If you think you're suffering from deja vu, you're almost right. I did write about Martika's 1989 single 'Toy soldiers' once before, right in the first month of this blog's existance. But this single is different: for one, it has a diferent sleeve, and also, it contains an edit of the track, cutting it short by a full 37 seconds.
While the single reached number 17 in the Netherlands, this UK version reached number 5. So I guess the lesson is: if you can edit a song for commerciality's sake, don't hesitate to do so.
My collection: 7" single no. 2703 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Toy soldiers (edit)' / 'Exchange of hearts'
Taken from their 1984 album 'Tempo Doeloe', 'Geboren voor het geluk' was an ill-fated single. Despite the humorous lyric and the strong music, the Dutch audience was no longer interested in the group, it seemed.
'Geboren voor het geluk' ('Born to be lucky') is about a man who is always unlucky (falling off the stairs, a wife who is unfaithful to him) but consolates himself with the statement that things could always be worse. As often with the band, it's hard to tell if this is meant to be taken at face value, or more cynical.
My collection: 7" single no. 2857 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Geboren voor het geluk' / 'Sous-chef'
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel was born on February 19, 1963. As a son of Nigerian parents, he was adopted because his parents were unable to support him financially. He was raised in London and studied architecture. In the Eighties, he joined a funk band, before meeting Adamski, with whom he recorded 'Killer', which became a huge hit in 1990.
Seal subsequently signed to ZTT Records and released his debut album, produced by Trevor Horn, in 1991. The first single from that album was 'Crazy'. It reached number 1 in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1374 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 21, 1991 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Crazy' / 'Sparkle'
Malcolm McLaren achieved notoriety as the 'brains' behind the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow. In the Eighties, he started recording his own tracks. After the New York-influenced 1983 album 'Duck rock', he turned his attention to electronic music, recording the unique single 'Madam Butterfly', which was released in 1984.
The track was based on the opera by Puccini from 1902. With atmospheric synthesizers, drum machines and spoken verses, it was an unlikely chart hit, but it reached number 13 in the UK and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40. The music video had nothing to do with the song, showing women in a sauna while wearing make up and clothing for some reason.
My collection: 7" single no. 426 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Madam Butterfly' / 'First couple out'
'Wheel of fortune' was originally the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of base. It was released on a small Danish independent label in April 1992. It failed to reach the chart on its first release. The first re-release was also unsuccessful.
It was after Ace of base had a worldwide hit with 'All that she wants' that 'Wheel of fortune' was re-released for the second time. On that occasion it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1991 Found: London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Wheel of fortune' / 'Wheel of fortune (clubmix)'
'Close to me' was released in 1985 as a single from the Cure's album 'The head on the door'. On its original release, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 21. It was accompanied by an interesting music video, featuring all members of the band locket up in a wardrobe, which falls off of a cliff into an ocean by the end of the song.
In 1990, the song was remixed and this remix was also released as a single. Amazingly, this version improved on the original chart peak position in the UK, shooting up to number 13, whereas in the Netherlands the remix did not chart. The music video was a sequel to the original one, featuring the members of a band locked in a wardrobe filling with water.
My collection: 7" single no. 2350 Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Close to me' / 'A man inside my mouth'
'Waiting for that day' was a track from George Michael's 1990 album 'Listen without prejudice'. Although Michael wrote the song, the chords and rhythm are very similar to Rolling Stones' 'You can't always get what you want'. George Michael actually sings this title near the end of the song. A co-writer credit was given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The track was released as the second single from the album in the USA, the UK, Ireland and Australia, but it was not released in Europe. The single peaked at number 27, 23, 11 and 50 respectively.
My collection: 7" single no. 1315 Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Waiting for that day' / 'Fantasy'
'One more night' was written by Michael Cretu, Klaus Hirschburger and Frank Peterson. It was a ballad, taken from the album 'Paintings in yellow', released as its third and final single. The 7" single included a unique track on the B-side: an 2'42 edit of the album track 'The journey'. The cd-single and 12" single featured the original full length version of that track, clocking in at 7'27.
Released in September 1990, the single reached number 31 in the German charts, but did not chart in other countries. My copy of the single was made in France.
My collection: 7" single no. 2211 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 13 ,1999 Cost: 15 guilders Tracks: 'One more night' / 'The journey (edit)'
Errol Brown and Tony Wilson wrote 'Emma', a song that became a number 3 hit in both the UK and the Netherlnads in 1974. It was an unusually dark song for the band, who were known for their lightweight pop songs.
