Oblivious - Aztec Camera

Track 1 from Aztec Camera's debut album 'High land, hard rain' (1983) is 'Oblivious', which was also released as a single. The band consisted of Roddy Frame, Bernie Clark, Campbell Owens and Dave Ruffy.

The single was the band's first to reach the singles chart, peaking at number 47.

My collection: 7" single no. 3255
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Oblivious' / 'Orchid girl'

Such a shame - Talk Talk

It doesn't happen often that a record company decides to release several singles from a compilation album, especially when those singles have already been released originally a few years before. But this is what happened with 'Talk Talk' after the release of the compilation album 'Natural history'. The greedy bastards from EMI wanted to earn some extra cash with these releases.

The setup didn't work. On its original release in 1984, 'Such a shame' reached number 49 in the UK singles chart. This re-release from 1990 did not chart. Justice - although I have to admit this sleeve is very nice. And the bonus live track from Montreux 1986 is a nice teaser.

My collection: 7" single no. 2733
Found: September 9, 1996
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Such a shame' / 'Dum dum girl (live)'

Holding on - Beverley Craven

'Holding on' was the third single taken from Beverley Craven's self-titled debut album. Released in July 1991, it reached number 32 in the UK singles chart, but it didn't chart in the Netherlands, where it was released a few months previous.

The B-side was a new track that Beverley would re-record a year later for her next album. This original version wins out, because it sounds a lot more energetic and less contrived.

My collection: 7" single no. 1403
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 16, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Holding on' / 'Look no further'

Lady - Spargo

After Lilian Day Jackson left the Dutch band Spargo, the band continued with the four male members of the group. Success didn't elude them right away, as proven with this single, 'Lady', which reached number 15 in the Dutch Top 40 in April 1984.

It was, however, the last hit single for the band. The group broke up in 1985 and briefly reformed in 1997.

My collection: 7" single no. 1161
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 27, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Lady' / 'Lady (instrumental version)'

My arms keep missing you - Rick Astley

Sometimes singles with a double A-side appear, but it doesn't happen so often that there are actually two different releases, switching the two A-side along the way. Sounds confusing? Well, here it is: during the chart run of 'When I fall in love', the record company decided that the song might have been appropriate for the Christmas season, but come January the other A-side, 'My arms keep missing you' would be more commercially viable.

And so, 'My arms keep missing you' was remixed and made the most important track of the double A-side release. It may have extended the chart life of this single, and at the very least it was an interesting new release for Rick Astley fans.

My collection: 7" single no. 2340
Found: Big Company Records, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 35p
Tracks: 'My arms keep missing you (The 'Where's Harry?' remix)' / 'When I fall in love'

When I fall in love - Rick Astley

Due to his deep bass-baritone voice, Rick Astley was confronted often with the assumption that he was an African-American singer. Perhaps he and his producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman were pushing this point a bit when they released 'When I fall in love' in late 1987, a cover of Nat King Cole's 1956 hit.

It didn't matter much to the record-buying public: the single became a hit, peaking at number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. The single was in fact a double A-side with 'My arms keep missing you', but more about that in the following entry...

My collection: 7" single no. 1426
Found: Record fair, April 7, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'When I fall in love' / 'My arms keep missing you'

Cat people (Putting out fire) - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' for the soundtrack of the 1982 movie 'Cat people'. The track was produced by Giorgio Moroder. Director Paul Schrader contacted Bowie for a theme song in 1981, while Moroder had already recorded most of the music. Bowie put lyrics to the main theme composed by Moroder. The words only had a basic relation to the film.

The single reached number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 67 in the USA. This 12" single features the full length version of the track, which also appears on the soundtrack album, whereas it was edited for the 7" single. Bowie re-recorded the song in 1983 for his album 'Let's dance'.

My collection: 12" single no. 504
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' / 'Paul's theme' (Giorgio Moroder)