Ding-a-dong - Teach In

Some singles are rather rare, and as a result, record dealers at record fairs are usually tempted to ask a high price for them. Then there are records that are not so rare, but associated to a certain event - let's say, the Eurovision Song Contest - and that's also a reason ask a minimum of 10 euros for the disc. And this one is a good example.

I found this copy in a mass of singles from a German dealer, all priced at a measly 1 euro each. Obviously, I bought it right away. Then, 10 minutes later and a few metres away, I saw another copy of this single, in a row of singles especially labeled 'Eurovision'. The price: 10 euros. And no, it didn't look any better than this one. You can imagine that I had a happy moment then and there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5832
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 16, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ding-a-dong' / 'Hey hello'

Listen to the song

Avrei voluto - Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali

Back in 1989, I bought a compilation CD featuring all the songs from that year's Eurovision Song Contest. For obvious reasons, that CD never appeared on this blog, however many songs did make it, since I bought so many of them on 7" singles. I like all of the songs from that year, although some songs were later to be accepted than others.

Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali's 'Avrei voluto' was one of them. The raspy voice of Fausto in the first seconds was reason enough for me to skip to the next track. It's a bit of a complicated song, 'Avrei voluto', and the fact that Anna Oxa does an impressive 'We are the world'-era Cyndi Lauper impression doesn't help matters much. An attack on the ears, but still, I've grown to like this song anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5824
Found: Discogs.com, received February 5, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Avrei voluto' / 'Avrei voluto (Strumentale)'

Listen to the song

Ever so lonely - Monsoon

Monsoon's 1982 single Ever so lonely is wellknown, as it got a Europe-wide release after relative success in the UK. The single displayed here is a rare gem, however. It is an independent release from 1981 and features four tracks. The A-side features 'Ever so lonely' and 'Sunset over the Ganges' as one continuous track (where on the 1982 single they are split into two separate tracks).

This version of 'Ever so lonely' also features slightly different lyrics and less instrumentation. Released on the Indipop label, this single may have been one of the reasons for a major label to sign the group. It was quite a shock to find this single - which I'd never seen before.

My collection: 7" single no. 5831
Found: Dig Vinyl, Liverpool, February 19, 2016
Cost: £1
Tracks: 'Ever so lonely', 'Sunset over the Ganges' / 'The mirror of your mind', 'Shout (Till you're heard)'

Listen to the A-side

Dallas - Bobby Patrick Band

The American series Dallas is an integral part of the Eighties experience, and as a child of the Eighties I was just as addicted to the show as anyone who grew up at the time. As a collector of music, I also got my hands on singles by Larry Hagman, Audrey Landers, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton and Victoria Principal in recent years.

But the theme of the series somehow never came into my possession. Until now, that is. At least, a version of it, because this is not the version that was used on television, unfortunately. The B-side features the theme of another famous series: The Waltons. Both tracks are performed by the so-called Bobby Patrick Band. When I bought this single, the woman in the shop seemed to be surprised she even had it in stock.

My collection: 7" single no. 5830
Found: Dig Vinyl, Liverpool, February 19, 2016
Cost: £1
Tracks: 'Dallas' / 'The Waltons'

Listen to the track

Soul on my boots - King

While I have been collecting singles for almost 40 years now, and I have been obsessed with Eighties music ever since the Eighties, there is still sometimes a single release that somehow managed to elude me all through these decades. This single is a perfect example.

King's debut single 'Love & pride' was a big hit, and so was its follow-up 'Won't you hold my hand now'. I did know, of course, that both singles had to be re-released to become such hits: the original releases in April 1984 and October 1984 respectively weren't so successful, but back then record companies didn't give up so easily, and so in early 1985 'Love & pride' became a number 2 hit in the UK, and in March 1985 'Won't you hold my hand now' was remixed and peaked at number 24.

