Nasty - Janet Jackson

'Nasty' was written by Janet Jackson after she was confronted with abusive men. She later commented: 'They were emotionally abusive. Sexually threatening. Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What have you done for me lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense. Control meant not only taking care of myself but living in a much less protected world. And doing that meant growing a tough skin. Getting attitude. '

The song became the second single taken from Janet Jackson's 1986 album 'Control'. It reached number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 19 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2470
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 16, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Nasty' / 'You'll never find (a love like mine)'

Sadeness - Enigma

The 1990 single 'Sadeness' was written by Michael Cretu, Frank Peterson and David Fairstein. The lyrics are in Latin and French; the Latin text includes a quotation from Psalm 24:7-8. The gregorian vocals were mostly taken from the 1976 album 'Paschale Mysterium' by Munich choir 'capella antiqua' with conductor Konrad Ruhland, specifically from their track 'Cum angelis + Psalm 24(23)'. Thie samples were first used without permission, and after a lawsuit in 1994 the matter was settled by compensation.

'Sadeness (part 1)' was the debut single of Cretu's music project Enigma, which would continue for two decades and (so far) seven albums. Each one gets more predictable. This first release still sounds fresh, with quite interesting vocals by Cretu's wife, Sandra.

My collection: 7" single no. 1373
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, January 21, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Sadeness (part 1) (radio edit)' / 'Sadeness (part 1) (Meditation mix)'

Under pressure (Rah mix) - Queen and David Bowie

Freddie Mercury was dead and had been dead for eight years, when EMI Records decided they wanted to milk the Queen legacy a little more than they already had. And so the third Greatest Hits compilation came to be in 1999, collecting all the singles from Queen's last three albums, plus a few filler tracks.

One of those filler tracks was a remix of the Eighties hit 'Under pressure', which Queen had recorded with David Bowie. This track was also released as a single, released in time for the Christmas season, which reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. This picture disc 7" is beautiful enough, but it still reeks a bit of opportunism.

My collection: 7" single no. 3180
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 16, 2000
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Under pressure (Rah mix)' / 'Bohemian rhapsody'

Your song - Elton John

Released in January 1972, 'Your song' was Elton John's eighth single release, but his first hit. The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song was part of a stockpile of songs John and Taupin wrote in 1969 while they were living together. John pinpoints his composition of the music to October 27. Supposedly, it took him only ten minutes. Taupin had penned the lyrics earlier that day over breakfast.

The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart, number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 686
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Your song' / 'Into the old man's shoes'

Do you feel my love - Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant was born on March 5, 1948 in Plaisance, Guyana. His parents moved to London when he was a little boy. He joined the Equals in the Sixties, and this band enjoyed their first number 1 hit in 1968 with 'Baby come back'. In 1972, he went solo and set up the first black-owned recording studio in Europe, Coach House, and began recording music on his own record label Ice Records. As a result, he is thought to be the only major recording artist who owns the rights to all his songs.

'Do you feel my love' is a track from his 1980 album 'Can't get enough'. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2816
Found: February 1, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Do you feel my love' / 'Symphony for Michael Opus 2'

It's the first time - Lois Lane

Things seemed to go well for Lois Lane in 1989. With 'It's the first time' they landed their first Dutch top 10 hit: it peaked at number 7 in the Dutch Top 40. A mini album was released, featuring all of their previous singles and some extra tracks, which actually reached the top of the album chart in the summer of 1989.

And then suddenly their record label Polydor decided to drop all Dutch acts. It was back to the drawing board for Lois Lane. They resurfaced a year later with their own record label and the single 'Fortune fairytales'.

My collection: 7" single no. 944
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 17, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'It's the first time' / 'She says: Oh no'

Crazy about her - Rod Stewart

'I'd treat her with respect / Not just a sex object / I ain't that kind of guy'. Many performers could sing this convincingly, but not Rod Stewart. Every time I hear this out of his mouth I have to smile. After all, this is the man who ran around in spandex in the Eighties, singing songs like 'Da ya think I'm sexy' and 'Hot legs'.

'Crazy about her' was taken from Stewart's 1988 album 'Out of order', which was produced by Andy Taylor from Duran Duran and Bernard Edwards of Chic. This single reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It didn't chart in the UK. I guess they didn't believe him either.

My collection: 7" single no. 1131
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 9, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Crazy about her' / 'Dynamite'