Your mirror - Simply Red

I wouldn't exactly mind if Margaret Thatcher, the former leader of the UK's Conservative Party, would have a very long, painful and unpleasant death bed. I don't often wish for bad things for people, but that sorry excuse for a woman has caused so much grief in her country, that she deserves nothing less than a revengeful payback.

Thankfully, I am not alone in feeling this way: Morrissey once recorded the very pleasant track 'Margaret on the guillotine' (with the repeated line 'When will you die?') and Simply Red recorded 'Your mirror' on their 1992 album 'Stars'. It is an extended critique of the Thatcherite politics. The song criticises the selfishness, individualism and nationalism (including attachment to nuclear weapons) that typified it. The opening verse references Thatcher's famous 'There is no such thing as society' speech. The song suggests these attitudes are inhuman and unnatural by contrasting them with the human instinct towards sharing, and (more fancifully) with the natural environment - the birds singing their 'faithful song' - and a sense of inner beauty. The single reached number 17 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1688
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 1, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Your mirror' / 'Your mirror (live)'

It's over - Level 42

'It's over' was the fourth single release from Level 42's bestselling album 'Running in the family', released in 1987. In contrast to most of their singles, this track was a ballad, with the absence of the trademark thumping bassguitar sound by Mark King. The track was remixed for the single release.

The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1392
Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'It's over' / 'Physical presence (live)'

Zwart wit - Frank Boeijen Groep

The end of Kerwin Duinmeijer's life was not a pretty one: the boy from the Netherlands Antilles was stabbed by a skinhead in Amsterdam, and when he managed to get to a taxi, the driver didn't want to transport him to a hospital because he didn't want any blood on his backseat. It was a death that shocked the Netherlands back in 1983, and it inspired Frank Boeijen to write 'Zwart wit' ('Black and white'), with the immortal line: 'Wie wil er bloed op de achterbank van de werkelijkheid' ('Who wants blood on the backseat of reality').

The song, bizarrely, gave the Frank Boeijen Groep their first top 10 hit. Upon its release in January 1984, it reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. Even now, it is recognised as one of the cornerstones of Dutch pop from the Eighties.

My collection: 7" single no. 225
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Zwart wit' / 'Kamer voor twee'

J'ai volé la vie - Nathalie Paque

Nathalie Paque was born on May 11, 1977 in Liège, Belgium. She was selected to represent France during the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest. Although Sandra Kim's victory for Belgium at the age of 14 was already three years before, some countries were still playing the paedophile card, hoping to score with a cute looking youngster. (Thankfully, or regrettably, these days there's a Junior Song Contest for this kind of thing.)

Since the EBU was prompted by the very young age of Paque to set an age limit in 1990, barring any children from under 16 from the contest, she will always be the youngest participant in the Contest ever: at just 11 years old. She sang 'J'ai volé la vie' ('I've stolen life'), an unremarkable song that finished eighth out of 22 participants.

My collection: 7" single no. 4398
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'J'ai volé la vie' / 'J'ai volé la vie (instrumental)'

Bedshaped - Keane

'Bedshaped' was released as the third single from Keane's debut album 'Hopes and fears' in August 2004. According to Tim Rice-Oxley, the song is 'about feeling that you've been 'left behind' by an old friend or lover, and about hoping that you'll be reunited one day so that you can live out the end of your lives together the way you started them (...) a hope that they'll eventually want to get away from the bright lights and come back home. it's a sad and angry song, but also full of hope. I think I'm right in saying that in hospital when someone is ill and has to spend a lot of time in bed they can become 'bedshaped'. It sounds a bit depressing (...) but in the context of the song I wanted to suggest old age and frailty.'

A 7" vinyl single was released as a numbered limited edition in the UK. My copy is number 249.
'Bedshaped' reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 26 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4569
Found: Discogs.com, received February 19, 2010
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Bedshaped' / 'Something in me was dying'

American life - Madonna

There's always something quite hypocritical about famous stars who complain about their life as a celebrity. Basically what they're saying is: all this fame and fortune, it doesn't come with fulfillment and happiness, and all the downsides really get you down. Madonna went as far as writing a song about it. 'American life' is Madonna's account of her life up to that point, with all these familiar complaints to go with it. Strangely, she didn't pull out of the music business, which would end all her 'troubles'.

This single version edits out all the 'fuck it's that were included in the unedited version. American people still seem to have trouble listening to certain words. The single, meanwhile, reached number 1 in Canada, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland, while peaking at number 37 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 13 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4568
Found: Discogs.com, received February 19, 2010
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'American life (radio edit)' / 'Die another day (Richard Humpty Vission radio edit)'

Gwendolyne - Julio Iglesias

Julio Iglesias was born on September 23, 1943. After studying law in Madrid he was a goalkeeper for the football team of Real Madrid. A car crash in 1963 ended his career in football. It took him three years to recuperate, after which he started a career in music. He won the Benidorm International Song Festival in 1968, which was an important stepping stone to get himself a record deal.

In 1970, he represented Spain during the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Gwendolyne', a beautiful ballad written by Iglesias himself about his first girlfriend, a French girl whom he met at the age of 20. It was his first major international TV appearance. The song finished fourth in a field of 12 competitors. It went on to become his first number 1 single in Spain. Since then, Iglesias has become one of the best selling artists in history.

My collection: 7" single no. 4567
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received February 18, 2010
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Gwendolyne' / 'Bla bla bla'