The worker - Fischer Z

Of course I already own a copy of Fischer Z's 'The Worker' - I bought it 30 years ago! - but this picture disc was just too beautiful to pass up. It's so beautiful, in fact, that there is even a movie of it on YouTube.

Fischer Z continues to tour and record albums, the most recent being 'Swimming in thunderstorms', released earlier this year. Their earliest work remains the best, in my humble opinion.

My collection: 7" single no. 6176
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The worker' / 'Kitten curry'

No regrets - The Walker Brothers

One of the great classics of the 1970's was the Walker Brothers' 'No regrets', released in November 1975 as their comeback single after seven years. The single reached number 7 in the UK singles chart, making it their fourth and last top 10 hit - and their last UK hit overall.

The single shown here was a re-release of the track in 1991, taken from a compilation album called 'No Regrets - The best of Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers 1965-1976'. While the album reached number 4 in the UK albums chart, this single did not chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 6174
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'No regrets' (Walker Brothers) / 'Boy child' (Scott Walker)

Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits

'Romeo and Juliet' was released as a single from Dire Straits' 1980 album 'Making Movies' in early 1981. The lyrics of the song describe the experience of the two lovers of the title, hinting at a situation that saw the Juliet figure abandon her Romeo after finding fame and moving on from the rough neighborhood where they first encountered each other.

Mark Knopfler, who wrote the song, said that it was inspired by his failed romance with Holly Vincent, lead singer of the short-lived band Holly and The Italians. The song speaks of a Romeo who is still very much in love with his Juliet, but she now treats him like "just another one of [her] deals". Knopfler has both stated and implied that he believes Vincent was using him to boost her career. The song's line "Now you just say, oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him," refers to an interview with Vincent, where she says "What happened was that I had a scene with Mark Knopfler and it got to the point where he couldn't handle it and we split up." 

The single matched the success of their debut single 'Sultans of Swing' three years earlier, peaking at number 8 in the UK singles chart. However, where the former charted in many other countries, this single did not.

My collection: 7" single no. 6173
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Romeo and Juliet' / 'Solid rock'

Vienna 92 (The classic mix) - Ultravox

Sometimes you find a single and you wonder: what the hell went wrong here? I was already familiar with the fact that Ultravox had released a version of 'Vienna' in the Nineties, and I even heard it once, years ago, but to find the single was a different challenge.

So now that I have it, here are the facts. Ultravox split up in 1988 after the lack of success of their album 'U-vox'. Having not toured after the album, Ure concentrated on his solo career and Chris Cross retired from music altogether and returned to his former career as a psychotherapist. And then, Billy Currie decided to reform Ultravox in 1992, without any of the other original members. This single was their first product. One has to wonder what went on in Billy Currie's mind: 'Oh, let's re-record the biggest hit Ultravox ever had, but with weaker vocals and cheaper instruments'. Or something like that. Its only redeeming quality in the drum beat, which is slightly original when compared to the original (and better) version. Predictably, the single failed to chart.

Undeterred, this version of Ultravox with vocalist Tony Fenelle recorded the album 'Revelation' (which it wasn't) and in 1994 the album 'Ingenuity' (well... no). The band dissolved again in 1996. When the "classic" line-up of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Warren Cann and Chris Cross reformed in 2012 for the album 'Brilliant', the results were lots better.

My collection: 7" single no. 6172
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Vienna 92 (the classic mix)' / 'Systems of love'

You have been loved - George Michael

Released as the sixth and final single from George Michael's third album 'Older', 'You have been loved' is a remarkably beautiful song. Although he continued to record music for another two decades, nothing comes close to this track.

The song's lyrics are about his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1993. It tells the story of Anselmo's mother, who visits his grave, while passing by the school he attended. The first chorus has Anselmo's mother saying goodbye, telling him 'You have been loved'. The ending chorus has Anselmo dying, telling George, 'You have been loved'. The line, 'If I was weak, forgive me; but I was terrified', refers to the trauma George felt during Anselmo's decline in health. The song also addresses a spiritual struggle: while Anselmo and his mother both say that God is not dead, George counters their comments, challenging God, 'What's the use in pressing palms, if you [God] won't keep such love from harm? It's a cruel world. You've so much to prove'.

The single peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart, behind Elton John's tribute to the then recently deceased Lady Diana, Candle in the wind 1997. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6171
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'You have been loved' / 'The strangest thing '97'

Older - George Michael

These jukebox singles aren't very pretty to look at, but it never ceases to amaze me that so many of them were made long after vinyl singles had left the shops seemingly forever. 'Older' was the fourth single taken from George Michael's third album of the same name, and this single was produced for the UK jukebox market only.

