I've seen the Belle Stars, or at least, three of them, during those Here & Now tours at the beginning of this century in the UK, and one of the staples in their set was their version of 'Iko iko'. I never found the single of that track, but here it is... a reissue of the song because, apparently, it was used in the movie 'Rain man'.
Originally, the track was released six years earlier, in 1982. It reached number 35 in the UK singles chart. This re-release gave them a number 14 peak position in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and a number 7 peak position in Australia. The single also re-charted in the UK... peaking at number 98.
My collection: 7" single no. 5072 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Iko iko' (Belle Stars) / 'Leaving Wallbrook / On the road' (Hans Zimmer)
Puck recently informed me that all Carpenters tracks are in fact very depressing. Given this knowledge, it's hard to reconcile that with an upbeat track like 'Sweet, sweet smile', in which the protagonist says that she wants to always see someone's sweet smile.
The track was composed by Otha Young and Juice Newton. The track features drummer Ronnie Tutt who regularly backed Elvis Presley. Released as the third single from the album 'Passage', the single reached number 44 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 40 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5071 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Sweet sweet smile' / 'I have you'
Donna Summer's 1987 album 'All systems go' spawned the hit single 'Dinner with Gershwin', but the other singles from the album were less successful. 'Only the fool survives', a duet with Mickey Thomas, only reached number 40 in Canada, and this single, the title track from the album, only charted in the UK, peaking at number 54.
'All systems go' - the song - is a repetitive affair, particularly at the end where it seems the lyricist simply ran out of ideas. Donna Summer repeats the title of the track ad nauseum.
My collection: 7" single no. 5070 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'All systems go' / 'Bad reputation'
Buying records can be a bit like hunting in the wild. (Not that I ever did the latter, but anyway.) You see a prey, it escapes, you wait for it... and wait for it... and when you see it again, you snap it up. It's a bit like this with this single. My sister bought this limited edition with a poster bag way back in 1987 during a holiday in London. I didn't buy it at the time for lack of money, and then of course this edition never showed up again...
...until now. The good thing is, because of a little damage on the front it wasn't sold for a fortune, and so I could actually get it for very little money. The benefits of waiting 24 years, I guess.
My collection: 7" single no. 5067 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'If I was your girlfriend' / 'Shockadelica'
Commenting on the track in interview, Stevie Nicks says that 'Sara' is about her best friend Sara Recor Fleetwood, the wife of Mick Fleetwood. Nicks had an affair with Mick Fleetwood in early 1978 while he was married to Jenny Boyd. Then her best friend, model Sara Recor, fell for Fleetwood and began an affair with him whilst Nicks and Fleetwood were still together. The pair ultimately moved in together, and were subsequently married. Nicks felt very betrayed, but Recor and Fleetwood were undeniably in love. Sara claims that Nicks was never upset with her, only with Fleetwood.
The song originally had many more verses and ran for 16 minutes in demo form, according to Nicks, and referenced all Fleetwood Mac band members. The song was a commentary on all the tangled relationships and love affairs that were occurring in 1977-1978, but the final recorded version omitted most of this and focused on the triangle between Nicks, Fleetwood and Recor. The song remains one of the standout track of the band's 1979 album 'Tusk' and although I didn't have this single until now, I've always wanted to have it!
My collection: 7" single no. 5066 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Sara' / 'That's enough for me'
Released as a single from their 1987 album 'E.S.P.', 'Angela' was not the Bee Gees' most inspired song, nor was it very successful: released exclusively on mainland Europe, it only reached number 52 in the German singles chart.
However, if this song didn't turn you on - which I have to admit, it did me - the single was worth getting for the B-side: an extended version of the album's standout track 'You win again'. This remix was previously released on the 12" single of 'You win again' (which was released as the first single from 'E.S.P.') but obviously a 7" single was a lot cheaper... and it certainly was now.
