To be a lover - Billy Idol

It may seem like I am on a buying spree with regards to Billy Idol singles recently, but that's all because I discovered some very delicious limited editions. Take this one: a double pack of singles, featuring 'To be a lover' and 'White wedding'. The latter appears in a record company sleeve, and it is of course a previous single by Billy that the record company probably had to get rid of.

Still, if you bought this you got four pretty great tracks, because even the B-sides are worth a spin. I've never heard the 'Mega-Idol mix' before; a medley of 'Flesh for fantasy' and 'Hot in the city' which you have to hear to believe. It's actually quite messy... But great fun, as most of the Billy Idol tracks at that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6870
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'To be a lover' / 'All summer single' // 'White wedding' / 'Mega-Idol mix'

La, la, la (French version) - Joan Manuel Serrat

After the original version and the Italian version, I found the French version of 'La, la, la' by Joan Manuel Serrat recently. Inevitably I started to compare the three sleeves and I have to say that this one is the ugliest of the three. 

As for the French version, obviously it is beautiful. Somehow Joan Manuel Serrat manages to pull off singing like he's a French chansonnier. This third single is a nice addition to my collection of versions, now there's only his Portuguese and English versions to go...

My collection: 7" single no. 6869
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'La, la, la [French version]' / 'Poeme pour une voix'

J'aime la vie - Sandra Kim

The Japanese really know how to package their singles - they regularly come with totally different sleeves and then there's the sleeve notes at the back in Japanese too. And in this case, a totally different B-side! 

'J'aime la vie' was, of course, the song that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986. It remains the only time that Belgium won the Contest, and with a rather dreadful song I might add. But it still has all the hallmarks of an Eighties production, with synthesizers and drum beats galore. 

In a 2006 online interview with 12points.be, Kim was asked if she sings 'J'aime la vie' "with pleasure" at concerts and events now, to which she responded, "Not always." She then said, "It's a little girl's song, with little girl's lyrics, with a young adolescent's atmosphere. Nowadays, singing 'J'aime la vie'... do you like life every day? Me neither."

My collection: 7" single no. 6868
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'J'aime la vie' / 'Liberté'

Musik - Marianne Mendt

Marianne Mendt was born on 29 September 1945. She trained as a jazz singer and actress and toured as a singer and bass player, with group the Internationals, around Europe. In 1971 she represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Musik'. Performed as the first song of the evening, it was the first time that Austria was represented with a song in a Viennese dialect. At the end of voting 'Musik' could only manage 16th place of the 18 competing entries.

Mendt remains an active performer, regularly appearing at concerts and jazz festivals in Austria. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6867
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'Musik' / 'I hob di...'

Let's stick together - Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry's 'Let's stick together' is one of those songs that probably everybody knows. It's very familiar and a radio favourite ever since its release. I always felt it was an unremarkable song compared to a lot of material from the second half of the Seventies and the first half of the Eighties, but the taste of the general public and DJ's in particular has always been a mystery to me anyway. It's a nice song, but not stunning or anything.

The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40. Ferry actually re-released the track in remixed form in 1988. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6866
Found: De elpeezaak, Den Haag, 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'Let's stick together' / 'Sea breeze'

City rhythm - Shakatak

Shakatak's 'City rhythm' starts with a fetching intro by a female voice, and then the song doesn't really take off but remains a bit middle of the road, jazzy muzak and all. Still, I thought it would be nice to have this single because it does remind me of all the hours I spent in front of the television while I should have been making homework. I guess Shakatak could take a percentage of the blame for my bad school results back then. 

'City rhythm' only made it to number 77 in the UK singles chart but stayed outside the Dutch Top 40. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6865
Found: De elpeezaak, Den Haag, 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'City rhythm' / 'Round and round'

How 'bout us - Champaign

Through the years there have been many occasions when I saw this single and I didn't buy it. In my mind, I already bought it years ago. I didn't buy it in 1981, because at the time it was played to death on the radio. The single spent eight weeks at number 1 in the Dutch top 40. The music video, set somewhere in a recording studio, also appeared on TV more times than I can count. (Surprisingly, the single only got to number 5 in the UK and number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100.)