The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmaline from the age of 5 all through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma wanted to be a 'movie queen' but never got a break, eventually killing herself, explaining in a suicide note: 'I just can't keep on living on dreams no more'.
My collection: 7" single no. 465 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Emma' / 'Makin' music'
'You little thief' was the fourth single taken from Feargal Sharkey's successful debut album 'Feargal Sharkey' (1985). It followed up the UK and Netherlands number 1 hit 'A good heart'.
This single became almost equally successful, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart. It also reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 407 Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'You little thief' / 'The living actor'
The title of this 1985 hit single is taken from the 1972 non-fiction book, 'The boys of summer' by Roger Kahn. Kahn's 'boys of summer' are the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that Kahn covered as a sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune. The book is about how the lives of the former ballplayers had changed between the time he covered the team and the time he tracked each of them down twenty years later.
The lyric of Henley's song, which is driven by synthesizers and a LinnDrum, appears to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the obvious theme of 'summer love' apparent in the choruses. In an interview, Henley explained that the song is more about aging and questioning the past, which is a recurring theme in Henley's lyrics.
My collection: 7" single no. 665 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 15, 1988 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'The boys of summer' / 'A month of Sundays'
Toto's debut single was the 1978 track 'Hold the line', taken from their self-titled debut album. The song peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40.
My copy of the single is a bit tattered and torn, and comes in a standard Columbia sleeve. Although I have seen copies with a picture sleeve later on, I never felt the desire to replace the original copy I bought - even though the song is one of my favourite rock tracks ever.
My collection: 7" single no. 298 Found: Den Haag, 1985 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Hold the line' / 'Takin' it back'
Del Amitri formed in Glasgow in 1980. The band consisted of Currie, Iain Harvie, Bryan Tolland and Paul Tyagi. The 1989 album 'Waking hours' proved to be their international breakthrough, containing their biggest hit, 'Nothing ever happens', which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart in January 1990.
The song deals with the banality of everyday life, with the refrain 'and we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow'. The song includes a startling penultimate line, 'they'll burn down the synagogues at six o'clock and we'll all go along like before', an apparent reference to the lack of popular opposition to Kristallnacht.
My collection: 7" single no. 1175 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 17, 1990 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Nothing ever happens' / 'No holding on'
'De vuile zeeballade' ('The ballad of the dirty sea') is a parody of the Dutch song 'De zuiderzeeballade' ('The ballad of the Zuiderzee'). The original song was an ode to the Zuiderzee, a lake in the Netherlands. The parody was all about environmental waste and people dumping oil and nuclear waste into the sea.
The real treat on this single, which didn't reach the Dutch charts, is the B-side. 'Broodje pindakaas' ('Peanut butter sandwich') is a parody of the Beatles' 'All you need is love'. The song starts with the immortal line 'I got fired last week / and that's a bit inconvenient', only to continue later on with 'the mice gnaw on my toes when I sleep / I'm so hungry'. The single was taken from Rubberen Robbie's self-titled debut album, which also didn't reach the Dutch albums chart. Still, it is a cult classic.
My collection: 7" single no. 106 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'De vuile zeeballade' / 'Broodje pindakaas'
'Look out, there's a bonsai tree on your head!', that's what I always think when I see this sleeve. Why some artists choose to look so strange from time to time is beyond me. Besides all that, 'Together again' is actually quite a serious song. It was a tribute from Janet to friends who had recently passed from AIDS, as stated on album booklet of her 1997 album 'The velvet rope'. Originally written as a ballad, the track was re-arranged as a dance song.
Released as the second single from the album, 'Together again' reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart. This 7" single was made in the USA, and is as far as I know the only 7" release worldwide.
My collection: 7" single no. 2984 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, 1998 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Together again' / 'Got 'til it's gone (Ummah Jay Dee's Revenge mix)'
Clannad consists of siblings Máire and Ciarán Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They started making music together in 1970, initially having only some success in Ireland, where the band was based. In 1981, the other sibling Enya left the band to pursue a successful, if somewhat monotonous solo career.
