Penthouse and pavement (The Tommy D remix) - Heaven 17

In 1993, Heaven 17 released a series of singles featuring remixes of their Eighties hits. 'Temptation (Brothers in Rhythm remix)' and '(We don't need this) Fascist groove thang (Rapino Brothers remixes)' were quite accomplished, but I feel that 'Penthouse and pavement (The Tommy D remix)' doesn't quite hit the spot. 

I bought this single to complete the set, but upon playing the A-side I was left wondering what, exactly, Tommy D had added to the original version. It looks like more people were left with the same question, as this single didn't do as well as the other two: it peaked at number 54 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7103
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'Penthouse and pavement (Tommy D's master edit)' / 'Penthouse and pavement (original version)'

There's the girl - Heart

After the success of 'Alone' and 'Who will you run to', Heart released a third single from their 1987 album 'Bad Animals': 'There's the girl'. It wasn't quite as successful as the two previous singles, but still peaked at number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, while it also rose to number 34 in the UK singles chart. The single version was remixed when compared to the original album version.

The B-side of the single features the title track of the album, 'Bad animals', which is also a strong track. Personally I feel the band were at their peak in 1987, but I recently read an article in which Ann and Nancy Wilson expressed some regret about this period, feeling they were being used as puppets by the record company. Still, the earnings must have made up for something, as they never equalled the success of 'Bad Animals' again.

My collection: 7" single no. 7102
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'There's the girl' / 'Bad animals'

What about love - Heart

It occurred to me that I didn't have the original single of 'What about love' by Heart yet. I do have a re-release from 1988, but that's not the original version of course. This one is, and it's the US pressing with an original Capitol record company sleeve. (There is a picture sleeve version, but unfortunately the seller I got this single and several others didn't have it.)

The single marked a change of style for the band and landed them a top 10 hit in the USA for the first time since 'Tell it like it is' in 1980. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7101
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'What about love' / 'Heart of darkness'

Tell it like it is - Heart

'Tell it like it is' was written by George Davis and Lee Diamond and originally recorded and released in 1966 by Aaron Neville. It was later recorded by Andy Williams and John Wesley Ryles, among others, and the most famous version for younger people is probably Don Johnson's version from the late Eighties.

In 1980, however, the song was also recorded by Heart, and included on their 'Greatest Hits/Live' album. The song peaked at Number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 during the winter of 1981 and became their highest-charting single in the United States to that point. It had higher success in Canada, reaching Number 4. On this side of the world, the single probably wasn't even released.

My collection: 7" single no. 7100
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'Tell it like it is' / 'Strange Euphoria'

Magazine - Heart

After Heart's very successful debut album 'Dreamboat Annie', they had a falling out with their label Mushroom over an advert for that album that was too suggestive for their liking. Legal wrangles followed, during which Mushroom released the second album 'Magazine' prematurely. After the dispute was resolved, Heart still had to deliver a second album proper, and so they re-recorded 'Magazine'. 

The title track was released as the third single from the album in 1979. It failed to chart in all territories, after which Heart's ties with Mushroom Records were broken. In the early 1980s, Mushroom Records went out of business. Ownership rights to Heart's two albums for Mushroom were purchased by Capitol Records, which reissued the recordings. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7099
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'Magazine' / 'Devil delight'

Hold on to now - Kylie

Most people who have reviewed Kylie's latest album 'Tension' have singled out 'Hold on to now' as one of its strongest tracks. They're not wrong: it's a euphoric, positive pop song that presses all the right buttons. Minogue wrote the song together with producers Jon Green, Duck Blackwell, and longtime collaborator Richard "Biffco" Stannard. 

This single was pressed on white vinyl and, like the other two singles from the album, features an extended mix on the B-side. The extended mixes have been released on an LP called 'Extension' (clever!) but I hope that will get a CD release as well, because those LP's take up too much space in my room, to be honest...

My collection: 7" single no. 7097
Found: Kylie website, received 23 December 2023
Tracks: 'Hold on to now' / 'Hold on to now (extended mix)'

Tension - Kylie

Kylie Minogue co-wrote 'Tension' with Anya Jones, Camille Purcell, Jon Green, and producers Duck Blackwell and longtime collaborator Richard Stannard. The idea to collaborate with Jones and Purcell came after Minogue spent a week in Surrey working on new music with Blackwell, Green, Stannard, and Minogue's A&R Jamie Nelson. Nelson had proposed working with Jones and Purcell, the latter of whom had mentioned being a big fan of Minogue's work and career. According to Minogue, the collaboration with the two provided her with the "female energy" she needed for the record. 

Although 'Tension' was released digitally on 31 August 2023, the 7" vinyl only came to light in December. It's pressed on green vinyl, which nicely ties in to the the sleeve artwork. The single reached number 19 in the UK singles chart but, oddly, failed to chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 7096
Found: Kylie website, received 23 December 2023
Tracks: 'Tension' / 'Tension (extended mix)'