'We might as well be strangers' was the fifth single to be released from their 2004 debut album 'Hopes & fears'. It was a bit of a strange release, as it was only released on 10" single. It featured a remix of the track by a certain DJ Shadow.
The single didn't chart in any territory, although the 10" single was readily available in the UK, where the band had had four top 20 singles until then.
My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'We might as well be strangers (remix)' / 'We might as well be strangers (remix instrumental)'
The nice thing about music is that there's always something new to explore. In 50 years of pop music there's always a song you've never heard and an artist that needs further exploration. Although I own much of Diana Ross's Eighties output, her old work passed me by as I was too young to appreciate it back then.
When Kim Wilde recorded a cover of 'Remember me' on her forthcoming album 'Snapshots' I was curious to hear the original version, and so I ordered one of those charming original UK pressings of the single. I will not pass judgement on which version is the best and leave it for you to decide. 'Snapshots' is out next Friday!
My collection: 7" single no. 5192
Found: eBay, received August 13, 2011
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Remember me' / 'How about you'
The British electronic dance music group Aurora formed in 1999 and made it to the charts in the UK that year with the song 'Hear you calling'. After a top 10 hit in 2000 with a cover of the Duran Duran track 'Ordinary world', they recorded their only album, which was released in 2001. 'Dreaming' was the first single lifted from that track, a breezy pop track which was remixed by Love to Infinity, Goldtrix and Stella Browne.
The latter two appear on this promotional 12" single. Strangely, these remixes didn't appear on cd-singles released at the time.
My collection: 12" single no. 577
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Dreaming (Lullaby mix)' / 'Dreaming (Stella Browne dub mix)'
Following on from this one, here's another promotional 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'All for you'. This release comprises two heavyweight vinyl discs, featuring one remix on every side.
With the exception of the original version on side C, the mixes were all created by the remix team of Barry Harris and Chris Cox, a.k.a. Thunderpuss. The club mix on side A also appeared on other releases (including commercial ones) but the two other remixes are quite rare.
My collection: 12" single no. 576
Found: Discogs.com, received August 6, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'All for you (Thunderpuss club mix)' / 'All for you (Thunderdub)' // 'All for you' / 'All for you (Thunderpuss drumapella)'
Simply Red rose to prominence with this beautiful ballad in 1985. 'Holding back the years' would turn out to be a classic. Taken from their debut album 'Picture book', it launched a career that was ended only last year when front man Mick Hucknall did a farewell tour with Simply Red.
This 12" single features the full length version of 'Holding back the years', as well as a longer version of 'I won't feel bad'. I only bought the 12" single years after its release because my budget didn't stretch that far in 1985. I wanted to have it since the first moment I heard this longer version.
My collection: 12" single no. 124 Found: Record fair, 1992 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Holding back the years [extended]' / 'I won't feel bad [extended]', 'Drowning in my own tears'
Tori Amos released 'From the choirgirl hotel' in 1998. It was one of her last great albums - subsequent efforts became ever less engaging. The biggest hit from the previous album, 'Boys for pele', was a remix - or should we say a full-on butcher job? - of 'Professional widow'. No wonder that the record company kept releasing remixes of Tori Amos tracks in subsequent years.
This remix of 'Raspberry swirl', one of the many singles from 'Choirgirl', is a nice, if somewhat repetitive, effort. The choice of putting the instrumental version of the remix on the A-side is a bit strange, however.
After leaving the girl group Arabesque, Sandra Ann Lauer teamed up with Michael Cretu. Their first recording was a German version of Alphaville's big hit 'Big in Japan', entitled 'Japan ist weit'. Apparently, only 125 copies of the single were ever sold.
How different it was for the next single: '(I'll never be) Maria Magdalena' became a Europe-wide hit and launched Sandra's solo career in a big way. This 12" single features the album version of the track, which is double the length of the single version.
My collection: 12" single no. 207 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, 1993 Cost: 4 guilders Tracks: '(I'll never be) Maria Magdalena' / 'Party games'
'Da fliegt mir doch das Blech weg' has become one of my favourite quotes in German, and it's down to this record.
I own the single, of course, but the 12" single is much better with the extended drum solo in the middle. These kind of remixes are exciting because they keep the tension of the original track intact while building on it. And that's a rare thing these days.
