Cambodia - Kim Wilde

Hard to believe, but it's 30 years ago today that Kim Wilde's fourth single 'Cambodia' was released. At the time, I was only 11 years old and although I liked the music, I was a few years away from becoming a Kim Wilde 'fan'. There was a lot of good music around at the time, but this song stood out because of the strange lyrics and the music that was so different from the two previous hits by Kim, 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love' ('Water on glass' never got a full release in the Netherlands).

30 years later, 'Cambodia' has become a classic pop song. The song is still played regularly on the radio and it's one out of two songs by Kim that are always recalled by people from my generation - even those who don't listen to much pop at all. I have several copies of this single although I didn't buy the first one - a German pressing - until 1984, when I had found all the other Kim Wilde singles in the previous year. Back in 1981, I didn't buy new singles as they were too expensive....

My collection: 7" single no. 255
Found: Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Cambodia' / 'Watching for shapes'

You to me are everything (The decade remix) - The Real Thing

The Real Thing originally released 'You to me are everything' in 1976. It reached the top of the charts in the UK in July of that year.

In the Eighties, remixes of old hits were all the rage, and so this old number 1 was up for a remix treatment a decade after its original remix. The label mentions that the remix was created by Froggy, Simon Harris & KC, which makes you wonder how three people couldn't come up with anything more original. Still, even this version reached number 5 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5219
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'You to me are everything (The decade remix)' / 'Foot tappin''

Goodbye stranger - Pepsi & Shirlie

Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque (Born 10 December 1958, Paddington, London) and Shirlie Holliman (born 18 April 1962, Watford, Hertfordshire) made a name for themselves as backing vocalists for Wham! In 1986, when Wham! was about to split up, they started recording singles in their own right.

They released their debut single "Heartache", which was produced by Phil Fearon and Tambi Fernando and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Goodbye Stranger", produced by Fernando and Pete Hammond, reached number 9. Subsequent singles and their debut album 'All right now', released later in the year, flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 5218
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Goodbye stranger' / 'Dreaming'

Bad habits - Jenny Burton

Jenny Burton was born on November 18, 1957 in New York. She was lead singer of the dance music band C-Bank. In 1983 Burton went solo, releasing the album 'In black and white'.

She had her biggest success a year later with the release of her second self-titled album, featuring the hit single 'Bad habits'. This single reached number 68 in the UK Singles chart in March 1985.

My collection: 7" single no. 5217
Found: Kringloop, October 27, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Bad habits' / 'Let's get back to love'

Alone without you - King

I wonder if anyone knew what success King would have with their debut album 'Steps in time'. 'Love and pride' became a massive hit in 1984, and subsequent singles also reached the top 40 in the UK. 'Alone without you' was to be their last top 10 hit, a second album followed, and then it was all over for the boys.

'Alone without you' was released on this attractive 12" single with not one, but three remixes of tracks from the album 'Steps in time'. The aforementioned 'Love and pride' appears here in a 'USA Summer mix'.

My collection: 12" single no. 422
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1999
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Alone without you (Scorcher mix)' / 'Love & pride (USA Summer mix)', 'I kissed the spikey fridge (Rock hard mix)'

From a river to a sea - Private Lives

I'm still hoping for a cd release of Private Lives' only album 'Prejudice & Pride'. It has never been issued on cd and not only is it a great album, there are also such great remixes of the singles available.

Take for instance their third single, 'From a river to a sea': not only an extended version and a dub mix of the title track, but also a version of 'Because you're young', an earlier single of the duo. Let's hope Cherry Pop will pick up the hint and start asking for a license for these tracks.

My collection: 12" single no. 597
Found: Discogs.com, received 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'From a river to a sea (version)' / 'Because you're young (version)', 'From a river to a sea (7" mix)', 'From a river to a sea (dub)'

Midnight man - Sandra

By the time German singer Sandra released 'Midnight man', her success had become limited to Central Europe only. She was still making melodious pop songs, but they sounded too much like her early hits, 'Maria Magdalena' and 'In the heat of the night'.

The 12" singles also offered much of the same: extended versions that were simply, well, extended. I have to say that I quite like these mixes, but I guess it wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

My collection: 12" single no. 202
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Midnight man (extended)' / 'Mirror of love'

Loving the alien - David Bowie

When you read articles in the 'serious' music press, there's always a kind of disdain for David Bowie's work in the Eighties. Commercially successful, yes, but artistically doubtful. I happen to disagree: during the Eighties he made some of his most beautiful work, especially the songs created for movie soundtracks such as 'Absolute beginners' and 'When the wind blows', but also this track, 'Loving the alien' from his 1985 album 'Tonight'.