The B-side is the real attraction of this single - it's a version of the Bonnie Raitt song 'I can't make you love me' and George Michael's interpretation of the track is a beautiful, soulful one. It was a few years before his ill-fated 'Songs of the century' album, on which his cover versions sounded a lot less inspired...

My collection: 7" single no. 6170
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Older' / 'I can't make you love me'

Falling - Alison Moyet

'Falling' was released as the lead single of Alison Moyet's fourth studio album 'Essex'. The album was originally rejected by Columbia, who insisted that it be re-recorded to create a more commercial package. Ian Broudie was hired to produce the re-recorded tracks. This single was released in October 1993, almost half a year before the album's release.

The single stalled at number 42 in the UK singles chart, which prompted more resistance from the record label. The next single, 'Whispering your name', had to be remixed to become an upbeat dance track, for release as the following single in early 1994. That single was not released on 7" vinyl anymore, making this single the last Alison Moyet vinyl single ever.

My collection: 7" single no. 6169
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Falling' / 'Ode to boy'

Downtown - Lloyd Cole

It is very possible that Lloyd Cole is one of Britain's best songwriters, but he is also largely ignored. His first four solo albums made the album top 40 in the UK, but after that (from 2000 onwards) they didn't make a dent anymore, except in Sweden where two of his albums made the top 20.

'Downtown' comes from his first solo outing, and was released as its third single. It didn't chart, despite its catchy hook. I bought that solo album some time ago and when I saw this single I decided to pick it up. I think Lloyd Cole needs more recognition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6168
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Downtown' / 'A long way down (live)'

Miss me blind - Culture Club

'Miss me blind' was released as the third single from Culture Club's album 'Colour by numbers'in the USA, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in spring 1984. This gave the band its sixth consecutive top 10 hit, as well as its final top 10 hit there to date.

This single is the French pressing. For some reason, the single was not released in the UK, but it reached number 28 in France and number 32 in Italy - which says something about the popularity of this track in this part of the world. It is a nice single, though, and I was glad to add this to my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6167
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Miss me blind' / 'Colour by numbers'

Hit me with your rhythm stick '91 (The Flying remix) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Usually I know what I am buying, but I like to experiment a little from time to time as well. In the case of this single, I'd never heard this remix of the classic 'Hit me with your rhythm stick'. I already owned the Paul Hardcastle version from 1984, but I'd never heard of this 1991 version until I found it online recently. I decided to buy this single.

It is an interesting enough remix, but I think it's a shame that it omits one of the best sax solos ever. Fortunately, the original version can be found on the B-side, so the record-buying public at the time still had a chance to hear it.

My collection: 7" single no. 6166
Found: Discogs.com, received September 20, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Hit me with your rhythm stick '91 (The Flying remix)' / 'Hit me with your rhythm stick (original version)'

My computer - Prince feat. Kate Bush

In November 1996, Prince released 'Emancipation', a massive three disc set of 36 songs. The single 'Betcha by golly wow', a cover of the Stylistics song, was the album's only big hit, but there were a few more interesting tracks on the album.

One of them was 'My computer', a song that was a collaboration with Kate Bush. Its lyrics examined the burgeoning online dating scene and its implications on how romantic relationships can develop in the internet age. What's interesting is that Kate can hardly be heard on this track. Some reports say that she sings backing vocals from 0'29 onwards, but who can tell? Still, this single, released with the October 2019 issue of the German magazine Musikexpress, belongs in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6164
Found: Musikexpress (Germany), received September 18, 2019
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'My computer' / 'Shhh (x-cerpt)'

Se a vida é - Pet Shop Boys

When the Pet Shop Boys released 'Bilingual' in 1996, there were suspicions that their holidays in Spanish speaking countries had gotten the best of them. There were quite a few Spanish expressions on the album, most visibly on the song 'Se a vida é', which was released as the album's second single. It reached number 8 in the UK singles chart.

On the B-side of this jukebox-only 7" single there's the single mix of the previous single, 'Before'. Released on April 22, 1996 it reached number 7 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6163
Found: Discogs.com, received September 17, 2109
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Se a vida é' / 'Before (single mix)'

Paninaro '95 - Pet Shop Boys

For a long time, I believed the Pet Shop Boys didn't release a vinyl single in the 1990's after Liberation, but it turns out I was wrong. A recent discovery on Discogs was the release of a handful 7" singles from that era, although they were only produced for the apparently lively jukebox circuit.

'Paninaro '95' was released to promote the B-side compilation 'Alternative'. It was a re-recording of a song that originally appeared on the B-side of the single Suburbia. The new recording included a rap in the middle of the song, newly written by Chris Lowe; it laments the loss of the "lover" referred to in the pre-existing lyrics. The written lyrics in the final are also changed to "were" rather than "are" in referring to the lost love.

