Elle était si jolie - Roland Barth

In 1963 Alain Barriere represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Elle était si jolie'. Back then it wasn't unusual that Eurovision songs got several cover versions even in the same year, and often on singles that were available for a reduced price.

This single presents a version by Roland Barth, an unknown singer whose version was released on several different EP's on the Tiercé Panorama label in 1963. Three versions are listed on Discogs, all of them featuring a photograph of a glamorous lady. Perhaps that was the way to get people to buy these discs.

My collection: 7" single no. 7380
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2024
Tracks: 'Elle était si jolie' (Roland Barth) / 'Slow, always' (James Award)

Nothin (that compares 2 u) - The Jacksons

For a while, the Jacksons were one of the world's most popular bands. Songs like 'Shake your body down to the ground' and 'Blame it on the boogie' became big hits, and who could forget the expensive video for 'Can you feel it'? In July 1984, the Jacksons launched their Victory Tour, which was overshadowed by ticket issues, friction between the brothers, and a shakeup in the promotion and marketing team, initially headed by Don King, who was later fired. Michael announced he was leaving the group after their final performance at Dodger Stadium that December to continue his solo career.

In 1989, the remaining quartet of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Randy released the album 2300 Jackson Street. From that album, this single was released. 'Nothin (that compares 2 u)' is a generic dance song, somewhat in line with what other artists were releasing around that time, but its lack of a memorable hook meant that it was the band's chart singles - even if it only reached number 77 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 33 in the UK singles chart.

After a brief promotional tour, the group went into hiatus and never recorded another album together. Following the release of one solo album, Marlon quit the music business in 1989 and invested in real estate. Randy has not been active in the industry since he disbanded the group Randy & the Gypsys in 1991. Tito Jackson passed away on 15 September 2024.

My collection: 7" single no. 7378
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Nothin (that compares 2 u)' / 'Alright with me'

Fernando - Abba

Like I wrote recently, the French do things differently, and that applies to this release of Abba's 'Fernando' as well. The Dutch and German versions of the single had 'Tropical Loveland' on the B-side, some other territories went for 'Hey hey Helen', but the French went for 'Dance (while the music still goes on)'. It is actually a better song than the other two in my opinion, so kudos to the French for this release.

In France, 'Fernando' reached number 2 in the singles chart, which was in line with most other countries, where it ended up either peaking at number 2 or topping the chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7376
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Fernando' / 'Dance (while the music still goes on)'

Some days I drink my coffee by the grave of William Blake - The The

'Some days I drink my coffee by the grave of William Blake' was released as the third single from The The's recent album Ensoulment. Matt Johnson said about the song: "It belongs to the family of songs I have written about London, including ‘Perfect’, ‘Flesh & Bones’, ‘Heartland’, ‘The Beat(en) Generation’, ‘Helpline Operator’, ‘Pillar Box Red’ and others. I have often drank my coffee by the grave of William Blake – though these days there are actually two gravestones dedicated to him in the small dissenters cemetery that he was thrown into when he died – on and off over the last 40 years I have lived close by and have always found it an inspiring place to sit and meditate upon life. Nostalgia is part of the human condition and change is inevitable in our lives and in the world around us. Large capital cities such as London often amplify the sense of change, although one thing that never seems to change is the cynicism of those in power."

It is certainly one of the most appealing songs on the album, and a great addition to the two singles that were already released.

My collection: 7" single no. 7374
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Some days I drink my coffee by the grave of William Blake' / 'Frozen clouds'

Cognitive dissent - The The

'Cognitive dissent' was released digitally in May this year as the first single from The The's new album Ensoulment. The limited edition physical 7" vinyl became available in June and sold out almost as soon as it arrived. I was too late to get a copy. 

Fortunately, I was lucky enough to get one of those 'bundles' at the record fair last weekend: three The The singles from the Ensoulment album. The fact that I already owned one of the three - 'Linoleum smooth to the stockinged foot' - didn't matter that much: it was more important to get my collection complete. Singles like this will only rise in value in the coming years.

My collection: 7" single no. 7373
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Cognitive dissent' / 'When is the heart of waiting'

Knowing me knowing you / The winner takes it all - Abba

It's no surprise that the Old Gold series would end up releasing an Abba single. And this one presents two excellent songs: 'Knowing me knowing you' from 1976 and 'The winner takes it all' from 1980. This single was released in 1989, before Abba would find a cultural reappraisal as a result of the compilation album Abba Gold. 

Having bought quite a few Abba singles recently this almost seems like overload, but it's a rather unique release and still a worthy addition to my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 7372
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Knowing me knowing you' / 'The winner takes it all'

Ain't no sunshine - Michael Jackson

Bill Withers was inspired to write 'Ain't no sunshine' after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of." His version was released in July 1971.

In 1971, singer Michael Jackson recorded a rendition of Bill Withers' song for his debut album Got to Be There, released in early 1972. In the UK the song was released in July 1972 as the third (and final) single from the album (after the two singles 'Got to be there' and 'Rockin' Robin'). It was a hit, peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number 8 for 3 weeks in September 1972. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7371
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Ain't no sunshine' / 'Ben'