Mishandeld, vernederd, verkracht - Annie

I've always had a penchant for the inane and the ridiculous. And this is what drove me to buy this single: 'Mishandeld, vernederd, verkracht' ('Abused, humiliated, raped') by the Dutch singer Annie. Although the single never reached the Dutch Top 40, it has still become some sort of classic, as it reached number 22 in the Flop 100 of all times in 1994, 14 years after its release.

To foreign ears, this song may sound very innocent, but it is the story of a girl who goes out at night and is abused, humiliated and raped - and as a result, scarred for life. Not the most pleasant subject for a popular song. The B-side is downright bizarre: a boy asks his grandfather whether he can have his silver clock, and in the end he gets it. It used to belong to the boy's father, but he is dead now. In the last verse, the boy is buried and the grandfather takes the hourglass home. The lyric is rather mysterious, in that it doesn't explain what is the reason for this sudden death among the clock's owners.

My collection: 7" single no. 3214
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, October 2000
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Mishandeld, vernederd, verkracht' / 'Het zilveren uurwerk'

Then you turn away - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

'Then you turn away' was the third single taken from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's 1991 album 'Sugar tax'. It peaked at number 50 in the UK singles chart.

The B-side is 'Sugar tax', but interestingly it is not included on the album of the same name. The track was not finished in time for the album, and so it was only released as a B-side on this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2355
Found: Marlyn Music, Eastbourne, June 28, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Then you turn away' / 'Sugar tax'

Slave to love - Bryan Ferry

'Slave to love' was the first single taken from Bryan Ferry's 1985 album 'Boys and girls'. Released in April 1985, the single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart and number 36 in the Dutch Top 40. The guitar solo in the middle section features Keith Scott from Bryan Adams's band and the closing guitar solo is by Neil Hubbard.

The song was featured prominently in themovies '9½ Weeks' and 'Bitter Moon', although in the latter it is performed by Danny Wuyts.

My collection: 7" single no. 1807
Found: January 9, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Slave to love' / 'Valentine (instrumental)'

The word girl - Scritti Politti

'The word girl' was released as the fourth single from Scritti Politti's 1985 album 'Cupid & Psyche 85'. It turned out to be the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 6 in the UK singles chart. It also charted in the Netherlands, where it reached number 16 in the Dutch Top 40.

The song has a similar sound to many of the other group's songs, with a reggae rhythm, a smooth R&B-inspired sound with Green Gartside's soulful vocals on top.

My collection: 7" single no. 462
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'The word girl' / 'Flesh & blood'

Give me a break - Renée

Released as a single in 1982, Renée had no success with 'Give me a break', a track from the compilation album 'Sometimes you cry'. The song sounded a lot like previous singles from the band, and presumably the listeners had had enough of the band. Although they continued to perform live for years, they would have no further chart success.

My collection: 7" single no. 1835
Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Give me a break' / 'She's a star'

Piano man - Billy Joel

'Piano man' is a fictionalized retelling of real people Joel met during his days as a piano-lounge singer in Los Angeles, after the failure of his first album, 'Cold spring harbor'. At the time, Joel was trying to get out of a bad deal with the record company Family Productions, so, according to Joel, he was 'hiding out' at the bar, performing under the name Bill Martin while Columbia Records tried to get him out of the deal.

When the song was released as a single in 1975, it gave him his first hit: it peaked at number 25 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1569
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 2, 1992
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Piano man' / 'You're my home'

Serious - Duran Duran

By the time 'Serious' was released as the second single from Duran Duran's 1990 album 'Liberty', interest in the album had already waned. Poor promotion, including a decision not to tour in support of the album, led the single to stall at number 48 in the UK singles chart. This was the band's worst charting single up until then.

Due to the commercial failure of this single, plans for future singles were shelved. The third single in the USA was to have been the rock track 'First impression', while in Europe EMI would have released the album's title track 'Liberty'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2276
Found: April 23, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Serious' / 'Yo bad Azizi'