House of fun - Madness

The European sleeve of Madness's 'House of fun' looks suspiciously like a picture disc... and it's probably because it is based on one. This picture disc should be seen as proof.

'House of fun' was released as a one-off single on 14 May 1982 and reached number one in the UK singles chart, spending nine weeks in the charts. The song was re-released in 1992, reaching number 40. It is the band's only number one single in the UK and in 2015 the British public voted it as the nation's 8th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.

The song is about coming of age. The lyrics tell the story of a boy on his 16th birthday attempting to buy condoms at a chemist. The UK age of consent is 16, and he makes a point of stating that he is "16 today and up for fun". However, the boy is misunderstood by the chemist, as he asks for the condoms using slang euphemisms, such as "box of balloons with a featherlight touch" and "party hats with the coloured tips". The confused chemist behind the counter eventually informs the boy that the establishment is not a joke shop, and directs him towards the "House of Fun". 

My collection: 7" single no. 7221
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'House of fun' / 'Don't look back'

Walkin' in the rain with the one I love - Love Unlimited

'Walkin' in the rain with the one I love' is a 1972 single from the soul trio Love Unlimited, a studio group created by singer/producer Barry White. The main vocalists were female singers Glodean James, her sister, Linda James, and their cousin Diane Taylor. Glodean would eventually become White's wife in 1974; the couple would split up in 1988, though they never divorced. 

The song is notable for White's vocal appearance as a voice on the telephone. The lush sound and romantic atmosphere led to this becoming Love Unlimited's first hit record, eventually rising to number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in the UK singles chart. 

The song is a bit too sugary sweet, but a classic nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 7218
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'Walkin' in the rain with the one I love' / 'I should have known'

Supernatural love - Donna Summer

'Supernatural love' is the second single from Donna Summer's twelfth studio album, Cats Without Claws (1984). The song was released on 23 October 1984. It was written by Summer, Michael Omartian and Bruce Sudano, and produced by Omartian. The typically 1980s synthesized song was remixed for its release as a single and became a minor hit in the US, peaking at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It was accompanied by a very colourful video again featuring Donna and husband Bruce Sudano as a star-crossed couple chasing each other through time when he is abducted by an evil enchantress—from the stone age into current 1980s New Wave, where Donna pursues the enchantress in order to save him. The edited remix done by Juergen Koppers was used in the video. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7217
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'Supernatural love' / 'Suzanna'

My mystery man - Jerney

After Earth & Fire fell apart, lead singer Jerney Kaagman started a solo career. That solo career could never match the success that the band had during the Seventies and early Eighties, but it started out okay with the minor hit 'All right here I am'. Other singles never reached the Dutch Top 40.

'My mystery man' was the only other single that would nearly get in there, reaching number 9 in the so-called Tipparade, the chart of 30 singles that aspired to be a Top 40 hit. It is a nice piece of pop, but nothing earth shattering. In the end, Jerney would have more success as president of the Dutch musicians' union BV Pop. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7216
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'My mystery man' / 'Misery'

Imagination - Belouis Some

I don't know how many versions of 'Imagination' by Belouis Some have been released through the years, but this one I was certainly unaware of. It's a double single, featuring the original single of 'Imagination' and a second disc featuring a live version of 'Imagination' and a version of 'Target practice'. Wait a minute... isn't that the exact content of this single of 'Target practice'? Yes, indeed. Even the artwork was partly borrowed for this double single.

Well, anyway, I could never resist a double single and so here it is, in all its glory. After all the releases of 'Imagination' during the mid-Eighties, the track finally reached number 17 in the UK singles chart in 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 7209
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 May 2024
Tracks: 'Imagination' / 'Have you ever been in love' // 'Imagination (live)' / 'Target practice (remix)'

(Tans mit mir) Oliver - Anita Skorgan

Anita Skorgan's 1979 Eurovision entry 'Oliver' was recorded in a handful of languages. I already bought the English version and the Swedish version, and now here is the German version. (Oddly, this Norwegian singer never recorded a Norwegian version of the song!)

'Oliver' reached number 6 in the Norwegian singles chart, but it is not known whether this German version reached a chart placing in Germany. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7214
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 May 2024
Tracks: '(Tanz mit mir) Oliver' / '(Dance with me) Oliver'

Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne - Nora Nova

Strictly speaking, I already owned 'Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne' on 7" vinyl, but that was on a various artists EP from 1964. 

This single is the original release, with Nora Nova on the cover and the funny B-side 'Schöne Männer haben's schwer' ('Beautiful man have a hard time'). Until this year, 'Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne' was the longest song title in Eurovision Song Contest history, beaten last month by the Estonian entry, '(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7211
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 May 2024
Tracks: 'Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne' / 'Schöne Männer haben's schwer'