Sunday 20 November 2011

Walking wounded - Everything but the girl

After Everything but the girl had a surprise hit with a remix of their song 'Missing' by Todd Terry and Tracey Thorn had a hit with Massive Attack's 'Protection', the duo thought that dance music could be the way to go if they wanted any success in the future. Their subsequent albums 'Walking wounded' and 'Temperamental' showed the band's musical progress as well as establishing Watt as a dance music producer.

'Walking wounded' was their first 'dance' single produced on their own, and this promotional one-sided 10" single featured a remix of the track by Dave Wallace. Further remixes appeared on other formats.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Walking wounded (Dave Wallace remix)'

Baby baby - Nicole & Hugo

Nicole & Hugo's 'Baby baby' could be the biggest surprise of the day for me. When I bought the single yesterday, I had a vivid memory of a ridiculous couple dress in purple jumpsuits singing a song slightly too loud with strange expressions on their face. But ridiculous clothing aside, this is actually a very good song! The video is included here for your pleasure, but listen to the track first - you will be pleasantly surprised.

Probably thanks to their appearance, the song ended 17th at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest - out of 17 competitors. Recent reviews have described it as 'a relatively tacky song' and 'a Eurovision turkey'. But personally I think the music on this track is impressive. Although the lyric is indeed pretty bad...



My collection: 7" single no. 5237
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Baby baby' / 'Jij en ik en wij'

Upside down - Diana Ross

'Upside down' was written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers (of the band Chic) with Aretha Franklin in mind to record. When Franklin turned down the offer to record the album Motown passed the material and project to Ross. In a 2011 interview, Nile Rodgers said 'Diana Ross was the first big star we ever worked with and we took it very seriously.'

The single was her first release in the Eighties and also her biggest solo hit of the decade, reaching number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 5229
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Upside down' / 'Friend to friend'

Doot doot - Freur

I bought the single 'Doot doot' by Freur back in 1983 when it came out, but I was unaware that there was a clear vinyl/picture disc edition of this single until last April, when I spotted it at the record fair in Utrecht. However beautiful, I didn't buy it because the price was too high: 3 euros.

That same dealer was here again yesterday, but this time all the singles were priced down to 50 eurocents. It's the old Puck-trick all over again: wait until the price drops, and then get it.

My collection: 7" single no. 5228
Found: Record fair, Utrecht
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Doot doot' / 'Hold me mother'

Coupe coupe - Vanessa Paradis

Six singles were taken from Vanessa Paradis' debut album 'M&J', and 'Coupe coupe', released in December 1988, was the fifth one. It was the last one to reach the French singles chart, peaking at no. 22. All previous singles did better, but the single from her second album would all do worse. It would take her until 1992 to return to the French top 10 with the Lenny Kravitz-produced 'Be my baby'.

The nice thing about this single is that both tracks were taken from the album, but appear here in a remixed version. True value for money for the fans.

My collection: 7" single no. 5226
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Coupe coupe (remix)' / 'Scarabee (remix)'

19 (Dix neuf) - Paul Hardcastle

On May 21, 2010 I bought a copy of this single in the shop Da Capo in Utrecht. The sleeve mentioned Yves Mourousi, causing me to think the French version of '19' was included on the disc. I tried to listen to the disc (which didn't have the same information) but someone in the shop was keeping the turntable to himself. And so I had to go home and find out that the 'normal' version of '19' was on the disc.

Almost exactly 18 months later, I finally found this single again, and this time with the correct disc inserted. Very nice to finally hear this French version of '19'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5225
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: '19 (Dix neuf)' / 'Fly by night'

Saturday 19 November 2011

La source - Isabelle Aubret

'La source' was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968, performed in French by Isabelle Aubret. This was Aubret's second appearance on the Eurovision stage, in 1960 she had won the Contest with 'Un premier amour'. At the close of voting, 'La source' had received 20 points, placing 3rd in a field of 17 competitors.

The song deals - unusually for songs at the time, especially in the Contest - with the topic of rape, with Aubret describing such an event in some detail. Aubret also recorded the song in German, then under the title 'Such' mich dort, wo die Sonne scheint'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5224
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'La source', 'La rose fanée' / 'Pleur' pas Stephanie', 'Le malheur d'aimer'

Blue eyes - Elton John

'Blue eyes' was written by Elton John and Gary Osborne and released by Elton John in 1982 as the first single from the album 'Jump up!'. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

At the time of its release, I wasn't particularly impressed with this song, but I've grown to like it almost three decades later. Perhaps I'm getting less critical of Eighties music than I was then.

