Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have always been big fans of Abba, and so they decided in 1992 to record the 'Abba-esque' EP. It was originally intended to become a full album, but that plan was finally aborted. The EP features four covers of Abba songs, of which 'Lay all your love on me' and 'Take a chance on me' received the most airplay.
The EP became Erasure's first UK number 1, while it also reached number 2 in Germany and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1670 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 20, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Lay all your love on me', 'SOS' / 'Take a chance on me', 'Voulez-vous'
Rick Astley himself wrote 'Hold me in your arms' as well as the B-side of ths single. Although he made a name for himself with dance songs, this single was a ballad. It was released as the second single from Astley's second album of the same name. Contrary to previous singles, which were all produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, this one was produced by SAW-associates Phil Harding and Ian Curnow.
The single managed to reach number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 754 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 17, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Hold me in your arms' / 'I don't want to be your lover'
The 88 remix of 'Reach out I'll be there' was on this blog earlier, but I almost forgot that I have the original version of the song as well. I bought it somewhere in London, although it didn't come in any original sleeve.
The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966, when it was originally released. It was equally successful in the UK singles chart, but only reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40. It has since become one of those indestructible Motown classics.
My collection: 7" single no. 1066 Found: London, October 18, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Reach out, I'll be there' / 'Standing in the shadows of love'
The disco song 'Love pains' was written by Michael Price, Dan Walsh and Steve Barri and was recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1979. It gave her a hit in the USA, peaking at number 34 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the Netherlands, where it peaked at number 19.
The single featured both a 4'15 edit and an extended version, clocking in at 5'45. The song was covered by Liza Minelli in 1989.
My collection: 7" single no. 1982 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 17, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Love pains' / 'Love pains [extended]'
Michael Penn was born on August 1, 1958. His brother is the actor Sean Penn, who was married to Madonna for some time. 'No myth' was his debut single, released in late 1989. It became his first and only top 40 hit in the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13. The single did not chart in Europe.
After only a few solo albums, Penn moved into movie scores, recording music for movies like 'Boogie nights' (1997) and 'The last kiss' (2006).
My collection: 7" single no. 1453 Found: All that music, Leiden, June 18, 1991 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'No myth' / 'Big house'
Mike & the Mechanics released 'The living years' as the second single from their album of the same name. According to Mike Rutherford, 'The lyrics were written by B.A. Robertson and the song is about something he went through. He lost his Dad and it's about the lack of communication between him and his father before he died. There's also the irony of him having a baby just after losing his father. I had exactly the same thing happen to me at the same time, so it meant a lot to me too.'
The single reached number 1 in Canada and the USA and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, it reached number 20.
My collection: 7" single no. 725 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The living years' / 'Too many friends'
'More than I can say' was written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, who recorded it with their bad The Crickets in 1959 soon after Buddy Holly, whose backing band they were originally, died. The single was released in 1960 and became a hit for them.
Leo Sayer recorded his cover version of the song in 1980. Sayer commented later that while he was looking for an 'oldie' to record for his album 'Living in a fantasy', he saw a TV commercial for a greatest hits collection by Bobby Vee (who recorded a cover version of the song in 1961) and chose the song on the spot: 'We went into a record store that afternoon, bought the record and had the song recorded that night'. It turned out to be a good choice: the single reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart, and also peaked at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1151 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 19, 1990 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'More than I can say' / 'Only fooling'
'Hiroshima' was originally recorded by the band Wishful Thinking. Sandra recorded her cover version as a track on her fourth album 'Paintings in yellow'. It was released as its first single in 1989.
Sandra's version reached number 4 in three different countries: Germany, Israel and Switzerland. Additionally, it peaked at number 16 in the French singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2095 Found: Record fair, April 16, 1994 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Hiroshima' / 'La vista de luna'
The lyrics of 'Lords of the new church' are not primarily religious. Tasmin Archer commented about the song: 'It's about the modern breed of politicians and it was written in the very early Nineties even before things became has bad as they are now.'
The song was released as the third single from Archer's debut album 'Great expectations'. Released in May 1993, it did not perform as well as previous releases from Archer. Although it debuted inside the UK top 40 unlike previous releases, it stalled at number 26 and completely dropped off of the charts three weeks later.