My collection: 7" single no. 6162
Found: Discogs.com, received September 17, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Paninaro '95' / 'In the night'

West end girls '86 - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys became famous with their 1985 single 'West end girls', but the song was actually recorded before the version that made them famous. That version was produced by Bobby Orlando, and released in 1984. And of course I have that single, I bought it back in 1986.

But this single is a different beast: while the Pet Shop Boys were riding high in the charts with their first handful of singles and their debut album, ZYX Records decided to release a 'remix' of the original version of 'West end girls'. The track was remixed by Tess at Hurricane Studio Munich, and that probably tells you all you need to know. It's the sound of a record company trying to make money off a product that probably shouldn't have been made at all. Although I have to say that I do like this version.... actually.

My collection: 7" single no. 6161
Found: Ebay.com, received September 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'West end girls (remix '86)' / 'Theme for the Pet Shop Boys'

Speeldoos - Annie Palmen

Annie Palmen was born in IJmuiden on August 19, 1926. She started her career singing with dance orchestras around the city of Haarlem, then sang on various radio stations before her first hit record, 'Ik zal je nooit meer vergeten', in 1958. In 1960, Palmen took part in the Dutch Eurovision selection, as one of the artists singing 'Wat een geluk', which was eventually performed by Rudi Carrell on the international Eurovision stage.

Palmen returned in 1963 in a more straightforward procedure, performing three songs from which a professional jury would pick a winner. The song 'Geen ander' ('Nobody else') was chosen to go to the eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held in London on 23 March. Before the contest however, the lyrics to the song were completely rewritten, and it became 'Een speeldoos'. The song was not successful; it was one of four songs that received the dreaded 'nul points' in a field of sixteen competitors. Her career continued until 1972, after five years of monthly appearances in the television programme 'Mik' on Dutch TV. Palmen died in Beverwijk on 15 January 2000, after a long illness of an undisclosed nature, aged 73.

'Een speeldoos' was the only Dutch Eurovision single missing in my collection, so it is with great pleasure that I acquired this disc. (A few more Eurovision songs happened in the last century, but these were never released as a single.) 

My collection: 7" single no. 6159
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2019
Tracks: 'Speeldoos' / 'Bij jou'

Malaika - Anicken Loken

Anicken Loken released this single - and only this single - in 1989. There is no information about her anywhere on the internet, although back in February 2018 I wrote a little piece about this single on one of my other websites. But back then I didn't have the single myself - and now I do.

The single features two tracks: a version of the African traditional 'Malaika', and a cover version of the debut single by Ricky Wilde, 'I am an astronaut'. The original lyric by Marty Wilde was translated into Norwegian by Elvind Torp. And there you have it: it's very hard to find this Wilde-related single, but when it's Wilde-related, I gotta have it.

My collection: 7" single 6160
Found: Discogs.com, received August 22, 2019
Tracks: 'Malaika' / 'Jeg er en astronaut'

Profoundly in love with Pandora - Ian Dury

Ian Dury wrote and performed the song 'Profoundly in love with Pandora' for the television series 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾', based on the book of the same name by Sue Townsend. I remember I was a bit shocked at the time,because I knew Dury from slightly controversial songs like 'Spasticus Autisticus' and 'Sex & drugs & rock & roll', and this was almost a 'normal' pop song.

I'd almost forgotten about this release over the years, but it recently popped up during an online shopping spree, and so I picked it up. Always nice to have some Ian Dury in your life, innit.

My collection: 7" single no. 6156
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Profoundly in love with Pandora' / 'Eugenius (You're a genius)'

Enjoy - Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box

This single comes with a promotional sticker on the front - as you can see - and a press release from EastWest Records. It explains a little about this release: "After enjoying an extended period of (expensive) bootlegged notoriety, this year's orbital theme-tune, "Enjoy" from Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box, is commercially released through East West Records on 21st May [1990]."

""Enjoy" in its original form is an old B-side from the outfit who scored top 10 hits in 1985 & 1986 with "Lean on me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" and "For America". The track's current notoriety began when DJ's like Paul Oakenfold unearthed the song and began playing it at orbital parties around the capital and elsewhere."

My collection: 7" single no. 6153
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Enjoy (Paul Oakenfold future mix)' / 'Enjoy (Original Golden Lay)'

Give love a chance - Seija Simola

Seija Simola was born in Helsinki on September 25, 1944. She began her musical career in the mid-Sixties in the band Eero Seija & Kristian Trio, and her debut solo album was released in 1970: Seija Simola 1.

In 1978, she represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang 'Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus', which finished in 18th place, in a field of 20 competitors. Despite this poor result, Simola continued a long and successful career in her native Finland. She passed away in Vantaa on August 21, 2017.

This single presents the English version of her Eurovision song: 'Give love a chance'. It comes in one of the thinnest paper sleeves I have ever seen.

