The look - Roxette

''Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer'... The first two verses are guide lyrics, words just scribbled down to have something to sing. Couldn't come up with anything better, so we kept them. Everybody gets lucky sometimes...', said Per Gessle, after the 1989 Roxette single 'The look' had become a worldwide hit.

When 'The look' was about to be released in Sweden as the third single from Roxette's second album 'Look sharp!', an American exchange named Dean Cushman returned from Sweden and urged radio station KDWB in Minneapolis to play the song. From there, 'The look' spread on cassette copies to other radio stations. With the song's radio success, EMI quickly released 'The look'. Suddenly, Roxette had a number 1 hit in the USA before the album was even released.

Personally, I didn't like the song at all, but eventually bought it because of the B-side: 'Silver blue' ended up on Roxette's 1992 album 'Tourism'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2602
Found: January 27, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'The look' / 'Silver blue (demo)'

The tracks of my tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

'The tracks of my tears' is one of those classic Motown tunes. Recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1965, it is actually listed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. But is it Rock and Roll? I'd like to consider it soul music.

The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart in 1969, whereas it only reached the Dutch Top 40 when it was re-released in 1987, although on that occasion it still only made number 37.

My collection: 7" single no. 1080
Found: HMV, London, October 19, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The tracks of my tears' / 'I second that emotion'

Damn I wish I was your lover - Sophie B. Hawkins

Sophie B. Hawkins was born on November 1, 1967 in Manhattan, New York City. Her debut album 'Tongues and tails' was released in 1992. Her debut single was 'Damn I wish I was your lover', which became a number 5 hit in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In Europe, the single's succes was more moderate. It reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 32 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1672
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 20, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Damn I wish I was your lover' / 'Don't stop swaying'

Stir it up - Bob Marley and the Wailers

Bob Marley composed 'Stir it up' in 1967. It was first made popular by Johnny Nash in 1972. It was finally released by Bob Marley himself in 1979. This live recording of 'Stir it up' reached the Dutch Top 40 in March1979 and peaked at number 2.

It was Marley's first top 10 hit in the Netherlands. It's interesting to note that his next two hits in the Netherlands also reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 1625
Found: April 18, 1992
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Stir it up' / 'Rat race'

Love to love you - Donna Summer

In the summer of 1975, Summer approached Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte with an idea for a song. She had come up with the lyric 'Love to love you, baby' as the possible title for the song. Moroder in particular was interested in developing the new disco sound, and used Summer's idea to develop the song into an overtly sexual disco track. Summer was initially hesitant to go along with this idea, but eventually agreed on recording a demo so someone else could record the song after that. Moroder was so astounded with Summer's orgasmic vocals and her imaginative moans and groans that he insisted she should release the single herself. Summer reluctantly agreed and the song, titled 'Love to love you', was released to modest success in Europe.

when the song reached American record company executive Neil Bogart, he was so impressed that he requested Moroder to produce a longer version of the track. Moroder, Bellotte and Summer recorded a 17 minute version, renamed it 'Love to love you baby', and had an American number 2 hit before they knew it. Sex sells.

My collection: 7" single no. 2231
Found: January 10, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Love to love you' / 'Need-a-man blues'

Breathing - Kate Bush

I think it's fair to say that 'Breathing' is an early masterpiece by Kate Bush. The lyric is about a foetus, very much aware of what is going on outside the womb and frightened to be born into a world poisoned by nuclear fallout. The lyrics also refer to the foetus absorbing nicotine from the mother's smoking.

The single version is different from the album version, although only the most avid Kate Bush fans can tell the difference: it's a sound missing in the first verse, and an extra drumroll in the musical intermezzo later on in the song. (This single version was released on cd only once, on a compilation to benefit Greenpeace.)

Thanks to these avid fans we also know what is said by the scientist in this song: 'In point of fact it is possible to tell the difference between a small nuclear explosion and a large one by a very simple method. The calling card of a nuclear bomb is the blinding flash that is far more dazzling than any light on earth--brighter even than the sun itself--and it is by the duration of this flash that we are able to determine the size of the weapon. After the flash a fireball can be seen to rise, sucking up under it the debris, dust and living things around the area of the explosion, and as this ascends, it soon becomes recognisable as the familiar "mushroom cloud". As a demonstration of the flash duration test let's try and count the number of seconds for the flash emitted by a very small bomb; then a more substantial, medium-sized bomb; and finally, one of our very powerful,"high-yield" bombs.' It's rather scary.

The sleeve of the single was originally designed to be mostly black, but a white version was made as well, released in France and Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 273 (black) / no. 2050 (white)
Found: Den Haag, 1983 / November 13, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder / 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Breathing' / 'The empty bullring'

Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

'Tusk' was recorded by Fleetwood Mac on their 1979 double album of the same name. It was based in part on a rehearsal riff the band used for sound-checks. 'Tusk' was recorded live at Dodger Stadium (without an audience) in Los Angeles, California in collaboration with the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band. The performance was also filmed for the song's music video.

The single reached number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 718
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 13, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Tusk' / 'Never make me cry'