My collection: 7" single no. 2388 Found: Newcastle, July 5, 1995 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Lords of the new church' / 'Hero'
Personally I was never too fond of this Abba track. The most amusing thing about it was the title. The song was written by band members Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and their manager Stig Anderson.
The song's release came shortly after their previous single, 'So long', performed disappointingly in terms of charts and sales. (Although the B-side of 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do' was 'Rock me' in most cases, this Dutch pressing has 'So long' as the B-side.) After the success of 'Waterloo', Abba were having difficulty establishing themselves as an act with longevity. 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do' became a significant improvement on the international charts. It peaked at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland.
My collection: 7" single no. 1862 Found: All that music, Leiden, January 30, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do' / 'So long'
Most people in the Netherlands remember the song 'België' ('Belgium') by het Goede Doel. The song asks that eternal question: 'Where can I go? / I can't go to Germany / They are so stern / Where can I go? / I can't go to China / They act so scary there'. An English version actually exists, it was released as 'Luxembourg' in 1984. However, that one lost a lot of its edge in translation.
'België' was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. The track was also quite lengthy, clocking in at 6'20.
My collection: 7" single no. 3766 Found: Marktplaats.nl, received June 3, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'België' / 'Vechten'
I think 'Is it a crime' is Sade's 'Bohemian rhapsody', in that it features a few different pieces of music, once loud, then more intimate. The dynamic range of this song is quite unbelievable, although the style is unmistakably Sade.
'Is it a crime' was the second single from Sade's 1985 album 'Promise'. It wasn't a big hit, peaking at number 49 in the UK singles chart and number 32 in the Dutch Top 40. The highest placing was in Ireland, where it reached number 21.
My collection: 7" single no. 364 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Is it a crime' / 'Punch drunk'
'Money love' was the first single from Neneh Cherry's second album 'Homebrew'. Both the single and the album disappointed in commercial terms: after the multimillonselling 'Raw like Sushi', everyone involved expected more of the chart performance of both.
The single reached number 23 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Dutch Top 40. I bought the single at discount price after it left the chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1788 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, Nvoember 14, 1992 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: 'Money love' / 'Twisted'
'A hard rain's a gonna fall' was originally written by Bob Dylan in the summer of 1962. He recorded it in December of that year for his second album 'The freewheelin' Bob Dylan'. Some people have suggested that the refrain of the song refers to nuclear fallout, however Dylan disputes that this was a specific reference. Dylan responded to this in 1963: 'No, it's not [about] atomic rain, it's just a hard rain. It isn't the fallout rain. I mean some sort of end that's just gotta happen... In the last verse, when I say, 'the pellets of poison are flooding the waters', that means all the lies that people get told on their radios and in their newspapers.'
Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians recorded a cover version of the song in 1989 for the soundtrack of the Oliver Stone movie 'Born on the fourth of July'. Their version was released as a single, which did not chart in Europe.
My collection: 7" single no. 1194 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 14, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'A hard rain's a gonna fall' / 'The early days, Massapequa, 1957' (John Williams)
Purists will probably hate me for writing this, but I think this is what John Lennon might have sounded like if he'd still lived in the Eighties. I remember being thrown when I first heard this song. Julian Lennon, the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, debuted in 1984 with the album 'Valotte', with 'Too late for goodbyes' being his debut single. The harmonica in this song was played by Jean 'Toots' Thielemans.
The single peaked at number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart, reaching number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1679 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 28, 1992 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Too late for goodbyes' / 'Well I don't know'
The J. Geils Band found commercial success in 1981 when they released the album 'Freeze frame'. The biggest hit from that album was the single 'Centerfold', but the title track, released as the next single, was also a success.
'Freeze frame' reached number 27 in the UK singles chart and number 5 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2757 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996 Cost: 20p Tracks: 'Freeze Frame' / 'Rage in the cage'
The Stranglers released the album 'Aural sculpture' in 1984. It was recorded in Brussels with Laurie Latham and the band producing. The biggest hit from the album was 'Skin deep', released as its first single.
'Skin deep' reached number 11 in Australia and Ireland, number 15 in the UK and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1809 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 9, 1993 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Skin deep' / 'Here & there'
After Ten Sharp had a big hit with 'You', they released a mini-album in the Netherlands entitled 'Under the water-line'. From this mini-album, which featured 7 tracks, they released a second single, 'Ain't my beating heart'. It sounded like 'You' in a number of ways, in the sense that it was keyboard-driven and it featured the same sound overall. It was a minor success in the Netherlands, peaking at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40.
