Rage hard - Frankie goes to Hollywood

Frankie goes to Hollywood were confronted with the 'difficult second album syndrome' after the phenomenal success of their debut album 'Welcome to the pleasuredome' and its accompanying singles. They recorded their second album 'Liverpool' in Amsterdam, and released 'Rage hard' as the first single from the album.

The single was released as a limited edition with a popup sleeve. It reached number 4 in the UK singles chart, number 1 in Germany and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2282
Found: London, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Rage hard' / '(Don't lose what's left) Of your little mind'

Miss you - The Rolling Stones

'Miss you' is the only Rolling Stones single in my collection. That's not to say they didn't make any good music: I am certainly looking for one or two more - but that's about it.

The song was mostly written by singer Mick Jagger, although Keith Richards is also credited for the composition. Mick Jagger and Ron Wood insist that the song wasn't conceived as a disco song, while Keith Richards said just the opposite. In any case, it did turn out as a bit of a disco track. The single was released in the summer of 1978 and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 902
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Miss you' / 'Far away eyes'

The meaning of love - Depeche Mode

If a Depeche Mode single would be released these days, it's hard to imagine that the sleeve would look like this one here. 'The meaning of love' was released in 1982 as a single from their second album 'A broken frame'. It's obvious that their much was much more simple and upbeat back then.

'The meaning of love' reached number 12 in the UK singles chart, but was less successful in Germany, where it reached number 64. It did not chart in the Netherlands at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2708
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'The meaning of love' / 'Oberkorn (It's a small town)'

Stand by me - Ben E. King

Benjamin Earl Nelson was born on September 28, 1938. After a music career as a member of the Five Crowns and the Drifters, he went solo in 1960, taking on the stage name Ben E. King. That same year, he wrote 'Stand by me', originally intended for use by the Drifters, but they passed on the chance to record it.

King then recorded the song himself, and released it as a single in 1961. It reached number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This single is a UK re-release from 1987 on the occasion of the track featuring on the movie 'Stand by me'. On this occasion, it reached number 1 in the UK and number 7 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1016
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Stand by me' (Ben E. King) / 'Yakety yak' (The Coasters)

Moments in love - Art of Noise

'Moments in love' was a beautiful electronic track by Art of Noise, released in the spring of 1987. Although it wasn't their biggest hit in the UK, where it peaked at number 51, it did reach number 10 in the Dutch Top 40, making it their biggest hit up to that point - surpassed only when they released 'Kiss' with Tom Jones a few years later.

There are several versions of 'Moments in love', but this single version is by far the most concise.

My collection: 7" single no. 529
Found: Free Record Shop, 1987
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Moments in love' / 'Beatbox diversion 10'

What love can be - Kingdom come

Kingdom Come formed in 1987 after frontman Lenny Wolf's band Stone Fury broke up. He recruited Pittsburgh-based lead guitarist Danny Stag, Louisvillians Rick Steier and James Kottak and Northern Californian Johnny B. Frank on bass. The band's debut album, 'Kingdom Come' was their only international hit. The musical style was very close to the early blues-rock style of Led Zeppelin.

Their second single was the power ballad 'What love can be'. It was a big hit in America, but sold less well in Europe. Still, I picked it up from the radio and played it a lot for a couple of weeks during the summer of 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 650
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, August 25, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'What love can be' / 'The shuffle'

DJ Culture - Pet Shop Boys

'DJ culture' was a new track on the Pet Shop Boys compilation album 'Discography', released in 1991. It was released as a single to promote that compilation. According to the singer Neil Tennant, the lyric of the song was about the insincerity of President George H. W. Bush's speeches at the time of the First Gulf War, utilising Winston Churchill's wartime rhetoric, in a manner similar to how artists sample music from other artists.

When the single was released, it peaked at number 13 on the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1556
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 14, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'DJ Culture' / 'Music for boys'