A year later, Clannad recorded the song that would launch their international career: 'Theme from Harry's Game', and the accompanying album 'Magical ring'. The album was on the UK album charts for over six months, earning the group their first gold record award. The single 'I see red' was released as the follow-up to 'Harry's Game', but this single, although it was an appealing song as well, did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2661 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, June 30, 1996 Cost: 1,5 pounds Tracks: 'I see red' / 'Tá 'mé mo shui'
The innovative music video for the Cars' 'You might think' is what prompted me to remember this song for years until I finally bought it in 1989, five years after its release. It was a single from their fifth studio album 'Heartbeat City', produced by Mutt Lange and the Cars. The music video was one of the first videos to use computerized effects. The video features band leader Ric Ocasek and model Susan Gallagher in a series of encounters. Ocasek appears in her bathroom mirror, in her mouth, as a fly, and as the Robot Monster, among other incarnations.
The single reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 in Canada. In the UK, however, the single only reached number 88.
My collection: 7" single no. 741 Found: All that music, Leiden, February 9, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'You might think' / 'Heartbeat City'
'Wuthering heights' was Kate Bush's debut single, released in January 1978. She'd written the song in 1976, aged just 18. The song came to her after watching the last ten minutes of the 1970 film version based on the book by Emily Brontë on television. Lyrically, 'Wuthering heights' uses several quotations from Catherine Earnshaw, most notably in the chorus - 'Let me in! I'm so cold!' - as well as in the verses, with Catherine's confession to her servant of 'bad dreams in the night.; It is sung from Catherine's point of view, as she pleads at Heathcliff's window to be allowed in. This romantic scene takes a sinister turn if one considers the events of the book, as Catherine may well be a ghost, calling Heathcliff to join her in death.
The guitar solo at the end of the song is played by Ian Bairnson, best known for his work with Alan Parsons. It is often mistakenly said that David Gilmour played the solo. It is placed rather unobtrusively in the mix, something engineer Jon Kelly now regrets.
When presented with the material for Kate Bush's debut album 'The kick inside', record company EMI originally wanted to release 'James and the cold gun' as its first single. Kate was determined that 'Wuthering heights' would be the better choice, and she didn't relent until the record company finally gave in. Originally, the single would have been released in November 1977, but when Kate Bush didn't approve of the single's artwork, the single was withdrawn and the release was put back until January 1978.
The single became a huge success, peaking at number 1 in the charts in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Italy, France, Ireland and New Zealand. It reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. It was a phenomenal start of a career that fortunately continues to this day - although the gaps between albums have been increasingly hard to bear.
As an avid fan of Kate Bush, I ended up owning several copies of 'Wuthering heights'.The first copy I bought was a sleeveless one for 2 guilders, which is not the most beautiful item of my collection, so it is not shown here. A few years later, I bought a Belgian copy in Brussels. Then a few years after that I found a flawless copy from the UK in a standard EMI sleeve. Since it was made in 1977, it must have been one of the earliest copies of this single. Then I found a Dutch copy, with a sleeve printed in only a few colours. And finally, in 1992, I found a Spanish copy with a totally different sleeve. The classic Gered Mankowitz photograph was a good reason to buy that copy.
My collection: 7" single no. 210 (2) / no 210 (3) / no. 210 (4) / no. 1710 Found: Brussels, 1990 / Record fair, 1994 / Record fair, 1994 / Bea Records, September 19, 1992 Cost: 30 Francs / 5 guilders / 5 guilders / 12,5 guilders Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'Kite'
'Run like hell' was the second single taken from Pink Floyd's classic album 'The wall'. The song is from the point of view of anti-hero Pink during a hallucination, in which he becomes a fascist dictator and turns a concert audience into an angry mob. He sends the mob out to raid nearby neighborhoods that are full of minorities. The song was originally much longer, however it had to be cut because of the time limitations on the original vinyl record format. Although the lyrics 'Run like hell' appear several times in the liner notes, they are never actually heard in the song.
The single was a commercial disappointment after the huge success of its predecessor 'Another brick in the wall'. Still, copies of the single are wanted by collectors and change hands for anything upwards of 10 euro. I'm lucky to find a cheaper, if somewhat damaged, copy.
My collection: 7" single no. 4042 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'Run like hell' / 'Don't leave me now'
'Get it on' was written by Marc Bolan and recorded by his band T-Rex in 1971. The Power Station recorded a cover version of the track in 1985. It was released as the second single from their debut album.
The track was a hit in the UK, where it reached number 22, and America, where it peaked at number 9. When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for the song, he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer.
My collection: 7" single no. 4041 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Get it on' / 'Go to zero'
'Total loss' is a track from Kayak's 1980 album 'Periscope life'. Moving away from their rock roots after the ballad 'Ruthless queen' (1979), this single was a bit of a return to form: a straightforward rock track.