My collection: 12" single no. 339 Found: Record fair, 1996 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Das Blech [extended]' / 'Tag für tag'
This 12" single of Strawberry Switchblade's biggest hit 'Since yesterday' features three tracks - and no extended version of the title track as one would expect in 1984.
Oddly enough, an extended version of the track does exist, but I don't know when and where it was originally released. Nonetheless, this disc is interesting for the two B-sides, which are as charming as anything this colourful Scottish duo have released. I.e. very.
My collection: 12" single no. 306 Found: Big Company Records, London, October 1996 Cost: 2,5 pounds Tracks: 'Since yesterday' / 'Sunday morning', 'By the sea'
The spacey track '1000 years from today' was robbed of its shimmering beauty and transformed into a dancefloor stomper on this promotional 12" single. Three different remixers went to work on this with varying levels of success.
Personally I prefer the Adam & Eve remixes on this disc, but other listeners may choose differently. It's an interesting choice of remixes, and an interesting disc.
My collection: 12" single no. 573 Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011 Cost: 5 pounds Tracks: '1000 years from day (Doc Baron's 80 Proof mix)', '1000 years from today (Adam & Eve's Timeless vocal mix)' / '1000 years from today (Adam & Eve's Commotion mix)', '1000 years from today (Todd Edwards dub mix)', '1000 years from today (Doc Baron's 101.9 mix)'
Janet Jackson released 'All for you', the title track of her 2001 album, as the second single from that album. As far as I know there was no release on 7" vinyl, but there are several 12" single floating around, and this promotional 12" single is one of the more interesting ones.
It features six remixes of the track: there are three different remixes on side A, and the instrumental versions of those remixes appear on the B-side. The instrumental version of the rock remix becomes quite boring, but the other two remixes stand up quite well in instrumental form.
My collection: 12" single no. 574 Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011 Cost: 4 pounds Tracks: 'All for you (DJ Quik remix)', 'All for you (Rock mix)', 'All for you (Top heavy remix)' / 'All for you (DJ Quik remix instrumental)', 'All for you (Instrumental rock mix)', 'All for you (Top heavy remix instrumental)'
The Beloved released 'Your love takes me higher' in 1989, before they became famous with similar dancepop tracks. This American 12" single features four remixes of the track that sound, I have to say, a lot like the PWL pop that was so popular just two years before.
Of course, the Beloved developed a style of their own and had a few massive hits in the early Nineties, but this 12" single shows their beginnings on that path to success - and it's quite an enjoyable package of remixes!
My collection: 12" single no. 572 Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011 Cost: 4 pounds Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher (The pod went pop mix)', 'Your love takes me higher (Divinely simple)' / 'Your love takes me higher (Deep joy)', 'Your love takes me higher (Simply divine)'
With Kim Wilde releasing an album of covers on August 27, it's inevitable that I went searching for the original versions of the songs featured on that album - at least, the ones that weren't already in my collection!
Kirsty MacColl's 'They don't know' was released in 1979. I didn't know there was a picture disc edition of the single, but here it is... I found it for close to nothing on Ebay. It made me wonder why I never saw this single before, because I would certainly have snapped it up: it's much better than the Tracey Ullman cover released a few years later.
My collection: 7" single no. 5191 Found: eBay.co.uk, received July 29, 2011 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'They don't know' / 'Motor on'
'Rock to the rhythm of love' was featured on this blog very recently, but yet again I've bought a 12" single of this track. And that's because this version contains different mixes!
This version of the 12" features an extended version of the 'MURK ride' which was featured on that other disc, plus a dub version that's not on that one at all. I would have been even happier if I'd had both discs of this 2 x 12" release, but that would only get me one extra mix - so in a way this was a good deal. However, if anyone can get me the 'C'est la vie power mix' of 'Celebrate your life', please do get in touch...
My collection: 12" single no. 571 Found: Discogs.com, received July 20, 2011 Cost: $6 Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (MURK extended ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Ride to the beat)', 'Celebrate your life (Beats for life)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Shelter me dub)'
'I promise, I'll be worth the wait', said Janet Jackson back in 1986 when 'Let's wait awhile' hit the airwaves. We know now that she didn't lie: the many photographs and sexually charged songs she's released since then are evidence of the fact that Janet has left her prude days far behind.
This 12" single features the single remix of 'Let's wait awhile' plus the older remixes of 'Nasty', that were released as a separate 12" single a few months earlier.
