Hounds of love - Kate Bush

I've got very strong principles when it comes to my record collection: I never buy a single twice, unless it's from my favourite artists. Kate Bush is one of them, and so when I saw this American pressing of 'Hounds of love', I had to have it. Of course, there's always the small matter of the price: I never bought her Japanese singles because they are way too expensive.

But I happened on this American pressing for a reasonable price, and so I could get my hands on it. Not only the sleeve is different: the B-side is 'Burning bridge', which in Europe was the B-side to 'Cloudbusting'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2864
Found: Record fair, 1995
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Hounds of love' / 'Burning bridge'

On the chart tip EP - Various artists

The British music magazine Record Mirror released an EP with four tracks from various artists from time to time. This, apparently, was the first, released in 1989. It brings together two album tracks from INXS and Black plus an exclusive track from Transvision Vamp and an exclusive remix from Neneh Cherry.

I bought the EP mainly for 'You don't always do what's best for you', a track from Black's then-current album 'Comedy'. Although this is the album version, it fades away 30 seconds earlier and so this is an exclusive edit of the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2032
Found: Sounds Familiar, London, October 19, 1993
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Johnson's Aeroplane' (INXS), 'Child of the age' (Transvision Vamp) / 'Buffalo stance (The There's Nothing Wrong Mix (Sukka Mix II))', 'You don't always do what's best for you' (Black)

Vanavond ga ik uit - Clouseau

'Vanavond ga ik uit' ('I'm going out tonight') was written by famous Belgian singer/songwriter Raymond van 't Groenewoud. He gave the song (together with another song, 'Verlangen' ('Desire')) to Clouseau, who recorded it on their new album 'Doorgaan' ('Going on') in 1992.

Released as the second single from the album, it reached number 26 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 9 in the Belgian singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1650
Found: Melody Maker, May 9, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Vanavond ga ik uit' / 'Er kan nog iemand mee'

Bye bye I love you - Ireen Sheer

Ireen Sheer was born on February 25, 1949 in Basildon, England. Sheer was discovered at the beginning of the Sixties through a talent competition, but still took time to graduate from a bank apprenticeship in spite of her early success. She sang for several pop groups, such as The Family Dogg, before she went solo in 1970. She was marked an official success when 'Goodbye Mama' became a Top 5 hit on the German charts in 1973. After that, she released several records, almost every one going on to become a hit.

In 1974 she represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Bye bye, I love you'. It reached 4th place in a field of 17 competitors. It wouldn't be the last time she appeared in the Contest: she returned in 1978 for Germany and in 1985 for Luxembourg again.

My collection: 7" single no. 4833
Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Bye bye I love you' / 'Tous les grands sentiments'

El - Lucia

Lucia was born as María Isabel Rodríguez Lineros on April 2, 1964 in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. She is best known for representing Spain at the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Él' ('He'). She finished tenth in a field of 18 competitors.

She has also worked as a radio and TV presenter in Seville, and she participated at the reality show contest 'La Granja' (Spanish version of 'The Farm') in 2003.

My collection: 7" single no. 4832
Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'El' / 'Tendras que decidir'

Right night for loving - Kikki

Kikki was born as Ann-Kristin Danielsson on May 10, 1952 in Osby, Sweden. She was adopted and lived on a farm in Älmhult, Småland from the age of five. There, she became the only child in the family while her younger sister was adopted to another place. At 5 years old, Kikki made her first singing performance, singing the Christmas song 'När Jesusbarnet låg en gång' in church. As a child, she sang in the local church choir.

In the Seventies, her career in music started seriously, as part of the bands Nickies and Wizex. In 1982, she joined the band Chips, which represented Sweden duing the Eurovision Song Contest that year. She returned on the Eurovision stage in 1985, with the song 'Bra vibrationer'. This single contains the English version of that song.

My collection: 7" single no. 4831
Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Right night for loving' / 'Love can hurt'

Donne un peu de toi - Mike Brant

Mike Brant was born as Moshe Brand on February 1, 1947 on Cyprus as the son of a Polish mother who survived Auschwitz and married a Polish resistance fighter. Mike didn't start speaking until 6 years of age, and very soon told his family and friends that when he grew up he'd be "a star... or a tramp!" At the age of 11 he joined his school choir.

His career in music started in the early Sixties. He soon became very popular in France. By 1973, he was giving 250 concerts a year, some attended by 6,000 to 10,000 people. This went on for two years. He suffered from depression and loneliness. On November 22, 1974, he attempted suicide, jumping out the window of his manager's hotel room in Geneva. He received fractures but survived. He cut the number of performances and concentrated on another album, 'Dis-lui'. On April 25, 1975, the day this new album was released, Brant leapt to his death from an apartment in Paris.

My collection: 7" single no. 4830
Found: eBay.be, received April 14, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Donne un peu de toi' / 'Essayer de lui mentir' // 'Summertime (Tchop, Tchop)' / 'Malaguena'