The fool on the hill - Alice

Italian singer Alice has an impressive career in Italy, but because she records almost exclusively in Italian she never managed to build a career in the rest of Europe. Almost, because occasionally she includes an English language song in her albums. 

'The fool on the hill' is of course a cover version of the Beatles song, and it is reasonably well done. Of course there is always the Italian accent, and the music was a bit synthetic, but the melody stands strong. It's a lovely little single.

My collection: 7" single no. 7793
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'The fool on the hill' / 'Il vento caldo dell'estate' 

Raggio di luna - Matia Bazar

Although 'Raggio di luna' already ended up in my collection back in 2017, I was quite surprised to find a German pressing of that same single with a slightly different sleeve. The funny thing is that on both sleeves the same photograph was used, but on this one it is shown entirely, whereas on the French edition it is cropped.

All this aside, 'Raggio di luna' was a daring Eurovision entry from Italy back in 1979, as the decision was made not to use the orchestra. As a result, the song ended up sounding a bit 'empty' and became 15th in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 7792
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'Raggio di luna' / 'Pero che bello' 

Could it be magic - Donna Summer

The German sleeve of 'Could it be magic' is very different from the Dutch one, so I could be forgiven for thinking that I didn't already have this single. Fortunately this single comes with a different B-side as well. 'Come with me' is a track from the album A Love Trilogy, which was released in 1976, just like this single.

On the album 'Come with me' has a duration of 4 minutes and 20 seconds, and that is also the time listed on the label of this single. A full minute is left off this single version, as it fades out at 3 minutes and 20 seconds. The same happens on the A-side: 'Could it be magic' should be 5'20, but actually is two minutes shorter! German record buyers have been duped.

My collection: 7" single no. 7791
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'Could it be magic' / 'Come with me' 

Mathema solfege - Pascalis, Marianna, Robert and Bessy

For a long time, 'Mathema solfege' was Greece's most successful Eurovision entry. Its chorus of 'do fa fa fa, sol fa sol fa mi do ti mi mi mi, do ti do ti sol ti do' was recognizable for people all over Europe, even if they didn't understand Greek. These tricks were often employed back when countries had to enter songs in their own national languages. A trick like that wouldn't work anymore these days, but it certainly did in 1977: the song ended up in fifth place in a field of 18 competitors.

The quartet performing the song consisted of Paschalis Arvanitidis (born on 24 August 1946), Marianna Tolli (3 October 1952), Robert Williams (4 December 1949) and Bessy Argyrake (4 April 1957). They recorded one album together and then followed their own solo careers, with Bessy being the most successful one of the four.

My collection: 7" single no. 7790
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'Mathema solfege' / 'I love, I love, I love you' 

Se piangi, se ridi - Bobby Solo

I already have an EP and a single featuring 'Se piangi, se ridi', so why buy this one? Well, the answer is simple: because I really prefer this sleeve. It's in colour, for one thing, and Bobby Solo looks a lot like the rock 'n' roll stars of his days on this one. Adding to that, this is the original Italian single, where we find out that the song is recorded with 'orchestra diretta da Gianni Marchetti, con il Coro di Nora Orlandi'. 

'Se piangi, se ridi' was a number 1 hit in Italy and Brazil, and also reached number 2 in Belgium, number 3 in Uruguay (of all places!) and number 4 in Argentina. Why this didn't chart in the Netherlands and the UK I don't know. It's a classic song.

My collection: 7" single no. 7789
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'Se piangi, se ridi' / 'Saro' un illuso'

Dancing in the sheets - Shalamar

In 1983, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel left Shalamar due to conflicts within the group as well as issues with their record company. They were replaced by Micki Free and Delisa Davis and continued by recording 'Dancing in the sheets' for the soundtrack of the movie Footloose. The single was released in 1984 and reached number 41 in the UK singles chart and number 17 in the US Billboard Hot 100. 

'Dancing in the sheets' was included on Shalamar's eighth album, Heartbreak, released before the end of 1984. Hewett departed the group in 1985 to begin a solo career. Sydney Justin took over as lead vocalist for Circumstantial Evidence (1987) and Wake Up (1990), Shalamar's final pair of albums before they disbanded. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7788
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025 
Tracks: 'Dancing in the sheets' / 'Dancing in the sheets (instrumental)'

Magic touch - Mike Oldfield

Although Mike Oldfield has become famous for his albums Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn and his hit singles 'In dulce jubilo', 'To France', 'Moonlight Shadow' and 'Shadow on the wall', he's also released a few duds during his career. It makes buying Mike Oldfield singles a bit adventurous when you're not familiar with all of his work, like me.

'Magic touch' is, unfortunately, one of those singles I bought on a whim and when I played it I thought 'what the hell is this?'. A certain Max Bacon delivers some vocals on this track; it turns out he was the lead singer for 1980s rock group GTR. It doesn't really help this 1988 single; it didn't chart in any territory. And rightfully so, if I may say so.

My collection: 7" single no. 7787
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, 13 October 2025
Tracks: 'Magic touch' / 'Music for the video wall'