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'