The bed's too big without you - Julie Roberts

'The bed's too big without you' was originally written by Sting and recorded by the Police on their 1979 album 'Reggatta de Blanc'. The song was covered in 1981 by Sheila Hylton, who reached number 35 in the UK singles chart with it.

However, this cover version by Julie Roberts was released a year earlier. Not much is known about the artist, all I know is that this one did not become a chart hit. It is a reasonably good cover of the Police track.

My collection: 7" single no. 4142
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The bed's too big without you' / 'Since you've been gone'

School - Supertramp

For some strange reason, the track 'School' from Supertramp's 1974 album 'Crime of the century' was never released as a single. It achieved a cult status in the Netherlands, as it appeared in Radio Veronica's Top 100 of all times every year.

When the Dutch record company Arcade released a compilation album of Supertramp tracks in 1989, they decided to release 'School' as a single. It proved to be a good idea: the single reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. At the time, I only bought the cd-single. Now I've found the 7" single that was released back then as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 4141
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'School' / 'School (live)'

Sunset people - Donna Summer

Donna Summer's 1979 album 'Bad girls' continued to produce successful singles. Donna Summer had fulfilled her contract with Casablanca records with this albums, and while she was moving on with Geffen Records, recording and releasing a new album with them, Casablanca continued to release singles from this album.

'Sunset people' was one of them. It was released in May 1980, and reached number 46 in the UK singles chart. Three months later, Summer would release her first album with Geffen.

My collection: 7" single no. 4140
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Sunset people' / 'Our love'

Dinner with Gershwin - Donna Summer

Brenda Russell wrote 'Dinner with Gershwin', which was recorded in 1987 by Donna Summer. It was the first single from her album 'All systems go', Summer's first album of new material in four years. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 34 in the Dutch Top 40.

Brenda Russell recorded her own version of her song for her 1990 album 'Kiss me with the wind'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4139
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dinner with Gershwin' / 'Dinner with Gershwin (instrumental)'

I'm cryin' - Shanice

'I'm cryin'' was another single from Shanice Wilson's 1991 album 'Inner child'. It's a typical American ballad, produced by Narada Michael Walden, who co-wrote the song with Wilson.

I've never been very impressed with the vocal part of this song, as it lacks emotion and sounds too much like a child trying to sing, but the music had a certain appeal - and because of the instrumental version on this single I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 4138
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I'm cryin'' / 'I'm cryin' (instrumental)'

Si tu aimes ma musique - Stella

'Si tu aimes ma musique' ('If you like my music') was the Belgian entry for the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Stella. The song finished 4th in a field of 18 competitors.

Stella Maessen was born in Zandvoort, the Netherlands on August 6, 1953. She previously competed for the Netherlands in 1970 with her sisters in a group called Hearts of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium in the group Dream Express.

My collection: 7" single no. 4137
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Si tu aimes ma musique' / 'Renegade'

Su canción - Betty Missiego

Beatriz Teresa 'Betty' Missiego was born January 1, 1945 in Lima, Peru. She began her career as a dancer in Peru, but had to stop this career after an injury. In 1969 she moved to Spain to pursue a singing career. She took on Spanish citizenship in 1972.

In 1979, she represented Spain in the 24th Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Su canción'. She ended up in second place, behind Israel's Milk and Honey with the song 'Hallelujah'. The single was (obviously) a hit in Spain, but it was also released elsewhere in Europe. To this day, copies of this single pop up everywhere as it didn't chart in most countries. I finally bought my copy of the single this weekend.

My collection: 7" single no. 4136
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Su canción' / 'Contrastes'