Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme) - Mouth & MacNeal

If you've read the very first entry in this blog (from almost 18 years ago!) you know that for all intents and purposes 'Hello ah' by Mouth & MacNeal is my very first 7" single. Although I think it's a bit of a dodgy song it still holds a certain special place in my memory, which is why I never got rid of this single.

When I saw the German version of that song in Duisburg last week, I didn't pick it up at first. But after I went through everything I still went back to it, because the whole opportunity of owning a German version of my first single was just too good to forego. It's just too funny that I bought it over 8400 singles later.

My collection: 7" single no. 8478 
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme)' / 'Ladi-Lau'

Mother Freedom - Bread

I bought the Dutch pressing of 'Mother Freedom' by Bread just last year, but standing there in this quaint record shop in Duisburg I forgot all about it. It's not hard to get tempted to buy a Bread single when the sleeve is this pretty. In fact, I like this German version better than the one from the Netherlands. 

The song isn't the most wellknown by the band, but it's certainly nice enough. And sometimes my collection is just driven by the desire to have beautiful variants. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8474
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Mother Freedom' / 'Live in your love' 

Brown girl in the ring - Boney M

I have bought quite a few Boney M singles recently, all of them from Japan. Mostly because the sleeves are so different or pretty. But I've always been a sucker for 'strange' editions, and the one I found in Duisburg is certainly that. 

It's a Hungarian pressing of 'Brown girl in the ring', with a rather simple sleeve. You can see the front here; the back is die-cut, showing the label of the actual single. What's more, the B-side features 'Nightflight to Venus', the title track of their third studio album, released in 1978. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8473
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Brown girl in the ring' / 'Nightflight to Venus' 

Summer nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

The movie Grease was all the rage in 1978 and in schools there were basically two camps: the John Travolta fans and the Olivia Newton-John fans. People like me, who were indifferent to both (although honestly, if I had to choose I would always go for Olivia, obviously) were pretty rare.

I didn't really get into Grease at all, although I have to concede that most of the singles released from its soundtrack are pretty nice. 'Summer nights' was another big hit and this German sleeve was really well designed. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8465
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Summer nights' (John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John) / 'Rock 'n' Roll party queen' (Louis St. Louis)

Bahama mama - Boney M

'Bahama Mama' was the second single from Boney M's fourth album Oceans of Fantasy (1979). In Europe it was released as a double A-side with 'I'm born again', but in Japan the record company released 'Bahama mama' as the sole A-side and gave the single a different sleeve, based on the photograph from the album sleeve. 

Perhaps they were especially enamoured with this photograph because it alluded to the woodblock print 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', created by the Japanese artist Hokusai (1760–1849). The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave forming a spiral in the centre over the boats and Mount Fuji in the background.

My collection: 7" single no. 8462
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 October 2026
Tracks: 'Bahama mama' / 'I'm born again' 

Yesterday when I was young / Goldfinger (live in Japan) - Shirley Bassey

Two songs from Shirley Bassey's live performance at the Kosei-Nenkin Hall in Tokyo in 1974 were released on this single. She sings 'Yesterday when I was young' and the James Bond theme 'Goldfinger' before an enthusiastic audience in Japan.

The single was taken from the double album Live in Japan, released exclusively in Japan in the autumn of 1974. A cd version of that album was finally released worldwide in 2008. It reproduces the text from a booklet that came with the LP, which included the lyrics in English and Japanese.

My collection: 7" single no. 8460
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 October 2026
Tracks: 'Yesterday when I was young (live)' / 'Goldfinger (live)' 

 

Gotta go home - Boney M

'Gotta go home' was re-written from a German single 'Hallo Bimmelbahn' (1973) by Nighttrain with the brothers Heinz and Jürgen Huth, both also credited as co-writers on Boney M.'s version. The song was coupled with 'El Lute', tells the true story of Spanish outlaw Eleuterio Sánchez, who was still in prison at the time the song was released, though he was shortly to be released following a pardon. The song presents his claim that he was wrongly convicted of murder and links his liberation from prison to the liberation of his country from oppression after the rule of Franco. During a promotional visit in Spain, Boney M. met Sánchez and gave him a golden record for the sales of the single. 