What I didn't know, was that there was another single between those two, released in August 1984 (and failing to chart as well). I'd never even seen this single until now. And here it is: 'Soul on my boots'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5820
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 23, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Soul on my boots' / 'Ain't no doubt'

Listen to the song

Jag är en astronaut - Anne Mette Torp

Child star Anne Mette Torp from Hønefoss (Norway) had a great year in 1973, when she shot to fame with a cover version of Ricky Wilde's 'I am an astronaut'. The song was translated into Norwegian by Elvind Torp (presumably her father) as 'Jeg er en astronaut'. She also recorded a Swedish version, 'Jag är en astronaut', translated by Rolf Lönberg, which appears on this single.

In 1974, she released her debut (and only) LP 'Abra Ka Dabra', which did not include this song, but rather original songs, but also meant for children. After her singing career she took up ballet, and now runs the Ringerike Ballet School in Hønefoss.

My collection: 7" single no. 5823
Found: Discogs.com, received February 5, 2016
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Jag är en astronaut' / 'Jag skulle önska'

Listen to the song

Hey presto - Black

I first got to know the UK band Black in 1984, when the music video for 'Hey presto' appeared on television. I'm not sure whether it was this video (which I never saw again since 1984!) or repeated radio play which hooked me, but I was most certainly hooked. I never got to buy the single, because it was only released in the UK - or so I thought until recently.

Back in 1992, I met a fellow fan who owned a rare copy of 'Hey presto', made in the UK, which didn't contain the 'regular' studio version, but rather a demo version. It couldn't be distinguished from other UK pressings, so this was a really strange appearance. A year later, when we spoke to Colin Vearncombe, he explained that a run of copies was made for export to Australia, and WEA retrieved the demo version from the archives by mistake. I never found a copy of this rare run of pressings myself.

This month, after the tragic passing of Colin Vearncombe, I started looking for holes in my collection. It's one way to cope with the loss, I guess. I noticed that there was a German pressing of 'Hey presto', and there was one copy for sale. I decided to order it. The single arrived in my mailbox earlier today. Upon playing this disc, I discovered that this version, too, contained the demo versions of the A and B-side tracks. And just like on the UK pressings, there is no indication that this disc contains the demo versions instead of the regular studio versions. But you can safely assume that all German pressings are the same, since 'Hey presto' probably only had one run of pressings in Germany. Such a pleasant surprise!

My collection: 7" single no. 5827
Found: Discogs.com, received February 17, 2016
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Hey presto [demo version]' / 'Stephen [demo version]]

Listen to the song

Everything's coming up roses - Black

The death of Colin Vearncombe, singer and sole member of the band Black, on January 26 this year, was a big blow. I have collected all of his music and saw the man live more times than my memory has allowed me to remember. The process of mourning continues for a long time I guess, but in the mean time I coped with the acquisition of a few Black items that I didn't own until now. (Which, as you can see on this page, shouldn't be too much, especially when you consider I never got round to posting my 12" singles.)

The most interesting item so far has to be this promotional 7" from the USA, with a remix version of 'Everything's coming up roses' on both sides. I already had the promotional cd-single from over there for 15 years, but as followers of this blog know: if it's released on vinyl, I gotta have it.

My collection: 7" single no. 5825
Found: Discogs.com, received February 9, 2016
Cost: $2
Tracks: 'Everything's coming up roses (remix)' / 'Everything's coming up roses (remix)'

Listen to the song

In the name of love '88 - Thompson Twins

In the name of love was originally a song by the Thompson Twins released in 1982. After that, the group made it big with hits such as Doctor doctor, You take me up and Hold me now. While lead singer Tom Bailey apparently suffered a nervous breakdown, they continued to release music such as the less successful 1987 album 'Close to the bone' and a couple of compilation albums in 1988.

