Disco Duck - Rick Dees

Born Rigdon Osmond Dees III in Jacksonville, Florida on March 14, 1950, Rick Dees recorded the novelty song 'Disco Duck' in 1976, during the disco craze of the late seventies. The story within Disco Duck centers around a man at a dance party who is overcome by the urge to get up and "get down" in a duck-like manner. When the music stops he sits down, but when he decides to get up and dance again, he finds that everyone in the room is now doing his dance.

The song sold millions of copies worldwide, reaching number 4 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 6 in the UK singles chart. As a child who loved "duckies", this single was one of my favourites at a very young age. I bought it two years ago for nostalgic reasons. It's still a great disco track.

My collection: 7" single no. 3423

Found: Esbjerg (Denmark), June 17, 2006

Cost: 10 Danish crowns

Tracks: 'Disco Duck (part 1)', 'Disco Duck (part 2)'

Download: here

Strung out - Wendy and Lisa

Best known for their collaborations with Prince as members of his backing band The Revolution in the eighties, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman began their career as a duo in 1986. After releasing 'Wendy and Lisa' (1987) and 'Fruit at the bottom' (1989) for Columbia Records, they signed to Virgin records and released their third album 'Eroica'. 'Strung out' was the first single drawn from that album. It was a minor hit.

I bought this single for the reason I bought loads of my singles: because I liked the track when I heard it. What's special about this single, however, is that it contains a non-album track that is very great indeed. Sometimes bands make great B-sides.

My collection: 7" single no. 1278

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 18, 1990

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Strung out' / 'Stones and birth'

Download: here

Lost again - Yello

The Swiss group Yello consisted of Dieter Meier, Boris Blank and Carlos Perón when they released their first few singles. 'Bostich', released in 1980 was their debut. In 1983 they received lots of media attention on the back of their hit singles 'I love you' and 'Lost again'.

Their electronica-influenced music didn't appeal to me at all, but the strange atmosphere in 'Lost again' caught my attention nonetheless. I grew to like this track, and sure enough, I ended up buying the 12" single years after it was released. The B-side, which includes the two earlier singles was less appealing, but the extended version of 'Lost again' is certainly worth a spin.

My collection: 12" single no. 472

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2005

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Lost again [extended]' / 'I love you [extended]', 'Bostich'

En smule fred - Nicole

German singer Nicole won the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with her song 'Ein Bisschen Frieden'. After winning the contest, she recorded her song in several different languages: French, Dutch, English, Spanish and... Danish.

When I was in Esbjerg, Denmark in 2006 and visiting a local record shop, I just couldn't resist buying this single when I saw it. This is the weird thing about a Eurovision collection: even if you decide to only buy the songs you really like, there are always items that you know are rare and collectable. It's just too good to leave such an item standing there when the price is low and the opportunity knocks. And so now I own a Danish Nicole single...

My collection: 7" single no. 3427

Found: Esbjerg (Denmark), June 17, 2006

Cost: 10 Danish crowns

Tracks: 'En smule fred' / 'Thank you, merci, danke'

Download: here

Stay - The Blue Nile

Two years after their debut single 'I love this life', The Blue Nile had found a new record company and were ready to release their debut album. Linn Records released 'Stay' shortly before the album 'A walk across the rooftops'. The album reached the UK album charts, even though it was only for two weeks, but 'Stay' sunk without a trace.

Still, it is a very bouncy pop song. It is backed with 'Saddle the horses' (an instrumental version of the album track 'Automobile noise'). I bought the single, as always, after years of searching.

My collection: 7" single no. 2865

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, September 20, 1997

Cost: 4 guilders

Tracks: 'Stay' / 'Saddle the horses'

Download: here

Candy love - Lili and Sussie

Lili and Susie Päivärinta started recording music together in the early eighties. They scored numerous hits in their homeland Sweden. Their biggest hit in Sweden was the track 'Oh Mama'. 'Candy love' was the only single that achieved some success abroad. It reached the Dutch Top 40 on January 31, 1987 and reached no. 28.

They stopped their career in the early nineties. According to various sources, Lili & Sussie will reunite for the 2009 Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Melodifestivalen.

My collection: 12" single no. 232

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1994

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Candy love (extended version)' / 'Candy love (instrumental)', 'Candy love (bonus beats)'

Download: here

Hand held in black and white - Dollar

The phenomenon Dollar had completely passed me by. It was only when I saw the 2002 Here & Now Tour that I found out what the duo David van Day and Thereza Bazar had done in the eighties. By 2002, it all looked very dodgy, but there were some great pop tunes hidden in there.

