Free? - Beat

Beat were a Finnish band who represented their country in Eurovision Song Contest 1990. The group was composed of members Janne Engblom, Kim Engblom, Tina Krause and Tina Pettersson. They performed the song 'Fri?' ('Free?') in Swedish and finished 21st out of 22 countries, scoring 8 points.

This single features the English version on the A-side and the Swedish version on the B-side. A single with the Finnish version also exists, but that one, titled 'Vapaa?' is hard to get. So if you have a copy, let me know. I might want to buy it from you.

My collection: 7" single no. 7344
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 September 2024
Tracks: 'Free?' / 'Fri?'

Spitting games - Snow Patrol

'Spitting games' was released as the lead single from Snow Patrol's third album, Final Straw (2003).The album became a big success for the band, especially because of their next single 'Run', which is when I discovered the band. No wonder, then, that I missed out on this single. 

Better late than never, of course. After I played the album recently I started looking at my singles and discovered this omission. There's a few more omissions, so if I find more singles from this era at a reasonable price, they will certainly appear here.

My collection: 7" single no. 7339
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Spitting games' / 'Steal'

Everything must change - Paul Young

A double single was not enough to promote Paul Young's 'Everything must change' into the charts, there was also a limited edition with a poster sleeve. The record company did their best, and it paid off: the single peaked at number 9 in the UK singles chart at the end of 1984. 

The content of the single was no different from disc one of the double single, with the title track and 'Give me my freedom' on the B-side. The poster included a calendar for 1985. It probably adorned the wall of many a teenage girl back then.

My collection: 7" single no. 7342
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Everything must change' / 'Give me my freedom'

Under attack - Abba

In 1982 Abba released their 'last' single, 'Under attack'. In the UK the single was also released as a picture disc - and a very pretty one, I have to add. The photograph was also used on the compilation The Singles - The First Ten Years, on which this song was presented for the very first time.

Flash forward 42 years and the band is about the release The Singles - The First Fifty Years. You would almost expect them to deliver more material during the next fifty years, but that seems highly unlikely. Meanwhile, it's items like this that will keep fans happy for a long time.

My collection: 7" single no. 7341
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Under attack' / 'You owe me one'

One of us - Abba

After the recent influx of Abba picture discs in my collection, I suddenly realized that the band also released a few picture discs back in the day. I knew of at least one: 'One of us', a picture disc released in the UK which I spotted at record fairs quite a few times. Buying them seemed like a bridge too far, but now that I'm the owner of the majority of their picture disc releases, it didn't seem so weird anymore.

And so I went online and found a seller who had this, and another picture disc on offer - and for a reasonable price, too. This disc shows the men on the A-side and the women on the B-side. Seems like a bit of sexual discrimination was going on there...

My collection: 7" single no. 7340
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'One of us' / 'Should I laugh or cry'

Hot in the city - Billy Idol

I bought Billy Idol's 'Hot in the city' a long time ago. I didn't know back then that there's also a promotional version of that single, featuring a remix of the track. The 'Exterminator fix' is a shorter version of the 'Exterminator mix' that appears on the album Vital Idol, that was released in 1985. 

This single was released in 1987, making it obvious that Billy actually had success with some of his songs for several years.

My collection: 7" single no. 7337
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Hot in the city (Exterminator fix)' / 'Catch my fall (Remix fix)'

Tomorrow's just another day - Madness

Madness released 'Tomorrow's just another day' as the follow-up to 'Our house', one of the band's most recognized hits. It was the second single taken from their album The rise & fall, but the chart placing wasn't quite as impressive: it only made number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in Ireland, but failed to chart in other countries, like Canada, where 'Our house' had topped the chart!

