De do do do de da da da - The Police

According to Sting, The Police's 'De do do do de da da da' is about the attraction people have towards simple songs: 'I was trying to make an intellectual point about how the simple can be so powerful. Why are our favourite songs 'Da doo ron ron' and 'Do wah diddy diddy'? In the song, I tried to address that issue. But everyone said, 'This is bullshit, child's play.' No one listened to the lyrics. Listen to the lyrics. I'm going to remake it again and put more emphasis on what I was talking about.'

The song was actually re-recorded in 1986, when the Police also made a re-recording of 'Don't stand so close to me'. It was dropped from the album 'Every breath you take: the singles', but finally saw a release in 1995 on a re-release of this album.

My collection: 7" single no. 3091
Found: Record Exchange, London, May 12, 1999
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'De do do do de da da da' / 'A sermon'

Judy et Cie - Pierre Rapsat

Pierre Rapsat was born as Pierre Raepsaet on May 28, 1948 in Brussels, Belgium. In 1973, he launched his career in music and became a very successful singer/songwriter in Belgium and other French-speaking countries.

In 1976, Rapsat composed 'Judy et Cie' ('Judy and Co.)'. It was chosen as Belgium's entry for the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest. It was an unusual and atypical song for Eurovision at that time. It finished eighth in a field fo 18 competitors. The single reached number 31 in the Dutch Top 40. Rapsat died on April 20, 2002 in Verviers, Belgium.

My collection: 7" single no. 4428
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 22, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Judy et Cie' / 'Djumbo l'Averick'

Out in the fields - Gary Moore and Phil Lynott

Gary Moore and Phil Lynott were childhood friends before they both became band members with Thin Lizzy. After the band broke up, they both pursued solo careers, but in 1985, they recorded 'Out in the fields' together, a song about the religious turmoil in their native Ireland.

The song is reminiscent of the sound of their band and draws many influences from both artists' wide musical palettes. It performed well critically as well as commercially, reaching number 3 in the Irish Singles Chart and number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also to be the last known recording made by Phil Lynott before his untimely death on 4 January 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 3076
Found: London, May 10, 1999
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Out in the fields' / 'Military man'

Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel

'Goodnight Saigon' is perhaps Billy Joel's best known song, and if nothing else his most epic track. Starting out with chopper sounds and ending with the sound of crickets, a lot is happening in the track that lasts for almost seven minutes.

The lyric of the song depicts the situation and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their military training on Parris Island and in different aspects of Vietnam combat. The track appearing on Joel's 1982 album 'The nylon curtain' and was released as a single in spring 1982. It reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40, number 29 in the UK singles chart and number 56 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 423
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Goodnight Saigon' / 'Where's the orchestra?'

Verjaardagsfeest - Frank Boeijen Groep

Frank Boeijen formed the Frank Boeijen Groep in 1979 with Henk Wanders, Nels Busch and Wil Theunissen. Their debut single 'Transport uit Bangkok' ('Transport from Bangkok') was released in January 1981. The Dutch DJ Frits Spits played an important role in launching the band in the Netherlands: he preferred the B-side 'Verjaardagsfeest' ('Birthday party') and started playing it daily during his radio show.

Although 'Verjaardagsfeest' did not reach the Dutch Top 40, it gave the band some exposure, and somehow it has become one of those songs that most people in the Netherlands remember if they have any pop knowledge at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 668
Found: Den Haag, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Verjaardagsfeest' / 'Transport uit Bangkok'

I'm so sorry - José

'I'm so sorry' is the debut solo single from José Hoebee, one third of the girl trio Luv', that broke up earlier in 1981. Released in December 1981, this single was an unsuccessful start of a solo career that would be more successful the next year with the hit singles 'I will follow him' and 'Secret love'.

This copy of 'I'm so sorry' was made in Germany and features a different sleeve when compared to the Dutch release.

My collection: 7" single no. 144
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I'm so sorry' / 'A reason for fallin' in love'

Popmuzik - M

I have the double groove 12" single of 'Popmuzik', but of course I have the 7" single as well. Although it has to be said, for a long time I only had the 12" single, because I didn't think I would ever play that 7" single very often. It had been a big hit in 1979, peaking at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40, and for a long time I was very sick of this song.

Robin Scott commented about this song: 'I was looking to make a fusion of various styles which somehow would summarize the last 25 years of pop music. It was a deliberate point I was trying to make. Whereas rock and roll had created a generation gap, disco was bringing people together on an enormous scale. That's why I really wanted to make a simple, bland statement, which was, 'All we're talking about basically (is) pop music'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2852
Found: June 21, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Popmuzik' / 'M Factor'