Ride on time - Black box

Due to the fact that the cover and the label of this single contain no information about this track, it's impossible to determine whether this is the original release of Black Box's 'Ride on time' or a re-release. My guess is that it's the original, since even the track 'Love sensation', on which 'Ride on time' is based is included on the B-side.

'Ride on time' was written and produced by the Italian production team Groove Groove Melody, consisting of DJ Daniel Davoli, programmer Mirko Limoni and musician Valerio Semplici. The team worked with model Catherine Quinol (aka Katrin), who was the face of Black Box. In the video and in live performances she lip-synced to the original vocals.

The song sampled Loleatta Holloway's 1980 disco hit 'Love Sensation' and attracted some controversy for the uncredited use of Holloway's vocals from that song. Holloway's counsel engaged in a press attack on Black Box, successfully securing a settlement that paid the singer an undisclosed sum.

My collection: 7" single no. 2408

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ride on time' (Black box) / 'Love sensation' (Loleatta Holloway & Dan Hartman)

Easier said than done - Shakatak

Bill Sharpe, Jackie Rawe, Roger Odell, George Anderson and Keith Winter formed the British jazz-funk band Shakatak in 1980. In 1981, they released their debut album 'Drivin' hard', from which the single 'Easier said than done' was taken. It gave the band their first top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 12. The single did almost equally well in the Netherlands, peaking at number 17.

The music of Shakatak is often described as elevator music. Indeed, originally I wasn't impressed by this single at all. After some time I still wanted to have it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1121

Found: December 1, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Easier said than done' / 'Late night flight'

Le dernier qui a parlé... - Amina

Amina Annabi was born on March 5, 1962 in Carthage, Tunisia. She started to forge a career in music in 1978, when she formed a group. After five years of playing in schools all over France, she started to go solo. By that time she got involved with Radio Nova, the leading radio station in Paris for world music. One of the producers of the station was Martin Messonier. He started to work with Amina - a relationship that eventually became romantic as well. Their daughter was born in 1986.

Her debut solo album 'Yalil (Night)' was released in 1990. A year later, she was awarded 'Le prix Piaf' as Best Female Singer of the Year. Also in 1991, Amina represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest with a song of her own, entitled 'Le dernier qui a parlé...'. She tied with the swedish participant Carola for the first place but due to insane EBU rules, the French entry ranked second and the award was given to Sweden. However, this single was the artistic triumph of the two. In the Netherlands, it was also a bigger hit: the single peaked at number 35 in the Dutch Top 40, whereas Carola's single flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 1442
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 24, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Le dernier qui a parlé...' / 'Neila'

Building a bridge to your heart - Wax

Starting off with the most confusing countdown in pop history, Wax (a duo consisting of Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman) released 'Building a bridge to your heart' as the first single of their second album 'American English'.

Although the single did not get any further than 12th place in the UK singles chart, it was a number 1 hit in Sweden and the Netherlands. It would also be their last hit in most territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 1024

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Building a bridge to your heart' / 'Heaven in her bed'

Dirty mind - Shakespear's sister

When a band decides to make a remix for a single, they have to think long and hard whether the new version is actually better than the original one. In the case of Shakespear's sister's 'Dirty mind', they didn't think long and hard enough. The 1990 version of 'Dirty mind' takes all the life and soul out of the song and makes it into a lump of sounds that crashes under its own weight.

The record-buying audience duly rewarded this effort: the single only spent one week in the UK singles chart, at number 71. And that was probably because the original version was on the B-side, which is why I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1198
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 30, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Dirty mind (1990 version)' / 'Dirty mind'

Love is just the great pretender - Animal Nightlife

Animal Nightlife originally released 'Love is just the great pretender' in 1984. When this single did not chart and the follow-up 'Mr. Solitaire' did, the band decided to have the track remixed and released it as 'Love is just the great pretender '85'. This did the trick: the single climbed up the chart and peaked at number 28.

The B-side of this single is an instrumental track that fits into Sade's catalogue seamlessly. Or did I already make that comparison before?

My collection: 7" single no. 2597

Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, December 12, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Love is just the great pretender '85' / 'Basic ingredients'

You don't need someone new - The Lotus eaters

Peter Coyle, Jeremy Kelly and Stephen Creese formed the Lotus eaters in 1982 in Liverpool. Although the band is considered to be part of the 'New Romantics' movement from around that time, their music was more folk-oriented than the synthpop of bands like Japan and Spandau Ballet.

'You don't need someone new' became a regularly played single on the local radio where I lived, and so I got to know the band. It was their second single, which peaked at number 53 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1288

Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'You don't need someone new' / 'Two virgins tender'