My collection: 7" single no. 5065 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Angela' / 'You win again (extended version)'
There is no information on this single about the year of release, but several internet sources put this single in the year 1977. It makes sense: at the height of the disco era, pretty young girls were coupled to cheesy disco anthems or disco covers of wellknown songs. In this case, it's the latter: a version of a song originally recorded by Abba.
'Nina pretty ballerina' was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and recorded by the Swedish pop group in 1973. Released as a single in France and Austria only, it reached number 8 in Austria. This cover version was less successful: as far as I could find out, it didn't chart. However, the girls did make an appearance in the German music show Musikladen...
My collection: 7" single no. 5064 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Nina, pretty ballerina' / 'Sweet night of love'
'Love to hate you' was released as the second single from Erasure's 1991 album 'Chorus'. It is one of Erasure's most successful singles on the UK singles chart, peaking at number 4. It also reached number 19 in the German singles cra tand number 4 in Sweden.
It is one of those singles that has been missing from my collection for inexplicable reasons. At the time, I bought the cd-single, and in subsequent years I never realised I never bought the 7" vinyl version. It's always nice to make good on such an omission.
My collection: 7" single no. 5063 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love to hate you' / 'Vitamin C'
The Flying Pickets came up with the then novel concept of transferring the art of a cappella to the pop music scene. The members of the group were internationally renowned for their flamboyant appearance: Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripe's thick eye-liner, and four others showing off gaudy suits and large hats.
'Only you', their debut single, was a cover of the track by Yazoo and became the UK Christmas number one in 1983, spending a total of five weeks at the top, and also doing well around Europe and in Canada.
My collection: 7" single no. 5062 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Only you' / 'Disco down'
Collecting Boney M singles has become a very amusing pastime for me. The original singles from the Seventies are all in my collection, but in the second half of the Eighties an endless stream of remixes was apparently released on single. I have already found a couple of these (and you can see them on this blog here), but yet another one turned up.
This one is the 'Lambada remix' of 'Malaika'. It was not a very commercial song to begin with, and this remix doesn't help matters much. There isn't a lot of Lambada in this remix and the added beats don't get one on their dancing feet. Well, at least the B-side is more interesting: a Nineties remix of that song that started it all, 'Baby do you wanna bump'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5061 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Malaika (Lambada remix)' / 'Baby do you wanna bump (Remix for the 90's)'
The duo David van Day and Thereza Bazar had a rather stormy career in the first half of the Eighties, then broke up after relations between the two became increasingly strained. In 1986 they reformed and had a big hit with a cover of the Erasure track 'Oh l'amour'.
The group then hit a stumbling block in deciding on a follow-up and past ill-feeling between the pair was rising again. Six months later they finally released another single, 'It's nature's way', but it was to be their last release as the single flopped and work on a possible album had been long delayed. In late 1988, Dollar disbanded again.
My collection: 7" single no. 5060 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'It's nature's way (No problem)' / 'Dia y noche'
I'm not ashamed to admit that photography is one of the reasons I like Belinda Carlisle's singles so much. She's always managed to find the right photographer to put her on the cover of her singles - and this one is a good example of that.
That's not to say that 'World without you' is a bad song: it's very pleasant pop, written by one of America's most famous writers, Diane Warren. Okay, it's a bit formulaic, but most of Carlisle's songs have that quality to them: formulaic pop, delivered with that strange voice that is a mix between a sheep and a nasal whistle-tone. The single reached number 34 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5059 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'World without you' / 'Nobody owns me'
Limahl is forever associated to his band Kajagoogoo and his dodgy haircut. But people tend to forget that he's also had a solo career with considerable success, mostly in central Europe. And he's made some very nice pop tunes too.
'Inside to outside' was released in 1986 as the follow-up to 'Love in your eyes', a track from his second solo album 'Colour all my days'. The single reached number 57 in the German singles chart - and actually his last chart hit in that country until now.
