Joyride - Roxette

'Hello, you fool, I love you'. It was the message Per Gessle's girlfriend left on his piano - and a chorus was born. 'Joyride' was the first single release from Roxette's 1991 album 'Joyride'. The single topped the charts across Europe (including the Netherlands), Australia, Canada and the United States. In the UK, 'Joyride' peaked at number 4.

The B-side, 'Come back (before you leave)', reappeared on Roxette's next album, 'Tourism'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1437
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 26, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Joyride' / 'Come back (before you leave)'

Change of heart - Cyndi Lauper

'Change of heart' was the second single taken from Cyndi Lauper's second album, 'True colours' (1986). The Bangles sang background vocals on the track. In the US Billboard Hot 100 chart the single reached number 3. In Europe, audience reaction was much less enthousiastic: in the UK singles chart the single stalled at number 67, whereas it didn't chart in the Netherlands at all.

I had to search for quite a long time for this single: when it was released, it didn't appear in Dutch record shops at all. I found a 12" single a few years later, and only in 1991 I found the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1483
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, July 3, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Change of heart' / 'Witness'

Un fait divers et rien de plus - Le Club

Exactly a year ago, I wrote about the 12" single of 'Un fait divers et rien de plus' by Le Club. As I said then, Le Club was a very anonymous group, which according to the credits of the song consisted of André Monet, Jacky Dieme and Olaf Zalcman.

I bought the 7" single eleven years before the 12" single during a record fair the day before I had a holiday in London. It was like the first course in a six course meal: I spent those days in London visiting numerous record shops.

My collection: 7" single no. 1986
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 17, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Un fait divers et rien de plus' / 'Un fait divers et rien de plus (remix)'

The dream - The Nits

In the second half of the Eighties, the Dutch band The Nits was lauded by critics and bought by the audience: a perfect combination.

They won an Edison (the Dutch version of the Grammy's) in 1987 after their album 'In the Dutch mountains'. A year later, they released the mini-album 'Hat'. 'The dream' was the first single taken from the album, which peaked at number 26 in the Dutch Top 40. They won another Edison for this album.

My collection: 7" single no. 723
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 24, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'The dream' / 'The house'

So far away - Dire Straits

'So far away' was released as the first single from Dire Straits' 1985 album 'Brothers in arms'. The single reached number 19 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.

The B-side of this single is 'Walk of life', which was subsequently released as the fourth single from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 908
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'So far away' / 'Walk of life'

If I say yes - Five Star

'If I say yes' was released in 1986 as the fourth single from Five Star's second album 'Silk and steel'. The single reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, but failed to chart in other territories.

The sleeve of this single featured a few photographs taken during the filming of the accompanying music video. Although Five Star never reached the kind of popularity they found in the UK, it was through music videos that I still got to know most of their singles, as music stations were all broadcasting from the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 2174
Found: House of Rhythm, London, September 27, 1994
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'If I say yes' / 'Let me down easy'

Air disaster - Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond was born in London on May 18, 1944. He is one of the more successful songwriters to come out of England during the Sixties and Seventies, and has also enjoyed a long career as a recording artist.

One of his hit singles is the 1974 track 'Air disaster'. It appeared regularly on the radio in the Eighties as a 'golden oldie', which is how I found out about this song. I bought this single at the first opportunity. Perhaps I shouldn't have: in more recent years I have seen this single with a picture sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 307
Found: Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Air disaster' / 'Candle light, sweet candle light'