Eenzame nachten - Annie

'It's now or never', sang Elvis Presley once, and before that, some Italians would sing 'O Sole Mio'. Leave it up to Dutch singer Annie to give this song a dark turn: 'Eenzame nachten' ('Lonely nights') is sung from the perspective of a woman who has been left behind by her man, but she threatens him with blackmail. She sings: 'Ik ken je fouten / en ook jouw geheimen' ('I know your faults / and also your secrets') and this should coax the man back to her. In the meantime, she is spending lonely nights, waiting for him to return.

The Dutch repertoire is full of bad singers and weird songs, but somehow Annie managed to find her way into my collection because her singles are full of bizarre lyrics. They call it 'camp', I think...

My collection: 7" single no. 2870
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Tracks: 'Eenzame nachten' / 'Het mooiste in het leven'

I believe - Tears for Fears

Such was the success of Tears for fears with their second album Songs from the big chair, that the record company was confident enough to release a fifth single from it. Which is remarkable, since the album only had eight tracks.

I bought the 7" single (a double single, in fact) back in 1985, around the time it was released, but it took me four decades to decide that I also wanted to have the 10" single. My recent obsession with 10" singles has something to do with that. While the double 7" has four tracks, this 10" single only has three, which seems odd. But it's a good selection of more laidback tracks from the band.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 June 2024
Tracks: 'I believe (a soulful re-recording)' / 'I believe', 'Sea song'

So far away - Dire Straits

One of the most catchy songs from their album Brothers in Arms is Dire Straits' third single from that album, 'So far away'. It's a calm piece of work with a guitar hook that stays in your mind once you've heard it. For some reason I didn't really like the song when it came out, but I learned to appreciate it a couple of years later. Which is why I eventually bought the 7" single. 

Flash forward to now, and I bought the 10" single. It contains exactly the same tracks, but in the attractive 10" format. Sometimes I don't know why I buy the things I do, but 10" singles have become my latest obsession I guess.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 July 2024
Tracks: 'So far away' / 'Walk of life'

Some kind of lover - Jody Watley

Although I already owned the 7" single and 12" single of 'Some kind of lover', my recent discovery of a 10" single made me want to own that version as well. It turns out that the '10" extended' version on this disc is different from the one on the 12", which makes this item a very nice addition.

We're still waiting for a deluxe edition of Jody Watley's self-titled debut album, of course, but in the meantime I'm happy just to own another version of this fabulous dance track.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 July 2024
Tracks: 'Some kind of lover (10" extended)' / 'Looking for a new love', 'Some kind of lover (instrumental)'

The Barry Williams Show - Peter Gabriel

I was very surprised to find this 7" single of Peter Gabriel's 'The Barry Williams Show', the lead single from his 2002 album 'Up'. I own the album on CD and even a couple of CD-singles, but I wasn't aware that this one was released on 7" vinyl, and has by now become a bit sought after. The copy I found in Fulda was in mint condition but also very cheap! It's a nice find.

'Up' was, in my opinion, Peter Gabriel's best ever album, but this song about the worst part of TV culture, is actually the weakest song of the ten tracks on it. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7279
Found: Marleen Records, Fulda (Germany)
Tracks: 'The Barry Williams Show (Unadulterated radio edit)' / 'Cloudless (radio edit)'

Amiga Quartett - O.M.D.

While visiting a record shop in Fulda (Germany), a village not too far from the historical border with Eastern Germany, I was happy to find a couple of Amiga Quartett EP's. The Kylie EP was one, and this O.M.D. EP was another one. I've actually been after this one for a few years, but I didn't want to pay a lot of money for it. As luck would have it, this shop had it virtually for free. (Okay, I'm not counting the expenses of travelling to the area for a family holiday...)

Released in 1985, this EP features three singles of the band and one B-side. At the time, O.M.D. were at the height of their popularity, although personally I still prefer their earlier work. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7278
Found: Marleen Records, Fulda (Germany), 24 July 2024
Tracks: 'Talking loud and clear', 'Apollo' / 'Tesla girls', 'Locomotion'

Amiga Quartett - Kylie Minogue

It would be easy to speak of another subcollection when it comes to these Amiga Quartett EP's. Released by the state-run record company Amiga in the GDR until the reunification of Germany, this EP is another example of 'western' music making its way beyond the iron curtain. Of course, this was a regular occurrance, as previous purchases of such EP's by Abba, A-ha and the Bangles have shown. 

This particular EP consists of four tracks by Kylie Minogue, all of which have been released as separate singles in 'the west'. It's funny that the 'Amiga Quartett' logo has been turned upside down on this sleeve to accommodate the design, which is copied from the Australian singer's debut album. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7277
Found: Marleen Records, Fulda (Germany), 24 July 2024
Tracks: 'The Loco-motion', 'It's no secret' / 'I should be so lucky', 'Got to be certain'