So young - The Corrs

In January I posted a 7" single by the Corrs on this blog for the first time ('Little lies / Songbird'), and I'm glad to be able to add another one from their Nineties heydays. 'So young' was released in 1998, after the song was remixed by K-Klass. The track was taken from the album Talk on corners, which became popular after the band scored a hit with a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song 'Dreams'. 

The B-side of this single features the title track of their debut album, Forgiven not forgotten. Coincidentally that is the song that made me discover the band, and which prompted me to buy the album. It's nice to have the song on 7" vinyl finally.

My collection: 7" single no. 7388
Found: Music & Video Exchange, London, 20 October 2024
Tracks: 'So young (K-Klass remix)' / 'Forgiven not forgotten'

Here we are - Gloria Estefan

'Here we are' was released in February 1990 in the United Kingdom as the third single of her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). It was released with the song 'Don't let the sun go down on me' on the B-side, a cover of the Elton John song. Other singles had a live version of that song, but this was a studio version, later to appear on the album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. 

The single reached number 23 in the UK singles chart. In other countries where 'Here we are' was released, it was more successful: it peaked at number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 7368
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Here we are' / 'Don't let the sun go down on me'

I saw the light - The The

Back in 1994, The The released Hanky Panky, an album filled with cover versions of songs by Hank Williams, an American singer-songwriter. I'd never heard of the man, but apparently he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. 

I have to say that after the album Mind Bomb, which I regard as The The's best ever album, this one came as a disappointment. I bought the CD-single, but only played it once or twice. With the recent resurgence of The The I had to go back to it and decided it wasn't so bad after all. And so, here's the 10 inch single, featuring the same tracks as on that CD-single. Which is why I never bought it three decades ago. Well, it's never too late.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 October 2024
Tracks: 'I saw the light', 'I'm free at last' / 'Someday you'll call my name', 'There's no room in my heart for the blues'

Free? - Beat

Beat were a Finnish band who represented their country in Eurovision Song Contest 1990. The group was composed of members Janne Engblom, Kim Engblom, Tina Krause and Tina Pettersson. They performed the song 'Fri?' ('Free?') in Swedish and finished 21st out of 22 countries, scoring 8 points.

This single features the English version on the A-side and the Swedish version on the B-side. A single with the Finnish version also exists, but that one, titled 'Vapaa?' is hard to get. So if you have a copy, let me know. I might want to buy it from you.

My collection: 7" single no. 7344
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 September 2024
Tracks: 'Free?' / 'Fri?'

Merci Cherie - Johnny White

Sometimes record company strategies can be mystifying. Why would 'Merci Cherie', a song from 1966, become a hit in 1992? Still, they gave Johnny Winter the chance to record this old song in two languages (Dutch and French) and went with it. 

Johnny White was Johnny Wittevrouw, the Belgian singer (born 13 June 1946) who had a career  in the Seventies, until success eluded him and he went AWOL for most of the Eighties. He came back in 1989 and released singles until 2006. After White suffered a heart attack he was admitted to the hospital for laparoscopy, but this proved fatal as he would never wake up after his anesthesia. He passed away on 13 January 2014.

My collection:  7" single no. 7335
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'Merci Cherie (Dutch)' / 'Merci Cherie (French)'

The woman in me - Heart

'The woman in me' was a hit for Donna Summer. Heart probably thought they could also have a hit with the song (or were they pushed by their record company?) and so they recorded the song on their 1993 album Desire walks on. The single was released on CD-single only - plus a 7" single for jukeboxes only. It represents the last ever 7" single by Heart, because subsequent releases were never released on this format again.

As for 'The woman in me', it wasn't a big hit for the band. It reached number 13 in Canada after just missing the US Billboard Hot 100.

My collection: 7" single no. 7332
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 September 2024
Tracks: 'The woman in me' / 'Risin' suspicion'

The dreamer - All About Eve

It's hard to imagine now, but in the early Nineties vinyl was on its way out. Record companies embraced the CD format (just as quickly as they are dropping it now) and didn't have much time for decent vinyl releases anymore. 

However, some record companies stuck by the format, and there were really some attractive releases in the early Nineties still. This 12" single of All About Eve's 'The dreamer', for instance, featured four tracks and the sleeve was signed by all four members of the band. It was a numbered limited edition, and I got number 4947. Both remixes of 'The dreamer' remain unreleased on CD until now.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, 1991
Tracks: 'The dreamer (extended remix)' / 'Frida of blood and gold', 'Road to Damascus', 'The dreamer (Nightmare mix)'

Running up that hill - Elastic Band

Kate Bush's 'Running up that hill' was very popular two years ago, thanks to a certain Netflix series, but the song has always attracted some attention. There are many cover versions of the song, and this 12" single features just one of them.