Take for instance 'Hand held in black and white'. It was produced by Trevor Horn, of Buggles fame. Although the vocal qualities of Thereza and David left a bit to be desired, the music on this track is very good and that helps lift the track up to above average. Still, if it hadn't been so cheap I wouldn't have bought this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3428

Found: Esbjerg (Denmark), June 17, 2006

Cost: 10 Danish crowns

Tracks: 'Hand held in black and white' / 'Heartbeat (Love me slowly)'

Download: here

I'll fly for you - Spandau Ballet

One of the hottest bands around in the eighties, along with Duran Duran, was Spandau Ballet. Their album 'Gold' was a huge success and the follow-up 'Parade' did just as well. 'I'll fly for you' was the second single from that album and it reached no. 9 in the UK singles chart. The 12" single featured not one, but two remixes of the track: a 'long version' and a 'glide mix'. Creative listeners could even cut and paste the two after another, and listen to a 12 minute version of the song.

I didn't like the song at first, especially considering the boring video for it, but in the end I still appreciated its worth. When I bought the 12" I played it endlessly.

My collection: 12" single no. 29

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 6,95 guilders

Tracks: 'I'll fly for you (long version)', 'To cut a long story short (live)' / 'I'll fly for you (glide mix)'

Download: here

This is the day - The The

Matt Johnson are an English band that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson as the only constant band member. In 1982, The The recorded their debut album 'The Pornography of Despair', which was not released. A year later, the album 'Soul mining' did see the light of day, to much critical acclaim'. This single, 'This is the day' was taken from 'Soul mining' and released in a limited edition double single format. The second single featured two tracks from the unreleased debut album.

I found out about this double single in the eighties, but had to wait until 1997 when I finally found my own copy. As a fan of The The and a sucker for limited edition releases, I didn't even mind the inflated price for this one.

My collection: 7" single no. 2839

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 5, 1997

Cost: 20 guilders

Tracks: 'This is the day' / 'Mental healing process' // 'Leap into the wind' / 'Absolute liberation'

Download: here

God only knows - Judie Tzuke

'God only knows' was written by Tony Asher and Brian Wilson and originally performed by the Beach Boys on their famous album 'Pet Sounds'. The song was one of the first pop songs to use the word 'God' in the title. Tony Asher once noted the irony that this, one of the all-time greatest love songs, starts with the line 'I may not always love you'.

The song was covered by many artists, including Andy Williams, Neil Diamond and David Bowie. Judie Tzuke's version was released in 1990, but, like all her other singles with the exception of 'Stay with me 'till dawn', it didn't reach the charts. It is still a great version.

My collection: 7" single no. 2812

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, February 1, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'God only knows' / 'Safe house'

Download: here

Quit playing games (with my heart) - Backstreet Boys

It is extremely uncool to confess that one owns a Backstreet Boys single. But I have to. And I'm not even ashamed about it. 'Quit playing games (with my heart)' is simply a well-produced, well executed pop song. No more, no less.

This single is a picture disc 7". When this song was released in 1995, the 7" format was becoming extinct. Few singles were released on vinyl, so whenever there was a song I liked, I always bought it. Obviously this was meant for young girls, so they could hang the record on their walls. My goal was to keep buying 7" singles for as long as I could. And I'm happy to say, I am still doing that.

My collection: 7" single no. 2807

Found: January 25, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Quit playing games (with my heart)' / 'Give me your heart'

Download: Album 'Backstreet Boys', including both tracks

Quién maneja mi barca - Remedios Amaya

Like many Europeans, I first saw Remedios Amaya on television during the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest with this performance. But unlike many Europeans, I became rather interested. The Spanish singer received zero points from the international juries, but the story that she was an analphabetic - according to the Dutch commentator; I couldn't verify this - who performed on bare feet made me laugh and I continued to watch this performance with big eyes.

Nothing happened for many years: I had no recording of the event, just my memory. When the internet started to become popular, I had a new chance to hear the song. And so I finally got to buy the single in 1999. Quite a rare find, in the Netherlands. Thank God for record fairs.

