Songbird - Kenny G

This is the kind of music you hear in elevators, supermarkets and bad restaurants. Kenny G is probably one of the most uncool artists on the planet. Yet his 'Songbird' is one of the most recognizable instrumentals around. It wasn't a very big hit in Europe, peaking at number 22 in the UK and number 25 in the Netherlands, but in America the single got to number 4 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

'Songbird' comes from Kenny G's multi-platinum album 'Duotones' (1986) and was featured prominently in the 1990 movie 'Pretty woman' and in the 2005 animation movie 'Robots'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1631

Found: Record fair, April 18, 1992

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Songbird' / 'Midnight motion'

One better day - Madness

'One better day' was not a hit in the Netherlands, but the video was shown regularly on music channels broadcasting from the UK, where the single peaked at number 17 in the summer of 1984. I thought the video was incredibly funny for reasons I could not exactly explain.

I searched for the single for many years, and I don't know exactly why it was so hard to find it. When I finally did find it, the single was made in Holland. I wonder why it wasn't available anywhere, then...

My collection: 7" single no. 2272

Found: Record fair, April 23, 1995

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'One better day' / 'Guns'

What comes naturally - Sheena Easton

After the album 'The lover in me', Sheena Easton seemed to want to pursue her career as a sex symbol in America even further. Her clothing became even flimsier and her music became less attractive as well. 'What comes naturally', the first single from the album of the same name, hovers dangerously towards the hiphop genre, but stays decent - but only just.

The UK audience had lost their interest in Easton, but the single did chart in the Netherlands, and even peaked at number 12 in the Dutch Top 40. In America it was her last hit single, peaking at number 19.

My collection: 7" single no. 1445
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'What comes naturally (7" single edit with rap)' / 'What comes naturally (7" single edit without rap)'

I'm falling - The Babys

I guess I've always liked fullblown popsongs with orchestral backings. 'I'm falling' is a good example of this: a strong popsong with beautiful music performed by a fullblown orchestra. The Babys didn't have a lot of success with this song, though: it didn't chart in the Netherlands.

I was too young to buy it in 1978 - not getting enough pocket money to buy all the good music that was around back then. Fortunately, in 1987 I did find it - and at a good price, too.

My collection: 7" single no. 567

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'I'm falling' / 'I believe in love'

Pourvu qu'elles soient douces - Mylene Farmer

Anyone who watched music video channels regularly in the eighties would get to know Mylene Farmer at some point. Her epic music videos were shown, usually in late night programmes, because of their regular inclusion of violence and nudity. The video for 'Pourvu qu'elles soient douces' was one of them.

Once I'd bought 'Désenchantée', I slowly started to collect more Mylene Farmer singles. I found 'Douces', the Dutch release of the mentioned song quite quickly, because it was re-released after the success of 'Désenchantée'. It didn't reach the Dutch Top 40, though.

Not so much later, I saw the original French single. I had to admit this sleeve was a bit more daring, and since I liked the sleeve and the song, I decided to buy it on the spot. The two singles have the exact same tracklisting. The B-side is a beautiful ballad, which has quite moving lyrics. Or so I think, because my French is not so good.

My collection: 7" single no. 1888 / no. 1922
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 2, 1993 / Record fair, Amsterdam, June 5, 1993

Cost: 3 guilders / 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Pourvu qu'elles soient douces' / 'Puisque...'

I won't let you go - Agnetha Fältskog

After the virtual demise of Abba in 1982, Agnetha Fältskog enjoyed a lot of success with her solo album 'Wrap your arms around me' (1983). She followed this up with 'Eyes of a woman', released in 1985 and produced by Eric Stewart from 10CC. The album sold well in parts of Europe, but failed to match the success of its predecessor.

The first single from the album was 'I won't let you go', composed by Fältskog herself. It peaked at number 18 in the Netherlands, but did not chart in the UK. It would be 2003 before she returned in the singles chart in that country with 'If I thought you'd ever change your mind'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1134

Found: All that music, Leiden, December 28, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'I won't let you go' / 'You're there'

Oh l'amour - Dollar

During a promotional trip to Japan in February 1983, relations between the two members of Dollar, Tereza Bazar and David van Day, had become increasingly strained and Van Day quit the band. Both tried a solo career, but without one another, they weren't very successful. In 1986 they reformed and released two less successful singles, 'We walked in love' and 'Haven't we said goodbye before'. New success came when they recorded a cover version of Erasure's 'Oh l'amour' in 1987. It became one of their biggest hits and peaked at number 7 in the UK. In late 1988, after one more unsuccessful single, Dollar disbanded again.