When I saw this copy of the single I only bought it because it was in mint condition, and probably not marked by stickers - something that I used to do years ago. Imagine my surprise when I found out I never actually bought this single! And so, it is finally introduced in my collection. This is one of those songs where every note, every word and every sound is in its place and the whole thing just sounds perfect from beginning to end. The album version is actually even better because it goes on for another minute - but this single is an essential purchase. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6864
Found: De elpeezaak, Den Haag, 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'How 'bout us' / 'Spinnin''

Baby I'm a want you - Bread

You could argue that I already owned Bread's 'Baby I'm a want you' on this Original Oldies single, but there's nothing quite like the real thing, and the real thing in this case is a single from 1971. It's a great little Dutch pressing with adverts for other artists on the back sleeve, including the Doors' last album with Jim Morrison, 'L.A. Woman'. I've always felt that Bread was a kind of laidback Doors band, so it feels appropriate.

The B-side of this single is called 'Truckin'', and it's a song that leans towards country territory and quite different from the songs that this band became famous for. I got to buy this single - and the three that will follow on this blog - because I really wanted to scour a real life record shop again, and this shop is the closest to my home.

My collection: 7" single no. 6863
Found: De elpeezaak, Den Haag, 18 February 2023
Tracks: 'Baby I'm a want you' / 'Truckin''

Go now - Tin Machine / Moody Blues

This 'cover to cover' single features two versions of the song 'Go now': the original by the Moody Blues and a live cover version by Tin Machine, the band featuring David Bowie, recorded at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on 17 February 1992. The Moody Blues version is actually also a live version, recorded during a radio session for the BBC in April 1965. 

It has to be said: there is every reason to listen to the B-side, whereas the A-side is pretty awful. For some reason there are people who think that Tin Machine was one of the best things David Bowie ever did, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. 

Another curiosity about this single: it was pressed on red vinyl and the number on the back sleeve reminds me that this is number 553 of a "limited edition of only 500". Right.

My collection: 7" single no. 6862
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 February 2023
Tracks: 'Go now' (Tin Machine) / 'Go now' (Moody Blues)

Don't need a gun - Billy Idol

'Don't need a gun' is a single taken from Billy Idol's third album 'Whiplash smile'. The song was written by Billy Idol himself. The song lyrics are all about the risk of using firearms. The chorus of the song includes references to 'Tutti Frutti', 'Flip, Flop and Fly' and 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy'. The final verse name-checks Elvis Presley, Johnnie Ray and Gene Vincent. 

The single peaked at number 26 in the UK singles chart and reached number 37 in the US Billboard Hot 100. My copy was released in a special gatefold sleeve, featuring an extra large photograph of Billy on the inside.

My collection: 7" single no. 6861
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 February 2023
Tracks: 'Don't need a gun' / 'Fatal charm'

Catch my fall - Billy Idol

The re-release of Billy Idol's 'Catch my fall' in 1988 was aided by a special box set featuring 4 cards and a badge. Sets like this are always a nice incentive for casual buyers to get the single - which in turn helps the single to reach higher positions in the charts. 

In this case, it helped just a little. When this single was originally released it didn't reach the UK singles chart at all, and with the help of this box set it peaked at a rather unimpressive number 63. Billy would reach the UK top 40 on two occasions after this: with Cradle of love in 1990 and 'Shock to the system' in 1993.

My collection: 7" single no. 6860
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 February 2023
Tracks: 'Catch my fall' / 'All summer single'

Soul destruction - T'pau

It´s probably better to stay uninformed about the political standpoints of your favourite artists, because sometimes it gets in the way of your enjoyment of their music. Case in point: Carol Decker from T'pau, who uses Twitter as a platform to rail against Covid measures, anything gender-related and some of my favourite politicians. Freedom of speech and all that, but I wouldn't mind not knowing all these damn opinions. It's almost soul destructing. 

Speaking of which, 'Soul destruction' was T'pau's last single for Siren records before the band parted ways with the label. The release came with some damn fine remixes, some of which were included on CD-single only, but this 12" single features the eight minute PWL remix of the track. It comes in an attractive gatefold sleeve and with a tour poster - although the latter is missing in my copy. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: London, 1992
Tracks: 'Soul destruction (remix)' / 'Soul destruction (album version)', 'Dirty town'

Eurovisão 80 - Various artists

If you were living in Portugal in 1980 and you wanted to have a generous collection of Eurovision Song Contest songs from that year, your cheapest option would be this LP. 'Eurovisão 80' presented twelve of the nineteen entries, starting with the winning song 'What's Another Year'. 

