Opportunities (Let's make lots of money) - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys have been around for forty years now and they have been able to create great music consistently. The early beginnings weren't easy, with a few Bobby Orlando-produced tracks and singles that didn't end up high in the charts. One of those early singles was 'Opportunities', released by EMI to muted response. It was only when they released their next single, 'West End Girls', that their career took off.

This 12" single has, therefore, become a bit of a collector's item. It features two remixes by the Latin Rascals. The dub mix on the B-side of this disc has never been released on CD, and so it was worth getting this disc just for that track alone - although the A-side remix slightly differs from the one on the album Disco as well!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 13 April 2024
Tracks: 'Opportunities (Let's make lots of money) (Version Latina)' / 'Opportunities (Let's make lots of money) (dub for money)', 'In the night'

Running up that hill - Kate Bush

It's always nice to buy a rare Kate Bush item, but buying an illegal item always feels less comfortable. In the case of this 12" single, it has to be established that this is certainly an illegal item. For one thing, it uses the catalogue number of the original US promotional 12" single from 1985. It hss an EMI logo and a His Master's Voice image, while all of Kate's releases are done by Fish People these days, and the disc features two remixes that almost certainly have never been approved by Kate. 

Still, it's a nice item to have, especially when one of the two remixes - the one by Orlando Voorn - is a really good one. My excuse is that I've already bought all of Kate's official releases anyway. Except those insanely expensive reissues of last year and this year, that is. She can't have it all.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: HHV.de website, received 2 April 2024
Tracks: 'Running up that hill (12" remix)' / 'Running up that hill (Orlando Voorn downtempo mix)', 'Running up that hill (Ashley Beedle edit)'

You keep me hangin' on - Reba McEntire

Today is King's Day in the Netherlands, and traditionally this means that you take the stuff you don't want anymore and offer it for sale on a little piece of claimed territory (often beforehand) in the middle of town, together with other citizens living nearby. In my case, I always offer some music on vinyl and CD's that I don't want anymore. (My collection is a living one: I often buy better versions of singles I had when I was younger and when I used to write on the sleeves.) 

One of the records I had on offer was this 12" single by Reba McEntire. I bought it a long time ago, basically because it was another version of 'You keep me hangin' on', a song made famous by the Supremes and later by Kim Wilde. Reba's version - I have to say it - pales in comparison to those versions. But: it was pressed on very pretty pink vinyl. I sold my copy today, but it hasn't featured on this blog yet, so here it is... 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: [unknown], 20 years ago
Tracks: 'You keep me hangin' on (Classic Paradise mix)', 'You keep me hangin' on (Classic Paradise instrumental)' / 'You keep me hangin' on (Deep Love mix)', 'You keep me hangin' on (Aphrodisiac mix)'

I'm just (a simple country girl from France) - Michele Torr

Michèle Torr represented Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 with 'Une petite Française'. The song reached fourth place in the competition, and this apparently prompted the singer or her team to also record the song in other languages, Besides the German, Italian and Spanish versions, there was this English version of the song, which for those of us who can read this blog is probably the most accessible version. It certainly is for me.

The lyrics stay roughly the same: just like in the French version, the singer explains that she is just a simple country girl from France with a desire to sing. And so she does, and if I may say so, it comes across a little better in English.

My collection: 7" single no. 7186
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 April 2024
Tracks: 'I'm just (a simple country girl from France)' / 'Une petite Française'

We came to dance - Ultravox

I had the good fortune of finding two picture disc 7" singles of Ultravox on one day, and because they both looked so good I simply had to snap them up. 'We came to dance' was the fourth and last single taken from the band's album Quartet, and it reached number 18 in the UK singles chart. 

I already own the clear vinyl version of this single, but when a picture disc looks as good as this, it is a worthy addition to my collection. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7175
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 16 April 2024
Tracks: 'We came to dance' / 'Overlook'

Hymn - Ultravox

I had the pleasure of seeing Ultravox live at Paradiso during the last tour they ever did - and with the recent passing of Chris Cross I think there won't ever be another one - and this song was one of the most rousing tracks on the set. It wasn't the bands biggest hit, but it could have been. 

Lyrically, the song describes a time of corruption, in which "all that's good will fall from grace" and "Different words [...] have other meaning"; the protagonist expresses his worldly ambitions for "power and glory" in phrases from Bible ("the storybook"), especially The Lord's Prayer. 'Hymn' peaked at number 11 in the singles chart in the UK, where it was certified silver, and reached top 10 in Germany and Switzerland. This picture disc is a beautiful piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 7172
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 16 April 2024
Tracks: 'Hymn' / 'Monument'

Changing world - Hot Chocolate

Another Hot Chocolate single I didn't already have is 1974's 'Changing world'. In this case, it's the Belgian pressing with a picture sleeve - which is just as well, because the UK version came in the same old RAK record company sleeve.

'Changing world' was written, once again, by lead singer Errol Brown and bassist Tony Wilson, and it was taken from the band's debut album Cicero Park. It was released as the follow-up to the massively successful single 'Emma' - a top 10 hit in various countries - but it wasn't as successful. In fact, it only managed to reach number 58 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 7168
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 16 April 2024
Tracks: 'Changing world' / 'Bump and dilly down'