My collection: 7" single no. 3152

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1999

Cost: 7 guilders

Tracks: 'Quién maneja mi barca' / 'Noche, luna y olivo'

Download: here

It's all in the game - Nena

After her international success with '99 red balloons', German singer Nena tried to equal that success with later work. Her attempts were sympathetic, but not successful. Her first album 'Nena' was slightly successful in the UK, but the second English-language album 'It's all in the game' sunk without a trace.

For European fans the album was somewhat of a rarity. Until its recent re-release on cd, copies were changing hands for as much as 300 dollars on eBay. When I bought this 12" single, it was considerably cheaper. I stumbled upon it during a record fair and fancied owning an early version of 'Anyplace anywhere anytime', the song that Nena would re-record in 2002 as a duet with Kim Wilde. And that version reached number one in several European countries...

My collection: 12" single no. 471

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2004

Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'It's all in the game (remix)' / 'Anyplace, anywhere, anytime (remix)', 'Let's humanize'

Download: here

Talk to me - Kiss

The second single to be taken from Kiss's album 'Unmasked' (at least, in the Netherlands), 'Talk to me' was written by Ace Frehley, who also performed lead vocals on this track. It performed even worse than 'Shandi' in the charts, because it didn't make the Dutch Top 40.

Band member Peter Criss didn't play drums on the album 'Unmasked', although he was credited for this. It was the beginning of the end: Peter Criss left the band in 1980. He was replaced by Eric Carr, who debuted during a lip-synched performance of 'Talk to me' and 'She's so European' on German television. Carr would be drumming in Kiss until his death in 1991.

My collection: 7" single no. 62

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Talk to me' / 'Naked city'

Download: Album 'Unmasked', including both tracks

I didn't mean to turn you on - Robert Palmer

There was also a 12" version of 'I didn't mean to turn you on'. It appeared one day at discount price and with a totally different sleeve and three versions of the track, I simply had to have it. I was sortof disappointed when I played the record, though: Robert Palmer's voice sounded a bit weaker in this mix and it seemed to be an early version of the track. Later I would find out that remixer Bruce Forrest has done more bad remixes in his career. I'm not a fan of this guy.

'I didn't mean to turn you on' went to number 9 in the UK charts in the summer of 1986. Mariah Carey covered the track in 2001 for her ill-fated movie 'Glitter'. That version was produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, like the original version by Cherrelle. Robert's version was produced by Bernard Edwards (from Chic).

My collection: 12" single no. 43

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 7,95 guilders

Tracks: 'I didn't mean to turn you on (extended dance mix)', 'I didn't mean to turn you on (A cappella beats)' / 'I didn't mean to turn you on (dub version)', 'Addicted to love (LP version)'

Download: here

I didn't mean to turn you on - Robert Palmer

I first heard 'I didn't mean to turn you on' on television, as performed by Cherrelle. I wasn't impressed, although I have to admit now that I've seen that video again (it's here) I have to say I do like the very eighties funk.

Robert Palmer's version appeared not much later. His video was certainly more interesting (as you can see here), with all those dancing girls. (It was a variation on the 'Addicted to love' video (here it is!), where models were handling instruments as well.) His version of the song was better too. No wonder then, that I bought it as soon as I could.

My collection: 7" single no. 442
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 31, 1986
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'I didn't mean to turn you on' / 'Get it through your heart'
Download: here

Tell Michelle - White fire

Writing about singles isn't always easy. Take, for instance, the group White Fire: they released on single, 'Tell Michelle', in 1980. The sleeve portrais two people: a man and a woman. There's no clue who they were. The record is produced by Jeremy Paul, another person who has left no trace on the web. The single didn't make the charts in the UK and didn't make the Dutch Top 40 either. What else is there...

I bought this single because I remembered it from the radio. It was the summer holiday before I started my library school study. And, well, that's it. Great song.

My collection: 7" single no. 896

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Tell Michelle' / 'Don't lock away your love'

Download: Album 'Disco '81', including 'Tell Michelle'

The living daylights - A-ha

When you hear this year's James Bond track by Alicia Keys and Jack White, you would almost forget that there was a time when James Bond tracks were actually really good. 'The living daylights' by A-ha is a good example. Not that co-writer John Barry was actually happy to work with A-ha: he would say afterwards that he found working with the band 'exhausting'. According to keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, 'Apparently he compared us to Hitlerjugend in a newspaper interview'.

'The living daylights' was John Barry's last score for the James Bond series. Maybe he should take back the reins now that things are getting so out of hand.

