Released as the fifth single from her debut album 'Little earthquakes', 'Crucify' was the most successful one, being the first Tori Amos single to reach the charts in Canada, France and Ireland. It was also Tori's biggest hit in the UK up to that point, peaking at number 15.
Accompanied by a provocative music video and a strange sleeve, Tori started to make a name for herself as a quirky songwriter, often nicknamed 'Kate Bush's loony stepsister'. I guess there's some truth to that.
'In the clouds' was originally released as an 'indie' 12" single in 1986, as the follow-up to All about Eve's debut 12" single 'D for desire'. When the band signed to a major label in 1987, 'In the clouds' was one of the few songs to survive from those early years and make it onto the self-titled debut album. Subsequently, the track was again released as a single.
This time, 'In the clouds' rose to number 47 in the UK singles chart and became the band's biggest hit up to that point. The three subsequent singles, all taken from the debut album, would each do better than the one before, and All about Eve quickly became a popular band in the UK.
Part of the success can be attributed to the plethora of limited editions that came with every release. This 7" single, for instance, was also released in a limited edition box set including a small poster. I was lucky enough to find a copy, number 1491 out of a limited edition of... well, I don't know. The 12" singles were also released in box sets, and then there were 10" singles, and later on, picture discs, cd-singles... the real All about Eve fan had a big job to do.
My collection: 7" single no. 1771
Found: October 21, 1992
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'In the clouds' / 'She moved through the fair'
Perri Nixon was born on August 29, 1964. When she was 10 years old, her godfather nicknamed her after Fred and Wilma Flintstone's daughter. From an early age, she entered talent shows and studied opera and classical ballet. In highschool her focus shifted to singing.
In 1988 she released her debut album 'Pebbles', which included the hit single 'Girlfriend'. Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, the single reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single got to number 21. The song was not unlike Janet Jackson's hit singles at that time, a funky dance sound that was so popular in the second half of the Eighties.
The Dire Straits were used prominently in the Eighties to promote the new compact disc format. This may have contributed to their squeaky clean, slightly boring image. It's refreshing, therefore, to listen to their music from vinyl, with all the imperfections that appear in the music once you hear clicks and dust.
'Brothers in arms' is the title track from their 1985 album and is arguably one of their best songs. In the UK this single made number 16, in other countries it only made the charts years later when it was re-released as part of the promotion for a compilation album.
'I've been losing you' was released as the first single from A-ha's second album 'Scoundrel days' (1986). It featured a slightly rawer sound than the happy bright pop of the previous album. In Norway, the single went to the top of the charts, whereas in Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands it reached number 11. In the UK, it did slightly better, reaching number 8.
The B-side, 'This alone is love' was derived from a song by Pal Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen's previous band Bridges. The version on this single is rawer and, in my opinion, better than the version that appeared on A-ha's next album 'Stay on these roads' (1988).
My collection: 7" single no. 481
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'I've been losing you' / 'This alone is love'
Jean-Claude Pascal was born on October 24, 1927 in Paris, France. Pascal first studied at the Sorbonne University and then turned to fashion design for Christian Dior. While designing costumes for the play 'Don Juan' he came in contact with acting. He acted in a few dozen films since then.
In 1961, he represented Luxembourg during the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Nous les amoureux'. The song is about a man and another (rumoured to be another man) who others want to separate. He sings, however, that 'Heaven is with us lovers', a declaration of hope in spite of the difficulties. He won the Contest with this song.
The second single by Lloyd Cole & the Commotions was released in a limited edition gatefold sleeve. The record shop where I bought my singles was importing singles from the UK, so I was lucky enough to score a copy. I wonder if I would have bought this single if it didn't come in a limited edition: I was always very choosy about which single to buy and this cannot have been at the top of my list.
Still, 'Forest fire' is one of the band's stronger tracks, even if that didn't reflect in the Dutch chart position (it did not chart). In the UK, it stalled at number 41, which was a disappointment in comparison to their debut single 'Perfect skin'.
Released as the fifth single from her debut album 'Little earthquakes', 'Crucify' was the most successful one, being the first Tori Amos single to reach the charts in Canada, France and Ireland. It was also Tori's biggest hit in the UK up to that point, peaking at number 15.
