Sweet nothings - Renée

Renée was originally called René and the Alligators, and only changed names when Anja Nodelijk joined the band. Before they moved into the pop scene, they released a few singles that were true to their rock 'n' roll roots.

'Sweet nothings', released in July 1978, was their first hit single, peaking at number 14 in the Dutch Top 40. The B-side is a firm reminder of the band's previous incarnation.

My collection: 7" single no. 3283
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Sweet nothings' / 'Alligator boogie'

Music - John Miles

John Miles was born as John Errington on April 23, 1949 in Jarrow, Tyne & Wear, England. He started his career in music in the Sixties, as a drummer with Roxy Music and his own band, the John Miles Set. In 1971, he went solo. During the Seventies, he released four albums and 18 singles.

His most successful song was 'Music', a track on his 1976 album 'Rebel'. The track features several 'movements', both classic and rock-oriented. The single reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1976. In the Netherlands, the song was re-released in 1982, reaching number 5 on that occasion.

My collection: 7" single no. 296
Found: Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Music' / 'Putting my new song together'

If you go away - Terry Jacks

Most people know the classic melodramatic song 'Ne me quitte pas', a song written and performed by Jacques Brel in 1959. The English lyrics were written by Rod McKuen as part of a project to translate Brel's work. Entitled 'If you go away', it has become a pop standard, recorded by artists like Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Marc Almond, Emiliana Torrini, Alison Moyet, Dusty Springfield and Cyndi Lauper.

This version by Canadian musician Terry Jacks was released in 1974. It reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 890
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'If you go away' / 'Me and you'

Do it for love - Sheena Easton

Most people assume that Sheena Easton's career basically consisted of two main periods: working in Europe and working with Prince in America. The truth, of course, is more complicated than that. Easton collaborated with Prince on her 1984 album 'A private heaven' and in 1987 on his track 'U got the look', but in 1985, she released the album 'Do you', which was produced by another musical legend, Nile Rodgers.

It's easy to understand why this album was overlooked, as it was only successful in America. In Europe, the album and this single 'Do it for love' was a flop.

My collection: 7" single no. 1765
Found: London, October 20, 1992
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Do it for love' / 'Can't wait till tomorrow'

Live like kings - Clouseau

The Belgian band Clouseau released two albums in English. Whereas their first, 'Close encounters' (1991), mainly consisted of translations of their songs in Dutch, the second one, 'In every small town' (1993) featured only original material, and was recorded in Los Angeles.

'Live like kings' was the first single lifted from the album. I bought the cd-single immediately after the release, because I thought it was a very pretty rock song. A year later, I found a 7" single - these things hardly ever turned up in record shops anymore. The single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2069
Found: Record fair, February 19, 1994
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Live like kings' / 'Every single time'

And the band played on (Down among the dead men) - Flash and the Pan

'And the band played on (Down among the dead men)' was the follow-up to Flash and the Pan's debut single 'Hey St. Peter' and it sounds very similar to that track. In fact, I still have trouble distinguishing the two when I play them sometimes. Both tracks were taken from Flash and the Pan's self-titled debut album, released in 1979.

The lyric of the song was about the sinking of the Titanic. The single reached number 4 in Australia and number 54 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1387
Found: February 22, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'And the band played on (Down among the dead men)' / 'The man who knew the answer'

Crazy little thing called love - Queen

Freddie Mercury composed 'Crazy little thing called love' on the guitar in just five to ten minutes. Other accounts say that he wrote it while lounging in a bubble bath in the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich during one of Queen's extensive Munich recording sessions. He took it to the studio shortly after writing it and presented it to bandmates Roger Taylor and John Deacon. The three of them, with their new producer Mack, recorded it at Musicland Studios in Munich. The entire song was reportedly recorded in less than half an hour (although Mack says it was six hours).

The single was released in October 1979 and reached number 1 in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA. In the UK singles chart, the single reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 1579
Found: Record fair, January 25, 1992
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Crazy little thing called love' / 'We will rock you (live)'