Take me tonight - Kim Wilde

Although I own a lot of Kim Wilde records (and I do mean a lot) most of them have never featured on this blog. Which kind of distorts the image of my collection, so I plan to rectify that in the weeks to come. Although I won't bore you with the many different pressings of certain singles, I should really point out the weird variations and, of course, 12" singles that I own.

This single is a great one to start off with. 'Take me tonight' was released in Europe and the UK as the B-side of 'View from a bridge', but in Japan it was promoted to the A-side, because the song was used at the end of the movie Shadow (or Tenebrae as it was called elsewhere) - although that happened without director Dario Argento's consent. His dismay was loud and clear on a commentary track when the movie was released on DVD decades later. 

My collection: 7" single no. 1611
Found:  Record fair, Amsterdam, 28 March 1992
Tracks: 'Take me tonight' / 'View from a bridge'

The best of 1987 - Europe, Spagna, Cock Robin, Johnny Logan

I've never seen this EP before, and that may be because it was a special product for Johnson & Co. I don't know the company, but they had CBS make them this compilation with four tracks they present als 'the best of 1987'. Well, not necessarily, but there are a few nice tracks on there.

Most importantly for a Eurovision collector is Johnny Logan's 'Hold me now', the song that caused him to win the Contest for the second time. Cock Robin's 'Just around the corner' is a nice piece of mellow pop, and 'Call me' was a bit of a hype back in 1987 with its Euro Dance vibe. Europe's 'Rock the night' is probably the most dodgy track on here, with its lazy lyrics: 'Rock now, rock the night / 'Til early in the morning light / Rock now, rock the night / Whoa-oh, whoa-oh'. It's a far cry from the era-defining 'The final countdown'. But that was 1986. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7714
Found: Kay's Outlet, Wagenberg (Netherlands), 12 July 2025
Tracks: 'Rock the night' (Europe), 'Call me' (Spagna) / 'Just around the corner' (Cock Robin), 'Hold me now' (Johnny Logan) 

Lucifer (and Mammagamma) - Andrew Powell and the Philharmonia Orchestra

So this is an interesting find. 'Lucifer' is of course the fascinating instrumental track by the Alan Parsons Project, which has been featured on this blog quite recently. In 1983 Andrew Powell and the Philharmonia Orchestra released an album of versions of Alan Parsons Project tracks. Hearing those tracks in an orchestral setting is quite exciting. 

This single presents two of the tracks: 'Lucifer' (mixed with 'Mammagamma') and 'Time'. The latter was originally a vocal track, but this version is entirely instrumental. I'm not necessarily a fan of the Alan Prasons Project, but 'Lucifer' is an outstanding piece of music and it sounds pretty impressive here.

My collection: 7" single no. 7713
Found: Kay's Experience, Wagenberg (Netherlands), 12 July 2025
Tracks: 'Lucifer (and Mammagamma) (edited version)' / 'Time' 

So long - Abba

Although I have a beautiful version of Abba's 1975 single 'So long' with a picture sleeve, I came across the original Swedish release some time ago and decided I wanted to have this too. When I was a young boy this was my absolute favourite Abba track, I must have played it on some Greatest Hits album dozens of times. It was the 'heavier' sound of the track that spoke to me at the time, I guess.

Obviously Abba singles without a picture sleeve aren't as beautiful as the ones with, but an original release like this has its own appeal and worth. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7104
Found: Discogs, 2023
Tracks: 'So long' / 'I've been waiting for you'

Every little thing she does is magic - The Police

Although I bought a lot of singles by the Police through the years, amazingly this Dutch number one hit was still missing. Although the song was recorded in 1981, Sting wrote it in early 1977 around the time of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, prior to the formation of the Police. His split from his wife, Frances Tomelty, was controversial; as The Independent reported in 2006, Tomelty "just happened to be Trudie [Styler]'s best friend (Sting and Frances lived next door to Trudie in Bayswater, West London, for several years before the two of them became lovers)". 

In a 2025 interview, Sting revealed that Trudie Styler, whom he later married and is still married to, was his inspiration for the song.

My collection: 7" single no. 7712
Found: Kay's Experience, Wagenberg (Netherlands), 12 July 2025
Tracks: 'Every little thing she does is magic' / 'Shambelle' 

Controversy - Prince

Prince released 'Controversy' in September 1981 as the lead single and title track to his fourth album (1981). The song was written and produced by him, and addresses speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him. Prince played almost all the instruments on the track, except perhaps some drums by Morris Day and backing vocals by Lisa Coleman.

The single reached number 70 in the US Billboard Hot 100, but only reached the chart in the UK when it was re-released in 1993. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7711
Found: Kay's Experience, Wagenberg (Netherlands), 12 July 2025
Tracks: 'Controversy' / 'When you were mine' 

Geef mij maar drank - Rubberen Robbie

The group members of Rubberen Robbie lived in a commune in an apartment building on the Arendshorst in Leiden's Merenwijk district. In the car on the way to the studio to record a punk record, they jokingly wrote the song 'Zuipen' ('Drinking') as a B-side for their debut single, 'Geef mij maar drank' ('Give me some booze'). 

'Geef mij maar drank' was set to the melody of 'Ça plane pour moi' by Plastic Bertrand. The name of that artist also inspired the group name: 'Rubberen Robbie' means 'Rubber Robbie'. The single didn't become a hit, but when DJ Hugo van Gelderen started playing the B-side, that one did reach the Dutch Tipparade. A copy of 'Zuipen' is already in my collection; this one was much harder to find.

My collection: 7" single no. 7710
Found: Kay's Experience, Wagenberg (Netherlands), 12 July 2025
Tracks: 'Geef mij maar drank' / 'Zuipen'