Diva lady - The Divine Comedy

Released as the first single from the Divine Comedy's 2006 album 'Victory for the comic muse', 'Diva lady' peaked at number 52 in the UK singles chart. It was released on two different cd-singles as well as this 7" vinyl single, which included a small poster and an exclusive track on the B-side.

The album is unique in the Divine Comedy catalogue - and in the catalogue of most recent popular music - in that Hannon's original aim with the album was to record it entirely in two weeks, with the minimum of overdubbing. As such, almost all of the music on the album - much to the chagrin of the classical players involved on almost every track, and the Divine Comedy band itself - was recorded in live takes.

My collection: 7" single no. 3436

Found: HMV, London, 2006

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Diva lady' / 'Elaine'

Smokers outside the hospital doors - Editors

'Smokers outside the hospital doors' was released on two different 7" vinyl singles, of which this second one was a limited edition. The cover was shiny metallic and the record was pressed on clear vinyl. The edition was limited to 10,000 numbered copies - this is number 3663. The B-side was different to the other single as well.

I bought this single after I had become hooked to the Editors album 'An end has a start', which I'd bought in the summer of 2008. I still rate it as one of the best albums of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 3512

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Smokers outside the hospital doors' / 'The picture'

Smokers outside the hospital doors - Editors

Editors recorded their second album 'An end has a start' in Grouse Lodge, Ireland over a two month period beginning in late November 2006. It was released in June 2007 and went straight to number 1 in the UK album charts. The album was preceded by the single 'Smokers outside the hospital doors'. The song was Editors' highest-charting single at number 7.

The single was released on two different 7" vinyl singles. This single contained the track 'Some kind of spark' on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 3511

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Smokers outside the hospital doors' / 'Some kind of spark'

God - Tori Amos

While in the US 'God' was released as the first single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink', in the UK it was the fourth and last single. The single was released as a picture disc 7", plus there was also a 12" single and a cd-single available. All formats came with exclusive remixes, which on the 7" format was the 'acapella vocal & rain mix'.

The song was Amos' response to patriarchy and the repression of women through religion. Lyrically it was heavily confrontational of male-deity headed religions. The single only made number 44 in the UK singles chart, which made it the least successful single from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2200

Found: Record fair, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'God' / 'God (Acapella vocal & rain mix)'

Human - Human League

In 1985 the recording sessions for the Human League's fifth album were not going well. The band did not like the results, which was causing internal conflict. Virgin Records executives, who worried about the lack of progress from their most-profitable signing, suggested the band to work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Janet Jackson and her album 'Control'.

Jam and Lewis wrote three of the ten tracks on the album 'Crash', the lead single 'Human' was one of them. 'Human' became the second number one single for The Human League on the US Billboard Hot 100 after 'Don't you want me'. In the UK, 'Human' peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart and in the Netherlands the single reached number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 476

Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Human' / 'Human (instrumental)'

Bicycle race - Queen

Okay, I'll admit it: I only started collecting Queen singles after Freddie Mercury's death. I saw a lot of documentaries about Queen when he died, and thought that those songs were really quite good.

To promote the release of this single, Queen staged a bicycle race with 65 naked women. A clip from this race was used on the single cover and the video. The video was originally banned, and the video had to be re-edited with colour added to censor out any offensive imagery. The song is famed for its 'bicycle bell solo'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1898

Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Bicycle race' / 'Fat bottomed girls'

Against the wind - Máire Brennan

Máire Brennan was born as Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on August 4, 1952 in Gweedore, Ireland. In 1970 joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's two twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin to form Clannad. With this Irish band they enjoyed a lot of success - and, in the Eighties, even international success - and recorded 17 albums.

In 1992, Máire decided to go solo. She released her debut solo album 'Máire', from which her debut single 'Against the wind' was taken. It was the only single by her to reach the UK singles chart, although it only peaked at number 64.

My collection: 7" single no. 1734

Found: Record exchange, London, October 17, 1992

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Against the wind' / 'She moved through the fair'