However, only a very small logo in the bottom right corner would tell you that these are cover versions. The artists who performed these songs were all uncredited, so if any of them dreamed of seeing their names printed on the sleeve, that dream would never come true. The versions of these songs are actually quite decent, and so it is still a nice album to have if you're a Eurovision fan.

My collection: LP [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 February 2023
Tracks: 'What's another year', 'Just nu', 'Non so che darei', 'Cinema', 'Quedate esta noche', 'Love enough for two' / 'Amsterdam', 'Theater', 'Euro-vision', 'Taenker altid paa dig', 'Flute-man', 'Samiid aednan'

Swinging on a star - Spooky & Sue

This single is a throwback to my earliest childhood, when I first started getting interested in pop music in the wake of my sister's singles collection. She would play records for me and I would enjoy most of them. This is how I discovered a lot of music in the Seventies, along with the weekly TV programme Toppop of course. 

The Dutch duo Spooky & Sue - consisting of the Aruban male singer Iwan Groeneveld and British female singer Sue Chaloner - enjoyed their biggest hit in 1974 with the song 'Swinging on a star'; it peaked at number 2 and stayed up there for a full month. The duo continued until 1977, after which they both pursued solo careers.

My collection: 7" single no. 6859
Found: Plato, Leiden, 4 February 2023
Tracks: 'Swinging on a star' / 'Ain't it good'

Wake up - Ian Dury & the Blockheads

A visit to a real record shop is always a pleasure, especially when they've got a good selection of 7" singles to look around in. I was quite surprised to see this single, because I knew the title but I suddenly realized that I didn't own it yet. 

'Wake up (and make love with me)' starts with the immortal line "I come awake / with the gift for womankind", which, as most men will testify, is an accurate description of those early moments of the day. Amazingly, the single wasn't a hit in the UK, but it did make number 25 in the Dutch Top 40. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6858
Found: Plato, Leiden, 4 February 2023
Tracks: 'Wake up' / 'Blockheads'

Madrugada - Duarte Mendes

José Henrique Duarte Mendes (born 7 August 1947) is a Portuguese former captain and singer. He participated in Festival da Canção in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 but he did not win until 1975 when he performed 'Madrugada', written by José Luís Tinoco, about the Colonial War and 1974's Carnation Revolution. He finished in 16th place with 16 points (a surprising 12 points from Turkey) in a field of 19 performers. 

I ordered the single from a Portuguese seller, but he informed me that the wrong disc was inside the sleeve. As a consolation he would send me the sleeve for free. All I had to do next was buy the disc - and fortunately a cheap one without the sleeve was on offer by another seller. And so the set has become complete after all!

My collection: 7" single no. 6857
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 January (sleeve) & 4 February 2023
Tracks: 'Madrugada'  / 'Entre Espanha e o mar'

The wages of love - Muriel Day

For a long time this single was on my wish list. It's the last single that I needed to complete the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 - the legendary edition with four winners. The Irish entry by Muriel Day was hard to find, because there aren't many copies of the original Irish pressing for sale - and the few that are available are offered for ridiculous prices.

Enter Portugal. I bought a few singles from a Portuguese seller and he had a copy of the Portuguese pressing on offer. As you can see, it comes with an attractive - if confusingly coloured - picture sleeve. 'The wages of love' was one of the less successful entries of 1969, ending up in tenth place in a field of sixteen competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6854
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 January 2023
Tracks: 'The wages of love' / 'Thinking of you'

Portugal no coração - Gemini

Although the Portuguese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 was performed by Os Amigos, the song was performed twice during the Portuguese national final - seven songs were performed by 14 performers. 

The other performers of 'Portugal no coração' were Gemini. They ended up in sixth place, and so didn't get the ticket to represent their country. They would be more lucky the next year, when they won the national final with the song 'Dai li dou'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6853
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 January 2023
Tracks: 'Portugal no coração' / 'Cantiga de namorar'

La, la, la [Italian version] - Joan Manuel Serrat

Joan Manuel Serrat was the original performer of 'La, la, la', before he was replaced by Massiel after he announced that he would only perform his song in Catalan - something that was unacceptable in Spain at the time. 

