Ode to Billy Joe - Torch Song

I mentioned Torch Song once before on this blog, back in November 2008, describing my 12" single of  'Don't look now'. Since then I have found out that a 7" single does exist, because I recently ordered one. But then I went to Velvet Vinyl Outlet yesterday and suddenly found this single: 'Ode to Billy Joe'.

The song was taken from the band's debut album 'Wish thing' as well, and while it isn't the best track off that album, the B-side of this single contains a rather pleasant surprise. 'The Zebra Room' - a non-album track' - can be considered a sort of 'dub mix' of 'Don't look now'. And since that is one of my favourite tracks of the Eighties, this single turned out to be one of my best buys of the day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5848
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ode to Billy Joe' / 'The Zebra Room'

20 fantastic bands - Dazzling All Night Rock Show

Try as you might, you can't find any information anywhere about a band called 'Dazzling All Night Rock Show'. There is every likelihood that it was simply used as a nom de plume by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley who released '20 fantastic bands' as a single on November 23, 1973.

Glamrock was the name of the game, you can easily hear the influences on this song. It isn't that hard to imagine that bands like The Sweet would record a similar kind of song. But they didn't, and this version didn't become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5798
Found: Discogs.com, received March 2017
Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: '20 fantastic bands' / '20 fantastic bands (continued)'

Raindrops - Joey Dell

In 1975, Joey Dell appeared on the pop scene with a single that was produced by Frere Manston - a pseudonym of Marty Wilde. Dell had previously smelled at the music scene in 1962 with a single called 'Let's find out tonight'. This single was a comeback of sorts, although it didn't become a hit.

'Raindrops', the A-side, was written by Manston and Simmons, and takes cues from Buddy Holly in the vocals department. It's a charming little song of a lover who despairs at the disappearance of his partner. The B-side, 'A boy that's growing up' is written by Joey Dell himself, but also produced by Marty Wilde.

My collection: 7" single no. 5788
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Raindrops' / 'A boy that's growing up'

Listen to the man with the golden voice - Time Bandits

During my last visit to Velvet Vinyl Outlet in Leiden I saw a row of 12" singles by the Time Bandits, a Dutch band that was pretty popular in the Eighties. I have some singles by this band, too. I didn't buy them at the time, because my budget wasn't big enough, although they definitely were interesting: none of these 12" remixes have ever been released on cd. (Some actually have been, but that was only a handful.)

After a recent donation I was very tempted to go back and get them - and so I did. Today's visit to the shop was successful within the first few minutes, because I had a stack of 'em before I even moved to the 7" singles department. You can expect a few Time Bandits remixes on this blog in the near future. The first of them is 'Listen to the man with the golden voice', a top 10 hit for the band in 1983.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Listen to the man with the golden voice (extended remixed version)' / 'Words'

New fuzz / I will wait for you - The Hazzah

I'm not one to turn down gifts, which in the case of 7" singles can be tricky. A dear colleague of mine came to me with this single, and although I didn't know the band it was worth checking out. The Hazzah are based in the Netherlands and have already been signed by a record label.

This single was released by the band as a limited edition and features two tracks: the rather loud 'New fuzz' and the more relaxed - and kinda retro - 'I will wait for you'. The latter is my favourite, which is why I decided to present that one here, even if it's the B-side. It will be interesting to see what the guys come up with. With this signed copy in my collection of course I hope they will be huge!

If you like what you hear, check out the band's website and buy the single for yourself!

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: a gift!
Tracks: 'New fuzz' / 'I will wait for you'

Listen to the track

Where's the revolution - Depeche Mode

The record busines has been very effective in eliminating itself in recent years. After the introduction of compact disc - which was a good move - they wiped out vinyl - which was a bad move - then wiped out the cd - bad move - and reintroduced vinyl - good move - but only for certain bands and usually not on the attractive 7" format.

This 'exclusive vinyl' is another baffling move. Given away with the German magazine Musik Express it was not on general sale - even though Depeche Mode have a rather impressive fanbase outside of Germany as well. Obviously those 7" singles now pop up on Ebay and Discogs for inflated prices. The only reason I got this copy is because the sleeve is slightly dented, which resulted in the price going down a bit. Sometimes I really wonder if record companies even want to make money anymore.

'Where's the revolution' is the lead track of Depeche Mode's most recent album 'Spirit', which was announced in the margin of a big press conference for a tour - another weird move. Thankfully the band managed to create a great album again after the rather disappointing 'Delta Machine' from five years ago.

My collection: 7" single no. 5844
Found: Discogs.com, received July 5, 2017
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Where's the revolution' / 'Should be higher (live in Berlin)'

Listen to the track

I love you - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde released quite a few singles during the Seventies, but unfortunately none of them were hits. My quest for all of these singles continues, and it's remarkable how some of them are really expensive whereas others are relatively cheap.

'I love you' was released on September 20, 1974. Written by Marty himself, it's a country-influenced track that seems very subdued compared to the man's earlier work. There's also a stark contrast with the B-side, 'She's a mover', written by Peter Shelley and Marty Wilde, which is more of a glam-rock type of song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received July 1, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'I love you' / 'She's a mover'

Listen to the track