Strangers when we meet / The man who sold the world (live) - David Bowie

'Strangers when we meet' was originally recorded by David Bowie for his 1993 album 'The Buddha of Suburbia'. He re-recorded the song in 1995 for his album '1. Outside'. It was released as the second single from the album, as a double A-side with a reworked version of Bowie's 1970 song 'The man who sold the world'. While this was announced as a 'live' track, it was actually recorded in the studio, based on a reworked version as performed on the Outside Tour.

The single reached number 39 in the UK singles chart during a two week chart run. The 7" single was pressed on the ugliest shade of fluorescent green the record company could find.

My collection: 7" single no. 2719
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, August 10, 1996
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Strangers when we meet' / 'The man who sold the world (live)'

Under pressure (Rah mix) - Queen and David Bowie

Freddie Mercury was dead and had been dead for eight years, when EMI Records decided they wanted to milk the Queen legacy a little more than they already had. And so the third Greatest Hits compilation came to be in 1999, collecting all the singles from Queen's last three albums, plus a few filler tracks.

One of those filler tracks was a remix of the Eighties hit 'Under pressure', which Queen had recorded with David Bowie. This track was also released as a single, released in time for the Christmas season, which reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. This picture disc 7" is beautiful enough, but it still reeks a bit of opportunism.

My collection: 7" single no. 3180
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 16, 2000
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Under pressure (Rah mix)' / 'Bohemian rhapsody'

Wild is the wind - David Bowie

'Wild is the wind' was written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington and originally recorded by Johnny Mathis for the 1957 film of the same name. The song was covered by Nina Simone on her album 'Wild is the wind' (1966).

David Bowie recorded a version of 'Wild is the wind' in 1976 for his album 'Station to station'. Bowie was an admirer of Simone’s style, and after meeting her in Los Angeles was inspired to record the song for his album. The song was released as a single in 1981, to promoted the compilation album 'ChangesTwoBowie'. It reached number 24 in the UK singles chart and number 15 in Ireland.

My collection: 7" single no. 2012
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 1,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Wild is the wind' / 'Golden years'

Hallo spaceboy - David Bowie

'Hallo spaceboy' was a track on David Bowie's 1995 album '1. Outside', a loud rock track that would surprise a lot of listeners if they would hear it. The lyric of the song featured a return of Major Tom, a character wellknown from Bowie's songs 'Space oddity' and 'Ashes to ashes'.

The single version was remixed by the Pet Shop Boys and was far more dance oriented. The introduction was sampled from 'Outside's opening track, 'Leon take us outside'. Bowie initially expressed reservation about the additions, which referenced and 'chopped up' the lyrics to 'Space oddity', but later agreed that they worked well so long as Tennant sung them. The single became a hit for Bowie, peaking at number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 24 in the Dutch Top 40. The 7" single was pressed on pink vinyl. On my copy, the label of the B-side is missing.

My collection: 7" single no. 2632
Found: March 16, 1996
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Hallo spaceboy' / 'The hearts filthy lesson (radio edit)'

The Buddha of Suburbia - David Bowie

The song 'The Buddha of Suburbia' was a song by David Bowie, made for the BBC TV series of the same name. It features Lenny Kravitz on guitar, performing quite a great solo. Interestingly, the song caused minor controversies on both sides of the Atlantic, with Radio 1 making an airplay edit to cover up the word 'bullshit' in the lyric, and US networks re-editing the video to remove shots where Bowie was smoking a cigarette.

The single reached number 35 in the UK singles chart and did not chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2353
Found: Eastbourne, June 28, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The Buddha of Suburbia' / 'Dead against it'

Fame 90 - David Bowie

'Fame' was written by David Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon in 1975. The original version of the song was released as a single that same year and shot to number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1990, a remixed version of the song was released by EMI to coincide with the Sound + Vision tour and the release of the ChangesBowie compilation cd. The B-side of the single featured a very regrettable version with random mumblings by a female rapper. In the UK, 'Fame 90' was released in a special pack featuring three photograph prints. The single reached number 28 in the UK singles chart and did not chart in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 1229
Found: Free Record Shop, April 22, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Fame 90 (Gass mix)' / 'Fame 90 (Queen Latifah's rap version)'

Survive - David Bowie

'Survive' is a track from David Bowie's 1999 album 'Hours'. It was written by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels and released as the second single from the album. While the album version is a beautiful track, the Marius de Vries mix featured on this single ruins the track somewhat.

Much to my surprise I found out that this single was actually released on the 7" format, and as a picture disc, no less, in 2000. I'm always glad to find 7" singles from around that time, because the format had been almost completely abandoned by then.

My collection: 7" single no. 4055
Found: eBay.nl, received September 22, 2009
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'Survive (Marius de Vries mix)' / 'Seven (live)'

Real cool world - David Bowie

'Cool world' is a 1992 live action/animation movie, starring Gabriel Byrne, Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger. The story of the movie is about a cartoonist who finds himself in the animated world he created, and is seduced by one of his characters, a vamp who wants to be real. The movie got negative reviews, but I actually still want to see it. It's hard to find nowadays.

