Little girl - Marty Wilde

More Marty Wilde fun with these two singles of 'Little girl'. If I am to believe the labels of these singles, they are both promotional discs. However, it probably is only the white label one that is the true promotional 7" single; the yellow label one only has a 'for demonstration use only' sticker glued onto it - a simple way to change a commercial record into a 'rare' promotional one.

Anyway, these two singles were the other two of the four American 7" singles I bought in one go a few months ago, along with the two 'Bad boy' singles. Here's hoping tomorrow's record fair in Utrecht will give me a few more of these beauties.

My collection: 7" single no. 5885 & no. 5886
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2017
Cost: 3 euro each
Tracks: 'Little girl' / 'Your seventeenth spring'

Bad boy - Marty Wilde

It doesn't happen very often that you find rare American singles you've been searching for as a bargain. But that's exactly what happened in November, when I was at the Record Fair in Utrecht. One dealer had four American singles of Marty Wilde, at just 3 euros each. What's more, they were in great condition as you can hear on this first disc. I actually found two versions of this one, with slight label variations as you can see.

'Bad boy' appeared on the US Epic label with a different B-side when compared to the UK version, featuring 'Teenage tears' instead of 'It's been nice'. In the UK, 'Teenage tears' was the B-side of Sea of love.

My collection: 7" single no. 5883 & 5884
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2017
Cost: 3 euros each
Tracks: 'Bad boy' / 'Teenage tears'

No one knows - Marty Wilde

Only two days until Marty Wilde performs live in London, celebrating 60 years in the music business. And this single, 'No one knows', comes almost from the very beginning of his career.... it was released in 1958. Unlike other singles around that time, this one wasn't a hit.

The song was written by Hecht and Maresca, and previously recorded by Dion and the Belmonts. That version actually reached number 19 in the American singles charts.

My collection: 7" single no. 5870
Found: Discogs.com, received October 25, 2017
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'No one knows' / 'The fire of love'

Oh-oh, I'm falling in love again - Marty Wilde

Released in 1958, 'Oh-oh, I'm falling in love again' was one of the earliest Marty Wilde singles ever released. At this stage, singles were still being released as 78 rpm discs as well, but while I'm still after those, it was good to find this little gem.

Marty Wilde and his band the Wildcats recorded this track which was originally released by Jimmie Rodgers who had a hit with it in the USA. Marty's version failed to chart but he still managed to have five top 10 hits in 1958 and 1959. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5836
Found: Discogs.com, received May 16, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Oh-oh I'm falling in love again' / 'Sing boy sing'

Listen to the song

Heel de wereld - Corry Brokken

Tomorrow night is Eurovision night for the 62nd time, so it is appropriate to post something Eurovision before the fun starts. The Netherlands won't win this year - again - so I might as well post something from the old days when we still had winning artists.

Corry Brokken won the Contest in 1957 with 'Net als toen'. I can't post about that one because I already have. However, she also competed in 1958. That single has proved elusive during the past five or so years. Believe me, I was looking everywhere: Ebay, Discogs, record fairs... the lot. And suddenly, earlier this week, I thought I might as well type in 'Corry Brokken Heel de wereld kopen' (kopen being Dutch for 'buy') in Google and see what happened. And there it was... a link to a Dutch web store, selling a copy of this single for a ridiculously low price. I ordered it right away and received the single today, just in time for a little Eurovision celebration.

My collection: 7" single no. 5827
Found: Klaver vijf webstore, received May 12, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Heel de wereld' / 'Weet je'

Listen to the song

Oui, oui, oui, oui - Jean Philippe

France has been in the spotlights over the past few days due to their elections, but it's good to know that the French seem to have decided they will choose light over darkness, progress instead of isolation. That is, if Marine Le Pen actually does lose in the end, which seems so likely but it hasn't happened yet. Let's hope the French will be wiser than the English this time.

In that light, it's nice to listen to a French song from almost sixty years ago. The title is very positive indeed: 'Oui oui oui oui' competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959. He became third during the edition that was hosted in Cannes after France's win the previous year with André Clavau's Dors mon amour.

My copy unfortunately comes without a picture sleeve, but it is still a historic piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 5796
Found: Catawiki, received February 25, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Oui oui oui oui' / 'Ce serait dommage'

Listen to the song

Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) - Willy Alberti

Dutch singer Willy Alberti was born on October 14, 1926. He began recording professionally in the early Fourties. He became increasingly popular in the 1950s, when he had a string of hits beginning with a cover version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' in 1958. Alberti was successful as a singer of Dutch schlagers as well as Italian repertoire.