His refusal to perform the song in any other language at the Eurovision Song Contest is all the more amazing when you realize that he actually recorded the song in several other languages. And this is one of them: the Italian version of 'La, la, la'. And yes, it does matter, because despite the simple title of the song it does actually contain a few wordy verses.

My collection: 7" single no. 6852
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 January 2023
Tracks: 'La, la, la [Italian version]' / 'Poema d'amore'

Skibet skal sejle i nat - Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler

Having bought 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' a year ago on a 78rpm record, it shouldn't be surprising that I would eventually get the 7" vinyl EP as well. It took some time because most copies are overly expensive and I am not one for paying three figure prices for 7" singles.

But lo and behold, here it is: the original 1957 EP of 'Skibet sjal sejle i nat', with four tracks by Birthe Wilke with different duet partners. The cover may show some wear, but that is no surprise after 65 years. It's just a pleasure to own one of those early Eurovision singles. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6846
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 January 2023
Tracks: 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' (Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler), 'Tre piger fra Jylland' (Birthe Wilke & Dirch Passer) / ''Militaer tango' (Birthe Wilke), 'Kaerlighedens cocktail' (Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler)

White face - Charta 44

The 10" format is an unusual one: sometimes it simply contains two or three tracks and it's just a bigger 7" single, and sometimes it's too small to be an LP but it still contains almost as much tracks. This release by the Swedish band Charta 77, released in 1988, falls into the latter category: with seven tracks, it's almost a full album.

Ricky Wilde's debut single 'I am an astronaut' was a big hit in Sweden. So much so, that various singers and bands have covered the song. It's the main reason why I wanted to have this 10" single, as it features Charta 77's version. It's quite heavy, like all the other tracks on this 10" single. Well worth a listen!

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 21 January 2023
Tracks: 'I am an astronaut', 'In circles', 'On the wall', 'Lottery of justice' / 'Can't stand it', 'Escape', 'Acid rain'

Uma flor de verde pinho - Carlos do Carmo

Some people think that, because it took them half a century to win the Eurovision Song Contest, Portugal never sent in worthwhile songs. Well, quite the contrary. Looking back, you can hear the most beautiful songs with delicious melodies. 

Take for instance 'Uma flor de verde pinho', the 1975 entry. In this ballad, singer Carlos do Carmo compares his love for his country with the love he would feel for a beautiful woman. He goes as far as to liken himself to Pedro I, famous in Portuguese history for his status as a lover. Sure, there are some nationalist tendencies here, but it was only less than two years since the dictatorship had been brought down, so who can blame them? As long as the music is this beautiful, who are we to object...

My collection: 7" single no. 6845
Found: Ebay, received 21 January 2023
Tracks: 'Uma flor de verde pinho' / 'Novo fado alegre'

Quel coeur vas-tu briser? - Geraldine

'Quel cœur vas-tu briser' was the Swiss entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967 in Vienna, performed by Géraldine Gaulier. The song is a ballad in which Géraldine asks a former lover whose heart he is going to break now that hers no longer beats for him. She tells him that she has forgotten him and asks him who will be the next victim of his false passions. 

This EP features four songs by Géraldine, and they are quite varied. 'Jimmy' features rather weird vocals, whereas 'Neiges de printemps' is actually a very nice song. As for the title track, it finished in last place with zero points - which pretty much tells you how most juries felt about this song. It's actually not that bad. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6844
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 January 2023
Tracks: 'Quel coeur vas-tu briser?', 'Jimmy' / 'Jour a jour', 'Neiges de printemps'

Bring me closer - Altered Images

Last year saw a re-emergence of Altered Images, with Clare Grogan recording a whole new album. Alas, no vinyl singles were released, and so we're left with the old singles instead. I have all of them, but I recently found out about three picture discs. One is the picture disc of 'Don't talk to me about love', which I bought a little over four years ago, and here is another one: 'Bring me closer'. It really is the weakest track of the three, because as I wrote back in 2009, this single doesn't seem to go anywhere for some reason. 

I only have to buy the picture disc edition of 'I could be happy' to complete the set, and I am sure I will do that pretty soon. But visually, this one is without a doubt the most beautiful one of the three. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6843
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 January 2023
Tracks: 'Bring me closer' / 'Surprise me'

Let's all chant - Michael Zager Band

I bought the single 'Let's all chant' a long, long time ago. This was when I was no longer sick of the track - because it had been played repeatedly in and after 1978. Almost three decades later and I find myself buying the 12" single, because I have to admit it's as infectious a disco track as they come. It's not hard to imagine radio DJ's having a good time while playing this. 

