Manchild - Neneh Cherry

This 12" single was a bit of a gamble: a rap artist who by chance had made a reasonable track, remixed by a triphop band that had made a reasonable track as well. Unfortunately, all this didn't add up: the remixes on this disc are not very interesting at all.

Also, while I thought this 12" was quite rare, it turns out it is offered on discogs.com for less than 5 euros. Sometimes you're less lucky with a gamble than you think.

My collection: 12" single no. 291
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Manchild (Massive attack remix)', 'Manchild (Massive Attack bonus beats)' / 'Manchild (Smith n Mighty remix)', 'Manchild (More bass less vocal style)'

Shouldn't have to be like that - Fra Lippo Lippi

'Shouldn't have to be like that' was Fra Lippo Lippi's international breakthrough single. They had already built up a reputation in Scandinavia as an indie band, but this pop song caused some international interest.

When the single was released, a 12" single quickly followed. In the absence of any remixes, the archive of the indie label which they originally released their music on was plundered: 'Say something' was licensed from Uniton records. It sounds less polished than the other tracks, but it is a very interesting piece of electronic music.

My collection: 12" single no. 78
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Shouldn't have to be like that', 'The distance between us' / 'Say something', 'Shouldn't have to be like that (original version)'

Daddy - Pussycat

Released in the summer of 1979, the Dutch band Pussycat managed to reach number 14 in the Dutch Top 40 with the song 'Daddy'. Like many of their previous hits, the track was written by band member Werner Theunissen.

The seven piece band continued to be successful throughout the second half of the Seventies. As is evidenced on Youtube, many people still feel very positive about the band's Seventies output.

My collection: 7" single no. 4986
Found: Flea market, Leidschendam, January 2, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Daddy' / 'Three steps and then...'

Kiss this one goodbye - Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold released his fourth solo album 'Whirlwind' in 1979. An edited version of the song 'Kiss this one goodbye' was released as a single the following year. The single was unsuccessful, as it didn't make the charts anywhere.

Shortly afterwards, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman asked Andrew Gold to join 10CC, but business conflicts prevented him from doing so. After 10CC folded in 1983, Gold started the duo Wax with Gouldman.

My collection: 7" single no. 4985
Found: Flea market, Leidschendam, January 2, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Kiss this one goodbye' / 'Make up your mind'

My life - Billy Joel

Billy Joel wrote 'My life', released as a single in 1978, in reference to comedian Richard Lewis. He 'closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the west coast, now he gives them a stand up routine in LA'.

The single reached number 22 in the Dutch Top 40, number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 4984
Found: Flea market, Leidschendam, January 2, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'My life', '52nd street'

I'll be your woman - Pussycat

The Dutch band Pussycat had four top 10 hits in the Netherlands in 1976 and 1977 with a few country-tinged songs. The country-influence was still evident in their fifth hit single, 'I'll be your woman', but this time, the single peaked at number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.

'I'll be your woman' was the third single taken from Pussycat's 1977 album 'Souvenirs' and the song was written by band member Werner Theunissen.

My collection: 7" single no. 4983
Found: Flea market, Leidschendam, January 2, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'I'll be your woman' / 'Just a woman'

Der Sommer ging vorüber - Lys Assia

Although the 7" single of Lys Assia's winning Eurovision number 'Refrain' still eludes me, I did find another treasure today: her German version of the 1963 winning song 'Dansevise'. Entitled 'Der Sommer ging vorüber', the song lyric was translated into German by Ralph Siegel, another Eurovision legend.

The B-side is another cover: it's a German translation of the 1963 English contestant 'Say wonderful things to me'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4982
Found: Flea market, Leidschendam, January 2, 2011
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Der Sommer ging vorüber' / 'Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht'