Ongelofelijk - Mam

Even for foreigners the Dutch single 'Ongelofelijk' ('Unbelievable') is easy to follow: the only lyric in the song is the title plus the phrase 'Het gaat maar door' ('It just goes on'). Makes no sense to you? Well, most Dutch people didn't understand this either, which is why it didn't reach the chart. Personally, I am rather fond of such nonsensical tracks.

The B-side, which is a lot more wordy, is equally nonsensical: it's about a man who wonders about his own sentimentality when he thinks back with shame about the time he met a man on the market who was offering him the fish he had been eating, as he didn't want the rest of it: he turned him down.

My collection: 7" single no. 872
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 2, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Ongelofelijk' / 'Lekkerbekje: het gesprek'

Er is zoveel verdriet - Mam

The Dutch band Mam debuted in 1987 with this single, 'Er is zoveel verdriet' ('There's so much sadness'). It's a dynamic song that crashes around for a little over two minutes. It was played very often on Dutch radio at the time, which is how I got to know the track.

The B-side is 'Er luistert toch niemand' ('Nobody's listening anyway'), an intimate little song, in a version that is very different from the one on their debut album, released the same year. Both the album and the single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 557
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Er is zoveel verdriet' / 'Er luistert toch niemand'