'Lover of mine' was released in 1990 as the fourth and last single from Alannah Myles' self-titled debut album. While in Canada, the single equalled the number 2 position her biggest hit 'Black velvet' had reached a year earlier, elsewhere in the world, it did not impress the record-buying audiences.
The song is a power ballad, very different from the rock stylings of her earlier singles. Later on in her career, Myles would try her luck more often with this kind of power ballad.
My collection: 7" single no. 1829 Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Lover of mine' / 'Just one kiss'
Tom Petty's 'A face in the crowd' was written and produced by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, like most of the material on his album 'Full moon fever'. The track has a beautiful warm, relaxed sound that seemed to please especially the Dutch audience.
The single peaked at nnumber 23 in the Netherlands, whereas it stalled at number 93 in the UK singles chart and number 46 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
My collection: 7" single no. 1249 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 21, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'A face in the crowd' / 'A mind with a heart of its own'
After Red Box signed to Sire Records and released their single 'Saskatchewan', there must have been some doubt whether this band would actually make it. The single did not chart and some record company executives must have felt panic. These days, the band would probably have been dropped immediately.
But they followed through with 'Lean on me', which proved the be a more successful track. It would prove to be the biggest hit of their career, peaking at number 3 in the UK Singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2140 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, August 2, 1994 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Lean on me' / 'Stinging bee'
Contrary to what you might think, when I bought this single two decades after its release, I didn't have to pay a fortune for it. I was as surprised as anyone when I spotted this limited edition double single during a record fair for a rather low price. Considering the ever growing fanbase of this Irish band, I would have expected the dealer to make a nice profit. Fortunately he didn't, otherwise I would never have bought this of course.
I consider 'Pride' to be U2's breakthrough single. It was the first one to reach the top 3 of the UK singles chart, peaking at number 3, and it was the first top 10 hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 8. The accompanying album 'The unforgettable fire' is an unmistakable classic which demands a luxury extended collectable ultimate edition of some sort. Now that's something I would buy...
My collection: 7" single no. 3365 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 2002 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Pride (In the name of love)' / '4th of July' // 'Boomerang I (Instrumental)' / 'Boomerang II (Vocal)'
The third single from All about Eve's 1989 album 'Scarlet and other stories' was 'Scarlet'. It was released in early 1990 and backed with a live track recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, where the band celebrated the biggest commercial success of their career.
'Scarlet' equalled the chart placing of the previous single 'December' in the UK, reaching number 34 in the singles chart. As always, the single was released in several collectable formats: the 7" single, a 12" single with a gatefold sleeve and a live poster, a cd-single and a picture disc cd-single.
My collection: 7" single no. 1205 Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, April 13, 1990 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Scarlet' / 'Our summer (live)'
'Love's great adventure' was recorded as a new track for Ultravox's 1984 compilation album 'The Collection' and released as a single to promote the album. Released in October 1984 it peaked at number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 30 in the Dutch Top 40.
The style of this single is different from any of their preceding singles from the album 'Lament', aiming for a more lightweight, pop-oriented approach. The music video features the band members in a humorous parody of Indiana Jones, with Midge Ure being chased across deserts and forests by a ruthless treasure hunter. Midge Ure stated in his autobiography 'If I was' that the aim of the single and its video was to promote Ultravox as having a sense of humour, away from the seriousness of their previous releases.
Once again, I bought this single in a clear vinyl edition. The gatefold sleeve also contained a booklet with a beautifully illustrated song lyric in the style of the front sleeve. Unfortunately, I found this edition some years after buying the original single and the booklet sleeved one with the disc pressed on black vinyl. So now I've got three copies of this single...
My collection: 7" single no. 247-1, 247-2, 3068 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984 / Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984 / House of Rhythm, London, 1999 Cost: 6 guilders / 3,5 guilders / 2 pounds Tracks: 'Dancing with tears in my eyes' / 'White China (live)'
'Original sin' was recorded as a theme song for the 1994 movie 'The shadow', based on the character of the same name created by Walter B. Gibson in 1931. At a budget of 40 million dollars, the movie barely made a profit with worldwide sales of 48 million.
