Let your love go - Bread

Bread are best known for their soft pop inclinations, but this single is decidedly edgier. 'Let your love go' was released in 1971 and reached number 28 in the US Billboard Hot 100, slightly disappointing after the two previous singles 'Make it with you' and 'It don't matter to me' reached number 1 and 10 respectively. 

The album Manna, from which this was the lead single, was certified gold in the USA. Things would take a turn for the better with their next single, the classic 'If'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7550
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Let your love go' / 'Too much love'

Save a prayer - Duran Duran

When Duran Duran's 'Save a prayer' was re-released in 1985, I somehow got a copy of an earlier release of the song. It features the full length version, instead of the edited version that appears on this single. And of course, the other version is superior, because it builds up very nicely at the end.

This single comes with a live track from the Arena album on the B-side, and of course a sleeve somewhat in the style of 'The wild boys', since it was released in the absence of new material from the boys. It would be a long wait until 'Notorious', for sure.

My collection: 7" single no. 7547
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Save a prayer [edit]' / 'Careless memories (live from the Arena)'

Pickwick Long Play - Billy Ocean

Back in 1989 and 1990, Oldies Unlimited was the mail order service in the UK which made old singles available to people who sent in money using cheques. It sounds bizarre, and I guess in this day and age it is. But that was the way to go, pre-internet. I would send in my list of singles and whenever a single wasn't available you would get the opportunity to order a different one. If I remember correctly, the list should come with some 'reserve' titles.

One of the singles I wanted was this EP. It featured a handful of Billy Ocean's hits for only one or two pounds! It was a steal, but unfortunately that was one of those singles that wasn't available anymore. I wouldn't say I was hunting for it ever since, but it was kinda delightful to come across a copy all of a sudden. It was still a cheap single, and it still contained six Billy Ocean tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 7546
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Love really hurts without you', 'Who's gonna rock you?', 'Are you ready' / 'Stop me (if you've heard it all before)', 'Red light spells danger', 'American hearts'

Tears run rings - Marc Almond

Marc Almond had an impressive run of singles when he released his album The Stars We Are in 1988. The singles 'Only the moment', 'Bitter-sweet' and 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' all ended up in my collection. One single didn't: 'Tears run rings'. And that was because I somehow couldn't get hold of the special edition box set that was released in the UK at the time.

The box set hung around in my unconscious for many decades, and when I finally saw one last month, I started to doubt whether I had it or not! Fortunately I could check this blog, and so I found out that I had to buy it. According to Marc, 'Tears run rings' is "a song about evil under the cloak of good: though the world falls apart let's hold on to each other'. It sounds like the song was made for right now.

My collection: 7" single no. 7545
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Tears run rings' / 'Everything I wanted love to be'

Engel der Nacht - Nena

With the album Eisbrecher, the band Nena reached the end of their contract with CBS and the single 'Enger der Nacht' would turn out to be their last. It is a good farewell for a band that enjoyed huge success in the first half of the Eighties.

While the previous single 'Mondsong' reached number 37 in the German singles chart (already a low position for the band), 'Engel der Nacht' didn't chart at all. After this, frontwoman Gabriele Susanne Kerner went solo (confusingly under the stage name Nena) and enjoyed some success on her own.

My collection: 7" single no. 7544
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Engel der Nacht (remix)' / 'Zusammen'

Hot in the city - Billy Idol

'Hot in the city' was re-released a few times, but this one here is the original release from 1982. It features a different sleeve and a different B-side. 

This version of 'Hot in the city' reached number 58 in the UK singles chart; it was his first solo chart placing in the UK. It did significantly better in Austria and New Zealand, where the single reached number 5. When 'Hot in the city' was re-released in 1987, it fared significantly better in the UK too: it peaked at number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 7543
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Hot in the city' / 'Dead on arrival'

Somewhere down the crazy river - Robbie Robertson

Promotional singles can be confusing, especially when they are delivered in 'regular' sleeves. This Robbie Robertson single is a good example.

The sleeve announces the title track and a B-side, 'Broken arrow'. But the disc containes a remix edit and the LP version of 'Somewhere down the crazy river'. This is also why I wanted to have this disc - because it's great to have both versions of the song. The label of the disc clearly indicates 'For promo use only - Not for sale'. And fortunately, a sticker on the front sleeve also says 'Special radio sampler'. Which made me curious.

My collection: 7" single no. 7542
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Somewhere down the crazy river (Remix/Edit)' / 'Somewhere down the crazy river (LP version)'