This is me - Climie Fisher

I've had a version of Climie Fisher's single 'This is me' for the last 35 years, but apparently that version was a re-release. This one is the original version from 1986. As described in the previous post, this is the version that didn't chart. 

It was actually the duo's debut single, and it ended up loitering on number 106 in the UK singles chart - well below what we would call 'hit territory'. Fortunately, their fortunes changed and they enjoyed considerable success in 1988. The album 'Everything' will be released as a deluxe 5cd set in two weeks from now.

My collection: 7" single no. 7583
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 February 2025
Tracks: 'This is me' / 'Far across the water'

Days are OK - The Motels

The singles 'Suddenly last summer' and 'Footsteps' are pretty iconic to me, but I am not really familiar with the Motels's other work. I kept coming across picture discs of 'Days are OK' in shops and record fairs however, and I decided to check the song out. It was OK, I felt. 

The single was released in 1980, and so it actually precedes the other two. It features a louder sound from the band, which I guess is logical: most people mellow with age. The picture disc is a beauty, and so I finally decided to get me a copy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7584
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 February 2025
Tracks: 'Days are OK' / 'Slow town'

Can't wait for another world - Time Bandits

The Time Bandits enjoyed success in the first half of the Eighties, but by 1986 the singles struggled to get into the charts. Their last hit was 'I won't steal away'. Subsequent singles 'Only a fool', 'We'll be dancing' and 'Wildfire' didn't get into the Dutch Top 40, but did end up in the 'bubbling under' Tipparade chart. 

The latter two were taken from the album 'Can't wait for another world', and the title track was released as the third single from that album. It was the first time a single from the band didn't even get into the Tipparade. They called it quits after that - although lead singer Alides Hidding soldiered on with changing line-ups after that. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7582
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 February 2025
Tracks: 'Can't wait for another world' / 'Sail'

Tooralooralooraloo - Trio

I didn't really notice it at the time, but the German band Trio had a bilingual career. Their most famous single 'Da da da' was recorded in German and English, and it turns out that 'Turaluraluralu' also had an English counterpart. The title makes it look like a throwaway track, but it is actually a very enjoyable song. 

It didn't earn them a lot of international success, unfortunately. The single didn't chart in the UK at all. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 34 in the Dutch Top 40 during a three week chart run. After this, Trio was heard outside of Germany no more.

My collection: 7" single no. 7581
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 February 2025
Tracks: 'Tooralooralooraloo (is it old is it new)' / 'Immer noch einmal'

I need a man - Eurythmics

When I ordered a few singles from the UK I accidentally also ordered this one, because I thought I didn't have it. Obviously I did: I bought 'I need a man' a mere six years ago. But! It was a different sleeve and a different B-side. And this one is just too good to go. We call it 'bijvangst' in Dutch. 

And so, here is 'I need a man' again, with the alternative B-side 'I need you'. It's different from the US edition, and that's because this one was made in the UK. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7576
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 February 2025
Tracks: 'I need a man' / 'I need you'

Fallen angel - Robbie Robertson

I recently rediscovered Robbie Robertson's singles and then I realized that one was still missing from my collection. It's 'Fallen Angel', a track from the same album that contains 'Somewhere down the crazy river' and 'Showdown at big sky'. Both are excellent, but this one even more so. I mean, it contains vocals by Peter Gabriel! 

'Fallen angel' was actually the second single taken from Robbie's self-titled album, and also the least successful, inexplicably. It only made it to number 95 in the UK singles chart. Some things are just too weird for me.

My collection: 7" single no. 7575
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 February 2025
Tracks: 'Fallen angel' / 'Hell's half acre'

You don't believe - Alan Parsons Project

'You don't believe' appeared on the B-side of the single 'Don't answer me'. Both songs appeared on the Alan Parsons Project's 1984 album Ammonia Avenue. 

However, the album The best of the Alan Parsons Project was released in 1983 and 'You don't believe' appeared on that album too. The B-side is also interesting: 'Lucifer' was used on a radio programme in the Netherlands (I forget which one, unfortunately), and so this single is an unexpected great find.

