Popcorn - Popcorn Orchestra

This cheap looking sleeve hides the fact that the Popcorn Orchestra is actually French synth god Jean Michel Jarre. At least, that is what more knowledgeable people have told me. No wonder, then, that this single fetches some stunning prices online, especially when it is in pristine condition.

My copy is reasonably good, but the seller already warned that the B-side sounded a bit off. That was no problem: it was, after all, the A-side that I was after. You can tell from this blog that I am a bit of a Popcorn collector, and so the version by Jarre was one I just had to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 6462
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Blackbird'

Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt - Marianne Rosenberg

German singer Marianne Rosenberg released this single in 1980, featuring not just one, but two cover versions in German of contemporary hits. The A-side featured a version of Barbra Streisand's evergreen 'Woman in love', and the B-side a version of the immortal 'The winner takes it all' by Abba. Quite why she thought this would improve those two songs is unknown.

Still, this single became a hit in Germany, reaching number 31 at the turn of the year. And she wasn't the only one to cover 'Woman in love' either: Gitte Haenning released 'Die Frau, die dich liebt' and Mireille Mathieu released 'Une femme amoureuse'. And that was just in 1980. There have also been lots of cover versions of 'The winner takes it all', although most of those were released after 1980.

My collection: 7" single no. 6460
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt' / 'Nur Sieger stehn im Licht'

Walk away - Matt Monro

When Matt Monro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 with 'I love the little things', he was quite impressed with the Austrian entry by Udo Jürgens, 'Warum nur warum?'. He decided to record a cover version, with English lyrics by Don Black. This became 'Walk away', released before the end of the year. It became a hit for him, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart and even number 6 in Australia. Monro would go on to record a cover version of Udo Jürgens' Eurovision winner, 'Merci Chérie', in 1966.

This EP features four tracks by Monro. The two tracks on side one are quite enjoyable, the two on the other side... not so much.

My collection: 7" single no. 6461
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Walk away', 'Around the world' / 'Fools rush in', 'Walk into the dawn'

Dancing queen / Fernando - Abba

This single was released in the GDR, or 'East Germany' as we called it until 1990, when that part of Germany was under communist rule. The state-run label Amiga released singles for the wealthier part of the public - although there were, apparently, also lots of illegal tapes doing the rounds.

I bought this single because it feels a bit like a rarity. It's not really that rare - it is available regularly online - but it's always nice to own a piece of history, and this is it. Amiga released a couple of Abba singles, and this one features two of their biggest hits: 'Dancing queen' and 'Fernando'. Who knows I may find those other Amiga singles someday too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6459
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Fernando'

Hotel California - Eagles

Although I do own 'Hotel California' on one of those re-release singles from the 'Old Gold' series, it always feels a bit like cheating to just have that. I wasn't exactly inclined to buy the original single, until I saw this Japanese beauty at the record fair. This is the original Japanese single from 1976, and it features a slightly edited version of that classic track: it's 20 seconds shorter than the orginal album version.

It's no wonder that the guitar solo at the end of this track is often quoted as one of the best guitar solos of all time. It takes up the last two minutes of the track (which originally runs at 6½ minutes) and includes some impressive twists and turns. Would such a track still become a hit these days? When hell freezes over, perhaps.

My collection: 7" single no. 6458
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Hotel California' / 'Pretty maids all in a row'

Here in my heart / Aldri i livet - Finn Kalvik

For the first time in two years, I went to a real record fair this weekend. It was quite great to see a bunch of dealers at the Ahoy in Rotterdam, not in open air (like the minor record fairs in Den Haag of recent months) but in a real hall. There was still a relatively limited amount of international sellers, but the atmosphere was great and it almost felt like old times. I actually scored a few rare items, too.

The first rare item I saw was this single by Norwegian singer Finn Kalvik, who represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with 'Aldri i livet'. The single was produced by Benny Andersson from Abba, which makes it a collectors item for certain fans I guess. I was quite shocked by the price on this one - until I saw that the dealer was selling everything at half price! Considering I have been looking for this one for years, it was a great find.

My collection: 7" single no. 6457
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €7,50
Tracks: 'Here in my heart' / 'Aldi i livet'

Oxygene 2 - Jean Michel Jarre

It's time for a much needed break from the Eurovision repertoire on this blog, and it comes in the shape of French synthesizer god Jean Michel Jarre. His single 'Oxygene IV' is probably his best known track. I was quite surprised to find out there was also a single of 'Oxygene 2', another track from his album 'Oxygene'. The tune is very different, but just as arresting. 

The record-buying public seemed less interested at the time: whereas 'Oxygene IV' was a major hit worldwide, this second single only managed to reach number 61 in Australia (and didn't even chart in his native France!). His career was far from over: Jarre continues to release music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6456
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 September 2021
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Oxygene 2' / 'Oxygene 6'