Still loving you - The Scorpions

The German rock band The Scorpions recorded 'Still loving you' in 1984 on their album 'Love at first sting'. It was released as the second single from the album, reaching number 64 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Oddly enough, the single only managed to hit the Dutch Top 40 in 1987, when it reached number 4. On that occasion, the track was taken from the Scorpions compilation album 'Gold ballads'.

The song is considered to be a thinly veiled metaphor for a still divided Eastern & Western Germany. 'Your pride has built a wall so strong that I can't get through, is there really no chance to start once again?' was a clear reference to the Berlin Wall and the despair many Germans felt about their divided homeland.

My collection: 7" single no. 512
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Still loving you' / 'Holiday'

I'll put you together again - Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate followed up one of the biggest hits of their career, 'Every 1's a winner' with the ballad 'I'll put you together again'. The track was written by Don Black and composed by Geoff Stephens. Stephens is one of the most successful composers of the UK, based on the number of weeks which his songs have spent in the UK singles chart.

'I'll put you together again' was released in December 1978 and reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2442
Found: August 26, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'I'll put you together again' / 'West End of Park Lane'

Piece of the action - Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz followed up their Eurovision-winning song 'Making your mind up' with their second single, 'Piece of the action'. The song was written by Andy Hill and included on their self-titled debut album, released later on in 1981.

The single reached number 12 in the UK singles chart. The song was covered by the Bay City Rollers in 1983 as a Japanese-only single release.

My collection: 7" single no. 938
Found: All that music, Leiden, July 7, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Piece of the action' / 'Took it to the limit'

Elisabeth's eyes - Nik Kershaw

'Elisabeth's eyes' was the second and last single to be released from Nik Kershaw's fourth album 'The works'. Unlike the previous single, this one failed to reach the UK singles chart.

After this, Kershaw devoted himself to writing songs for other artists - the most successful track being 'The one and only' which launched Chesney Hawkes' career in 1991, peaking at number 1 in the UK - and only returned with an album called '15 minutes' in 1999, ten years after the release of this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2718
Found: July 20, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Elisabeth's eyes' / 'My friend John'

Dance in the light - Mai Tai

It's interesting how Wikipedia states that Mai Tai didn't release any new work after 1987, whereas I have in my hand the proof that this statement is false. The single 'Dance in the light' was made in 1988. The track was produced by Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma, who were involved in most of Mai Tai's Eighties songs.

'Dance in the light' is mentioned on the Wikipedia page, but as a new track on a 1991 compilation album. Wrong again! But one thing is true: the band did split up and reformed in 2003. Don't trust the online encyclopedia too much.

My collection: 7" single no. 4333
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dance in the light' / 'Wrap me up'

Heart of glass - The Associates

'Heart of glass' began its life in 1975 as a slow reggae track called 'Once I had a love', performed frequently on live tours by the band Blondie. It was recorded on their album 'Parallel lines' in 1978 as a disco-oriented track with producer Mike Chapman. It became one of the band's better known tracks.

The Associates recorded a cover of 'Heart of glass' in 1988, and their version hit number 58 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2679
Found: Record Exchange, London, July 2, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Heart of glass' / 'Her only wish'

Denis - Blondie

'Denis' seemed to be Blondie's debut single when it charted in the Netherlands in 1978, but in reality the band had already been going for some time. In the UK, it was Blondie's second single release, and in America three singles went before this one, including the second single which was 'In the flesh', featured here on the B-side.

The song is a gender-swapping cover of the 1963 hit 'Denise' by Randy & the Rainbows. Blondie's recording of the song contains a verse with partly improvised lyrics in French by vocalist Debbie Harry. Although Chrysalis insisted that the band re-record the song with a grammatically correct French translation, both the band and producer Richard Gottehrer preferred the first take. Eventually this version was released. (The second, re-recorded version had its debut as a bonus track on EMI UK's 1994 re-issue of the album 'Plastic letters'.) The single reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3048
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 23, 1999
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Denis' / 'In the flesh'