For America - Red Box

After the release of the box set Anthology 1980-1990 last year, you might think that there's no reason to buy any Red Box vinyl from that period anymore. But this 10" single was too attractive to leave it in the store. 

It is packaged in a gatefold sleeve and comes with a free shaped 7" single of 'Lean on me'. 'For America' appears here in remixed form. Actually, this purchase made me wonder where the previous 10" single came from. And indeed, it was never released in a fully red sleeve. I was cheated in 2011! At least everything is good now.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'For America (Boys Own mix)' / 'Ain't got no... I got life', 'R 'n' A' // 'Lean on me' / 'Stinging bee'

Non ho l'eta - Gigliola Cinquetti

Although I already own several copies of 'Non ho l'eta', I never saw this one. It's an EP, released soon after her impressive win at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964, featuring four tracks. 'Non ho l'eta' and 'Sei un bravo ragazzo' appear on the original 7" single, and 'Penso alle cose perdute' was the B-side of the Japanese version of 'Non ho l'eta'. 

This EP seems to have been made in Belgium, and the label states that it was distributed across the Benelux. There must have been many copies of this EP, but I have never seen it before.

My collection: 7" single no. 7841
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Non ho l'eta per amarti', 'Quando vedo che tutti si amano' / 'Sei un bravo ragazzo', 'Penso alle cose perdute'

Jedan dan - Dubrovački Trubaduri

I bought a copy of 'Jedan dan' in 2009, the song by Dubrovački Trubaduri from the Eurovision Song Contest 1968. Like I wrote back then, various countries released the single, and they appeared in various different sleeves. 

This Belgian version is a good example. Despite its basic sleeve, the song made it to number 15 in the Flemish Ultratop chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7840
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Jedan dan' / 'Trubadurska serenade' 

Romantica - Marino Marini ed il suo quartetto

Marino Marini was quite invested in the Eurovision Song Contest; in the Fifties and Sixties he recorded several cover versions of the songs Italy sent in to the annual music fest. I already had a copy of his version of 'Uno per tutte', but three years before that he released this EP, featuring a version of 'Romantica', which was a big favourite in 1960 - numerous cover versions exist.

The EP also contains a version of 'Libero', which was the winning song of the San Remo festival in 1960. The original version was performed by Domenico Modugno, who co-wrote the song himself.

My collection: 7" single no. 7839
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Romantica', 'Notte mia' / 'Libero', 'E' vero' 

Volare / Ciao ciao bambina - Domenico Modugno

It's no wonder that Domenico Modugno's song 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', better known as 'Volare', became such an immortal song: it was re-released numerous times after its original release in 1958. In this case, we're looking at a Belgian single in the 'Golden Original Oldies' series from the early Eighties. 

'Volare' was coupled with that other Eurovision oldie, 'Ciao ciao bambina' a.k.a. Piove, which was Modugno's other big Eurovision hit from 1959. The single presents both songs in their original incarnations in a simple black and white sleeve. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7838
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Volare (Nel blu, dipinto di blu)' / 'Ciao ciao bambina (Piove)' 

Take a chance on me - Abba

Finding different versions of Abba singles has become a minor obsession, but that's because it's so interesting to see the various versions that were made during the Seventies. Sleeves seemed to vary a lot, depending on the country where the single was made. In France Abba was signed to Melba Disques at one point, and they were very creative with their sleeves. For 'Take a chance on me' they used the same photograph that was used elsewhere in Europe, but the layout of the sleeve was remarkably different. I think it was smart to put the title of the single on the top, but I wonder why the B-side was announced so prominently beneath the 'Abba' logo.

When you compare the design with the one on the German sleeve (which I bought some time ago) you can see what I mean. In this design the A-side title appears within the rectangle. It's just awkward that most of the photograph is covered in this design.

My collection: 7" single no. 7835 / no. 7103
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025 / Record fair, Utrecht, 2023
Tracks: 'Take a chance on me' / 'I'm a marionette' 

Denis - Blondie

There were a lot of different incarnations of the single 'Denis' by Blondie. I own the Dutch version, of course, but the German pressing came in a different sleeve and with a different B-side. It was interesting enough for me to want to have it. 

If you're not familiar with Chelsea Records in Antwerpen; it's a relatively small-sized record shop, stacked to the ceiling with boxes of singles. In order to get to the first letters of the alphabet you need to climb a tall ladder, get one of the boxes out, step down and go through its contents. There were a few moments where I thought I was going to fall, with about 200 singles scattered on the floor as a result. Fortunately, I managed to get through the process without too many problems. Finding a few new discs for my collection was the reward for all my troubles.

My collection: 7" single no. 7832
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Denis' / 'Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)'

Hero takes a fall - The Bangles

'Hero takes a fall' is an early single by the Bangles, taken from their debut album All over the place. I remember seeing the music video on television. I always thought it was a big hit, but it didn't even chart in the UK and Europe.

The B-side is a cover version of 'Where were you when I needed you' by The Grass Roots. The label of this single states that the song was taken from the album also, but that's incorrect; the track is recorded for this B-side. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7831
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Hero takes a fall' / 'Where were you when I needed you'

Michael Jackson medley - Ashaye

When Michael Jackson was at the peak of his career, several other artists tried to profit from his success as well. There was the Club House version of 'Billie Jean', of course, but also a lesser known Michael Jackson medley performed by Ashaye.

I never actually heard of this single, but apparently it was a minor success. In October 1983 it spent three weeks in the UK singles chart, peaking at number 45. Ashaye later teamed up with musicians/songwriters Robert Chandler, Nick Austin and Alex Palmer and under the new label V4 Visions more hits followed: 'What's This World Coming To' and the garage track 'Fantasy'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7829
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 30 October 2025
Tracks: 'Michael Jackson medley' / 'Electricity'