Orange Juice formed in the Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. Edwyn Collins formed the Nu-Sonics (named after a cheap brand of guitar) with his school-mate Alan Duncan and was subsequently joined by James Kirk and Steven Daly, who left a band called The Machetes. The band became Orange Juice in 1979. They are best known for the hit 'Rip It Up'.
This limited edition features a colour poster and a free second single. The single was taken from the band's second album, also entitled 'Rip it up', and peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1983, the band's only UK Top 40 hit.
My collection: 7" single no. 5460 Found: Marktplaats.nl, received July 23, 2014. Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Rip it up' / 'Snake charmer' // 'Lovesick (live)' / 'A sad lament'
'Sneaking out the back door' was the second single by Matt Bianco, taken from the band's debut album 'Whose side are you on'. Released in April 1984, this single reached number 44 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in Ireland.
The single is considered a double A-side, since the instrumental 'Matt's Mood' was used a lot on the radio in the Eighties. When you play the track (below), you will almost certainly recognise it.
My collection: 7" single no. 5622
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, August 10, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Sneaking out the back door' / 'Matt's Mood'
'Love fire' is a single taken from Simply Red's second album 'Men & women'. The single was only made in Germany and Spain, although this probably implies a Europe-wide release. However, this did not earn them any chart success.
Only three of the six singles released from 'Men & women' had some substantial (international) chart success, which was surprising in light of the sales of the album. The band's third album 'A new flame' would yield four hit singles and remains their biggest success.
My collection: 7" single no. 5445 Found: unknown Cost: unknown Tracks: 'Love fire' / 'Love fire (dub mix)'
Most people would consider Mory Kante a one hit wonder, as his only hit was 'Yé ké yé ké', released in 1987. Fair enough, I suppose. However, this single is evidence that the man produced some more music. 'Tama' was taken from the same album, and even managed to reach number 44 in the German singles chart.
It is even more stunning to realise that Mory Kante has released more than ten albums during a career that began in 1981. So is this single worth a spin? It is, even if the B-side is a bit wordy.
My collection: 7" single no. 5427 Found: unknown Cost: unknown Tracks: 'Tama' / 'Inch'Allah'
David Soul was best known for his acting, starring as Ken Hutchinson on the American TV series Starsky & Hutch, when he embarked on a singing career. His debut single, 'Don't give up on us' was a smash hit, as was the follow-up, 'Going in with my eyes open', but subsequent releases weren't as successful.
'It sure brings out the love in your eyes' was his last hit in the UK, peaking at number 12. For some reason, the B-side of this single appears in Mono sound only.
My collection: 7" single no. 5466 Found: unknown Cost: unknown Tracks: 'It sure brings out the love in your eyes' / 'A friend of mine'
'Love will tear us apart' was written in August 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar (albeit somewhat minimally). The lyrics reflect the problems in Ian Curtis's marriage to Deborah Curtis, as well as his general frame of mind in the time leading up to his suicide in May 1980.
The song was first released in June 1980 and became the band's first chart hit, reaching number 13 in the UK Singles Chart. The band postponed their US tour after Ian Curtis's death, performed a few short sets as The No-Names, then finally renamed the group as New Order. 'Love Will Tear Us Apart" was re-released in 1983 and reached number 19 on the UK charts.
My collection: 7" single no. 5425 Found: unknown Cost: unknown Tracks: 'Love will tear us apart' / 'These days', 'Love will tear us apart'
'Quédate esta noche' ('Stay this night') was the Spanish entry in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, performed in Spanish by Trigo Limpio, a popular trio in Spain during the Seventies and Eighties, consisting of Amaya Saizar, Iñaki de Pablo and Luis Carlos Gil. During their performance in Eurovision, however, Amaya Saizar was replaced by Patricia Fernández.
The song is a romantic up-tempo number with influences from disco, in which the trio sings 'If perhaps I made a mistake / I want to say I'm sorry'. They go on to sing 'Put away the keys / and put the suitcase back in its place again' and the chorus is a direct invitation to the other part; 'Sleep beside me tonight / Stay beside me tonight / Love me a lot tonight / I'll be yours tonight...' The B-side is a French translation of the song.
My collection: 7" single no. 5606 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, August 10, 2014 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Quedate esta noche' / 'Viens rever'