My collection: 12" single no. 281

Found: Record Exchange, London, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'The living daylights (extended version)' / 'The living daylights (7" version)', 'The living daylights (instrumental)'

Download: here

Don't you want me baby - Mandy Smith

Mandy Smith was born on July 17, 1970 and forged a career as a model from an early age. In 1987, she signed to PWL and released a handful of singles produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman. Her first single, 'I just can't wait' generated a lot of press attention, just like her relationship with Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who was more than 30 years older than her. They married in 1989 and divorced only two years later.

'Don't you want me baby' was released just weeks before her marriage. According to the press release that was included with the single I bought, Mandy covered the Human League track because it is 'one of her all time favorites'. Personally, I prefer the B-side, which is a bit more bouncy and poppy.

My collection: 7" single no. 3063

Found: London, May 9, 1999

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Don't you want me baby' / 'If it makes you feel good'

Download: here

Epic - Faith no more

Faith no more's 'Epic' is in many ways just another hard rock song. It's actually because of the last few seconds of this track that I ended up buying the single. After all the aggression and tension comes a beautiful piano intermezzo, and then the track fades out. There's something very poetic in that.

The music video for 'Epic' received extensive airplay from MTV in 1990, despite provoking protests from animal rights activists for slow motion footage of a fish flopping out of water.

My collection: 7" single no. 1525

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Epic' / 'War pigs (live)'

Download: Epic

Hanna Hanna - China Crisis

Having just had a top 10 hit with 'Wishful thinking' in 1984, China Crisis followed it up with another track from their album 'Working with fire and steel': 'Hanna Hanna'. The 12" single contained an extended mix plus two live tracks: 'Here come a raincloud' and their debut single 'African and white'.

'Hanna Hanna' didn't repeat the success of 'Wishful thinking': it only reached no. 44 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 407

Found: Record Exchange, London, 2002

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Hanna Hanna (extended mix)' / 'Here come a raincloud (live)', 'African and white (live)'

Download: here

He is sailing - Jon and Vangelis

Jon Anderson, best known from his work with Yes, and the Greek synth wizard Vangelis worked together on a number of albums. 'He is sailing' is taken from their album 'Private collection', which contains eight lengthy tracks. It was nowhere near as successful as their 1981 singles 'I'll find my way home' and 'I hear you now', which is surprising as this track stands up well next to those two. This is probably also why no further singles were released: their next single was a re-release of 'State of independence', the song that was successfully covered by Donna Summer in 1982.

My collection: 7" single no. 3471

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'He is sailing [edit]' / 'Polonaise'

Download: here

Love cascade - Leisure Process

Gary Barnacle formed Leisure Process together with ex-Positive Noise singer Ross Middleton in 1982. During that time he was also working with Kim Wilde, with whom he also had a relationship. Their single 'Love cascade' was released on Epic records. It didn't make the charts anywhere, just like their three other singles, 'A way you'll never be', 'Anxiety' and 'Cashflow'.

Gary Barnacle continued doing session work after their brief career, working with amongst others Level 42, Public Image Ltd. and the Pet Shop Boys.

My collection: 7" single no. 3478

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love cascade' / 'The Fluke'

Download: here

Sacramento - Middle of the Road

Sally Carr, Ken Andrew, Ian McCredie and Eric McCredie formed Middle of the Road on 1 April 1970 in Glasgow, Scotland. They had already played together under the name 'Part Three' since 1967 and later in Latin American style under the name Los Caracas. They moved to Italy later in 1970, because they hadn't found success in the UK. There they met producer Giacomo Tosti, who developed the sound that would make them famous.

'Sacramento' was Middle of the Road's fourth hit single, reaching number one in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 3473

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Sacramento' / 'Love sweet love'

Download: here

Slave to the rhythm - Grace Jones

'Slave to the rhythm' was originally intended to be the second single of Frankie goes to Hollywood, as a follow-up to their number one hit 'Relax'. The song was assembled and produced by Trevor Horn after he worked on 'Two tribes', but the project was finally given to Grace Jones. The song did not reach number one but is still a favourite among fans of Grace Jones and Trevor Horn. The single version of 'Slave to the rhythm' is a version of the album track 'Ladies and Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones', the closing song of the album. The B-side 'G.I. Blues' on this single is alternatively known as 'Annihilated Rhythm'. The single was re-released in 1994 and there were several different 12" singles and remixes available of that release.

I bought my copy of this single in fact today, as part of a collection of 18 singles in a second hand shop in my hometown. Sometimes all a man needs is a good stack of vinyl to perk up his mood.

