Just can't get enough - Depeche Mode

'Just can't get enough' was Depeche Mode's third single release, back in September 1981. It was the final single to be written by founder member Vince Clarke, who would leave the band in December 1981. The song was included on the band's first album, 'Speak and spell', which was released a month after the single.

The single reached number 8 on the UK singles chart. It also became the band's first (and biggest) hit in Australia, reaching number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 5220
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Just can't get enough' / 'Any second now'

Prayer for the dying - Seal

The later single 'Kiss from a rose', also from Seal's second album, became a hit after inclusion on the soundtrack of a Batman movie, but this first single, 'Prayer for the dying', went by almost unnoticed.

I was so impressed with the song that I was a bit suspicious of this 12" single featuring remixes of the track. By the early Nineties remixes were rarely an improvement on the original track. But I have to admit that these remixes are pretty good. Daniel Abraham is hardly a well-known remixer, but he really did a good job on this disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 214
Found: Big Company records, London, October 1994
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit Radio edit)' / 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit mix)', 'Prayer for the dying (Divine Spirit instrumental)'

Do it again, a little bit slower - Ricky Wilde

Today Ricky Wilde celebrates his 50th birthday. A good occasion to present one of the singles from his teen years, when he recorded tracks with his father Marty Wilde, under the guidance of record boss Jonathan King.

'Do it again, a little bit slower' was originally recorded in 1967 by Jon & Robin. Several other versions of the song exist, but Ricky recorded his version in 1973. This sleeve comes from the Swedish version of the single; Sweden being the only country where Ricky's singles actually charted despite releases all over Europe. I spotted this copy two weeks ago just in time for this birthday; and I was happy since this is the last Ricky Wilde single I didn't have!

My collection: 7" single no. 5221
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 12 euro
Tracks: 'Do it again, a little bit slower' / 'Love around'

Come back to me - Janet Jackson

When I ordered a copy of this 22 year old 12" single by Janet Jackson, I never in my wildest dreams suspected I would receive a mint copy, still sealed. That's quite rare. It's a consolation for the fact that I searched for the cd-single of this release for years but until now I haven't been able to locate a copy for a reasonable price.

'Come back to me' was released as a single from Janet's 1989 album 'Rhythm nation 1814' and it's one of the most beautiful melodies she has recorded. It's especially nice to hear the instrumental version on this disc. Unfortunately the previously unreleased track 'The skin game part 1' is a bit of a disappointment.

My collection: 12" single no. 598
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Come back to me (7" I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (I'm beggin' you mix)', 'Come back to me (instrumental)' / 'The skin game part 1', 'The skin game part 1 (instrumental)'

Cambodia - Kim Wilde

Hard to believe, but it's 30 years ago today that Kim Wilde's fourth single 'Cambodia' was released. At the time, I was only 11 years old and although I liked the music, I was a few years away from becoming a Kim Wilde 'fan'. There was a lot of good music around at the time, but this song stood out because of the strange lyrics and the music that was so different from the two previous hits by Kim, 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love' ('Water on glass' never got a full release in the Netherlands).

30 years later, 'Cambodia' has become a classic pop song. The song is still played regularly on the radio and it's one out of two songs by Kim that are always recalled by people from my generation - even those who don't listen to much pop at all. I have several copies of this single although I didn't buy the first one - a German pressing - until 1984, when I had found all the other Kim Wilde singles in the previous year. Back in 1981, I didn't buy new singles as they were too expensive....

My collection: 7" single no. 255
Found: Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Cambodia' / 'Watching for shapes'

You to me are everything (The decade remix) - The Real Thing

The Real Thing originally released 'You to me are everything' in 1976. It reached the top of the charts in the UK in July of that year.

In the Eighties, remixes of old hits were all the rage, and so this old number 1 was up for a remix treatment a decade after its original remix. The label mentions that the remix was created by Froggy, Simon Harris & KC, which makes you wonder how three people couldn't come up with anything more original. Still, even this version reached number 5 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5219
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'You to me are everything (The decade remix)' / 'Foot tappin''

Goodbye stranger - Pepsi & Shirlie

Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque (Born 10 December 1958, Paddington, London) and Shirlie Holliman (born 18 April 1962, Watford, Hertfordshire) made a name for themselves as backing vocalists for Wham! In 1986, when Wham! was about to split up, they started recording singles in their own right.

They released their debut single "Heartache", which was produced by Phil Fearon and Tambi Fernando and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Goodbye Stranger", produced by Fernando and Pete Hammond, reached number 9. Subsequent singles and their debut album 'All right now', released later in the year, flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 5218
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Goodbye stranger' / 'Dreaming'