Belfast child - Simple Minds

I still remember vividly the first time I heard 'Belfast child' by the Simple Minds. It was a Saturday evening and I had a splitting headache. I'd taken a few pills to combat this, and started playing some music. As always, I'd borrowed the new cd-singles my sister had bought, and this was one of them. I was listening to this new track with a lot of attention and was very impressed with the buildup and climax near the end of the track. When the song was over, my headache was gone.

The song uses the music from the Irish folk song 'She moved through the fair', but has completely different words. Jim Kerr commented: 'I first heard the melody a few days after the Enniskillen bombing, and like everybody when you see the images I was sick. In the second part of the song, I'm trying to relate to people in Northern Ireland who lost loved ones. I'm trying to talk about the madness, the sadness and the emptiness. I'm not saying I have any pearls of wisdom, but I have a few questions to ask.' The single, released in early 1989, reached number 1 in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 735
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 7, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Belfast child' / 'Mandela Day'

Newgrange - Clannad

Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) is a passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Louth. It was originally built between c. 5500 and 2900 BC. It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, and indeed the most famous of all Irish prehistoric sites.

It is also the title of this Clannad song, released as the third single from their 1982 album 'Magical ring'. It reached number 65 in the UK singles chart during a one week chart run.

My collection: 7" single no. 2682
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Newgrange' / 'Seachràn Charn tSiail'

Adolescent sex - Japan

Taken from their debut album of the same name, 'Adolescent sex' was the first hit for Japan, reaching number 27 in the Netherlands and number 20 in Japan. The single did not chart in the UK, where it was not played on the radio because of the title.

The song sounds very different from Japan's later material, and these days many people find it hard to believe that this is actually a track sung by David Sylvian.

My collection: 7" single no. 2942
Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Adolescent sex' / 'Sometimes I feel so low'

Fight fire with fire - Mai Tai

Released in October 1987, 'Fight fire with fire' was the last single by Mai Tai to reach the Dutch Top 40. It reached number 31 during a four week chart run. The single was taken from their 1987 album 'Cool is the rule'.

In 1988, a compilation album was released, after which the members of Mai Tai went their separate ways.

My collection: 7" single no. 4091
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received September 25, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Fight fire with fire' / 'If it don't turn you on'

Celebration - Kylie Minogue

The new single by Madonna notwithstanding, the most famous song called 'Celebration' was originally released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang, a number 1 hit in America for the band. Kylie Minogue, who cited the song as one of her alltime favourite songs, recorded for her fourth studio album 'Let's get to it' in 1991, but it was not included.

The track appeared a year later as a new song on her Greatest Hits album. Released as a single, it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart. This song was the last single Kylie made with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman.

My collection: 7" single no. 3331
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Celebration' / 'Let's get to it'

Sounds like a melody - Alphaville

'Sounds like a melody' was the second single taken from Alphaville's debut album 'Forever young'. Released in May 1984, the single reached the top 10 all over Europe, including a number 6 position in the Dutch Top 40 and number 3 in Germany and Austria.

Besides this 7" single I also own the 12" single, which fortunately contains an extended version of this great song.

My collection: 7" single no. 608
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 7, 1988
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Sounds like a melody' / 'The Nelson highrise (Sector one: the elevator)'

Just a dream - Nena

Not content with having a European hit with 'Nur geträumt', the German band Nena recorded the track in an English version entitled 'Just a dream'. This English version was the follow-up to '99 red balloons', the English version of her hit '99 Luftballons' which reached number 1 in the UK.

'Just a dream' did much worse in May 1984, reaching number 70 during a two week chart run. It was also the last Nena single to chart in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3074
Found: Record Exchange, London, May 10, 1999
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Just a dream' / 'Indianer'