My collection: 7" single no. 3485

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Slave to the rhythm' / 'GI Blues'

Download: here

(What) In the name of love - Naked Eyes

Watching music television daily can provide you with lots of new impressions. I learned a lot about the music scene in 1983 and 1984. When I saw this clip, I knew Naked Eyes was a group to watch. Two decades later, I own a compilation cd and several 7" and 12" singles by this duo.

'(What) In the name of love' appeared on the B-side of the 12" single of 'Promises, Promises', but got released as a single a year later. The new version was produced by Arthur Baker. The 12" single I own was made in America, meaning that they were actually attracting some attention over there as well. Not bad for an English duo.

My collection: 12" single no. 357

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2002

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: '(What) In the name of love (extended version)' / '(What) In the name of love (instrumental version)', '(What) In the name of love (single version)'

Download: here

Last thing on my mind - Bananarama

'Last thing on my mind' was a big hit for Steps in 1998. I did like the song but the track sounded a bit too bland for my liking. I didn't think that the guys and girls of Steps could sing, and that put the track down a bit. So I was pretty glad when I found out that it was a cover of a Bananarama track.

Bananarama have of course been around for ages. They started out with Fun Boy Three on 'It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it' and had another series of hits only a couple of years ago with their comeback album 'Drama' (2005). Their version of 'Last thing on my mind' is a pop gem.

My collection: 7" single no. 3011

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, August 20, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Last thing on my mind' / 'Another lover'

Download: Album 'Please yourself', including both tracks

Bana bana - Pan

The Turkish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1989 was legendary. The group Pan sang 'Bana Bana', a traditionally arranged popsong. The conductor directed the orchestra with acrobatic gestures, while the group sang a very excited chorus that was unintelligible for those not speaking the Turkish language.

Unfortunately, the song was not available on single. For a long time I thought I wasn't ever released on vinyl. There was a compilation cd of that year's contestants, and it contained a recording of the song. I was satisfied with that. And then the unthinkable happened: more than a decade later, I suddenly found this single. It contains two remixes of the song. It was a real find. I took the tattered sleeve for granted.

My collection: 7" single no. 3151

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1999

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Bana bana (After midnight mix)' / 'Bana bana (Before midnight mix)'

Download: here

After a fashion - Mick Karn & Midge Ure

Obviously, my parents weren't thrilled that I spent most of my time at home watching music TV stations like Music Box and Sky Channel, while I should actually be making homework. But it was obvious that I was never going to do that while there was so much going on in music at that time. While I was hoping for my favourite clips to show up, I learned a lot about the UK music scene. I would run into videos like this and then find out that the songs were actually very interesting. I often couldn't get the singles in the Netherlands, and so I just kept them on my mental want list. I bought 'After a fashion' in 1994, a decade later.

My collection: 7" single no. 2086

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, March 26, 1994

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'After a fashion' / 'Textures'

Download: here

Aubrey - Bread

The American band Bread consisted of David Gates, Jimmy Griffin, Robb Royer, Mike Botts and, later, Larry Knechtel. They signed to Elektra records in 1968. 'Aubrey' (1973) was their last hit before the band split up due to internal conflicts.

I got to know Bread thanks to a compilation cd owned by my sister. My interest in the group was so big that I started to buy their singles initially. Only later did I eventually buy the same compilation cd myself. I found this particular single, made in Japan, in a shop in the centre of Brussels, amid a whole collection of Japanese singles for discount prices.

My collection: 7" single no. 1538

Found: Record shop, Brussels, 1991

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Aubrey' / 'Didn't even know her name'

Download: Album 'Guitar man', including both tracks

El Norte - Cock Robin

'El Norte' was the third and last single taken from their second album 'After here through midland'. Cock Robin had found some success in the Netherlands with four of their singles, but the second single 'The biggest fool of all' didn't reach the charts. CBS Records tried again with 'El Norte', and commissioned popular remixer Ben Liebrand to deliver some remixes of the track for the 12" single.

As always, Ben Liebrand did a very decent job with this track. He added lots of extra beats to the track to give it extra power. The setup wasn't successful: 'El Norte' flopped and Cock Robin were back into the studio to record their third album for CBS. It would be their last...

My collection: 12" single no. 341

Found: ?

Cost: ?