'The best of Thompson Twins: Greatest Mixes' featured a 1988 remix by Shep Pettibone, which was also released as a single. It peaked at number 46 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5821
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 23, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'In the name of love '88' / 'In the name of love (original)'

Listen to the song

You are everything - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross

It's not a bad idea, sometimes, to let your biggest stars record a duet together. That's what must have gone through the executive minds at Motown Records in the early Seventies, when Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross got together to record 'You are everything'. This song was written by the Stylistics in 1971, but when this golden duo recorded their version, it became a massive hit around the world - although it was never released as a single in the USA, oddly enough.

It reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Netherlands. You can still hear this song regularly on the radio.

My collection: 7" single no. 5818
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 16, 2016
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'You are everything' / 'Include me in your life'

Listen to the song

Young guns (go for it) - Wham!

When Wham! released 'Young guns (go for it)' in October 1982, it broke new ground for the duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The single became a number 1 hit in Sweden, and reached number 3 in the UK. It was only their second single, and they were already on the way to superstardom.

While the single was entertaining, the extended mixes were intriguing. There were actually two remixes of this song. A 5'10 minute remix has become by far the most widespread, having had a release even on CD ('Best remixes' in Japan and 'The 12" album' in Europe). The 7 minute remix featured on this 12" single is much harder to find: it was only ever released on a 12" single in the USA and this one, made in Holland. And yes, you can find it on CD, if you are able to find the 1996 compilation album 'Club Epic' or the 2013 'Dance Classics Pop Edition vol. 10', released in the Netherlands. Why Sony Music have never made a definitive Wham! box set, I'll never know.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Kringloop Rijswijk, January 31, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Young guns (Go for it!)' [club remix] / 'Going for it'

Listen to the song

Say say say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson

Why not start the new year with two music legends? I received this 12" single just before the turn of the year, after a month of waiting. Released for Black Friday (November 27), this disc was pressed on clear vinyl and originally only slated for release in the United States. Fortunately, Europe followed suit and eventually I was able to order this via Amazon.

I would actually have preferred a CD release, because 12" singles are rather big and take up a lot of space, but it has to be said that this is a beautiful record. The 2015 remix of 'Say Say Say' adds some nice touches, such as reversed vocals on the verses and some added instrumentation throughout - without destroying  the feel of the original track.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Amazon France, received December 29, 2015
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'Say say say (2015 remix)' / 'Say say say (Jellybean Instrumental remix)'

Listen to the 2015 remix & listen to the instrumental remix

Kaupungin lapset - Make Lentonen

There are many versions of Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America', but there are also a lot of versions of 'Kaupungin lapset', the Finnish translation of that very song. The earliest version was already recorded in the same year as the original song (1981) by Mona Carita - and many other Finnish artists have had a stab at this translated version since.

Make Lentonen recorded his version in 1993. This single is hard to find; for a long time a version without the picture sleeve has been available on Discogs.com, but finding the version with its original cover proved to be more difficult. It took me a long time, but I've finally found a copy - also on that website. Once it was offered, I snapped it up within a couple of hours.

My collection: 7" single no. 5817
Found: Discogs.com, received December 19, 2015
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Kaupungin lapset' / 'Puistokatu krs. 6'

Listen to the song

Think sometimes about me - Sandie Shaw

'Think sometimes about me' was released in November 1966, just months before the singer would become a Eurovision icon with 'Puppet on a string'. This single would end up on the album named after that Eurovision hit.

What's interesting (for me anyway) is not so much the A side of this single, but the B side: 'Hide all emotion' was written by Marty Wilde. Hence, I had to have this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5816
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, December 19, 2015
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Think sometimes about me' / 'Hide all emotion'

Listen to the song

Monsieur - Park Cafe

Park Cafe formed in 1986 with members Rom Heck, Maggie Park and Gast Waltzing in Luxembourg. They released their self-titled debut album a year later. In 1989, they represented Luxembourg during the Eurovision Song Contest with this song, 'Monsieur'. As you can hear, it was a bouncy pop song that would have done well in the charts with proper promotion. As it was, they only reached 20th place in a field of 22 competitors. That said, that year's winner was Riva's infamous 'Rock me', proof that the real winning songs sometimes end up down below.