My collection: 7" single no. 7574
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'You don't believe' / 'Lucifer'

Blue diamond - H2O

I vaguely recall this song from the Eighties, it probably featured on the radio at some point. It didn't chart in the Netherlands, and even in the UK it only managed to scrape to number 77. In fact, the only singles by H2O to get into the UK top 40 were 'Dream to sleep' and 'Just outside of heaven' in 1983. 

'Blue diamond' was released in 1987 and was also released on a cd-single which is now very expensive - at least, on Discogs. (I bet some kind reader of this blog would gladly send it to me for free.) By comparison, this 7" single was a steal for just 1 euro.

My collection: 7" single no. 7569
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Blue diamond' / 'Go on'

Pop life - Prince and the Revolution

Although Prince was at the top of his game in the mid-Eighties, some singles were simply not released in the Netherlands and so we missed out on a few good songs. One of those songs was 'Pop life', which got its release in the UK after 'Raspberry beret' and before 'Kiss'. 

The single wasn't very successful: it only reached number 60 in the UK and spent two weeks in the chart. Which probably explains why the record company didn't bother releasing it in other territories. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7560
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Pop life' / 'Girl'

Wherever I lay my hat - Paul Young

I've never had any burning desire to buy every Paul Young single that exists, but there are sometimes curiosities that I can't resist. This is the American promotional single for 'Wherever I lay my hat', the first single Paul had any solo success with, and it features an edit of the song.

The edit appears on both sides, which isn't a rare thing for American promotional singles. I guess in America DJ's were prone to play the B-side more often, which makes this a rather convenient disc for them.

My collection: 7" single no. 7559
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Wherever I lay my hat (edit)' / 'Wherever I lay my hat (edit)'

Look out any window - Bruce Hornsby & the Range

Although I haven't really delved into the repertoire of the man, I think Bruce Hornsby plays a mean piano solo. Having played the instrument myself, I know how hard it out to get those sounds out of it, but that it someone who seems to do it effortlessly.

That was one reason to buy this single without ever having heard the song. The other reason was the state of it: it looks like it was released yesterday, even if the sticker mentions the actual release date: 8 August 1988. Yes, this is a promotional copy, and that's a bit of a bonus. The track really doesn't disappoint. I'm going to play this single more than once.

My collection: 7" single no. 7558
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Look out any window' / 'On the Western skyline (live)'

Rage hard (Stamped) - Frankie goes to Hollywood

Although I have a lot of Eighties singles and I consider myself to be quite well informed about the pop music of the Eighties, still I sometimes get surprised. I bought this single by Frankie goes to Hollywood because the sleeve was different to the one I have; it made me curious because the sleeve mentions "(stamped)" under the title. And indeed, it is a different version of the song. 

Apparently, this single was released after 'Rage hard' entered the UK singles chart at number 6. Releasing a different version was probably a way to try and keep the single longer in the charts, and maybe get it higher up. The ploy worked partly, because the peak position ended up being number 4, but it only stayed in the chart for 7 weeks.

My collection: 7" single no. 7557
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Rage hard (Stamped)' / '(Don't lose what's left) Of your little mind'

Piove - André Hazes

Under normal circumstances you would never see a single by André Hazes on this blog, because the man has produced an unspeakable array of terrible singles and albums in my opinion. But these are not normal circumstances, because I discovered that the man recorded an entire album of Italian classics in 1986, and of course four Eurovision songs are among those tracks.

One of them was the classic 'Piove', originally performed by Domenico Modugno for Italy in 1959. And André's version was released as a single. And although all those terrible singles reached the Dutch Top 40, this one failed to chart. 

The copy I bought initially played like boots on a gravel path, but a little dishwashing liquid worked miraculously well; the single sounds pretty good now.

My collection: 7" single no. 7549
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Piove' / 'Melancholie'

Don't be my enemy - Wang Chung

It's fun to have a record player from the Eighties, and a Technics too, but the fact that the arm returns to its base automatically from some point means that certain things like Polish postcards can't be played on it. And this 5" picture disc by Wang Chung is a problem too. I found that out after I bought it. Fortunately the music can still be found online, and so both tracks on this disc can be listened to on YouTube. 