My collection: 7" single no. 5058 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Inside to outside' / 'Shock'
Every now and then I play an old cd that's been orphaned in my collection. A few weeks ago I took out the greatest hits collection of the Fine Young Cannibals, and the standout track on that, I felt, was their version of 'Suspicious minds'. I never liked this track much in the past, but things change. The hysterical backing vocals by Jimmy Somerville add a certain something to this track. I decided I had to buy the single after all these years.
'Suspicious minds' was a hit in the UK, peaking at number 8. The track was also used in the cult films 'Dangerously close' and 'Down twisted'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5057 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Suspicious minds' / 'Prick up your ears'
'Heavenly Action' was released in November 1985 as Erasure's second single. Released after 'Who needs love like that', it was another commercial failure for the duo. In the UK it is still their lowest charting single, peaking as it did at number 100.
The song was later included on the duo's debut album Wonderland, released in June 1986. This German pressing is a limited edition on red vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 5056 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Heavenly action' / 'Don't say no'
When Siobhan Fahey left Bananarama some might have thought she would disappear into nothingness, but nothing was further from the truth: within months she set up Shakespear's sister together with Marcella Detroit and the duo released a couple of very successful and artistically interestig albums.
Their debut single, released in 1988, was 'Break my heart', a track that would also appear on their debut album in 1989. Siobhan Fahey wanted 'Heroine' to be the group's debut single, but her label was not convinced it was a strong enough single, and instead opted for 'Break my heart'. It didn't matter much: the single flopped anyway. Thankfully, later singles would be more successful.
My collection: 7" single no. 5055 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Break my heart' / 'Heroine'
In August 1981, Bowie had begun rehearsals to appear in the BBC version of Bertolt Brecht's play 'Baal'. The lyrics to the songs were all translated by Ralph Manheim and John Willett. Dominic Muldowney provided all new musical settings, except for 'The drowned girl', which was a setting by Kurt Weill done originally for Das Berliner Requiem. In September 1981, Bowie and Tony Visconti returned to the Hansa studios in Berlin to re-record the five songs Baal performed in the play.
'Baal’s Hymn' is a combination of the vignettes spread throughout the play, and establishes Baal’s amoral character. 'Remembering Marie A' concerns Baal’s reminiscences of a past conquest, where he can remember a cloud drifting overhead, but not the face of the girl he was with. 'Ballad of the Adventurers' is Baal’s aggressive lament to the death of his mother. 'The Drowned Girl' relates the suicide of one of Baal’s conquests. 'The Dirty Song' is a short number, with Baal humiliating his lover Sophie.
Bowie's performance as Baal was broadcast on February 2, 1982, and RCA issued the EP to coincide with this. Both the play and EP were well received, with the latter reaching number 29 in the UK chart, which was a high placing considering the unconventional tracks. The 7" single comes packaged in a double gatefold sleeve containing extensive notes pertaining to the musical content and a short biography of Bertolt Brecht. This EP was Bowie’s final new release for RCA Records. Bowie's next release was issued by EMI. The EP was re-released as a digital download in 2007.
My collection: 7" single no. 5054 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Baal's hymn', 'Remembering Marie A.' / 'Ballad of the adventurers', 'The drowned girl', 'The dirty song'
Giorgio Moroder made a restoration and new edit of 'Metropolis', the 1927 movie by Fritz Lang. Moroder’s version of the film introduced a new contemporary pop music soundtrack for the film. Although it restored a number of previously missing scenes and plot details from the original release (in particular, Moroder's version restores the character of Hel, who was omitted from the original release version of the film), his version of the film runs to only 80 minutes in length, compared to the original 153 minute version.
The lead single for the soundtrack was Freddie Mercury's 'Love kills', a Moroder-produced track that sounded very similar to Queen tracks that were released around the same time. The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in Ireland. It also reached the charts around Europe, but peaking at lower positions.
