Martha's harbour - All About Eve

All About Eve were very busy after releasing their debut album. Having already released a few singles in advance, the singles kept coming after the album was out, and in various formats too. Their best known single 'Martha's harbour' wasn't just released on CD-single, 7" and 12", a special edition of the 12" single came in a box and featured a large colour poster and two exclusive live tracks.

You could say it's a nightmare for collectors, but all these years later it's still a major joy to look back and go through all these different versions.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, 1989
Tracks: 'Martha's harbour', 'Another door' / 'In the clouds (live)', 'Shelter from the rain (live)'

Augustin - Siw Malmkvist

There's something odd about the sleeve of this single. With Siw & Lilian Malmkvist prominently on it with their names above, the song 'Augustin' seems to have been recorded by both. But upon further inspection it becomes clear that the sisters only recorded the two songs on the B-side of this EP, and Siw Malmkvist actually sings 'Augustin' on her own.

'Augustin' is of course a cover version of Sweden's 1959 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, originally performed by Brita Borg. Which should tell you all you need to know why I wanted to have this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 7281
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 August 2024
Tracks: 'Augustin', 'Det Är Min Melodi' / 'Cocktail Tango', 'Nya Fågelsången'

Not the only one - Fiction Factory

Fiction Factory were very successful with their debut album and the hit single '(Feels like) Heaven'. They toured Europe as support for OMD, but the same year Eddie Jordan, Graham McGregor and Mike Ogletree departed from the band, leaving Kevin Patterson and Chic Medley to record the next studio album with session musicians, including keyboardist Paul Wishart and brothers Graham and Neil Weir of OMD. The first single from the second album Another Story was 'Not the only one'. Unlike the previous singles, this one didn't chart at all. 

This copy of the single was made in Germany. The disc has a label saying 'Ungeprüftes muster / Unverkäuflich', which means basically that it is some sort of promotional single. It's a nice find.

My collection: 7" single no. 7282
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 August 2024
Tracks: 'Not the only one' / 'Let me be a part'

Les illusions de nos 20 ans - Peter, Sue & Marc

'Les illusions de nos vingt ans' was the Swiss entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 in Dublin performed by Peter, Sue and Marc. This was the first of four attempts at the contest for the trio, and they became the first group to ever perform at Eurovision with the allowance of groups no more than six people on stage. The song finished in 12th place in a field of 18 competitors.

While the other efforts of the trio were pretty easy to find - especially 'Io senza te' which pops up in many a second hand shop in Europe - this single is a rarity. I was happy to finally find a copy online. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7280
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 August 2024
Tracks: 'Les illusions de nos 20 ans' / 'Legende de mon pays'

Everybody wants to rule the world - Tears for fears

Another 10" single by Tears for fears - but this time it's one that I bought a long time ago already. Just like 'Head over heels', this 10" single is basically an enlarged 7" single, because it contains exactly the same tracks. 

'Everybody wants to rule the world' was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley and Chris Hughes, and produced by Hughes. The song was a "last-minute" addition during recording sessions of Songs from the Big Chair (1985). The decision to include the song in the album came after Orzabal played two chords on his acoustic guitar for Hughes. It was recorded in two weeks and added as the final track on the album.In an interview with Mix magazine, Hughes said that "as a piece of recording history, [the song is] bland as hell". Orzabal's unimpressed reaction to the track during their songwriting sessions prompted Hughes to convince him to record it, in a calculated effort to garner American chart success. That goal was met: it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, although it only peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Free Record Shop, 1985
Tracks: 'Everybody wants to rule the world' / 'Pharaohs'

The dreamer - All About Eve

It's hard to imagine now, but in the early Nineties vinyl was on its way out. Record companies embraced the CD format (just as quickly as they are dropping it now) and didn't have much time for decent vinyl releases anymore. 

However, some record companies stuck by the format, and there were really some attractive releases in the early Nineties still. This 12" single of All About Eve's 'The dreamer', for instance, featured four tracks and the sleeve was signed by all four members of the band. It was a numbered limited edition, and I got number 4947. Both remixes of 'The dreamer' remain unreleased on CD until now.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, 1991
Tracks: 'The dreamer (extended remix)' / 'Frida of blood and gold', 'Road to Damascus', 'The dreamer (Nightmare mix)'

Do you believe in shame? - Duran Duran

Last November I bought three 7" single of Duran Duran's 'Do you believe in shame?'. Three different sleeves and the B-sides were also different. However, I also own the 10" single of that same song, and it comes with another track that isn't on these 7" singles.

It's a live version of 'Notorious', recorded at the Ahoy in Rotterdam in 1987. No date is given on the sleeve, and since the band played there twice in 1987, it could have been recorded on 7 or 8 May. The track also appears on the rare 12" Duran Goes Dutch, released in the USA in 1987. 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: 1990
Tracks: 'Do you believe in shame?', 'The Krush Brothers LSD edit' / 'Notorious (live)'