Elastic Band recorded their version of the song in 1994 - a dance-infused track with lots of beats and thin vocals. It wasn't a patch on the original, of course, but it's an amusing take on the classic track nonetheless. And the cover is pretty beautiful, I have to say.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'Running up that hill (Alex Party Version)' / 'Rolling down that mountain (Momentum mix)'

Seal our fate - Gloria Estefan

'Seal our fate' was released as the second single from Gloria Estefan's album Into the light (1991). In the UK, the 7" vinyl single was released as a "Limited Edition Tour Souvenir Pack" with a few attractive photographs of the singer and a poster.

The single became a moderate success, peaking at number 24 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40. I never bought the single because I felt the song was not really good enough, but this Tour Souvenir Pack was attractive enough for me to want to own it anyway. I do think that Estefan's output in the Nineties wasn't really that impressive, but anyway. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7201
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 May 2024
Tracks: 'Seal our fate' / 'Seal our fate (remix edit)'

You keep me hangin' on - Reba McEntire

Today is King's Day in the Netherlands, and traditionally this means that you take the stuff you don't want anymore and offer it for sale on a little piece of claimed territory (often beforehand) in the middle of town, together with other citizens living nearby. In my case, I always offer some music on vinyl and CD's that I don't want anymore. (My collection is a living one: I often buy better versions of singles I had when I was younger and when I used to write on the sleeves.) 

One of the records I had on offer was this 12" single by Reba McEntire. I bought it a long time ago, basically because it was another version of 'You keep me hangin' on', a song made famous by the Supremes and later by Kim Wilde. Reba's version - I have to say it - pales in comparison to those versions. But: it was pressed on very pretty pink vinyl. I sold my copy today, but it hasn't featured on this blog yet, so here it is... 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: [unknown], 20 years ago
Tracks: 'You keep me hangin' on (Classic Paradise mix)', 'You keep me hangin' on (Classic Paradise instrumental)' / 'You keep me hangin' on (Deep Love mix)', 'You keep me hangin' on (Aphrodisiac mix)'

A cidade (até ser dia) - Anabela

During the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 Portugal was represented by Anabela with the song 'A cidade (até ser dia)', written by Pedro Abrantes, former Eurovision entrant Paulo de Carvalho, and Marco Quelhas. The song was arranged by the song writer's brother Fernando Abrantes, who also performed it at the piano live on stage together with the singer Anabela during the Eurovision final in Ireland. The song ended up in tenth place.

Since 1993 the single has become quite rare. When you search for it online you can get a decent copy for more than 25 euros, which in my book is much too high a price. And so I have to say that going to record fairs really is a good thing if you know where to look. In this case, I ended up with a seller who had some Eurovision singles - not too much - and in between the expected titles by Bucks Fizz, Johnny Logan, Celine Dion and others, there it was: a good copy of 'A cidade (até ser dia)'. I've searched for this one for quite a long time, and finding it during the first hour of my visit to the record fair in Den Bosch was a really good start of the day.

My collection: 7" single no. 7133
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 13 April 2024
Tracks: 'A cidade (até ser dia)' / 'Nightfall in the city'

Love is stronger than death - The The

Why would I buy another copy of 'Love is stronger than death' by The The? After all, I already owned that single. I bought it in August 2021, and I still remember doing so.

True, but this is a special one. It's a Spanish promotional 7" single with only one playable side! I love promotional singles like that - and besides, it wsa part of a bigger order from a Spanish seller. Just one track then, and no picture sleeve. But it is in its original record company sleeve, and so it's still worth owning. A little curiosity to make me happy.

My collection: 7" single no.
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 February 2024
Tracks: 'Love is stronger than death'

Questions in a world of blue - Julee Cruise

Anyone who has ever seen Twin Peaks and the movie Twin Peaks: Fire walk with me will probably remember Julee Cruise, the singer who performed the theme song 'Falling'. As pretty as that song was, it can't even stand in the shadow of this moving epic 'Questions in a world of blue'. 

Theme song of the movie Fire walk with me, it underlines the sad fate of its main character Laura Palmer as she descends into a spiral of selfdestruction (or was she destructed by others? Was she destructed at all? We'll probably never know.) This promotional 7" single was released in Spain, and it remains the only physical single release.

My collection: 7" single no. 7136
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 February 2024
Tracks: 'Questions in a world of blue' / 'Questions in a world of blue'

Absolutely fabulous - Pet Shop Boys

Although I have been quite successful in collecting Pet Shop Boys singles (with only a few titles missing), somehow I missed this one. It's not that surprising, because I felt that 'Absolutely fabulous' wasn't the duo's finest moment back in 1994. I did buy the CD-single a few years later, but the 7" single escaped my attention completely. Until recently, that is. I was going through my Pet Shop Boys singles (I take out some acts' singles from time to time) and noticed that this one was missing. In the age of Discogs it's not that hard to rectify such omissions, and so a few weeks later it landed in my mailbox.