The Japanese sleeve is similar to the one released in Europe, but adds the 'Happy Disco No. 1 Hit!' label. Hopefully it helped the sales over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 8458
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 October 2026
Tracks: 'Gotta go home' / 'El Lute' 

Let it be - Joan Baez

Speaking of the Beatles, I wasn't really aware that Joan Baez had recorded a cover version of 'Let it be' until I saw this single last weekend. She turned this staggering anthem into an intimate folk tune. 

Joan Baez was born on 9 January 1941 and her repertoire is full of songs of protest and social injustice. She played at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and released some 30 albums. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8455
Found: Rataplan, Rijswijk, 3 October 2026
Tracks: 'Let it be' / 'Poor wayfaring stranger' 

Theme from Love Story - Francis Lai

I recently bought 'Love story' by Nino Tempo & April Stevens, which is a vocal version of the theme from the movie Love Story by Francis Lai. I was pleased to find a copy of that instrumental piece. 

The vocal version was a big hit in 1972, but this instrumental version, released in the first half of 1971, did alright too: it peaked at number 24 in the Dutch Top 40. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8451
Found: Plato, Leiden, 27 September 2026
Tracks: 'Theme from Love Story' / 'Skating in Central Park' 

Always another girl - Silver Convention

The best way to describe this single by Silver Convention is 'vacuous but fun'. The song 'Always another girl' isn't very impressive lyrically - lots of repeats - but it's got a good rhythm; perfect for discotheques. The B-side, 'I like it', is equally void of substance. It's bubblegum music, but in a good disco way. 

'Always another girl' was the trio's second single, after 'Save me'. It reached number 29 in the Belgian (Flemish) chart and number 15 in the Dutch Top 40. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8449
Found: Plato, Leiden, 27 September 2026
Tracks: 'Always another girl' / 'I like it' 

Dancing the night away - The Motors

'Dancing the night away' was the debut single by English garage rock pub rock band the Motors, which was released in 1977 as the lead single from their debut studio album 1. On the album the song was a full six and a half minutes; for the single it was edited down to just three. The song was written by band members Andy McMaster and Nick Garvey, and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. 

The single peaked at number 42 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 50 for four weeks. In 1983 the American rock band Cheap Trick recorded a cover version of the song for their seventh album Next position please. They also released the song as a single, but it only reached number 111 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 8444
Found: Plato, Leiden, 27 September 2026
Tracks: 'Dancing the night away' / 'Whisky and wine' 

Car wash - Rose Royce

'Car Wash' is a song by the American soul and R&B band Rose Royce. Written and arranged by the ex-Motown producer Norman Whitfield, the song was the group's first single and one of the most notable successes of the 1970s disco era. The theme of the 1976 film Car Wash was Rose Royce's most successful single and the lead single from their first studio album, the Car Wash soundtrack. 

I have vague memories of when this single was released in september 1976. Despite being just six years old I already watched the pop shows on television religiously every week, and this song bored me to death. But when I heard it on the radio recently, I quite liked it. So it only took me half a century to appreciate this song.

My collection: 7" single no. 8442
Found: Plato, Leiden, 27 September 2026
Tracks: 'Car wash' / 'Water'

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday - Boney M

We're currently enjoying a bit of an indian summer, which is a good time to break out that summerhit from 1979: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday'. The Japanese sleeve is similar to the European one, but with added Japanese translation and the exclamation that it's a "Pop & Disco Big Hit!!". I wonder how many people needed that prompt to buy this single.

The single was a top 5 hit all over Europe and topped the chart in the Netherlands. I have no info on the Japanese charts, so any help with that will be highly appreciated.

My collection: 7" single no. 8420
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday' / 'Ribbons of blue'

Belfast - Boney M

My friend Puck asked me recently why I started buying so many Boney M singles. The answer is simple: because I enjoy their music and because the Japanese sleeves of those singles are often very different from the European ones.