Unfortunately, the Dutch audience weren't impressed, as the single did not reach the chart. Their next single, 'Seagull', would become their last hit single.
My collection: 7" single no. 4040 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Total loss' / 'What's done is done'
A few years ago, I saw a documentary on Kayak's 1975 album 'Royal bed bouncer'. I was very impressed with the music I heard. Nowadays, almost all music made in the Netherlands is substandard and pathetic, but this was rock music worthy of worldwide recognition.
I bought the cd not long after that, and I thought I would find singles from the album soon enough. I didn't actively search for them - and now I've finally found 'Chance for a lifetime'. It's one of the standout tracks from 'Royal bed bouncer', but it only reached number 31 in the Dutch Top 40.
By the way: the copy I bought was covered in dust and grease. I decided to wash it along with the dishes, and voila: the single is as good as new.
My collection: 7" single no. 4039 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Chance for a lifetime' / 'My heart never changed'
In 1980, Johnny Logan represented Ireland during the Eurovision Song Contest, singing the song 'What's another year'. When the song, written by Shay Healy, won the Contest, Logan's career took off.
'What's another year' became an international hit. In Germany, Logan released a special version of the song, with German lyrics written by Michael Kunze. 'Was ist schon ein Jahr' sounds very familiar, and yet very strange to non-Germans. Personally, I prefer this version for its interesting lyric. To hear an Irish man sing 'Eines Tages wirst du wissen / dass diesen Abschied nur ein Irrtum war' is priceless.
My collection: 7" single no. 4038 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Was ist schon ein Jahr' / 'One night stand'
'Feuer und Flamme' was the title of Nena's fourth album, released in 1984. It was the first album of the band to be reproduced in English in its entirity. The English version 'It's all in the game' was released in 1985.
The title track was released as a single, with the English version of the track, 'Woman on fire', on the B-side.
My collection: 7" single no. 4037 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Feuer und Flamme' / 'Woman on fire'
Steve Jolley and Tony Swain produced the music of bands like Imagination, Bananarama and many others. In 1985 they decided to release a single of their own, the instrumental track 'Soul street'. It sounds a lot like the music of the aforementioned bands. The single was taken from the album 'Backtrackin', also released in 1985.
They continued to produce artists like Diana Ross, Tom Robinson and Wang Chung, until they split up in 1987. Swain went on to produce Kim Wilde's 1988 album 'Close' and became head A&R consultant for Universal Records. Jolley set up his own record label and in 2001 ended up in jail for sexually assaulting a 12 year old boy. I guess you could say 'each to their own'...
My collection: 7" single no. 4036 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Soul street' / 'Autumn leaves'
'Where did your heart go' was originally released as part of the double single 'The edge of heaven', released to signal the end of the duo Wham! in June 1986. Always in need of 'milking it', the record company decided to release the track separately as a single in October 1986. The setup didn't work as most people already had the track - only the most avid fans still bought the single despite the absence of anything new on it. The single peaked at number 50 in the USA and number 54 in Australia.
The song was not written by George Michael, like most of Wham!'s material, but instead was a cover of the 1981 track by Was Not Was. It was written by David and Don Was.
My collection: 7" single no. 4034 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Where did your heart go?' / 'Wham! Rap '86'
One of the Eighties' ultimate pop tracks was Wham!'s 'Wake me up before you go-go'. George Michael was inspired to write the song when his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley left a scribbled note to his parents reading 'Wake me up before you go', but accidentally wrote the word 'up' twice - so he decided to repeat the word 'go' as well.
Released in May 1984, Wham! presented themselves as a sunnier, less pretentious band, moving away from their politically charged songs from their previous album. The song reached number 1 in both the UK, the USA and the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 4035 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Wake me up before you go-go' / 'Wake me up before you go-go (instrumental)'
The early career of Ten Shap was a bit odd. They released four singles to little or no success. The one that was the least interesting in my opinion was 'Japanese lovesong'. And yet, this was the only single of the four to reach the Dutch Top 40, in the summer of 1985. It had a chart run of four weeks and reached number 30.
'Japanese lovesong' was the second single released by Ten Sharp, and after the third and fourth singles 'Last words' and 'Way of the west' did not chart, the band disbanded for four years, only to resurrect with the international smash hit 'You'.
My collection: 7" single no. 4033 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Japanese lovesong' / 'Goin' on'
'Pleasure' was released as the fifth and last single from Spandau Ballet's 1983 album 'True'. After the massive hits 'True' and 'Gold', this single was a commercial disappointment, failing to reach the chart almost everywhere.
