Ne t'enfuis pas - Kate Bush

I ordered Kate Bush's 1983 single 'Ne t'enfuis pas' some 10 years after its release, as described in this post. However, the disc never arrived in one piece and for years I only had the sleeve. When I wrote about this unlucky adventure a few days ago, I realised suddenly that the age of internet would have made this single readily available. I don't know why I didn't think of this before!

And so, I ordered another copy of this single, again from France, but this time at a much lower price. It's incredible: within days it was delivered - and in one piece, too. Long live the internet.

My collection: 7" single no. 4625
Found: Priceminister.com, received March 6, 2010
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Ne t'enfuis pas' / 'Un baiser d'enfant'

Magazines - Media

Henk Van Der Neut, Richard Emans, Rob Van Zomeren, Robert van der Tol and Robin van Vliet form Media in the mid-Eighties. They are signed by Sony Records in 1985. Dutch magazines like 'Oor' ('Ear') and 'Vinyl' compare their new wave music to the works of The Blue Nile, Talking Heads en Talk Talk.

They release three singles, one of which was this one, 'Magazines'. None of their singles have any commercial success. In 1987 the band breaks up.

My collection: 7" single no. 4624
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Magazines' / 'Down at Eddy's'

Girl I'm gonna miss you - Milli Vanilli

So Milli Vanilli didn't really sing themselves. Their music was produced by Frank Farian and the vocals were apparently performed by studio musicians who were too unattractive to become pop idols. And so Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were put into the limelight.

Partly thanks to their appeal, 'Girl I'm gonna miss you' became a number 1 hit in Australia, Switzerland, USA and the Netherlands. In the UK singles chart, the single reached number 2.

My collection: 7" single no. 4623
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Girl I'm gonna miss you' / 'Can't you feel my love'

Get down tonight - KC and the Sunshine Band

Band member Richard Finch has commented that 'Get down tonight' was inspired by the Gilbert O'Sullivan single 'Get down'. 'That record was really hot back then. And I was like, 'Okay, this guy has a great idea.' He's talking about 'get down'. But I didn't find out until later on he was talking about his dog.'

The single was released in the summer of 1975 and reached number 21 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4622
Found: La La Land, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Get down tonight' / 'You don't know'

Rock the boat - The Hues Corporation

'Rock the boat' was released in 1974 by the Hues Corporation as the second single from their 1973 album 'Freedom for the stallion'. Initially, it appeared as though it would flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco/club favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to number 1 in July 1974. The single also reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 6 in the UK singles chart.

The song features a lead vocal by Fleming Williams, who left the Hues Corporation shortly after the song was recorded. The song also features an important post-Motown performance of James Jamerson, the father of modern bass players.

My collection: 7" single no. 4621
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Rock the boat' / 'All goin' down together'

Nights on Broadway - Bee Gees

Robin Gibb commented about this song: 'This song holds a special place for a variety of factors. One, the start of a long, lasting relationship with producer Arif Mardin. The second, that it enabled the Bee Gees to get back to their R&B/Soul roots, which in the previous years we had neglected, and thirdly, I think it was just a well constructed song! And if I may say so... one to be proud (of)'.

'Nights on Broadway' was recorded in January 1975 and released as a single nine months later, as a single from the Bee Gees album 'Main course'. The single reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4620
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Nights on Broadway' / 'Edge of universe'

Keep on loving you - REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon took its name from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck and fire engine, manufactured by the REO Motor Car Company. (R.E.O. are initials of the company's founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who also founded Oldsmobile, once a division of General Motors.)

The band released their most popular song, 'Keep on loving you' in 1981 as a single from their album 'Hi Infidelity'. It features the lead guitar work of band member Gary Richrath. The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 7 in the UK Singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4619
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, March 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Keep on loving you' / 'Follow my heart'