This 12" version does what all good extended versions should do: add to the track and not take out any relevant stuff, like remixers started doing towards the end of the 1980's. This is seven minutes of 'Let's all chant' - the way you like it.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2023
Tracks: 'Let's all chant [extended]' / 'Traffic jam [extended]', 'Traffic jam (dub mix)'

Pytanie o siebie - Izabela Trojanowska I Zespół Budka Suflera

When I posted singles from Poland last month I finished with an EP by Izabela Trojanowska, so I thought it was nice to finish with her this month too. For some reason Discogs lists this EP as 'Pytanie o siebie', the first track on the B-side of this EP, so I had no choice but to follow their lead. 

On this EP Izabela collaborates with the band Budka Suflera, who ensure that the songs are slightly rougher. It's interesting to note that the tracks on the A-side are more rock-oriented, while the songs on the B-side are more synth-driven. It's almost as if it's a compilation of two singles pressed on one disc. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6842
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Nic Za Nic; Sobie Na Złość' / 'Pytanie O Siebie; Jestem Twoim Grzechem'

Słodkie Życie / S O S Dla Planety - Kapitan Nemo

Kapitan Nemo featured once before on this blog, with two accessible synthpop songs on the single 'Zimne kino'. This single was released prior to that one, so the music is quite similar and again very accessible.

Although this single clearly states an A- and B-side, it looks like the B-side 'S O S Dla Planety' was more popular, since it ended up in the Polish radio chart back in 1983, peaking at number 9. I have to say I prefer the A-side, but maybe that's just me.

My collection: 7" single no. 6841
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Słodkie Życie' / 'S O S Dla Planety'

Wspomnienia z pleneru - Kombi

I raved about the synthpop band Kombi a couple of times on this blog, and thus I am quite happy to present here the debut single of this band, released in 1979. It comes in a colourful Tonpress sleeve, although I am not sure if the sleeve belongs to the single since there is no mention of the band or song at all. 

'Wspomnienia z pleneru' means 'Outdoor memories'. It is an instrumental track with a beautiful melody line. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6840
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Wspomnienia z pleneru' / 'Przeciąg'

Zielono mi - Andrzej Dąbrowski

Andrzej Dąbrowski (born 13 April 1938 in Vilnius) is a Polish singer, drummer (jazzman), composer, journalist, photographer, and rally driver (Polish vice-champion in car rallies in 1957). A graduate of the Music High School in Kraków and the Instrumental Department of the State Higher School of Music in Kraków (in the percussion class of Józef Stojko).  

He made his debut as a jazz singer in 1965, and as a singer performing pop music in addition to jazz - in 1970. This EP, with the lead track 'Zielono mi' is a slightly eclectic mix of songs, finishing with the show tune 'Ol' Man River', from the 1927 musical 'Show boat'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6839
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Zielono Mi', 'Już Przyszedł Dzień' / 'Powrót', 'Ol' Man River'

Nie Wierz Nigdy Kobiecie - Budka Suflera

Budka Suflera is a rock group, formed in 1974 in Lublin (Poland). They released their debut album the next year, and they kept releasing albums on a regular basis to this day. They also released several singles together with Izabela Trojanowska, whose name also appears on this blog from time to time.

'Nie Wierz Nigdy Kobiecie' ('Never believe a woman') was released in 1982. It is a rock ballad, with lyrics written by Andrzej Mogielnicki, and the music was composed by Jan Borysewicz with the help of Romuald Lipka, although only the former is mentioned. The song was subsequently covered by Lady Pank, Krzysztof Krawczyk and Stachurski.

My collection: 7" single no. 6838
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Nie Wierz Nigdy Kobiecie' / 'Rok Dwóch Żywiołów'

Biały Krzyż - Czerwone gitary

Although most Polish singles I've posted here are from the Eighties, here is something from the Sixties. Czerwone gitary is a Polish rock/pop band, founded in 1965, which had its biggest outside success in the German Democratic Republic. In Poland known as Czerwone Gitary (Red Guitars), they performed numerous songs in German as well and consequently released them using a German name, Rote Gitarren. 

