Oh yeah - Ash

'Oh Yeah' was released as the fifth single from Ash's album '1977'. It became their second Top 10 single. The lyric tells a tale of a 'bitter-sweet teenage love story'. The song features backing vocals by Lisa Moorish. Mark Hamilton has said of the single cover that it's 'supposed to show two young lovers just around 'that' age. Look they're in the woods, they've that sorta look on their faces that they might just have done 'it' whils't their mates waited 10 feet away drinking shandy bass and getting fucked up on a Lambert & Butler.'

The cd-single featured a cover of Abba's 'Does your mother know', which is why I bought that one. In the end I decided to buy the 7" single as well, even if that track was missing and replace by an exclusive 'Quartet' version of 'Oh yeah'. The single was pressed on yellow vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 2648
Found: Virgin Megastore, London, June 28, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Oh yeah', 'T-Rex' / 'Everywhere is all around', 'Oh yeah (Quartet version)'

Diamonds - Herb Alpert

What kind of a name is Herb? Well, anyway, Herb Alpert and his business partner Jerry Moss were the founders of the A&M label. When they signed Janet Jackson in the early Eighties, they couldn't have known about the level of stardom she would achieve, but when she did, Alpert made good use of it.

The 1987 single 'Diamonds' by Herb Alpert features prominent vocals by Janet Jackson, and it was probably a deciding factor in becoming a hit. The single reached number 27 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2561
Found: Record fair, November 19, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Diamonds (edit)' / 'African flame (edit)'

Lament - Ultravox

Ultravox's 1984 album 'Lament' saw the band continuing to move away from the synth pop style associated with their previous albums, heading into a more mainstream pop/rock direction, alike their comtemporaries Echo and the Bunnymen, Simple Minds and U2. The album featured greater use of guitar and 'stadium' reverb.

However, the title track was a melancholy ballad, accompanied by a music video featuring the band on a remote Scottish island. The single peaked at number 22 in the UK singles chart. This single was released, like many previous singles, on clear vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 1005
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Lament' / 'Heart of the country (instrumental)'

Scales of justice - Living in a box

'Scales of justice' was Living in a box's second single. It was taken from their self-titled debut album and reached number 30 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, where the debut single 'Living in a box' had been a hit, this single did not trouble the chart at all.

This single is packaged in a very attractive 'box' sleeve, meaning that it folds out to a cube (minus the bottom and top). I didn't know the song that well but this gimmick convinced me to buy this.

My collection: 7" single no. 3162
Found: November 27, 1999
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Scales of justice' / 'Ecstacy'

Love is - Alannah Myles

Alannah Myles followed up her hugely successful debut single 'Black velvet' with the more straightforward rock song 'Love is'. To promote sales, the UK record company released the single in a limited edition single box set, including two full colour heart-shaped prints. It's the kind of box set that makes you wonder why: the prints could easily have been stuck in the sleeve of the single. But anyway...

'Love is' did not match the success of its predecessor, reaching number 61 in the UK singles chart and number 32 in the Dutch Top 40. Her career was effectively over in the UK, since none of her subsequent singles charted. In the Netherlands, she did return...

My collection: 7" single no. 2920
Found: November 9, 1997
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Love is' / 'Rock this joint'

Zusammen geh'n - Tony Wegas

Tony Wegas was born as Anton Hans Sarközi on May 3, 1965 in Unterschützen, Austria. He was born in a Roma family. His father, who was a musician, learned him to play guitar, keyboards, drums, bass and panflute. He represented his country twice, during the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992 and 1993. He reached 14th place in 1993 with 'Maria Magdalena', and 10th place in 1992 with 'Zusammen geh'n'. I bought this single mostly because I was in Austria in 1992 and I stumbled on it. I didn't really particularly like this track.

Tony Wegas had some problems in the second half of the Nineties. Being addicted to cocaine and heroin, he ended up in prison, being sentenced for 30 months in April 1997, after robbing two elderly women.

My collection: 7" single no. 1681
Found: Strass, Austria, July 2, 1992
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Zusammen geh'n' / 'Zusammen geh'n (instrumental)'

Cantonese boy - Japan

'Cantonese boy' was the third single taken from Japan's 1981 album 'Tin drum'. The album continued their now developed use of electronic elements coupled with traditional instrumentation, but leans a lot more towards far-eastern influences than any of their previous albums. This single was released as a double single set, including a track called 'Gentlemen take Polaroids', taken from their previous album of the same name.

'Cantonese boy' reached number 24 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2095
Found: London, 1994
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Cantonese boy' / 'Burning bridges' // 'Gentlemen take Polaroids' / 'The experience of swimming'