Manic Monday - The Bangles

I bought a copy of the Bangles' 'Manic Monday' in 1993 during a holiday in London, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sleeve design, because it looked a lot better than the slightly dull European version that lay in Dutch shops back in 1986. I never bothered to buy the European version, of course.

But then I found this version recently, and I never knew it existed! It is the European version of 'Manic Monday', but in a poster sleeve. The picture on the poster is similar to the one on the sleeve of 'If she knew what she wants', the single that followed 'Manic Monday'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7894
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 November 2025
Tracks: 'Manic Monday' / 'In a different light' 

Romantica - Dario Campeotto

When Renato Rascel represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960, I doubt that he knew he'd written a classic song with 'Romantica'. But that's what it was, because many artists subsequently recorded the song - not only in Italy but also abroad.

This single by Dario Campeotto (complete with a spelling error on the sleeve!) contains a Danish translation of the song by Annelise Bredsdorff. The B-side is a Danish version of 'Libero', the winner of the San Remo festival in 1960 by Domenico Modugno.

My collection: 7" single no. 7895
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 November 2025
Tracks: 'Romantica' / 'Libero (Jeg er fri)' 

Goodbye Lucille #1 - Prefab Sprout

There was a point in time in the second half of the Eighties when I was frankly obsessed with this song. I bought it was 'Johnny Johnny', when it was re-released in the UK, but it was originally called 'Goodbye Lucille #1', a title that was also used on the Golden hits volume 2 EP.

But this is the French release, presumably released earlier than that UK re-released. It features another track from the album Steve McQueen on the B-side. I haven't played the song in a while, but it is still as wonderful as it was when I first heard it.

My collection: 7" single no. 7891
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Goodbye Lucille #1' / 'Moving the river' 

No. 1 - Chaz Jankel

I don't know why Chas Jankel is suddenly called Chaz Jankel on this single, it might just be a typo. I have a few of his singles, but I'd never seen or heard this one.

'No. 1' was written by Jankel with Ian Dury and bassist Norman Watt-Roy. The single was released in 1985 as a track from his fourth album Looking at you. That album didn't sell that well. Jerry Moss, the recording executive of A&M, subsequently rejected the release of his fifth studio album, and terminated his recording contract with the label.

My collection: 7" single no. 7890
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'No. 1' / 'Tonight's the night' 

Under attack - Abba

So I bought a lot of Abba singles at the record fair last week, but only one came from Japan - my favourite country for singles. And this was the last one from Abba: 'Under attack', released after their The first ten years compilation album. 

The sleeve of this single is gorgeous and much better than other versions that were released elsewhere in the world. It just shows that the love and care that Japanese record companies had for their releases.

My collection: 7" single no. 7888
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Under attack' / 'You owe me one' 

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A man after midnight) - Abba

When I saw this sleeve of 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!', I instantly knew there was something different about it, but I couldn't really put my finger on it. Initially I thought the photograph was cropped differently, but when I compared it to the other singles I own at home, I saw what was wrong with it: the photograph was mirrored! 

This version of the single comes from New Zealand. I don't have a lot of singles from that part of the world, and so it is quite nice to own one.

My collection: 7" single no. 7887
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A man after midnight)' / 'The king has lost his crown'

Dancing queen - Abba

If the photograph on this sleeve looks familiar, it's because it also appeared on this Spanish sleeve of 'Honey, Honey'. But this single was released some time later, when Abba released 'Dancing queen'. 

The single was made in Hungary, and features 'Fernando' on the B-side. As far as I know only six Abba singles were made in Hungary. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7886
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 15 November 2025
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Fernando'