My collection: 7" single no. 6155
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Give love a chance' / 'Little smile'

Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Every year when the Netherlands announce their Eurovision candidate, there is a sigh of desperation and the resigned thought: 'Okay, so we won't win this year - again'. Ever since Teach In won the contest back in 1975 - a feat I didn't consciously experience - there have been many attempts to get to the top spot, but with dud artists like Bernadette, Gerard Joling, Willeke Alberti, Glennis Grace and - oh how terrible - De Toppers, we didn't have a shadow a chance.

And then suddenly, the unknown artist Duncan Laurence was announced as this year's entry. The song sounded weird at first, but it was way better than most songs from previous years. And when the bookmakers started predicting that the Netherlands could win this year, a mixture of disbelief and hope started to rise. I couldn't believe it when 'Arcade' won the Contest in May. And then, of course, the question came: will it be released on any physical format? The answer came two full months later: 'Arcade' was released last week on 7" vinyl. So there you have it - a winning Dutch Eurovision song on vinyl. It doesn't really get much better than this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6151
Found: Bea Records, received July 30, 2019
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'Arcade' / 'Arcade (acoustic version)'

Smoke - Natalie Imbruglia

Natalie Imbruglia was born on February 4, 1975 in Sydney, Australia. After appearing in commercials for Coca-Cola and Australian snack Twisties, she joined the cast of Neighbours. After just two years she left the show to move to London in 1994. She met Anne Barret, who became her manager and convinced her to record a demo of four songs. One of those songs was a cover of the Ednaswap composition 'Torn', which landed her a record deal with RCA. Released as her first single, it was an immediate international hit.

The album 'Left of the middle' spawned a few more singles, of which 'Smoke' was artistically the most accomplished. Having been under the impression that none of her singles were ever released on vinyl, I was excited to get my hands on this one. 'Smoke' reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 42 in Australia.

My collection: 7" single no. 6150
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Smoke' / 'Smoke (Martyn Philips & Marc Fox mix)'

Tell me when - Human League

Released on December 26, 1994, 'Tell me when' was the first single by Human League in four years. A lot had changed in the record industry: gone were most of the vinyl singles in favour of cd-singles. Until recently I didn't even know a vinyl single of this track existed. It became the Human League's most commercially successful single in nine years and reintroduced the band to many of the British general public. 'Tell me when' received considerable radio promotion in advance of its late 1994 UK release, hitting the airwaves at a time when many people started to get Christmas song fatigue.

The single peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart and even made it into the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 31. The album from which this single was taken, 'Octopus', peaked at number 6 in the UK albums chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6149
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Tell me when (7" edit)' / 'Tell me when (Mix 1)'

Do I dream - Maxi

Maxi was the stage name of Irene McCoubrey, born February 23, 1950. In the late 1960s Maxi teamed up with Barbara Dixon and Adele King to form Maxi, Dick and Twink. The trio toured Ireland, the UK and Canada and recorded two singles. They also worked a session singers in Motown studios in Detroit, Michigan, before disbanding. Following this she pursued a career with Danny Doyle and Music Box before going solo. She represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 singing 'Do I Dream', finishing tenth in a field of 17 competitors.
 
In the late 1970s, Maxi became part of another all-girl trio Sheeba, with Marion Fossett and Frances Campbell. The group represented Ireland in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Horoscopes'. Maxi embarked on a career in broadcasting with the Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). Working mainly on radio, she also took on some television work including a quiz show, presenting Ireland's lottery and fronting the Miss Ireland contest. In 1987 Maxi presented the national final for Eurovision alongside Marty Whelan.

My collection: 7" single no. 6148
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Do I dream' / 'Here today and gone tomorrow'

DJ - David Bowie

Just days after buying the 'Space oddity' box set, I found this picture disc of DJ in Parlophone's series of '40th anniversary' discs. I bought the 'Boys keep swinging' picture disc a few weeks ago in Antwerpen, so it's nice to have found this one in Paris. Like the one before, it is quite an expensive acquisition, but online prices have not been any lower.

What's most interesting about this disc - to me at least - is not the A-side, but the B-side, because it contains a version of 'Boys keep swinging' that was performed in a television show in 1979. Why Parlophone decided to include this instead of the original B-side 'Repetition' is therefore obvious to me.

Note: now that picosong has ceased existing I will have to link to other online files to offer sound and sometimes vision with the tracks that are on my singles. In this case, it's extra interesting because you get to see the full TV performance along with the sound that's on the single. Obviously the single fades out until 2'33.  