My collection: 7" single no. 5053 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love kills' / 'Rotwang's party (Robot dance)' (Giorgio Moroder)
In 1992, Erasure released the Abba-esque EP, featuring four covers of Abba songs. All formats were released with four tracks on them, so one would think no other formats would exist.
But here it is: a Spanish promotional one-track single, featuring the track 'Take a chance on me'. Probably worth something to a Erasure fan, but I just happened to stumble across this copy while browsing the racks.
My collection: 7" single no. 5052 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Take a chance on me'
Freda Charcilia Payne was born on September 19, 1945. She's an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, 'Band of Gold'. The song, written by the famous writing team Holland-Dozier-Holland, tells a story of a recently married woman whose husband is incapable of loving her (even though he tried), resulting in the couple sleeping in separate rooms on their honeymoon, to her dismay. It would appear that the marriage ended in the husband's abandoning his bride, leaving her with no more than the titular 'band of gold'.
The single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and remains a wellknown classic to this day.
My collection: 7" single no. 5051 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Band of gold' / 'The easiest way to fall'
'We'll live it all again' (Italian title: 'Noi lo rivivremo di nuovo') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed in Italian and English by Al Bano & Romina Power. So far, this the country's only ever entry not to be sung entirely in Italian (although this year's entry will also be in English, I understand).
Bano and Power also recorded the song in French, entitled 'T'aimer encore une fois'. This single contains the original English/Italian version and the French version. At the close of voting, the duo's song had received 69 points, placing 7th in a field of 18 contenders.
My collection: 7" single no. 5050 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'T'aimer encore une fois' / 'We'll live it all again'
In 1974, France did not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Still, here it is: a single of the 1974 entry by Dani. How come?
France had been going to enter the contest with the song 'La vie à vingt-cinq ans' by Dani, but they withdrew after the French President, Georges Pompidou, died during the week before the contest. Since his funeral was held the day of the contest, it was deemed inappropriate for the French to take part. Dani was seen by viewers in the audience at the point the French song should have been performed, after the Irish and before the German entry.
My collection: 7" single no. 5049 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'La vie a 25 ans' / 'Pour que ça dure'
'Tubular bells' is Mike Oldfield's signature theme and he has released several versions around the theme of the thunderpipes, as well as several singles. The original album was released in 1973 and at the time it came with a single in the UK and a different single in the US.
The American single was released when Mike Oldfield's music was used in the motion picture for 'The Exorcist', and this single features an extract from the album that differs from the UK single. I never knew this, of course, and so when I found out, I had to have this single. It's a bit of a shame it's not in better shape.
My collection: 7" single no. 5044 Found: eBay.com, received March 23, 2011 Cost: 4 euro Tracks: 'Tubular bells (Now the original theme from 'The Exorcist')' / 'Tubular bells'
'To love somebody' was originally recorded and released by the Bee Gees in 1967, back when they were still a quintet. The song was written on a boat in Monte Carlo the day the Beatles manager, Brian Epstein was found dead (August 1967) after manager Robert Stigwood encouraged Barry Gibb to write a soul song for Otis Redding. Redding, however, died in an airplane crash before he could record the song.
In 1990, Jimmy Somerville released a reggaefied cover version of the track. Released as a single in November of that year, it reached number 8 in the UK singles chart, his last top 10 hit until now.
My collection: 7" single no. 5043 Found: Kringloop, Haarlem, March 11, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'To love somebody' / 'Rain'
'Son of a Preacher Man' was recorded by Dusty Springfield in September 1968 as a track on her legendary album 'Dusty in Memphis'. Written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins, the song was originally offered to Aretha Franklin, but she turned it down. Only after she'd heard Springfield's version she recorded the song herself. By that time, however, Springfield's version had already become a hit; thus, Franklin's version, included on her 1970 album, 'This girl's in love with you', ended up as a B-side of the single 'Call me' only.
