I've had enough - Wings

The Wings album 'London Town' featured a markedly softer-rock, synth-based sound than previous Wings albums. The single 'With a little luck' reached number 1 in the US and number 5 in the UK, but the second single from the album, 'I've Had Enough' fared much less well. It only reached no. 42 in the UK and no. 25 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

While I don't necessarily collect Wings singles, it is always fun to pick one up when it appears in front of me for a low price. And this copy popped up when I was browsing a stall with hundreds of UK pressings. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6723
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 4 June 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'I've had enough' / 'Deliver your children'

Someday - The Blue Diamonds

The song 'Morgen' was performed at the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest by Ronnie Tober. The English version was called 'Someday' and was also recorded by Tober - however that single still remains to be found by me. 

In the meantime, I did find this version of the song by the Blue Diamonds. History doesn't tell us if they were considered for the Dutch national final in 1968, but they did record this single, which didn't make the Dutch top 40. It still is a good version, and the B-side is a charming piece of music as well. The Blue Diamonds were best known in the Netherlands for their single 'Ramona', a huge hit that caused many Dutch parents to call their daughters Ramona as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 6725
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 June 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Someday (Morgen)' / 'Angelina (Liesje)'

I believe (in love) - Hot Chocolate

It's quite interesting how my collection of Hot Chocolate singles is coming together slowly. All the big hits are in there, but the early stuff is still a matter of searching well and waiting for the right price. This single, 'I believe (in love)' was actually a big hit without me knowing it. And that's not strange, because it didn't chart in the Netherlands.

In the UK, however, this single was their second top 10 hit, after 'Love is life' (1970), which reached number 6 in September 1970. This one peaked at number 8 in 1971. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6722
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 4 June 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'I believe (in love)' / 'Caveman Billy'

Waterloo (Svensk version) - Abba

Strictly speaking, I already own a Swedish version of 'Waterloo' on 7", but that one is a re-release from 2014, which I bought in 2015. There is nothing quite like the real thing, and so this original Swedish release of 'Waterloo' is a great find. I bought it together with a few other singles from a Scandinavian seller, and it is lovely to own this particular piece of history. The B-side features the Swedish version of 'Honey, Honey', another track from the album 'Waterloo'. 

It's funny that the back of the sleeve actually contains a price sticker. Apparently you would pay 8.75 for this single back in 1974, but the sticker does not clarify in which currency. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6710
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Waterloo (Svensk version)' / 'Honey, honey (Svensk version)'

Love isn't love - Carola

Of course I already own a copy of 'Love isn't love', the song that propelled Swedish singer Carola into the consciousness of most of Europe after her successful Eurovision performance with 'Främling'. In the Netherlands in particular she made an impression with her Dutch version: 'Je ogen hebben geen geheimen'. 

I recently found out that the song was also released in Japan, and as usual, the Japanese made an effort to package the single as attractively as they could. I have a particular fondness for Japanese singles and I am actually trying to get more Eurovision singles from Japan into my collection. The problem is that they're usually prohibitively expensive. Not in this case: the single arrived on my doorstep for less than I pay for my daily groceries.

My collection: 7" single no. 6720
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 June 2022
Cost: $6
Tracks: 'Love isn't love' / 'It's raining in Stockholm'

Al di là (Net als wij) - Sandra

Eleven-year-old Sandra made her debut with a version of Italy's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961, 'Al di la'. The song was performed by Betty Curtis, and reached a respectable fifth place. Sandra recorded the song with Dutch lyrics and with an orchestra directed by Frans Kerkhof.

The identity of this Sandra is wellknown these days: it is of course Sandra Reemer, whose career would be linked to the Eurovision Song Contest multiple times: in 1964 she recorded a Dutch version of 'Non ho l'eta' as 'Als jij maar wacht' and she would participate in the Contest herself three times: with Andres performing 'Als het om de liefde gaat', and solo with 'The party's over' and 'Colorado'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6719
Found: Bea Records, received 13 May 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Al di là (Net als wij)' / 'Duizenden sterren'

Children of the world - Gary Lux

Gary Lux represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985 with 'Kinder dieser Welt', a sentimental song in which he pleads for 'more flowers in the asphalt' and 'emotions instead of violence'. The English version, presented on this single, goes even further and describes despair at the state of the world: what are we leaving behind for the children of the world? 

Although the song scored pretty well in the Contest, this UK release did not chart. Still, it is a nice collectors item. The fact that the sleeve is almost identical to the original German version is a nice touch.

My collection: 7" single no. 6718
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 May 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Children of the world' / 'Movies'