'Dis lui toi que je t'aime' was the second single taken from Vanessa Paradis' 1990 album 'Variations sur le même t'aime'. As with more tracks on the album, the song was written by Serge Gainsbourg.
The single reached number 41 in the French singles chart. While this is a relatively low chart placing, the album has consistently been in print in France since its release.
My collection: 7" single no. 4320 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Dis lui toi que je t'aime' / 'Ardoise'
'I can't help it' was written and recorded by Bananarama together with their producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman. The track was included on their fourth studio album 'Wow!' (1987) and released as the third single off the album. The song does not sound very different from other Stock, Aitken and Waterman productions from around that time.
The single reached number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 26 in the Dutch Top 40. The photos on the record sleeve were taken by famous American photographer Herb Ritts. It is the final Bananarama single to feature Siobhan Fahey, who announced her departure shortly after its release.
My collection: 7" single no. 4326 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I can't help it' / 'Ecstacy'
Jennifer Rush was born as Heidi Stern on September 28, 1960 in Queens, New York. She spent most of her childhood in Bavaria, Germany. This is also where she discovered her passion for music. Her debut album 'Heidi Stern' was released in 1979, but it didn't get much attention. She was more successful in the Eighties, when she released her second album 'Jennifer Rush' in 1984. This album contained the track 'The power of love'.
Having spent much of the summer of 1985 outside of the UK top 40, the single suddenly climbed to number 1 in its 17th week in the chart. It became the first single by a female solo artist to sell a million copies in the UK and it remains among the UK's best-selling singles of all time. The song was also a major hit in the rest of Europe. In the Dutch Top 40, the single peaked at number 7. In 1993, the song fell victim to Celine Dion, who butchered it with her awful voice.
My collection: 7" single no. 1119 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 1, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'The power of love' / 'I see a shadow (Not a fantasy)'
The fourth studio album by Marillion, 'Clutching at straws', released in 1987, was a concept album written around the character of Torch, a 29 year old unemployed man who seeks comfort in alcohol to numb himself. Still, he can't forget his failed marriage, a deadbeat father and a lack of commercial success as a singer in a band.
The single 'Sugar mice' wraps up this theme rather nicely, creating a heartfelt and quite dramatic song. The single reached number 22 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 699 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 6, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Sugar mice' / 'Tux on'
'Long live love' was written by Valerie Avon and Harold Spiro and performed by Olivia Newton-John, who represented the United Kingdom during the 1974 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. In a field of 17 contestants, she finished in fourth place. (The Contest was of course won by Abba with 'Waterloo' that year.)
The single subsequently reached number 11 in the UK singles chart. 'Long live love' also became the title track of Olivia's 1974 album.
My collection: 7" single no. 4341 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Long live love' / 'Angel eyes'
Stan Ridgway was born on April 5, 1954. In 1977 he joined the band Wall of Voodoo, until 1983. After a live concert at the US Festival on May 28, 1983 he and two other members left the band.
In 1986, Stan Ridgway released his first solo album, 'The big heat'. The song 'Camouflage' was taken from the album and became a Europe-wide hit. In the UK, 'Camouflage' reached number 4; in the Dutch Top 40 it got to number 14.
My collection: 7" single no. 498 Found: Free Record Shop, 1986 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Camouflage' / 'Salesman'
'It must have been love' was written by Per Gessle and performed by Roxette. It became their third number 1 hit in the USA in 1990, peaking at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and the UK singles chart. The song started its life in 1987 as 'Christmas for the broken hearted', a top 10 hit in Sweden but unreleased in other territories.
In 1990, the song was included in the movie soundtrack for 'Pretty woman'. Gessle has claimed that the two-year-old recording was chosen because Roxette did not have time to compose and record a new song while touring. 'Christmas for the broken hearted' was re-recorded with Marie Fredriksson replacing a single Christmas-referenced line in the song and adding some instrumentation and background vocal overlays to enhance the sound. The producers initially turned down 'It must have been love' but changed their minds after re-editing the film.
My collection: 7" single no. 1247 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 16, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'It must have been love' / 'Paint'
'Dis lui toi que je t'aime' was the second single taken from Vanessa Paradis' 1990 album 'Variations sur le même t'aime'. As with more tracks on the album, the song was written by Serge Gainsbourg.