The single did chart in Germany, where it reached number 61. It was the lowest chart placing for any Spandau Ballet single in that country.
My collection: 7" single no. 4032 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Pleasure' / 'Pleasure (live)'
'Anyone who had a heart' was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally performed by Dionne Warwick in 1963. Outside of America, the song is better known in a version by Cilla Black, released in 1964 and a number 1 hit for her in the UK. Black later commented: 'Dionne was dead choked, and she's never forgiven me, to this day'.
Sandie Shaw was one of the few British girl singers who did not cover the song in the Sixties. In 1982, she was introduced to the British Electric Foundation by future husband Nik Powell. The B.E.F. (Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who would go on to form Heaven 17 with Glenn Gregory) asked Shaw to record a song for their album 'Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1', on which they intended people to cover old songs and give them an updated electronic sound. Shaw was particularly proud of her emotional vocals on the song, which was subsequently released as a single. This proved to be the beginning of her 1980s comeback.
My collection: 7" single no. 4031 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Anyone who had a heart' / 'Anyone who had a heart (instrumental)'
As I was a fan of the Sparks back in 1974, I must have heard this song a few times back then. As I was only four years old at the time, I cannot remember that at all. So the first time I can actually recall hearing this song was in 1989, on Martin Gore's 'Counterfeit EP', an EP of six cover versions as performed by the Depeche Mode band member.
Since I really love that version, I got curious about the original. And so I bought this single the first time I saw it - which was yesterday. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 4030 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Never turn your back on mother earth' / 'Alabamy right'
According to Prince, he wrote the song 'Cream' while he was standing in front of a mirror. It was included on Prince & the New Power Generation's 1991 album 'Diamonds and pearls'.
Released as the second single from the album, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 15 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4029 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Cream' / 'Horny pony'
One More Time formed in the early Nineties. The band consisted of Peter Grönvall (son of Abba's Benny Andersson) and his wife Nanne, with Maria Rådsten and Therese Löf. In 1992 they began their international career with the release of the single and album 'Highland'. The single became an international success, hitting number 1 in ten countries, peaking at number 18 in the Dutch Top 40.
'Highland' was released on 7" vinyl at a time when most record companies were abandoning the format. As such, you could almost consider it a collectors item.
My collection: 7" single no. 4028 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Highland' / 'Vitality'
'Raspberry beret' was released as the second single from Prince & the Revolution's 1985 album 'Around the world in a day'. Back then, Prince was a Big Thing, and after the phenomenal success of 'Purple rain', this new album was highly anticipated. Although the song was originally recorded in 1982, Prince drastically reworked it with The Revolution to give it more of an international sound.
The lyric of the song tells of a teenage romance and first sexual experience with a girl who wears the titular hat. The single peaked at number 25 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4027 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Raspberry beret' / 'She's always in my hair'
Since Rupert Hine has never had a hit, it isn't easy to be aware of the singles he's released. Every time I see one, I am pleasantly surprised. 'The set up' is the second single from his 1982 album 'Waving not drowning'. It includes a non-album track on the B-side, 'Kwok's quease', a quirky song in the best of Hine's traditions.
For some reason, the record buying audience has never given Hine a hit, although his production work has been appreciated by millions, as evidenced by the millionselling albums by Howard Jones, Noa and the Fixx, to name but a few.
My collection: 7" single no. 4026 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'The set up' / 'Kwok's quease'
The Dutch girl group Frizzle Sizzle had their last hit with this single, 'Second chance'. It was only a minor hit, reaching number 38 in the Dutch Top 40. Subsequent singles 'Treat me good' and 'Around and around' did not reach the chart at all.
My collection: 7" single no. 4025 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Second chance' / 'Top of my list'
'I'll tumble 4 ya' appeared on Culture Club's debut album 'Kissing to be clever'. It was released as a single in North America only, peaking at number 9 in both the USA and Canada.
The B-side, 'Mystery boy', was originally Culture Club's third single, released before they had their international breakthrough with 'Do you really want to hurt me'.
My collection: 7" single no. 4024 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I'll tumble 4 ya' / 'Mystery boy'
I first noticed the track '(We want) The same thing' when I saw Belinda Carlisle perform the song live in Bournemouth with Kim's brother Rick Wilde on guitar in 2004. The song rocked! I don't think I heard the song before.