The band released the album 'Monsieur' that same year, and eventually folded in 1993. This single is a real rarity and only appears online from time to time for rather excessive prices.

My collection: 7" single no. 5815
Found: Discogs.com, received November 26, 2015
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Monsieur' / 'Living in toonland'

Listen to the song

La la la - Heidi Brühl

Heidi Rosemarie Brühl was born on January 30, 1942. She was a German singer and actress who came to prominence as a young teenager and had a prolific career in film and television. She was also a successful recording artist, and is known for her participation in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest for Germany with the song 'Marcel'.

In 1968, she recorded this cover version of Spain's winning song 'La la la' - in German. She died of breast cancer on June 8, 1991, aged just 49.

My collection: 7" single no. 5813
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'La la la' / 'Und mein Zug fährt immer weiter...'

Listen to the song

Red rose - Alphaville

'Red rose' was the fifth and final single from Alphaville's 1986 album, 'Afternoons in Utopia'. It was released in April 1987.

Although the single didn't chart anywhere in Europe, it did reach number 24 on the US Hot Dance Chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5813
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'Red rose' / 'Concrete Soundtracks For Imaginary Films 1: Big Yellow Sun'

Listen to the song

Falling - D. Twins

Five years ago you met the D. Twins on this blog, with a 12" single of 'Falling', which was a cover version of Julee Cruise's theme song for 'Twin Peaks'. It turns out that besides cd-singles and this 12" single there was also actually a 7" single! And since I collect 7" singles (avidly), I had to buy this copy the first time I saw it - which was this time five weeks ago. Fortunately it came cheap, too.

My friend Puck and I have had a lot of fun about this version because of the silliness of certain versions, but I guess you had to be there to fully appreciate the fun of it. So for now, just enjoy these cover versions for yourself if you can.

My collection: 7" single no. 5812
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, December 26, 2015
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'Falling (Peaks version)' / 'Falling (Twin Club mix)'

Listen to the Peaks version / Listen to the Twin Club mix

The way you are - Agnetha Fältskog & Ola Håkansson

Agnetha Fältskog and Ola Håkansson of the Swedish band Secret Service recorded 'The way you are' in 1986. The song was used to promote Falun, Sweden as a candidate for hosting the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. Falun was not selected to host the Games, but the song became a big hit in Sweden. 
The song on the B-side, "Fly like the eagle", was also a duet by Fältskog and Håkansson.

Both songs were featured in the documentary 'It's Time for Sweden'. The single reached No. 1 in Sweden, but was not successful in the rest of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 5811
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'The way you are' / 'Fly like the eagle'

Listen to the song

Alles und noch viel mehr - Manuela

Another example of Manuela's practice of recording German versions of Eurovision songs is this single: 'Alles und noch viel mehr', a version of Dana's winning song for Ireland in the 1970 Contest. The single reached number 26 in the German singles chart.

Manuela, born as Doris Inge Wegener, died on February 13, 2001. Ten years later, a road was named after her: the Manuelaweg in Berlin-Kladow.

My collection: 7" single no. 5810
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 0.8 euro
Tracks: 'Alles und noch viel mehr' / 'Sei wieder gut'

Listen to the song

Der schwarze Mann auf dem Dach - Manuela

The popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest was perhaps even bigger in the Seventies than it is now. The winning songs were often big hits everywhere in Europe and even songs that didn't win made an impact.

German singer Manuela made a career out of recording German-language versions of Eurovision songs. This single is an example: 'Der schwarze Mann auf dem Dach' is the German version of Clodagh Rodgers' 'Jack in the box', the 1971 Eurovision entry from the United Kingdom.

