When all is said and done - Abba

'When all is said and done' is a track from Abba's 1981 album 'The visitors'. It was released as a single in Australia and the USA - and this is the sleeveless US pressing. Written during a time of emotional turmoil, Björn Ulvaeus has admitted that the recent divorce between Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad was at the back of his mind during the songwriting process for this song. Björn sought approval from Benny and Frida before the group began working with the song. When recording began in March 1981, only one month had passed since their separation.

'When all is said and done' was a reasonable success in the United States, peaking at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 - and Abba's final top 40 hit there. Now if I could only find the picture sleeve somewhere...

My collection: 7" single no. 4068
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 0,75 euro
Tracks: 'When all is said and done' / 'Should I laugh or cry'

Superhuman touch - Athlete

'Superhuman touch' is the latest single by the English rock band Athlete. It was released in August this year as the first single from their new album 'Black swan'. After switching from Parlophone records to Fiction records, it was a good surprise to see that the 7" single format wasn't abandoned. Even better, the 7" single features an exclusive B-side track.

After the album 'Beyond the neighbourhood', which was a bit disappointing critically and commercially, it seems with this new album the band is back on track. I've already ordered the new cd!

My collection: 7" single no. 4067
Found: eBay.co.uk, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Superhuman touch' / 'Ghosts from the past'

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

'Paparazzi' is the most recent single release by Lady Gaga, released in July this year. The song was written by her to portray her struggles and her love for fame. Gaga herself commented about the song: 'The song is about a few different things – it's about my struggles, do I want fame or do I want love? It's also about wooing the paparazzi to fall in love with me. It's about the media whoring, if you will, watching ersatzes make fools of themselves to their station. It's a love song for the cameras, but it's also a love song about fame or love – can you have both, or can you only have one?'

As usual for a Lady Gaga single, the 7" single was released as a picture disc. It reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4064
Found: eBay.co.uk, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Paparazzi' / 'Paparazzi (Yuksek remix)'

Your love alone is not enough - Manic street preachers

It may have been a surprise to some to hear a female vocal on a Manic Street Preachers track. And some may even have wondered who it was. Well, the guest star here was Nina Persson, who is known as the frontwoman of The Cardigans.

'Your love alone is not enough' was released as a single in April 2007. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4066
Found: eBay.co.uk, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Your love alone is not enough' / 'Fearless punk ballad'

New in town - Little boots

Every now and again, I discover a new artist that has actually been around for a little while but I just managed to miss it. It doesn't matter because usually I'm there early enough to still collect all the relevant singles. Little boots is my latest discovery, recording so-called electropop music that incorporates a lot of influences from the Eighties into a more modern sound.

'New in town' is Little boots' debut single, released in May this year. Victoria Christina Hesketh, who uses Little boots as her stage name, wrote the song herself together with Greg Kurstin. According to her, the song is about 'being a stranger in a strange place which is fun but also has a dark side, and someone showing you around and in the end just kind of letting go'. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4062
Found: eBay.co.uk, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'New in town' / 'New in town (No one is safe - Al Kapranos remix)'

The beginning - Seal

'The beginning' was the third single taken from Seal's debut album 'Seal'. Released in October 1991, it was not as successful as the two previous singles, reaching number 24 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

Personally I thought this track was not the best choice for a single and I hesitated a little before I bought it. Fortunately the mantra 'a collector has to be complete' was already making its way into my brain around that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 1495
Found: Melody Maker, July 20, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The beginning' / 'Deep water (acoustic)'

Zuipen - Rubberen Robbie

'Zuipen' ('Booze') could have been a typical product of the early Eighties, a time when youth unemployment was the highest it had ever been. The 'no future' slogans proclaimed by the punks were still in vogue and getting unemployment benefit was almost something of a status symbol.

The group Rubberen Robbie (a Dutch parody of the name Plastic Bertrand, a punker from the Seventies) recorded 'Zuipen' actually in 1978 as their debut single. It was a big hit with Dutch pirate stations, although it didn't manage to reach the Dutch Top 40. The group would continue to record parodies and humorous tracks in the years to come.

My collection: 7" single no. 1414
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 7, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Zuipen' / 'Hebbie ouwe krante?'