Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. It is also the title of Nik Kershaw's 1985 hit single, taken from his second album 'The riddle'. The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
This limited edition of the single comes in a gatefold sleeve with a 12 page booklet full of photographs of Nik.
My collection: 7" single no. 2780 Found: House of Rhythm, London, November 1, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Wide boy' / 'So quiet'
'Steppin' out' was a hit for Joe Jackson in 1982. The song is about the anticipation and excitement of a night out on the town. It became Jackson's biggest hit in the USA, reaching number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK singles chart, it also reached this position.
When his record company released the compilation album 'Stepping out: the very best of Joe Jackson' (1990), the track was re-released as a single. It didn't seem like a very logical thing to do, since the song had already been a hit. This time around, the single flopped.
My collection: 7" single no. 1329 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Steppin' out' / 'Sentimental man'
With Curt Smith gone, the Tears for Fears name belonged to Roland Orzabal and he decided to continue the band on his own. The first order of business was the compilation album that the record company was going to release. Roland completed a track that originally appeared as a B-side on the single 'Sowing the seeds of love', 'Tears roll down'.
'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' was released in February 1992 and reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40. The compilation album 'Tears roll down (Greatest hits 82-92)' followed quickly and reached number 2 in the UK albums chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1585 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 15, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' / 'The body wah'
'The milkman' was the second single taken from Mice's debut album 'Because I can'. The album reached the Indie top 10 in the UK, and this single was beginning to attract some attention from press and record buyers alike. The single was promoted with a music video that was also released on a promotional VHS video (Yes, those were the pre-dvd days).
The B-side 'Martian man' was a cover of a song originally performed and written by Lynsey de Paul.
My collection: 7" single no. 2646 Found: London, June 25, 1996 Cost: 1,2 pounds Tracks: 'The milkman' / 'Martian man'
When Roy Orbison made his comeback with this single, 'You got it' in December 1988, it was a remarkable return. Although he released a few new tracks throughout the Seventies and Eighties, his last big hit was 'Penny Arcade' (1969), which reached number 1 in Australia. He was involved in the Traveling Wilburys' 1988 single 'Handle with care', but this single from 1989 meant that he was riding a whole new wave of success.
'You got it' was taken from his comeback album 'Mystery girl' (1989). That album was completed shortly before his death of a heart attach on December 6, 1988. Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit, to the applause of a huge crowd, at the Diamond Awards Festival in Antwerp (Belgium), a few days before his death. The single reached number 1 in Canada, number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 726 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'You got it' / 'The only one'
The boring thing about A-ha singles is that they rarely have an interesting B-side.Take this one for instance: the B-side is the 1990 hit 'I call your name'. Well, at least the A-side was interesting. 'Angel' was written as a wedding present for Lauren, the wife of A-ha's principal songwriter Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.
'Angel' was taken from A-ha's last pre-breakup album, 'Memorial beach'. It reached number 41 in the UK singles chart. Soon after the band reunited in 1998, they performed live at Valhall, a concert that was later released on dvd. 'Angel' was played during the concert but it was the only song to be omitted from the dvd. It is unclear why this happened.
My collection: 7" single no. 1997 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Angel' / 'I call your name'
Throughout the Eighties, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were an essential part of Prince's backing band The Revolution. After some internal struggle, the band was dismissed by Prince in October 1986, leaving Wendy & Lisa to find a record deal of their own.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1987. It featured their debut single 'Waterfall', which became a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 66) and a big hit in the Netherlands (peaking at number 13). The B-side, 'The life', was re-released in 1995 as an A-side, entitled 'This is the life', after the song was included in the soundtrack of the movie 'Dangerous minds'.
My collection: 7" single no. 578 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 30, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Waterfall' / 'The life'
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. It is also the title of Nik Kershaw's 1985 hit single, taken from his second album 'The riddle'. The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