The 12" single was released in a gatefold sleeve that covered in images from the video. A limited edition also included a fold-out poster. The extended dance mix on this disc is actually identical to the album version, but with an added drum break.

My collection: 12" single no. 371
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 2000
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Loving the alien (extended dance mix)' / 'Don't look down (extended dance mix)', 'Loving the alien (extended dub mix)'

Bitter is better - Kim Wilde

I first heard of this single in the mid-Eighties, when a picture of it appeared in a magazine. The writer of the piece mentioned that this single could be found in the sale bins in Japan. That's nice, I thought, but how the hell do I get my hands on it? This proved to be a problem. I had to wait for almost five years until I saw a copy. When I did, I nearly froze. I considered whether I could shell out the amount the seller wanted for it, and in the end, I did. Caution to the wind, eyes closed, and just do it. Of course, in the 20 years since then I've seen this disc for fractions of the price. I can console myself with the thought that this is still a mint copy. But I'd never pay this much for a single ever again.

'Bitter is better' was released to coincide with an ad campaign for a Bitter Lemon softdrink in Japan. The track was written by Masami Tsuchiya (from the Japanese pop group Ippu Do) and Bill Crunchfield. The single was only released in Japan, in early 1982. I'm still curious whether it was a hit there - but there's no way to find out I'm afraid.

My collection: 7" single no. 1517
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1991
Cost: 100 guilders
Tracks: 'Bitter is better' / 'Boys'

Target practice - Belouis Some

Released in 1985, this remixed re-release of Belouis Some's debut single 'Target practice' came after the chart success of 'Imagination'. In an effort to try and sell more copies this time around, a live version of that hit was included on the B-side.

Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out: just like the first time around in 1984, this single did not chart in any territory.

My collection: 7" single no. 5216
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Target practice' / 'Imagination (live)'

Ik ben verkouwe! - Snip

'Ik ben verkouwe' ('I have a cold') is a Dutch parody on the famous 1990 hit 'The power' by Snap, released in the same year. The track was created by the team behind Rubberen Robbie, seven years after they stopped releasing tracks under that name.

The B-side featured a story by a new character called 'Ome Henk' ('Uncle Henk'), who would become a regular visitor of the Dutch Top 40 between 1991 and 1999.

My collection: 7" single no. 5215
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Ik ben verkouwe!' / 'De spannende verhalen van Ome Henk'

Young at heart - The Bluebells

The Bluebells was a Scotting band, performing jangly guitar based pop. Their single 'Young at heart', originally released in 1984, was written by guitarist and founder member Bobby Bluebell with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama (and originally recorded on Bananarama's album 'Deep sea skiving') and made it to number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band split up in the mid 1980s, but enjoyed an unexpected revival in 1993 when 'Young at heart" was used in a Volkswagen television advertisement. Re-issued as a single, it was number 1 in the UK for four weeks and led to the band reforming temporarily to perform the song on BBC Television's Top of the Pops. In the Netherlands, where the Bluebells never had a hit, the re-released single reached number 20.

My collection: 7" single no. 5214
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, October 22, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Young at heart' / 'Tendy mercy'

Blame it on the boogie - Big Fun

I bought Big Fun's cover of the Jackson's 'Blame it on the boogie' last year, a single that was released in 1989.

This 12" single features three remixes of the track, as well as a free giant poster of the boys. The remixes were made by Phil Harding, who was one of the big names from the Stock Aitken & Waterman stable.

My collection: 12" single no. 596
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Blame it on the boogie (PWL mix)' / 'Blame it on the boogie (dub mix)', 'Blame it on the boogie (instrumental mix)'

King of the mountain - Kate Bush

'King of the mountain' was released on October 24, 2005, 12 years after Kate Bush's previous single, 'And so is love'. Written about ten years before most of the songs on the album 'Aerial', the lyrics enquire whether Elvis Presley might still be alive someplace, '...looking like a happy man...' and playing with 'Rosebud', Kane's childhood's sledge, and comment on the pressures of extreme fame and wealth. In a November 2005 interview with BBC4's 'Front Row' Bush said, "I don't think human beings are really built to withstand that kind of fame.'

