Que daria yo - Alan Sorrenti

Alan Sorrenti represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 with the song 'Non so che darei'. Due to the success of his song at the contest, he decided to record several versions of the song. The English version, 'If you need me now', was released in several countries, and the Spanish version was released in Spain and South America. 

My copy of 'Que daria yo' is a promotional disc, meaning that the label is white and says 'disco promocional - prohibida su venta'. That's always a bonus in my book.

My collection: 7" single no. 7753
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 August 2025
Tracks: 'Que daria yo' / 'Todo es magico de noche'

Every angel - All about Eve

All about Eve were promoted heavily by their record company when their debut album looked like it was going to be a big success. They didn't yet have their big hit 'Martha's harbour' yet, but a good live reputation and a strong fanbase went a long way. 

And so, Mercury Records started releasing singles in many different formats - a wellknown strategy in 1988, before chart rules were made more strict in the UK. 'Every angel' was released on a 7" single, a 12" single, and this limited edition 10" single. This format came with its own exclusive track: 'More than this hour' was only available on this 10" single. The exclusive poster showed the image from the sleeve of the 7" and 12" singles. 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, 1990
Tracks: 'Every angel (extended)', 'Candy tree' / 'Wild flowers', 'More than this hour'

Mamma Mia - Abba

'Mamma Mia' was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It is the opening track on the group's third album, the self-titled album ABBA (1975). The song was released in September 1975 as its sixth single. It tells the story of the narrator's on-again, off-again relationship with a lover who is repeatedly unfaithful to her. The song's name is derived from Italian and literally translates as "my mother", but is used as an interjection (Mamma mia!) in situations of surprise, anguish, or excitement. 

The distinctive sound at the start of the song is the marimba. According to biographer Carl Magnus Palm, the instrument was incorporated at the last minute, added after Benny Andersson found it in the studio and decided its "tick tock" rhythm was perfect for the track. 

The song was ABBA's first number one in the UK since 'Waterloo' in 1974. As of September 2021, it is ABBA's seventh-biggest song in the UK with 860,000 chart sales (pure sales and digital streams).

The Dutch pressing had a beautiful sleeve, but in Germany and France different designs were used. It was nice to find these recently.

My collection: 7" single no. 5891 / 6759
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 January 2018 / 9 August 2022
Tracks: 'Mamma Mia' / 'Intermezzo no. 1'