My collection: 7" single no. 6147
Found: Fnac, Paris, July 28, 2019
Cost: 14 euro (!)
Tracks: 'DJ (2017 Tony Visconti mix - single edit)' / 'Boys keep swinging (Kenny Everett Video Show version)'

Space oddity - David Bowie

It's hard to believe that it's already been 3½ years since David Bowie died. Since then, a shedload of new releases has seen the light of day. It's becoming more obvious every month that the record company and the rights holders are making the most of the neverending lust for new product that seems to exist.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing which made 'Space oddity' such a big hit, Parlophone has now released a boxed set of two singles with two versions of 'Space oddity' and its B-side, 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud': the original mono versions and new 2019 mixes by Tony Visconti. The box comes with a poster, an insert detailing all the credits for the tracks and some background information and a photo card - plus of course both the singles in different picture sleeves. I used an official packshot for this post, because the glossy box can not be scanned properly!

My collection: 7" single no. 6146
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Tracks: 'Space oddity (original mono single edit)' / 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud (original mono single version)' // 'Space oddity (2019 mix - single edit)' / 'Wild eyed boy from freecloud (2019 mix - single version)'

Hélène - Julien Clerc

'Hélène' is the Eighties summer hit you may have missed if you weren't living in France or the Netherlands at the time. It was Julien Clerc's last hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1987.

Clerc was best known for his Seventies hits 'Venise' and 'This melody' and this summery song with the mock-'Lion sleeps tonight' rhythm was a bit of a diversion in style for him. I didn't like the song very much back then, but these days it sounds fresh and much better than most music that is released these days...

My collection: 7" single no. 6145
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hélène' / 'Avoir 15 ans'

Hijo de la luna (Dis-moi lune d'argent) - Mecano

When I saw this single, I had to look twice. Although the title 'Hijo de la luna' is featured prominently on the sleeve, the French subtitle is less so. And what did it mean - a French version of the song, or just a translation for the French who don't speak many languages other than French? It turned out to be the former, as made more obvious on the back of the sleeve, where lyrics for the French and Spanish versions appeared.

The Spanish band Mecano have always recorded their songs in multiple languages - and I have the single 'Une femme avec une femme' to prove it. That one was released in 1990, this one a year later - three years after 'Hijo de la luna' was recorded and one year after it was a hit in most of Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 6144
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hijo de la luna (Dis-moi lune d'argent)' / 'Hijo de la luna'

Shang shang a lang - Sylvie Vartan

During what was probably the hottest week of this year, I was on holiday in Paris with the family. And like every year there wasn't a lot of time to scour the record shops. However, last Wednesday, as the temperature was rising near 40 degrees Celsius, they went back to the apartment during the afternoon and I suddenly had a few hours on my own. Much to my dismay I found that Parisian record shops are a weird thing: they are either on holiday or unwelcoming to guests. The two shops that were open were 'Musiques Musiques' (but the owner turned me away for no apparent reason) and 'Monster Melodies' (which had closed their upper floor where the vinyl was stacked up high).

And so I had only one address left: Gilbert Joseph, a large store for second hand books, films and comics as well as records. Their second hand singles were quite interesting, I found. My first find was an old Sylvie Vartan single. 'Shang shang a lang' was written by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley. I was so familiar with the sleeve of this single that I thought I already had it, but it turns out I didn't. It was very nice to scoop up this disc.

My collection: 7" single no. 6143
Found: Gilbert Joseph, Paris, July 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Shang shang a lang' / 'Toi mon aventure'

Living in Tooneland - Park Cafe

I bought the single 'Monsieur' four years ago, a rare Eurovision single from the act hailing from Luxembourg. I was quite surprised when I saw this single, featuring the English version of that song on the A-side. That version also appears on the B-side of 'Monsieur', but still... I was buying some Eurovision cd-singles from the same online seller so I didn't feel bad about adding this one to the stack.

The B-side 'Passion' comes from the band's 1989 album 'Goodtime boy'. That album also features 'Living in Tooneland', but not the Eurovision entry 'Monsieur'. That single remains the rarest of the two, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6142
Found: Discogs.com, received July 19, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Living in Tooneland' / 'Passion'

Des larmes - Mylene Farmer

'Des larmes' ('Tears') is the latest single from French superstar Mylene Farmer. She's just finished a run of concerts in Paris last month. They have been filmed, and a movie of those concerts will appear in French cinemas this November. There are some rumours that these have been her last live concerts ever - but we'll have to wait and see if those rumours are true.

The record company has employed some weird tactics surrounding Mylene's last album 'Désobéissance': four singles were released, but only two of them ('N'oublie pas' and this one) were released on 7" vinyl. The three previous singles came with a flurry of remixes, but this single only comes with an instrumental version of the track. It does not seem to matter to her fans: they will buy whatever is released - just like I do.