This single surprised me a couple of times. First when I went to London in 1992, a year after the release of the single, and found the UK version of this single. It was actually made in Holland, but the sleeve was very different from the European one: much simpler and without a photograph of the band. (The sleeve is pictured above.)
Then, in 1997, I found the European version of 'Ain't my beating heart' - but with a bonus single containing an acoustic version of 'You'. I am sure I never saw this limited edition in Dutch shops, so I guess it was released in other countries.
My collection: 7" single no. 1742 Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 19, 1992 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Ain't my beating heart' / 'Who needs women'
My collection: 7" single no. 2804 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 4, 1997 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Ain't my beating heart' / 'Who needs women' // 'You (acoustic version)'
Peter Gabriel released his debut solo single in 1977, after leaving the band Genesis, of which he had been the lead singer since its inception. Gabriel actually wrote the song to explain his reasons for leaving the band. The single reached number number 13 in the UK and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.
On the other side of this 'Old gold' re-release single is the 1980 single 'Games without frontiers'. This track features Kate Bush on backing vocals: she sings 'Jeux sans frontières' (It took me some years to find that out...). The lyric of the song is a critique of nationalism and war, which the song portrays as essentially childish. This single was Gabriel's second hit, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1022 Found: London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Solsbury hill' / 'Games without frontiers'
In 1990, Sam Brown released her second album 'April moon'. The album was introduced with the single 'With a little love', a nice pop song that achieved some chart success in the UK (number 23), Germany (number 52) and Australia (number 89).
The single was released in a limited edition box set, featuring a badge and four postcards. When I saw this box set in my favourite record shop at the time, I immediately claimed it. They didn't know the price yet, so I had to come back a week later to have it. It was a long week...
My collection: 7" single no. 1177 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 17, 1990 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'With a little love' / 'Window people'
Vanessa Paradis released the second single from her third album in January 1993. Like its predecessor 'Be my baby', 'Sunday Mondays' was a track with a very retro feel. No wonder, since the entire album was produced by Lenny Kravitz, the king of retro. The single was a minor success, reaching number 41 in France, number 49 in the UK and number 28 in the Netherlands.
As far as I know, there were no further releases by Paradis on the 7" vinyl format.
My collection: 7" single no. 2356 Found: HMV, London, June 28, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Sunday Mondays' / 'I'm waiting for the man'
'Lovely day' was already a wellknown song in the Eighties in its original version, recorded by Bill Withers in 1977. For a long time, Withers held the record for the longest held note in the history of pop, for he sings one note towards the end of the song for 18 seconds. The record was only broken in 2000, when A-ha recorded 'Summer moved on', in which lead singer Morten Harkets holds a note for 20 seconds.
Anyway - when Dutch DJ and remixer Ben Liebrand made his 'Sunshine mix' of 'Lovely day', it became an even bigger hit than the original in the Netherlands. Where the song reached number 24 in 1977, in 1988 it reached number 4. In the UK, this remix reached the same position, although in 1977 the original made number 7 there.
My collection: 7" single no. 669 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, October 22, 1988 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Lovely day (Sunshine mix)' / 'Lovely day'
I can't help it, but I am still suspicious when I listen to any song by Amy Grant. Since she started out as a Christian music performer, I'm always afraid she is secretly trying to brainwash the listener (in this case, me) and getting them to convert to the Christian faith. Take the lyric of 'Every heartbeat' for instance: 'No exception to this rule / I’m simple but I’m no fool / I’ve got a witness happy to say / Every hour, every day'. A witness? What witness? You don't mean God, do you? 'Every heartbeat bears your name / Loud and clear they stake my claim / My red blood runs true blue / And every heartbeat belongs to you'. There she goes again... She's talking about God, isn't she?
