Infected - The The

For many years I have procrastinated buying this single by The The. 'Infected' was originally released in a sleeve that was deemed too smutty for the general public, and so it was retracted. Only part of the artwork appeared on the subsequent editions.

When I started frequenting record fairs (25 years ago), I saw the original sleeve many times, but I never bought it. I regret that now, because of course it can't be found anymore. So I finally caved and bought this copy. It's cheap and in great condition. It will do for now, until I do find that other one. Meanwhile, 'Infected' remains a great track, of course. The B-side sounds a bit like a discarded Tears for Fears B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 5931
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Infected' / 'Disturbed'

If - Bread

I don't have a lot of original singles by Bread, although I do like the band. They are simply quite hard to come by if you're not prepared to pay a lot for them. But sometimes I do get lucky. This original release of 'If', one of the band's most sentimental ballads, suddenly turned up in one of the many racks in Leiden's biggest vinyl shop, and of course I took it immediately.

Released in 1971, it was the first of only three hit singles in the Netherlands. It reached number 19 during a chart run of four weeks. In the USA, the single got to number 4, but in the UK it did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5929
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'If' / 'Take comfort'

Belly dance - Amina

Before Amina represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991, she already had a little career of her own. The album 'Yalil' was released in 1989, and featured the single 'Belly dance'. The single was remixed by Paul Oakenfold, who was already a big name in dance circles.

After Eurovision, Amina released one more album in 1992 before disappearing from the scene, only to reappear with another album in 1999. Her success remained limited to France.

My collection: 7" single no. 5928
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Belly dance (Oakenfold edit)' / 'Belly dance'

Always something there to remind me - Naked Eyes

Record companies can be strange, especially when different strategies are employed in different territories. In the UK, EMI released Naked Eyes' 'Always something there to remind me' in a perfectly great picture sleeve featuring a photograph of the band, but somehow EMI in Germany decided to use the same design while omitting the photograph. I thought the difference was weird enough to make me want to have this version as well.

Of course, the songs remain the same, so this is mainly an opportunity for me to repost the tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 5927
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Always something there to remind me' / 'Pit stop'

Dallas - Frank Barber Orchestra

Regular readers of this blog will know that I already posted a version of the 'Dallas' theme two years ago, in a version by the Bobby Patrick Band and the original version by Jerrold Immel. The single here also claims to contain the original version, and despite being quite sure that it wasn't, I was still curious enough to buy this piece.

Sure enough, this single has a decent version of the 'Dallas' theme, but not the original. The B-side features a version of the theme from 'Knots Landing', a 'Dallas' spinoff that I never had the chance to see myself. Perhaps if it is released on DVD someday.

My collection: 7" single no. 5926
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Dallas' / 'Knots Landing'

The two of us - Earth & Fire

Released in April 1983, 'The two of us' was the last single by Earth & Fire to reach the Dutch Top 40. The band had a lot of hits since 1970, but by 1983, their time was up. They only reached number 32 with this single, and not long after this, they broke up.

There was a brief reunion before the end of the decade, with the single French word for love as a result, but that reunion was short-lived. Later on, singer and frontwoman Jerney Kaagman made a career out of being a jury at inane television talent shows like 'Idols'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5925
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'The two of us' / 'Love is to give away'

Built for the future - The Fixx

For many years, the Fixx was the band that gave me Stand or fall and Red skies, two singles that ended up in my collection very quickly. Other releases ended up in here years later, and didn't achieve quite that mythical status.

I did become familiar with their album 'Walkabout' when my sister bought it on CD near the end of the Eighties, and the single Secret separation already ended up in my collection nine years ago. This one, 'Built for the future', followed recently. Arguably, the B-side track, 'Camphor', also from the album, is even better.

My collection: 7" single no. 5924
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Built for the future' / 'Camphor'