Tracks: 'El Norte (Reinforced dance mix)', 'For dear life' / 'El Norte (El Club mix)', 'El Norte (Los Bonus Beats)'

Download: here

Elle adore le noir pour sortir le soir - T.C. Matic

Sometimes all a song needs is exposure at the right time to get into my record collection. A week before I was going to a record fair, I saw 'Elle adore le noir pour sortir le soir' by T.C. Matic on television. I loved the melody and the rough vocals. If I'd heard the song at another time I might have completely forgotten about it - but now I found the single soon afterwards. And I was lucky, because it's a great song from an otherwise uninteresting band - IMHO of course.

T.C. Matic was a Belgian rock band, mixing diverse styles like new wave, blues, funk, hard rock, avant-garde and even French chansons, resulting in nervous metropolitan rock. The band performed all over Europe, but without international success. They broke up in 1986 and frontman Arno Hintjes pursued a solo career.

My collection: 7" single no. 1524

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1991

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Elle adore le noir pour sortir le soir' / 'Act like a dog'

Download: here

Don't tell me - Blancmange

Blancmange is a jelly or pudding dessert made of milk, sugar, gelatin and flavouring. It is also the name of the band formed by Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe in Harrow, London in 1979. Their single 'Don't tell me' made it to no. 8 in the UK singles chart in May 1984. It is one of the most energetic pop songs of that era.

I expected much from the 12" single of this track, hoping to get an extended version of this. Frankly, I was disappointed: the remix breaks the tension built up in the original version and adds chaotic sound effects. No wonder I didn't buy another 12" by Blancmange after this...

My collection: 12" single no. 257

Found: Record Exchange, London, 1995

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Don't tell me [extended]' / 'Get out of that'

Download: here

Désenchantée - Mylene Farmer

To people outside of France, the French music scene is somewhat of a mystery. It seems a very isolated country in this respect. Radio stations are obligated to play a percentage of French music, and because of this, French music has become very popular in France. Outside of France, no-one really cares.

This is also how a megastar in France can go almost unnoticed in the rest of Europe. Mylene Farmer is a good example: in France she's compared to people like Madonna in terms of popularity. It was only when she released the single 'Désenchantée' that she reached other European charts. In the Netherlands, she made it to no. 18. And into my record collection. It was actually the start of my Mylene Farmer collection - because she does make damn fine music.

My collection: 7" single no. 1487

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, July 3, 1991

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Désenchantée' / 'Désenchantée (Chaos mix)'

Download: cd-single 'Désenchantée', including both tracks

You know what to do - Carly Simon

Carly Elisabeth Simon was born on June 25, 1945. Her solo music career started in 1971 with the debut album 'Carly Simon', quickly followed by a second album entitled 'Anticipation'. She scored the biggest success of her career in 1972 with the song 'You're so vain'. Further hits were 'Nobody does it better' (taken from the James Bond movie 'The spy who loved me'), 'Coming around again' and the classic album 'Boys in the trees'.

'You know what to do' was released in 1983 and only made no. 36 in the UK, whereas it didn't even chart in the Netherlands. I liked the song a lot, though, and so I bought it six years later when the opportunity presented itself.

My collection: 7" single no. 897

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'You know what to do' / 'Orpheus'

Download: Album 'Hello big man', including both tracks

D for Desire - All about Eve

I found out about All About Eve thanks to a music special on television. Their tracks 'Every angel' and 'Martha's harbour' were the first I heard and after buying those singles I started to become more interested. It didn't take me long to want to have their complete output. Thus the nightmare of the collector soon became apparent: that elusive first single. 'D for Desire' was originally released in 1985 - and only on 12" single.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a 7" single of this track. After buying it for a rather high amount, I found out that this particular release was a bootleg. It didn't matter: I had those first two rare tracks - and I would never find the 12" single for a reasonable price anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 1349

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 28, 1990

Cost: 20 guilders

Tracks: 'D for Desire' / 'Don't follow me (March Hare)'

Download: here

It's my life - Talk Talk

These days, Talk Talk's 'It's my life' is universally seen as a classic track. Remarkably, it didn't reach very high places in the charts when it was released. It didn't even make the top 20 in most countries. But it's still a track everyone knows, even now.