'Absolutely fabulous' was, of course, a successful TV series based on the French and Saunders sketch, 'Modern Mother and Daughter', created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saunders, who also starred as one of the main characters with Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha. The B-side of this single contains an 8 minute remix, but unfortunately it is a bit, er, dull and soulless.

My collection: 7" single no. 7132
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 February 2024
Tracks: 'Absolutely fabulous' / 'Absolutely fabulous (Dull Soulless Dance Music Mix)'

Macedomienne - Philippe Lafontaine

Philippe Lafontaine (born 24 May 1955) spent a short time in a Jesuit college that he left at 17 to pursue a career in music.His first successes came from the writing and recording of jingles for television commercials, including Stella Artois and Coca-Cola. The song 'Cœur de loup' was his first big hit and launched his career. 

In 1990 he represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb with his own composition 'Macédomienne', dedicated to his Macedonian wife, ending in 12th place. Although a limited edition of singles was pressed - featuring only one track; the B-side remained empty - Lafontaine famously smashed the matrix of the disc, proclaiming that he didn't want the song to be commercialized. And so, this 7" single of 'Macedomienne' became a true collectors item, since only these promotional singles were ever made. Obviously these singles now command extremely high prices, but I still managed to buy a copy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7117
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 January 2024
Tracks: 'Macedomienne'

Penthouse and pavement (The Tommy D remix) - Heaven 17

In 1993, Heaven 17 released a series of singles featuring remixes of their Eighties hits. 'Temptation (Brothers in Rhythm remix)' and '(We don't need this) Fascist groove thang (Rapino Brothers remixes)' were quite accomplished, but I feel that 'Penthouse and pavement (The Tommy D remix)' doesn't quite hit the spot. 

I bought this single to complete the set, but upon playing the A-side I was left wondering what, exactly, Tommy D had added to the original version. It looks like more people were left with the same question, as this single didn't do as well as the other two: it peaked at number 54 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7103
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'Penthouse and pavement (Tommy D's master edit)' / 'Penthouse and pavement (original version)'

Gross Gerau 3 June 1994 - Kim Wilde

I'm not a fan of bootleg singles, mainly because they're illegal and always released without the artist's consent. On the other hand, I have every single item ever released by Kim Wilde (or am still trying to get my hands on them) so I don't feel too guilty about buying one every once in a while.

This single, pressed on clear vinyl, features two live tracks taken from a TV broadcast. Apparently there were only 30 copies pressed; this is number 8. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7080
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'View from a bridge (live)' / 'Water on glass (live)'

The A project - Def Syndicate

It's easy to dismiss music from the Nineties because it was so bad. At least, a lot of bad music was produced during that decade. This single was called 'The A project' because Def Syndicate weren't allowed to use the name Abba. And with good reason: the guys from Abba were all about quality control, and the lack of quality is quite apparent when you listen to this medley of Abba tracks. 

When I say 'medley', I am using the term very lightly, because this single contains virtually all the hallmarks of a cheap early Nineties production: run-of-the-mill beats, sound effects and, frankly, not a lot of listenable vocals. A strange curiosity.

My collection: 7" single no. 7044
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 October 2023
Tracks: 'The A Project (radio version)' / 'The A Project (bonus beats)'

Comme è ddoce 'o mare - Peppino di Capri

You would almost forget if you listen to the cheesy 'Insieme: 1992' or the infernal racket of Italy's most recent winners Maneskin, but besides these undeserved winners, Italy was capable of sending some outstanding songs to the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Take for instance 'Comme è ddoce 'o mare', performed by Peppino di Capri in 1991 - the year after Toto Cutugno's politically-motived win. Sung entirely in Neopolitan with a beautiful melody, it stunned TV audiences all over Europe. 

I happened to be in Italy for one day in 1991, and searched the local music stores for this single, but without any luck. For years I even doubted the existence of it, until I saw it listed on Discogs a couple of years ago. I had to wait until very recently to find a copy for a somewhat reasonable price. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7036
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2023
Tracks: 'Comme è ddoce 'o mare' / ''O Sole'

Again - Janet Jackson

A lot of years have passed by since I originally bought the single 'Again' by Janet Jackson. Back in 1994 I thought it was a brilliant heartfelt ballad, and I loved the fact that it was released as a single. (I already owned the album at that point.) 

Flash forward almost three decades and things have changed a bit. I don't listen to Janet as much as I did, the sexually-charged albums that followed after 1993 were a bit weird (although some tracks on there were still very catchy) and listening to this song again it sounds a bit, I don't know, too polished, too calculated. But I can only say this having listened to this single which I recently bought online.

Why did I buy it in the first place? Well, I am a sucker for coloured vinyl, of course!

My collection: 7" single no. 7010
Found: Bennie's Fifties, received 18 August 2023
Tracks: 'Again' / 'Again (piano, vocal)