My collection: 7" single no. 5223
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Blue eyes' / 'Hey papa Legba'

Never give up - Frizzle Sizzle

My first find at today's record fair in Utrecht was this single from the Dutch girl group Frizzle Sizzle. I thought I had them all, but obviously more singles were released than I was aware of - although this should really be the last one if various website sources are to be trusted.

'Never give up' was released in June 1986 as the follow-up to their Eurovision hit 'Alles heeft ritme' / 'Everything has rhythm' and would become one of the tracks on the girls' debut album 'First date' in 1987. This single did not become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5222
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Never give up' / 'Never give up (extended instrumental version)'

Friday 18 November 2011

Ego - Kim Wilde

Of course I couldn't let the birthday of Kim Wilde go by without writing about one of her discs. So I thought I'd dig out a very rare one. This promotional 7" single was released in Australia in 1982. Marked 'For radio play only', it features two tracks from her second album 'Select' which were never released as a single commercially.

'Ego' and 'Words fell down' were the first two tracks from 'Select', both written by Ricky and Marty Wilde, her brother and father respectively. At the time of its release, Kim was only 21 years old. And now she's 51... Time flies, eh? A very happy birthday to Kim.

My collection: 7" single [not numbered]
Found: eBay.com, 2009
Cost: 7 euro
Tracks: 'Ego' / 'Words fell down'

Feedback - Janet Jackson

You can't fault a catchy tune, even if the lyric reads 'Do you like my style / Yeah that's sexy, sexy, sexy'. It's one indication that the album 'Discipline', which 'Feedback' was taken from, would have at least one or two songs about sex on it. The fact of the matter is, the whole album was full of sexual undertones - and overtones, come to think of it. Janet likes to profile herself as being very sexy, and the song lyrics she writes are often very sexy too.

This double 12" single set features a, well, sexy photograph of Janet Jackson on the cover, and includes six remixes of the track, created by four different remixers. It's pretty good stuff. I would say it's all pretty sexy.

My collection: 12" single no. 600
Found: Discogs.com, received November 1, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Feedback (Moto Blanco full vocal)' / 'Feedback (Wideboys club)', 'Feedback (Jody den Broeder club)' // 'Feedback (Ralphi Rosario Dirty club)' / 'Feedback (Moto Blanco dub)', 'Feedback (Wideboys dub)'

Killer - Seal

'Killer' was originally a hit for Adamski, but even on that version, Seal, who was then unknown in his own right, performed vocals on the track. Shortly after this hit, Seal recorded his debut album, had a major hit with 'Crazy' and released several other singles from the album.

One of those singles was 'Killer', which Seal re-recorded on his own for his debut album. The track was released with a handful of live tracks, but also with a couple of remixes created by William Orbit. The '3D mix' is an exclusive track on this 12" single: the other two mixes appeared on the US CD-single of 'Killer'.

My collection: 12" single no. 129
Found: 1992
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Killer (William Orbit remix)' / 'Killer (William Orbit dub mix)', 'Killer (3D mix)'

Running up that hill - Kate Bush

These are exciting times for Kate Bush fans. Earlier this year, she released 'Director's cut', a collection of re-recorded, and in some cases, re-edited tracks from her albums 'The red shoes' and 'The sensual world', and now, within days, her tenth album '50 words for snow' is coming out. Two albums by Kate Bush in one year? Well it must be 1978 all over again.

Back in 1985, Kate Bush's absence from the music scene for three years was perceived as an extremely long time. After this absence she delivered 'Hounds of love', one of her finest albums, and this first single, 'Running up that hill', was the first of her tracks ever to appear in an extended remix. I bought the 7" and 12" single at the same day - and that was the first time I ever did that.

My collection: 12" single no. 11
Found: LP Top 100, 1985
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Running up that hill (extended version)' / 'Under the ivy', 'Running up that hill (instrumental)'

Wednesday 16 November 2011

One night in Bangkok - Murray Head

Only two years after buying the 7" single, I bought the 12" single of 'One night in Bangkok', the hit single from the musical Chess written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from Abba with Tim Rice.

