Endless love - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

Diana Ross and Lionel Richie recorded 'Endless love' for the soundtrack of the movie 'Endless love' starring Brooke Shields. It was also released as a single in 1981. While the movie was a failure, the song became the second biggest-selling single of the year in the USA (second only to 'Physical' by Olivia Newton-John). The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

The song became the biggest-selling single of Ross' career, while it was one of several hits for Richie as the Eighties progressed. Ross recorded a solo version of the song for her first RCA Records album, 'Why do fools fall in love?'. The song was covered by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey in 1994. That version must have been meant for deaf people.

My collection: 7" single no. 4268
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Endless love' / 'Endless love (instrumental)'

99 red balloons - Nena

Having achieved widespread success in Europe and Japan with '99 Luftballons', Nena wanted to try their luck in the rest of the world with an English version of the song. Kevin McAlea wrote this version, titled '99 red balloons', which has a more satirical tone than the original. The English version is not a direct translation of the German but contains a somewhat different set of lyrics.

Nena recorded '99 red balloons' despite their dissatisfaction with the lyrics, which they expressed in numerous magazine interviews in 1984. They felt the English version was not a faithful rendition of the German original. Still, with this song they achieved something few other German bands had achieved at the time: a number one hit in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 4266
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: '99 red balloons' / 'Ich bleib' im Bett'

I hear talk - Bucks Fizz

'I hear talk' was released on December 15, 1984, in the same week when Bucks Fizz were involved in a road accident: their tour bus collided with road works, careened off the road and injured members of the group as well as their entourage. The group were inactive for several months as a result.

Promotion for 'I hear talk' was minimal, although a music video had already been completed. The single reached number 34 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4265
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I hear talk' / 'Pulling me under'

And when the night comes - Jon and Vangelis

'And when the night comes' was released as the second single from Jon & Vangelis' third album 'Private collection'. The single failed to make any chart impact.

It's funny how I never saw this single, while on the record fair on November 21 I found it in three different stalls. Sometimes I think there's a secret vault of old 7" singles where these things come from every once in a while.

My collection: 7" single no. 4264
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'And when the night comes' / 'Song is'

Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood

ZTT Records signed Frankie Goes to Hollywood after producer and co-founder Trevor Horn saw the band play on the TV show The Tube, where they played an early version of 'Relax'. Once the band was signed, ZTT co-founder Paul Morley mapped out the marketing campaign fashioned as a 'strategic assault on pop'. He opted to tackle the biggest possible themes in the band's singles ('sex, war, religion'), of which 'Relax' would be the first, and emphasised the shock impact of Frankie members Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford's open homosexuality in the packaging and music videos.

Horn dominated the recording of 'Relax' in his effort for perfectionism. The band were overawed and intimidated by Horn's reputation, and thus were too nervous to make suggestions. Johnson said in his autobiography, 'Whatever he said we went along with'. When attempts to record with the band proved unsatisfactory, Horn hired former Ian Dury backing band the Blockheads for the sessions. When the results of these sessions didn't sound modern enough, Horn then constructed a more electronic-based version of the song with session musician Andy Richards and with rhythm programming assistance from J. J. Jeczalik of Art of Noise. Horn developed this version of the recording in his West London studio while the band remained in their hometown of Liverpool. Ultimately lead vocalist Johnson was the only band member to perform on the record. Horn completed the recording having spent £70,000 in studio time. As Horn explained years later, 'I was just... Look, 'Relax' had to be a hit.'

My collection: 7" single no. 4263
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Relax' / 'One September Monday'

Take me home - Phil Collins

The song 'Take me home' is not to be taken literally: it's not about a man going home. Phil Collins has explained that the song lyric refers to a patient in a mental institution, and that the song is based on the novel 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest'. The song features Sting, Peter Gabriel and Helen Terry on backing vocals.

The song was released as a single in the UK in July 1985 and in the US in March 1986. It peaked at number 19 in the UK and number 7 in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 4262
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Take me home' / 'We said hello goodbye'

The hardest part - Blondie

While in most of the world 'Union city blue' was released as the second single from Blondie's 1979 album 'Eat to the beat', 'The hardest part' was released in the USA and Canada. The song was written by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein, as most of the band's material.

The single only reached number 84 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 86 in Canada.

My collection: 7" single no. 4261
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The hardest part' / 'Sound asleep'