I was very impressed with Talk Talk when they burst onto the scene in 1984. I didn't, however, get a chance to buy all their singles. So of course I had to buy them later. In this case, it led to an interesting collector's item: the Brazilian single contained the extended version on the A-side and the single version on the B-side. It was the first time I bought a 12" version on a 7" single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1218

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'It's my life (extended version)' / 'It's my life'

Download: extended version, album version

Emotional jungle - David Roach

Again, it was my sister who discovered David Roach. His 'Emotional jungle' was a great, but very obscure, track. David's album 'I love sax' was in the UK album chart for one week, and the single never even reached the singles chart. My sister bought a copy of the single and we played it for weeks on end. Later on she also found the 12" single.

I had to wait for a long time until I located the 12" myself: eleven years to be exact. Finding a rare record like that is always a triumph.

My collection: 12" single no. 250

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1995

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Emotional jungle [extended]' / 'Sleepwalkers'

Download: here

Highway to hell - AC/DC

In 1979, the relatively new TV station Veronica broadcast a live concert by AC/DC during their music programme Countdown. I loved seeing this strange man in a school uniform performing this "horrible music" (quote from my parents). It was no wonder that only a week later I would buy a discounted single from this band. 'Highway to hell' was the loudest piece of "garbage" (again...) I owned at that point.

The rockers from Australia are more famous, of course, for their 1980 anthem 'Whole lotta Rosie'. I would buy that one much later...

My collection: 7" single no. 25

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Highway to hell' / 'If you want blood you've got it'

Download: Album 'Highway to hell', including both tracks

Don't give up on us - David Soul

David Soul was born in Chicago, Illinois as David Richard Solberg. He gained superstar status in the 1970's when he played the role of detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson on the TV series Starsky & Hutch. While this series was still broadcast, David launched a successful singing career. His debut single, 'Don't give up on us' reached no. 1 in America and the UK. In the Netherlands, it made no. 3.

I got to know the song, like many songs in the late Seventies, through the radio and the singles collection my sister had. Twelve years later, I bought my own copy of that single. It's still a beautiful ballad.

My collection: 7" single no. 807

Found: All that music, Leiden, May 5, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Don't give up on us' / 'Black bean soup'

Download: here

Running with the devil - Van Halen

Hardrock was a genre that I got slightly lured into because of my fascination for Kiss. I was only nine years old when Van Halen stormed the charts with their single 'Running with the devil'. I loved the solid sound of the track, and the manic, bizarre vocal acrobatics of singer David Lee Roth. Later in life I would learn that Van Halen wasn't really playing the hardest variety of hardrock, but it sounded impressive enough to me.

My collection: 7" single no. 51

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Running with the devil' / 'You really got me'

Download: Running with the devil, You really got me

Emotional disguise - Peter Godwin

I heard 'Emotional disguise' on a local radio station (repeatedly) and started to become very interested in this song. It took me a while to find out who was singing this song, because it didn't reach the charts in the Netherlands. Even in the UK, Peter Godwin remained largely unknown.

My sister finally bought the single later in the year and so I got to know Peter Godwin. It would take me even more years to finally own the single myself.

My collection: 7" single no. 1159

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

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Emotional disguise' / 'French emotions'

Download: here

High hopes - Pink Floyd

Although Pink Floyd was never known as a 'singles band', there were two singles taken from their album 'The Division bell' (1994). 'Take it back' was a reasonable success, and so the release of 'High hopes' hoped to repeat that success. The 7" single was released on clear vinyl and with a poster sleeve. Both the 7" single and the cd-single featured edited versions of the A and B-sides. It's a shame, because the full length version of especially 'High hopes' is really worth hearing. I couldn't resist buying the single, though, because it looked fabulous. By 1994, 7" singles had become rarities I wanted to have whenever a good song was released on that format.

My collection: 7" single no. 2218
Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1994
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'High hopes (edit)' / 'Keep talking (edit)'
Download: here

This town ain't big enough for both of us - Sparks

My sister told me that I was fascinated by the Sparks when I was only three years old. They had a hit with 'This town ain't big enough for both of us' in 1974, and even at this young age I was watching music shows on television with her. Every week I would ask if 'the man with that moustache' would come again. I was rarely disappointed, because the top 10 hit was on heavy rotation on Toppop, the chart show of those days.

In my teenage years I had to search for this single extensively. I finally found it in 1988, and even though the sleeve was torn and the vinyl wasn't in the best quality, I was happy to have this souvenir of memories I didn't have anymore.

My collection: 7" single no. 685

Found: ?

Cost: ?