Well, maybe I'm paranoid and it's really just a nice little lovesong. That's what I prefer to believe anyway. The single peaked at number 25 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2179 Found: House of Rhythm, London, September 27, 1994 Cost: 20p Tracks: 'Every heartbeat (7" Heart and soul mix)' / 'Every heartbeat (7" Body and soul mix)'
With 'Sentinel', Mike Oldfield introduced his album 'Tubular bells II' to the world. The single was a remixed version of a track on the album, produced by Trevor Horn, Mike Oldfield and Tom Newman. It was the most successful single from the album, peaking at number 10 in the UK singles chart.
A remix cd-single appeared at the same time as this vinyl single, featuring three spacey versions of 'Sentinel' by the Orb. I didn't know this cd-single existed until very recently - so I bought it on eBay. That's how it goes these days - for this 7" single I had to fly to London. (Well, not only for this single, but you know what I mean.)
My collection: 7" single no. 1775 Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 21, 1992 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Sentinel (Single restructure)' / 'Early stages'
I think this song is my favourite Jody Watley track. The sad lyrics are not at all reflected in the bouncy, poppy song and the uplifting melody. It's great fun to sing along to this one, whether you're up or down.
Not many people agreed with me, it seems: the single was the least successful from Jody Watley's debut album. The single stalled at number 60 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and did not chart in Europe. This German edition of the single comes in a poster sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 2154 Found: Leiden, September 3, 1994 Cost: 1,5 guilders Tracks: 'Most of all' / 'Some kind of lover (instrumental)'
The English equivalent for the title 'Thuis ben', a song in Dutch by Hans de Booy, is 'Am home'. Not a very pretty title, but according to the singer at the time, it was the only good choice for the song, as these two words kept recurring in the lyric.
The single gave De Booy his second and last top 10 hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 7 in January 1984. He kept writing and recording material, but subsequent records failed to chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 223 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983 Cost: 3,5 guilders Tracks: 'Thuis ben' / 'St. Mère Église'
'Could it be I'm falling in love' was originally recorded in 1972 by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as 'Detroit Spinners' in the UK).
David Grant & Jaki Graham recorded the song in 1985 and reached number 5 on the UK singles chart. This was such a big success for the two, that they decided to record another duet later that year, entitled 'Mated'.
My collection: 7" single no. 2875 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 28, 1997 Cost: 40p Tracks: 'Could it be I'm falling in love' / 'Turn around'
My photographic memory does not really help when a song is released in two different sleeves. But in this case, I ended up buying two different singles from two different countries with two different B-sides. The European edition (pictured above) features 'All eyes', whereas the UK edition (pictured below) features 'Shell shock'. Both tracks are taken, like the A-side, from Heart's 1985 self-titled album.
'These dreams' was dedicated (on the album) to Nancy Wilson's good friend Sharon Hess, who died of leukemia shortly before the song was made. The lyrics of the song describe the fantasy world a person enters when faced with a difficult situation in real life. The final verse seemingly suggests that, moments before awakening, what one desires the most is exactly that which is out of reach in a dream: 'In a wood full of princes, freedom is a kiss / But the prince hides his face from dreams in the mist'.
The song was written by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin. It was first offered to Stevie Nicks, but she had no interest in recording the track. Heart were more impressed, and decided to record it. When it came time for Nancy Wilson to record her vocal, she was suffering from a cold and her voice sounded somewhat raspy and gravelly. After the song reached its peak of success, producers reportedly wanted Nancy to recreate the gravelly sound on future recordings, asking her, 'Can't you just get sick again?'.
My collection: 7" single no. 2302 Found: May 27, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'These dreams' / 'All eyes'
My collection: 7" single no. 2696 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996 Cost: 1,6 pounds Tracks: 'These dreams' / 'Shell shock'
'For you only' was re-recorded for a single release that only took place in some European countries. It was the fourth single from Alison Moyet's debut album 'Alf', released after the non-album single 'That ole devil called love'.
It's hard to find any more information about this single, all I know is that it didn't chart in the UK and the Netherlands. Perhaps it did in some other countries, but it wasn't the biggest hit in Moyet's career at any rate.
My collection: 7" single no. 3482 Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'For you only (new version)' / 'Twisting the knife'
'Kissing a fool' was written by George Michael about his insecurities as a soulmate and partner because of the baggage and reputation with which he came. The song was released as the sixth and final single from his debut album 'Faith'.
It was also the least successful, reaching number 18 in the UK singles chart and becoming the first single in five not to make number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but number 5. In the Netherlands, the single went to number 13.
