Hotel California / Desperado - The Eagles

Not one, but two classic songs feature on this 'Old Gold' single from 1985. I bought this single for the A-side track, 'Hotel California', a 1977 hit for the Eagles from their album of the same name. On the surface, the song tells the tale of a weary traveler who becomes trapped in a nightmarish luxury hotel that at first appeared inviting and tempting. The song is an allegory about hedonism and self-destruction in the Southern California music industry of the late Seventies; Don Henley commented: 'It's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about.'

The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40 when it was released in April 1977.

My collection: 7" single no. 552
Found: WH Smith, London, October 1987
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Hotel California' / 'Desperado'

Hey mister heartache - Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde made her return to the limelight with this 1988 single, 'Hey mister heartache', the first single from her sixth album 'Close'. The track was written by Kim with her guitarist Steve Byrd and featured Junior Giscombe on backing vocals.

The single was only a minor hit, reaching number 37 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 31 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" singel no. 605
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, April 23, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Hey mister heartache' / 'Tell me where you are'

Someday (I'm coming back) - Lisa Stansfield

Lisa Stansfield recorded 'Someday (I'm coming back)' for the soundtrack of the very successful movie 'The Bodyguard' starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. The track was released as a single in December 1992, one month after the release of Houston's dreadful theme song 'I will always love you'.

By comparison, Lisa Stansfield's single garnered much less attention from the media and record-buying public. The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 30 in the Dutch Top 40 - a stark contrast to Houston's undeserved number 1 hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 1801
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 11, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Someday (I'm coming back)' / 'Tenderly (live)'

Stay (Faraway, so close!) - U2

Bono and The Edge worked for a long time on 'Stay (Faraway, so close!)', a track that was inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra. They actually made the melody during sessions for U2's album 'Achtung baby', but only completed the song when they heard that Wim Wenders was looking for a song for his new movie 'Faraway, so close!'.

he single's B-side featured the song 'I've got you under my skin', as a duet between Bono and Sinatra, which was originally released on Sinatra's album 'Duets'. (I wonder how many U2 fans were excited about this track...) Released in November 1993, the single reached number number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2062
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, December 24, 1993
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Stay (Faraway, so close!)' / 'I've got you under my skin'

Tragedy and mystery - China Crisis

When China Crisis started work on their second album 'Working with fire and steel', they added Gazza Johnson and Kevin Wilkinson to their line-up. Together with original members Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon they recorded a collection of tracks that included the hit singles 'Hanna Hanna', the title track and 'Tragedy and mystery'.

'Tragedy and mystery' was released as the first single from the album, six months prior to its release. A limited edition was pressed as a picture disc 7" single. While not a hit in Europe, the single reached number 46 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2014
Found: London, October 19, 1993
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Tragedy & mystery' / 'A golden handshake for every daughter'

Let's go all the way - Sly Fox

Sly Fox was formed in 1985 by Gary 'Mudbone' Cooper and Michael Camacho. They were brought together by British producer Ted Currier. Their only album, 'Let's go all the way' was released in 1985, and spawned one hit single of the same name. The song's title was often interpreted as a euphemism for sexual intercourse, though nothing else in the lyrics hinted at this.

When the single was released, it reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 472
Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Let's go all the way' / 'Como tu te llama?'

Violence of summer - Duran Duran

After the compilation album 'Decade', Duran Duran found themselves in a period of less commercial success, with a new album and a new line-up. The first single from the new album 'Liberty' was 'Violence of summer', a simple rock song.

The single was released in July 1990 and managed to reach number 20 in the UK singles chart, while it was unsuccessful in most other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2274
Found: Record fair, April 23, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Violence of summer (Love's taking over)' / 'Violence of summer (Love's taking over) (The story mix)'