My collection: 7" single no. 6141
Found: Amazon France, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 7 euro
Tracks: 'Des larmes (edit radio)' / 'Des larmes (version instrumentale)'

Heute in Jerusalem - Christina Simon

Fans of Mezzoforte, Shakatak and elevator music in general, pay attention: Christina Simon created this single especially for you! 'Heute in Jerusalem' was Austria's attempt to make it big at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, held in - you guessed it - Jerusalem. The song was about the hope of "peace in Jerusalem", bringing "sense against the nonsense". The song scored just five points, ending up in an equal last place in a field of 19 competitors.

But Christina Simon took it a step further on the B-side of this single: the track 'Babaya' is the kind of freestyle jazz that you could easily find on the aforementioned bands' albums. This single was, by the way, the last release by her. The Eurovision attempt proved to be the deadstop for her career.

My collection: 7" single no. 6138
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Heute in Jerusalem' / 'Babaya'

Tom Pillibi - Jacqueline Boyer

Jacqueline Boyer represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 with 'Tom Pillibi', and I was glad to buy the single of that song ten years ago. Just as happy as I am now, because I have actually found a copy of the German version of that song! This single was actually made in Germany - and presumably released in that country as well.

The B-side is the German version of the song 'Si tu rencontres l'amour', but I have found no information whether Boyer recorded that song in French at all...

My collection: 7" single no. 6139
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Tom Pillibi' / 'Grüss mir die Liebe'

Venedig im Regen - Thomas Forstner

Thomas Forstner represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest on two occasions: in 1989 with the song 'Nur ein Lied', and in 1991 with this song, 'Venedig im Regen'. Forstner was probably chosen again because of his impressive fifth place in 1989, but things didn't go so well two years later. The saccharine 'Venedig im Regen' came in last.

In the hilarious book 'Nul points' by Tim Moore, dedicated to those Eurovision artists who scored the titular zero points, there is an attempt to contact Thomas, to no avail. His career was already in decline in 1991, and after one final album ('Hautnah', released in 1994) he disappeared from the Austropop music scene.

My collection: 7" single no. 6137
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Venedig im Regen' / 'Venedig im Regen (instrumental)'

Mrs. Caroline Robinson - Springtime

Springtime was formed by Norbert Niedermayer, Walter Markel, Gerhard Markel and Erwin Broswimmer. They released two albums, 'Springtime' (1977) and 'Lonely road' (1978). But their biggest claim to fame was their Eurovision Song Contest appearance in 1978.

Representing Austria, they sang 'Mrs. Caroline Robinson'. The song did not make a big impact, as they finished in 15th place in a field of 20 competitors. No wonder, then, that the band broke up soon afterwards.

My collection: 7" single no. 6136
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Mrs. Caroline Robinson' / 'Honey, bye, bye'

Gute Nacht Freunde - Inga & Wolf

Many people in the Netherlands are familiar with the song 'Gute Nacht Freunde', because it has been the closing song of a popular radio programme for decades, in the version by Reinhard Mey, who wrote the song. It was a hit for him in 1974, and reached number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

However, it was originally written by him for the German national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. Inga & Wolf performed the song, but finished in fourth place, so they didn't go on to represent their country. That honour went to Mary Roos with 'Nur die Liebe lässt uns leben'. Still, this is a charming song and belongs in my collection, despite only being 'von der Vorentscheidung'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6140
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Gute Nacht Freunde' / 'Das Stundenglas'

Popcorn '88 (The Woodstock remix) - T.I.C.

When I bought this single, I bought it together with this one, thinking that there had to be a difference between the two. And there is: this single features the 'Woodstock mix', which can also be found on this 12" single. The sleeve is slightly different, but most of all... the record company is different!

This single was released on the Arista label, a major label at the time, whereas the other one was released by the independent T.C. Records. There is no information about which single came first - just like there is no information about T.I.C., the act that created this version of 'Popcorn'. Well, at least I have both 7" singles, and that's what I wanted.

My collection: 7" single no. 6134
Found: Discogs.com, received July 5, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Popcorn '88 (The Woodstock remix)' / 'Talk about love'

Popcorn ('88 remix) - T.I.C.

When I bought and described the 12" single of T.I.C.'s 'Popcorn '88' almost two years ago, I stated that there were only ever two versions of their version of the Gershon Kingsley classic. But somehow I ended up buying two 7" singles of this track and I found out that I was wrong.

The 12" single features a 4'40 minute version of the '88 remix, whereas this single contains the '88 remix in an abridged 3'33 minute version. And that's great, because I really wanted to have this track on a 7" single - and to have a different edit is a nice bonus. But it gets a little weirder...

My collection: 7" single no. 6134
Found: Discogs.com, received July 5, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Popcorn ('88 remix)' / 'Talk about love'

The man with the child in his eyes - Inside moves

No less than 17 years ago, I bought 'The man with the child in his eyes' by Inside moves on a 7" vinyl single. I was not entirely impressed with this version of the Kate Bush classic, but somehow I was still intrigued by this 12" single of the same song.

