Girls just want to have fun - Cyndi Lauper

In 1983, 1984 and beyond, Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls just want to have fun' was unavoidable. It was on the radio, on Music Box and Sky Channel, and everywhere else, so it seemed. I became sick of the song.

It's taken four decades, but I can finally listen to the song again. It's odd that I have quite a bit of Cyndi Lauper singles, but not her biggest hit. I finally got the chance to rectify that, because this copy popped up and I didn't even have to pay much for it. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8337
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Girls just want to have fun' / 'Right track, wrong train' 

Amiga Quartett - Ofra Haza

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the formula of the Amiga Quartett EP's: a collection of hits from a certain artist, like A-ha, Nena or Sandra. In the case of Ofra Haza, there was only one hit that really counted: the remixed version of 'Im nin' alu'. Three other tracks were added on this disc, but they were never chart hits in most territories - although 'Galbi' actually reached number 20 in the West German singles chart. 

Amiga, of course, was the state-owned record company of East Germany, before the Berlin wall fell. These days it's not too difficult to get your hands on these EP's, but obviously before the Nineties they were strictly available in the German Democratic Republic only.

My collection: 7" single no. 8336
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Im nin' alu', 'Galbi' / 'Eshal', 'Love song'

The runner - Three Degrees

'The Runner' was taken from the album New Dimensions by the Three Degrees. The single would be their penultimate hit in the Netherlands: only 'The heaven I need' in 1985 would reach the Dutch Top 40 after this. 

 

One of the members of the trio, Sheila Ferguson, wrote 'The Runner', together with Giorgio Moroder, who also produced the track. The German single came in this colourful picture sleeve.

 

My collection: 7" single no. 8335
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'The runner' / 'Woman in love' 

My number one - Luv

The trio Luv released their first album with Patty Brard in 1980 and 'My number one' was the first single to be taken from that album. The German pressing of the single had a slightly different picture sleeve, compared to the Dutch version. 

The song was a top five hit in the Netherlands and in Flanders (Belgium). It was Luv's last chart entry outside Dutch-speaking countries, ending the group's succession of export hits. It reached number 60 in Germany. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8334
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'My number one' / 'The show must go on' 

A-ba-ni-bi - Izhar Cohen & the "Alpha-Beta"

It's not difficult to find a copy of 'A-ba-ni-bi' in the Netherlands. It seems that thousands of copies have been left in record shops and thrift shops all over the country, in that simple sleeve containing just the title and artist. 

The version that was made in Germany is a lot harder to find. I think I've only seen it a couple of times through the years - but never for the 1 euro that I paid for it this week. This version is, of course, attractive because of the picture sleeve, on which you can actually see Izhar Cohen's face. The song remains the same: I don't think a Hebrew version was ever released on record.

My collection: 7" single no. 8333
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'A-ba-ni-bi' / 'Illusions' 

The fool on the hill - Shirley Bassey

In 1970 Shirley Bassey released this cover version of the Beatles' 'The fool on the hill'. In his authorised biography, Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney says he first got the idea for the premise from the Dutch design collective the Fool, who were the Beatles' favourite designers in 1967 and told him that they had derived their name from the Tarot card of the same name. According to McCartney, the song possibly relates to a character such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles' meditation teacher. 

'"Fool on the Hill" was mine and I think I was writing about someone like Maharishi. His detractors called him a fool. Because of his giggle, he wasn't taken too seriously. It was this idea of a fool on the hill, a guru in a cave, I was attracted to ... I was sitting at the piano at my father's house in Liverpool hitting a D 6th chord, and I made up "Fool on the Hill"'.

Shirley Bassey's version peaked at number 48 in the UK singles chart.  

My collection: 7" single no. 8332
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'The fool on the hill' / 'What are you doing the rest of your life'

Cross your heart - Tina

I bought Tina's 'Cross your heart' in 2014, in a downright ugly sleeve. I was glad to have the opportunity to buy a better version this week; the German pressing of the single with a colour picture sleeve.

Tina was born Philomena Quinn and won a talent contest in Butlins Skegness. She then sang with the Mexican showband between 1966 and 1968. Ireland was a poor country with bad roads, and Tina was involved in two serious traffic accidents that nearly meant the end of her career. In 1972, Tina made her first attempt to participate in the Irish national selection by singing 'Don't Need Your Sympathy', but she finished in a tie for third place behind Sandie Jones. The winner of the 1974 national final, in which Tina sang all the songs, was 'Cross Your Heart', written by Paul Lyttle. 'Cross Your Heart' was a big hit in Ireland. Expectations were high when she arrived in Brighton. In the end, she ended up in seventh place.

My collection: 7" single no. 8331
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Cross your heart' / 'What would I be'