Weekend - Earth and Fire

I'm proud to say that I never understood what was sexy about Jerney Kaagman, but back in 1979 most of the Netherlands was in raptures about this woman and her blue suit, when she performed 'Weekend' in Toppop, the weekly chart show where Earth & Fire promoted their single from the album 'Reality fills fantasy'.

'Weekend' became a number 1 hit in the Dutch Top 40, their biggest hit since 1972's 'Memories'. The 'sexy' Kaagman is now a botox-filled expressionless old witch.

My collection: 7" single no. 3287
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Weekend' / 'Answer me'

Lap of luxury - Jethro Tull

Buying my 400th single was quite a big deal. I was thinking hard what would be an appropriate buy. In the end, I settled on this double single. Not because I was a fan of Jethro Tull, but because it was the only double single available at the time for a reasonable price. And I thought it would be appropriate to have a double single as a festive treat.

The band had just released 'Under wraps' in 1984, a very electronic album with no live drummer but a drum machine. Although the band was reportedly proud of the sound, the album was not well received. However, the video for 'Lap of luxury' did manage to earn moderate rotation on the newly influential MTV music video channel. 'Lap of luxury' reached number 70 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 400
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 7,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Lap of luxury' / 'Astronomy' // 'Automotive engineering' / 'Tundra'

The touch - Kim Wilde

The second single from Kim Wilde's 1984 album 'Teases & dares', entitled 'The touch', didn't do much to restore her image in her native UK. She hadn't had a top 20 hit since 1982's 'View from a bridge', and this one didn't even make the top 50. Peaking at number 56, it qualified as a real disappointment.

Outside of the UK, things were not quite that problematic. The single reached number 20 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 29 in Germany. The single was also released as a shaped picture disc and featured for the first time a composition by Kim Wilde herself: 'Shangri-la' was included as the B-side track. Plus quite a lovely sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 252
Found: LP Top 100, 1984
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The touch' / 'Shangri-la'

Woman - John Lennon

'Woman' was written by John Lennon as an ode to his wife Yoko Ono. In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on December 5, 1980, Lennon said that 'Woman' was a 'grown-up version' of the song 'Girl'.

The song was released as the second single from Lennon's 'Double fantasy' album, and the first single released after his tragic death on December 8, 1980. It spent two weeks at number 1 in the UK singles chart and five weeks at number 1 in New Zealand. In the Netherlands, the single only managed to reach number 21, while in the US it reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 2384
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Woman' (John Lennon) / 'Beautiful boys' (Yoko Ono)

The sweetest taboo - Sade

Sade introduced her second album 'Promise' with this single, 'The sweetest taboo'. The track built on the sound that was laid down on her debut album 'Diamond life'. Although at first I was not convinced by this composition, it grew on me over the years.

The single peaked at number 31 in the UK singles chart, but did much better in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 5. In the Netherlands, 'The sweetest taboo' reached number 14. 'You're not the man' was a non-album track, although it was later included on the Compact Disc release of 'Promise'.

My collection: 7" single no. 340
Found: LP Top 100, 1985
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The sweetest taboo' / 'You're not the man'

Nightshift - Commodores

Without Lionel Richie as their frontman, the Commodores soldiered on. They surprised everyone with this 1985 hit, 'Nightshift'. Written as a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two musicians who died in 1984. The single reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Netherlands - the only number 1 hit for the Commodores in this country.

'Nightshift' won a Grammy Award in 1985 for best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals.

My collection: 7" single no. 1722
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 3, 1992
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Nightshift' / 'I keep running'

One more try - George Michael

'One more try' was written by George Michael to express his unwillingness to return to a new relationship because he had been emotionally hurt so many times previously. The song concludes with temptation taking over, and Michael ends by singing the title of the song for the only time.

The song was released as the fourth single from George Michael's debut album 'Faith'. Despite the fact that the song clocks in at almost six minutes, it was still a hit in several countries. It peaked at number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 4 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 8 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2453
Found: Record fair, September 2, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'One more try' / 'Look at your hands'