Laat de zon in je hart - Aline

There is no information available about this release, so I don't know who Aline is, but I'll wager a guess that she's from Belgium. The label, Diamonds Records, is unknown, but the photograph on the sleeve was credited to one Clement in Maasmechelen and Diamonds Records could be reached via a Belgian phone number.

So what is 'Laat de zon in je hart'? It's a Flemish cover version of Wind's successful 1987 Eurovision Song Contest entry 'Lass die Sonne in dein Herz'. A collector's item of sorts.

My collection: 7" single no. 5178
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Laat de zon in je hart' / 'Memories of the wind (instrumental)'

Girls night out - Jody Watley

After the band Shalamar split up, Jody Watley moved to England, and while there she recorded a guest vocal with British Jamaican roots reggae group Musical Youth for their album 'Different Style'. She also recorded demos with Gary Langan, Anne Dudley and J.J Jeczalik (who later became Art of Noise). A brief stint with Phonogram Records yielded two demos that were released as promo records.

'Girls night out' was one of them, a single released in 1985. Billed simply as 'Jody', I only discovered this single because the shopkeeper was smart enough to put them in the 'Jody Watley' section. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found this bubbly piece of pop.

My collection: 7" single no. 5151
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Girls night out' / 'My house (4-free)'

9 fragmenten uit de nieuwe elpee Bad - Michael Jackson

When Michael Jackson released a follow-up to his hugely successful 'Thriller' album in 1987, it was nothing less than a sensation. The lead single 'I just can't stop loving you' was a big hit and the album was sure to be big as well.

This promotional single was released in Belgium, featuring nine snippets from the album. Why the track 'Just good friends', featuring Stevie Wonder, was not included on this preview I do not know, but I'm sure that 'Leave me alone' was omitted because, well, it was a bonus track on the cd only at the time. In the Netherlands, this single was released as a flexi disc as a freebie with the magazine Top 10. This Belgian single was sponsored by the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad and the bank Spaarkrediet. The title? '9 fragments from the new LP 'Bad''.

My collection: 7" single no. 5154
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: Medley of 'Bad', 'The way you make me feel', 'I just can't stop loving you', 'Liberian girl', 'Dirty Diana', 'Another part of me', 'Speed demon', 'Smooth criminal' and 'Bad' (Plays the same both sides)

Take your time (Do it right) - SOS Band

'Take your time (Do it right)' was released in 1980 as a single from the S.O.S. Band's album 'S.O.S.'. It is often regarded as one of the last big hits of the disco era.

Although a bit hit in the USA, the single only reached number 51 in the UK singles chart and didn't chart in the Netherlands. Listen to it now, and you'll find it's a very classy pop song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5148
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Take your time (Do it right) part 1' / 'Take your time (Do it right) part 2'

Anxiety - Leisure Process

Leisure Process was a British New Wave duo formed in the early 1980s. They consisted of Ross Middleton, previously of post-punk Glasgow band Positive Noise, and session sax player Gary Barnacle. Four singles were released before their split.

'Anxiety' was their last single, released in 1983. Like all previous singles, it was released by Epic Records and produced by Martin Rushent.

My collection: 7" single no. 5145
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Anxiety' / 'The company'

Words - Bee Gees

In November 1990 Universal Music released 'The very best of Bee Gees', a compilation album featuring the band's most popular tracks in chronological order from 'New York mining disaster 1941' (1967) to 'Ordinary lives' (1989).

To further promote the album, a single was released in early 1991, featuring two tracks from that album: 'Words', a hit for the Bee Gees in 1968, and 'Run to me', a hit from 1972. Dutch readers will know that 'Run to me' was also a big hit for Lee Towers & Anita Meyer in 1986.

My collection: 7" single no. 5138
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Words' / 'Run to me'

One way love - Agnetha Faltskog

Agnetha's second solo album after Abba effectively ended in 1982 was the Eric Stewart-produced 'Eyes of a woman', released in March 1985. The album sold well in parts of Europe, reaching number 2 in Sweden and the Top 20 in Norway and Belgium, but failed to match the success of the previous album, 'Wrap your arms around me'.

Lead single 'I won't let you go' enjoyed considerable chart success in both Continental Europe and Scandinavia, but its follow-up 'One way love' was less of a success: it only reached number 12 in Sweden and number 37 in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 5133
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'One way love' / 'Turn the world around'