I was curious about this extended version, and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I heard it. The mix does have an interesting structure, but the idea to incorporate other pieces of music from the musical into this mix was not a particularly good one. Still, 'Chess' fans will certainly like this version.

My collection: 12" single no. 324
Found: Record fair, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'One night in Bangkok [extended version]' / 'Merano'

Love changes (everything) - Climie Fisher

Climie Fisher had their first hit with 'Love changes (everything)' in September 1987, although it only made number 67 in the UK singles chart. After the follow-up 'Rise to the occasion' reached number 10 in that chart three months later, 'Love changes (everything)' was re-released, and that time it reached number 2 in the UK singles chart.

This 12" single features both the single version and its B-side, and an extended remix.

My collection: 12" single no. 68
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Love changes (everything) (The love mix)' / 'Love changes (everything)', 'Never close the show'

Love is a wonderful colour - Icicle works

The Icicle Works' frontman Ian McNabb sounds suspiciously like David Bowie in this track, 'Love is a wonderful colour'. Their first hit single, entering the UK singles chart on December 24, 1983, it was also their biggest, peaking at number 15 during a 9 week chart run.

This 12" single features an extended remix of almost 7 minutes created by Hugh Jones. The two B-side tracks also appeared on a limited edition double single which I've written about almost three years ago.

My collection: 12" single no. 226
Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, 1994
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Love is a wonderful colour (long version)' / 'Waterline', 'In the dance the shaman led'

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Underground - David Bowie

Back in the Nineties, there was a record fair in Leiden every six months. During that record fair, they used to always play a remix of David Bowie's 'Underground'. It was quite an obscure remix, because as it turned out, that remix does not appear on the 12" single of 'Underground' that was released in 1986. I've never been able to track down that remix. (Any tips are welcome below.)

Meanwhile, I did buy this disc, a Spanish pressing of 'Underground' on 12". That was not a deliberate choice: I just happened to find this copy for a low price, so I bought it. Perhaps some David Bowie fans out there are hunting down this version, I wouldn't know... Anyway, it contains the same tracks as other pressings of this disc: remixes created by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero.

My collection: 12" single no. 269
Found: Record fair, 1996
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Underground (Extended dance mix)' / 'Underground (dub)', 'Underground (instrumental)'

Who's that girl - Eurythmics

There was some doubt in my mind upon buying this 12" single, whether it would contain an extended version of 'Who's that girl', as it wasn't described as such on the label. Strange, because the extended version of 'Who's that girl' would be something to brag about as it's actually quite good.

'Who's that girl' was the first single from the band's third album 'Touch' and a top 10 hit in several European countries. In the UK, the single peaked at number 3.

My collection: 12" single no. 605
Found: Record Exchange, London, 200X
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Who's that girl [extended version]' / 'You take some lentils... and you take some rice', 'ABC (Freeform)'

I'm the one who really loves you - Mel & Kim

'I'm the one who really loves you' was originally recorded by British singer Austin Howard in 1986. The track was written and produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman, who also recorded the track with Mel & Kim a year later for their debut album 'F.L.M.'.

Although never released as a single in Europe where the duo celebrated their biggest successes, the track was remixed by Civilles & Cole and released on 7" and 12" in the USA. I bought the import 12" when it was just released.

My collection: 12" single no. 62
Found: LP Top 100, 1987
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'I'm the one who really loves you (Stardom groove club mix)', 'I'm the one who really loves you (Groove dub)' / 'I'm the one who really loves you (Kick 'n live mix)', 'I'm the one who really loves you (Done properly dub)'

Monday 14 November 2011

Martha's harbour - All about Eve

All about Eve have really had only one big hit; the immortal 'Martha's harbour'. The single reached number 10 and it was their only single to reach the top 10 in the UK. It was an astonishing success, since at the time, inane house music and assembly line pop from the Stock/Aitken/Waterman stable was dominating the charts.

This 12" single in a box was one of the many formats available at the time. It featured a large poster, signatures of all four band members and two exclusive live tracks on the B-side. It was a numbered limited edition; I have number 4943.

My collection: 12" single no. 271
Found: Record fair, 1996
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Martha's harbour', 'Another door' / 'In the clouds (live)', 'Shelter from the rain (live)'

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