My collection: 7" single no. 5809
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'Der schwarze Mann auf dem Dach' / 'Dich vergessen kann ich nie'

Listen to the song

L'amour s'en va - Françoise Hardy

Françoise Hardy was born on January 17, 1944. She grew up in Paris. She had her breakthrough when she was just 18 years old with the hit 'Tous les garçons et les filles', which sold 700,000 copies in France alone.

She represented Monaco during the 1963 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. 'L'amour s'en va' is a chanson, popular in the early years of the Contest. Hardy sings about a relationship which is conducted in the knowledge that love is a fleeting thing - however this does not seem to matter to either of the lovers involved, as they 'chase after it'. Hardy also recorded the song in Italian and German. She finished 5th in a field of 16 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5808
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'L'amour s'en va', 'Je pense a lui' / 'Comme tant d'autres', 'L'amour d'un garçon'

Listen to the song

Don Quichotte (The remixes) - Magazine 60

Once you get that line 'No señor, Don Quichotte y Sancho Panza no están aqui', you may fall victim to actually liking this song. The original single of Don Quichotte, released in 1985, has already been in my collection for almost 15 years, but this version was a new find for me.

Released in 1992, this single features two remixes of the track created by Yannick Rosco, a remixer and producer who was most active in the early Nineties. The cd-single, also released at the time, features two further versions: the original mix and a remix from 1990.

My collection: 7" single no. 5805
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Don Quichotte (Underground mix)' / 'Don Quichotte (Espagna mix)'

Listen to the song & Listen to the B-side

Writing's on the wall - Sam Smith

With the latest installment of James Bond movies, 'Spectre' in the cinemas right now, these are exciting times for James Bond fans. Less so for the lovers of Bond themes: 'Writing's on the wall' was co-written and performed by Sam Smith, and we can only know him from his style of singing, which resembles the sound of a man who's in constant pain. Inexplicably, this song became the first James Bond theme to reach number one in the UK singles chart, although these days you can easily get to number one in the singles chart if you get more than a hundred downloads.

If after all this you think I hate this song, that's not necessarily true. It's nice enough but it is a bit too restrained for a James Bond theme, and although it easily surpasses the all time low of Another way to die, this song won't exactly be remembered in a decade from now. Unlike, of course, Adele's Skyfall.

My collection: 7" single no. 5803
Found: Amazon.co.uk, received November 11, 2015
Cost: £6
Tracks: 'Writing's on the wall' / 'Writing's on the wall (instrumental)'

Listen to the song

The same old way - Frankie Vaughan

Frankie Vaughan was born on February 3, 1928. He made a name for himself singing easy listening and traditional pop music, starting with 'The old piano roll blues' in 1950. Between then and the end of the Eighties, he released more than 80 singles. In 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, 'Give me the moonlight, give me the girl'.

One of his singles, released in 1959 was 'The same old way', which like most of his singles after 1958 didn't become a hit. But I didn't buy this single for that song, I wanted to have it for the B-side, which was written by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott: 'You can't stop me dancing'. Vaughan died from heart failure in Oxford in 1999.

My collection: 7" single no. 5802
Found: Discogs.com, received October 28, 2015
Cost: £ 1
Tracks: 'The same old way' / 'You can't stop me dancing'

Listen to the song

Yo soy aquel - Raphael

One of my favourite singers of the early years of Eurovision is Raphael. He's got a voice that cuts through your soul and songs to match. I bought his Hablemor de amor years ago, but never found a reasonably priced copy of his other Eurovision smash, 'Yo soy aquel' ('I'm that one').

Raphael was born as Miguel Rafael Martos Sanchez in Linares, Spain on May 5, 1943. His musical career started in 1965 and continues to this day. 'Yo soy aquel' was a reasonable success: it finished 7th in a field of 18 competitors at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966. He returned the next year with that other song, and finished one place higher.

