Dreaming - Aurora

The British electronic dance music group Aurora formed in 1999 and made it to the charts in the UK that year with the song 'Hear you calling'. After a top 10 hit in 2000 with a cover of the Duran Duran track 'Ordinary world', they recorded their only album, which was released in 2001. 'Dreaming' was the first single lifted from that track, a breezy pop track which was remixed by Love to Infinity, Goldtrix and Stella Browne.

The latter two appear on this promotional 12" single. Strangely, these remixes didn't appear on cd-singles released at the time.

My collection: 12" single no. 577
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Dreaming (Lullaby mix)' / 'Dreaming (Stella Browne dub mix)'

All for you - Janet Jackson

Following on from this one, here's another promotional 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'All for you'. This release comprises two heavyweight vinyl discs, featuring one remix on every side.

With the exception of the original version on side C, the mixes were all created by the remix team of Barry Harris and Chris Cox, a.k.a. Thunderpuss. The club mix on side A also appeared on other releases (including commercial ones) but the two other remixes are quite rare.

My collection: 12" single no. 576
Found: Discogs.com, received August 6, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'All for you (Thunderpuss club mix)' / 'All for you (Thunderdub)' // 'All for you' / 'All for you (Thunderpuss drumapella)'

Holding back the years - Simply Red

Simply Red rose to prominence with this beautiful ballad in 1985. 'Holding back the years' would turn out to be a classic. Taken from their debut album 'Picture book', it launched a career that was ended only last year when front man Mick Hucknall did a farewell tour with Simply Red.

This 12" single features the full length version of 'Holding back the years', as well as a longer version of 'I won't feel bad'. I only bought the 12" single years after its release because my budget didn't stretch that far in 1985. I wanted to have it since the first moment I heard this longer version.

My collection: 12" single no. 124
Found: Record fair, 1992
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Holding back the years [extended]' / 'I won't feel bad [extended]', 'Drowning in my own tears'

Raspberry swirl - Tori Amos

Tori Amos released 'From the choirgirl hotel' in 1998. It was one of her last great albums - subsequent efforts became ever less engaging. The biggest hit from the previous album, 'Boys for pele', was a remix - or should we say a full-on butcher job? - of 'Professional widow'. No wonder that the record company kept releasing remixes of Tori Amos tracks in subsequent years.

This remix of 'Raspberry swirl', one of the many singles from 'Choirgirl', is a nice, if somewhat repetitive, effort. The choice of putting the instrumental version of the remix on the A-side is a bit strange, however.

My collection: 12" single no. 575
Found: unknown, 1998
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Raspberry swirl (Sticky extended instrumental)' / 'Raspberry swirl (Sticky extended vocal mix)'

(I'll never be) Maria Magdalena - Sandra

After leaving the girl group Arabesque, Sandra Ann Lauer teamed up with Michael Cretu. Their first recording was a German version of Alphaville's big hit 'Big in Japan', entitled 'Japan ist weit'. Apparently, only 125 copies of the single were ever sold.

How different it was for the next single: '(I'll never be) Maria Magdalena' became a Europe-wide hit and launched Sandra's solo career in a big way. This 12" single features the album version of the track, which is double the length of the single version.

My collection: 12" single no. 207
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, 1993
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: '(I'll never be) Maria Magdalena' / 'Party games'

Das Blech - Spliff

'Da fliegt mir doch das Blech weg' has become one of my favourite quotes in German, and it's down to this record.

I own the single, of course, but the 12" single is much better with the extended drum solo in the middle. These kind of remixes are exciting because they keep the tension of the original track intact while building on it. And that's a rare thing these days.

My collection: 12" single no. 339
Found: Record fair, 1996
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Das Blech [extended]' / 'Tag für tag'

Since yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade

This 12" single of Strawberry Switchblade's biggest hit 'Since yesterday' features three tracks - and no extended version of the title track as one would expect in 1984.

Oddly enough, an extended version of the track does exist, but I don't know when and where it was originally released. Nonetheless, this disc is interesting for the two B-sides, which are as charming as anything this colourful Scottish duo have released. I.e. very.

My collection: 12" single no. 306
Found: Big Company Records, London, October 1996
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Since yesterday' / 'Sunday morning', 'By the sea'