Verjaardagsfeest (live) - Frank Boeijen Groep

In 1989, the Frank Boeijen Groep released a live double cd, featuring 150 minutes of music. It was a recording of several concerts, during which many songs from their ten year career were played in often great arrangements. As an added bonus, the set also contained a handful of new tracks.

The first single from the album was a live version of 'Verjaardagsfeest', the track that put them in the spotlights back in 1981. The single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1293
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, September 21, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Verjaardagsfeest (live)' / 'De prijs (van Jan Arends) (live)'

Megamix:ninety! - Mel and Kim

Mel & Kim was one of the most popular acts in the Stock/Aitken/Waterman stable of artists. While they only released one album and four singles, they were remembered by many as one of the acts to shape the sound of 1987. After the tragic death of Mel Appleby in 1988, Kim Appleby went solo, and Mel & Kim ceased to exist, understandably.

Still, in 1990, Alan Coulthard created a megamix of Mel & Kim's biggest hits. It was released as 'Megamix:ninety!' in Germany. This 12" single offers the full length megamix and an Italo House mix of 'Showing out', the duo's debut hit.

My collection: 12" single no. 364
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1998
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Megamix:ninety!' / 'Showing out (Italo House mix)'

Zeg me dat het niet zo is - Frank Boeijen Groep

Songs about death are usually controversial: either people love them, or they loathe them. 'Zeg me dat het niet zo is' ('Say it isn't so') is one of those songs: the lyrics are quite vague, but the ending leaves nothing to the imagination: 'We doen alsof ze gewoon verder leeft / Zelfs als dat niet zo is' ('We pretend she still lives on / Even if it isn't so').

It gave the Frank Boeijen Groep their first hit in two years, even if it was a minor one: the single reached number 34 in the Dutch Top 40. Since then, it has become one of those Dutch language classics you will always hear on the radio - or during funeral services.

My collection: 7" single no. 1126
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 8, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Zeg me dat het niet zo is' / 'De grote kilte'

Heart over mind - Kim Wilde

Although 'Heart over mind' still sounded a lot like a Rick Nowels & Ellen Shipley composition, 'Heart over mind' was written by four other people. It was the final track to be recorded for Kim Wilde's 1992 album 'Love is', in fact the album had been completed and this song was sent over by Rick Nowels (who had written other tracks on the album) and Wilde decided to record it.

The original album version was edited for the 7" single release. It reached number 34 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1772
Found: London, October 21, 1992
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Heart over mind' / 'I've found a reason'

Love is holy - Kim Wilde

After a brief pause, Kim Wilde started working on her eighth studio album 'Love is' in 1991. Some of the work was done in America, with Belinda Carlisle's main songwriter and producer Rick Nowels. He and Ellen Shipley wrote 'Love is holy', a song he had lying around for a while until Kim heard it and wanted to record it.

Backed with the beautiful 'Birthday song', which Kim wrote for her niece Scarlett, the single was released in April 1992. It met with considerably more success than the singles Kim released in 1990, reaching number 18 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 16 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1637
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 27, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Love is holy' / 'Birthday song'

Een zomer aan het eind van de twintigste eeuw - Frank Boeijen Groep

After having made a handful of albums with pop songs with romantic lyrics, the Frank Boeijen Groep were moving away from this image with their ninth album, 'Een zomer aan het eind van de twintigste eeuw' ('A summer at the end of the twentieth century'). The album featured mostly guitar-based tracks with lyrics about the world instead of lyrics about love and life.

The title track was released as a single on the same day as the release of the album. Most people were not convinced by this new sound and didn't buy the single (although the album still sold well).

My collection: 7" single no. 1084
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, October 21, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Een zomer aan het eind van de twintigste eeuw' / 'De piano van Beethoven'

Sufi - MFO

Mazhar Alanson, Fuat Güner and Özkan Ugur formed MFO in 1984. They represented their homeland Turkey twice during the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1985, they competed with the song 'Didai didai dai', which finished in fourteenth place. They competed again in 1988 with the uplifting song 'Sufi', which finished in fifteenth place. They are still active as a band today, having released more than a dozen albums.

'Sufi' was released as a 12" single in Germany. It featured studio recordings of the original Turkish version of 'Sufi' plus an English translation of the song. The 'long version' is basically a combination of the two with added instrumental breaks.

My collection: 12" single no. 109
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1990
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Sufi (Long version)' / 'Sufi (Original version)', 'Sufi (English version)'