Long Hot Rock Summer - Various artists

This four track EP was included for free with a copy of Popfoto, the music magazine I read every month back in 1989. The label Mercury promoted four of their rock bands with this single. I couldn't decide whether to keep or throw away this disc, and in the end I decided to include it in my collection.

Basically, the tracks on the A-side I find boring, whereas the B-side tracks are marginally better. Kingdom Come's track is probably the best of the four, as it contains less rock cliches than the other three. Why, Dare's song even sounds like a Europe castoff!

My collection: 7" single no. 942
Found: Den Haag, July 8, 1989
Cost: -
Tracks: 'Born to be my baby' (Bon Jovi), 'Gypsy road' (Cinderella) / 'Gotta go (Can't wage a war)' (Kingdom come), 'Into the fire' (Dare)

Born to be my baby - Bon Jovi

These days I don't play Bon Jovi anymore, but I can see why I bought 'Born to be my baby' back in 1988: it's a loud and proud rock track, slightly overstating the point that the couple depicted in this song's lyric may have been made for one another.

The song was released as the second single from Bon Jovi's 1989 album New Jersey in 1989. It peaked at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 and number 22 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 814
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Born to be my baby' / 'Love for sale'

Wanted dead or alive - Bon Jovi

'Wanted dead or alive' is the phrase Jon Bon Jovi used for this song to show how he identifies with wild west heroes as being hated (wanted dead or alive). The band Bon Jovi had originally planned to do a wild west-themed album in the Eighties, but scrapped the idea.

Released as the third single from Bon Jovi's 1986 album 'Slippery when wet'. It peaked at number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 532
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Wanted dead or alive' / 'Shot through the heart'