Diamond smiles - Boomtown Rats

I was too young to understand the lyric of the Boomtown Rats' 'Diamond smiles' but I was fascinated by it. I was sure an interesting story was told here, but I just couldn't make out what it was. Listening to it now, I'm almost certain it's about suicide. The Boomtown Rats were never about happy lovesongs anyway.

The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart, but failed to reached the Dutch Top 40. Lucky for me, because it meant that I could buy the single pretty quickly at discount price.

My collection: 7" single no. 55
Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1979
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Diamond smiles' / 'Late last night'

Another brick in the wall (live) - Roger Waters featuring Cyndi Lauper

Soon after the wall in Berlin came down, Roger Waters staged a live concert together with a lot of other pop stars, playing the entire Pink Floyd double album 'The Wall'. It was one of the largest concerts ever, with 350,000 people in the audience and 52 countries broadcasting the event live. While earning back the money invested from the sale of the cd and video releases of the concert, the original plan was to donate all profits past his initial investment to the Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief. This fund incurred heavy losses, and when the charity was wound up, the audio and video sales rights returned to Roger Waters himself.

'Another brick in the wall' was the only single release from the concert. It featured Cyndi Lauper on vocals, giving it a somewhat quirky feel. The single did not become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 1357
Found: Free Record Shop, December 1, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Another brick in the wall (live)' / 'Run like hell (live)'

Bitch - Meredith Brooks

Meredith Brooks was born on June 12, 1958 in Oregon City, USA. In 1995 she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records and recorded her debut album, 1997's 'Blurring the edges'. Her debut single 'Bitch' became the biggest hit of her career, reaching number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

Brooks has stated in interviews that 'Bitch' was almost omitted from the album, reportedly because of its title, which could have prevented it from becoming a radio hit. Only in America....!

My collection: 7" single no. 2922
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 9, 1997
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Bitch' / 'Bitch (Madgroove mix)'

Even the nights are better - Air Supply

'Even the nights are better' was taken from Air Supply's 1982 album 'Now and forever'. Itw as released as a single in the summer of 1982 and reached number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 44 in the UK singles chart.

Even though Air Supply would continue to record and perform concerts, but 'Even the nights are better' would prove to be their last significant hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 2517
Found: House of Rhythm, London, November 1, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Even the nights are better' / 'Lost in love', 'All out of love'

I treni di Tozeur - Alice e Battiato

Italian singers Alice Visconti and Franco Battiato represented Italy during the 1984 Eurovision song Contest with 'I treni di Tozeur'. It earned them a fifth place in the Contest and one of the biggest hits of a non-winning Eurovision entry - at least in the Netherlands, peaking at number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.

I don't usually do this, but the Wikipedia entry on this song is so extensive, that you really should read it. It gives more information about the lyric and the composition than this short description here could ever give you. What remains here, is the song - and it really is a beauty.

My collection: 7" single no. 1709
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1992
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'I treni di Tozeur' / 'Le bicicletti di Forli'

Your love takes me higher - Beloved

The Beloved found success in 1990, with the single 'Hello' reaching number 19 in the UK singles chart. A follow-up single was chosen, and it was a new recording of 'Your love takes me higher', originally released in 1989. This new single featured a different sleeve and a different B-side.

Unlike the original release, this one reached the UK singles chart and peaked at number 39. One further single from the Beloved's debut album 'Happiness' was released, the beautiful 'Time after time'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1299
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 1990
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher' / 'Pablo'

She wants to dance with me - Rick Astley

Although Rick Astley's debut album already contained a few tracks written by Astley himself, it wasn't until the release of 'She wants to dance with me', the first single from his second album, that a single was actually written by himself. His album was still produced wholly by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, but that would be over on his third album too. Astley was slowly taking artistic control over his career.

'She wants to dance with me' remained faithful to the SAW sound, which may be why it did so wel, peaking at number 6 in the UK singles chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1335
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'She wants to dance with me' / 'She wants to dance with me (instrumental)'