Where the streets have no name (Can't take my eyes off you) - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys have always been known for their many remixes, even releasing remix compilations called 'Disco' in between albums. Back in 1991, they had several releases of their double A-side single 'Where the streets have no name (Can't take my eyes off you)'/'How can you expect to be taken seriously'.

I found this 12" single for 1 pound in London. While missing the picture sleeve and housed in a standard 'Our Price' sleeve, the disc was interesting enough to warrant me buying it. The three remixes were created by David Morales, one of the better known DJ's circa 1991, when the single was released.

My collection: 12" single no. 212
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1993
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Where the streets have no name (Can't take my eyes off you) (David Morales remix) / 'How can you expect to be taken seriously? (Mo Mo Remix)', 'How can you expect to be taken seriously? (Ragga Zone remix)'

Zo mooi - Frank Boeijen Groep

'Zo mooi' ('So beautiful') was the first single release from the Frank Boeijen Groep's second album. Released in September 1982, it was also the first single from the band that I bought upon its release. I was never much of a fan of Dutch music, but there was something special about this song: it grabs your attention from the first to the last second.

The B-side of this single has become quite a rarity, because it is one of only a handful of tracks that was never released on cd.

My collection: 7" single no. 157
Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Zo mooi' / 'Verrekijker'

You could be mine - Guns n' Roses

Contrary to popular belief, 'You could be mine' was not originally going to be the official theme song of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'. However, the references to Guns N' Roses that were made in the film were so clear and obvious that it was the best business decision to make when director James Cameron decided to recruit the band to perform a song. Arnold Schwarzenegger had the band members over for dinner at his own home to negotiate the deal.

The song appeared during the closing credits of 'Terminator 2' and was heard in the film itself in early scenes with John Connor. The original script called for The Ramones song 'I wanna be sedated' to be played instead. he single reached number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 3 in the UK singles chart. I bought this single at a time when loud music appealed to me a lot. Now the track just bores the hell out of me.

My collection: 7" single no. 1515
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, September 20, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'You could be mine' / 'Civil war'

A song goes out around the world - Egon Egemann

Egon Egemann studied classical violin and Jazz at Graz Music Academy in Austria. He settled in Switzerland following studies in Boston (USA) and founded the Egon Family Orchestra. By the end of 1989 he had decided to start a solo career. In 1990 Egon was selected to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 with the song 'Musik klingt in die Welt hinaus'. The song finished eleventh out of 22 competitors at the Contest.

Egemann returned to Eurovision in 1998, as composer of Switzerland's entry in Birmingham, 'Lass ihn'. Performed by Gunvor it came twenty second (last) with no points.

My collection: 7" single no. 4408
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'A song goes out around the world' / 'Musik klingt in die Welt hinaus'

Don't talk to me about love - Altered Images

This 12" single of Altered Images's most successful single 'Don't talk to me about love' contains an impressive 8 minute 30 seconds version of the track. And I say 'most successful', as it was the only single by the UK band to have almost made it into the Dutch Top 40.

'Don't talk to me about love' is included on a lot of Eighties compilation albums, but this extended version remains a rarity.

My collection: 12" single no. 526
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Don't talk to me about love (extended version)' / 'Last goodbye'

Stage fright - Chic

By 1981, disco was out of style and most bands who were popular during the disco age were struggling. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers were successful as producers - most notably with Diana Ross's 1980 album - but their own band Chic was suffering.

The album 'Take it off' and the only single from that album, 'Stage fright', went by unnoticed by the public. Truth be told, 'Stage fright' is a rather weak track in comparison to Chic's biggest hits. Maybe the bands from the disco age were just not inspired anymore.

My collection: 7" single no. 4562
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, February 4, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Stage fright' / 'So fine'

It's raining men - Weather girls

Martha Wash and Izora Armstead got together in the late Seventies as 'Two tons o' fun', who had three minor hits in America in 1980 and 1981. In 1982 they changed their group name to the Weather Girls, scoring an instant worldwide hit with the song 'It's raining men', selling over 6 million copies worldwide.

The song was originally offered to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Cher and Barbra Streisand, but they all turned it down. After the success in 1983, the song has been covered numerous times by artists such as RuPaul and ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

My collection: 7" single no. 4561
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, February 4, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'It's raining men' / 'It's raining men (longer)'