This single has become an important one in my collection more or less by accident: it's the last single I ever bought in Disco Market. It's where I bought my first single, and literally hundreds of singles since then. The shop has closed down a couple of years ago, sadly. The last time I visited it, a year ago, I had to embarrass myself during a bachelor party. It had turned into a regular apartment.

My collection: 7" single no. 3373

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 11, 2003

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Oh l'amour' / 'B-beat'

Why can't we live together - Mike Anthony

Jamaican DJ Mike Anthony recorded a version of Timmy Thomas's 'Why can't we live together' in 1982. The version caused some controversy when it became apparent that Anthony had used the original recording by Thomas. The single was retracted and re-released with new recordings of the music.

This 12" single was pressed as a limited edition on white vinyl. The extended version on this disc is based on the original controversial version. The disc plays the same track on both sides.

My collection: 12" single no. 454

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2008

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Why can't we live together (Super Dancing Discomix)' / 'Why can't we live together (Super Dancing Discomix)'

Woman in love - Three Degrees

I've got 'Out of love again', the B-side of this single, as the B-side of another single, 'The runner'. And the A-side, 'Woman in love', is on another single I own, 'Giving up giving in'. But in January 1979, 'Woman in love' was released as a single in the UK, and it was a big hit, peaking at number 3. While the Three Degrees are famous for their disco tracks, this is a soulful ballad.

I bought this single not because I knew the song, but because of the beautiful sleeve and the record, which was pressed on blue vinyl. Fortunately, the song isn't bad at all!

My collection: 7" single no. 3252

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000

Cost: 1,4 pounds

Tracks: 'Woman in love' / 'Out of love again'

Road to our dream - T'pau

'Road to our dream' was the second single from T'pau's second album 'Rage' (1988). This was the least successful of the three singles released from the album, peaking at number 42 in the UK, and not reaching the charts in other countries at all.

Truth be told, the track is a bit of a non-starter. I bought the cd-single before I bought the album and I almost lost the appetite to buy the 7" single - and subsequent singles. It's hard to pinpoint what is missing exactly, but for lack of a better word, I'll say that this song misses a 'soul'.

My collection: 7" single no. 714

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 6, 1989

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Road to our dream (edit)' / 'Time of our lives'

I'm just your puppet on a... (string!) - London Beat

London Beat had already had some big hits with songs like '9AM' and 'I've been thinking about you' when they decided to compete in the United Kingdom's national final for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Their song, 'I'm just your puppet on a... (string!)' was an obvious reference to previous Contest winner 'Puppet on a string' by Sandie Shaw. While their song was funny and entertaining, the group lost out to the dull, hiphop-influenced (and, as a result, bad) song 'Love city groove' by a group of the same name. Not long after this, the group disbanded.

My collection: 7" single no. 2336

Found: HMV, London, June 26, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'I'm just your puppet on a... (string!)' / 'Unnecessary'

Nellie the elephant - Toy dolls

Toy Dolls are an English punk rock band formed in 1979. While much punk rock is political or angry, Toy Dolls expressed themselves mostly in a funny way, with songs such as 'Yul Brynner Was A Skinhead' and 'James Bond lives down our street'.

'Nellie the elephant' was originally written in 1956 by Ralph Butler and Peter Hart. It became a children's favourite thanks to the original rendition by child actress Mandy Miller, which was never a hit single but was played countless times on BBC national radio in the UK in the Fifties and Sixties. The Toy Dolls recorded their version just in time for Christmas 1984. The single peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 3619
Found: eBay, received April 16, 2009
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Nellie the elephant' / 'Fisticuffs in Frederick street'

The Lebanon - Human League

Taken from their 1984 album 'Hysteria' and released as its first single, 'The Lebanon' was a radical departure from what was accepted as the soft synthpop sound of the Human League. The lyrics were an attempt to make a political statement on the Lebanese civil war which had been exacerbated by Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon of 1982. The song tells the story of a man who joins a militia to help his community and ends up fighting in the civil war.

The single peaked at number 11 in the UK, which was considered to be a relative failure. Because the track is a very 'concert friendly' track it has been played by the band live frequently ever since its release and is nearly always on their set list to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 3231

Found: Record Exchange, London, 2000

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'The Lebanon' / 'Thirteen'

Train - Red Box

After the success of 'The circle and the square' and its singles in 1985, things went rather quiet for some time. Due to increasingly strained working relations between the band and the record company, Julian Close left to work in A&R and Simon Toulson-Clarke took time out from writing and recording in order to travel. In the late Eighties Toulson-Clarke was persuaded to record a second album. Together with new partner Alastair Gavin and producer David Motion he made the album 'Motive'.