'Don't be my enemy' was the band's first single to actually chart. Even if it only reached number 92 in the UK singles chart in 1983, it was just a taster of what was to come. The next year they would have the biggest hit of their career with 'Dance hall days'. 

My collection: 5" single no. 7556
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Don't be my enemy' / 'The waves (instrumental)'

Save a prayer - Duran Duran

When Duran Duran's 'Save a prayer' was re-released in 1985, I somehow got a copy of an earlier release of the song. It features the full length version, instead of the edited version that appears on this single. And of course, the other version is superior, because it builds up very nicely at the end.

This single comes with a live track from the Arena album on the B-side, and of course a sleeve somewhat in the style of 'The wild boys', since it was released in the absence of new material from the boys. It would be a long wait until 'Notorious', for sure.

My collection: 7" single no. 7547
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Save a prayer [edit]' / 'Careless memories (live from the Arena)'

Tears run rings - Marc Almond

Marc Almond had an impressive run of singles when he released his album The Stars We Are in 1988. The singles 'Only the moment', 'Bitter-sweet' and 'Something's gotten hold of my heart' all ended up in my collection. One single didn't: 'Tears run rings'. And that was because I somehow couldn't get hold of the special edition box set that was released in the UK at the time.

The box set hung around in my unconscious for many decades, and when I finally saw one last month, I started to doubt whether I had it or not! Fortunately I could check this blog, and so I found out that I had to buy it. According to Marc, 'Tears run rings' is "a song about evil under the cloak of good: though the world falls apart let's hold on to each other'. It sounds like the song was made for right now.

My collection: 7" single no. 7545
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Tears run rings' / 'Everything I wanted love to be'

Engel der Nacht - Nena

With the album Eisbrecher, the band Nena reached the end of their contract with CBS and the single 'Enger der Nacht' would turn out to be their last. It is a good farewell for a band that enjoyed huge success in the first half of the Eighties.

While the previous single 'Mondsong' reached number 37 in the German singles chart (already a low position for the band), 'Engel der Nacht' didn't chart at all. After this, frontwoman Gabriele Susanne Kerner went solo (confusingly under the stage name Nena) and enjoyed some success on her own.

My collection: 7" single no. 7544
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Engel der Nacht (remix)' / 'Zusammen'

Hot in the city - Billy Idol

'Hot in the city' was re-released a few times, but this one here is the original release from 1982. It features a different sleeve and a different B-side. 

This version of 'Hot in the city' reached number 58 in the UK singles chart; it was his first solo chart placing in the UK. It did significantly better in Austria and New Zealand, where the single reached number 5. When 'Hot in the city' was re-released in 1987, it fared significantly better in the UK too: it peaked at number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 7543
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Hot in the city' / 'Dead on arrival'

Somewhere down the crazy river - Robbie Robertson

Promotional singles can be confusing, especially when they are delivered in 'regular' sleeves. This Robbie Robertson single is a good example.

The sleeve announces the title track and a B-side, 'Broken arrow'. But the disc containes a remix edit and the LP version of 'Somewhere down the crazy river'. This is also why I wanted to have this disc - because it's great to have both versions of the song. The label of the disc clearly indicates 'For promo use only - Not for sale'. And fortunately, a sticker on the front sleeve also says 'Special radio sampler'. Which made me curious.

My collection: 7" single no. 7542
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'Somewhere down the crazy river (Remix/Edit)' / 'Somewhere down the crazy river (LP version)'

You can't get what you want (till you know what you want) - Joe Jackson

'You can't get what you want (till you know what you want)' is a single from Joe Jackson's 1984 album Body and Soul. It spent sixteen weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was Jackson's second-highest charted song in America when it peaked at number 15 in June 1984. 

The track features a slap bass performance from Jackson's longtime bassist Graham Maby. Maby recalled, 'For 'You can't get what you want', Joe wanted me to slap. It was certainly not one of my strengths, but I think the track came out fine, and it was fun to play live.'

My collection: 7" single no. 7532
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 19 January 2025
Tracks: 'You can't get what you want (till you know what you want)' / 'Cha cha loco'