Vragen - Paradise

The band Paradise has three members: IJsbrand van Belleghem (lead vocals, drums), Piet van Doorn (keys, vocals) and Rob Bijhouwer (guitar, vocals). After more than 40 years they are still going strong, but they only ever released one single.

'Vragen' was released in 1987. It is a Dutch version of the song 'Rücksicht', performed by Hoffman & Hoffman at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983. A remarkable choice, because the original never charted in the Netherlands. Predictably, this single didn't chart either. But the band still exists and plays live regularly. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7260
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 July 2024
Tracks: 'Vragen' / 'Terug in de tijd'

You'll never know - Hi-Gloss

'You'll never know' was co-written by Phil Hurtt and Giuliano Salerni, who gathered a team of session players to produce something mid-tempo enough to induce movement, but smooth enough to allow strangers to make the most of the dark. Bonita Taylor sang the lead vocal, with in-demand future star Luther Vandross among the backing vocalists. 

The song was popular with club DJs and soul-friendly sections of the music press. In August 1981 the song entered the UK singles chart, eventually peaking at number 12. In the Dutch Top 40 the single reached number 21. I heard the track on a CD compilation recently and was interested enough to want to have the 7" single. Because of the song, mind you, although the sleeve is certainly quite appealing as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 7259
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 June 2024
Tracks: 'You'll never know' / 'I'm totally yours'

Ik wist allang (dat jij zou komen) - Shirley

In 1966, Michèle Torr represented Luxembourg with 'Ce soir je t'attendais', a beautiful ballad. The song was quickly covered in Dutch by Shirley, with the new title 'Ik wist allang (dat jij zou komen)' ('I knew all along (that you would come)'). 

Shirley is Dutch vocalist Shirley Zwerus, who was born on 22 May 1946. She recorded her first single already in 1958, when she sang 'Maar ondanks dat (ben jij mijn lieve schat)' together with Godert van Colmjon, three years her senior. Although her career continued throughout the Seventies, she only ever had two hit singles: 'It's me' (1977) and 'Heel even' (1981). Since 1996 she resides in Spain.

My collection: 7" single no. 7257
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 June 2024
Tracks: 'Ik wist allang (dat jij zou komen)' / 'Georgia'

Tourada - William Carlos

Although this EP is nameless and it contains four tracks, I mainly bought it for the cover version of 'Tourada', the song originally performed by Fernando Tordo at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973. William Carlos included the track as the last of four.

Information about William Carlos is scarce. It seems this EP was all he ever released. According to the text on the back sleeve: "The Canberra newspapers say wonderful things about him. However, this EP shows us little of his true potential, especially since it responds to a "request" made by the Australian market, where his music is beginning to receive attention. Let us therefore welcome this young man with enthusiasm and demand from him everything he can give us."

My collection:  7" single no. 7256
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'You and me', 'Sun keep on shining' / 'Semente', 'Tourada'

Sobe, sobe, balão sobe - Alice Amaro

Between 1960 and 1980, Portuguese singer Alice Amaro released almost 20 singles and one album. The last single she seems to have released was a cover version of the song 'Sobe, sobe, balão sobe', originally performed by Manuela Bravo during the Eurovision Song Contest 1979.

Alice's version is a bit faster and more electronically-driven. Remarkably, the logo of RTP, the Portuguese broadcaster, appears on the sleeve of the single, although Alice was not even one of the performers during the Portuguese preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was probably an attempt to make the version look like the official one. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7255
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'Sobe, sobe, balão sobe' / 'Zé Brasileiro Portuguese de Braga'

Hallelujah - Grupo Alpha

Although another group called Grupo Alpha was active in the Seventies, they recorded in Spanish and released most of their records in the USA. This Grupo Alpha only released one single and sang exclusively in Portuguese.

This single presents two songs from the Eurovision Song Contest 1979: the winning song 'Hallelujah', as well as the Danish entry, the pleasantly quirky 'Disco Tango'. Both versions are well done, but also very different from the originals - mainly because of the language.

My collection: 7" single no. 7254
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'Hallelujah' / 'Disco Tango'

Den är din, denna jord - Inger Öst

Katja Ebstein made an impression with her performance of 'Diese Welt', with which she represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971. The song was interesting enough for Inger Öst to want to record a cover version of the song. Her version was recorded in Swedish, and became 'Den är din, denna jord'.

Inger was no stranger to Eurovision songs: she would also record 'Rör vid mej', a cover version of 'Eres tu' two years later. In 1974 she teamed up with Torsten Wallin to record 'Du hör en sang', a cover version of 'I see a star'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7250
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'Den är din, denna jord' / 'Du gör att livet är skont'