Tracks: 'This town ain't big enough for both of us' / 'Barbecutie'

Download: Album 'Kimono my house', including both tracks

Cars - Gary Numan

As a little boy I was regularly playing with toy cars. That was in the days that I didn't realise they were stinking, noisy, environment-devastating machines. The appeal of Gary Numan's song 'Cars' back then was obvious. I didn't understand the lyrics yet, but the subject and the inventive use of crashing sounds (I was often playing car accidents with my toy cars) were a real turnon.

'Cars' was effectively Gary Numan's debut single, after he had abandoned the Tubeway Army moniker. His electronic music was preceding all the synthbands that would come to colour the eighties.

My collection: 7" single no. 50

Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Cars' / 'Asylum'

Download: Album 'The pleasure principle', including both tracks (password: +++Hellion88+++)

Shake your head - Was (not was)

Was (Not Was) biggest claim to fame is the hit single 'Walk the dinosaur', a hideous late-eighties top 10 hit which made me cringe everytime I heard it. 'Shake your head' was a more interesting, albeit less successful song. At least, in the Netherlands: in the UK it was their biggest hit. Was it the video starring Kim Basinger that did the trick? It certainly did for me: that's why it stuck in my head and that's why I wanted to buy it. It was the time in which 7" singles were getting increasingly difficult to find, and so buying this one was one of my minor triumphs during that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 1689

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 1, 1992

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Shake your head' / 'I blew up the United States'

Download: cd-single 'Shake your head', including both tracks

When your heart runs out of time - Glenn Gregory & Claudia Brücken

Glenn Gregory is the lead singer of Heaven 17 and Claudia Brücken was one of the lead singers of the German group Propaganda. Together they recorded this song, 'When your heart runs out of time', in 1985. According to the sleeve of this record, the song is taken from the motion picture 'Insignificance'. The record was released on the ZTT label, which became famous for their Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Grace Jones releases.

And that's about it. No information to be found on this record on the internet, and I never heard from it myself. I bought it last month on the basis of the good work the performers did on their own. As it turns out, the song is very decent. A good find.

My collection: 12" single no. 456

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Out of time', 'The voices of Gary Busey, Michael Emil and Theresa Russell', 'When your heart runs out of time' / 'When your heart runs out of time (drumless)', 'The voices of Michael Emil and Theresa Russell', 'Forever (what the hell)', 'Out of time'

Download: here

Hypnotise - Scritti Politti

'Hypnotise' is the least successful of the four singles that were released from Scritti Politti's 1985 album 'Cupid & Psyche', despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it didn't sound radically different from other tracks on this album. With a great hook and the signature vocals of Green Gartside, the single only reached no. 68 in the UK singles chart.

When I was on holiday in London in 1989, I went around the town visiting every record shop I could find. It was my first encounter with the Record Exchange shops, that were offering hundreds of old vinyl singles for discount prices. I had a chance to buy many singles I wanted to have for years, and so I did...

My collection: 7" single no. 1026

Found: Record Exchange, Notting Hill, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Hypnotise' / 'Hypnotise (version)'

Download: here

Shandi - Kiss

Taken from their eighth album 'Unmasked', 'Shandi' was only a small hit compared to the three singles taken from the previous album, 'Dynasty'. Written by vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley and producer Vini Poncia, the song title was inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song '4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'.

Paul Stanley was the only member of the band to have actually played on the track. Session drummer Anton Fig plays drums, Kiss roadie Tom Harper plays bass and professional songwriter Holly Knight plays keyboards, while Stanley sings lead and plays all guitars. Vini Poncia provided backing vocals to the track.

My collection: 7" single no. 56
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Shandi' / 'She's so European'

Download: Album 'Unmasked', including both tracks

You don't love me - Marilyn

Peter Robinson was born in Kingston, Jamaica on November 3, 1962. During his teenage years, growing up in Hertfordshire, England, he started experimenting with his sexuality and image. Adopting the blonde hair, make-up and movements of his idol Marilyn Monroe, he quickly invented his stage name Marilyn.

Boy George and Marilyn were both part of the New Romantic movement and regulars at the Blitz nightclub, a highly stylised nightclub in London run by Steve Strange from the musical group Visage. Following the success of Culture Club, record companies were looking for similar transvestite stars, and so Marilyn was offered a recording contract. 'You don't love me' was Marilyn's third single from his 1985 debut album 'Despite straight lines'.

My collection: 12" single no. 245

Found: Record Exchange, London, 1993

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'You don't love me [extended]' / 'Raining again'

Download: here