Handle with care - Traveling Wilburys

After Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne had a meal together, they decided to come together at Bob Dylan's home studio in Malibu, California, to record an additional track as a B-side for the single release of Harrison's 'This is love'. Harrison had left his guitar at Tom Petty's house, and so he became involved as well.

When they'd recorded the song, 'Handle with care', the five decided that it was too good to be used as a B-side, and they enjoyed working together so much that they even decided to record a whole album together. And so the Traveling Wilburys were born. 'Handle with care' became the first single from their album 'Volume 1'. It became a hit in various countries including the UK (peaking at number 20) and the Netherlands (peaking at number 24).

My collection: 7" single no. 1466
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 30, 1991
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Handle with care' / 'Margarita'

Slide - The Big Dish

When the compact disc format was a new event, every single disc in the house was a true event. My sister had a couple of cd's, I owned one or two, but my brother had managed to find a few cd's very cheaply. One of them was a compilation on which this song featured: 'Slide' by the Big Dish. I'd never heard of the group, but the song - which sounded a bit like Tears for Fears - intrigued me. Naturally, when I saw the single some time later I had no reservations about buying it.

The Big Dish were a Scottish rock band, formed in Airdrie, Scotland in 1983. The band was formed by Steven Lindsay, Mark Ryce and John Harper. Early live performances in support of Lloyd Cole gave them a wider audience. However, this single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 698
Found: V&D, Den Haag, December 6, 1988
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Slide' / 'Reverend killer'

Moonlight shadow - Mike Oldfield

An early version of 'Moonlight shadow' was entitled 'Midnight passion' with vocals performed by British singer Hazel O'Connor. When Oldfield re-recorded the song with Maggie Reilly, a girlfriend of one of the roadies when he was on tour, Virgin Records were immediately happy with the song and wanted more pieces similar to it.

There was a long running urban myth (largely fuelled by the tabloid press) that the lyrics are a reference to the murder of John Lennon. Oldfield responded in a 1995 interview: 'It was originally inspired by a film I loved - Houdini, starring Tony Curtis, which was about attempts to contact Houdini after he'd died, through spiritualism'.

The single was one of Oldfield's biggest hits, reaching number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Netherlands. Over the past few years, the song has been wrongly attributed to Kim Wilde on various filesharing networks.

My collection: 7" single no. 1894
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, May 2, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Moonlight shadow' / 'Rite of man'

Caribbean blue - Enya

A day at the Enya producer's office

'It's almost time to release a new single by Enya'.
- 'Really? It isn't so long ago since the previous album.'
'Yes, I know, but people are buying the stuff in droves, so we better make a profit now.'
- 'Okay... So do you still have the tapes?'
'Yes, I've got all the 'oohs' and 'aahs' she sung a couple of years ago.'
- 'Right. So any ideas for a new song?'
'Not really, but I think you could write a lyric, something along the lines of that one song, you know...'
- 'Orinoco flow?'
'That's the one! That way, I don't have to spend hours composing and arranging.'
- 'So have you got any lyric yet?'
'Yep, I'm almost there. It's a good thing we have those tapes in which she sang random words; we can glue them together and form some lyric with that.'
- 'Okay. What about the B-side?'
'Hmmm... I guess we'll just stick that Orinoco thingy on it'.
- 'Wouldn't that be a bit obvious?'
'I don't know. We'll see, won't we? If people buy this single, we can make a whole album with this stuff.'
- 'Right, good thinking mate...'

My collection: 7" single no. 1544
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, November 2, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Caribbean blue' / 'Orinoco flow'

Falling - Julee Cruise

One of the best TV-series of all time, 'Twin Peaks' was blessed with a gripping soundtrack, taken care of by Angelo Badalamenti. He scored the series, but also worked together with David Lynch on an album by Julee Cruise. 'Falling' appeared on both the soundtrack album for 'Twin Peaks' and the solo album by Cruise, 'Floating into the night'.

In the UK, the single reached number 7 in the singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single charted twice; once in January 1991, reaching number 20 and again in October of that year, reaching number 16. So why did this happen? It's easy: in September 1991, 'Twin peaks' started being broadcast in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1431
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 13, 1991
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Falling' / 'Twin Peaks theme'

Die Zeit ist einsam - Timna Brauer

This is one of the hidden gems of the Eurovision Song Contest. It can be compared to the likes of 'Rapsodia' by Mia Martini (Italy 1992) and 'Sama' by Justyna Steczkowska (Poland 1995) as one of those songs that make you suicidal upon hearing it. Not because of the quality, mind, but because it's so moody and beautiful.

Timna Brauer was born on May 1, 1961 in Vienna, Austria and represented her country in 1996 with 'Die Zeit ist einsam' ('Time is lonely'). The international juries were not impressed and she ended up in 18th place in a field of 20 participants. They were obviously looking for something with more depth and substance - the winning song was 'J'aime la vie' ('I love life').

My collection: 7" single no. 2974
Found: Bea Records, March 1, 1998
Cost: 8 guilders
Tracks: 'Die Zeit ist einsam' / 'And when the night comes'

Trojan horse - Luv'

Released in the autumn of 1978, 'Trojan horse' was the fifth single by Luv'. Heavy on bagpipes, this third hit single for the group reached number 1 in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Poland. Thanks to this success, Luv' established itself as one of the most popular Dutch pop acts of the late Seventies.

The song was used in the soundtrack of the Dutch movie 'Spetters', directed by Paul Verhoeven. When Luv' played a cameo role in the 1979 German movie 'Cola, Candy, Chocolate' they performed this song.

My collection: 7" single no. 32
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1979
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Trojan horse' / 'Life is on my side'