My collection: 12" single no. 567 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Let's wait awhile (remix)', 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'
The Beloved's 'Sweet harmony' was a big hit in 1992, and since the track was quite danceable it was no surprise that there were a few dance mixes. Except they turned out to be more than just 'a few'.
The cd-single of 'Sweet harmony' contained the 'Live the dream mix' and the 'Love the dub mix'. This double 12" single package features 9 (!) versions, of which only the 'Live the dream mix' and the original version are repeats of the cd-single. Not bad.
My collection: 12" single no. 570 Found: Discogs.com, received July 20, 2011 Cost: $8 Tracks: 'Sweet harmony (Live the dream mix)', 'Sweet harmony (Fertility dance mix)', 'Sweet harmony (album version)' / 'Sweet harmony (Sweet sensation mix)',''Sweet harmony (Bittersweet mix)' // 'Sweet harmony (Come together & Consolidate extended mix)', 'Sweet harmony (Come together & Consolidate bonus beats)' / 'Sweet harmony (Tout desuite dub)', 'Sweet harmony (Sweetheart club mix)'
Listening to the 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'Control', the title track of her 1986 album, you can't help but notice how dated it all sounds. The big drums, the synthesized music, and even the vocal: here's something at work that needs some more maturity.
'I've got my own life / I wanna make my own decisions', Janet sings in this song. In the decades to come she would do plenty of that. It would lead to many successful albums and singles and some skin-uncovering scandals. But as she says in this song, she was always in control....
My collection: 12" single no. 566 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Control (extended)', 'Control (edit)' / 'Control (dub)', 'Pretty boy'
'Rock to the rhythm of love' was a track on the Beloved's 1993 album 'Conscience'. Whereas other singles were released on 7" and cd-single, this one was released on 12" singles only. This copy is a 12" single made in the USA, featuring five mixes of the track.
Two teams worked on the track: The 'South Pacific mix' and the 'Swinging London mix' were made by Adam And Eve, whereas the 'Jungle dub' and the 'MURK ride' were made by Ralph Falcon and Oscar Gaetan.
My collection: 12" single no. 569 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Jungle dub)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Conscience album version)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (The MURK ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Swinging London mix)'
Following the original 12" single of 'Nasty', A&M records released the 'Cool summer mix' of 'Nasty'. The remix consisted of two parts of roughly eight and ten minutes. If you weren't sick of the track by then, you would be playing it until you were, because it actually is a nice remix.
Part 1 of the remix would appear on 'Control - the remixes', making part 2 quite a rarity.
My collection: 12" single no. 565 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'
'Nasty' was released as the second single from Janet Jackson's 1986 album 'Control'. There were actually two 12" singles for that release, of which this one was the first. Featuring three remixes, it was a pretty standard package for that point in time: an extended version, an instrumental version and an a capella version made up this disc.
Only the extended version ended up on the album 'Control - the remixes', which was released in 1987.
My collection: 12" single no. 564 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Nasty (extended)' / 'Nasty (instrumental)', 'Nasty (a capella)'
The beautiful folk-inspired track 'Bright new morning' was lifted from the Adventures' third album 'Trading secrets with the moon' and released as its second single. If there was any justice in the world, this single would have become a massive hit, but like the album it sunk without a trace.
Somehow the band failed to build on the success they'd had with the album 'The sea of love' two years earlier, in 1988.
My collection: 7" single no. 5190 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Bright new morning' / 'Loves lost town'
'Diamonds', a single from Chris Rea's 1979 album 'Deltics', sounded a bit crude, not at all like the polished songs he would release during much of the Eighties. Still, it didn't totally put off the record-buying public: the single reached number 44 in the UK singles chart.
One other single was released from the album: 'Raincoat and a rose'. That single did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5189 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Diamonds' / 'Cleveland calling'
Released in February 1980, 'Kool in the kaftan' became B.A. Robertson's third chart hit in the UK. The single reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, but didn't reach the chart in other territories.
The single was released with a 'normal' sleeve and with a gatefold 'popup' sleeve. I bought the latter. The inner sleeve shows a hand with the 'V' sign.
