Wild hearted woman - All About Eve

I haven't mentioned All About Eve's 'Wild hearted woman' since the 7" single in 2009. While I bought that single for just 1 guilder (0,45 euro in this day and age), the 12" singles I bought were considerably more expensive. Actually I don't really remember how much I paid for the 'original' 12" single, because it was a very long time ago. I am sure, however, that it was a second hand copy. There's a little bit of sticker residue on the back cover to remind me of that fact.

The 12" single features an extended version as well as two B-sides, adding 'Like Emily' to the 'Appletree man' which already appears on the 7" single. Both tracks appear on the band's debut album, released the same year.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: [unknown], 1989
Tracks: 'Wild hearted woman [extended]' / 'Appletree man', 'Like Emily'

$1 one vote - The The

'$1 one vote' is a single by The The, released last year as a strictly limited 7" single. According to Matt Johnson: “It is a song that has been percolating – in various versions – for a number of years. For some reason I was always having trouble finding the right words to finish it off. But the nascent dystopia of the last couple of years has certainly opened eyes, sharpened minds and clarified thoughts.”

It's no surprise that Johnson issues criticism on today's society, having done the same on his albums 'Infected' and 'Mind Bomb' three decades ago. It's good to have The The back - the new album Ensoulment was released two days ago.

My collection: 7" single no. 7316
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 September 2024
Tracks: '$1 one vote' / 'Mrs Mac'

Honey Honey - Abba

'Honey Honey' was released as the second single from Abba's second studio album, Waterloo, after the success of the title track at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. Although some people believe that the group was instantly successful all over the world, this single was actually not the huge success that 'Waterloo' was. It reached the top 10 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but in other countries it fared less well. Some assumed that the Swedish group would be a one hit wonder.

This edition is a picture disc released as part of this year's 50th anniversary celebrations, along with the album Waterloo. It's the last of three picture disc 7" singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 7305
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Honey Honey' / 'King Kong song'

Waterloo - Abba

While Abba performed 'Waterloo' in English at the Eurovision Song Contest, it was originally performed in Swedish at the national final for Eurovision. This Swedish version was also released as a single in Sweden, where it was very popular. 

Meanwhile, 'Honey honey' was the last official recording by the group in their own Swedish language, and was released as the B-side of the 'Waterloo' single. 

This edition is a picture disc released as part of this year's 50th anniversary celebrations, along with the album Waterloo. It's the second of three picture disc 7" singles, but the only one featuring a colour picture.

My collection: 7" single no. 7306
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Waterloo (Swedish version)' / 'Honey Honey (Swedish version)'

Waterloo - Abba

Unless you've spent the last 50 years under a rock, you will be familiar with the Abba song 'Waterloo'. It was their international breakthrough after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. The song has been re-released many times, and in my collection there are several copies: the original Swedish version, the 30th anniversary version, the 40th anniversary picture disc, the German version and of course this year's celebratory 10" single.

This edition is a picture disc released as part of this year's 50th anniversary celebrations, along with the album Waterloo. It's the first of three picture disc 7" singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 7307
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Waterloo' / 'Watch out'

Love isn't easy (but it sure is hard enough) - Björn Benny Agnetha & Frida

'Love isn't easy' was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album Ring Ring, released by the quartet of Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Anni-frid in 1973. The song was also released as a single, but not in Sweden: only Danish pressings exist and the single was released in Norway, Finland and Denmark only (although copies would probably have reached other countries too). The song describes the common phenomenon of a quarrel between lovers.

This edition features the original A- and B-side, but on a picture disc. It's the last of five picture disc released at the same time as a re-release of the album Ring Ring in 2023.

My collection: 7" single no. 7302
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Love isn't easy (but it sure is hard enough)' / 'I am just a girl'

Ring RIng - Björn Benny Agnetha & Frida

Besides the Swedish version, 'Ring Ring' was also recorded in English. Translation into English lyrics was helped by Neil Sedaka and his collaborator Phil Cody. On 10 January 1973, the song was recorded at the Metronome Studio in Stockholm. Studio engineer Michael B. Tretow, who later collaborated with Andersson and Ulvaeus on many singles and albums, had read a book about record producer Phil Spector (Richard Williams' book Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector), famed for his "Wall of Sound" treatment to the songs that he produced. While Spector used several musicians playing the same instruments in the same recording studio at the same time, such a technique would be far too expensive for the recording of 'Ring Ring'. Tretow's solution was to simply record the song's backing track twice in order to achieve an orchestral sound. Changing the speed of the tape between the overdubs, making the instruments marginally out of tune, increased the effect. This was unlike anything that had been done before in Swedish music.

The English version of 'Ring Ring' reached number 2 in the Swedish charts, just behind the Swedish version.

This edition features the original A- and B-side, but on a picture disc. It's the fourth of five picture disc released at the same time as a re-release of the album Ring Ring in 2023.

My collection: 7" single no. 7300
Found: Sounds, Delft, 31 August 2024
Tracks: 'Ring Ring' / 'She's my kind of girl'