'Train' was released as the first (and only) single from that album. The 12" single features four versions of the track, some even more eccentric than the original track.

My collection: 12" single no. 263
Found: Record Exchange, London, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Train (Fantasy Island)', 'Train (Traveller fare)' / 'Train (Mr. Chandra is upstairs)', 'Train (7" version)'

Get the message - Electronic

'Get the message' was the first single taken from Electronic's self-titled debut album, but not their debut single: that was 'Getting away with it', released a year before. Electronic consisted of Bernard Sumner from New Order and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. During recording, Primal Scream backing singer Denise Johnson added a vocal at the end of the song. The single featured a non-album track as its B-side: 'Free Will', a sample-heavy dance track.

'Get the message' peaked at number 8 in the UK singles chart. I didn't know the song when I bought this single, however I did know a few of Electronic's singles and hoped that this one would be equally good. And it was.

My collection: 7" single no. 2987

Found: House of Rhythm, London, May 23, 1998

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Get the message' / 'Free will'

Golden hits volume 2 - Prefab Sprout

I bought this 'golden' single during the first record fair I ever went to. I thought it was a great find, because it featured 'Goodbye Lucille', which I thought was an earlier version of the single 'Johnny Johnny', which I'd bought a couple of years before. As it turned out, it was pretty much the same as that single, only the title was different.

Still, this is an interesting little EP, because of the colour of course, but also because of the great selection of hit singles. Although 'hit singles' might be stretching that term a bit: none of these tracks made the UK top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1220

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

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Golden calf (edit)', 'Faron Young' / 'Goodbye Lucille no. 1', 'Hey Manhattan'

Go west - Village People

Another track I've featured on this blog before, but now in the shorter single version, as opposed to the long 12" version. 'Go west' peaked at number 31 in the Netherlands in the summer of 1979. At the same time, it made number 15 in the UK.

At the time, I was spending my weekly allowance of 3 guilders in the local record shop. While chart singles cost 6 guilders, the shop discounted them once they left the Top 40. I went round that shop almost every week, hoping for something good to be available. I seem to recall that this catch was a relative disappointment, since more singles had left the chart, but they were already sold out. So I made do with this one. I'm glad I have it now, because of course it is the original version of the Pet Shop Boys' 1992 cover version. But how was I to know?

My collection: 7" single no. 23

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Go west' / 'I wanna shake your hand'

Doot doot - Freur

As written before, 'Doot doot' was Freur's debut single and only hit. The 7" single was a revelation for me, I bought almost as soon as it hit the Dutch 'bubbling under' chart. The single didn't make the Dutch Top 40, which at the time I saw as a big injustice.

Earlier editions of the single didn't have the explanatory '(Freur)' in the upper left corner. I've always searched for a copy of that, but so far, without luck.

My collection: 7" single no. 196

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Doot doot' / 'Hold me mother'

Honey - Mariah Carey

Buried under too much breathy vocals and hiphop influences, here's a nice tune. Mariah Carey's 'Honey' was released in 1997, as the first single from her album 'Butterfly', the last album before the disastrous 'Glitter' project. This single made number one in America, number 3 in the UK and number 15 in the Netherlands.

The track uses two samples: 'Hey DJ', originally performed by the World Famous Supreme Team, and 'The Body Rock' by the Treacherous Three.

My collection: 7" single no. 2933

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 17, 1998

Cost: 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Honey' / 'Honey (Bad Boy remix)'

The robots - Kraftwerk

Released as the first single from their 1991 remix album 'The Mix', Kraftwerk's 'The Robots' was a big success in the UK, peaking at number 20. 'The robots', remixed by the band, was originally released in 1978 as a single from their seventh album 'Man machine'.

The lyrics reference the revolutionary technique of robotics, and how humans can use them as they wish. The Russian lines "Я твой слуга" (Ya tvoi sluga, I'm your servant) and "Я твой работник" (Ya tvoi rabotnik, I'm your worker) appear repeatedly both in the original version and in this remix.

My collection: 7" single no. 2354

Found: Marlyn Music, Eastbourne, June 28, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'The robots (single edit)' / 'Robotronik (single version)'

Nightmares - Flip

After the release of 'That's what they say about love', the band Flip tried once more with the remixed single 'Nightmares'. It was even less of a success than the debut single. It must have eventually led to the end of the band in 1987.

