Roses are red - Mac Band

Released in 1988, 'Roses are red' is a typical Eighties production, sounding a lot like the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis productions for Janet Jackson. The song was actually produced by L.A. & Babyface. It was the band's only single to reach the UK singles chart, peaking at number 6.

The song was taken from the band's debut album 'The Mac Band featuring the McCampbell Brothers', also released in 1988. They released two further albums, 'Love U 2 the limit' (1990) and 'The real deal' (1991), after which they called it quits.

My collection: 7" single no. 5608
Found: Kringloop Hebbes, Rijswijk, February 7, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Roses are red' / 'Roses are red (instrumental)'

Je vais me marier Marie - Patrick Juvet

Patrick Juvet was born on August 21, 1950 in Montreux, Switzerland. While his early career was focused on making pop records, in the second half of the Seventies he found international success as a disco performer.

Before that, however, he represented his country in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Je vais me marier Marie' ('I'm getting married, Mary'). At the close of voting, it had received 79 points, placing 12th in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5607
Found: Discogs.com, received January 20, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Je vais me marier Marie' / 'Moi j'ai le coeur sauvage'

't Spinnewiel - Saskia en Serge

Saskia & Serge competed in the Eurovision Song Contest once, with the forgettable song Tijd in 1971. However, the year before, they participated in the Dutch national final with this song, ''t Spinnewiel'. They were almost selected, but in the end the Hearts of Soul were chosen with their song 'Waterman'.

While I still have to find a copy of that song, I did manage to get hold of Saskia & Serge's song on this single. Listening to it now, it's hard to imagine that they would stand a chance against 1970's winner, Dana with All kinds of everything.

My collection: 7" single no. 5606
Found: Discogs.com, received January 20, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: ''t Spinnewiel' / 'Dans met me mee'

Vas vas vas - Ofra Haza

Back in 1983, the late Ofra Haza participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with Hi. Readers of this blog will know that I managed to buy the original version and the German version Frei in 2000 and 2011 respectively. I recently managed to add one more version to the collection: 'Vas vas vas', which is the French version.

I have to be honest: I almost didn't buy this single. Through the years I've seen this sleeve so often, that I almost believed I'd already bought it. But usually the price was too high, causing me to leave the single with the various suppliers. This time around, though, I got lucky. And it's a pristine copy too!

My collection: 7" single no. 5605
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 16, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Vas vas vas' / 'Hi'

Je t'aime moi non plus - Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg

It's getting late in the evening, so it's time for the ultimate moan and groan track of all times. 'Je t'aime... moi non plus' is one of those songs almost everyone with a minor interest in pop music knows. It achieved some notoriety because of its extensive inclusion of heavy breathing.

The lyrics are written as a dialogue between two lovers during sex. Phrases include: 'I go and I come between your loins', 'You are the wave, I the naked/deserted island', 'Physical love is a dead end'. Gainsbourg claimed the song was actually an "anti-fuck" song about the desperation and impossibility of physical love. That message somehow got lost a bit, as the single reached number 1 in many countries mostly on the strength of its face value: it sounded very sexual. Well, I hope you will have a good night after listening to this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5601
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 16, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Je t'aime moi non plus' / 'Jane B.'

Imagine - Joan Collins

Okay... So we've had many Dallas actors and actresses singing tracks, such as Audrey Landers, Charlene Tilton, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy and even good old Larry Hagman, so I guess a single by a Dynasty actor or actress was to be expected. But I never imagined it would be the preposterous proposition of Joan Collins reciting the lyric of John Lennon's 'Imagine'!

This single was released in 1982 to promote the album 'The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays The Beatles'. You have to marvel at the sheer strangeness of records sometimes. The B-side is slightly less bizarre, with Roy 'I wish it could be Christmas every day' Wood singing 'Happy Christmas (War is over)'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5602
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 16, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Imagine' (Joan Collins) / 'Happy Christmas (War is over)' (Roy Wood & Honor Hefferman)

L'amour est bleu - Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra

'L'amour est bleu' was the 1967 Eurovision entry by Vicky Leandros, representing Luxembourg that year. She actually won the contest with the song, prompting chart success all over Europe - and a flurry of cover versions.

The most famous cover version is the one by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra, although his version was entirely instrumental. It didn't bother the audiences in Europe, where it became a hit in 1968. Amazingly, his version became the best known version in the United States, where it ranked as the second best sold song of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 5603
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'L'amour est bleu' / 'A banda'