The B-side of the UK single is a cover version of Marvin Gaye's 'Sexual healing', which features Irish musician Davy Spillane on uilleann pipes, originally recorded for his 1994 'A place among the stones' album. The track was left off the Spillane album as it didn't fit with the sound of the rest of the record. Before the 2005 release, Kate's version of 'Sexual Healing' had only been heard publicly once, at the 1994 Kate Bush fan club convention in the Hippodrome, London.

As for this 7" single, it was a picture disc release only, featuring a drawing by Kate's son Bertie on the A-side. The quality of the vinyl left much to be desire as you can clearly hear below. Despite all this, the single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart. It is the only single from the album 'Aerial'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3417
Found: HMV, London, received November 2005
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'King of the mountain' / 'Sexual healing'

Your love takes me higher - The Beloved

Regular readers of this blog will have seen another 12" single of the Beloved's 'Your love takes me higher' some time ago. When I bought this 12" single I'd frankly forgotten about that other one.

Fortunately, I didn't buy this disc for nothing: two different tracks appear on this disc, i.e. the 7" version and the 'Rise up higher' remix. Whether it was truly worth the price of this disc, I'll let you decide.

My collection: 12" single no. 594
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher (Deep joy)', 'Your love takes me higher (7" mix)' / 'Your love takes me higher (Simply divine)', 'Your love takes me higher (Rise up higher)'

Sexdrive - Grace Jones

'Sexdrive' is a 1993 single by Grace Jones, which was due to be featured on her now shelved album, 'Black Marilyn'. It was released on September 23, 1993 by Island Records, and it is a cover version of the Sheep on Drugs song 'Track X'. The song was eventually included in a French version of Island Life, called 'Island Life 2' in the form of two remixes.

This American promotional 12" single was released on see-through red vinyl. The track reached number 82 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 595
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Sex drive (Sex pitch mix)', 'Sex drive (Sexstrumental)' / 'Sex drive (Hard drive mix)'

Red frame/White light - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

'Red frame/White light' is the second single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song is about the red telephone box that was used by the band to make calls to organise their gigs. The single reached number 67 in the UK singles chart.

The telephone box is located at the crossing of Birkenhead Road and Greenwood Road in Meols. In the nearby pub 'The Railway Inn' the band would meet. In the songs lyrics the phone number is mentioned: 6323003[3]. Fans would ring the number expecting to get one of the band members, but got a confused home owner in their own area code. Over the years it has become a bit of a sacred place for OMD fans. In 2004 OMD fan Stephen Cork started a successful campaign to get the telephone box repainted in time for a fan tour on April 10, 2005.

My collection: 7" single no. 5213
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Red frame/White light' / 'I betray my friends'

Wham Rap (US remix) - Wham!

I already own a copy of the 1982 Wham! single 'Wham rap', but this one seemed different because of the 'Special US remix' badge on the sleeve. And indeed, when you compare the intro of the other single with this one, you'll notice that it sounds different.

It gets better. Whereas the sleeve and label of this single speak of a 'Special US remix' and a 'Special club mix', the tracks included on this disc are in fact part 1 and part 2 of a special US remix, which is also included on the 12" single as the A-side. This single was released in 1983 as a reissue, which - contrary to the 1982 release - charted in the UK and Australia, peaking at number 8 and 9 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 5212
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Wham rap (Special US remix) [= Special US remix part 1]' / 'Wham rap (Special Club mix) [= Special US remix part 2]'

Stand by love - Simple Minds

'Stand by love' was released in 1991 as the third single from their tenth album 'Real life'. The song was written by Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr and was produced by Stephen Lipson. The B-side was recorded live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles (USA) on June 19, 1991.

This numbered limited edition (this is number 16403) features an exclusive colour poster. Unfortunately, this copy suffers from water damage, so I haven't been able to watch the poster...

My collection: 7" single no. 5211
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 16, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Stand by love' / 'King is white and in the crowd (live)'

Wastelands - Midge Ure

'Wastelands' was the third single taken from Midge Ure's debut album 'The gift'. The album was released in 1985, the single followed in early 1986. It reached number 46 in the UK singles chart, but was unsuccessful in other territories.

The B-side was recorded live at the Wembley Arena on December 23, 1985. This limited edition features a clear vinyl disc.

My collection: 7" single no. 5210
Found: Out on the floor, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Wastelands' / 'The chieftain/The dancer (live)'