'Biały Krzyż' was released in 1968. Back then the band consisted of Seweryn Krajewski (guitar, keyboards, lead vocals), Bernard Dornowski (guitar, vocals), Jerzy Skrzypczyk (drums, vocals) and Krzysztof Klenczon (guitar, harmonica). Remarkably, their last album was released in 2015 and they are still touring.

My collection: 7" single no. 6837
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Biały Krzyż' / 'Deszcz Jesienny'

Szklana pogoda - Lombard

Lombard is another Polish band that has appeared on this blog before. Last month, it was their single 'Adriatyk, ocean gorący', and this time it's 'Szklana pogoda', also released in 1983 but not included on the album 'Wolne Od Cła'. This is perhaps explained by the fact that this single was released on the Polskie Nagrania label, whereas their other output appeared on Tonpress. But how am I to know... 

Anyway, 'Szklana pogoda' sounds very much like a new wave track, with synths and guitars fighting for your attention. It's an attractive slice of Eighties pop.

My collection: 7" single no. 6836
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Szklana pogoda' / 'Kto Mi Zapłaci Za Łzy'

Przytul mnie - Kombi

The band Kombi has appeared on this blog before, with the single 'Linia Życia' from 1983. It certainly sounded good, and this single, released in 1980, is another good example of what this Polish band is capable of. 

'Przytul mnie' ('Hug me') comes with sultry male vocals, something you might expect after reading the title. The music sounds like it is inspired by funk and disco. When you turn over the disc, you suddenly get a piece that leans more toward glam rock. And so my estimation would be that Kombi is an inspired band, offering a wide spectrum of music. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6835
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Przytul mnie' / 'Hotel twoich snów'

Krach - 2 plus 1

2 plus 1 were known as the "Polish Abba". They formed in the early Seventies and continued making music for decades in varying formations. Their music even reached other territories, which certainly during the Seventies and Eighties was not something that happened often to Polish bands. 

When you listen to this single, 'Krach', released in 1983, it's easy to see why: they created an infectious blend of disco and new wave - even if they came from folk rock beginnings. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6834
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Krach' / 'XXI wiek'

Od Rana Mam Dobry Humor - Maria Jeżowska

Born in 1960, Maria Jeżowska graduated from the the Faculty of Popular Music of the Academy of Music in Katowice under the direction of Krystyna Prońko. In 1978 she won the ZAKR award at the Festival of Soviet Song in Zielona Góra. In 1979, she participated with the song ´Nutka w nutkę´ in the "Premier" competition at the 17th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, where she received a distinction for "an interesting interpretation of the songs performed". 

After this success, she released her self-titled debut album in 1981. From this album, the single 'Od rana mam dobry humor' ('In the morning I have a good mood') was taken. It certainly sounds like an upbeat song. Look out for the very nice instrumental solo!

My collection: 7" single no. 6833
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Od Rana Mam Dobry Humor' / 'Reggae O Pierwszych Wynalazcach'

PePe Wróć - Perfect

The band Perfect is probably already familiar for the most avid readers of this blog, since I featured their singles Chcemy Być Sobą and Zamieniam Się W Psa here a month ago. This single, 'PePe Wróć' does not come close to their best track, 'Bla bla bla', but it's still a good piece of rock. 

It was released in 1982, between the other two singles mentioned above. The title means 'Pepe come back'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6832
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'PePe Wróć' / 'Opanuj Się'

Funky 608 D - Krzak

At the end of November I received a stack of singles from Poland from my friend Mat. A week ago I was surprised yet again with even more treats from behind the iron curtain. At least, that's how we, in western Europe, described all the countries east of Germany back in the Eighties.

All the names in this batch will be familiar for those who kept an eye on Polish pop, but for me, each and every single was a new discovery - and in most cases, a very pleasant discovery. Take for instance Krzak, described on Discogs as "a phenomenon on a global scale". A band playing instrumental music, it was one of the most popular rock groups in Poland of the early Eighties. This single, 'Funky 608 D' was released in 1980 and will certainly delight you - the B-side perhaps even more than the A-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 6831
Found: Received 7 January 2023
Tracks: 'Funky 608 D' / 'Kołysanka Dla Maciusia'

Boosh - Whelan & Di Scala (Da Mode)

'Running Up That Hill' was a big hit last Summer as a result of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things', which featured the song quite prominently. It certainly did wonders for the exposure of Kate Bush to younger generations. Of course, most older people were already familiar with the singer and the song. 