This picture disc replicates the picture sleeve of the regular single, but in a different colour. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7338
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Tomorrow's just another day' / 'Madness is all in the mind'

Signal fire - Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol recorded 'Signal fire' for the soundtrack of the film Spider-Man 3, not long after their successful album Eyes Open. A demo of the song was initially offered by the band for Shrek the Third, but was rejected. Gary Lightbody revealed the band's involvement with Spider-Man 3. Drummer Jonny Quinn later said: "Shrek didn't like it, but Spider-Man did."

The vinyl release was on a specially created web-shaped vinyl housed in a PVC sleeve - it was the only 7" single of the song - but as it was a shaped picture disc, it is actually larger than 7 inches. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: Shaped picture disc [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2024
Tracks: 'Signal fire' / 'Wow (Eddy TM Loser remix)'

Ik sta te blozen - Annie

'Ik sta te blozen' ('I'm blushing') is one of the least gloomy songs recorded by Annie, perhaps this is why the record company went for this song. It's the story of a woman who is blushing when she receives a bunch of red roses, which is quite innocent when you compare it to the ominous songs Annie sings on other single releases.

Both songs on this single were taken from Annie's album Liedjes van liefde en leven (Songs of love and life), an undisputed cult classic. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7334
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Ik sta te blozen' / 'De strandjutter'

Volare - Alan Dale

Alan Dale was born in Brooklyn, New York on 9 July 1925. He began his career at age 9 when his comedian father was running short on his program and called on Aldo to sing. Though Aldo fainted immediately upon completing his song, he was good enough that he became a regular on his father's program. 

Considered to have one of the top pop voices, Alan Dale had a career that spanned three decades and 16 record labels. He was a crooner who later flirted with rock 'n' roll. His version of 'Volare' was released in 1958, almost immediately after Domenico Modugno sang it at the Eurovision Song Contest.

My collection: 7" single no. 7336
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'Weeping willow in the wind'

Merci Cherie - Johnny White

Sometimes record company strategies can be mystifying. Why would 'Merci Cherie', a song from 1966, become a hit in 1992? Still, they gave Johnny Winter the chance to record this old song in two languages (Dutch and French) and went with it. 

Johnny White was Johnny Wittevrouw, the Belgian singer (born 13 June 1946) who had a career  in the Seventies, until success eluded him and he went AWOL for most of the Eighties. He came back in 1989 and released singles until 2006. After White suffered a heart attack he was admitted to the hospital for laparoscopy, but this proved fatal as he would never wake up after his anesthesia. He passed away on 13 January 2014.

My collection:  7" single no. 7335
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Merci Cherie (Dutch)' / 'Merci Cherie (French)'

San Remo Hits - Various

The 'Populaire Platen Kring' ('Popular Records Circle') was a Dutch phenomenon from the early Sixties. The labels do not bear dates. It is completely unknown how often a new edition appeared on the market. What is known is that most items contain imitated songs, a bit like the later English Top of the Pops albums.

This edition features hits from the San Remo festival - and indeed the Eurovision Song Contest. Of particular interest for me was the version of 'Addio Addio', performed by one Jean Couroyer and 'Romantica' by Togliani. Modugno himself appears with 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'.

My collection: 7" single no. 7333
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Quando quando quando' (Jean Couroyer), 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' (Modugno), 'Gondoli' Gondola'' (Jean Couroyer), 'Le mille bolle blu' (Renatino) / 'Addio addio' (Jean Couroyer), '24 milla baci' (Rondinella), 'Tango Italiano' (Jean Couroyer), 'Romantica' (Togliani)

The woman in me - Heart

'The woman in me' was a hit for Donna Summer. Heart probably thought they could also have a hit with the song (or were they pushed by their record company?) and so they recorded the song on their 1993 album Desire walks on. The single was released on CD-single only - plus a 7" single for jukeboxes only. It represents the last ever 7" single by Heart, because subsequent releases were never released on this format again.

As for 'The woman in me', it wasn't a big hit for the band. It reached number 13 in Canada after just missing the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 7332
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'The woman in me' / 'Risin' suspicion'