My collection: 7" single no. 5088 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Kool in the kaftan' / 'Baby I'm a bat'
The uplifting dance music from The Beloved went mainstream when they had a hit with 'Sweet harmony'. Shortly thereafter, they went back underground, as the follow-up singles 'You got me thinking' and 'Outer space girl' didn't get the same kind of treatment from the fickle audience.
Still, 'Outer space girl' in particular is a beautiful piece of electronic dance music that still sounds about as fresh as it did when it was first released. This double 12" single package is a varied ensemble of mixes: some are faithful to the original tracks, and some are not. It never bores, which is quite rare for dance mixes.
My collection: 12" single no. Found: Fun Records, Berlin, July 9, 2011 Cost: 3,8 euro Tracks: 'Outerspace girl (Space cadet mix)', 'Outerspace girl' / 'Outerspace girl (Organism mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Space hopper mix)' // 'Outerspace girl (Destination moon mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Instrumental mix)' / 'Outerspace girl (Lost in bass mix)', 'Outerspace girl (Space dust mix)'
Janet Jackson shot to fame when she released 'What have you done for me lately', the first single from her third album 'Control', in 1986. Although I liked the song, it took some time for me to buy the 7" single because by the time it finished its chart run, I was pretty sick of it.
The 12" single took me even longer: a quarter of a century. Now that I bought it, I had the bad luck of getting a copy with a slight damage on the disc. The perils of mail order...
My collection: 12" single no. 563 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011 Cost: 1,95 euro Tracks: 'What have you done for me lately (extended)' / 'What have you done for me lately (dub)', 'What have you done for me lately (acapella)'
Next week my friend Puck is celebrating his birthday. On his wish list was a cd by Five Star, so I thought that would be a good occasion to dig out this 12" single with versions of one of their lesser known hits, 'R.S.V.P.'
Released in 1985 as a single from their album 'Luxury of life', the track was written by Paul Gurvitz and remixed by John Morales. This 12" single features three remixes of 'R.S.V.P. plus two B-side tracks.'
'Let it loose' was recorded by Chris Rea for the soundtrack of the movie 'Cross country'. The track also appeared on his 1983 album 'Water sign'.
Released as a single in February 1983, it only reached number 85 in the UK singles chart. At the time, the record company was barely interested in working with Rea, to a point that his album 'Water sign' was basically a collection of demos.
My collection: 7" single no. 5172 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Let it loose' / 'Urban samurai'
'Tokyo nights' was released as the third single from the Bee Gees 1989 album 'One', but in Europe only. In America, the track 'Bodyguard' was released as a single instead.
The single was not a commercial success; as far as I know it didn't chart in any territory.
My collection: 7" single no. 5139 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Tokyo nights' / 'Will you ever let me'
'One' is the second international single (and lead single in the U.S.) from the Bee Gees' 1989 album of the same name. This was the song that returned the Bee Gees back to American radio and would turn out to be their biggest US hit in the 1980s. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989, and it stayed in the Top 40 for ten weeks.
Over in Europe, the single didn't do as well: it only reached number 37 in Germany, number 26 in Belgium and number 71 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5135 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'One' / 'Flesh and blood'
Some single releases are just ill-advised. Take for instance this single by the Belgian Bunker Boys. Released in 1979 on the unknown (and probably self-financed) Velpia Records label, it was a cover of that year's Eurovision winner 'Halleluja'. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful melody, but this instrumental version does not do any justice to it.
The Bunker Boys sound like a bunch of amateurs who by some freak of circumstances managed to get their rehearsals recorded and splurged out on vinyl. Well, it's a novelty record and a Eurovision cover - amusing enough to want to hear once.
My collection: 7" single no. 5186 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Hallelujah' / 'Espagnola'
In 1979, Andy Gibb performed along with the Bee Gees, ABBA, and Olivia Newton-John at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly, which was broadcast worldwide. After this, he returned to the studio to begin recording sessions for his final full studio album, 'After Dark'.
In March 1980, the last of Gibb's top 10 singles charted just ahead of the album's release: 'Desire'. A second single, 'I can't help it', a duet with family friend Olivia Newton-John, reached the top 20.
My collection: 7" single no. 5144 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I can't help it' / 'Someone I ain't'
Besides the Dutch version 'Ik zie een ster', Mouth & MacNeal also released the English version of their 1974 Eurovision Song Contest entry as a single in Europe. In the case of the Belgian pressing, the sleeve was a variation on the Dutch one, making it quite a beautiful set.