Taylor Dayne performed 'Original sin', which was produced, written and arranged by Jim Steinman, the man responsible for many bombastic hits such as 'Total eclipse of the heart' by Bonnie Tyler and 'Paradise by the dashboard light' by Meatloaf. The single only made the UK singles chart, peaking at number 63.
My collection: 7" single no. 2359 Found: June 29, 1995 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Original sin (radio edit)' / 'Original sin (radio mix)'
'Open your eyes' was released as the fifth single from Snow Patrol's 2006 album 'Eyes open'. Released in February 2007, the single peaked at number 26 in the UK singles chart. It went number 1 in Slovakia and number 21 in Ireland.
The song has proved to be an effective track for campaigns. It was used in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, the BBC HD service campaign, a promo for the second season of the TV series 'Gossip girl' and the season 12 finale and season 13 premiere of 'ER'. The B-side is a cover of Ricky Wilde's 'I am an astronaut', which was previously featured on the Save the Children charity compilation album 'Colours are brighter'.
My collection: 7" single no. 3499 Found: eBay.co.uk, received December 23, 2008 Cost: 3 pounds Tracks: 'Open your eyes' / 'I am an astronaut'
Before I bought the 12" single of 'Trick of the night', I found this ep featuring four tracks. Just like on the 12" single, 'Trick of the night' was featured in two different versions: one produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley, and one by Stock, Aitken & Waterman.
The single peaked at number 32 in the UK singles chart, whereas it peaked at number 76 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This ep was released in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, the inner side featuring an illustration of the trio plus the lyric of the song.
My collection: 7" single no. 2765 Found: House of Rhythm, October 29, 1996 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'Trick of the night #1', 'Cut above the rest' / 'Trick of the night #2', 'Set on you'
The 'Amiga Quartett' was a series of four track ep's released in the German Democratic Republic, the Eastern part of Germany that existed until the end of the Eighties, featuring tracks from a certain artist or band. In this installment, the ep is filled with four tracks by Mel & Kim. They were enjoying a lot of success in Europe with 'Showing out' and 'Respectable' at the time. The state-controlled record company picked four tracks from their debut album to release them on this ep.
What's remarkable about this ep is the rather butchered version of 'Showing out'. It is edited in a different way than usual, taking rather random passages from the album version of the track and glueing them together, sometimes audibly wrong.
My collection: 7" single no. 2926 Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 13, 1997 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Respectable', 'From a whisper to a scream' / 'Showing out', 'Who's gonna catch you'
Tori Amos explained that the idea for '1000 oceans' came to her in a dream. An old African woman was humming the melody to her, and she got up around 5:30 in the morning to record it. The inspiration for the lyrics came when her father-in-law died, and she claims the song helped her husband deal with the grieving process. The lyrics contain reference to Silbury Hill, an ancient mound in Wiltshire, England. This is a place often visited by Amos and her husband.
The single did not chart. This vinyl single is also the last Tori Amos vinyl single around; subsequent releases were no longer released on this format with the sole exception of 'A sorta fairytale'.
My collection: 7" single no. 3142 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 1999 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: '1000 oceans' / 'Baker baker (live)'
'Love is' was recorded in 1993 as a duet of Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight. The track originally appeared on the soundtrack of the TV drama series 'Beverly Hills, 90210'. As a result of this exposure, the song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming McKnight's breakthrough hit and another hit for Williams. The single also charted in Australia, where it peaked at number 49. In other territories, the single flopped.
I bough this single a few years after its original release. I was quite happy to find this single because at that time, vinyl singles were becoming increasingly rare.
My collection: 7" single no. 2712 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Love is' (Vanessa Williams & Brian McKnight) / 'After the love' (Brian McKnight)
Rick James scored his second and last top 10 hit in the Netherlands with the 1985 single 'Glow'. The single did not chart in the UK. It was an almost megalomaniac piece of work, with lots of solos and clocking in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.
James' last hit was 'Loosey's Rap' in 1989. It all went downhill from there, as he descended into a drug- and crimefilled Nineties. On the morning of August 6, 2004, Rick James was found dead in his home by his caretaker. James had died as a result of his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, a pacemaker, and a heart attack. Through his autopsy it was discovered he was under the influence of five different drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, at the time of his death.