Although the album 'Dusty in Memphis' was released in stereo, the singles off the album were remixed and released in mono. This single reached number 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 9 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5042 Found: Kringloop, Haarlem, March 11, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Son of a preacher man' / 'Just a little lovin' (Early in the mornin')'
Janet Jackson's album 'Control' was a big success, and the way the album was 'milked' for singles was equal to her brother Michael's 'Thriller' a few years before. After six singles released internationally, 'Funny how time flies (when you're having fun)' was released as single number seven in the UK and Australia.
This limited edition version from the UK featured a giant poster with two pictures of Janet in black and white. The single performed poorly in the UK singles chart despite this: it only reached number 59. Janet performed the song live for the first time in 2008, during her Rock Witchu Tour.
My collection: 7" single no. 5041 Found: Ebay.co.uk, received February 28, 2011 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Funny how time flies (when you're having fun)' / 'When I think of you'
I always get a kick out of buying really old singles, and this one is almost 50 years old. Marty Wilde released 'Tomorrow's clown' in October 1961, and reached number 33 in the UK singles charts with it.
The B-side is called 'The Hellions' and that's also the title of the movie he starred in. The western movie has never been released officially on DVD, but I got a recording of it last year and it's really interesting to see how the rocker proves himself as a credible actor.
My collection: 7" single no. 5040 Found: Ebay.co.uk, received February 21, 2011 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Tomorrow's clown' / 'The Hellions'.
'Some kind of lover' was the fourth single taken from Jody Watley's self-titled debut solo album. It was a relative failure, reaching number 81 in the UK singles chart, but it is one of the nicest funky tracks on the album.
These remixes were made by Louil Silas, jr., who mostly adds a lot of 'bounce' to the track. The 12" single features three versions of the tracks which are quite similar to one another. Still, good stuff.
My collection: 12" single no. 217 Found: Record Exchange, London, 1994 Cost: 1,5 pounds Tracks: 'Some kind of lover (extended version)' / 'Some kind of lover (instrumental)', 'Some kind of lover (dub)'
'If it happens again' is one of my favourite tunes by UB40, and a lot of that has to do with the last few minutes of the track. So I was hoping that the 12" version would offer more of that. Well it doesn't, but that's okay because this dub mix is quite interesting too.
It was the seventh top 10 hit in the UK for UB40. It peaked at number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did even better in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 12" single no. 375 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1999 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'If it happens again (12" version)' / 'Nkomo a gogo'
'We were so turned on: A tribute to David Bowie' was released worldwide on September 6, 2010 as a charity for War Child UK. It is the only tribute album that has been approved by David Bowie and his management.
This single was released from the album, featuring the tracks by Duran Duran and Carla Bruni. It is the first Duran Duran 7" vinyl single since 1995's 'Perfect day'. Upon first listen, I have to say I like the cover by French president Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni better: she has turned the wonderfully rich original into an intimate piano-and-vocal song - and that works very well. This single is a limited edition and was pressed on clear vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 5039 Found: HMV, London, received February 16, 2011 Cost: 4 pounds Tracks: 'Boys keep swinging' (Duran Duran)' / 'Absolute beginners' (Carla Bruni)
Released in 1972, Ricky Wilde (yep, Kim's brother) was just eleven years old when he sang 'I am an astronaut'. The single was not a hit all over Europe, but the single was released in several countries.
Attentive readers of this blog will have seen the previous entry about 'I am an astronaut' from two years ago, but this single is a recent acquisition: a Belgian pressing featuring a beautiful photo sleeve of a young Ricky. And so it merits a repost.
My collection: 7" single no. 5038 Found: Marktplaats.nl, received February 9, 2011 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'I am an astronaut' / 'The Hertfordshire rock'
'Verlieben verlieren' can be translated as 'loving and losing', which qualifies this song as a story everyone has gone through at one point or another. It's a pleasant popsong and the B-side is a nice bonus, as it holds a remix of the A-side track.
It's another single from Münchener Freiheit's 1989 album 'Purpurmond', and this wasn't a hit either.