My collection: 7" single no. 728 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Kissing a fool' / 'Kissing a fool (instrumental)'
Although I was not impressed with Suzanne Vega's initial material ('Marlene on the wall' bored me to tears) her later work was quite great. Her third album 'Days of open hand' (1990) contained the first single by her I ever bought: 'Tired of sleeping'. With slow, slightly seductive vocals and a beautiful melody, this song landed right in my list of favourites of the year.
My opinion went in against the general opinion at the time: the single did not chart in most territories.
My collection: 7" single no. 1351 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 28, 1990 Cost: 7 guilders Tracks: 'Tired of sleeping' / 'These whole girls (Run in grace)'
The lyric of 'Rent' concerns a financialy one-sided relationship, i.e. that of a kept man. It was the third single from the Pet Shop Boys' album 'Actually'. The B-side 'I want a dog' was inspired by their friend Peter Andreas who said one day 'I want a dog, a chihuahua. I've only got a small flat'. This inspired Neil Tennant, who wrote the lyric for the song.
The single peaked at number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 28 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" snigle no. 1042 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Rent' / 'I want a dog'
'Don't you (forget about me)' was released in April 1985 and made a big impression on me right away. I loved the song, and the fact that my record shop was selling it cheaply for one week only meant that I had it even before it charted. It's a purchase I regretted for a long time, because the song was played so often and became such a big hit that I didn't play the single for years on end.
The song was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff for the soundtrack of the movie 'The breakfast club'. Forsey asked both Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but both declined, although Idol would later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Schiff then suggested the Simple Minds, who initially refused as well, but then were persuaded by their record company to do it. The band reportedly rearranged and recorded 'Don’t you (forget about me)' in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it'.
The single reached number 1 in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands, while in the UK it reached number 7. Despite its success, the band continued to dismiss the song; the most obvious slight being its absence from their subsequent album 'Once upon a time'. It finally appeared on their 1992 compilation album 'Glittering prize 81/92'.
My collection: 7" single no. 282 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, April 1985 Cost: 4,5 guilders Tracks: 'Don't you (forget about me)' / 'A brass band in Africa'
Since the second single from the album 'Ray of light', the title track, was released with a delay of a month in the USA, the record company decided to release 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' as a single in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa to close the gap between the next single release, 'The power of goodbye'. Still, this 7" single is an American pressing.
The single reached number 27 in the Netherlands and number 10 in the UK and Japan. The single was a top 40 hit in most other countries, but didn't make the top 10 in other territories.
My collection: 7" single no. 3017 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 5, 1998 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' / 'Sky fits heaven (Sasha remix edit)'
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. It is also the title of Nik Kershaw's 1985 hit single, taken from his second album 'The riddle'. The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
This limited edition of the single comes in a gatefold sleeve with a 12 page booklet full of photographs of Nik.
My collection: 7" single no. 2780 Found: House of Rhythm, London, November 1, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Wide boy' / 'So quiet'
'Steppin' out' was a hit for Joe Jackson in 1982. The song is about the anticipation and excitement of a night out on the town. It became Jackson's biggest hit in the USA, reaching number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK singles chart, it also reached this position.
When his record company released the compilation album 'Stepping out: the very best of Joe Jackson' (1990), the track was re-released as a single. It didn't seem like a very logical thing to do, since the song had already been a hit. This time around, the single flopped.
My collection: 7" single no. 1329 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Steppin' out' / 'Sentimental man'
With Curt Smith gone, the Tears for Fears name belonged to Roland Orzabal and he decided to continue the band on his own. The first order of business was the compilation album that the record company was going to release. Roland completed a track that originally appeared as a B-side on the single 'Sowing the seeds of love', 'Tears roll down'.
'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' was released in February 1992 and reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40. The compilation album 'Tears roll down (Greatest hits 82-92)' followed quickly and reached number 2 in the UK albums chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1585 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 15, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' / 'The body wah'
'The milkman' was the second single taken from Mice's debut album 'Because I can'. The album reached the Indie top 10 in the UK, and this single was beginning to attract some attention from press and record buyers alike. The single was promoted with a music video that was also released on a promotional VHS video (Yes, those were the pre-dvd days).
The B-side 'Martian man' was a cover of a song originally performed and written by Lynsey de Paul.