The additional single 'Plague of hearts' does exist, but until now I haven't been able to locate a copy. I'm especially looking for the 12" single. Well, here's hoping they will turn up someday...

My collection: 7" single no. 655

Found: V&D, Leiden, September 23, 1988

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Nightmares (Big Drum 7")' / 'Dark on the water'

Cold cold heart - Midge Ure

Midge Ure released his third solo album 'Pure' in 1991. It was a collection of traditionally influenced songs. 'Cold cold heart' was the first single released from the album, which managed to get to number 17 in the UK singles chart. It was also the last single by Ure to make the top 40 in the UK.

Personally I lost track of Midge Ure after his excellent 1989 album 'Answers to nothing'. I picked up this single in 1995 on the strength of his name, but I didn't think it was one of his better songs. Hearing it again, I have to say I like it better now.

My collection: 7" single no. 2434

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, August 19, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Cold cold heart' / 'Flowers'

Bomb out - Kojo

Timo Kojo was born in Helsinki, Finland on May 9, 1953. He started his recording career in 1977 when his band, Madame George, released their only album: 'Madame George: what's happening?'. He then proceeded to release three solo albums. The last of these three albums was not a commercial success. He then decided to represent Finland with the song 'Nuku pommiin' ('Bomb out'). The rock song was a protest against nuclear bombs and the potential danger of a nuclear war in Europe during the cold war, which was in its heyday at the time.

Despite its pacifist message the song received no points. However it revived Kojo's career in Finland. He remains not so well known in that country, but his performance in Eurovision is a landmark in Finnish Eurovision Song Contest history. I was eleven years old when Kojo performed his song, and I remembered it vividly as well. I was very glad when I finally found the single 'Bomb out' in 1998.

My collection: 7" single no. 2970

Found: Bea Records, February 21, 1998

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Bomb out' / 'Video Venus'

Duel - Propaganda

For a little while in 1985, I thought Propaganda was the best thing since sliced bread. After the success of Dr. Mabuse, the band fell silent for a while before releasing 'Duel'. I vaguely recalled 'Dr. Mabuse', but this new single was total genius in my book. Especially the frantic piano solo was something I really marvelled at.

The single peaked at number 5 in the Dutch Top 40, while it only managed number 21 in the UK. When this single was followed up by the less remarkable 'Machinery', my interest faded pretty quickly, although I did like that song as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 294

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Duel' / 'Jewel'

Fly too high - Janis Ian

Janis Ian's biggest international hit must be 'Fly too high', released as a single in the autumn of 1979. Ian contributed the song to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster movie 'Foxes', and also included it on her own album 'Night rains'. The track was produced and co-written by famous producer Giorgio Moroder and as such is a bit of a strange entity in Janis Ian's body of work.

The single peaked at number 44 in the UK, but was a top 5 hit in the Netherlands. At the time I felt the song was 'too dull', but a decade later I still bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 894
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Fly too high' / 'Night rains'

Days like this - Sheena Easton

You might assume from seeing the picture of this sleeve that I bought this single for the package alone. And you would be almost right. See, the free poster was also a good incentive. But of course, Sheena Easton is an interesting artist anyway so I would be lying if I said I didn't like the song.

'Days like this' is another single from Sheena's 1988 album 'The lover in me'. The single peaked at number 43 in the UK singles chart, but failed to chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2180

Found: House of Rhythm, London, September 27, 1994

Cost: 1,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Days like this' / 'Days like this (instrumental)'

Jack and Diane - John Cougar

Before he became John Mellencamp and, before that, John Cougar Mellencamp, he made a name for himself as John Cougar. The single 'Jack & Diane' was released in 1982 and became his first international breakthrough.

According to John, 'Jack & Diane' was written after watching 'Splendor in the Grass', a 1961 movie starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty. The song's tone and lyrics are evocative of a nostalgia for the novelty of youth, influenced in part by Mellencamp's own life experiences.

John also stated that the clapping wasn't supposed to be included in the finished song. It was recorded with the clapping in order to help keep tempo and then it was to be removed. However, he realized the song didn't work without it.

My collection: 7" single no. 858

Found: Den Haag, May 27, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Jack & Diane' / 'Can you take it'

It will come in time - Billy Preston

After the success of the beautiful ballad 'With you I'm born again', Billy Preston enlisted Syreeta Wright's help once again for the next single, 'It will come in time'. This time, they performed a very upbeat, up-tempo track. They had another top 10 success in the Netherlands, peaking at number 8 (where 'With you I'm born again' made it to number 4). The single didn't do as well in the UK, peaking at number 47.

