Wheel of fortune - Ace of base

'Wheel of fortune' was originally the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of base. It was released on a small Danish independent label in April 1992. It failed to reach the chart on its first release. The first re-release was also unsuccessful.

It was after Ace of base had a worldwide hit with 'All that she wants' that 'Wheel of fortune' was re-released for the second time. On that occasion it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1991
Found: London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Wheel of fortune' / 'Wheel of fortune (clubmix)'

Close to me - The Cure

'Close to me' was released in 1985 as a single from the Cure's album 'The head on the door'. On its original release, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 21. It was accompanied by an interesting music video, featuring all members of the band locket up in a wardrobe, which falls off of a cliff into an ocean by the end of the song.

In 1990, the song was remixed and this remix was also released as a single. Amazingly, this version improved on the original chart peak position in the UK, shooting up to number 13, whereas in the Netherlands the remix did not chart. The music video was a sequel to the original one, featuring the members of a band locked in a wardrobe filling with water.

My collection: 7" single no. 2350
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Close to me' / 'A man inside my mouth'

Waiting for that day - George Michael

'Waiting for that day' was a track from George Michael's 1990 album 'Listen without prejudice'. Although Michael wrote the song, the chords and rhythm are very similar to Rolling Stones' 'You can't always get what you want'. George Michael actually sings this title near the end of the song. A co-writer credit was given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

The track was released as the second single from the album in the USA, the UK, Ireland and Australia, but it was not released in Europe. The single peaked at number 27, 23, 11 and 50 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 1315
Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Waiting for that day' / 'Fantasy'

One more night - Sandra

'One more night' was written by Michael Cretu, Klaus Hirschburger and Frank Peterson. It was a ballad, taken from the album 'Paintings in yellow', released as its third and final single. The 7" single included a unique track on the B-side: an 2'42 edit of the album track 'The journey'. The cd-single and 12" single featured the original full length version of that track, clocking in at 7'27.

Released in September 1990, the single reached number 31 in the German charts, but did not chart in other countries. My copy of the single was made in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 2211
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 13 ,1999
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'One more night' / 'The journey (edit)'

Emma - Hot Chocolate

Errol Brown and Tony Wilson wrote 'Emma', a song that became a number 3 hit in both the UK and the Netherlnads in 1974. It was an unusually dark song for the band, who were known for their lightweight pop songs.

The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmaline from the age of 5 all through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma wanted to be a 'movie queen' but never got a break, eventually killing herself, explaining in a suicide note: 'I just can't keep on living on dreams no more'.

My collection: 7" single no. 465
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Emma' / 'Makin' music'

You little thief - Feargal Sharkey

'You little thief' was the fourth single taken from Feargal Sharkey's successful debut album 'Feargal Sharkey' (1985). It followed up the UK and Netherlands number 1 hit 'A good heart'.

This single became almost equally successful, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart. It also reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 407
Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'You little thief' / 'The living actor'

The boys of summer - Don Henley

The title of this 1985 hit single is taken from the 1972 non-fiction book, 'The boys of summer' by Roger Kahn. Kahn's 'boys of summer' are the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that Kahn covered as a sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune. The book is about how the lives of the former ballplayers had changed between the time he covered the team and the time he tracked each of them down twenty years later.

The lyric of Henley's song, which is driven by synthesizers and a LinnDrum, appears to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the obvious theme of 'summer love' apparent in the choruses. In an interview, Henley explained that the song is more about aging and questioning the past, which is a recurring theme in Henley's lyrics.

My collection: 7" single no. 665
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 15, 1988
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'The boys of summer' / 'A month of Sundays'