This 12" single adds one track: the so-called 'Stringapella mix'. It disposes of the shuffly Soul II Soul dance beats, and makes it a more ballad-type track. A worthwhile addition to my collection of Kate Bush covers, although I still feel this is not one of the best ever.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received February 19, 2019
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'The man with the child in his eyes' / 'The man with the child in his eyes (Stringapella mix)', 'I wish'

Ein Bisschen Frieden - Nicole

I dare say that no Eurovision Song Contest collection is complete without this maxi single. Although Nicole's 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' certainly isn't the best song ever to come from the Contest, it has become rather immortal, for instance because of the fact that the young girl spontaneously sang her winning song in several languages after securing the top spot in the Contest in 1982.

I already had Ein Bisschen Frieden, A little peace, La paix sur terre, Een beetje vrede, En smule fred and Un poco de paz on single, but this 12" single features a medley that strings all of them together - well, except the Danish version. But for all its polyglottal glory, the sleeve of this 12" single still spells the word 'Merci' wrong.

My collection: 12" single [unnamed]
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Ein Bisschen Frieden/A Little Peace/La paix sur terre/Een beetje vrede/Un poco de paz' / 'Thank you, merci, danke (German/English/French/Dutch version)'

When I think of you (The David Morales '95 remixes) - Janet Jackson

When A&M Records released 'Design of a decade', a compilation album featuring all the hits Janet Jackson recorded on the label, they didn't just release that album and two singles, but also did an intensive series of remixes for the club market.

This promotional 2 disc set of 12" singles features new remixes of the hit 'When I think of you', all of them created by David Morales. It is great to hear these remixes, although after a while you do get the feeling that mister Morales could have been more imaginative than just create six pretty similar remixes.


My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 27, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'When I think of you (Morales House Mix '95)', 'When I think of you (Drum mix)' / 'When I think of you (Jazzy Mix)' // 'When I think of you (Crazy Love mix)' / 'When I think of you (Classic club mix)', 'When I think of you (Incredible Boss dub)'

Still dream - Beyond

Also known as 'Kate Bush Goes Trance', this track by Beyond was released on a promotional single-sided 12" single in 1999. It features samples of the track 'Cloudbusting'. Kate didn't give the makers permission to use the sample, and so the track remained unreleased commercially.

I bought this 12" a few months ago and didn't yet include it into this blog. It's high time that I do, because it is an interesting take on a classic song. The vinyl could have been cleaner, but I never know what life these discs have had before they enter into my collection...

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 27, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Still dream'

When you wish upon a star - Scrumpy 'n Dumpy

Leigh Harline and Ned Washington wrote 'When you wish upon a star' for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and in the final scene of the film. The song has since become the representative song of The Walt Disney Company. It won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was also the first Disney song to win an Oscar.

This single, released in 1972, contains a cover version of the song by Scrumpy 'n Dumpy. It is probably one of the most bizarre cover versions of the song. The minds behind this duo were Peter Shelley and Marty Wilde. They were probably just having a laugh when they released it, as you can hardly take this single seriously. It may surprise you, however, that despite this lack of seriousness and its obvious 'novelty record' status, this single has become very difficult to find - and pretty expensive when you have to buy it. As a collector, I had to get my hands on it, of course - even if this copy came without the original picture sleeve. Who can resist a Marty Wilde record in whatever shape or form?

My collection: 7" single no. 6133
Found: Discogs.com, received June 28, 2019
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'When you wish upon a star' / 'The Scrumpy 'n Dumpy boogaloo'

Will you still be there? - Howard Jones

Howard Jones' record company Elektra made the right call in the USA when they released this song as a single. 'Will you still be there?' is one of the best tracks on his 1987 album 'One to one', and the acoustic version of the song (included on the B-side here) adds some intimacy that some may find lacking in the electronically-driven original version.

Over here in Europe, three singles were taken from the album, with the record company favouring the intimate - and also intensely beautiful - 'Little bit of snow' being favoured over this track. I didn't know about the existence of this single, but I added it to my 'wantlist' on Discogs a few months ago. I'm glad I got to buy it finally from an American dealer who obviously took great care of his items - this single looks and sounds as if it was released last week instead of in 1987!

My collection: 7" single no. 6131
Found: Discogs.com, received June 26, 2019
Cost: $2
Tracks: 'Will you still be there?' / 'Will you still be there? (acoustic)'

Caribbean rock - Malcolm's Locks

Another single that I bought mainly for the B-side here. Malcolm's Locks was a group consisting of Antonio Augusto, Curvin Merchant, Lee Gates, Livingstone Wright, Liz Mitchell, Malcolm Magaron, Micho Plaza and Stuart S. Fahey. They released one album and two singles in the mid-Seventies. Magaron was a singer of the Les Humphries Singers who left the group before it's official end due to financial differences with Les Humphries. He was the boyfriend of Liz Mitchell, who went on to become a member of Boney M.

