Hang on in there baby - Curiosity

After the lacklustre performance of Curiosity killed the cat's second album 'Getahead', the band was dropped from Mercury Records. However, three years after the release of that single they returned to the UK singles chart as a three piece band on RCA Records, with a cover of Johnny Bristol's 'Hang On In There Baby'.

This single peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart, and it seemed like they were back for good. Unfortunately, subsequent singles, covers of 'I Need Your Lovin'' and 'Gimme the Sunshine', flopped, which resulted in the album Back to Front only being released in Japan and selected overseas markets.

My collection: 7" single no. 5125
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hang on in there baby' / 'Meaning of dreaming'

Angel of the morning - Guys 'n' Dolls

Back in 1979, I got a double LP of the biggest hits of 1978. I was only eight years old and this was a huge addition to my collection of records. I played the album a lot and those tracks of 1978 have all become engrained in my memory. In recent years I have become less interested in LP's and more interested in singles, so it's only logical that I should buy the singles from that LP.

'Angel of the morning' was originally a hit in 1968 for Merrilee Rush. Later versions were recorded by Nina Simone, Juice Newton, P.P. Arnold, Olivia Newton-John, The Pretenders/Chrissie Hynde, Dusty Springfield, Mary Mason, Melba Montgomery, and Billie Davis. Guys 'n' Dolls released their version in November 1977, and had a hit with it at the turn of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 5124
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Angel of the morning' / 'I must go home alone'

Thrill me - Simply Red

Simply Red were at the peak of their career in 1991/1992, after the release of 'Stars', their fourth album. No less than five singles were taken from the album, of which 'Thrill me' was the fourth. The single was less successful than the previous three, but still managed to get to number 33 in the UK singles chart, number 30 in the Irish singles chart and number 59 in Germany.

The B-side featured a remix of 'Thrill me' by Nellee Hooper, wellknown for his remixes of Massive Attack, Seal and Madonna.

My collection: 7" single no. 5123
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Thrill me' / 'Thrill me (Nellee Hooper mix)'

Truly - Lionel Richie

'Truly' is the title of the debut solo single by Lionel Richie, released in 1982. Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.

Released as the first single from his self-titled debut album in 1982, 'Truly' went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks near the end of 1982. In the UK singles chart the single peaked at number 6, while it didn't chart in the Netherlands. The song won a Grammy Award for Richie in the category Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

My collection: 7" single no. 5122
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Truly' / 'Just put some love in your heart'

Blue night - Hot Chocolate

Many people, including myself, are unaware that one of Hot Chocolate's biggest hits, 'You sexy thing', started life as the B-side of another single. And this is it: 'Blue night', released in 1975.

Producer Mickie Most put 'You sexy thing' on the flip-side of this single as he was not convinced that it could be a hit. The song was remixed at a later date by Most, who re-released it as an A-side some months later on his RAK label. The song was a hit and ultimately became the group's most well-known song. Oh, and by the way: 'Blue night' never charted...

My collection: 7" single no. 5127
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Blue night' / 'You sexy thing'

Your greatest shade of blue - The Adventures

The Adventures combined pop/rock with a folk music sound for their third album, 'Trading secrets with the moon'. Released in early 1990, the album failed to capitalise on their earlier success and only appeared briefly on the UK albums chart, stalling at number 64.

The first single from the album was 'Washington Deceased', which failed to chart. This second single, 'Your greatest shade of blue', met the same fate. Strange, because it's quite a beautiful pop song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5126
Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Your greatest shade of blue' / 'Put me together again'

All I have to do is dream - Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal

The Gibb family had their share of misery, but the tale of Andy Gibb is perhaps the most miserable of all. Throughout the Eighties he was battling an addiction to cocaine, and it ended up destroying everything he had achieved. According to a co-star in the musical 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' (in which Andy starred in 1981): 'I hear he spent most of his time in his hotel room in front of the TV. I guess he was frightened and insecure. That's what happens when you're the baby brother of the Bee Gees.'

His romance with Principal ended shortly after an ultimatum from her to decide between her or the drugs; but not before they recorded and released a duet of the Everly Brothers' 'All I have to do is dream', in the summer of 1981. This would be Gibb's last official single, and his last US chart entry, peaking at number 51.

My collection: 7" single no. 5142
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'All I have to do is dream' / 'Good feeling'