Mata Hari - Anne-Karine

Those who paid attention last May remember that there was a song at this year's Eurovision Song Contest called 'Mata Hari'. It was a nice enough song, but the idea was not new: already 45 years ago someone else performed a song called 'Mata Hari' at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was Norwegian singer Anne-Karine Strøm, representing Norway. 

Anne-Karine was no stranger to the Contest: she'd already performed on the Eurovision stage in 1973 as part of the Bendik Singers, singing 'Å for et spill' and in 1974 singing 'Hvor er du'. 'Mata Hari' placed last of the 18 participating songs in 1976. Prior to the contest the song was expected to do well, but it was suggested afterwards that Strøm's rather odd outfit and performance on the night may have cost votes. In the late 1970s Strøm began performing in musical cabarets with Øystein Sunde and her then husband Ole Paus. She released three albums between 1978 and 1986, which reflected a move towards a more serious style of music.

My collection: 7" single no. 6567
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Mata Hari' / 'Please don't go away'

Accordeon Potpourri no. 39 - The 3 Jacksons

I found a single by the 3 Jacksons just eight days ago: Potpourri nr. 62 featuring their take on the Marty Wilde classic 'Abergavenny'. My subcollection of Marty Wilde cover versions was happy. 

Imagine my surprise when my eyes fell on this single, 'Accordeon Potpourri no. 39', featuring the 3 Jacksons' version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', Domenico Modugno's immortal Eurovision song from 1958. It is a worthy addition to my subcollecton of Eurovision covers, and more specifically, covers of the song that became best known as 'Volare'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6566
Found: Rataplan Kringloop, Den Haag, 12 December 2021
Cost: €0,50
Tracks: 'Veel bittere tranen / La Paloma / De verloren zoon' / 'Nel blu dipinto di blu / Love letters in the sand / Colonel Bogey'

On the beat - Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band

I recently found a little journal of mine from the 1980's in which I mentioned this song. I had totally forgotten about it, but apparently I was pretty enthousiastic about it back in 1981. It was a big hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 13 in October of that year. Strangely the band had less success in the UK: 'On the beat' only reached number 41 and their biggest hit over there was 'Dreamer', released in 1986 and peaking at number 35.

Jacques Fred Petrus, together with Mauro Malavasi, brought together a group of musicians to form the BB&Q Band. They released a total of four albums and a number of compilation albums. With the mysterious death of producer Jacques Fred Petrus in 1987, the band also came to an end.

My collection: 7" single no. 6565
Found: Rataplan Kringloop, Den Haag, 12 December 2021
Cost: €0,50
Tracks: 'On the beat' / 'Don't say goodbye'

 

Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Two weeks ago it was Black Friday, and for some reason this prompted various record companies to release limited edition records on vinyl. My recent purchase of 'No time to die' was one of them, and this 10" single is another one. 

This disc presents four different versions of Duncan Laurence's triumphant Eurovision song 'Arcade' - the one that gave him victory two years ago. Besides the two versions already on the 7" single, this disc presents a duet version with a certain Fletcher (no, I'd never heard of her either, but it appears she is an American singer/songwriter) and a remix by Sam Feldt (who the hell...?). 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 1 December 2021
Tracks: 'Arcade', 'Arcade (acoustic version)' / 'Arcade (feat. Fletcher)', 'Arcade (Sam Feldt remix)'

Heimcomputer - Kraftwerk

The story of this single is an interesting one. It was released as a bonus disc with the June 2021 issue of Musikexpress, a German magazine. I discovered this in August and decided to order the magazine from their official website. Within a week I received a letter with a note, thanking me for my order. I e-mailed them, saying that I'd like to get the magazine itself too... No reply. Another e-mail in October got replied to: they would resend the magazine. Nothing happened. Last week I decided to send another e-mail. Two days ago I got the answer: they would resend the magazine.

Imagine my surprise when I actually found it in my mailbox today! Well, I'm happy that it finally worked. And the single itself is a beauty: pressed on yellow vinyl, and with just one track - the B-side is empty. I would think this will be a collector's item in due time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6564
Found: Musikexpress website, received 8 December 2021
Cost: €10 (with magazine)
Tracks: 'Heimcomputer'

Hope in a hopeless world - Paul Young

Released in 1993, 'Hope in a hopeless world' was, for a change, not a cover version but an original song performed by Paul Young. The track was taken from his album 'The Crossing', after the lead singer 'Now I know what made Otis blue'. While that single was a reasonably big hit for Paul, this single was less successful: it only reached number 42 in the UK singles chart and number 51 in Ireland.

Paul wasn't as popular as he'd been during the Eighties. 'The Crossing' was the first not to be certified gold (or more) in the UK, and while this album reached number 27 in the albums chart, subsequent releases wouldn't reach this height anymore. However, he still is quite active in the live circuit these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 6529
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 25 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Hope in a hopeless world' / 'Half a step away'

Rumours - Hot Chocolate

The career of Hot Chocolate took off slowly, with a handful of hits in the UK. It was only when they released 'Emma' in 1974 that they became successful in other territories - and landed their first silver certification within the UK. 

The single that preceded 'Emma' was 'Rumours', a song penned by the band members Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The single peaked at number 44 in the UK singles chart and would be the last of eight non-album singles the band released until their debut album 'Cicero Park' in 1974. \

My collection: 7" single no. 6525
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 25 November 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Rumours' / 'A man needs a woman'