It would take a strong strong man - Rick Astley

I bought this single of 'It would take a strong strong man' in 1995. I didn't know it had been released as a single, but since this was an American pressing I assumed it was only released over there. I was right, to a degree: this single reached number 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100, but it also reached number 2 in Canada and number 4 in Ireland.

The real treat here is the B-side: just like 'It would take a strong strong man', 'You move me' was taken from Astley's debut album 'Whenever you need somebody'. But 'You move me' is the best track on the album, a bouncy, soulful track that is still fresh two decades later. And the lyric is very appropriate for these times of crisis and people losing their jobs.

My collection: 7" single no. 2317
Found: Record fair, June 3, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'It would take a strong strong man' / 'You move me'

Advice for the young at heart - Tears for Fears

'Advice for the young at heart' was the third single taken from the 1989 Tears for Fears album 'The seeds of love'. The song was written by Roland Orzabal and keyboardist/singer Nicky Holland. The lyric 'Love is a promise, love is a souvenir once given, never forgotten, never let it disappear' is a quote from John Lennon. The lead vocal on the song was sung by Curt Smith; the only track he sang on the whole album. The single peaked at number 36 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Dutch Top 40.

In the UK, this single was released in a limited edition box set (pictured below) including four postcards. The front of the box set states that it's 'part one', but I've never seen 'part two'.

The music video for this single was the last Tears for Fears video to feature both Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith before their acrimonious split in the early Nineties. It would be 15 years before they made a video together again ('Closest thing to heaven' in 2005).

My collection: 7" single no. 1230
Found: Esprit Mail Order, received July 1990
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Advice for the young at heart' / 'Johnny Panic and the bible of dreams'

Faith - George Michael

You don't hear it much on the radio nowadays, but George Michael's 'Faith' actually starts out with an organ intro, playing the Wham! song 'Freedom'. There were high expectations preceding the release of this solo single, since all of Michael's previous solo singles resulted in top three hits in the UK. This was the last single release before his debut album, also called 'Faith' saw the light of day one month later.

The single 'Faith' did not disappoint: it reached number 2 in the UK singles and topped the charts in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 2452
Found: Record fair, September 2, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Faith' / 'Hand to mouth'

Hurts to be in love - Gino Vanelli

Gino Vanelli was born on June 16, 1952 in Montreal, Quebec. His career took off in the Seventies, when he signed to A&M Records, releasing his debut album in 1973. Although successful in Europe and America, Vanelli never had a hit in the UK.

He continued to be successful in the Eighties, with this ballad as a good example. 'Hurts to be in love' was released in December 1985 and reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. The single also reached number 57 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1410
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, April 3, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Hurts to be in love' / 'Here she comes'

Last words - Ten Sharp

Ten Sharp were unable to release an album between 1985 and 1987, but they did release four singles on the CBS label. This one was the third and probably the best of them. 'Last words' was not a hit for the band, causing them to rethink their sound and come back in 1987 with a hardrock-esque track, 'Way of the west'.

The 12" single contains a good extended remix of 'Last words'.

My collection: 7" single no. 419
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 28, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Last words' / 'White gold'

Pump up the jam - Technotronic

I've always been a fan of songs with a beautiful melody and deep, meaningful lyrics. I like to be touched by music, feel the passion and the warmth of the artist in it, that's also why I have a lot of singer/songwriters in my record collection. But every now and again, I have to buy a record because it does not fit the profile.

In the autumn of 1989, I was suddenly grabbed by the nonsensical track 'Pump up the jam' by Belgian producers act Technotronic. I suddenly felt the desire to write down the lyrics and take it all in. Until you do that, there's no way to pin down the utter vacuousness of it all. In the end, I bought the single because I laughed so hard at the track. It has been a top 10 hit around the world. Used to be a time when one had to actually be able to compose to achieve that. But in 1989, all you had to do was say 'Pump up the jam / Pump it pump it pump it pump it'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1178
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 17, 1990
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Pump up the jam' / 'Pump up the jam (original mix)'

Sleeping satellite - Tasmin Archer

Although first released in 1992, Archer and her co-writers wrote 'Sleeping satellite' in the late Eighties, but it was only when Archer got a record deal that the song saw the light of day. Archer sings backing vocals on the track along with Tessa Niles and Carol Kenyon. Released on August 31, 1992, the single rose to the top of the chart in the UK, creating an instant media hype at the time.

The single was also a success in other countries. In the Netherlands, 'Sleeping satellite' became Archer's only chart hit, peaking at number 9 in November 1992.

My collection: 7" single no. 2482
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 29, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Sleeping satellite' / 'Sleeping satellite (acoustic version)'