'I see a star' actually became a hit in the UK, peaking at number 8 in the singles chart during the summer of 1974. They remained one hit wonders in that country though: follow-up singles never charted.
My collection: 7" single no. 5183 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'I see a star' / 'My friend'
'Ik zie een ster' is the original Dutch version of the 1974 Eurovision entry by Mouth and MacNeal, 'I see a star'. Although they performed the song in English during the Contest - as a result of relaxed language rules - this single contains a version entirely in Dutch.
The song was released as a single in the Netherlands in March 1974 and reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. That's quite remarkable, as 'I see a star' finished third during the Contest as well. This Belgian pressing features a much more beautiful sleeve than the Dutch pressing.
My collection: 7" single no. 5184 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Ik zie een ster' / 'Liefste'
'Sussudio' was released as a single from Phil Collins' 1985 album 'No jacket required'. The main lyric came about as Collins was improvising lyrics to a drum machine track he had programmed: 'Suss-sussudio' was a wording that scanned improperly. After trying to find an alternative word to fit the rhythm, the singer decided to keep 'Sussudio' as the song title and lyric. The song is about a normal crush that a schoolboy may have on a girl and that by saying 'suss-sussudio' may raise speculations about the boy having a stutter.
The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 17 in Germany and number 12 both in the UK and the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 5159 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Sussudio' / 'The man with the horn'
'Massachusetts' is a song written, recorded, and released by the Bee Gees in 1967 and later appearing on their 1968 album, 'Horizontal'. It was their first Number 1 hit in the UK and eventually became one of the best selling singles of all times.
At the time of release, the Bee Gees consisted of Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb plus Vince Melouney (lead guitar) and Colin Petersen (drums). Shortly after 'Massachusetts' was recorded, Beatles manager Brian Epstein told him that it was beautiful and would be the hit of the summer. These proved to be Epstein's last words to Maurice; Epstein died a few days later.
My collection: 7" single no. 5140 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Massachusetts' / 'Barker of the U.F.O.'
'Une petite française' was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in French by French singer Michèle Torr. The song was composed by Olivier Toussaint and Paul de Senneville, a very successful team whose compositions were recorded by major French singers such as Michel Polnareff, Christophe, Dalida, Petula Clark, Claude François and Mireille Mathieu all through the 60s and 70s.
'Une petite française' is a mid-tempo ballad, with Torr describing herself as an average Frenchwoman, rather than the cosmopolitan types more commonly associated with that country. She confides that she is no Marilyn, she never reads about her own life in the magazines, she doesn't own a Rolls, she doesn't consider herself an idol, she hasn't read Pascal, she rarely visits Paris, she hasn't changed her name, she leads a quiet provincial life with her children - she just happens to be country girl from Provence who likes to sing. She asks her audience to be the judge of whether she should have left her home for a career in music. Despite her peculiar voice, the jury apparently thought so, because she ended up in 4th place in a field of 18 contestants.
My collection: 7" single no. 5185 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Une petite Française' / 'Le mal de Mai'
'Eyes' is the third and final single from the album 'Cats without claws' by Donna Summer. Edited in length from the original version on the album, the single did not achieve chart success.
The song was mixed by the then very popular John ´Jellybean´ Benitez.
My collection: 7" single no. 5167 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Eyes' / 'It's not the way'
'I've gotta get a message to you' is a song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1968, which became their second number 1 single in the UK singles chart. The song is about a man who, awaiting his execution in the electric chair, begs the prison chaplain to pass a final message on to his wife.
Robin Gibb, who wrote the lyrics, said that the man's crime was the murder of his wife's lover. He came up with the idea following a quarrel with his wife and originally conceived the song with Percy Sledge in mind to record it. In fact, Sledge did record it in February 1970.
My collection: 7" single no. 5137 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I've gotta get a message to you' / 'Kitty can'
'Let your love flow' was written by Larry E. Williams, a former roadie for Neil Diamond, and made popular by the American country music duo The Bellamy Brothers. It was offered to Neil Diamond first, but he turned it down.
The single reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. In 2008 the song was used in an advert in the United Kingdom for Barclaycard (right - 'Let your money flow'...). Subsequently, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 21.
