Shake - Andrew Ridgeley

As one half of the duo Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley has been much maligned after he and George Michael went their separate ways. It was often said that he didn't bring much more to the duo than his looks. History has shown that there was more to the story than that - without Andrew, George might never have become the pop star he became.

When you listen to this single, you may understand where all the criticism came from. 'Shake' really isn't a very good song and Andrew's vocals sound too lightweight for what should sound like a rough, tough track. I bought the single out of curiosity, although I did vaguely remember what it sounded like - but the poster sleeve was too nice to resist.

My collection: 7" single no. 6039
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Shake' / 'Hangin''

Un día, un niño - Frida Boccara

One of the most beautiful Eurovision melodies of the Sixties must surely be 'Un jour, un enfant' by Frida Boccara. She was one of four winners in the 1969 edition, together with the Spanish, Dutch and UK entries.

Boccara recorded the beautiful ballad in five languages: the original French version, English, German, Italian - and this Spanish version. It is not easy to find these versions for a reasonable price, so I was happy to snap up this Spanish single for the tiny amount of 1 euro.

My collection: 7" single no. 6037
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Un día, un niño' / 'Bella de dia'

Jane - Perfect Day

In the mid-Eighties, Perfect Day was formed by Mark Jones (vocals), Kevin Howard (guitar), Andy Wood (bass) and Mark Stott (drums). After recording a demo they were picked up by London Records in 1987. They released their debut single 'Jane'  in the summer of 1988. The track was produced by Christopher Neil, with additional production and remix by Ricky Wilde. This is, of course, why I became interested in this particular release.

The single was not a chart success, but the band did manage to get a small fan following quite quickly. A fanclub was even formed before they ever made a chart appearance, which is an interesting feat for any band.

My collection: 7" single no. 6035
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Jane' / 'Preying on my mind'

The way you are - Tears for fears

The single 'The way you are' by Tears for Fears was released as a 'stopgap' between their first and second album. The song was actually recorded for the purpose of releasing a single, something the band looks back on with a certain amount of regret. In 2014, Curt Smith commented: 'We got over it and managed to go on and have more success despite that song. It’s one of those things that we can’t take it back, but we wish we hadn’t done it.'

Personally, I think it's one of the band's more interesting single releases. With all the percussion going on, it's a very amusing track to listen to. Which is why I was glad to find this promotional 7" single. It features the (regular) 'long version' and a (rare) 'short version'. Basically, the short version just fades out half a minute earlier, but still, it's a nice find.

My collection: 7" single no. 6032
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The way you are (short version)' / 'The way you are (long version)'

Sobe, sobe, balao sobe - Manuela Bravo

Maria Manuela de Oliveira Moreira Bravo, (known as Manuela Bravo) was born in Queluz (Sintra) on December 7, 1957. She made her first public apperarence when she was only 5 years old in Cinema Éden. When she was 15 years old, she released her first single with two songs composed by José Cid, 'Nova Geração' and 'Another Time'.

In 1979 Manuela Bravo won the Portuguese national final for Eurovision with the song 'Sobe, sobe, balão sobe' and represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished in 9th place in a field of 19 competitors. When you listen to this single now, the song sounds a bit dated.

My collection: 7" single no.  6031
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Sobe, sobe, balao sobe' / 'Meu tempo novo de viver'

Here today, gone tomorrow - The Duskeys

The Irish family pop group The Duskeys represented Ireland at the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest. Formed after the break-up of Sandy Kelly's (real name Philomena Ellis) touring showband The Fairways, she recruited her sister Barbara Ellis and Welsh cousin Nina Duskey. In 1980, they released their debut single, 'Don't feel like dancing'. In 1981 they competed in the Irish national finals for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Where does that love come from' under the name The Duskey Sisters. They finished in third place.

A year later, they tried again and recruited a male member in the shape of Nina's brother, Dan Duskey. Their song 'Here today gone tomorrow' won the national finals, and so they competed on the Eurovision stage. They ended up in eleventh place. The song was heavily reworked for its single release and became a hit on the Irish charts, reaching number 12.

My collection: 7" single no. 6030
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Here today, gone tomorrow' / 'Here today, gone tomorrow (instrumental)'

Que bueno, que bueno - Conchita Bautista

'Qué bueno, qué bueno!' was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in Spanish by Conchita Bautista. This was Bautista's second appearance on the Eurovision stage, in the 1961 Contest she had performed Spain's very first entry, 'Estando contig', then placing ninth in a field of 16.

In 1965, Bautista came through a very convoluted selection process to win the national finals in the end with 'Qué bueno, qué bueno!'. On the Eurovision stage, the song was performed third on the night. At the close of voting, it had received the dreaded nul points, 0 points, placing 15th (equal last together with Germany, Belgium and Finland) in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6029
Found: Discogs.com, received April 10, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Que bueno, qué bueno!', 'Yenca flamenca' / 'Reina por un dia', 'Tienes duende'