I'm not in love - 10CC

Although I own an 'Old Gold' version of 10CC's 'I'm not in love', I came across this single and just couldn't resist buying it. Part of the appeal was the fact that it was a UK pressing, another part of the appeal was that it was a beautiful, untouched copy. It's hard to believe that this single survived since its release at the end of the Seventies. 

This single was released in order to promote the band's compilation album 'Greatest hits 1972-1978', which featured all their hits until then. 'I'm not in love' was one of their biggest hits, reaching number 1 in Canada, Ireland and the UK, and reaching the top 10 almost everywhere else.

My collection: 7" single no. 6677
Found: Plato, Leiden, 2 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'I'm not in love' / 'For you and I'

Muistathan - Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor

Finnish entries to the Eurovision Song Contest are always worth listening to. The language is intriguing and the Finnish have a habit of coming up with great melodies. At the same time, getting a hold of Finnish singles is incredibly difficult, so they usually have to be ordered from that country which is a rather expensive hobby. 

'Muistathan' ('I hope you remember') was Finland's 1972 entry to the Eurovision Song Contest and was performed by Päivi Paunu and Kim Floor. You would be forgiven for thinking that Kim was a woman, but in fact, it's Päivi who is female and Kim is male. Their song finished in 12th place in a field of 18 competitors. Päivi passed away on 14 December 2016, aged 70, of cancer. Kim is still alive and hosted the Finnish version of 'Wheel of fortune' during the Nineties.

My collection: 7" single no. 6675
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 April 2022
Cost: €9
Tracks: 'Muistathan' / 'Yhteinen tie'

Wenn du da bist - Marty Brem

Austria's pop culture has never really taken off. They are mostly remembered for Udo Jürgens and Opus; the latter produced the awful 'Life is life', the song that sounds every bit as naff as its title. 

In 1981, they tried their luck at the Eurovision Song Contest with Marty Brem, a singer who had been part of the band Blue Danube, who competed the year before with 'Du bist Musik'. His song was a ballad, a schmaltzy little thing that didn't make much of an impression. He finished in 17th place in a field of 20 competitors. 

I have been searching for this single for some time, but it was always a bit too expensive. In the end, I ordered it from Spain and got a mint copy for all my troubles!

My collection: 7" single no. 6673
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Wenn du da bist' / 'Wozu noch ein Stern'

The Big Four, no. 11 - Frankie Vaughan, Kaye Sisters, Shirley Bassey, Marty Wilde

This EP was released in May 1959, and featured four hits from 1958 and 1959. My reason for buying this EP is obviously the appearance of Marty Wilde with his hit 'Donna', but there are a few more gems on this: a young Shirley Bassey who sings 'Kiss me, honey honey, kiss me' and Frankie Vaughan with 'Venus' (not the Shocking Blue song). The Kaye Sisters deliver a dreamy version of 'Goodbye, Jimmy, goodbye'.

There have been 20 of these 'big four' EP's between 1956 and 1960, and Marty appears on number 9, 11, 14, 17 and 20. That should make an interesting subcollection, don't you think? Watch this space...

My collection: 7" single no. 6671
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Venus' (Frankie Vaughan), 'Goodbye, Jimmy, goodbye' (The Kaye Sisters) / 'Kiss me, honey honey, kiss me' (Shirley Bassey), 'Donna' (Marty Wilde)

Uno per tutte - Willy en Willeke Alberti

Recent entries in this blog have shown that Dutch singer Willy Alberti recorded quite a few Eurovision songs during the first years of the event. In 1963, he was at it again, and this time he took along his daughter Willeke Alberti as well. 

Willeke was born on 3 February 1945 and was eighteen when she recorded this duet with her father. 'Uno per tutte' and 'Non costa niente' were both performed at the Italian San Remo festival in 1963, with the former going on to the Eurovision stage in a version by Emilio Pericoli. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6672
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Uno per tutte' / 'Non costa niente'

Weit, so weit der Regenbogen reicht - Ilanit

Ilanit was Israel's first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest ever. This happened in 1973, with the song 'Ey Sham'. Although I didn't yet get a copy of the original version of the song, I bought the English version, 'All make believe', back in 2014, and recently I acquired this German version. Somehow I think 'Ey Sham' will one day be in my collection as well.

Ilanit said in interviews that she had rather mixed feelings about singing in German, because of Germany's troubled history in World War II, but she came to know Germans who were friendly people and this changed her point of view towards them.

My collection: 7" single no. 6670
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Weit, so weit der Regenbogen reicht' / 'Noch sind Wiesen grün'

Danser contre toi - Sergio Dalma

Sergio Dalma represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 with the song 'Bailar pegados'. It was a decent effort, and expectations were high. In the end, the song finished in fourth place, which was still quite respectable.

The singer didn't waste any time to try and conquer the whole of Europe. He recorded an Italian version entitled 'Bailare stretti', which I managed to buy last year, and this new addition to my collection, the French version 'Danser contre toi'. A promotional 12" single, released in Spain, brought all three versions together, but it's nicer to have the three singles individually, of course. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6669
Found: Ebay, received 29 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Danser contre toi (version eurovision)' / 'Danser contre toi'