Fly too high - Janis Ian

Like 'At Seventeen', 'Fly too high' was re-released in 1991 to promote the compilation album 'Up 'til now'. I already own the original release of 'Fly too high' but since this single contains the full length 5 minute album version of the song, I decided I had to have this one as well. The B-side was recorded live at the Circustheater in Den Haag on October 23, 1991.

Produced by Giorgio Moroder, this is the one and only worldwide hit for Janis Ian, who has continued to make music until today. In addition to being a musician, Ian writes science fiction. Her works have been published in an assortment of anthologies.

My collection: 7" single no. 4934
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, October 8, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Fly too high' / 'Here comes the night'

Fly too high - Janis Ian

Janis Ian's biggest international hit must be 'Fly too high', released as a single in the autumn of 1979. Ian contributed the song to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster movie 'Foxes', and also included it on her own album 'Night rains'. The track was produced and co-written by famous producer Giorgio Moroder and as such is a bit of a strange entity in Janis Ian's body of work.

The single peaked at number 44 in the UK, but was a top 5 hit in the Netherlands. At the time I felt the song was 'too dull', but a decade later I still bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 894
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Fly too high' / 'Night rains'

At Seventeen - Janis Ian

Janis Ian was born on April 7, 1951. She released 'At Seventeen' on her seventh album 'Between the lines', released in 1975. The lyric of the song is a commentary on adolescent cruelty and teenage angst, as reflected upon from the maturity of adulthood. The song was inspired by a newspaper article about a former teenage debutante who learned the hard way that being popular did not solve all her problems. The track won a Grammy award for 'best female pop vocal performance' in 1976.

I bought the single when it was re-released in 1991 in promotion for the compilation album 'Up 'til now'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1551
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, December 7, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'At Seventeen' / 'Applause'