My collection: 7" single no. 5134 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Let your love flow' / 'Inside my guitar'
'I won't let the sun go down' was Nik Kershaw's debut single, released in 1983. The song was written during the latter part of the Cold War period when nuclear war between the two superpowers of the USSR and USA was still a very real concern, and the lyrics reflect a satirical view of politics and the threat of war with lines such as: 'old men in stripey trousers, rule the world with plastic smiles', and: 'forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red?'
Originally the single only reached number 47 in the UK charts. However, the follow up single from the same album, 'Wouldn't it be good', reached the top five and on the back of that success 'I won't let the sun go down' was re-released and soared to number 2. It was also subsequently a major hit in several other countries and was responsible for bringing Nik Kershaw to greater public attention.
My collection: 7" single no. 5147 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I won't let the sun go down' / 'Dark glasses'
'Something got me started' was the first single released from what would become Simply Red's biggest selling album, 'Stars'. The single eventually made number 11 in the UK and German charts, number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2005, 'Something got me started' was one of the eight previously released Simply Red songs re-recorded for the album 'Simplified'. It also became the second single release from the album, as a double A-side with a new cover of the Leon Russell song 'A song for you'. This made it the only Simply Red song to date to be released as a single twice.
My collection: 7" single no. 5150 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Something got me started' / 'A new flame'
'Get it' is one of Michael Jackson's lesser known duets. The track was taken from Stevie Wonder's album 'Characters' and released as its second single. Jackson worked with Wonder eight years earlier for the song 'I can't help it' for his album 'Off the wall', which was written by Wonder and former Supremes member Susaye Greene, while Wonder worked with Jackson on his top-selling 'Bad' album for the song 'Just good friends'.
The song features Wonder and Jackson talking about how to treat a lady, alongside what does a woman wants, needs, and respect from her lover. The single reached number 80 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5161 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Get it' / 'Get it (instrumental)'
'The Dollar Album' was Dollar's third album and the duo's most successful one. No less than five singles were drawn from the album, of which 'Gimme some kinda magic' was the last one.
It was the least successful of the five in the UK, peaking at number 34. It did better in Ireland, where the single reached number 12, overtaking both 'Hand held in black and white' and 'Videotheque', the first and fourth single from the album.
My collection: 7" single no. 5163 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Gimme some kinda magic' / 'You made me love you'
'Desire' was released as the first single from Andy Gibb's 1980 album 'After dark'. The song was originally recorded in 1978 by the Bee Gees during sessions for their album Spirits Having Flown, and intended for release on that album. When it was rejected by the band, it was instead released expressly as an Andy Gibb song, having Andy recording a new lead vocal in 1979 replacing his brother Barry's.
The single reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5143 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Desire' / 'Waiting for you'
You don't hear the word 'boogie' anymore. Back in the Seventies, is was the buzzword for having a good time, dancing around and generally going out of your mind. And the Jacksons, Michael included, had one of their biggest hits with 'Blame it on the boogie' in 1978.
The first promotional music video by the Jacksons was created for 'Blame it on the boogie', thus marking Michael Jackson's video debut. The video, featuring the group's members dancing on a black background, relied heavily on vintage electronic trail effects, created at Image West, Ltd. using then-cutting edge equipment: the Scanimate analog computer system and a Quantel DFS 3000 digital framestore.
My collection: 7" single no. 5156 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Blame it on the boogie' / 'Do what you wanna'
Ann Christy's 1975 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, 'Gelukkig zijn', was released in two versions: the original Dutch (Flemish) version, and this English translation. Both singles are considered a rarity, extremely hard to find, and so I was lucky to find both on one day.
Although the original title means 'Being happy', the title 'Could it be happiness' was chosen for this English version.
My collection: 7" single no. 5182 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Could it be happiness' / 'This world is full of pain'
Chris Rea released his sixth album 'Wired to the moon' in 1984, keeping up his 'one album per year' tempo without any problem, it seemed. A whopping five singles were drawn from the album, although only the first one, 'I don't know what it is but I love it', reached the UK singles chart.
The title track was the fifth single, and like the previous three, it didn't chart. All this despite the fact that it's actually a lovely sort of lullaby.
My collection: 7" single no. 5171 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Wired to the moon' / 'True love'
'We might as well be strangers' was the fifth single to be released from their 2004 debut album 'Hopes & fears'. It was a bit of a strange release, as it was only released on 10" single. It featured a remix of the track by a certain DJ Shadow.