My collection: 7" single no. 353 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Glow' / 'Glow (instrumental)'
'(Just like) Starting over' was released as the first single from John Lennon's 1980 album 'Double fantasy' and his first single in five years. It was chosen by Lennon, not because he felt it was the best track on the album, but because it was the most appropriate one, following his five year absence from the music business. The original title of the song was 'Starting over'. '(Just like)' was added at the last minute because a country song of the same title was released by Tammy Wynette just a few months before.
Released in October 1980, the single reached number one in the UK and the USA two weeks after Lennon was killed by a madman on December 8 of that year. The sound of Yoko Ono getting an orgasm on the B-side was an added bonus.
My collection: 7" single no. 2898 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 30, 1997 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: '(Just like) Starting over' (John Lennon) / 'Kiss kiss kiss' (Yoko Ono)
After Lloyd Cole & the Commotions decided to call it quits, the record company released a compilation album with all their single releases. To accompany the album, a single was released. A remix of the track 'Forest fire' was made by Bruce Lampcov. The single did not chart.
The band broke up in 1989 amid reports of personality clashes between members, but they reformed in 2004 to perform a 20th anniversary mini-tour of the UK and Ireland.
My collection: 7" single no. 2476 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 16, 1995 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Forest fire (remix)' / 'Perfect blue (remix)'
Before the song 'Chiquitita' was created, it existed in various working forms. Titles like 'Kålsupare', 'Three wise guys' and 'In the arms of Rosalita' all passed by. The song was finally recorded as 'Chiquitita' in December 1978 and released a month later, as the first single from the album 'Voulez-vous'.
Upon its release it was featured in the 1979 UNICEF charity event, the 'Music for UNICEF' concert, broadcast worldwide from the United Nations General Assembly. The single subsequently became a charttopper in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico and New Zealand. In the UK, the single peaked at number 2.
My collection: 7" single no. 2247 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 4, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Chiquitita' / 'Lovelight'
Wham! enjoyed their first UK number 1 hit with 'Wake me up before you gogo' in the summer of 1984. When the next single 'Freedom' was released, no-one could have suspected that it would become another charttopper for the duo. Not only that, but it also became the number 10 best selling single in the UK that year.
Meanwhile, the duo went on tour in China. The music video showed images from that tour. Wham were the first 'western' band to tour the Asian country.
My collection: 7" single no. 3848 Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Freedom' / 'Freedom (instrumental)'
There aren't that many Swiss bands that achieved international success, but Double managed it in 1985 with their single 'The captain of her heart'. It reached number 8 in the UK singles chart. Furthermore, it was a top 10 hit in the Dominican Republic, Italy, Canada, France, Norway and Germany. Interesting enough, it only reached number 11 in Switzerland.
The band consisted of Kurt Maloo and Felix Haug. The sleeve of this single pictures four members, but I couldn't find information about the additional two...
My collection: 7" single no. 368 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The captain of her heart' / 'Your prayer takes me off part 2'
One of the more beautiful synthpop hits from the Eighties was Soft Cell's 1982 hit 'Torch'. It was, fortunately, recognised by the international audiences, as it peaked at number 2 in the UK and at number 10 in the Netherlands.
The lead vocals were performed, as always, by Marc Almond, but at the end a female voice joins him. According to the sleeve this is Cindy Ecstacy, which is almost certainly a pseudonym.
My collection: 7" single no. 2544 Found: Record Exchange, London, November 1, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Torch' / 'Insecure me'
Throughout the Seventies, the Dutch band Earth and Fire had symphonic rock tendencies interspersed with modern keyboard sounds. This is probably illustrated best by 'Love of life', which is a song that almost sounds like Eighties synthpop - but not quite.
It was another big success for the band, peaking at number 2 in the summer of 1974.
My collection: 7" single no. 1237 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 25, 1990 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Love of life' / 'Tuffy the cat'
Daniel was born as Milan Popovic on October 29, 1955 in Titograd, Yugoslavia. In 1977 he moved to Zagreb, to try and forge a career in pop music. In 1983, he was elected to represent his country in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Džuli'. He finished on fourth place, equalling the country's best placing in the Contest in 1962.
