Violet hill - Coldplay

Coldplay originally released 'Violet hill' on April 29, 2008 as a free download from their official website. After one week of free downloading, the song was available as a paid download. Although the free track was downloaded two million times, the single was still released commercially as well. A cd-single made the rounds in Europe, whereas the paid downloads provided the band with chart placings in America and the UK (number 40 and number 8 respectively).

This 7" single was released as a free promotional disc with the May 10 issue of the UK magazine NME, including the non-album track 'A spell a rebel yell' on the B-side. On subsequent cd releases, 'Lost?', an acoustic recording of album track 'Lost!' serves as extra track instead. I have to say this was the first time I ever bought the NME...

My collection: 7" single no. 3454
Found: Bruna, Den Haag, May 15, 2008
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Violet hill' / 'A spell a rebel yell'

The air that I breathe - The Hollies

This song has the rare distinction of being the one and only song that has ever appeared in my dreams. I don't remember much of the dream, but I do remember waking up (twenty years ago) and remembering having heard this song while I was sleeping. And I think in my dream I was singing along, too! How weird.

'The air that I breathe' was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and originally recorded by Phil Everly. When the Hollies recorded it in 1974, they reached number 2 in the UK singles chart with it. This copy of the single is a UK re-release from 1988, which reached number 60.

My collection: 7" single no. 1083
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 19, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'The air that I breathe' / 'We're through'

Fast car - Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman was born on March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was raised by her mother. In 1988, he made her debut with the single 'Fast car', a vivid tale of poverty that reached number 1 in Ireland and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

While usually I don't understand why an artist has one hit as big as this and then virtually disappears from the world stage, in this case I do. Tracy Chapman appeared on the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday tribute concert, doing her 'girl with guitar' thing, and the world was in raptures. But after two or three songs of a girl with a guitar, the fascination leaves as quickly as it comes. And so it did.

My collection: 7" single no. 2414
Found: Record fair, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Fast car' / 'For you'

This is me - Climie Fisher

'This is me' was originally Climie Fisher's debut single in 1986. After the success of 'Love changes (everything)' and 'Rise to the occasion', the track was re-released in 1988. This is the re-released single, featuring a new sleeve.

The single, which flopped the first time around, now reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 54 in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 1327
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990
Cost: 1,5 pounds
Tracks: 'This is me' / 'Far across the water'

That was my big mistake - Korgis

For a while in the early Eighties, I thought the Korgis were the coolest thing since sliced bread. That was largely thanks to their biggest hit 'Everybody's got to learn sometime', but this single was a close second in my book.

'That was my big mistake' was the first single from their 1981 album 'Sticky George'. A lot of people did not agree with me, as the single did not chart in any country.

My collection: 7" single no. 739
Found: All that music, February 9, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'That was my big mistake' / 'Can't we be friends'

It's alright - Pet Shop Boys

'It's alright' was originally recorded by Sterling Void in 1988. The Pet Shop Boys released their cover version of the song a year later on the album 'Introspective'. They heard the original on a house compilation album. While the original verion had only two verses, Neil Tennant wrote a third verse (sung as the second verse in their cover version) to expand the song's political concerns towards environmental issues.

The nine minute album version was edited for the single, which became half the length. The single reached number 5 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1925
Found: Record fair, June 5, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'It's alright' / 'One of the crowd', 'Your funny uncle'

Lonely avenue - Marty Wilde

As a fan of Kim Wilde, I was rather late in discovering the music of Marty Wilde. As 'Abergavenny' had been a hit in the Netherlands, I knew that song, but his earlier work eluded me until the Nineties. After I'd discovered great songs like 'Jezebel' and 'Teenager in love', I started hunting for these singles - but they are incredibly hard to come by.

I found this EP on eBay a few years ago. I was again intrigued, as the song titles didn't look familiar. Turns out that the two songs on the A-side of this EP were recorded with the legendary John Barry and his orchestra. The songs were not commercially successful, but I do think they are an artistic triumph. Released in 1964, this is an extraordinary collection of songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 3342
Found: eBay.co.uk, received 2002
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Lonely avenue', 'Brand new love' / 'Kiss me', 'My what a woman'