Rainbow lake - Wendy and Lisa

'Rainbow lake' was released as the second single from Wendy & Lisa's third album 'Eroica'. Released in November 1990, it was their last chart hit in the UK, although it only reached number 70 during the one week it charted.

After this single, only 'Don't try to tell me' was released, after which the duo stopped recording for a long time.

My collection: 7" single no. 2402
Found: July 8, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Rainbow lake (Album remix)' / 'Rainbow lake (12 into 7 remix)'

Violet - Seal

Seal released 'Violet' as the fifth and last single from his self-titled debut album. It featured acoustic versions of tracks from the album, with all the royalties from the single donated to charity. Unfortunately, the single was not the biggest success from the album: it reached number 39 in the UK singles chart.

Nevertheless, the versions of 'Violet' and 'Wild' on this single are in their own way just as good as the Trevor Horn-produced album versions.

My collection: 7" single no. 2263
Found: Record fair, April 8, 1995
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Violet' / 'Wild'

Sister of mercy - Thompson Twins

'Sister of mercy' was the fourth single taken from the Thompson Twins' hugely successful 1984 album 'Into the gap'. The single version was different from the album version, in that it started out as a ballad. The B-side was a megamix of wellknown Thompson Twins tracks, such as 'We are detective', 'Into the gap' and 'Hold me now'.

The single reached number 11 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 238
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Sister of mercy' / 'Out of the gap'

When the snow falls - Ten Sharp

'When the snow falls' was originally Ten Sharp's debut single back in 1985. The single did not chart, and since subsequent singles were not a big success either, the band broke up in 1987. When they returned in 1991 with the single 'You', they had a European hit on their hands. The album 'Under the water-line' consisted of nine new tracks, but also a version of 'When the snow falls'.

This version was edited and released as the fourth single from the album. This version is slightly different from the original single and it also contains a different B-side. It didn't bring the band the success they might have hoped for: again, it failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1967
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'When the snow falls' / 'Some sails'

Don't be aggressive - Sandra

I cited the words 'I could be your friend, I could be your slave, I could be anything you want me to / But please, don't be aggressive' to a friend back in 1992, when she wanted to hit me because I was pulling her hair again. The words stuck in my mind, and subsequently I bought the single just after it had failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

Written by Michael Cretu and Klaus Hirschburger, 'Don't be aggressive' sounded a lot like a track by Enigma, the newly created project by Cretu. The single reached number 17 in Germany and was only a top 10 hit in Norway, where it peaked at number 7.

My collection: 7" single no. 1592
Found: Free Record Shop, March 21, 1992
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't be aggressive' / 'Seal it forever'

To know someone deeply is to know someone softly - Terence Trent d'Arby

Whenever I play this song, I'm very curious what drove the record company to release this as a single. The quirky song with its strange title was not exactly chart material and anyone with one ear could easily admit that. After the commercial failure of 'This side of love', this single was sure not to improve matters much.

Still, the single did manage to reach number 55 in the UK singles chart. It is a success of sorts, since 'This side of love' only managed number 83. I didn't think this single was released on 7" single, until I found it five years after its release.

My collection: 7" single no. 2520
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'To know someone deeply is to know someone softly' / 'Loose variations on a dead mans vibe in C# M'

Rockin' over the beat - Technotronic

Technotronic finally managed to create one track which did not include rapping. The singing on this track was still pretty substandard, but at least it was a kindof decent tune. The lyric is another poetic masterpiece: 'Rockin' over the beat / Rollin' over the melody'.

The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart and went top 20 all over Europe. In the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the single managed to get to number 95. And this single concluded by Technotronic collection. Yes, it got out of hand a little.

My collection: 7" single no. 1280
Found: August 23, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Rockin' over the beat' / 'Raw'