The English version of the song, entitled 'Julie' was an international hit. In the Netherlands, the song peaked at number 3, outperforming that year's winner Corinne Hermes, who only made number 19.
My collection: 7" single no. 3218 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, October 12, 2000 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Julie' / 'Come to my Adria'
Like previous singles 'Man in the mirror' and 'Heal the world', Michael Jackson's second single from the album 'Invincible', 'Cry', addresses problems in the world, such as war, loneliness, lying and depression and suggests that if everyone pulls together as one, then we can all make a change to the world. Written by R. Kelly, who also sang backing vocals on the track, this single was a relative failure as it only reached number 25 in the UK and number 39 in the Netherlands. Although this single was made in the USA, it was never released commercially. Promotional activities were abandoned when the events of September 11, 2001 took place, and the single was replaced with the more optimistic and innocent track 'Butterflies'.
At the time of its release, Michael Jackson had fallen out of favour with the press and audience. How different it is today: the King of Pop is being buried, millions of people around the world are watching the events taking place in Los Angeles. 'We all cry at the same time', though some are less sincere about it than others. Come back Michael, all is forgiven. I can't help but being slightly cynical. But today has been great, remembering all these great singles that I have in my collection. And I will be filling in the gaps in the weeks and months to come...
My collection: 7" single no. 3827 Found: 45toeren.nl, received July 3, 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Cry' / 'Cry'
As far as I know, 'You are not alone' is the last single from Michael Jackson's album 'History' that was released on 7" vinyl. The R&B ballad was officially written by R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He sent a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and decided to co-produce it with Kelly. Jackson's interest in the song was also linked to recent events in his personal life; the highly publicized allegations of child sexual abuse and his recent marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. The single was a number 1 in the UK and the USA, peaking at number 6 in the Netherlands.
In 2007, a Belgium court ruled that R. Kelly had plagiarized the 1993 song 'If we can start all over' when composing 'You are not alone'. The court transferred rights of Jackson's hit to the Belgian twin composer brothers, Eddy and Danny Van Passel. The judgment is only recognized in Belgium and airplay of the hit has been banned in that country.
My collection: 7" single no. 2740 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 21, 1996 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'You are not alone (radio edit)' / 'Scream louder (Flyte Tyme remix)'
In 1993, the relationship between Michael Jackson and the press soured entirely when he was accused of child abuse. Although never charged with a crime, Jackson was subject to intense media scrutiny while the criminal investigation took place. Jackson commented: 'I will say I am particularly upset by the handling of the matter by the incredible, terrible mass media. At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions.'
Michael's sister Janet wanted to become involved in the recording of 'Scream' as a show of sibling support. 'Scream' was written, composed and produced by the Jackson siblings, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was the first time Michael Jackson had worked with Jam and Lewis, although Janet had worked with them successfully on numerous occasions. The single went top 10 around the world. In the UK, this limited edition single with a postersleeve was released.
My collection: 7" single no. 2333 Found: HMV, London, June 26, 1995 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Scream (Def radio mix)' / 'Scream (single edit)'
How big is the chance that Michael Jackson would have been inspired by an Italian song? Italian singer Al Bano thought it was very possible when he heard 'Will you be there', so he sued Michael Jackson, accusing him of plagiarising his song 'I cigni di Balaka'. Italian judges ruled that the two songs, both being very similar, are inspired by a traditional Indian song.
'Will you be there' was released as a single in July 1993. It was taken from the 1991 album 'Dangerous', and also appeared on the soundtrack of the movie 'Free Willy'. My copy of the single came in a limited edition posterbag. The single reached number 3 in the Netherlands, number 9 in the UK and number 7 in the USA.
My collection: 7" single no. 2390 Found: London, July 5, 1995 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Will you be there (edit)' / 'Girlfriend'
To be honest, I would never have bought this single if it hadn't come in a posterbag. Limited editions just have this fatal attraction on me. Jackson commented in 2001 that 'Heal the world' is the song he is most proud to have created. To many - including myself - it is a rather sappy ballad, including the odd platitude or two. But at the same time it shows that Jackson was really concerned about the fate of children.
