It's gonna be a cold cold Christmas - Dana

Dana was the sweet innocent Irish singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970 with 'All kinds of everything'. In 1977 she released 'Fairytale', the song I remember from my childhood and which I bought back in 1992. 

In between, there was this seasonal hit: the wistful 'It's gonna be a cold cold Christmas'. When I say 'hit', I don't mean in the Netherlands, because the single didn't chart over here. But in the UK it reached number 4. Dana went on to become a politician in Ireland, saying all kinds of unfortunate things about abortion. She was also vocal for her opposition to divorce and same sex marriage, along with a Eurosceptic line on the EU. She may have a good singing voice, but I'd rather she'd keep her mouth shut to be honest.

My collection: 7" single no. 7612
Found: Discogs.com, 17 March 2025
Tracks: 'It's gonna be a cold cold Christmas' / 'The goodbye song' 

Love in itself - Depeche Mode

While Depeche Mode are releasing yet another live album (with four new studio tracks, unfortunately, because that means I will have to buy it!) I am going back to almost the beginning of the band's singles output. 

'Love in itself' came out in 1983 and as per usual the Germans were treated to a red vinyl version. This is one of their finest singles, because not only is the A-side very good, the B-side is almost as catchy as their best work during this period. Their music would turn out much darker in the second half of the Eighties.

My collection: 7" single no. 7755
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 6 September 2025
Tracks: 'Love in itself' / 'Fools' 

Komm, komm, komm - Monique Melsen

How do you translate a song called 'Pomme, pomme, pomme' into German? German producer and songwriter Fred Wyrich came up with 'Komm, komm, komm', and wrote the lyric for this Eurovision song for the German market.

Monique Melsen performed her song at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 for Luxembourg, with medium success. She could have scored higher if she hadn't worn a red blouse, red stockings and rather strange dungarees, I think.

My collection: 7" single no. 7903
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2025
Tracks: 'Komm, komm, komm' / 'Fa-fa-fa' 

Wake me early in the morning - Mary Roos

In 1972 Mary Roos represented Germany during the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Nur die Liebe lässt uns leben'. She also recorded the song in English. The song 'Wake me early in the morning' is contained on this single, along with a B-side that is also translated. 

I bought the French version 'Nous' just a month ago, and it's funny how the singles of these two versions are housed in sleeves with a similar design - but with totally different photographs. This is the kind of thing I really like about having a physical collection, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 7904
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2025 
Tracks: 'Wake me early in the morning' / 'When you're singing (don't forget)'

Det' lige det - Hot Eyes

There's something decidedly camp about the Danish entries for the Eurovision Song Contest during the Eighties, and the epitome of that was the duo Kirsten & Søren, known internationally as 'Hot Eyes' (also a very dodgy name). I remember I didn't like their songs at all back then, but with age comes a lot of longing for the past, I guess.

'Det' lige det' isn't necessarily a very good song, but the fact that the duo decided to record multiple versions shows attitude. I already owned the single with the English version on the B-side, and now here's the one with the German version on the B-side. The sleeve is almost identical, so I was quite lucky not to scroll past it online when I bought this.

My collection: 7" single no. 7905
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 December 2025
Tracks: 'Det' lige det' / 'Mit dir will ich zusammen sein' 

Love gives - Hoffmann & Hoffmann

I wasn't actively searching for this single, but I was ordering a few singles from a German seller and this promotional single from the UK just leapt out at me. Of course, I already own the German pressing of 'Love gives', but a promotional single always has its own special appeal.

'Rücksicht', of course, was the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1983. Günter Hoffmann died a year after the Contest, after hurling himself out of a hotel window in Rio de Janeiro on 15 March 1984. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7908
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 December 2025
Tracks: 'Love gives' / 'I need you now' 

 

Fernando - Abba

Rumour has it that Abba's old hit 'Fernando' is getting a resurgance because of the appearance of the song in the latest series of Stranger Things (you know, the one with the 'open marriage' adept David Harbour). I haven't noticed any chart placings for the song yet, but who knows. 

Of course I have a few copies of this single (some of them have appeared on this blog already) but this is an original German pressing. I thought it would be nice to feature it here while the song is hot, so to speak. Some people are still hoping for new Abba songs - I think they won't appear anymore. Thanksfully I still have a backlog of Abba singles to feature on here for a while yet. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7103
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 2023
Tracks: 'Fernando' / 'Tropical loveland'