Why can't I have you - The Cars

I don't remember how I got to hear 'Why can't I have you' by the Cars. As it didn't reach the charts in the Netherlands and I can't imagine it being played on the radio much, I really can't figure it out. But I'm glad I did: it's one of my favourite songs from the Eighties.

'Why can't I have you' is a track from the Cars' very successful 1984 album 'Heartbeat city'. The single only charted in the USA, peaking at number 33 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 917
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Why can't I have you' / 'Heartbeat city'

No ordinary love - Sade

'No ordinary love' was released as the first single from Sade's fourth studio album 'Love deluxe'. The band had been away from the scene for three years and their comeback was highly anticipated. Some may have thought it was time for the band to explore new territories musically, but the song fit perfectly into the formula that had been so successful the three previous albums.

The single reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. In the US Billboard Hot 100, the single was slightly less successful, peaking at number 28. It was impossible to find this 7" single in the Netherlands, but fortunately a holiday in London helped me get the single after all.

My collection: 7" single no. 1727
Found: HMV, London, October 17, 1992
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'No ordinary love' / 'Paradise (remix)'

Im nin' alu - Ofra Haza

Ofra Haza scored her biggest international hit in 1988 with 'Im nin' alu'. A sample of the track, which was originally recorded in 1984, appeared in Eric B & Rakim's hiphop track 'Paid in full' in 1987. Izhar Ashdot then remixed Ofra Haza's song, and this remix was released within months of the chart success for 'Paid in full'.

As a result, Ofra Haza reached number 15 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40. Reportedly the song sold three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first so-called 'world music' recordings to cross over to mainstream pop chart success.

My collection: 7" single no. 2115
Found: Record fair, June 11, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Im nin' alu (Played in full mix - English vocal)' / 'Im nin' alu (Yemenite vocal)'

You're the one - Julian Lennon

This is one of those rare occasions where I bought a 7" single because of the B-side. Puck played me 'Sunday morning' back in 1995, and only weeks later I found this single which featured that particular album track on the B-side. Playing the single now, I still think that the A-side is very uninteresting, while the B-side is simply beautiful.

'You're the one' was released as the second single from Julian Lennon's 1989 album 'Mr. Jordan', but it didn't chart at all. Perhaps more people should have heard the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 2532
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'You're the one' / 'Sunday morning'

World at war - Dr. Pop

The Dutch band Dr. Pop is formed in Velp in 1978 by Ans Dijkstra, Bert Meijer, Chris Meurs, Jan de Wit and Ton van Tent. Their self-titled debut album is released in 1980 and is produced by Jaap Eggermont (who would go on to have international success with his 'Stars on 45' project).

The single 'World at war' is released in May 1980 and reaches number 21 in the Dutch Top 40. It's the band's only hit. In 1981 they split up.

My collection: 7" single no. 2407
Found: Record fair, 1994
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'World at war' / 'Titanic'

Suffer the children - Tears for fears

According to Tears for fears' Curt Smith: ''Suffer the children' was the first song we did together when we left The Graduate. It was our very first experimentation with sequencers and drum machines, with a guy called David Lord, who worked with Peter Gabriel and different people down in Bath. So that was actually the first song we did as Tears For Fears.'

The original 7" version of "Suffer The Children" is distinct from the version found on their debut album 'The hurting' by the inclusion of an extra Curt Smith-sung lyric at the beginning of the song.

There are two versions of the single: the original release featured a white sleeve (pictured above). In 1985, following up on the massive success of the band's second album 'Songs from the big chair', the single was reissued in a black sleeve. All this didn't help matters: both releases did not chart anywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 1319
Found: London, October 16, 1990
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Suffer the children' / 'Wino'

My girl - The Temptations

Back in the Eighties, commercials with old Motown hits were all the rage. Everybody remembers Nick Kamen stripping off in the launderette to the sound of Marvin Gaye's 'I heard it through the grapevine'. A Dutch commercial about milk was made to the sound of this song, 'My girl' by the Temptations. When it was re-released as a single, it promptly reached number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.

It has to be said, though, that this single is a re-release in the UK as a result of a compilation album by the Temptations because of their 25th anniversary. And in the UK, this re-release did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1053
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'My girl' / 'Wherever I lay my hat (that's my home)'