Amiga Quartett - Kylie Minogue

It would be easy to speak of another subcollection when it comes to these Amiga Quartett EP's. Released by the state-run record company Amiga in the GDR until the reunification of Germany, this EP is another example of 'western' music making its way beyond the iron curtain. Of course, this was a regular occurrance, as previous purchases of such EP's by Abba, A-ha and the Bangles have shown. 

This particular EP consists of four tracks by Kylie Minogue, all of which have been released as separate singles in 'the west'. It's funny that the 'Amiga Quartett' logo has been turned upside down on this sleeve to accommodate the design, which is copied from the Australian singer's debut album. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7277
Found: Marleen Records, Fulda (Germany), 24 July 2024
Tracks: 'The Loco-motion', 'It's no secret' / 'I should be so lucky', 'Got to be certain'

It's no secret - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue has just released a new single with two other female artists I've never heard of. It's not the best pop song I've ever heard but it will probably be a big hit, because it's a clever combination of popular names, apparently.

This single was released back in 1988, when Kylie was still working with Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and her voice sounded decidedly shrill. 'It's no secret' was released as the B-side of 'Wouldn't change a thing', but apparently it was a single in the USA around that time. It's a nice addition to the singles I already have, but I wouldn't have bought it if it weren't so cheap.

My collection: 7" single no. 7262
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 6 July 2024
Tracks: 'It's no secret' / 'Made in heaven'

Hold on to now - Kylie

Most people who have reviewed Kylie's latest album 'Tension' have singled out 'Hold on to now' as one of its strongest tracks. They're not wrong: it's a euphoric, positive pop song that presses all the right buttons. Minogue wrote the song together with producers Jon Green, Duck Blackwell, and longtime collaborator Richard "Biffco" Stannard. 

This single was pressed on white vinyl and, like the other two singles from the album, features an extended mix on the B-side. The extended mixes have been released on an LP called 'Extension' (clever!) but I hope that will get a CD release as well, because those LP's take up too much space in my room, to be honest...

My collection: 7" single no. 7097
Found: Kylie website, received 23 December 2023
Tracks: 'Hold on to now' / 'Hold on to now (extended mix)'

Tension - Kylie

Kylie Minogue co-wrote 'Tension' with Anya Jones, Camille Purcell, Jon Green, and producers Duck Blackwell and longtime collaborator Richard Stannard. The idea to collaborate with Jones and Purcell came after Minogue spent a week in Surrey working on new music with Blackwell, Green, Stannard, and Minogue's A&R Jamie Nelson. Nelson had proposed working with Jones and Purcell, the latter of whom had mentioned being a big fan of Minogue's work and career. According to Minogue, the collaboration with the two provided her with the "female energy" she needed for the record. 

Although 'Tension' was released digitally on 31 August 2023, the 7" vinyl only came to light in December. It's pressed on green vinyl, which nicely ties in to the the sleeve artwork. The single reached number 19 in the UK singles chart but, oddly, failed to chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 7096
Found: Kylie website, received 23 December 2023
Tracks: 'Tension' / 'Tension (extended mix)'

Padam padam - Kylie

One of the big surprises of 2023 was the success of Kylie's lead single from her new album 'Tension'. 'Padam padam' is not a very spectacular pop song, but it appealed to many. So much so, that it appears in many end-of-year lists despite the fact that it didn't reach number 1 in any chart, except in Israel, Serbia and in the UK Indie chart. 

I ordered the 7" single directly from Kylie's website along with two other singles, and they all landed on my doormat just before Christmas. This single was pressed on red vinyl, which is a very nice touch.

My collection: 7" single no. 7095
Found: Kylie website, received 23 December 2023
Tracks: 'Padam padam' / 'Padam padam (extended mix)'

Magic - Kylie Minogue

...and so the next entry in this blog is another Kylie single. 'Magic' was released as the second single from her 'Disco' album and it is pressed on orange vinyl. The single version of the track is half a minute shorter than the album version. 

While the album 'Disco' has reached number 1 in the UK albums chart, this single has only reached number 53 in the UK singles chart. In fact, Kylie hasn't had a top 10 hit in the UK since her collaboration with a certain Taio Cruz in 2011. This is odd, because I think she is still one of the most successful female singers in pop history. I guess the singles chart is full of weird stuff these days. But hey, I'm too old to listen to any top 40 anyway. I'd rather listen to this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6330
Found: Townsend Music, received November 14, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Magic' / 'Till you love somebody'

Say something - Kylie Minogue

I haven't bought a lot of singles recently, and that's mostly down to the amount of new albums and box sets that I have added to my collection. I can only spend my budget once - which is also why I had some doubts about buying this single. It was offered online via the official website of Kylie, and while the promise of a red vinyl single was very tempting, the price was just a bit too steep, especially with added postage. But fortunately the next single was waiting in the wings, so buying both of them for the same amount of postage didn't make it as expensive a purchase.