My collection: 7" single no. 2646 Found: London, June 25, 1996 Cost: 1,2 pounds Tracks: 'The milkman' / 'Martian man'
When Roy Orbison made his comeback with this single, 'You got it' in December 1988, it was a remarkable return. Although he released a few new tracks throughout the Seventies and Eighties, his last big hit was 'Penny Arcade' (1969), which reached number 1 in Australia. He was involved in the Traveling Wilburys' 1988 single 'Handle with care', but this single from 1989 meant that he was riding a whole new wave of success.
'You got it' was taken from his comeback album 'Mystery girl' (1989). That album was completed shortly before his death of a heart attach on December 6, 1988. Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit, to the applause of a huge crowd, at the Diamond Awards Festival in Antwerp (Belgium), a few days before his death. The single reached number 1 in Canada, number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 726 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'You got it' / 'The only one'
The boring thing about A-ha singles is that they rarely have an interesting B-side.Take this one for instance: the B-side is the 1990 hit 'I call your name'. Well, at least the A-side was interesting. 'Angel' was written as a wedding present for Lauren, the wife of A-ha's principal songwriter Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.
'Angel' was taken from A-ha's last pre-breakup album, 'Memorial beach'. It reached number 41 in the UK singles chart. Soon after the band reunited in 1998, they performed live at Valhall, a concert that was later released on dvd. 'Angel' was played during the concert but it was the only song to be omitted from the dvd. It is unclear why this happened.
My collection: 7" single no. 1997 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Angel' / 'I call your name'
Throughout the Eighties, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were an essential part of Prince's backing band The Revolution. After some internal struggle, the band was dismissed by Prince in October 1986, leaving Wendy & Lisa to find a record deal of their own.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1987. It featured their debut single 'Waterfall', which became a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 66) and a big hit in the Netherlands (peaking at number 13). The B-side, 'The life', was re-released in 1995 as an A-side, entitled 'This is the life', after the song was included in the soundtrack of the movie 'Dangerous minds'.
My collection: 7" single no. 578 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 30, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Waterfall' / 'The life'
'No more lonely nights' was recorded by Paul McCartney for the soundtrack of the movie 'Give my regards to Broad Street', which was produced by McCartney and featured him in the lead role. The movie was a financial disaster, but the soundtrack actually sold quite well. Judging from this song, rightfully so: this is one of McCartney's most accomplished songs in my opinion. It features a beautiful guitar solo by David Gilmour and backing vocals by 10cc's Eric Stewart.
The single reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 37 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1761 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'No more lonely nights (ballad)' / 'No more lonely nights (playout version)'
In 1984, the Thompson Twins scored the biggest hit of their career in the UK: 'You take me up' reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and earned the band a silver disc. The album from which the single was taken, 'Into the gap', was one of the biggest sellers of the year, topping the British album charts and selling over five million copies worldwide.
In the Netherlands, the single did not chart. I think the Dutch were right: this wasn't the best single the Thompson Twins ever released, however entertaining it was. The music video was amusing, but forgettable as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 1629 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'You take me up' / 'Passion planet'
'Voices in my head' is a single taken from Naked Eyes' 1983 album 'Burning bridges'. Like most of their singles, this one wasn't successful: it did not chart in the UK, nor anywhere else.
It was the first single by Naked Eyes that I bought, although I was looking for other releases such as '(What) In the name of love', the music video of which was shown regularly on television.
My collection: 7" single no. 1289 Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Voices in my head' / 'Sweet poison'
Ad van den Berg formed the Dutch band Vandenberg in 1982 with Bert Heerink, Dick Kemper and Jos Zoomer. They recorded a demo that fell into the hands of pop journalist Kees Baars. He offered to manage the band and managed to get them a contract with Atlantic Records in the USA.
Their debut single was the power ballad 'Burning heart', which reached number 39 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the Netherlands, the track only did slightly better, peaking at number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 682 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, November 12, 1988 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Burning heart' / 'Out in the streets'
Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have always been big fans of Abba, and so they decided in 1992 to record the 'Abba-esque' EP. It was originally intended to become a full album, but that plan was finally aborted. The EP features four covers of Abba songs, of which 'Lay all your love on me' and 'Take a chance on me' received the most airplay.
