I'm not a Beatles fan and not an expert either, but when I found out that 'Love me do' was to be re-released this month because of the fact it was originally released 50 years ago, my interest in this 7" single was raised. I think everyone is familiar with this song, as it is always played on the radio and some people consider it as the start of pop music as we know it now. The Beatles were the defining group of the Sixties, like Abba was in the Seventies and, well, many British bands were in the Eighties.
The was a slight f***up with this single because EMI pressed it with a wrong version of 'Love me do' (featuring Andy White instead of Ringo Starr on drums), causing its release to be postponed. (One does wonder: how does this even happen?) But, lo and behold, it was ultimately released on October 22, 50 years and 17 days after its original release.
My collection: 7" single no. 5297 Found: Amazon.co.uk, received October 30, 2012 Cost: 5 pounds Tracks: 'Love me do' / 'P.S. I love you'
Released last month, the Pet Shop Boys’ latest album Elysium is a very consistent set of songs. The duo tried to maintain a mood for a whole album and they were pretty successful, even if one or two songs are very different from the others.
The second single from the album was released last week and is entitled 'Leaving'. Even in this era where single releases are becoming quite scarce, the Pet Shop Boys have chosen to release two cd-singles, a 12" single and even a 7" single. Much to my delight, of course, because 7" singles are still the best format. It comes with an inner and outer sleeve, with Chris Lowe on the outer sleeve and Neil Tennant on the label of the A-side. The inner sleeve features a beautiful laminated photograph of clouds in a dark sky, befitting the mood of the song. The demo version, featured on the B-side, is slightly different from the finished recording and can be considered quite a treat for fans and casual listeners alike. One of the best tracks on the album as far as I'm concerned.
My collection: 7" single no. 5296
Found: Rough Trade website, received October 18, 2012
Cost: 6 pounds
Tracks: 'Leaving' / 'Leaving (demo version)'
After two years of absence from the music scene, Black returned in 1993, free from his contract with A&M records and owner of a new self-owned company called Nero Schwarz ltd. His comeback album was called 'Are we having fun yet?', taking a stab at his moody, melancholy image. The album was full of quirky sounds and well written pop songs, but unfortunately this music was not picked up by the general public. A concert in Rotterdam at the time was visited by only 60 people. I was one of them, and I also bought all of the cd-singles released from that album.
Little did I know that in Spain a 7" single was released as well. I found out about this some eight years after the fact, when I started corresponding with other Black fans. And I tried for the last decade to find this single. Especially since it contains an otherwise unreleased B-side track. It was on my 'want list' on Discogs.com for two years. And then, suddenly, last Monday morning I found an e-mail from Discogs saying that an item was for sale on my wantlist. I ordered it within minutes. Only five days later, I held a copy of that great sought after item in my hands. Bliss.
My collection: 7" single no. 5295 Found: Discogs.com, received August 10, 2012 Cost: 8 euro Tracks: 'Swingtime' / 'Quiet side of the road'
In the late Eighties, record companies released as much formats of a single as they could, to sell more copies which meant higher chart placings. In the case of the Communards' impressive 1988 single 'For a friend', the record company opted for a luxurious three disc 12" single set, featuring live tracks from a concert in Paris.
Entitled 'The Communards storm Paris', the set featured twelve tracks, but weirdly enough the single's original B-side, a live version of 'Victims', featured on all three discs. Still, it's a nice item to have and I have searched for it for a couple of years.
My collection: 12" single no. 637 to 639 Found: Discogs.com, received May 10, 2012 Cost: 10 euro Tracks disc 1: 'For a friend', 'Victims (live)' / 'Don't leave me this way (live)', 'Heavens above (live)' Tracks disc 2: 'For a friend (remix)', 'You are my world (live)' / 'So cold the night (live)', 'Victims (live)' Tracks disc 3: 'For a friend (live)', 'Never can say goodbye (live)' / 'Victims (live)', 'Hold on tight (live)'
After a very productive 2011, during which Kate Bush released both the album 'Director's cut' and '50 words for snow', Record Store Day 2012 featured an exclusive 10" vinyl release by Kate. (Incidentally, it was her first vinyl single of recent work since 1993's 'Moments of pleasure'.) Featuring two tracks from the latter album, the 10" picture disc was released in a limited edition of just 2000 copies worldwide.
This spells hell for Kate Bush fans, since record shops participating in Record Store Day in the Netherlands are even more rare than trustworthy right-wing politicians. The official Kate Bush website stepped in and offered copies of the 10" a few weeks after Record Store Day. Again: hell, because the website was stormed by fans and I was clicking my fingers numb, frustrated at the slowness of the site. But after 72 minutes, I finally succeeded to buy my copy. Two weeks later, I hold it in my hands. And indeed, it is a beautiful disc. The tracks may be a bit slow for some, but 'Among angels' is among Kate's most moving songs ever.
My collection: 10" single [unnumbered] Found: Katebush.com website, received May 31, 2012 Cost: 15 pounds Tracks: 'Lake Tahoe' / 'Among angels'
The end of the Eighties was a strange time. Many idols who were very successful in the mid-Eighties were declared 'yesterday's news' and suddenly didn't the charts anymore. One of them was Nik Kershaw, who had been very successful with his first two albums, but the third and fourth one were not so popular.
'One step ahead' was taken from his fourth album 'The works', which left the album charts even before it entered it. Not that the music was bad: personally I think this single is one of his finest tracks. And the remix included on this 12" single is very impressive indeed.
My collection: 12" single no. 356 Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, circa 2000 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'One step ahead (Industrial mix)' / 'One step ahead', 'When I grow up'
Taken from the soundtrack of the movie '1984', for which Eurythmics provided the soundtrack, 'Julia' was the second single from that album. It couldn't be as successful as the catchy 'Sexcrime (1984)' but personally I find this track much more beautiful.
This 12" single features extended versions of both the A- and B-side of the single. Although 'Julia' is labelled as 'extended', it is actually the album version of the track, and not, like the B-side, a 'real' extended version.
My collection: 12" single no. 153 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1992 Cost: 2,5 guilders Tracks: 'Julia (extended)' / 'Ministry of love (extended)'