During the same time as the release of this single, Jackson also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach children how to help others. This concept of 'betterment for all' would become a centerpiece for the Dangerous World Tour. The single only reached number 1 in Spain, but peaked at number 2 in the UK, number 4 in the Netherlands and number 27 in the USA.
My collection: 7" single no. 2941 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 31, 1998 Cost: 8 guilders Tracks: 'Heal the world (edit)' / 'She drives me wild'
'Jam' was released as the fifth single from Michael Jackson's album 'Dangerous'. The song features a rap performed by Heavy D, while the music video also starred professional basketballer Michael Jordan and the short-lived hiphop duo Kris Kross. It all concealed how great the song 'Jam' actually was. The single reached number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 26 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
This single packaged featured a couple of square 7" portraits and could be used as a frame. I discovered it almost by accident and was really happy to buy this limited edition UK release.
My collection: 7" single no. 3267 Found: London, October 2000 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Jam (7" edit)' / 'Beat it (Moby's sub mix)'
Only Michael Jackson would use a title like 'In the closet' for a heterosexual love song. Despite the song's suggestive title the lyric does not allude to a hidden sexual orientation but rather a concealed relationship: 'Don't hide our love/ Woman to man'.
The song's female vocal was originally labeled 'Mystery girl' but was later revealed to be Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. Originally the song was conceived as a duet between Jackson and Madonna. According to a 1992 interview with British journalist Jonathan Ross, Madonna claimed she worked on some lyrical ideas for the song but when she presented them to Michael, he decided her vocals were too weak and he decided not to continue with the project. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in the Netherlands. My copy of the single came in a limited edition poster sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 2484 Found: London, October 29, 1995 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'In the closet (7" edit)' / 'In the closet (The Mission radio edit)'
After two years of silence, Michael Jackson returned to the pop scene with 'Black or white', the first single from his 1991 album 'Dangerous'. Written, composed, and arranged by Jackson with the rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell, it is a song that promotes racial unity. The song's introduction and main riff are performed by guitarist Slash and Bill Bottrell.
The international audiences were obviously waiting for Jackson's comeback single, because it went number 1 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. In the Netherlands, it peaked at number 2.
My collection: 7" single no. 3254 Found: October 20, 2000 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Black or white' / 'Black or white (instrumental)'
'Liberian girl' was released in July 1989, just as I was starting an education to become a librarian. I soon dubbed the song 'Librarian girl' as a result of this. The song was released as the ninth and final single from the album 'Bad', and was dedicated to one of his best friends, Elizabeth Taylor.
The single reached number 1 in Ireland, number 13 in the UK and number 14 in the Netherlands. The music video featured a celebrity cast waiting for Michael to show up. At the end it becomes obvious that Michael was behind the camera. Among the celebrities in the video are people like Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Olivia Newton-John, Steven Spielberg and 'Weird Al' Yankovic.
My collection: 7" single no. 943 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 17, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Liberian girl' / 'Girlfriend'
'Leave me alone' only appeared on the cd version of Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad' as a bonus track. It was released in Europe as the eighth single from the album. The accompanying music video was taken from the movie 'Moonwalker', in which the song featured.
The single reached number 1 in Ireland and Spain, peaked at number 2 in the UK and number 5 in the Netherlands. The song was never performed live by Michael.
My collection: 7" single no. 2500 Found: London, October 30, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Leave me alone' / 'Human nature'
An early version of 'Smooth criminal' was written by Michael Jackson and John Barnes in 1985. The original demo was recorded in 1986. The original title was 'Al Capone' which is probably about the Italian-American gangster. But this version didn't make it onto the album 'Bad' and was re-worked and re-written as 'Smooth criminal'. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson's lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been attacked in her apartment by an assailant.
Released as the seventh single from 'Bad', it is also the central theme of Michael's 1988 movie 'Moonwalker'. The European sleeve of the single 'Smooth criminal' (pictured above) uses the film poster of that movie, while the UK version (pictured below) uses a still from the movie.
'Smooth criminal' was a number 1 hitsingle in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel and Spain, while in the UK it peaked at number 8 and in the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 7.
