Don't answer me - Alan Parsons Project

In 1984, Alan Parsons Project released their seventh and commercially most successful album 'Ammonia Avenue'. The first single from the album was 'Don't answer me', a track that had a 'wall of sound' production style made famous by Phil Spector.With lead vocals by Eric Woolfson and an animated music video, the track became a big hit all over Europe.

'Don't answer me' reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 58 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3314
Found: March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Don't answer me' / 'You don't believe'

Don't cry for me Argentina - Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad O'Connor released her version of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice song 'Don't cry for me Argentina' as the second single from her album 'Am I not your girl', an album of covers of mostly jazz standard. This particular track came from the musical Evita.

Sinéad O'Connor's version managed to reach number 53 in the UK singles chart, although it failed to chart in most other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 1802
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 19, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't cry for me Argentina' / 'Scarlet ribbons (live)'

Allan (live) - Mylene Farmer

The live version of 'Allan' was the first single taken from Mylene Farmer's first live album, 'En concert' (1989). The song, which originally appeared on Mylene's second album 'Ainsi soit je..', is a tribute to the American poet Edgar Allan Poe. One verse of the song contains the word 'Ligeia' which refers to the name of Poe's fairy tale published in 1837.

'Allan' was only performed during Mylene's 1989 live tour, and has not appeared on subsequent live concerts since then. This single reached number 32 in the French singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2111
Found: Record fair, June 4, 1994
Cost: 8 guilders
Tracks: 'Allan (live)' / 'Psychiatric'

I ran - A flock of seagulls

'I ran' was the third single of A flock of seagulls, taken from their self-titled debut album. The single peaked at number 1 in Australia, number 43 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In an interview, band member Mike Score said that he resents the song, but plays it live because people enjoy it.

My collection: 7" single no. 863
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 2, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I ran' / 'Pick me up'

And the world turns on - Bolland and Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland had become completely independent by the mid-Eighties. Originally performing artists, they started producing in the early eighties and even owned their own recording studio as well.

When they released one of their last singles in 1988, it had also become clear that they might have been in need of some outside advise. 'And the world turns on' is a nice enough song, but the production is so cluttered and the track is so full of sound effects, that there's hardly any song left. No wonder it didn't chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 702
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 17, 1988
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'And the world turns on (European mix)' / 'And the world turns on (USA mix)'

What you're proposing - Status Quo

Status Quo released their album 'Just supposin'' in October 1980. It was produced by the band and John Eden. The album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studio in Dublin. The recording sessions yielded enough tracks for this album and the follow-up, 'Never too late', released just five months later.

'What you're proposing' was the first single release from 'Just supposin'', a dynamic rock track that grooves like a madman. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2931
Found: Record fair, January 17, 1998
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'What you're proposing' / 'AB Blues'

My old piano - Diana Ross

Having had piano lessons between the age of 5 and 20, you would expect that I would have learned to play a mean bit of piano. But when I stopped playing for a year and then tried again, I realised I couldn't read any notes anymore and that the whole thing seemed to just have drifted away. I've never been any good at doing things alone: even in school, the only thing that kept my grades up were the group assignments.

However, I did always have a preference for keyboard-based music. And even a song like Diana Ross's 'My old piano', an ode to the instrument, caught my fancy. Produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic fame, it gave Diana Ross a worldwide hit, peaking at number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 5 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 963
Found: All that music, Leiden, August 10, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'My old piano' / 'Give up'