West End girls - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys released 'West End girls' in 1984 and it wasn't very successful. After signing to a major label, 'West End girls' was quickly re-released, and that release came with a 12" single featuring a remix of the track. The remix was created by the Pet Shop Boys themselves, together with Frank Roszak. 

There are at least two slightly different versions of this mix. The original version appears on this 12" single and on the album Essential. A remastered version with a slightly longer fade (mostly silence) on the Further Listening bonus disc with the Please reissue.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'West End girls (dance mix)' / 'A man could get arrested', 'West End girls'

Am I losing you forever - Mai Tai

I have a few singles of Mai Tai's 'Am I losing you forever' (here, here and here), but I didn't know that there was an extended version of the track on a 12" single, until very recently, when I was going through the inventory of an online seller. And that extended version is really extended, i.e. over 9 minutes. 

Of course I had to check this out - not least because the item wasn't exactly expensive. This disc delivers: it's a great extended version of this ballad, and the B-side is extended as well. Fortunately this song is from the Eighties, so it doesn't replace the music with generic beats - it stays true to the original songs.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'Am I losing you forever [extended]' / 'The rhythm of the street [extended]'

Let it swing - Bobbysocks

Back in 1985, the Norwegian duo Bobbysocks won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'La det swinge'. The English version 'Let it swing' became a hit in several European countries, and was even released on a 12" single with an extended remix.

As it turns out, the 12" single is pretty rare. It's a shame, really, because the extended version really does improve on the original version. I was happy to find a copy online, along with a few other rare 12" singles.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'Let it swing (extended)' / 'La det swinge'

Meisje, één reisje - Annie

It took me a while to continue the Annie story after this entry, perhaps because it is slightly embarrassing to own up to the fact that I actually own all these singles. But it's Dutch heritage after all, and although some people think I know nothing about Dutch culture, this is one little bit of culture that I know a lot about.

'Meisje, één reisje' (Literally: 'Girl, one trip') is the story of a fisherman who pleads with his girlfriend to go fishing for herring one last time before their wedding. By now you should be familiar with the cloud of doom that is present in every song by Annie, and indeed: a month later the scene is painted of a village in mourning, after a hurricane has turned his ship into wreckage. On the day of their wedding, the priest sings the funeral song. It's the kind of cynical story we've come to expect from Annie.

My collection: 7" single no. 2872
Found: Disco Market, 1985
Tracks: 'Meisje, één reisje' / 'Tranen zul je mij niet zien huilen'

Caterina - Silvio Francesco

Silvio Francesco (Paris, July 13, 1927 – Lugano, August 20, 2000) was an Italian schlager singer, entertainer, clarinetist, guitarist, dancer and actor. He was born into a family of artists. His mother, Maria Valente, was an internationally renowned musical clown, and his father, Giuseppe, was a famous accordion virtuoso. He grew up in the world of circus and entertainment. In his early childhood, he learned to play several instruments. He became an excellent guitarist and clarinetist. With his youngest sister, Caterina Valente, he sang several duets under the pseudonyms Club Manhattan, Club Honolulu, Club Argentina, Club Indonesia or Club Italia. A super hit by the duo was the hit 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini'.

This single, titled 'Caterina', features a cover version of 'Ring-a-ding girl' in German on the B-side: 'Das muss Amore sein'.

My collection:  7" single no. 7248
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Caterina' / 'Das muss amore sein'

Das bist du - Mocedades

Although 'Eres tu' is considered a Eurovision classic by many, the fact that Mocedades recorded the song in many other languages is not as wellknown. Unfortunately those other versions are rather hard to find, because the market was flooded by the original version. 

'Das bist du' is the German version. The German lyrics were provided by Fred Jay, who is best known for adding the lyrics to the melody of the track 'Soleado', which then became track 'When A Child Is Born', performed by many artists over the years. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7247
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Das bist du' / 'Si, si, señor'

Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen - Jimmy Fields

An EP like this is slightly frustrating, because I only bought it for one track, but I get four of them, which aren't necessarily attractive for me. Which is why this entry is named after that one track. Charlotte Marian, Jimmy Fields and Udo Spitz are engaged to sing four tracks on this EP with the orchestra Teddy Todd and the orchestra Rolf Andy. 

The real catch here is, of course, the cover version of 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen', the Austrian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. Jimmy Fields delivers a solid version of the Udo Jürgens classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 7245
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Küsse unterm Regenbogen' (Charlotte Marian), 'Schenk mir doch ein Bild von dir' (Jimmy Fields) / 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen' (Jimmy Fields), 'Tanz die ganze Nacht mit mir' (Udo Spitz)