Miss you much - Janet Jackson

'Miss you much' was the first single taken from Janet Jackson's 1989 album 'Rhythm Nation 1814', the follow-up to the exceedingly successful 'Control' album. In the UK, the single was released with a poster sleeve, but it only reached number 22 in the singles chart. In the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, it reached number 1, while in the Dutch Top 40 it got to number 15.

The B-side, 'You need me', is about Jackson's personal feelings about her father, and how the tables are turned, that now he needs her. At the time of its release there were reports that the B-side was the product of Jackson's record labels pressure on her in an attempt to produce a 'Control part 2' album, addressing the rumours in the press regarding her personal life and family. Jackson didn't do this and only produced this one autobiographical track, which is therefore considers to be a collectors' item.

My collection: 7" single no. 999
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Miss you much' / 'You need me'

Do you believe in shame? - Duran Duran

'Do you believe in shame?' was dedicated to three of the band's fallen friends: record producer Alex Sadkin, artist Andy Warhol, and Simon Le Bon's childhood friend David Miles. Le Bon later commented that the song is the first part of a trilogy of songs written as a tribute to Miles, the other songs being 'Ordinary world' and 'Out of my mind'.

The single reached number 30 in the UK singles chart and number 17 in Ireland. It was considerably less successful in the USA, where it peaked at number 72.

My collection: 7" single no. 791
Found: April 15, 1989
Cost: 7 guilders
Tracks: 'Do you believe in shame?' / 'The Krush brothers LSD edit'

Mystify - INXS

Although 'Mystify' was released as the fifth and final single from INXS' 1987 album 'Kick', that version of the single had a different sleeve than this one. I have the impression that this single was released earlier as well.

The song was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence as part of the first sessions for 'Kick'. The single ultimately reached number 5 in Canada, number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 46 in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 836
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 20, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Mystify' / 'Kick'

Africa (Voodoo master) - Rose Laurens

Rose Laurens was born as Rose Podwojny on March 4, 1953. She started her musical career with a role in the French version of the musical 'Les Miserables'. In 1982 she released her debut album 'Déraisonnable', which also featured her most famous hit, 'Africa (Voodoo master)'.

The single reached the top 10 in various European countries and number 1 in Austria, although it did not chart in the Netherlands and the UK. A remix of 'Africa' was released in Germany in 1994, to minimal success.

My collection: 7" single no. 1827
Found: Record palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Africa (Voodoo master)' / 'Broken heart'

Let it be - Beatles

Paul McCartney said he had the idea of 'Let it be' after a dream he had about his mother during the tense period surrounding the sessions for the 'White Album'. McCartney later commented: 'It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing 'Let It Be'.'

The single 'Let it be' showed exactly how the Beatles had progressed since their early days. They had become experienced musicians, who were able to write a classic song like 'Let it be', and at the same time they produced throwaway tracks like 'You know my name', which basically is a piece of improvisations. The single reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the USA and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 454
Found: Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Let it be' / 'You know my name'

Talk of the town - Pretenders

The Pretenders followed up their first big success 'Brass in pocket' with the first single from their second album 'Pretenders II', entitled 'Talk of the town'. The band sounded a bit more cohesive and sophisticated than on their debut album, and frontwoman Chrissie Hynde's vocals had also grown.

The single was rewarded with a number 8 placing in the UK singles chart and a peak position of number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3198
Found: September 30, 2000
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Talk of the town' / 'Cuban slide'

The more you live the more you love - A flock of seagulls

For their synth-heavy music, their strange lyrics, but mostly for their weird hairdos, A Flock of Seagulls have always been identified with the naff side of the decade of the Eighties. I remember seeing the music video for 'The more you live, the more you love' on a daily basis in 1984, and in the end getting quite sick of it. I knew every frame of the video, every note in the song. Of course, later on I wanted to have the single, but I had to search for it for a couple of years.

The single was the first out of three singles taken from the band's third album 'The story of a young heart'. It reached number 17 in the Dutch Top 40, number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 56 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2023
Found: London, October 17, 1993
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The more you live the more you love' / 'Lost control'