This one is a good example of that. 'Belfast' was released in 1977 with a dynamic, if slightly chaotic sleeve design. The Japanese version is a lot more balanced. The music, of course, remains the same, but sometimes I just enjoy buying variants - especially when they're not unreasonably expensive.

My collection: 7" single no. 8421
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Belfast' / 'Plantation boy' 

Dancing queen - Abba

Any new releases by Abba will make use of their back catalogue, since the members of the group have said that Voyage from a few years ago would definitely be their last studio recording. It's a shame, but I guess the Swedish superstars have given us enough to live with anyway. 

This recent 10" single release celebrates the 50th anniversary (can you believe it?) of 'Dancing queen'. It combines the original song with a Spanish version that was recorded a few years later. The disc was pressed on black vinyl 'with sparkles'. Unfortunately those sparkles are a bit disappointing: they almost look like big dust particles. 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Platenzaak.nl, received 15 August 2026
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'La reina del baile'

 

Conquistador - Procol Harum

'Conquistador' was written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, both members of the band Procol Harum. The song originally appeared on the band's debut album from 1967. In 1972 it was recorded for their live album Procol Harum live in concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, from which this single was taken.

Besides 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', 'Conquistador' was the band's highest charting single. It peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, exactly five years after 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' ascended to its number 5 peak. The single also reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8423
Found: Dutch Collectors Society, Rijswijk, 12 September 2026
Tracks: 'Conquistador [live]' / 'All this and more [live]'

Dancing in the streets - Boney M

The interesting story of how 'Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord' became 'Dancing in the streets' in Europe was covered on this blog in May 2019. Basically, when Christmas was over, it was time to flip the sides and try to keep the single in the charts as long as possible.

In Japan, the story was quite different. Christmas isn't much of a thing over there, and so the record company decided to release 'Dancing in the streets' right away, and with a totally different sleeve. Apparently the single was released in April 1979, almost six months after the European release. Which makes it intriguing that 'Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord' was still on the B-side of this single!

My collection: 7" single no. 8418
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Dancing in the streets' / 'Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord'

Ma Baker - Boney M

My most recent purchase of a Boney M single used the same photograph as this one, except this one was released about a decade earlier. It's the iconic photograph of the Love for sale album. 

This is the second issue of the Japanese single of 'Ma Baker', released in 1977. There was some writing on the cover of this single, which surprised me because the Japanese are usually more respectful of material items. But then, the dealer was based in France. Anyway, it's still a nice item to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 8416
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 September 2026
Tracks: 'Ma Baker' / 'A woman can change a man' 

Panaya mou - Mariza Koch

Some countries are currently boycotting the Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is embroiled in a war against Palestinians. They seem to think that this is the best way to deal with issues these days. Back in the Seventies countries handled this differently: when Greece participated in the 1976 edition they simply wrote a song protesting the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey. And so, 'Panaya mou' was performed live on stage. 

The organizers informed Mariza Koch that they were not responsible for her safety, as there were threats that armed Turks would be present at the venue and shoot her on stage. She signed a waiver stating that she would sing at her own risk. I can't imagine things like this happening next year. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8415
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 August 2026
Tracks: 'Panaya mou' / 'Kato apo tin vrohi'

Sam - Olivia Newton-John

Whenever I am in a city I check out the local record shops and I am rarely disappointed. Last week I was in Kaiserslautern and the local record shop was tiny but filled to the brim with cd's and lp's. Fortunately they also had a few boxes with 7" singles at just 50 eurocents each, so I had to check them all out. One of the items I snatched was this German pressing of Olivia's 'Sam'. 

Of course, I bought an American promotional single of 'Sam' in 2000, but contrary to that one, this one has a picture sleeve and a different B-side. I can't pass up on a cheap Olivia single, so here we are...

My collection: 7" single no. 8412
Found: Soundcheck, Kaiserslautern (Germany), 22 August 2026
Tracks: 'Sam' / 'Changes'