My collection: 7" single no. 5799
Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Yo soy aquel', 'Es verdad' / 'La noche', 'Hasta venecia'

Listen to the song

June bride - China Crisis

China Crisis recently returned with a crowdfunded album, and it's one of the best releases of this year I think - even if it didn't cause much of a media storm. Such is the nature of the band: they've gone on making their music quietly even after the massive success of songs like 'Wishful thinking' and 'King in a catholic style' had gone.

It was a big surprise to find a promotional 7" single for this band in a Spanish record shop. The song on it is even more of a surprise: it's 'June bride', a song from their 1986 album 'What price paradise', which was never actually released as a single anywhere. It could have been a single, and perhaps even a hit, because it's quite catchy, actually!

My collection: 7" single no. 5798
Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'June bride' / 'June bride'

Listen to the song

Que tiempo tan feliz - Mary Hopkin

There are a lot of Spanish singles with translated titles on the sleeve - Bobby Goldsboro's Autumn of my life is an example - but when a sleeve announced 'canta en espanol', you can be sure that the artist has re-recorded their song in Spanish.

Mary Hopkin did this with her 1968 hit single Those were the days. I couldn't pass up on 'Que tiempo tan feliz', because the original is so beautiful and it would be interesting to hear it in a different language. All I need now is the Japanese version of The Police's 'De do do do de da da da'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5796
Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Que tiempo tan feliz' / 'Gira, gira, gira'

Listen to the song

La source - Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra

Isabelle Aubret competed in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with 'La source', representing France. Paul Mauriat and his orchestra were quick to profit from the commercial success of the song, recording an instrumental cover version of it for a single release quickly after the Contest took place.

He did a similar thing the year before with L'amour est bleu. That single sold millions of copies, this single went by almost unnoticed in most territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 5795
Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'La source' / 'Ne sois pas triste'

Listen to the song

The autumn of my life - Bobby Goldsboro

There are some singers that are blessed with both a unique voice and great compositions. I haven't heard much from Bobby Goldsboro during my life, but what I've heard has impressed me. His song Honey is an evergreen, of course, and Summer (The first time) always touches anyone who has a heart.

The autumn of my life is a similar work of art. I found this single during a few days in Barcelona. Whenever I go to a different city I check out the local record shops, and fortunately the second one I visited delivered some goodies. This was the only single I didn't know at all, but I was not disappointed: Bobby Goldsboro is a gifted man.

My collection: 7" single no. 5794
Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'The autumn of my life' / 'Pledge of love'

Listen to the song

The Shang-a-lang song - Ruby Pearl and the Dreamboats

Marty Wilde wrote some catchy songs, verging on the naff sometimes. The title 'Shang-a-lang song' alone will have some people shudder. It doesn't exactly suggest a very 'deep' lyric, but it is still a pop song that will not leave your head once you've heard it.

It was released by Ruby Pearl and the Dreamboats on April 12, 1974, but never managed to reach the charts in the UK. As far as I know, this is the only single this band ever released. The song was also picked up that same year by French singer Sylvie Vartan, who had French lyrics written for her by Gilles Thibault.

My collection: 7" single no. 5793
Found: Discogs.com, received August 13, 2015
Cost: £ 2
Tracks: 'The Shang-a-lang song' / 'Holding you'

Listen to the song

Rub my tummy - Zenda Jacks

I've recently started buying songs that were written by Marty Wilde. Between his own career in the early Sixties and his daughter's career in the Eighties, he's been quite prolific. I have been able to find a few songs that were written by him, others are unavailable or too expensive, but I am pretty sure there's dozens more out there. (I'm always willing to receive donations by the way...)

