Hungry eyes - Sheena Easton

Seven years ago I bought the Japanese single 'Hungry eyes' by Sheena Easton and when I wrote about it on this blog I already mentioned the original release of that single. Well, here it is, and indeed, this sleeve is slightly less pretty than the re-released version. But still, I am always impressed by the quality of those Japanese pressings.

'Hungry eyes' and the B-side 'Strut' appeared on Sheena's fifth studio album Private Heaven, released in September 1984. The album was certified platinum in Canada and the USA, but didn't chart in Europe. Mission accomplished, I guess: a few years later she was working with Prince.

My collection: 7" single no. 8431
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'Hungry eyes' / 'Strut' 

We kill the world - Boney M

Long before America put an aging psychopath in the White House, Russia started killing as many innocent humans as they could and billionaires developed robots and 'artificial intelligence', Boney M warned us that we were busy killing the world. Naively they thought that environmental issues would do the trick, but I think humans are more efficient at the moment. The message, anyway, is still relevant today. 

The song starts strong but changes halfway and turns into the saccharine 'Don't kill the world', sung by  Brian Paul. He was a young boy who together with his friend Brian Sletten eventually sang all of the children's vocals themselves. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8434
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'We kill the world (Don't kill the world)' / 'Boonoonoonoos' 

 

Gadda-da-vida - Boney M

When the Seventies turned into the Eighties, Boney M started releasing a bit more serious material. 'Children of paradise' was a bible story compressed in a few melodic minutes. I remember the song made a big impression on me, because the music sounded a bit threatening. I was only nine years old after all.

The Japanese preferred the other side, 'Gadda-da-vida', which was a cover of the 1968 psychedelic track 'In a gadda-da-vida' by Iron Butterfly. Buyers were encouraged to buy this single. After all, it was a "Pops & Disco Hit No. 1!!".

My collection: 7" single no. 8432
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'Gadda-da-vida' / 'Children of paradise'

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday - Boney M

We're currently enjoying a bit of an indian summer, which is a good time to break out that summerhit from 1979: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday'. The Japanese sleeve is similar to the European one, but with added Japanese translation and the exclamation that it's a "Pop & Disco Big Hit!!". I wonder how many people needed that prompt to buy this single.

The single was a top 5 hit all over Europe and topped the chart in the Netherlands. I have no info on the Japanese charts, so any help with that will be highly appreciated.

My collection: 7" single no. 8420
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday' / 'Ribbons of blue'

Belfast - Boney M

My friend Puck asked me recently why I started buying so many Boney M singles. The answer is simple: because I enjoy their music and because the Japanese sleeves of those singles are often very different from the European ones.

This one is a good example of that. 'Belfast' was released in 1977 with a dynamic, if slightly chaotic sleeve design. The Japanese version is a lot more balanced. The music, of course, remains the same, but sometimes I just enjoy buying variants - especially when they're not unreasonably expensive.

My collection: 7" single no. 8421
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Belfast' / 'Plantation boy' 

Don't talk to me about love - Altered Images

'Don't talk to me about love' was released as the first single from Altered Images's third album Bite in 1983. The single reached the top 10 in three countries; number 7 in the UK, and number 6 in both Ireland and New Zealand. The song was their last major hit, as the next three singles only had moderate to minor chart placings.

The UK sleeve of the single is supposed to be some kind of art piece, but personally I like this Japanese sleeve a lot better: it's a photograph of the band's singer Clare Grogan in a pose similar to that on the album sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 8435
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'Don't talk to me about love' / 'Last goodbye' 

Sunglasses at night - Corey Hart

Corey Hart was born on 31 May 1962 in Montreal, Canada. Hart's debut album, First Offense, was recorded at Revolution Recording Studios in Manchester, England, in the spring of 1982. It was produced by Jon Astley, then best known for his work with The Who, and Phil Chapman. Released in 1983, First Offense featured the single 'Sunglasses at night'. 

The song features one of the most beautiful synth intros of the Eighties, but then flies off the rails a little when the screeching guitars come in. It's typical of the Eighties rock style, but this song has its own particular charm. It reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a minor hit in Europe. I do remember the music video: it was on high rotation on those European satellite channels in 1984. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8430
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'Sunglasses at night' / 'At the dance'