Released in March 1960, 'Johnny Rocco' was the first single by Marty Wilde in a long time to peak outside the UK top 10. He'd just married Joyce Baker (in December 1959) and record company executives must have thought they were right when they said that Marty would lose his appeal to teenagers by his new status as a married man. Marty couldn't care less: love was more important to him than fame and he probably already knew that a child was underway: his daughter Kim was born in November 1960.
'Johnny Rocco' was written by Les Vandyke, who would go on to write many hit singles during the Sixties and early Seventies for Adam Faith, Eden Kane, John Leyton and Clodagh Rodgers.
My collection: 7" single no. 5317 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Johnny Rocco' / 'My heart and I'
Decca Records supplied a press information sheet within the sleeve of this single, and so we can read the following: 'Kit is honest enough to admit that 'Dancing in the city' kept her going financially, along with a lot of encouragement and moral support from friends in the business. At times she didn't know what to do. She even thought about going back to teaching in an infants school and playing in pubs at night if it came to it. But, what Kit did learn was to be patient and to recognise the right situation when it happened. It did happen last year when she signed to Decca and teamed up with Mike Thorne, who has also produced Wire, The Shirts, Soft Machine and John Cale. The result is Kit's first single "Uninvited guests" on Decca with her first album in the pipe-line for future release.'
The single was released on January 23, 1981 and didn't chart. The album 'Spirits walking out' was released later that year to similar lack of success...
My collection: 7" single no. 5308 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Uninvited guests' / 'Talk to me'
Paul Young was very successful with his first two albums, 'No parlez' and 'The secret of association'. Sell-out tours and many hit singles followed between 1983 and 1986. This version of 'Everything must change' was a limited edition featuring a free second single. It was a marketing ploy that was very popular at the time.
Released near the end of 1984, it was quite fitting that Paul recorded a Christmas message for his fans to be included on this single. One can wonder whether it was a good idea to put it right in the middle of the instrumental version of 'Everything must change' though.
My collection: 7" single no. 5324 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Everything must change' / 'Give me my freedom' // 'Everything must change', 'Paul's Christmas message' / 'I close my eyes and count to ten (live)'
Clannad wrote the music for the soundtrack of the television series 'Robin Hood', broadcast by the BBC in the mid-Eighties and released on the album 'Legend' by the band. This single was the second one to be taken from that album, featuring the previous single 'Robin (The hooded man)' on the B-side, as well as the very successful theme from another television series, 'Harry's game' from 1982.
Those two songs reached number 42 and number 5 respectively in the UK singles chart, but this single sank without a trace.
My collection: 7" single no. 5303 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Scarlet inside' / 'Robin (the hooded man)', 'Theme from Harry's game'
Between 1971 and 1986, Dusty Springfield had no hits in the American or British charts. That is a long time by any standard. Still, she kept on releasing singles. This single, released in 1985, explains a little about her lack of good fortune. The song is a bit bland and Dusty's voice sounds a little tired - or is that just the production?
Originally recorded in 1981, this single was released in 1985 and coupled with a B-side of that year, written by Jess Bailey, Diane Schnitzer and Dusty herself. The single didn't chart. In 1987, Dusty would return to the spotlights with a little help from the Pet Shop Boys.
My collection: 7" single no. 5300 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Sometimes like butterflies' / 'I wanna control you'
'A million love songs' was the penultimate single from Take That's debut album and was written by lead vocalist Gary Barlow at the age of 15. The single peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song has also been voted by critics and music fans as the greatest ballad of all time. That seems a bit odd, but considering the numbers 2 and 3 were 'Everything I do' by Bryan Adams and 'Always' by Bon Jovi, you can just about figure out the blandness of the general public. So... greatest ballad of all time? Not really. A nice little song nonetheless.
My collection: 7" single no. 5301 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'A million love songs' / 'A million love songs (Lovers mix)'
'Son of a Preacher Man' was recorded by Dusty Springfield in September
1968 as a track on her legendary album 'Dusty in Memphis'. Written by
John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins, the song was originally offered to
Aretha Franklin, but she turned it down. Only after she'd heard
Springfield's version she recorded the song herself. By that time,
however, Springfield's version had already become a hit; thus,
Franklin's version, included on her 1970 album, 'This girl's in love
with you', ended up as a B-side of the single 'Call me' only.
Although
the album 'Dusty in Memphis' was released in stereo, the singles off
the album were remixed and released in mono. This single reached number
10 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 9 in the UK singles
chart. I bought a sleeveless version in 2011 and a year later I found one with a picture sleeve. Sometimes one has to have a better copy of a single.
My collection: 7" single no. 5042 / no. 5319 Found: Kringloop, Haarlem, March 11, 2011 / Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2012 Cost: 0,25 euro / 1 euro Tracks: 'Son of a preacher man' / 'Just a little lovin' (Early in the mornin')'
