Smalltown boy - Bronski Beat

The single 'Smalltown boy' was an instant hit upon its release in 1984. Part of this was due to the track, with a driving beat and haunting vocals, but the music video had a lot to do with it as well. It told the story of a boy moving to the big city after having issues with his parents - his father especially. It wouldn't be all too obvious if it weren't for the fact that the lead singer Jimmy Somerville was very vocal in gay rights groups.

'Smalltown boy' reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40 and in Italy, and managed to reach number 3 in the UK top 40. Subsequently, the song has been covered by acts like Rosetta Stone, Indochine, Sharon Corr and the gothic metal band Paradise Lost.

My collection: 7" single no. 4957
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Smalltown boy' / 'Memories'

Just be good to me - S.O.S. Band

The S.O.S Band first found fame in 1980 when they released 'Take your time (Do it right)'. Three years later they joined forces with the new production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who went on to have lots of success with Janet Jackson in the second half of the Eighties.

'Just be good to me' was one of their first production for the band. The single reached number 55 in the US Billboard Hot 100, number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4974
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 3, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Just be good to me' / 'Just be good to me (instrumental)'

A little time - Beautiful South

Kim Wilde has been presenting her radio show 'Secret songs' for two years now, and being a regular listener, this is one of the songs I picked up on recently. It was apparently a number 1 hit in the UK, when it was released as a single from their 1990 album 'Choke'.

The song features lead vocals by Paul Heaton and Irish vocalist Briana Corrigan. It is described as a 'subversive duet'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4975
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 3, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'A little time' / 'In other words I hate you'

Mathema Solfege - Pascalis, Marianna, Robert and Bessy

'Mathema solfege' was only the third contribution of Greece to the Eurovision Song Contest, back in 1977. They started participating in 1974, two decades after the contest started. This song landed the country in the top 10, as the quartet consisting of Pascalis Arvanitidis, Marianna Toli, Robert Williams and Bessy Argyraki managed to get to fifth place.

As the title suggests, the song features a number of musical terms, with the singers expressing their great love of the discipline and their claim that it can serve as a unifying agent in the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 4977
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 3, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Mathema solfege' / 'I love, I love, I love you'

Stay - Hurts

I wasn't the first to discover the band Hurts this year, but when I did, I was glad. They have been described as a modern version of Black and the Blue Nile, and in a way there are - although the most obvious links would have to be the song titles ('Wonderful life' and 'Stay' respectively).

'Stay' was recently released as the third single from their debut album and it's a very nice slice of Eighties pop - although it was recorded more recently than that. As far as I know, this is their first single to be released on 7" vinyl. It includes an exclusive remix of the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 4978
Found: Amazon UK, received December 14, 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Stay' / 'Stay (Groove Armada remix)'

Something in your eyes - Dusty Springfield and Richard Carpenter

Dusty Springfield's collaboration with Richard Carpenter must have seemed a strange move after she gained street credibility with the Pet Shop Boys. The single, taken from Carpenter's album 'Time', his first project since the death of his sister Karen, didn't repeat the success of 'What have I done to deserve this?' when it was released in October 1987. It only managed one week in the UK singles chart, at number 89.

If it was released several years later, when the Carpenters were back in vogue again, it's quite possible that it would have been a bigger hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 4966
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Something in your eyes' / 'Time'

Are you gonna go my way - Lenny Kravitz

I was not impressed when 'Are you gonna go my way' was released in 1993. It was a reasonable chart hit at the time, but the rocky sound of the track put me off. It was at a time when most chart music was putting me off - I'd already moved into more obscure territory.

It was some time later, when I was in the car with Puck - his first car, if I remember correctly - and he played the track, that the ridiculously catchy guitar riff caught my ear. We were headbanging our way to my home, and I suddenly appreciated this track. I only found the 7" vinyl single now, because vinyl singles were already hard to come by at that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 4956
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Are you gonna go my way' / 'My love'