Amsterdam rock - Little Rockin' Rudo

I didn't really know that Ricky Wilde's debut single 'I Am An Astronaut' was ever covered in the Netherlands, even if Swedish, Norwegian covers and even a Czech cover exist. But as it turns out, there are actually two covers: one from the Alkmaar-based children's choir De Waagzangertjes, released in 1974, and one by Little Rockin' Rudo, released in 1973.

Little Rockin' Rudo was a child star that didn't achieve any sort of fame in the Netherlands. His single 'Amsterdam Rock' would turn out to be his only release, but it is made more interesting by the B-side: 'Ik Ben Een Astronaut'. You guessed it, it's the Dutch version of 'I Am An Astronaut', translated by Jacques Zwart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6331
Found: Discogs.com, received December 3, 2020
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Amsterdam Rock' / 'Ik ben een astronaut'

60's World - Marty Wilde featuring Kim Wilde

2020 was a historic year for Marty Wilde. Not only did he release a new studio album, it also reached the UK albums chart. This made him the first British singer to have a hit in every decade since the 1950's. Earlier this month he was also the first British artist to receive a vaccination against the Covid-19 virus. 

All these feats aside, one would almost forget the most amazing feat of all: releasing a 7" single together with his daughter Kim Wilde for the first time! '60's World' was released at the beginning of December - available only in combination with the vinyl double LP for 'Running Together'. The single features two tracks from the album: '60's World' (the duet with Kim) and 'Rockabilly Dreams', one of the most engaging tracks on the album. The fact that the sleeve was signed by Marty and Kim makes this a true collector's item for anyone who ordered this beauty.

My collection: 7" single no. 6332 
Found: MartyWilde.com website (UK), received December 20, 2020
Tracks: '60's World' / 'Rockabilly Dreams'

Magic - Kylie Minogue

...and so the next entry in this blog is another Kylie single. 'Magic' was released as the second single from her 'Disco' album and it is pressed on orange vinyl. The single version of the track is half a minute shorter than the album version. 

While the album 'Disco' has reached number 1 in the UK albums chart, this single has only reached number 53 in the UK singles chart. In fact, Kylie hasn't had a top 10 hit in the UK since her collaboration with a certain Taio Cruz in 2011. This is odd, because I think she is still one of the most successful female singers in pop history. I guess the singles chart is full of weird stuff these days. But hey, I'm too old to listen to any top 40 anyway. I'd rather listen to this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6330
Found: Townsend Music, received November 14, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Magic' / 'Till you love somebody'

Say something - Kylie Minogue

I haven't bought a lot of singles recently, and that's mostly down to the amount of new albums and box sets that I have added to my collection. I can only spend my budget once - which is also why I had some doubts about buying this single. It was offered online via the official website of Kylie, and while the promise of a red vinyl single was very tempting, the price was just a bit too steep, especially with added postage. But fortunately the next single was waiting in the wings, so buying both of them for the same amount of postage didn't make it as expensive a purchase.

Kylie's new album is called 'Disco' and that is probably the best description of her new tracks. As far as pop tracks go, this is a very decent effort, and if you ask me, certainly more alluring than her previous album which I personally felt to be a little disappointing. Extra points for including an inner sleeve that lists all the credits for each track; a stunning design for a beautiful see-through red vinyl single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6329
Found: Townsend Music, received November 14, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Say something' / 'Say something (acoustic)'

No time to die - Billie Eilish

James Bond fans have not had a good year. Originally planned for April, the 25th Bond movie 'No time to die' was rescheduled to October because of the covid pandemic. And when this pandemic did not seem to come to an end, the movie was rescheduled again, until April next year. My guess is that in March we will hear that 'No time to die' will again be rescheduled. But we'll see.

But there was more to be depressed about. The theme song for the movie was recorded by Billie Eilish. For some, usually younger, people this was something to get excited about, but personally I had hoped for someone better. This song was my first encounter with miss Eilish but my conclusion is that she has definite problems articulating her words. Who remembers the excitement of 'Goldfinger', 'Live and let die', 'A view to a kill' and even 'Skyfall'? Well, listen to this and you will probably feel like locking yourself up in a dark room. Even Hans Zimmer's orchestral arrangement can't save this track. It is an addition to my collection of James Bond theme song singles, but not one I am particularly impressed by. Well, at least the vinyl is a curios shade of marbled grey.

My collection: 7" single no. 6328
Found: HHV, Germany, received October 8, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'No time to die' / 'No time to die (instrumental)'

Radar love - Golden Earring

I haven't got many singles by the Golden Earring because basically I find their music a bit boring. Much like the Rolling Stones, they have been making the same kind of music since they started, and it doesn't really appeal to me. 

However, 'Radar Love' is one of those tracks that has become a classic and when I used to listen to the Top 100 of all times this one was always played somewhere in the last hour of the show. The song was a hit in the USA, which I guess is a feat for a Dutch band. I never bought the single, though, probably because I never came across a good copy. That changed recently, as the single was released for this year's Record Store Day, and so I bumped into this one in a real shop. Yellow vinyl, a limited edition of 2500 copies....? I couldn't resist. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6327
Found: Paagman, Den Haag, October 3, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Radar love (UK single version)' / 'Radar love (Moontan LP version)'

The bell - Mike Oldfield

Although I have followed Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' outings quite closely, this is one 7" single I never knew existed. I did buy all the CD-singles that were released at the time of his 'Tubular Bells II' album, but I only found the Sentinel 7" single in London when it was released. The 7" single for Tattoo was a recent catch, and it was back in May that I also spotted that 'The Bell' was released in this format. But I had to wait for one to become available.

This finally happened last month, and of course I snapped it up. In the absence of record fairs, online sales are all there is, but I am quite happy to pay for postage when an item is on my wish list. I think I have all the 'Tubular Bells II' 7" singles now... which makes me happy.

My collection: 7" single no. 6326
Found: Discogs.com, received September 26, 2018
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'The bell (MC Viv Stanshall)' / 'Sentinel Restructure (Trance mix)'