Autodrive - Herbie Hancock

Buying this single was a gamble. I liked the track 'Rockit' and assumed that the second single from the album 'Future shock' would be similarly interesting. To be blunt: it wasn't, really. It is an instrumental track that seems to go on without a point or clue.

The single still reached number 33 in the UK singles chart in October 1983, but it flopped in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2554
Found: Record fair, November 19 ,1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Autodrive' / 'The bomb'

The Buddha of Suburbia - David Bowie

The song 'The Buddha of Suburbia' was a song by David Bowie, made for the BBC TV series of the same name. It features Lenny Kravitz on guitar, performing quite a great solo. Interestingly, the song caused minor controversies on both sides of the Atlantic, with Radio 1 making an airplay edit to cover up the word 'bullshit' in the lyric, and US networks re-editing the video to remove shots where Bowie was smoking a cigarette.

The single reached number 35 in the UK singles chart and did not chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2353
Found: Eastbourne, June 28, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The Buddha of Suburbia' / 'Dead against it'

Kiss from a rose - Seal

When 'Kiss from a rose' was released as the second single from Seal's self-titled second album in July 1994, it did not make much of a chart impact. It did reach number 20 in the UK singles chart, but that was about it.

When it was included on the soundtrack of the movie 'Batman forever' in 1995, things changed dramatically. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was re-released in the UK and Europe. This time around it reached number 4 in the UK and the Netherlands. This 7" single was made in the USA, and it was the only country where the single appeared on this format.

My collection: 7" single no. 4060
Found: eBay.com, received September 23, 2009
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Kiss from a rose' / 'I'm alive (radio remix)'

I need love - Sandra

'I need love' was released as the second single from Sandra's 1992 album 'Close to seven'. The track was edited for the single. It featured Andy Jones, a.k.a. Andy 'Angel' Hart, performing the male vocals. The B-side, 'Shadows' also appeared on the album and was a cover of Michael Cretu's 1979 track 'Shadows over my head'.

This was the first single from Sandra that wasn't a chart success for her. Subsequently, the third single 'Steady me' was not released commercially, although promotional cd-singles do exist.

My collection: 7" single no. 1671
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 20, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'I need love' / 'Shadows'

A girl like you - Edwyn Collins

Edwyn Collins was born on August 23, 1959. He formed the Nu-sonics in 1976, which became Orange Juice in 1979. This band broke up in 1985, after which he pursued a solo career.

His biggest solo success is the single 'A girl like you', released in 1994. It became his only single to reach the top 10 in the UK (peaking at number 4) and the only single to have chart success in Europe. In the Dutch Top 40, it reached number 16.

My collection: 7" single no. 2398
Found: HMV, London, July 6, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'A girl like you' / 'You're on your own'

Net zo lief gefortuneerd - Het Goede Doel

Roughly translated the chorus of this song starts with the words 'I'd rather be well off / preferably a millionaire'. The song is taken from the band' 1984 album 'Tempo doeloe', and as mentioned before on this blog, the singles taken from that album didn't do exactly well as most people were turning away from Dutch language music in the Netherlands after the most popular band 'Doe maar' disbanded.

My collection: 7" single no. 2858
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Net zo lief gefortuneerd' / 'De plaat sloeg af en het gesprek viel stil'

I'm specialized in you - Time bandits

'I'm specialized in you' was the second chart hit in the Netherlands for the Dutch band Time Bandits, and also their biggest hit. It reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 in January 1983. The track was taken from their self-titled debut album, produced by well-known Dutch producer Pim Koopman.

The band, fronted by Alides Hidding, had several more top 10 hits in the Netherlands, but they never matched this success again.

My collection: 7" single no. 2823
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, February 1, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'I'm specialized in you' / 'Ginny (puts her hands on her shoulders)'