In 1959, he recorded a cover version of 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)', just like 'Nel blu...' originally performed by Domenico Modugno. The song was a big success in the pre-Top 40 year 1959: it peaked at the top of Dutch charts, printed in music magazines at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 5743
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)', 'Li per li' / 'Una marcia in fa', 'Tuo'

...

Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) - Domenico Modugno

Domenico Modugno represented Italy in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest for the second time, a year after he made a world hit with Nel blu dipinto di blu. This time, he wrote 'Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)' ('It's raining (Bye, bye baby)') together with Eduardo Verde. The song is a dramatic ballad, with Modugno telling his lover that he knows their relationship is about to come to a close. He asks her for one more kiss and then tells her not to turn back as she walks away from him, because he still has feelings for her.

At the Contest, the song was not too successful. At the close of voting, it had received 9 points, placing 6th in a field of 11 competitors. There are, however, several cover versions of this song, including one by the Yee Tin Tong Mandolin Band from Hong Kong which charted over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5742
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)' / 'Ventu d'estati'

...

Nel blu dipinto di blu - Domenico Modugno

The Eurovision Song Contest has a rich history of famous winners, but there are a few songs that have become classics without even winning. The best example of this comes from the first few years of the contest: Italian singer Domenico Modugno performed the song 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' in 1958 during the third edition of Eurovision after winning the San Remo festival with the same song. At the close of voting, it got 13 point and became 3rd out of 10 competitors.

Following commercial success in Italy, where it sold almost a million copies, the song was also released in the United States and in the rest of Europe. In the United Kingdom, Modugno's single was released on 23 August 1958, together with eight other versions recorded by international artists. The single obtained global acclaim, becoming an international hit. However, somewhere along the line the song became better knows as... 'Volare'.

This single is an Italian pressing, presumably from 1958, on blue vinyl. I don't know, but it might be a real collector's item.

My collection: 7" single no. 561
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received February 14, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' / 'Lazzarella'

Endless sleep - Marty Wilde

'Endless sleep' was originally written and recorded by American singer Jody Reynolds in early 1958. He wrote it in a single afternoon in 1956 in Yuma, Arizona. After it reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1958, Marty Wilde quickly recorded a version to be released in the UK. This was a common practice at that time, offering a chance for UK artists to score with proven stateside hits.

The single gave Marty his first shot at fame, as it reached number 4 in the UK singles chart in July 1958. While Jody Reynolds didn't have a hit with this song in the UK originally, it was released in April 1979, and had a one week chart run at number 66.

My collection: 7" single no. 5270
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2012
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Endless sleep' / 'Her hair was yellow'

April love - Pat Boone

Pat Boone was born on June 1, 1934 and was a successful pop singer in the Fifties and early Sixties. As a devout Christian, Boone refused songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards—including a role with sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. In his first film, 'April love', he refused to give co-star and love interest Shirley Jones an onscreen kiss, because the actress was married in real life.

The song from the movie was released as a single in 1958 and reached the top of the charts in the USA, while peaking at number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the Netherlands. In 1974, the track was covered by Ricky Wilde. Indeed: Kim's younger brother.

My collection: 7" single no. 4953
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'April love' / 'Love letters in the sand'

'n Beetje - Teddy Scholten

I already owned a copy of Teddy Scholten's winning Eurovision song 'n Beetje but when I found this copy I had to have it too. Not because of the A-side, but because of the B-side: it's a cover version of 'Sing little birdie', as performed by the husband and wife duo Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the United Kingdom.

Teddy Scholten also used her husband to perform a Dutch version of this song, translated by Daan Hooykaas. The quality of the vinyl on this one isn't the best, but the single, being 51 years old, has become very hard to find after half a century.

My collection: 7" single no. 4933
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, October 8, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: ''n Beetje' / 'Zing, kleine vogel'

Giorgio - Lys Assia

I wonder if I'll ever find out if there's a 7" single of Lys Assia's winning Eurovision song 'Refrain' from 1956. I'm still looking for it and it's the only Eurovision winner that's missing from my collection!

Lys Assia returned to the Contest in 1957 and 1958, and this is her entry from 1958: 'Giorgio'. Representing Switzerland, she very nearly won the Contest again, earning 24 points, but finished second behind Andre Claveau with 'Dors mon amour', who earned 27 points. It's surprising that a 52 year old single can still be in such pristine condition.

