Heart of stone (Leave me alone) - Maarten Peters

The second single from Maarten Peters' third and most successful album 'White horses in the snow' was the ballad 'Heart of stone (Leave me alone)'. Although the single did not chart, it certainly gave him some exposure, as he played in many television shows at the time.

This single brings together two of the longest tracks on the album, and also the most accomplished ones. Although Maarten Peters' pronunciation and diction is most certainly Dutch, the songs could almost have been made by a British singer/songwriter.

My collection: 7" single no. 1130
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 8, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Heart of stone (Leave me alone)' / 'Prince of darkness'

Here we are - Gloria Estefan

'Here we are' was the third single from the album 'Cuts both ways' by Gloria Estefan. It was one of her successful ballads that followed the fomula of previous ballads and was rewarded with the same amount of commercial success.

The single reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 23 in the UK singles chart and number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1128
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 8, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Here we are' / '1, 2, 3 (live)'

Cry to heaven - Elton John

I hated the song 'Nikita' by Elton John. I thought it was a sentimental piece of drivel with a much too repetitive chorus. This made it hard to like 'Cry to heaven', released a few months later. Still, I did buy the single a few years later, realising that this song actually had an interesting melody.

'Cry to heaven' reached number 12 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 47 in the UK singles chart. It was less successful than 'Nikita', which inexplicably became a top 10 hit almost everywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 656
Found: Leiden, September 23, 1988
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Cry to heaven' / 'Candy by the pound'

I wish it would rain down - Phil Collins

'I wish it would rain down' was released in 1989 as the second single from Phil Collins' album 'But seriously'. Phil Collins commented that it was as close as he had ever gotten at the time to writing a blues song. He asked Eric Clapton to provide the guitar playing throughout the song. As Collins recalls, 'I said 'Eric, have I never asked you to play? Come on, I've got a song right up your street'.

The song was a top ten hit in many countries, including Canada where it topped the chart. In the USA and the Netherlands, the single reached number 3, while peaking at number 7 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1174
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 17, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'I wish it would rain down' / 'Homeless (Another day in paradise - demo)'

Ducks - The Tiptops

From the information I could gather online, the Tiptops were a Belgian group. This single, 'Ducks', was their first release in the summer of 1962. I bought this single in Denmark on the strength of the title: I am not a duckophile for nothing.

This is the kind of music you might hear on radio shows at the time, as background music. It's not been a hit in Europe, although I imagine it could have been a hit in Belgium.

My collection: 7" single no. 3426
Found: Esbjerg, June 17, 2006
Cost: 10 Danish crowns
Tracks: 'Ducks' / 'Little Sally'

Who's that girl - Eurythmics

Not to be confused with the Madonna track that was released four years later, 'Who's that girl' was released by the Eurythmics in 1983. The music video featured Annie Lennox appearing in a male and female version. She appeared as a nightclub singer performing the song and also as a man who is a member of the audience. The video features cameo appearances by Bananarama, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston of Bucks Fizz, Kiki Dee, Hazel O'Connor, Kate Garner of Haysi Fantayzee, Thereza Bazar of Dollar and Marilyn. In the end of the clip, the female-Lennox is shown kissing the male-Lennox.

The single reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, number 21 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 28 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 208
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Who's that girl?' / 'You take some lentils... and you take some rice'

How am I supposed to live without you - Michael Bolton

'How am I supposed to live without you' was originally recorded in 1983 by Laura Branigan. The song was written by Michael Bolton. He wrote several songs for various artists, during a gap of seven years in which he didn't release records of his own. His first two albums, 'Michael Bolton' (1975) and 'Everyday of my life' (1976) had failed to chart, but after he wrote some hit singles for others, his own career started once more from 1983 onwards.

In 1989, he released the album 'Soul provider', on which he recorded 'How am I supposed to live without you' himself. It turned out to be a good choice: it was his first international hit, peaking at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and the UK singles chart. From then on, he remained popular in various countries for inexplicable reasons: these days I find his voice particularly grating.

My collection: 7" single no. 1262
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 14, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'How am I supposed to live without you' / 'Forever eyes'