Kylie's new album is called 'Disco' and that is probably the best description of her new tracks. As far as pop tracks go, this is a very decent effort, and if you ask me, certainly more alluring than her previous album which I personally felt to be a little disappointing. Extra points for including an inner sleeve that lists all the credits for each track; a stunning design for a beautiful see-through red vinyl single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6329
Found: Townsend Music, received November 14, 2020
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Say something' / 'Say something (acoustic)'

Confide in me - Kylie Minogue

During some time in the Nineties, Kylie Minogue had a hard time finding success. She was actually praised by 'serious' critics for her songs, but the records didn't sell as well as her earlier material. 'Confide in me' was the first single released after her lengthy collaboration with Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Produced by Brothers in Rhythm the sound was certainly more daring.

The single went to number 1 in Australia and number 2 in the UK singles chart, but in other territories it wasn't as successful. Two albums later, Kylie would be posing for H&M in lingerie and it would seem that her music career was over. Of course, it wasn't.

This single release was made for jukeboxes only, hence the absence of any cover artwork. Which is a shame, because the cd-single's artwork was rather intriguing.

My collection: 7" single no. 6212
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Confide in me' / 'Confide in me (Truth mix)'

Golden boy - Kylie

A surprise find during the record fair last Saturday. A dealer specialized in hardrock had a box of Record Store Day releases, and among a lot of very loud stuff, there was this single called 'Golden boy' by a certain Kylie. The dealer had little faith that he could sell this one, as the price had gone down from ten euros to a mere six.

The single confused me, because I'd never heard of a track called 'Golden boy' before. I looked it up online and it turns out this single represents the only physical release of that track. I was pretty chuffed to find this single, even if I didn't know about its existence. It was released in 2014, just after the album 'Kiss me once', in a limiited run of a 1000 copies. The B-side contains an etching, but no music.

My collection: 7" single no. 5904
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2018
Cost: 6 euro
Track: 'Golden boy'

Flower - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue is in the music business for 25 years now. Hard to believe that the Neighbours actress who brought us 'The loco-motion' and 'I should be so lucky' finally became a serious pop artist, with some very beautiful ("Put yourself in my place", "Finer feelings") and well-produced ("Can't get you out of my head", "On a night like this") pop songs in her repertoire.

An artist like Kylie is assumed to only perform well under highly produced and perhaps autotuned circumstances, but her latest album 'The Abbey Road sessions' contains some great versions of those wellknown pop songs - and it certainly sounds like her voice is as authentic as the orchestra that backs her up. The song 'Flower' is a new one and this one was released as a single. This picture disc 7" single proves both that Kylie can perform well and that Photoshop is a popular tool to create immaculate photographs with.

My collection: 7" single no. 5299
Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received November 17, 2012
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Flower' / 'Flower (instrumental)'

What kind of fool - Kylie Minogue

'What kind of fool (Heard all that before)' was written by Kylie Minogue, Mike Stock and Pete Waterman for Minogue's first compilation album 'Greatest Hits' (1992). The song was produced by Stock and Waterman and received a generally positive reception from critics. Released as the first single in the summer of 1992, it became Minogue's 19th top 20 hit in the UK and 15th in Australia.

Kylie admitted in an interview with the Australian Sunday Telegraph in October 2008, that she is no longer fond of the song: 'There's plenty I've cringed about', she says. 'There's one track I really didn't like called 'What Kind of Fool'. But I realised you can run, but you can't hide, so I embraced 'I Should Be So Lucky' and the rest of them.'

My collection: 7" single no. 5153
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'What kind of fool' / 'Things can only get better'

Give me just a little more time - Kylie Minogue

'Give me just a little more time' was originally released in 1970 as the debut single of Chairmen of the Board, an American soul band. The song was written by Holland, Dozier & Holland, who also released the single on their own Invictus label.

