netherlands. I always confuse this song with the previous single 'Venise', which I'm still searching for...

My collection: 7" single no. 2729

Found: September 7, 1996

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'This melody' / 'Prends ton coeur par la main'

Ever so lonely - Monsoon

Monsoon formed in 1981 and consisted of singer Sheila Chandra, producer Steve Coe and bass guitarist Martin Smith. They released one album, 'Third eye' in 1983. This album featured a cover of Lennon & McCartney's 'Tomorrow never knows' and their only hit, 'Ever so lonely'.

The song was a track inspired by the sounds of India, like most of the album. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK singles chart. A remix of the track appeared in 1995, but this version did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 901

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

Tracks: 'Ever so lonely' / 'Sunset over the Ganges'

A little more love - Olivia Newton-John

After Olivia Newton-John achieved world fame with the movie Grease, she picked up her own music career with the 1978 album 'Totally hot'. The single 'A little more love' shot to number 4 in the UK and number 3 in the Netherlands.

While I wasn't so impressed as a child with her Grease tracks, this track really impressed me. The song sounded modern and melodic and has remained a favourite of mine all these years.

My collection: 7" single no. 1120

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 1, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'A little more love' / 'Borrowed time'