My collection: 7" single no. 742 / no. 2528 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 9, 1989 / London, November 1, 1995 Cost: 6 guilders / 2 pounds Tracks: 'Smooth criminal' / 'Smooth criminal (instrumental)'
In his 1988 autobiography 'Moonwalk', Michael Jackson wrote: ''Bad' is a song about the street. It's about this kid from a bad neighborhood who gets to go away to a private school. He comes back to the old neighborhood when he's on a break from school and the kids from the neighborhood start giving him trouble. He sings, 'I'm bad, you're bad, who's bad, who's the best?' He's saying when you're strong and good, then you're bad.'
Released as the second single from the album 'Bad', this single reached number 1 in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland. In the UK, the single peaked at number 3. The song was parodies by 'Weird Al' Yankovic. His version is called 'Fat'. He also parodied Jackson's album cover by having his album titled 'Even worse', complete with Yankovic dressed like Jackson.
My collection: 7" single no. 2447 Found: September 2, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Bad' / 'I can't help it'
'I just can't stop loving you' was released as the first single from Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad'. Written and composed by Jackson, it was originally intended to be a duet between Jackson and his woman of choice: either Barbra Streisand or Whitney Houston. Even Aretha Franklin and Agnetha Fältskog (formerly of ABBA) were offered the song, but all four had other obligations. Quincy Jones protege Siedah Garrett volunteered to sing with Jackson. She was unaware she would be singing the song - although she had received a tape of it - until the day of the recording session, when Jones told her to step up to the microphone and sing it with Jackson.
This single features a spoken intro by Jackson backed with a longer version of the opening music. The spoken words were mixed out on later releases of the album.
My collection: 7" single no. 1078 Found: HMV, London, October 19, 1989 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'I just can't stop loving you' / 'Baby be mine'
'Beat it' is the first Michael Jackson single I ever bought. It was a stunning piece of work, combining dance rhythms with a decidedly hardrock guitar solo. The solo was performed by Eddie van Halen, who recorded his solo free of charge. 'I did it as a favor. I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing - I don't do something unless I want to do it.'
The lyrics of 'Beat it' are about defeat and courage. The line 'don't be a macho man' is said to express Jackson's dislike of violence, whilst also referencing the childhood abuse he faced at the hands of his father Joseph.
My collection: 7" single no. 192 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1983 Cost: 5,5 guilders Tracks: 'Beat it' / 'Get on the floor'
When Michael Jackson was enjoying enormous success with 'Off the wall' on the Epic label, his previous employer Motown decided to try and cash in on the success as well. They plundered the archives and released 'One day in your life' from his 1975 album 'Forever, Michael'.
While it became a modest hit in the USA, reaching number 55, it actually reached number 1 in the UK singles chart - his first single to do so. It went on to become the 6th best-selling single of 1981 in the UK. The single also reached number 1 in Ireland and the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 820 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'One day in your life' / 'Dear Michael'
'She's out of my life' was written by Tom Bahler. He wrote the song about Karen Carpenter, who broke up with him after he'd had an affair with another woman - and father a child with her. The song became famous as the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album 'Off the wall'. Unlike the album's previous singles, which were all dance/funk tracks, this was an emotional ballad, showing another side of the American superstar.
Although he had attempted to record the song's last few moments with emotional restraint, Michael Jackson kept breaking down in tears at the end. Producer Quincy Jones subsequently decided to let Jackson's tearful recording stand: 'I said 'hey - that's supposed to be, leave it on there''.
I got the single from my brother who had more than one copy of this single after Michael Jackson's death. That in itself is a rather astounding thing, as my brother is not always this generous.
My collection: 7" single no. 3826 Found: present, July 3, 2009 Cost: nothing Track: 'She's out of my life' (Michael Jackson) / 'Push me away' (The Jacksons)
The title track from Michael Jackson's by then bestselling 1979 album 'Off the wall' was released as its third single. The track was composed by Rod Temperton. The lyric of the song pertains to getting out of troubles: 'leave that nine-to-five upon the shelf / and just enjoy yourself'.
The song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 7 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1937 Found: Disco Market, August 11, 1993 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Off the wall' / 'Working day and night'
'Don't stop 'til you get enough' was the first single taken from Michael Jackson's 1979 album 'Off the wall'. Jackson claimed that when the melody of the song came to him, he couldn't shake it off. He found himself humming and singing it while walking through the Jacksons' Encino home. As Michael could not play, he had his brother Randy play the melody on a piano in the family's recording studio.