My collection: 7" single no. 5028 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Verlieben verlieren' / 'Verlieben verlieren (Rhythm mix)'
A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known songs of the disco era, 'Boogie Oogie Oogie'. The single as a number 1 hit in the USA, while reaching number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 34 in the Dutch Top 40.
After their popularity waned during the 1980s Johnson went on to record as a solo artist and release the album 'One Taste Of Honey' which produced numerous minor hits in America.
My collection: 7" single no. 5034 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Boogie oogie oogie' / 'World spin'
One of many Münchener Freiheit singles I bought recently, 'Ich will dich nochmal' was taken from their 1989 album 'Purpurmond'. Produced, as usual, by Armand Volker, the single didn't trouble the charts, which must have been a disappointment after the success of 'Keeping the dream alive' a year earlier.
The pop song is pleasant but forgettable. The same could be said of more of their singles, actually...
My collection: 7" single no. 5029 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Ich will dich nochmal' / 'Lass mich nie mehr los'
There's an air of calculation behind this single release by the Dutch band Pussycat. After a handful of top 10 hits their singles 'I'll be your woman' and 'If you ever come to Amsterdam' landed outside the top 10, and so someone must have suggested a cover version.
'Same old song' was originally a hit for the Four Tops in 1965 and written by the Motown writers team of Holland, Dozier & Holland. Pussycat's version was rewarded with a highest chart placing at number 10. The strategy had paid off.
My collection: 7" single no. 5032 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Same old song' / 'Stupid Cupid'
'Guilty' is one of those classic albums that literally everybody owned in 1980. It featured two big hits: the title track, a duet with Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees, who also produced the album, and of course the inevitable 'Woman in love'.
I didn't know a third single had been taken from the album: 'What kind of fool', another duet with Barry Gibb. No wonder: it wasn't a hit. It isn't necessarily a bad song, but not very memorable either. The B-side, by contrast, is horrendous.
My collection: 7" single no. 5031 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'What kind of fool' (with Barry Gibb) / 'Make it like a memory'.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians released their 'difficult second album' in 1990. 'Ghost of a dog' was less accessible than their debut album 'Shooting rubberbands at the stars' (1988) and, as a result, failed to capture the imagination of the listening audiences worldwide.
The single 'Mama help me' was released around the same time as the album but was greeted with the same muted response. The band fell apart soon after, causing Edie Brickell to launch a solo career.
My collection: 7" single no. 5033 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Mama help me' / 'Oak cliff bra'
'Oh Lori' was originally recorded by the Alessi brothers in the Seventies. This Dutch band recorded a cover version on their 1986 album 'Heavy harmonies' and released it as a single from that album.
Evidence sounds a bit like an acapella group for which the producer decided he wanted to have some background music anyway. Hence, the single sounds a bit contrived, which is a shame because a real acapella version of this song would have been fabulous.
My collection: 7" single no. 5035 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Oh, Lori' / 'Get up join the party'
The German band Münchener Freiheit released their third album 'Herzschlag einer Stadt' in 1984. The Neue Deutsche Welle, which had launched many German bands in the early Eighties, was almost over, but they finally managed to hit success with this album and the single 'Oh baby', a top 30 hit in Germany.
The next single was a remix version of 'Herzschlag ist der Takt', released in early 1985. Unfortunately, this single did not repeat the success of 'Oh baby'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5030 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Herzschlag ist der Takt' / 'Keiner hat mich gewarnt'
Joe Leeway left Thompson Twins in 1986, leaving Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie to carry on making music as a duo for another seven years. They released their first album as a duo in 1987, entitled 'Close to the bone'. 'Get that love' was the first single taken from that album.
It reached number 31 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart but failed to reach the charts in the UK and Europe.
