Swingtime - Black

After two years of absence from the music scene, Black returned in 1993, free from his contract with A&M records and owner of a new self-owned company called Nero Schwarz ltd. His comeback album was called 'Are we having fun yet?', taking a stab at his moody, melancholy image. The album was full of quirky sounds and well written pop songs, but unfortunately this music was not picked up by the general public. A concert in Rotterdam at the time was visited by only 60 people. I was one of them, and I also bought all of the cd-singles released from that album.

Little did I know that in Spain a 7" single was released as well. I found out about this some eight years after the fact, when I started corresponding with other Black fans. And I tried for the last decade to find this single. Especially since it contains an otherwise unreleased B-side track. It was on my 'want list' on Discogs.com for two years. And then, suddenly, last Monday morning I found an e-mail from Discogs saying that an item was for sale on my wantlist. I ordered it within minutes. Only five days later, I held a copy of that great sought after item in my hands. Bliss.

My collection: 7" single no. 5295
Found: Discogs.com, received August 10, 2012
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'Swingtime' / 'Quiet side of the road'

For a friend - Communards

In the late Eighties, record companies released as much formats of a single as they could, to sell more copies which meant higher chart placings. In the case of the Communards' impressive 1988 single 'For a friend', the record company opted for a luxurious three disc 12" single set, featuring live tracks from a concert in Paris.

Entitled 'The Communards storm Paris', the set featured twelve tracks, but weirdly enough the single's original B-side, a live version of 'Victims', featured on all three discs. Still, it's a nice item to have and I have searched for it for a couple of years.

My collection: 12" single no. 637 to 639
Found: Discogs.com, received May 10, 2012
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks disc 1: 'For a friend', 'Victims (live)' / 'Don't leave me this way (live)', 'Heavens above (live)'
Tracks disc 2: 'For a friend (remix)', 'You are my world (live)' / 'So cold the night (live)', 'Victims (live)'
Tracks disc 3: 'For a friend (live)', 'Never can say goodbye (live)' / 'Victims (live)', 'Hold on tight (live)'

Lake Tahoe / Among angels - Kate Bush

After a very productive 2011, during which Kate Bush released both the album 'Director's cut' and '50 words for snow', Record Store Day 2012 featured an exclusive 10" vinyl release by Kate. (Incidentally, it was her first vinyl single of recent work since 1993's 'Moments of pleasure'.) Featuring two tracks from the latter album, the 10" picture disc was released in a limited edition of just 2000 copies worldwide.

This spells hell for Kate Bush fans, since record shops participating in Record Store Day in the Netherlands are even more rare than trustworthy right-wing politicians. The official Kate Bush website stepped in and offered copies of the 10" a few weeks after Record Store Day. Again: hell, because the website was stormed by fans and I was clicking my fingers numb, frustrated at the slowness of the site. But after 72 minutes, I finally succeeded to buy my copy. Two weeks later, I hold it in my hands. And indeed, it is a beautiful disc. The tracks may be a bit slow for some, but 'Among angels' is among Kate's most moving songs ever.


My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Katebush.com website, received May 31, 2012
Cost: 15 pounds
Tracks: 'Lake Tahoe' / 'Among angels'

One step ahead - Nik Kershaw

The end of the Eighties was a strange time. Many idols who were very successful in the mid-Eighties were declared 'yesterday's news' and suddenly didn't the charts anymore. One of them was Nik Kershaw, who had been very successful with his first two albums, but the third and fourth one were not so popular.

'One step ahead' was taken from his fourth album 'The works', which left the album charts even before it entered it. Not that the music was bad: personally I think this single is one of his finest tracks. And the remix included on this 12" single is very impressive indeed.

My collection: 12" single no. 356
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, circa 2000
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'One step ahead (Industrial mix)' / 'One step ahead', 'When I grow up'

Julia - Eurythmics

Taken from the soundtrack of the movie '1984', for which Eurythmics provided the soundtrack, 'Julia' was the second single from that album. It couldn't be as successful as the catchy 'Sexcrime (1984)' but personally I find this track much more beautiful.

This 12" single features extended versions of both the A- and B-side of the single. Although 'Julia' is labelled as 'extended', it is actually the album version of the track, and not, like the B-side, a 'real' extended version.

My collection: 12" single no. 153
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1992
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Julia (extended)' / 'Ministry of love (extended)'

Moments of pleasure - Kate Bush

With a still from the movie 'The line, the cross & the curve', EMI Records could have chosen a better picture for the sleeve of this fantastic 12" single. The one they picked was a bit tasteless, especially since 'Moments of pleasure' is such a beautiful, emotional song. The movie retold the fairy tale of the red shoes, featuring a lot of dance scenes because Kate is forced to dance by the shoes she put on.

Anyway, the 12" single - which was the last 12" single by Kate Bush ever released - features a poster sleeve and one exclusive track which was never officially released on CD: the instrumental version of 'Moments of pleasure'. You can hear the orchestra in its full glory, showing how beautifully crafted these melody lines really are.

Truth be told, I have been feeling a bit sad and this song is the perfect soundtrack for such feelings. It's also one of the most beautiful tracks Kate Bush has ever committed to tape.

My collection: 12" single no. 187
Found: HMV, 1993
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Moments of pleasure' / 'Moments of pleasure (instrumental)', 'Home for Christmas'

Everybody's laughing - Phil Fearon and Galaxy

Some 12" singles only appear in my collection because they're cheap. I don't think I would have ever had this one if I'd had to pay more for it than I did back then. 'Everybody's laughing' is a nice pop song, but nothing spectacular.

Still, this 12" single is quite interesting, because it features an extended mix and two instrumental versions. One features Randy Muller (who?) and the other Tom Browne, who had a hit in the early Eighties with 'Funkin' for Jamaica'.

My collection: 12" single no. 273
Found: Spui Records, Den Haag, 1996
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Everybody's laughnig (Sangria mix)' / 'Everybody's laughing (Instrumental featuring Tom Browne)', 'Everybody's laughing (Instrumental featuring Randy Muller)'