My collection: 7" single no. 4865
Found: Da Capo, Utrecht, May 14, 2010
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Giorgio' / 'Louella'

Net als toen - Corry Brokken

How times have changed. When the Eurovision Song Contest was just a new invention, the Netherlands were actually very successful. Between 1956 and 1975, the country won four times - and they never managed this after 1975. The first time the Netherlands won was in the second year of Eurovision, 1957.

Corry Brokken sang 'Net als toen' ('Just like the old days'), a song that featured a violin solo by Sem Nijveen and was almost three and a half minutes long. In this year's contest the Italian entry lasted for five minutes, whilst the UK's entry lasted for almost two minutes. It was because of songs like the former that a rule was eventually introduced restricting each song to a maximum of three minutes; this rule still applies today.

This single, meanwhile, is a true rarity. It simply cannot be found - although I did buy this copy in a shop without any trouble. I was very surprised with it, even if the vinyl wasn't pressed perfectly.

My collection: 7" single no. 4860
Found: Da Capo, Utrecht, May 14, 2010
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Net als toen' / 'Wees maar niet boos'

Bad boy - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde himself wrote 'Bad boy'. Until then, his hits had been covers of American rock 'n' roll songs. It proved to be his last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 7 in early 1960. The song was also a top 50 hit in the USA. Shortly after its release, it was covered by Robin Luke, in 1964 by Françoise Hardy and later by Nirvana and Robert Gordon.

The B-side, 'It's been nice', was a Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman composition, and was later recorded by The Everly Brothers and Freddy Cannon.

My collection: 7" single no. 1763
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Bad boy' / 'It's been nice'

My lucky love - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde's career took off after he released his fourth single, 'Endless sleep', which reached number 4 in the UK singles chart. But if you think it was smooth sailing from then on, you're badly mistaken: his next two singles failed to hit the charts just like his first three did.

The first of those two was 'My lucky love', released in September 1958. It was followed by the equally unsuccessful 'No one knows'. 1959's 'Donna' was to revive Marty's career, after which he had three more consecutive top 10 hits in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 4610
Found: eBay.co.uk, received March 1, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'My lucky love' / 'Misery's child'

Sea of love - Marty Wilde

'Sea of love' was written by John Philip Baptiste and George Khoury. Baptiste, who was working as a bellboy in Lake Charles, Louisiana (USA), wrote the song for a love interest. He was introduced to local record producer George Khoury, who brought Baptiste into his studio to record the song. At Khoury's request, Baptiste took the stage name of Phil Phillips. It was his only chart hit in the USA; subsequent singles failed to chart.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the song was recorded by Marty Wilde and released simultaneously with Phillips' version. It reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, only one place lower than its predecessor, 'A teenager in love'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4609
Found: eBay.co.uk, received March 1, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Sea of love' / 'Teenage tears'

A teenager in love - Marty Wilde

In June 1959, Marty Wilde released the single that he would forever be associated with, the immortal 'A teenager in love'. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart during a 17 week chart run. Although his career as a teenage idol was short (and cut short partly because he got married six months later), his hits gave him an appeal that lives on even to this day. Having been at two live concerts, I have seen with my own eyes how his fans of those days are still enraptured by his stage presence whenever he performs in the UK.

During one of these performances, Marty commented that it's quite strange to see a man in his sixties complaining that he is 'a teenager in love'. But such is the power of music.

My collection: 7" single no. 4608
Found: eBay.co.uk, received March 1, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'A teenager in love' / 'Danny'

When I fall in love - Nat 'King' Cole

'When I fall in love' was written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman and was introduced in the 1952 movie 'One minute to zero'. It has since been recorded by lots of artists, most famously (these days) by Nat 'King' Cole and Rick Astley.

Nat 'King' Cole recorded his version in 1956. It was released on the album 'Love is the thing' and released as a single in the UK in 1957. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart. The song was actually re-released in 1987, competing with Rick Astley's version for a chart position. While Astley reached number 2 with his single, Nat 'King' Cole peaked at number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 4530
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'When I fall in love' / 'Calypso blues'

Living doll - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard and the Drifters recorded 'Living doll' in 1959, with Norrie Paramore producing. The single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart in July 1959, selling over a million copies. It America, the song reached number 30 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was Richard's first hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 2 in the charts.

Richard re-recorded the song in 1986 with the alternative comedy group The Young Ones for the Comic Relief charity.

My collection: 7" single no. 4517
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Living doll' / 'Apron strings'