Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme) - Mouth & MacNeal

If you've read the very first entry in this blog (from almost 18 years ago!) you know that for all intents and purposes 'Hello ah' by Mouth & MacNeal is my very first 7" single. Although I think it's a bit of a dodgy song it still holds a certain special place in my memory, which is why I never got rid of this single.

When I saw the German version of that song in Duisburg last week, I didn't pick it up at first. But after I went through everything I still went back to it, because the whole opportunity of owning a German version of my first single was just too good to forego. It's just too funny that I bought it over 8400 singles later.

My collection: 7" single no. 8478 
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme)' / 'Ladi-Lau'

Genghis Khan - Lam

George Lam is a singer, songwriter and actor from Hong Kong, born on 12 October 1947. His career spans more than four decades. 

In 1980 he released this single, featuring cover versions of 'Genghis Khan' and 'Y.M.C.A.' - in Chinese. Quite why these tracks were released in Germany is unknown, but I am pretty sure that an element of nationalism was there: 'Genghis Khan' was of course the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978, and to have it covered in a different language must have been some compliment to the Germans. But perhaps there is a different explanation (I'd love to know it). Anyway, it's a great, curious single.

My collection: 7" single no. 8477
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Genghis Khan' / 'Y.M.C.A.' 

Neutron dance - Pointer Sisters

'Neutron dance' by the Pointer Sisters was used in the movie Beverly Hills Cop, but I couldn't tell you where and if the song was even important for the story line. (My best guess is: probably not.)

The song features Ruth Pointer on lead vocals. She recalled: 'When I first heard 'Neutron Dance' I didn't want to sing it. I liked [its] rhythm and vigorous arrangement but to me the word 'neutron' had a violent connotation on account of the neutron bomb then so much in the news.' According to Ruth, she suggested to the songwriter Allee Willis that the lyric be modified: 'She told me to quit overthinking it and just sing the damn song! Luckily I shut up and listened. I gave 'Neutron Dance' a gospel feel and nailed it in a few takes.'

My collection: 7" single no. 8476
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Neutron dance' / 'Telegraph your love' 

Don't let him steal your heart away - Phil Collins

For the first time in 15 years I bought a Phil Collins single again. And it's a beauty! 'Don't let him steal your heart away' is one of the best tracks of his second solo album Hello, I must be going. It was the third single off that album, although it was only released in the UK and Ireland. In Europe the track was the B-side of 'I don't care anymore', which for its passion and fury remains the best track off the album. 

The single only reached number 45 in the UK singles chart and number 18 in Ireland, which of course is a sad fact. This should have been top 5 at least!

My collection: 7" single no. 8475
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Don't let him steal your heart away' / 'Thunder and lightning' 

Mother Freedom - Bread

I bought the Dutch pressing of 'Mother Freedom' by Bread just last year, but standing there in this quaint record shop in Duisburg I forgot all about it. It's not hard to get tempted to buy a Bread single when the sleeve is this pretty. In fact, I like this German version better than the one from the Netherlands. 

The song isn't the most wellknown by the band, but it's certainly nice enough. And sometimes my collection is just driven by the desire to have beautiful variants. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8474
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Mother Freedom' / 'Live in your love' 

Brown girl in the ring - Boney M

I have bought quite a few Boney M singles recently, all of them from Japan. Mostly because the sleeves are so different or pretty. But I've always been a sucker for 'strange' editions, and the one I found in Duisburg is certainly that. 

It's a Hungarian pressing of 'Brown girl in the ring', with a rather simple sleeve. You can see the front here; the back is die-cut, showing the label of the actual single. What's more, the B-side features 'Nightflight to Venus', the title track of their third studio album, released in 1978. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8473
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Brown girl in the ring' / 'Nightflight to Venus' 

I wasn't the one (who said goodbye) - Agnetha Fältskog (duet with Peter Cetera)

'I wasn't the one (who said goodbye)' is a duet by Agnetha Fältskog and American singer Peter Cetera, formerly the lead singer and bass guitar player for rock band Chicago. The track was recorded for Fältskog's third English language studio album I Stand Alone (1987). It was written by Mark Mueller and Aaron Zigman, with Cetera providing production. It was released on 22 February 1988 as the second single from the album. 

It proved arguably the album's biggest chart success, peaking at number 93 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Finding this single was a bit of a surprise for me; it doesn't happen very often to find Agnetha singles other than the ones released from the previous album Wrap your arms around me.

My collection: 7" single no. 8472
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'I wasn't the one (who said goodbye)' / 'If you need somebody tonight'