Even in 2006, the song was picked up by a young duo. Dave Whelan and Mike Di Scala took it upon themselves to make a remix of 'Running Up That Hill'. They titled it 'Boosh' and released it on a one track 12" single (the other side remained blank). 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 June 2022
Track: 'Boosh'

Here again - Mighty high

Few will have missed the resurgence of Kate Bush last year, because she went number 1 in several countries with 'Running Up That Hill', all because of a certain Netflix series. But Kate Bush has always been around, ever since she debuted with 'Wuthering Heights' in 1978 and the follow-up single 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes'. 

It is that latter song that has been remixed by Mighty High some time around 2010. I bought the 12" single, which was released unofficially, last year, but for some reason it didn't appear on this blog yet. As I am rectifying that, it's a good chance to listen to this interesting version of a classic song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 June 2022
Tracks: 'Here again (vocal mix)' / 'Here again (dub mix)'

Giving you the best that I got - Anita Baker

Anita Baker's 'Sweet love' is a beautiful soul song, and after I bought it I came across this limited edition box set, released some time after that single. The box set only included the single and a poster, which made you think a poster sleeve could also have been an option - but perhaps a box set made more of an impression in the UK stores in 1988. 

The song itself is, unfortunately, not as good as 'Sweet love'. At least, that's what I think. I've had this set for a few decades now but I am letting go of it, along with a handful of other singles. If you're interested, check out my Discogs inventory. 

My collection: 7" single no. 2454
Found: Record fair, Leiden, 2 September 1995
Tracks: 'Giving you the best that I got' / 'Good enough'

Et bonjour à toi l'artiste - Nicole Rieu

Back in November 2014, I bought 'Et bonjour à toi l'artiste', the French Eurovision entry from 1975 by Nicole Rieu. As I wrote back then, she recorded her song in no less than six languages. One of these was Japanese. 

'Soyokaze no okurimono' appears on the B-side of this Japanese single. Normally it is prohibitively expensive to order Japanese singles because of the postage costs involved, but I found this copy on Discogs from a French seller. That made it a lot easier to decide to buy this one. After all, we don't hear Eurovision songs in Japanese often enough. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6830
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 January 2023
Tracks: 'Et bonjour à toi l'artiste' / 'Et bonjour à toi l'artiste [Japanese version]'

Oração - António Calvário

Most people would think that the first ten years of the Eurovision Song Contest were pretty dull. Well, except my father, who thought that all the music made after the 1950's was bad. I grew to appreciate the music of the Fifties and Sixties later in life, and I have grown a pretty impressive Eurovision collection of singles as you can see on this blog. 

A recent acquisition is this Portuguese song from 1964. António Calvário sang 'Oração' ('Prayer') and recorded an EP with three more songs. Like most Portuguese songs, it didn't win but ended up in 13th place among 16 participants. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6829
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 January 2023
Tracks: 'Oração', 'Notre dame d'amour' / 'Alma de boémio', 'Tricana'

I am not afraid - Black / Angel eyes (Home and away) - Wet wet wet

This single represents the last Italian promo featuring a song by Black, completing my series of three. It was released in 1987 when a little UK band called Wet wet wet were making a name for themselves with the track 'Angel eyes (Home and away)', which I consider to be a terrible song because of those weird vocals. 

As for 'I am not afraid' by Black, the track is, of course, called 'I'm not afraid', but what's interesting about this single, is that the label says it has a duration of 3 minutes and 30 seconds, whereas in reality the track goes on for the full five minutes. That is a good thing, of course, because the single edit, which is found on this single, which was released commercially, is one of the worst single edits in the history of mankind.

My collection: 7" single no. 6828
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 January 2023
Tracks: 'Angel eyes (Home and away)' (Wet wet wet) / 'I am not afraid' (Black)

Chequered love / Kids in America - Kim Wilde

Obviously I have a lot of Kim Wilde singles, as you can see here, but I am a sucker for rare pressings - and boy, this really is a rare one. Made in the Philippines, it features 'Chequered love' on the A-side and, strangely, 'Kids in America' on the B-side. 

What's also interesting, is that this single features the classic 'EMI' logo on the label. Although Kim was signed to RAK records in the UK, and RAK is actually mentioned on this label, the Philippines probably didn't use the RAK artwork on their records at all. 

