Don't you (forget about me) - Simple Minds

'Don't you (forget about me)' was released in April 1985 and made a big impression on me right away. I loved the song, and the fact that my record shop was selling it cheaply for one week only meant that I had it even before it charted. It's a purchase I regretted for a long time, because the song was played so often and became such a big hit that I didn't play the single for years on end.

The song was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff for the soundtrack of the movie 'The breakfast club'. Forsey asked both Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but both declined, although Idol would later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Schiff then suggested the Simple Minds, who initially refused as well, but then were persuaded by their record company to do it. The band reportedly rearranged and recorded 'Don’t you (forget about me)' in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it'.

The single reached number 1 in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands, while in the UK it reached number 7. Despite its success, the band continued to dismiss the song; the most obvious slight being its absence from their subsequent album 'Once upon a time'. It finally appeared on their 1992 compilation album 'Glittering prize 81/92'.

My collection: 7" single no. 282
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, April 1985
Cost: 4,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't you (forget about me)' / 'A brass band in Africa'

Drowned world/Substitute for love - Madonna

Since the second single from the album 'Ray of light', the title track, was released with a delay of a month in the USA, the record company decided to release 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' as a single in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa to close the gap between the next single release, 'The power of goodbye'. Still, this 7" single is an American pressing.

The single reached number 27 in the Netherlands and number 10 in the UK and Japan. The single was a top 40 hit in most other countries, but didn't make the top 10 in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 3017
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 5, 1998
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' / 'Sky fits heaven (Sasha remix edit)'

Wide boy - Nik Kershaw

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 - Joe Jackson

'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'

Laid so low (Tears roll down) - Tears for Fears

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 - Mice

'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'

You got it - Roy Orbison

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'