My collection: 7" single no. 5036 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Get that love' / 'Perfect day'
'Cherchez la femme' is a French phrase which literally means 'look for the woman'. When a man behaves out of character or in an otherwise inexplicable manner, it's because he is trying to cover up an affair with a woman. It was also the title of a hit single by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, released in 1977. The lead vocals were performed by Cory Daye.
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band was a big band and swing influenced disco band, formed in the Bronx, New York. The single was taken from their self-titled debut album. They released two more albums before the end of the Seventies. Bassist Thomas August Darnell Browder and vibraphonist Andy Hernandez (Coati Mundi), went on to form Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Elbow Bones and the Racketeers. Lead singer Cory Daye also pursued a successful solo career. The song 'Cherchez la femme' was covered by Gloria Estefan on her album 'Hold me, thrill me, kiss me' (1994).
My collection: 7" single no. 5037 Found: Kringloop Juttersdok, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'Cherchez la femme' / 'Sunshower'
Bobby Farrell died last month, legendary dancer of Boney M, who also lipsynched so well to the words that were in actual fact sung by producer Frank Farian. I didn't write an entry about Boney M at the time since all my Boney M singles were already up on this blog. But I've found a new single to write about.
This '88 remix of 'Rivers of Babylon' was released in Germany to celebrate the reunion of the original line-up of the band, including the aforementioned Bobby Farrell. The remix-album 'Greatest hits of all times' was as unsuccessful as this ill-fated single.
My collection: 7" single no. 5027 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Rivers of Babylon ('88 remix)' / 'Mary's Boy Child - Oh my Lord ('88 remix)'
'Keeping the dream alive' is perhaps Münchener Freiheit's biggest hit, and it was taken from their 1988 album 'Fantasy'. That album was released in English and in German. The German version was entitled 'Fantasie' and several singles were taken from that one.
'So heiss' was released in Germany with the same kind of sleeve as 'Keeping the dream alive'. The design was only slightly different. All this to cover the fact that there really isn't that much to report about this single. It is a nice song, that's all.
My collection: 7" single no. 5026 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'So heiss' / 'Lass es einfach geschehn'
'In the heat of a passionate moment' was released in 1986 as Princess's fifth single. Like all previous singles, it was produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman which meant that it sounded a lot like all their other productions. It was popular at the time but it's easy to recognise the same sounds that were used in Rick Astley and Mel & Kim tracks.
The single reached number 74 in the UK singles chart, which meant that it was her least succesful single up to that point.
My collection: 7" single no. 5025 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'In the heat of a passionate moment' / 'In the heat of a passionate moment (instrumental)'
Released in 1986, 'Es gibt kein nächstes mal' ('There is no next time') is a single by the German band Münchener Freiheit that was successful in Germany only. It was taken from the compilation album 'Von Anfang an'.
Living up to its title, the album contained a selection of new singles, a previously unreleased live version of 'Zeig mir die Nacht' (from the album 'Umsteiger'), two remixes and the occasional track from their previous two albums. Its success was due largely to its two original hit singles, 'Ohne Dich (schlaf' ich heut' nacht nicht ein)' and 'Tausendmal Du'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5024 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Es gibt kein nächstes mal' / 'Wenn das so einfach ist...'
After having had success with 'They don't know', composed and recorded by Kirsty MacColl, Tracey Ullman recorded another Kirsty MacColl track, 'Terry' in 1984, shortly after the original version by MacColl had been a hit. This cover version is a bit unnecessary as it adds nothing to the original. The music sounds like a replica, and if anything, Ullman's vocals are less powerful than MacColl's.
That said, I've always been fond of the song 'Terry' and so having different versions of it is quite interesting. Quite rightfully, however, this version was not a hit.
My collection: 7" single no. 5023 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'Terry' / 'I don't want our loving to die'
I've seen the Belle Stars, or at least, three of them, during those Here & Now tours at the beginning of this century in the UK, and one of the staples in their set was their version of 'Iko iko'. I never found the single of that track, but here it is... a reissue of the song because, apparently, it was used in the movie 'Rain man'.