When Jackson's mother, a devout Jehovah's Witness, heard the song, she was shocked by the lyrical content. She pointed out that the title could be referring to sexual activity. Jackson reassured her that the song was not a reference to sex, but could mean whatever people wanted it to. The single became a number one hit in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the USA. In the Netherlands and Sweden it peaked at number 2, while in the UK it reached number 3.
My collection: 7" single no. 2461 Found: September 9, 1995 Cost: 1 guilders Tracks: 'Don't stop 'til you get enough' / 'I can't help it'
Jackie DeShannon, Randy Myers and Jimmy Holiday composed 'Put a little love in your heart' in 1968. DeShannon recorded the track, and had a number 4 hit with it in the USA.
Twenty years later, Annie Lennox and Al Green recorded a cover version of the track, which was used in the 1988 movie 'Scrooged', starring Bill Murray. The song reached number 9 in the USA, number 13 in the Netherlands and was a top 40 hit in several countries worldwide.
My collection: 7" single no. 1714 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 14, 1992 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: 'Put a little love in your heart' / 'A great big piece of love'
Not content with just a German version ('Theater') and a French version ('Théàtre'), Katja Ebstein also recorded her 1980 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in English as 'It's showtime'. Like the French version, this English version did not appeal much to the people speaking that language, as it did not chart in the UK.
What's nice about the three different singles is that the sleeves are almost identical, except for the colouring of Katja's name. While the German version has a red logo and the French version has a blue logo, the English version came with an orange logo. It's easy to distinguish the sleeves that way. Ideal for record hunters...
My collection: 7" single no. 2975 Found: Bea Records, March 1, 1998 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'It's showtime' / 'What's her bag'
Viola Wills was born as Viola Mae Wilkerson in Los Angeles on December 30, 1939. Wills was already married from her teens and was the mother of six children before the age of 21 when, in 1965, she was discovered by Barry White who signed her to Bronco Records and rechristened her with the shorter stage surname of Wills.
Her 1981 single 'If you could read my mind' was remixed by the DJ remix service Disconet. In that version, she had a hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 3. Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009 in Arizona.
My collection: 7" single no. 2058 Found: November 27, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'If you could read my mind (Special short US Disconet version)' / 'If you could read my mind'
Sad to say, but the track 'December' was butchered for the single release. The track was probably deemed too long for a single release, so someone decided to cut out guitar solos, long intros and just about everything else. I still believe it hurt the sales of the single, which only managed to reach number 34 in the UK singles chart. As usual, the single did not chart in other territories.
All this despite the release of a regular 7" single (pictured above), a picture disc 7" (pictured below), a 10" single, a 12" single, a cd-single and a limited edition picture cd-single. With so many formats, it's no wonder the chart rules were changed some years later, limiting the amount of formats eligible to count towards sales to three.
My collection: 7" single no. 1132 (regular single) / no. 1226 (picture disc) Found: Tower Records mailorder, received December 23, 1989 / Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds / 17 guilders Tracks (regular single): 'December' / 'Drowning' Tracks (picture disc): 'December' / 'Drowning', 'Paradise '89'
Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney collaborated on 'Say say say' in 1981, a track that appeared in 1983 on McCartney's fifth solo album 'Pipes of peace'. The favour was returned with this song, 'The girl is mine'. The song has been the subject of two plagiarism lawsuits. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit found in the favour of the singer and his record label.
Producer Quincy Jones had initially told Jackson to write a song about two men fighting over a girl. Inspired, Jackson awoke during the night and sang the song into a tape recorder. The song was then recorded by Jackson and McCartney at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. Released as the first single from Jackson's bestselling album 'Thriller', it reached number 8 in the UK and number 12 in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 842 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'The girl is mine' / 'Can't get outta the rain'
'Lover of mine' was released in 1990 as the fourth and last single from Alannah Myles' self-titled debut album. While in Canada, the single equalled the number 2 position her biggest hit 'Black velvet' had reached a year earlier, elsewhere in the world, it did not impress the record-buying audiences.
