Where did your heart go - Wham

'Where did your heart go' was originally released as part of the double single 'The edge of heaven', released to signal the end of the duo Wham! in June 1986. Always in need of 'milking it', the record company decided to release the track separately as a single in October 1986. The setup didn't work as most people already had the track - only the most avid fans still bought the single despite the absence of anything new on it. The single peaked at number 50 in the USA and number 54 in Australia.

The song was not written by George Michael, like most of Wham!'s material, but instead was a cover of the 1981 track by Was Not Was. It was written by David and Don Was.

My collection: 7" single no. 4034
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Where did your heart go?' / 'Wham! Rap '86'

Wake me up before you go-go - Wham!

One of the Eighties' ultimate pop tracks was Wham!'s 'Wake me up before you go-go'. George Michael was inspired to write the song when his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley left a scribbled note to his parents reading 'Wake me up before you go', but accidentally wrote the word 'up' twice - so he decided to repeat the word 'go' as well.

Released in May 1984, Wham! presented themselves as a sunnier, less pretentious band, moving away from their politically charged songs from their previous album. The song reached number 1 in both the UK, the USA and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 4035
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Wake me up before you go-go' / 'Wake me up before you go-go (instrumental)'

Japanese lovesong - Ten Sharp

The early career of Ten Shap was a bit odd. They released four singles to little or no success. The one that was the least interesting in my opinion was 'Japanese lovesong'. And yet, this was the only single of the four to reach the Dutch Top 40, in the summer of 1985. It had a chart run of four weeks and reached number 30.

'Japanese lovesong' was the second single released by Ten Sharp, and after the third and fourth singles 'Last words' and 'Way of the west' did not chart, the band disbanded for four years, only to resurrect with the international smash hit 'You'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4033
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Japanese lovesong' / 'Goin' on'

Pleasure - Spandau Ballet

'Pleasure' was released as the fifth and last single from Spandau Ballet's 1983 album 'True'. After the massive hits 'True' and 'Gold', this single was a commercial disappointment, failing to reach the chart almost everywhere.

The single did chart in Germany, where it reached number 61. It was the lowest chart placing for any Spandau Ballet single in that country.

My collection: 7" single no. 4032
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Pleasure' / 'Pleasure (live)'

Anyone who had a heart - Sandie Shaw

'Anyone who had a heart' was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally performed by Dionne Warwick in 1963. Outside of America, the song is better known in a version by Cilla Black, released in 1964 and a number 1 hit for her in the UK. Black later commented: 'Dionne was dead choked, and she's never forgiven me, to this day'.

Sandie Shaw was one of the few British girl singers who did not cover the song in the Sixties. In 1982, she was introduced to the British Electric Foundation by future husband Nik Powell. The B.E.F. (Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who would go on to form Heaven 17 with Glenn Gregory) asked Shaw to record a song for their album 'Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1', on which they intended people to cover old songs and give them an updated electronic sound. Shaw was particularly proud of her emotional vocals on the song, which was subsequently released as a single. This proved to be the beginning of her 1980s comeback.

My collection: 7" single no. 4031
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Anyone who had a heart' / 'Anyone who had a heart (instrumental)'

Never turn your back on mother earth - Sparks

As I was a fan of the Sparks back in 1974, I must have heard this song a few times back then. As I was only four years old at the time, I cannot remember that at all. So the first time I can actually recall hearing this song was in 1989, on Martin Gore's 'Counterfeit EP', an EP of six cover versions as performed by the Depeche Mode band member.

Since I really love that version, I got curious about the original. And so I bought this single the first time I saw it - which was yesterday. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 4030
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Never turn your back on mother earth' / 'Alabamy right'

Cream - Prince and the New Power Generation

According to Prince, he wrote the song 'Cream' while he was standing in front of a mirror. It was included on Prince & the New Power Generation's 1991 album 'Diamonds and pearls'.

Released as the second single from the album, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 15 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4029
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cream' / 'Horny pony'