A word about numbers

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have always numbered the 7" singles featured on this blog. (12" singles are always unnumbered, because I never kept a record of them myself.) Recently I have updated my own log of 7" singles, because over the years I have sold some singles and I also bought certain single which I never logged. This discrepancy started to bother me more over the past few years, especially when I sold about 200 singles early last year. 

I used some spare time this month to get the log up to date. This means: clearing out all the singles I don't own anymore (although virtually I do, because they were featured on this blog!) and describing all the singles that I never logged before (this includes certain special editions, picture discs etc. because I already owned the 'normal' versions of those singles). It turns out that the discrepancy isn't that big after all: until 9 March my log showed that I owned 7155 singles, and today, after all these actions, I own 7119 pieces. 

You will notice, of course, that the next single on this blog will state the number 7120 (or higher), although that number already featured on this blog before. Now you know why...

Eurovision - Telex

I have a big subcollection of Eurovision singles and within that subcollection there's another subcollection: 12" singles of Eurovision songs. You'd be surprised how many 12" singles of Eurovision songs actually exist, and many have already featured on this blog anyway. But one eluded me, and I consider it the ultimate Eurovision 12" single: it's 'Eurovision' by Telex.

It's quite a rare one, because it was only released in the USA as a promotional disc. But it contains an extended version of that song, and as far as I know this version has never been released anywhere else. I've had to search for this one for quite a long time, and I am really glad to finally have it. Even if I had to have it sent over from Canada!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2024
Tracks: 'Eurovision [extended]' / 'Dance to the music', 'Twist a Saint-Tropez'

Coming up (live at Glasgow) - Paul McCartney

In 1980 Paul McCartney released 'McCartney II', a solo album created almost entirely on his own, aided only by his wife Linda. When the album was released in the USA, it came with a free 7" single featuring one track: a live version of 'Coming up'. This live version also appeared on the 7" single of 'Coming up', actually. 

I only bought this single because it came with an order of a few 12" singles, and it is a nice curiosity. It's not often one gets to buy a McCartney promo for the price of half a bread.

My collection: 7" single no. 7155
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2024
Tracks: 'Coming up (live at Glasgow)'

Open up the red box - Simply Red

I'm not entirely sure if I would have bought this single if it wasn't a double single. I am just a sucker for special editions. 'Open up the red box' was Simply Red's fifth and final single release from their debut album 'Picture book'. This double single features previous single 'Holding back the years' as a bonus. Smart move, as that one had just reached number 2 in the UK singles chart. On the other hand, most people probably already owned that single - and so 'Open up the red box' stalled at number 61 in that same chart. 

No need to panic: Simply Red continued their success with subsequent albums, with hits right into the new century.

My collection: 7" single no. 7150
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, 3 March 2024
Tracks: 'Open up the red box' / 'Look at you now' // 'Holding back the years' / 'Drowning in my own tears'

Amiga Quartett - Bangles

The GDR record company Amiga released so-called 'Amiga Quartett' EP's, featuring several tracks from a certain act. In this case, an EP from 1989 mopped up a few single and album tracks from the American band The Bangles. They were enjoying great success with 'Eternal flame' in 1989, something that didn't escape the attention of the Eastern German record company bosses. Their music was deemed suitable for the youth behind the iron curtain. The B-side of this EP features two tracks from the album 'Everything'. 

After Germany's reunification Amiga ceased to exist. In fact, it looks like this was the last interesting - to me at least - EP's from the label. Nine more followed, from artists like Monika Herz, Jürgen Hart, Neneh Cherry and Udo Jürgens. Amiga was sold to BMG National Berlin in 1994. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7153
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, 3 March 2024
Tracks: 'Eternal flame', 'In your room' / 'Something to believe in', 'Some dreams come true'

Hot hot hot !!! - Cure

'Hot hot hot!!!' was the fourth single released from the album 'Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me'. In early 1988, it spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 45 on 20 February of that year. In the United States, the song reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached its highest chart position in Spain, peaking at number 8. 

For this single release, both tracks were remixed by François Kevorkian. The B-side, 'Hey you!!!' was also a song from the album, but the original CD release of 'Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me' omitted this track as to facilitate a single CD. In 2006 the track did appear on CD1 of a deluxe 2CD edition of the album. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7154
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, 3 March 2024
Tracks: 'Hot hot hot !!!' / 'Hey you !!!'

West end girls - Pet Shop Boys

Now that the Pet Shop Boys have established themselves as one of the premier acts of UK pop, it's hard to imagine that there was once a time when these two gentlemen still had to fight their way into the recording industry. This single, 'West End Girls', comes right from the beginning of their career in 1984. It's a French release, because apparently there were some companies out there that believed in this Bobby O-produced slice of pop. It is not, of course, the hit version that followed in 1985. 

Orlando played most of the instruments on this version of the track, including the jazz riff at the end. Lowe played one chord and the bassline. It included a drum part lifted from Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean', and an arrangement involving what Tennant called "Barry White chords". Orlando was thrilled by the song's production; his idea was to make a rap record in a British accent. In April 1984, 'West end girls' was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and a minor dance hit in Belgium and France. In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Orlando, and hired manager Tom Watkins, who signed them with EMI.

My collection: 7" single no. 7151
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, 3 March 2024
Tracks: 'West end girls' / 'Pet Shop Boys'