My man - Luv'

Luv's debut single 'My man' was released in 1977. It was a far cry from the unpretentious, happy, bubbly pop songs that would become their trademark sound. Instead, this track was a tearjerker of sorts, about a woman whose man, a railroad worker, has been murdered when he tries to stop a fight between two men. The song shocked the Netherlands, because it was released at a time when a train was hijacked.

The single reached number 12 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 10 in Belgium. It was the official start of a career that would take off for real with 'U.O. me' the next year.

My collection: 7" single no. 4087
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'My man' / 'Don't let me down'

Excerpts from the forthcoming album 'Origami' - Fay Lovsky

This 7" single was released to promote the new album by Dutch artist Fay Lovsky, 'Origami', released in 1983. At the time, Lovsky was attracting some media attention with 'Don't feed the animals', which was the first single from the album. Getting a hold of these promotional items is always hard, but I'm glad to have found it: it's a nice collection of samples.

The promo contains one minute samples of all the tracks on the album: 'Ramon', 'Window across the street', 'Disney dust', 'Columbus Avenue', 'Sugar me Sam', 'Palmtree luxury', 'California daze', 'Don't feed the animals', 'Never seem able (to say goodbye)', 'Fuss and fight', 'Tiger and I' and 'One more time'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4086
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Excerpts from the forthcoming album 'Origami'' / 'Excerpts from the forthcoming album 'Origami''

Come away - Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurus with Jona Lewie

Jona Lewie joined the popular cult blues band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts in 1969. It would give him an opportunity to record his first compositions on the album 'These Blues is meant to be barrel housed'. Jona stayed with the Bretts until 1973, their mainstream hit single being 'Seaside shuffle', another early Lewie composition.

'Seaside shuffle' was deemed by the band to be too commercial for the band, and so it was released under the nom de disque Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart in 1972. The name stuck until 1978, when 'Come away' was released to little success in the UK, but it did reach number 20 in the Dutch Top 40, giving Jona Lewie his first hit in Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 4085
Found: Markplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1,25 euro
Tracks: 'Come away' / 'Custer's last stand'

Endicott - Kid Creole and the Coconuts

Kid Creole and the Coconuts had a comeback of sorts in 1985 with the single 'Endicott'. The Endicott described in the song is the personification of virtue: he doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs, he's always on time, always considerate, never fights... In short, he's everything that the singer of the song is not. The Coconuts jeer 'Why can't you be more like Endicott?'.

While the single did not chart in the UK, it reached number 21 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4083
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Endicott' / 'Doowopsalsoboprock'

Don't stop - K.i.D.

There isn't a lot of information available about the one hit wonder K.i.D. Apparently they come from the Antilles, but that's about all I could find.

'Don't stop' was released in 1982 and was a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 8. In the UK singles chart, it only managed to reach number 58. The band may have recorded more singles, but none of them charted.

My collection: 7" single no. 4082
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 0,75 euro
Tracks: 'Don't stop' / 'Do it again'

King Kong - Jimmy Castor Bunch

I'm pretty sure my friend Puck will be interested to hear this track, as it is related to a movie - and he is seriously into movie soundtracks. But I've been searching for this one for a long time too, even leading to buying the wrong 'King Kong' not so long ago.

Jimmy Castor was born on June 23, 1947 in New York. He formed the Jimmy Castor Bunch in 1972 and signed a recording contract not long after that. Their debut album 'It's just begun' was an immediate success in America, featuring two hit singles. In 1976, they hit it big worldwide with this single, 'King Kong', a rather bizarre track referring to the ape in the movie of the same name. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 5.

My collection: 7" single no. 4081
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1,25 euro
Tracks: 'King Kong part 1' / 'King Kong part 2'

Young love - Janet Jackson

Aged sixteen, when her brother Michael was just about to conquer the world with his album 'Thriller', Janet Jackson signed a record deal with A&M Records. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1982, the same year. It was produced by soul singers Angela Winbush, René Moore and Leon F. Sylvers III. Her father Joseph oversaw the entire production.

'Young love' was a single drawn from that debut album. Janet received a lot of criticism for her limited vocal range and being yet another sibling of the Jackson family to start a career in music despite that. Still, the single reached number 64 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, also charting in New Zealand and South Africa. In Europe, the audience remained uninterested until her third album 'Control' (1986).

My collection: 7" single no. 4080
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Young love' / 'The magic is working'