Rich man - Ten Sharp

The last single from Ten Sharp's debut album 'Under the waterline' was 'Rich man', released in March 1992. Amazingly, it sold a lot better than the two previous singles, reaching a respectable number 16 in the Dutch Top 40.

The single closed off a very successful year for Ten Sharp. They had made it in the Netherland and a few European and Asian countries.They would continue to record albums for years, but because the 7" format was abandoned by most record companies in Europe in 1992, no further singles by the band were released on this format.

My collection: 7" single no. 2076
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, February 19, 1994
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Rich man' / 'You (acoustic version)'

When the snow falls - Ten Sharp

'When the snow falls' was originally Ten Sharp's debut single back in 1985. The single did not chart, and since subsequent singles were not a big success either, the band broke up in 1987. When they returned in 1991 with the single 'You', they had a European hit on their hands. The album 'Under the water-line' consisted of nine new tracks, but also a version of 'When the snow falls'.

This version was edited and released as the fourth single from the album. This version is slightly different from the original single and it also contains a different B-side. It didn't bring the band the success they might have hoped for: again, it failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1967
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'When the snow falls' / 'Some sails'

Japanese lovesong - Ten Sharp

The early career of Ten Shap was a bit odd. They released four singles to little or no success. The one that was the least interesting in my opinion was 'Japanese lovesong'. And yet, this was the only single of the four to reach the Dutch Top 40, in the summer of 1985. It had a chart run of four weeks and reached number 30.

'Japanese lovesong' was the second single released by Ten Sharp, and after the third and fourth singles 'Last words' and 'Way of the west' did not chart, the band disbanded for four years, only to resurrect with the international smash hit 'You'.

My collection: 7" single no. 4033
Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Japanese lovesong' / 'Goin' on'

When the spirit slips away - Ten Sharp

'When the spirit slips away' is the third single from Ten Sharp's 1991 album 'Under the waterline'. Originally released as a 7 track mini-album, it was expanded to 10 tracks when international success loomed.

With its environmental message, this single was probably deemed uninteresting by the Dutch public, as the single did not chart. In other countries it was equally unsuccessful, although it was released in only a few countries.

My collection: 7" single no. 1966
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'When the spirit slips away' / 'When the spirit slips away (instrumental)'

Ain't my beating heart - Ten Sharp

After Ten Sharp had a big hit with 'You', they released a mini-album in the Netherlands entitled 'Under the water-line'. From this mini-album, which featured 7 tracks, they released a second single, 'Ain't my beating heart'. It sounded like 'You' in a number of ways, in the sense that it was keyboard-driven and it featured the same sound overall. It was a minor success in the Netherlands, peaking at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40.

This single surprised me a couple of times. First when I went to London in 1992, a year after the release of the single, and found the UK version of this single. It was actually made in Holland, but the sleeve was very different from the European one: much simpler and without a photograph of the band. (The sleeve is pictured above.)

Then, in 1997, I found the European version of 'Ain't my beating heart' - but with a bonus single containing an acoustic version of 'You'. I am sure I never saw this limited edition in Dutch shops, so I guess it was released in other countries.

My collection: 7" single no. 1742
Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 19, 1992
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Ain't my beating heart' / 'Who needs women'

My collection: 7" single no. 2804
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 4, 1997
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Ain't my beating heart' / 'Who needs women' // 'You (acoustic version)'

You - Ten Sharp

After being away from the music business for five years, Ten Sharp returned in the form of a duo. Michiel Hoogenboezem and Niels Hermes picked up where their three band members had thrown in the towel - and their reward was big. Where chart success eluded Ten Sharp in the Eighties, they had a European hit on their hands with 'You', released in 1991.

Not only did the band reach number 3 in the Netherlands (a position they'd never achieved in the Eighties), it also went number 1 in France, Norway and Sweden. In the UK, the single peaked at number 10. All of a sudden, Ten Sharp had become popular.

My collection: 7" single no. 1430
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 13, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'You' / 'You (instrumental)'

Last words - Ten Sharp

Ten Sharp were unable to release an album between 1985 and 1987, but they did release four singles on the CBS label. This one was the third and probably the best of them. 'Last words' was not a hit for the band, causing them to rethink their sound and come back in 1987 with a hardrock-esque track, 'Way of the west'.

The 12" single contains a good extended remix of 'Last words'.

My collection: 7" single no. 419
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 28, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Last words' / 'White gold'

When the snow falls - Ten Sharp

The band Ten Sharp debuted in January 1985 with this single, 'When the snow falls'. It was quite an impressive debut, with its melodramatic chorus and heavy instrumentation. But even though critics were very positive about this single, the record-buying audiences were not impressed: the single stalled in the Dutch bubbling under chart and did not reach the Top 40. After three more singles, the band fell apart.

However, after Ten Sharp returned with only core members Marcel Kapteijn and Niels Hermes remaining, they had a big European hit with 'You'. This led to them recording a debut album 'Under the water-line'. This album featured a version of 'When the snow falls'.

My collection: 7" single no. 262

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'When the snow falls' / 'Time and time'

Way of the west - Ten Sharp

After the failure of their first three singles, Ten Sharp reinvented themselves as a rock band. With screaming guitars, the band sounded louder and more aggressive than ever before - or after. 'Way of the west' (1987) was a very different single for the band.

When this single flopped the band fell apart and the musicians went their own way. Until 1990, that is, when two members Marcel Kapteijn and Niels Hermes got together again and started Ten Sharp II in 1991. Their new single 'You' would become a pan-European hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 1158

Found: All that music, Leiden, January 27, 1990

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Way of the west' / 'Way of the west (club version)'

Download: here

Last words - Ten Sharp

In the first half of the eighties, Marcel Kapteijn, Niels Hermes, Ton Groen, Wil Bouwes and Martin Boers founded Ten Sharp. After competing in a band contest, they were able to sign a contract with CBS Records. They released four singles on the label, of which this one was the third. Since none of these singles charted in the Netherlands, the record company gave up and the band fell apart. That is, until 1991, but that's a different story entirely...

'Last words' was released in 1986 on 7" and 12" single. The 12" single featured a great extended remix. Since I didn't buy the 12" immediately after it came out, I had to hunt for it years later. Fortunately, I found it after some years.

My collection: 12" single no. 151
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, 1992
Cost: 7 guilders
Tracks: 'Last words (extended re-mix)' / 'White gold'
Download: here