I'm only foolin' myself - Paul Young

According to the German press blurb included in my copy of this single, 'I'm only foolin' myself' was released on January 13, 1992. It was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight. The song was remixed by Michael Brauer, who previously worked with the Rolling Stones.

The single was taken from Paul's 'greatest hits' album 'From Time To Time' (1991), which was a triple platinum album in the UK. Released as that album's fourth single, it didn't get into the charts.

My collection: 7" single no. 5978
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2017
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'I'm only foolin' myself'' / 'Thinking about'

Fifth of May - Ph.D.

Although 'I won't let you down' remains their only big hit, Ph.D. did release some more singles. That much is evident from this blog already, but I found another single which I didn't know about. 'Fifth of May' was taken from the band's second album 'Is it safe?' and was apparently released in Italy only (although a promotional 7" single from the USA also exists).

The band reformed in 2009 and released a third album, appropriately titled 'Three', but that one wasn't a commercial success either.

My collection: 7" single no. 5979
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2017
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Fifth of May' / 'Johnny'

Light my fire - The Doors

It's hard to believe that the debut single of the Doors was released 50 years ago. The band has been around for such a short time - not counting their post-Jim Morrison output - but have impressed every generation since.

This single was made this year to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, using the Japanese single's original artwork. It is a curious release because Japanese singles didn't come in cardboard sleeves, but this remade single does. Nevertheless, this is a nice little item and I'm pretty satisfied to have picked this up during a visit to London, saving a little on the online price and a lot on postage (although obviously you could argue that a return flight to London is much more expensive. But anyway.)

My collection: 7" single no. 5874
Found: Fopp, London, October 27, 2017
Cost: 8 pounds
Tracks: 'Light my fire' / 'The crystal ship'

Silly love songs - Wings

Recorded on January 16, 1976, 'Silly love songs' was a song written as a rebuttal to music critics who criticized Paul McCartney for writing lightweight love songs. According to McCartney, "The song was, in a way, to answer people who just accuse me of being soppy. The nice payoff now is that a lot of the people I meet who are at the age where they've just got a couple of kids and have grown up a bit, settling down, they'll say to me, "I thought you were really soppy for years, but I get it now! I see what you were doing!""

The single was released in April and reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the USA. The label of this single mentions 'Wings at the speed of sound', which is of course the album from which it was taken.

My collection: 7" single no. 5872
Found: Record exchange, Greenwich, London, October 27, 2017
Cost: 25p
Tracks: 'Silly love songs' / 'Cook of the house'

The number one song in heaven - Sparks

The Mael brothers have been making records for decades now and their band Sparks seems to get a new lease of life every few years or so. Their recent album 'Hippopotamus' has put them in the spotlights once again.

Back in 1979, they released this single, a disco track co-written and produced by legendary producer Giorgio Moroder. In the UK the single peaked at number 14, whereas in the Netherlands it never came near the charts. In addition to the standard black vinyl, both the 7" and 12" versions of the single were issued in a variety of coloured vinyl releases (red, blue, and green). Unfortunately, this single is the 'standard' black vinyl edition. But what can you expect, at this price.

My collection: 7" single no. 5873
Found: Record exchange, Greenwich, London, October 27, 2017
Cost: 25p
Tracks: 'The number one song in heaven' / 'The number one song in heaven (long version)'

Sad songs (say so much) - Elton John

Every once in a while I buy a single that I thought I already had bought long ago but I didn't. 'Sad songs (say so much)' by Elton John is a song that I confuse with I guess that's why they call it the blues for some strange reason.

That single was released a year earlier. 'Sad songs' was another big success for Elton. It reached the top 10 everywhere except in Germany where the single stalled at number 18. Even weirder, the single never even made the Top 40 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 5871
Found: Record exchange, Greenwich, London, October 27, 2017
Cost: 25p
Tracks: 'Sad songs (say so much)' / 'A simple man'