The B-side of this single features a version of 'Brown girl', which was released as 'Brown girl in the ring' by Boney M a few years later. Arranger Peter Herbolzheimer accused Frank Farian of stealing his arrangement for the song, for which Farian claimed credit on that single. The court case ran for more than 20 years in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 6130
Found: Discogs.com, received June 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Caribbean rock' / 'Brown girl'

Fremder - Didi Zill

Eight years ago I bought a cover version of 'Video killed the radio star' by Didi Zill. I'm not sure if I already knew back then that Didi also covered a Marty Wilde composition. 'Hoch lebe Rock 'n' Roll' is a German version of his composition 'Bring hack Rock 'n' Roll'.

But, even though that title features prominently on the cover of this single, it is not the A-side, but the B-side. The honour of being an A-side goes to the German schlager-type song 'Fremder'. And that song is based on the song 'Stranger' by Kris Kristofferson.

My collection: 7" single no. 6129
Found: Discogs.com, received June 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Fremder' / 'Hoch lebe Rock 'n' Roll'

I want to be a tree - Tim Pope

In the golden age of music television (circa 1983-1985), Sky Channel and Music Box reigned supreme and they had a way of showing great music videos from famous and less famous stars. The holy trinity of 'funny' music videos was Alexei Sayle's ''Ullo John, gotta new motor?', King Kurt's 'Mack the Knife' and Tim Pope's 'I want to be a tree'.

It took me some time to find the former two, but Tim Pope's single always remained elusive. And even when the internet made the acquisition of singles easier, this one remained very expensive and thus out of my reach. Prices have now come down a little, so finally after 35 years I can own this single. It was never a hit, but the famous music video director - who worked with The Cure amongst others - still has his own fan club, apparently. The demand for this single still outperforms the supply. And perhaps you have to see the video of this song to fully appreciate its weirdness.

My collection: 7" single no. 6128
Found: Discogs.com, received June 24, 2019
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'I want to be a tree' / 'The double-crossing of two-faced Fred'

Thunder & lightning - Risqué

Although the single 'Thunder & lightning' contains a 'special dance mix' on the B-side, it can not compare to the extended-version-fiesta that is contained on this 12" single. Both versions clock in on six minutes, adding two minutes to each side when compared to the 7" single.

There is something odd with the track listing: the A-side contains an extended version (or a special dance mix, if you will), whereas the B-side, which is advertised as a 'version spéciale danse', is an instrumental/dub mix. It doesn't really matter: this disc is a feast for the eighties-oriented senses.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Ebay, received June 22, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Thunder & lightning' / 'Thunder & lightning (Version spéciale danse)'

Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs

Two years after Louis Neefs represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Ik heb zorgen', he returned with the song 'Jennifer Jennings' in 1969. Although the song was dedicated to a fictional girl, it turned out that there was an actual real-life Jennifer Jennings living in England. She contacted Louis Neefs and he invited her over to a concert, after which they kept in touch.

At the close of voting, 'Jennifer Jennings' received 10 points, and ended up in seventh place in a field of 16 competitors. This single was made in Italy, and considering its age it is in fine condition!

My collection: 7" single no. 6127
Found: Discogs.com, received June 21, 2019
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Jennifer Jennings' / 'Vanessa (I love you)'

Mon coeur qui craque - Nathalie

The single 'My love won't let you down' was a translation of this original French version. Having had the English version for 25 years already, it was a pleasure to finally acquire this one. Like the other version, this single was produced by Peter Godwin. And, unusually for French songs, it does already contain a few lines in English.

My collection: 7" single no. 6126
Found: Discogs.com, received June 21, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Mon coeur qui craque' / 'Mon coeur qui craque (instrumental)'

Popcorn - Revolution System

One of my first ever singles was Revolution System's 'Brand new Popcorn' called 'Carmen Brasilia'. This is where my collection of 'Popcorn' versions started, although this version was, of course, not the original Kingsley-composed 'Popcorn'.

Through the years I have wondered whether Revolution System actually recorded a cover version of the original 'Popcorn', but I hadn't located a copy... until recently! This single is apparently the only disc where you can find Revolution System's version of 'Popcorn'. It is a reissue single by Dureco in their 'Golden Hit-Parade' serie, released around 1980. After all these years, it is a pleasure to finally own this track.

My collection: 7" single no. 6125
Found: Discogs.com, received June 21, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Carmen Brasilia'