None other than David Bowie provided the title song for the movie. The track marked a reunion with Nile Rodgers, with whom Bowie recorded his 1983 album 'Let's dance'. The single is one of Bowie's hidden classics. It reached number 53 in the UK singles chart (during its one week in the chart!) and number 21 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1701
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 29, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Real cool world' / 'Real cool world (instrumental version)'

Cat people (Putting out fire) - David Bowie

I bought the 12" single of 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' just two months ago. Now I've also found the 7" single I can say that I've got both versions of this David Bowie track. The single version is almost two minutes shorter than the version that appears on the original soundtrack of the movie 'Cat people' and the aforementioned 12" single.

The single reached number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 67 in the USA, but did not chart in the Netherlands, where this single was made.

My collection: 7" single no. 4019
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' (David Bowie) / 'Paul's theme' (Giorgio Moroder)

"Heroes" - David Bowie

The title of the song "Heroes" is a reference to the 1975 track "Hero" by the German band Neu!, whom Bowie and Eno admired. It was one of the first tracks to be recorded for Bowie's album of the same name, but it was instrumental until the last sessions for the album. Producer Tony Visconti inspired the image in the lyric of the lovers kissing 'by the wall', when he and backing vocalist Antonia Maaß embraced in front of Bowie as he looked out of the Hansa Studio window. Bowie's habit in the period following the song's release was to say that the song was based on an anonymous young couple but Visconti, who was married to Mary Hopkin at the time, contends that Bowie was protecting him and his affair with Maaß. Bowie confirmed this in 2003.

The music, co-written by Bowie and Eno, has been likened to a Wall of Sound production. Eno has said that musically the piece always 'sounded grand and heroic' and that he had 'that very word - heroes - in my mind' even before Bowie composed the lyric.

My collection: 7" single no. 4011
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: '"Heroes"' / 'V-2 Schneider'

Cat people (Putting out fire) - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' for the soundtrack of the 1982 movie 'Cat people'. The track was produced by Giorgio Moroder. Director Paul Schrader contacted Bowie for a theme song in 1981, while Moroder had already recorded most of the music. Bowie put lyrics to the main theme composed by Moroder. The words only had a basic relation to the film.

The single reached number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 67 in the USA. This 12" single features the full length version of the track, which also appears on the soundtrack album, whereas it was edited for the 7" single. Bowie re-recorded the song in 1983 for his album 'Let's dance'.

My collection: 12" single no. 504
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' / 'Paul's theme' (Giorgio Moroder)

The laughing gnome - David Bowie

A full ten years before Dutch singer Father Abraham made his claim to fame with the Smurf song, David Bowie recorded and released 'The laughing gnome', a novelty song which failed to give him the chart recognition he so desperately desired.

The song still became a hit in the UK when it was re-released after Bowie's commercial breakthrough with 'The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' in 1973. Despite the song being totally different from Bowie's material at that time, the single still made number 6 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3170

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, January 18, 2000

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'The laughing gnome' / 'The gospel according to Tony Day'

Helden - David Bowie

Besides the French version of 'Heroes', I also found the German one a few days ago. It doesn't often happen that you find several versions of one track in a shop - and (relatively) cheap too. Obviously I bought this one as well.

'Helden' is a slightly better version than the French one, because this one sounds German. Bowie's pronunciation is a bit strange here and there, but it sounds a lot more credible than his French.

My collection: 7" single no. 3591

Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, March 5, 2009

Cost: 3,5 euro

Tracks: 'Helden' / 'V2 Schneider'

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Heroes (French version) - David Bowie

David Bowie recorded 'Heroes' in 1977. It appeared on the album of the same name, and as a single. Although it wasn't a very big hit at the time for Bowie, it has become one of his better known tracks. It was also included on the soundtrack to the movie 'Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo', which portrayed the drug scene in Berlin in the Seventies.

I knew that Bowie recorded a German version of the song, but I was a bit surprised when I saw a French version of the song as well. This happened today, actually, and the single was so (relatively) cheap that I decided to buy it on the spot. It's funny to hear this track: it's not the best French I've ever heard...

My collection: 7" single no. 3590

Found: Plaatboef, Den Haag, March 5, 2009

Cost: 3,5 euro

Tracks: 'Heroes (French version)' / 'V2 Schneider'

Day in day out - David Bowie

'Day in day out' was the first single taken from David Bowie's 1987 album 'Never let me down'. The song lyic dealt with urban decay and deprivation in American cities at the time, concerned largely with the depths a young mother has to sink to in order to feed her child, including attempting to shoplift and become a prostitute. Many critics have accused the song of burying its message in over-produced, glossy surroundings. Others claim that this doesn't overpower the message.

The single was released in special limited edition box set, which included the single pressed on red vinyl, a 'David Bowie' logo sticker sheet and a foldout booklet with new photographs and David's biography.

My collection: 7" single no. 1345

Found: Sister Ray, London, October 18, 1990

Cost: 4 pounds

Tracks: 'Day in day out' / 'Julie'

Download: Album 'Never let me down', including both tracks

Peace on earth/Little drummer boy - David Bowie & Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby was born on May 2, 1903. He will always be remembered for his rendition of 'White Christmas' (1954). In 1977, he recorded his last television Christmas special in England. Special guests during this occasion were model Twiggy and singer David Bowie. His duet with Bowie generated so much interest that it was released as a single. It become a regular holiday classic.

At the end of the century, the American magazine 'TV Guide' listed the Bowie/Crosby duet as one of the 25 most memorable musical moments of 20th century television. Even if the two seemed a bit awkward together...

My collection: 7" single no. 3044

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 12, 1998

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Peace on earth/Little drummer boy' / 'Fantastic voyage'

Download: Peace on earth/Little drummer boy