The single came in a generic white sleeve. If anyone is reading this in the Philippines, I am quite interested in the sleeve that would have been on this one originally - most probably a record company sleeve or something!

My collection: 7" single no. 6827
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 January 2023
Tracks: 'Chequered love' / 'Kids in America'

La la la (deutsch gesungen) - Massiel

Massiel's 'La la la' is often cited as one of the most inane Eurovision winners, because of the title and chorus of the song. Still, if you listen to the verses and the music in the background, you get to appreciate the song more. Personally I have grown to appreciate this song more than Cliff's 'Congratulations', which is actually a less challenging song. 

When I saw this copy in the shop I didn't initially think I should have it, until I saw the little red banner in the lower right corner. Deutsch gesungen? I didn't know Massiel recorded this song in German. It was a no-brainer: of course I had to have this single. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6825
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'La la la (deutsch gesungen)' (Massiel) / 'Spanish step' (Orchester Roberto Delgado)

Figure of eight / Ou est le soleil? - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has released a lot of singles during his career. So many, that he decided to release an expensive box set last year, featuring no less than 80 7" singles. There was, of course, a price to match: you could only get the set if you were willing to fork out about 600 euros. That's about 7,5 euros per 7". 

I got this 7" for considerably less. The weird thing about this single is that the B-side (or the AA-side, as it is declared on the disc) is much better than the title track 'Figure of eight'. 'Ou est le soleil' is an inspired piece of throwaway pop, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn. More tracks like this would have been welcome!

My collection: 7" single no. 6824
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Figure of eight' / 'Ou est le soleil?'

Always look on the bright side of life - Monty Python

On the last day of 2022 I got that urge. You know, the urge to visit a record shop and buy some vinyl. Unfortunately there aren't that many shops where I live - blame the internet for that - and so I had to go to the only shop that offers some interesting second hand singles in the area. There's always something there if you're desperate enough to buy something. 

This classic single by Monty Python was a bit of a surprise find. The song is familiar enough, but I don't think I've seen the single that much. My favourite line of the song is "Life's a piece of shit / When you look at it", and it pretty much sums up my view on life in general. I wasn't really intent on owning this single, but it was a nice find nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 6823
Found: 33|45 records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Always look on the bright side of life' (Monty Python) / 'Brian' (Sonia Jones)

Tschau, tschau Bambina - Peter Alexander

Domenico Modugno had a hit on his hands when he sang 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)' in 1959 at the Eurovision Song Contest. He probably didn't realize this when he failed to win that edition (the prize went to the Netherlands instead) but there are many cover versions of his song, and it must have earned him a fortune.

One of those cover versions was released the same year by Austrian singer Peter Alexander. He was born on 30 June 1926 and died on 12 February 2011.During his life he released almost 100 albums and twice as many singles. 'Tschau, Tschau Bambina' was a beautiful, sentimental version of that Italian song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6822
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Tschau, tschau Bambina' / 'Hol den Peter'

Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht - Rex Gildo

Ronnie Carroll represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest sixty years ago with 'Say wonderful things', ending up in fourth place. Still, the Contest being what it was in those early years, it caused him to have a hit around Europe and several artists got the idea to cover his song.

The German singer Rex Gildo recorded a version in German, entitled 'Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht'. It wouldn't be his only Eurovision adaptation, either: in 1976 he recorded 'Küsse von dir', a version of Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your kisses for me'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6821
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht' / 'My Sonny I love you'

Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs

Not so long ago, I acquired the French version of 'Jennifer Jennings' by Louis Neefs. Only two more versions to go, I wrote back then, and I was lucky enough to find the German version recently - and for a low price too! Obviously I had to order a couple more singles to make the postage worthwhile, but this was a very good catch. Certainly when it was described as 'very good', which on a scale towards 'very good +', 'near mint' and 'mint' is not something to write home about. Imagine my surprise when I actually received this one: it is nearly flawless! Okay, so there's a name and address written on the back of the sleeve, but it's the front of the sleeve that counts - and obviously the disc itself which is in a very good state, as you shall hear. 

Only one more version to go! Oh, those Italians... I hope there will be a generous one out there.

My collection: 7" single no. 6820
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Jennifer Jennings (deutsch gesungen)' / 'I love you'