Nights in white satin - The Moody Blues

The classic 'Nights in white satin' was first featured on the Moody Blues album 'Days of future passed'. Band member Justin Hayward wrote the song at age nineteen in Swindon, and titled the song after a friend gave him a gift of satin bedsheets. The song itself was a tale of a yearning love from afar, which leads many to assume it is a tale of unrequited love endured by Hayward. The track was originally over seven minutes long, but it was edited for the single version, omitting spoken poetry and orchestral passages.

The B-side of this 'Golden Oldies' single is the track 'I'm just a singer in a rock and roll band', a hit single from 1973. The track was written by bassist John Lodge. It is one of John Lodge's signature high-energy rock and roll songs, which lyrically is a rant by Lodge, who was frustrated that many of their fans looked up to them as spiritual leaders in a sense. He is basically disproving that fact, and proclaiming that he is 'just a singer in a rock and roll band.'

My collection: 7" single no. 256
Found: Leiden, 1984
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Nights in white satin' / 'I'm just a singer in a rock and roll band'

Make it happen - Mariah Carey

'Make it happen' was written and produced by Mariah Carey with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of the C+C Music Factory, and recorded for Carey's second album, 'Emotions' (1991). The song is characterized best as a dance/gospel track with uplifting lyrics like 'If you believe in yourself enough and know what you want, you're going to make it happen.'

After Carey's first five U.S. singles had reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, her sixth single 'Can't let go' had peaked at number 2. It was hoped that 'Make it happen' would be a number 1 again, but this time the single got to number 5. It did no better in the UK, where the single stalled at number 17.

My collection: 7" single no. 1623
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Make it happen' / 'Emotions (Special motion edit)'

Shake your body (down to the ground) - The Jacksons

'Shake your body (down to the ground)' was released as a single from the Jacksons' album 'Destiny' in December 1978. The single version was edited down to almost four minutes from the original eight minute album version. The single reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.

Performed during the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in September 2001, it would be the last song performed live by the Jacksons.

My collection: 7" single no. 1576
Found: Record fair, January 25, 1992
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Shake your body (down to the ground)' / 'That's what you get (for being polite)'

Blue emotion - Fiat Lux

Fiat Lux is one of those great unknown synthpop bands from the first half of the Eighties. They had two singles in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, but that was about it for them. I featured their singles on this blog last year, but I'm glad to say that I also own the 12" versions of most of them too.

'Blue emotion' is a particularly good 12" single, as it features extended versions of both the A-side and the B-side. When you listen to 'Blue emotion', you could easily mistake the band for Ultravox, as it's got these creepy synth sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the classic album 'Vienna'.

My collection: 12" single no. 246
Found: 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Blue emotion (extended version)' / 'Sleepless nightmare (extended version)'

Take me down - Clouseau

'Take me down' was written by Kris Wauters from the band Clouseau with Nick Barron. It was released as the second single from their second international album 'In every small town'.

Although I consider this album to be the band's best work, most people did not agree: the single flopped and the album was to be Clouseau's last work in the English language.

My collection: 7" single no. 2070
Found: February 19, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Take me down' / 'Take me down (instrumental)'

Mama - Genesis

'Mama' was written and recorded by Genesis on their 1983 album 'Genesis'. Phil Collins commented at the time: 'Our manager, when he first heard it, thought it was about abortion, the kind of feeling of the foetus saying to the mother 'Please give me a chance, can't you feel my heart, don't take away my last chance'. All those lyrics are in the song but in fact what it is, is just about a young teenager that's got a mother fixation with a prostitute that he's just happened to have met in passing and he has such a strong feeling for her and doesn't understand why she isn't interested in him.'

Most people remember the song for Phil Collins' sinister laugh halfway through. Producer Hugh Padgham revealed that the inspiration for the laugh came from rap music pioneer Grandmaster Flash's song 'The Message'. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 213
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Mama' / 'It's gonna get better'

1999 / Little red corvette - Prince

'1999' was recorded by Prince on his 1982 album of the same name. Prince shares lead vocals on the track with members of his band The Revolution, namely Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones. Originally conceived to be a three-part harmony, it was later decided to separate out the voices that started each verse. It was released as a single in the same year, launching Prince to superstardom along the way.

On New Year's Eve 1999, Prince (his stage name at that time still being an unpronounceable symbol) held a concert entitled 'Rave un2 the year 2000' at his Paisley Park Studios Soundstage, and he later vowed never to play it again. However, in August 2007, as part of his Earth Tour, he reintroduced the song to his set after an absence of eight years.

My collection: 7" single no. 2908
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 1997
Cost: 50p
Tracks: '1999' / 'Little red corvette'