Control - Janet Jackson

Listening to the 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'Control', the title track of her 1986 album, you can't help but notice how dated it all sounds. The big drums, the synthesized music, and even the vocal: here's something at work that needs some more maturity.

'I've got my own life / I wanna make my own decisions', Janet sings in this song. In the decades to come she would do plenty of that. It would lead to many successful albums and singles and some skin-uncovering scandals. But as she says in this song, she was always in control....

My collection: 12" single no. 566
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Control (extended)', 'Control (edit)' / 'Control (dub)', 'Pretty boy'

Rock to the rhythm of love - Beloved

'Rock to the rhythm of love' was a track on the Beloved's 1993 album 'Conscience'. Whereas other singles were released on 7" and cd-single, this one was released on 12" singles only. This copy is a 12" single made in the USA, featuring five mixes of the track.

Two teams worked on the track: The 'South Pacific mix' and the 'Swinging London mix' were made by Adam And Eve, whereas the 'Jungle dub' and the 'MURK ride' were made by Ralph Falcon and Oscar Gaetan.

My collection: 12" single no. 569
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Jungle dub)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Conscience album version)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (The MURK ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Swinging London mix)'

Nasty (Cool summer mix) - Janet Jackson

Following the original 12" single of 'Nasty', A&M records released the 'Cool summer mix' of 'Nasty'. The remix consisted of two parts of roughly eight and ten minutes. If you weren't sick of the track by then, you would be playing it until you were, because it actually is a nice remix.

Part 1 of the remix would appear on 'Control - the remixes', making part 2 quite a rarity.

My collection: 12" single no. 565
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'

Nasty - Janet Jackson

'Nasty' was released as the second single from Janet Jackson's 1986 album 'Control'. There were actually two 12" singles for that release, of which this one was the first. Featuring three remixes, it was a pretty standard package for that point in time: an extended version, an instrumental version and an a capella version made up this disc.

Only the extended version ended up on the album 'Control - the remixes', which was released in 1987.

My collection: 12" single no. 564
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Nasty (extended)' / 'Nasty (instrumental)', 'Nasty (a capella)'

Bright new morning - The Adventures

The beautiful folk-inspired track 'Bright new morning' was lifted from the Adventures' third album 'Trading secrets with the moon' and released as its second single. If there was any justice in the world, this single would have become a massive hit, but like the album it sunk without a trace.

Somehow the band failed to build on the success they'd had with the album 'The sea of love' two years earlier, in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 5190
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Bright new morning' / 'Loves lost town'

Diamonds - Chris Rea

'Diamonds', a single from Chris Rea's 1979 album 'Deltics', sounded a bit crude, not at all like the polished songs he would release during much of the Eighties. Still, it didn't totally put off the record-buying public: the single reached number 44 in the UK singles chart.

One other single was released from the album: 'Raincoat and a rose'. That single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5189
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Diamonds' / 'Cleveland calling'

Kool in the kaftan - B.A. Robertson

Released in February 1980, 'Kool in the kaftan' became B.A. Robertson's third chart hit in the UK. The single reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, but didn't reach the chart in other territories.

The single was released with a 'normal' sleeve and with a gatefold 'popup' sleeve. I bought the latter. The inner sleeve shows a hand with the 'V' sign.

My collection: 7" single no. 5088
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Kool in the kaftan' / 'Baby I'm a bat'