Kun olen yksin - Tomi

Tom Jones recorded 'All I can say is goodbye', written by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott, on his 1968 album 'Help yourself'. That track was not released as a single - but it should have been - but other artists have had a go at the song, and Finnish singer Tomi was one of them.

He released 'Kun olen yksin' in 1969. The lyrics were translated by Finnish musician, producer and songwriter Reino Bäckman (1937-1990), who also translated the B-side: a version of 'Through the eyes of love', made famous by Engelbert Humperdinck that same year. When you listen to 'Kun olen yksin', you can almost hear Tom Jones in this version, but I doubt Tom Jones has ever recorded a song in Finnish...

My collection: 7" single n. 6264
Found: Discogs.com, received March 12, 2020
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Kun olen yksin' / 'Toinen tie'

Jezamine - Tommy Körberg

As a fan of Marty Wilde's songwriting, I have made a point of collecting cover versions of his songs whenever I get a chance to buy a copy for a not-too-ridiculous amount. Tommy Körberg's version of 'Jezamine' certainly qualifies as one of the more interesting ones, since it is sung in Swedish; the lyrics were translated by producer, lyricist and lyrics translator Per-Anders Boquist (1931-2014). The musical accompaniment was provided by Lars Samuelson's Orchestra.

And if you think the B-side, 'En som du' sounds familiar, it is the song 'Red red wine', written by Neil Diamond and made famous during the 1980's by UB40.

My collection: 7" single no. 6263
Found: Discogs.com, received March 12, 2020
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Jezamine' / 'En som du'

Burn it up (Mr. DJ) - Risqué

Although I already own a 12" single of Risqué's 'Burn it up (Mr. DJ)', there was still another one worth seeking out. This one is the original 12" single, released in the Netherlands when the single was released. And the remix is created by Dutch remix legend Ben Liebrand.

Fans will have been disappointed by the sleeve of this record, because it doesn't come in the same picture sleeve as the 7" single. But I do know that Risqué fan Jos will be excited by this extended version nonetheless.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received February 28, 2020
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Burn it up (Mr. DJ) [extended]' / 'Burn it up (Mr. DJ) [extended instrumental]'

Someday I'll find you - Shola Ama & Craig Armstrong / I've been to a marvellous party - The Divine Comedy

This single was taken from 'Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward', an album curated by Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys. Profits from the album were donated to the Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust. The single reached number 28 in the UK singles chart.

Both tracks on this single were among the strongest contributions. Shola Ama's take on 'Someday I'll find you' was made more compelling by the Massive Attack-alike instrumentation by Craig Armstrong, and The Divine Comedy contributed a decidedly stomping version of 'I've been to a marvellous party'. You have to wonder what Noël Coward would have thought of these modern interpretations.

My collection: 7" single no. 6262
Found: Discogs.com, received February 27, 2020
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Someday I'll find you' (Shola Ama & Craig Armstrong) / 'I've been to a marvellous party' (The Divine Comedy)

Before - Pet Shop Boys

During the bleak Nineties, the 7" single format was given up by record companies in favour of cd-singles. We all know what happened next: the music industry collapse under the pressure of cd copying and illegal downloading and reinvented itself with the even more worthless digital single, so that most singles aren't even released on a physical format anymore.

So all hail the 7" single. It seems there was a lively industry of so-called 'jukebox singles', so that this single by the Pet Shop Boys, 'Before', released in 1993 as the first single from their album 'Bilingual', was only available as one of those, and not with a pretty picture sleeve. I actually have a few of these 'jukebox singles' by the Pet Shop Boys, and only one is now missing: their cover version of 'Somewhere'. I'm sure it will turn up somewhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 6261
Found: Discogs.com, received February 27, 2020
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Before' / 'The truck driver and his mate'

Be my next ex-girlfriend - La muñeca de sal & Anthony Reynolds

La muñeca de sal is a Spanish band, which formed during the 1990's, releasing their debut album 'Ultra-Realidad' in 1997. Welsh singer Anthony Reynolds joined them on this EP with the appealing title 'Be my next ex-girlfriend', released in 2010.

The pull of this EP was a cover version of Colin Vearncombe a.k.a. Black's 'Wonderful life', but rather surprisingly, it is the weakest track of this three track EP. Probably because the execution of this perfect song is a bit shoddy for my taste. The instrumental 'Luto', however, is beautifully atmospheric and the A-side track, 'Be my next ex-girlfriend', is a solid pop song. Sometimes singles can surprise you.

My collection: 7" single no. 6260
Found: Discogs.com, received February 13, 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Be my next ex-girlfriend' / 'Wonderful life', 'Luto'

Where do I go - Private Lives

I already own quite a few releases by Private Lives, a band from the UK which I discovered back when 'Living in a world (turned upside down)' was a minor hit in the UK and on Dutch pirate radio. Indeed I thought I had all of their singles by now, but I discovered what was probably their debut single recently.

'Where do I go' was released in 1980 on the WEA label, two years before they released their first of many singles on Chrysalis/EMI. It doesn't sound as polished as their later work, but that does give it a certain charm as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 6259
Found: Discogs.com, received February 13, 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Where do I go' / 'On your own'