My collection: 7" single no. 3282

Found: February 9, 2001

Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'It will come in time' / 'Sock-it, rocket'

Violently - Hue and Cry

Brother Pat and Greg Kane formed Hue & Cry in 1983. Their biggest hit was the 1987 single 'Labour of love', which peaked at number 6 in the UK. The single 'Violently' was released a year later and peaked at number 21.

It wasn't the title track of this EP that piqued my attention: it was their cover version of Kate Bush's 'The man with the child in his eyes' on the B-side. As an avid Kate Bush collector, I couldn't let this cover version pass me by. It is a reasonable effort, although the version by Velvet Belly, released a decade later, is much better.

My collection: 7" single no. 2527

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Violently' / 'The man with the child in his eyes', 'Calamity John'

Shame - Evelyn 'Champagne' King

Evelyn 'Champagne' King was born on July 1, 1960. She released 'Shame', her only top 10 hit in America, in 1978. After a long struggle in the UK singles chart, 'Shame' eventually made the top 40, peaking at number 39. In the Netherlands, it did considerably better: peaking at number 18.

The song was covered by Kim Wilde in 1996. This is how I became interested in the original version. I bought the single in 2000 after a long hunt.

My collection: 7" single no. 3212

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 30, 2000

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Shame' / 'Dancin', dancin', dancin''

Sweet love - Anita Baker

Anita Baker was born on January 26, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio (USA). She released her debut album 'The Songstress' in 1983. Three years later, the album 'Rapture' spawned her first mainstream hit, 'Sweet love'. It peaked at number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 in the UK.

This double single edition was released in the UK, featuring two live tracks on the second disc, originally broadcast by BBC Radio 1. I bought this single because I liked the title track ánd because I'm a sucker for limited editions. But I have to admit, I don't really like the other three tracks in this package.

My collection: 7" single no. 2204

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, October 8, 1994

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Sweet love' / 'No one in the world' // 'Same ole love (live)' / 'You bring me joy (live)'

Blank sheets - Bel canto

Circa 2000 I had a growing interest in alternative and not-so-wellknown bands. This interest was fairly shortlived as many bands disappointed me: I bought their cd's and didn't play them as much as I would if I really would have liked them. But sometimes I bought some 'alternative' singles as well - with varying success.

This single by Bel Canto, for instance, is a good one, but I still didn't play it much. And I really should: the instrumental B-side is fascinating, whereas the A-side is an interesting song. The Norwegian synthpop band, consisting of Anneli Drecker and Nils Johansen, has been going strong since 1985. This single was tken from their 1988 album 'White-out conditions'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3271

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, November 10, 2000

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Blank sheets' / 'Chaideinoi'

Gotta go home / El Lute - Boney M

In 1979 Boney M released their fourth album 'Oceans of fantasy'. The album contained two hit singles, of which 'Gotta go home / El Lute' (a double A-side single) was the first. 'Gotta go home' is an upbeat summer track, released just in time for the season. The track 'El Lute' was based on the life of Spanish outlaw and writer Eleuterio Sánchez.

The single was another hit for the German band, reaching number 12 in the UK and number 2 in the Netherlands. I bought the single while it was still in the charts. As young as I was, Boney M had an irresistible appeal to me.

My collection: 7" single no. 58

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Gotta go home' / 'El Lute'

King in a catholic style - China Crisis

Compared to their previous single 'Black man Ray', 'King in a catholic style' was, to me, a relative disappointment. It was much more a straightforward pop song than the shimmering beauty of the ballad that went before. Some people agreed with me, because the single peaked at number 19 in the UK, five places lower than 'Black man Ray'.

I was in a record shop last Friday and saw this 12" single. I started doubting whether or not I had it. In the end, I didn't buy it, and I was right: the disc was sitting here on the shelf all along. Sometimes a big collection takes up too much memory space in your head.

My collection: 12" single no. 460

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'King in a catholic style (extended version)' / 'Blue sea', 'King in a catholic style'

Every time I see you - Fra Lippo Lippi

I bought the Fra Lippo Lippi LP 'Songs' some time after it was released at discount price. I discovered that not only their most famous single 'Shouldn't have to be like that' and its B-side were very good, but also the eight other tracks on the album. And so I spent years trying to find the other singles released from this album.

'Every time I see you' is probably the most interesting of them all, with a re-recorded version on the A-side and the instrumental track 'The heather on the hills' on the B-side. Norwegian pop at its very best.

My collection: 7" single no. 2020

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 19, 1993

Cost: 60p

Tracks: 'Every time I see you' / 'The heather on the hills'