This town ain't big enough for both of us - British whale

The Sparks' 'This town ain't big enough for both of us' was one of the first songs I was grabbed by as a child, not just because of the strange appearance of Ron Mael. It's a great, dynamic song and a true classic. 

Several cover versions of the song exist, but I didn't know about this one until last weekend. This single comes with a free poster and is pressed on clear vinyl. Reason enough, I think, to pick up this disc and to listen to what this synth-pop solo project of Justin Hawkins of 'The Darkness' fame made of it. Well... it's not bad. A bit strange, maybe.

My collection: 7" single no. 6973
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'This town ain't big enough for both of us' / 'America'

Festival de San Remo 1959

Another one of those San Remo-inspired EP's was released in 1959 by Gianni Ales y su conjunto, also known as  Gianni Ales ed il suo complesso, because the band is actually Italian - but this is a Spanish EP.  I got it from a Spanish seller, of course.

Released in 1959, this EP features four songs from that year's San Remo festival, including the Domenico Modugno composition 'Ciao ciao bambino (Piove)', a song that has been covered numerous times. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6968
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Chao chao bambina (Piove)', 'Io sono il vento' / 'Conoscerti', 'Una marcia in fa'

Sanremo 1965 - Los Mustang

Back in the Sixties, the Sanremo festival was a popular music festival and spawned many cover versions. This single from the Spanish group Los Mustang demonstrates just how international the appeal of the festival was. 

This EP presents four songs from the Sanremo Festival 1965, including Italy's Eurovision entry 'Se piangi, se ridi' - and this obviously explains my interest in this disc. All four songs are translated into Spanish to appeal to the Spanish record-buying public. My copy is a bit tatty but it's a great item nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 6967
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Yo que no vivo sin ti', 'Antes o despues' / 'Amigos mios', 'Si lloras, si ries'

Tracks of my tears - Colin Blunstone

This single is a bit of an odd beast. Colin Blunstone has one of the best voices in the business and 'Tracks of my tears' is a classic song that probably everyone loves. Add in some early Eighties synth bleeps... and then you get this single. 

Somehow it doesn't quite work as it should. That's not to say that I don't like this single, but much to my own surprise, I think the B-side is better. Trying out singles from time to time means coming up with surprises like this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6971
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Tracks of my tears' / 'The last goodbye'

Si tu eres mi hombre y yo tu mujer - Jennifer Rush

It's the song you know in a version that you don't. Jennifer Rush had a big hit in 1985 with 'The power of love', but she also recorded the song in Spanish. The title for this version isn't as short: 'Si tu eres mi hombre y yo tu mujer' ('If you are my man and i am your woman').

I found this single - not surprisingly - at a stand of a Spanish seller, and I was interested enough to pick up this single. The B-side features the original English version of the song.

My collection: 7" single no. 6969
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Si tu eres mi hombre y yo tu mujer' / 'The power of love'

Eenmaal kom je weer - Claude Lombard

It's only 16 months since I bought Claude Lombard's 'Quand tu reviendras', and even then I was aware that there was also a Flemish version of the song. (I am always tempted to say 'Dutch', but since Claude comes from Belgium the correct word is actually 'Flemish'.) 

'Eenmaal kom je weer' ('One day you'll return') is a pretty faithful translation of 'Quand tu reviendras', whereas ''t Geluk ligt verborgen' ('Happiness lies hidden') takes a bit more liberty from the original title 'Le temps ça s'invente'. Claude also recorded her song in German ('Wenn du wieder kommst') and Spanish ('Se que volveras'), but whether I can find those singles for a reasonable price remains to be seen...

My collection: 7" single no. 6962
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Eenmaal kom je weer' / ''t Geluk ligt verborgen'

Triad dimensions - Rheingold

Three decades went by since I bought 'Dreiklangs dimensionen' by Rheingold. The band was confident enough to also record an English version of their song. And 'Triad dimensions' came to be. 

My copy is an Italian promotional single, recognizable thanks to the little holes in one corner of the sleeve saying 'Campione Gratuito'. I think I still prefer the German version, but this is a nice little version as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 6961
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Triad dimensions' / 'River'