The song was written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley and appeared on Belinda Carlisle's third album 'Runaway horses' (1989). It was released as its fifth single in October 1990. It peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4023 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: '(We want) The same thing' / 'Shades of Michaelangelo'
The word 'ill-advised' comes to mind whenever I hear this song. Several ill-advised things happened with this single. First of all, Boney M sang a song about nuclear weapons, which is a very serious subject and not necessarily compatible with their variety of carefree dance music. Then there's the last two minutes of this song, performed with a children's choir. Much too saccharine. And then there was the unfortunate dismissal of Bobby Farrell, rendering the band unable to promote the single.
The single was taken from Boney M's 1981 album 'Boonoonoonoos' and reached number 25 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 39 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4022 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'We kill the world' / 'Boonoonoonoos'
'Long train running' was written by Tom Johnston and originally recorded by the Doobie Brothers in 1973 for their album 'The captain and me'. Released as a single, it was a top 10 hit in America and the UK.
Bananarama's version appeared on their fifth studio album 'Pop life' and was released as the album's third single in the UK. The album was produced by Youth and the girls of Bananarama discovered the song while they were browsing through his record collection. They completed their album with this one cover version. The Gypsy Kings provided flamenco guitar on this recording, and UK single Zoë provided backing vocals. The single peaked at number 30 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4021 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Long train running' / 'Outta sight'
One chorus and one verse, that's about it. Plus some amazing music, it has to be said. 'Ebony and Ivory' is a somewhat meagre Paul McCartney composition, but adding Stevie Wonder into the track was a stroke of genius. You would almost forget that the lyric is full of platitudes and the ultimate piece of cornyness. The song was performed live in the studio by both McCartney and Wonder, although due to conflicting work schedules, both recorded their parts for the song's music video separately.
The track was featured on McCartney's 1982 album 'Tug of war', and when released as a single it shot to number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart, and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4020 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Ebony and ivory' / 'Rainclouds'
I bought the 12" single of 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' just two months ago. Now I've also found the 7" single I can say that I've got both versions of this David Bowie track. The single version is almost two minutes shorter than the version that appears on the original soundtrack of the movie 'Cat people' and the aforementioned 12" single.
The single reached number 26 in the UK singles chart and number 67 in the USA, but did not chart in the Netherlands, where this single was made.
My collection: 7" single no. 4019 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Cat people (Putting out fire)' (David Bowie) / 'Paul's theme' (Giorgio Moroder)
After Adam & the Ants split, Adam Ant went solo, taking his song writing partner Pirroni with him. His biggest chart success was hit first solo album 'Friend or foe', which included the hits 'Goody two shoes', 'Friend or foe' and this single, 'Desperate but not serious'. Although it was not a hit in Europe, this single reached number 33 in the UK singles chart.
This Dutch pressing of the single is housed in a gatefold sleeve. Gatefold sleeves were very rare in the Netherlands, more so than in the UK around this time.
My collection: 7" single no. 4018 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Desperate but not serious' / 'Why do girls love horses?'
'Come to me (I am woman)' was the last single taken from Frida's 1984 album 'Shine'. The track was slightly edited for the single, becoming 30 seconds shorter than the album version. Like more tracks on the album, it was recorded with an all star band, featuring Simon Climie on keyboards, Mark Brzezecki (from Big Country) on drums and Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. The B-side 'Slowly' was written by Frida's Abba colleagues Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
All this didn't help the single release much: it did not chart in any territory.
My collection: 7" single no. 4017 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Come to me (I am woman)' / 'Slowly'
Renowned for their live shows, The Specials released a 5-track live EP in January 1980 as their third single. The EP features 'Too much too young' and 'Guns of Navarone' recorded live in London and 'Skinhead symphony', which was recorded at Tiffany's in Coventry.
The lead track 'Too much too young' is based on the 1969 song 'Birth control' by Lloyd Charmers. The song became an instant smash hit, topping the UK singles chart for two weeks in January 1980. In the Netherlands, it reached number 13.
My collection: 7" single no. 4016 Found: Vinylfabriek, Haaksbergen, September 14, 2009 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Too much too young (live)', 'Guns of Navarone (live)' / 'Skinhead symphony (medley of 'Longshot kick de Bucket', 'Liquidator', 'Skinhead moonstomp') (live)'
If you think you're suffering from deja vu, you're almost right. I did write about Martika's 1989 single 'Toy soldiers' once before, right in the first month of this blog's existance. But this single is different: for one, it has a diferent sleeve, and also, it contains an edit of the track, cutting it short by a full 37 seconds.