It was covered in 1991 by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. Minogue's version was featured in a commercial for Accurist watches at the time. It was one of the last tracks to be recorded for her fourth album, 'Let's get to it. It peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5152
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Give me just a little more time' / 'Do you dare (NRG edit)'

Better than today - Kylie Minogue

'Better than today' was released on December 5, 2010 as the third single from Kylie's latest album 'Aphrodite'. Written by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley, an earlier, acoustic version of the track was included on Pallot's EP 'Buckminster Fuller'.

Released on two cd-singles and a picture disc 7" single, it was a relatively minor hit for Kylie, as it only made number 32 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4981
Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received December 29, 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Better than today' / 'Better than today (Bills and Hurr remix)'

Get outta my way - Kylie Minogue

'Get outta my way' was released last week as the second single from Kylie's current album 'Aphrodite'. Like the previous single 'All the lovers', it was released on two cd-singles and a 7" picture disc. It has already peaked at the number 12 spot in the UK singles chart - and is unlikely to get any higher than that.

The song was written and produced by Lucas Secon, Damon Sharpe, Peter Wallevik, Daniel Davidsen and Cutfather, and co-produced by Stuart Price. He said the song wasn't written for any particular artist and at one point four different artists wanted to cut it as their first single before it was claimed by Kylie.

My collection: 7" single no. 4951
Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received October 8, 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Get outta my way' / 'Get outta my way (Bimbo Jones piano mix - radio edit)'

All the lovers - Kylie Minogue

You have to have a big ego if you call your album 'Aphrodite' and pose as if you are the Greek goddess of love herself. But then Kylie has been successful for two decades now and then your ego is bound to grow. Fortunately, her tunes aren't half bad these days, as the mentioned album proves.

'All the lovers' was released a few months ago on two different cd-singles and a picture disc 7" single - something one has to applaud in this era where digital downloads seem to rule the world. The Spanish version of the title track is an added bonus not available on the cd-singles, and so this 7" single is worth owning.

My collection: 7" single no. 4921
Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received July 1, 2010
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'All the lovers' / 'Los amores'

Wouldn't change a thing - Kylie Minogue

What's odd about this single, is that it sounds so slow now. In the Eighties, Kylie was the hottest dance act in the Stock/Aitken/Waterman stable, but 'Wouldn't change a thing' sounds a lot like a 45rpm single played on 33rpm speed.

'Wouldn't change a thing' was the second single taken from Kylie's second album 'Enjoy yourself'. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 24 in Germany. It went top 10 in Australia and Finland.

My collection: 7" single no. 4907
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received May 28, 2010
Cost: 1,1 euro
Tracks: 'Wouldn't change a thing' / 'It's no secret'

Tears on my pillow - Kylie Minogue

'Tears on my pillow' was written by Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis in 1958. The song was originally recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials as their debut single.

Kylie Minogue recorded her version of this song on her second album 'Enjoy yourslef'. It was released as a sigle in November 1989 in Australia, and two months later in Europe. The song reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and peaked at number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. The B-side was released as a single in Sweden, reaching number 1.

My collection: 7" single no. 3326
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Tears on my pillow' / 'We know the meaning of love'

What do I have to do - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue was changing her image from 'girl next door' to 'sex siren', and the music video for 'What do I have to do' was one of the means to do this. The video showed Kylie in a swimming pool, a fairground, doing the ironing in a French maid's costume, and dancing with a female friend in a club. The sexual undertones in the video directed by Dave Hogan proved too much for Saturday morning TV shows, and so they showed a censored version of the video.

The music video was exploited in the single release as well: this limited edition features two free postcards with stills from the video. 'What do I have to do' reached number 6 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2701
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'What do I have to do' / 'What do I have to do (instrumental)'

If you were with me now - Kylie Minogue and Keith Washington

Kylie Minogue teamed up with American R&B singer Keith Washington for the single 'If you were with me now', a track traken from Kylie's fourth album 'Let's get to it' (1991). The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.

The song is notable for being Minogue's first hit single to feature her as a co-writer. The two performers did not meet until they made the music video: the song was recorded in the UK and America separately.

My collection: 7" single no. 3325
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'If you were with me now' / 'I guess I like it like that'

Celebration - Kylie Minogue

The new single by Madonna notwithstanding, the most famous song called 'Celebration' was originally released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang, a number 1 hit in America for the band. Kylie Minogue, who cited the song as one of her alltime favourite songs, recorded for her fourth studio album 'Let's get to it' in 1991, but it was not included.

The track appeared a year later as a new song on her Greatest Hits album. Released as a single, it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart. This song was the last single Kylie made with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman.

My collection: 7" single no. 3331
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Celebration' / 'Let's get to it'