One of my recent finds has been this single by Zenda Jacks, 'The goddess of rock'. The song 'Rub my tummy' is rather typical for the glam rock age: loud, proud and noisy. After her rather brief solo career, Zenda joined the trio Silver Convention, who represented Germany in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Telegram'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5792
Found: Discogs.com, received August 13, 2015
Cost: £ 2
Tracks: 'Rub my tummy' / 'Party queen'

Listen to the song

In the night - Ben Cramer

In 1969, Marty Wilde released 'Diversions', an album of original songs written by himself and several collaborators. One of the songs on the album was Abergavenny, which was a hit in several European countries, but there was also the song In the night.

That song was covered that same year by Dutch singer Ben Cramer and released on this single. It spent three weeks in the 'bubbling under' chart of the Dutch top 40, but didn't become a hit. It was included on the album 'My world of music', released on the Omega label in 1969.

My collection: 7" single no. 5801
Found: eBay.nl, received September 29, 2015
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'In the night' / 'Although you're gone'

Listen to the song

Night of the swallow - Kate Bush

After seeing Kate Bush live on stage in London, a little over a year ago, my bucket list was almost totally executed. There was only one thing left to do: get me a copy of her elusive 1983 single 'Night of the swallow'. A track from her excellent fourth album 'The Dreaming' (1982), it was only released in Ireland and copies of the single never made it to the Netherlands at the time. By now, the single almost always fetches premium prices.

In July this year, I finally got hold of a decent copy of 'Night of the swallow', after seeing a copy in Utrecht in April. That copy featured a torn square on the front sleeve; this copy is in excellent state. I have nothing more to ask for - which is probably why my record collection is growing less fast by now.

My collection: 7" single no. 5790
Found: Discogs.com, received July 23, 2015
Tracks: 'Night of the swallow' / 'Houdini'

Listen to the song

Jag är en astronaut - Linus Wahlgren

By all accounts, Ricky Wilde's I am an astronaut was a hit in Scandinavia, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the song was covered a few times by Scandinavian artists. Unfortunately those singles are exceedingly hard to find - except if you're willing to part with considerable sums of money. But sometimes, in these days of the internet, you can get lucky.

I found a copy of Linus Wahlgren's 'Jag är en astronaut' (on yellow vinyl, no less!) on Discogs, the website where people not only describe their records, but also buy and sell them. Linus Wahlgren was born 10 September 1976 in Gustavsberg, Värmdö, Sweden. He is an actor an musical artist.

My collection: 7" single no. 5789
Found: Discogs.com, received July 9, 2015
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Jag är en astronaut' / 'Svart på vitt'

Listen to the song

Heimatpop EP - Heimatglück

The German punk rock band Heimatglück was founded in 1996 in Hamburg by Coco and Jana after their previous band Paradontax broke up. They recruited Felix, formerly from the band Tohu-wa-bohu, and started recording songs and performing live. The band still exists in the original lineup.

Their most interesting release - for me anyway - is their 2001 EP Heimatpop. It features five cover versions of Eighties tracks by Kim Wilde, Nena, Madonna, Slime (another German punk band) and Fehlfarben. The song 'Wasserglass' is the most interesting of the lot: a version of Kim Wilde's 'Water on glass'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5788
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2015
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Hamster', 'Wasserglass', 'Ich brenne ab' / 'Paul ist tot', 'Disco'

Listen to 'Wasserglass'

Aina mun pittää - Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät

'Aina mun pittää' ('I always have to') is a punk song by a Finnish band of adults with developmental disabilities. They participated in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, representing their country. Some people felt it turned the show into even more of a 'freak show', after dinosaurs, transvestites, transsexuals, men with beards wearing dresses and lots of people wearing strange stage clothes, but in fact it was a bit of emancipation for the band. I felt they did a great performance, and their song was quite powerful.

Best of all, the song was released on 7" vinyl. As far as I know, it's the first Eurovision 7" single since Sébastien Teller's Divine in 2008.

My collection: 7" single no. 5786
Found: Discogs.com, received April 28, 2015
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Aina mun pittää' / 'Diaknoosi vammainen', 'Sofian lehto'

Listen to the song

Dreams are made for everyone - Wind

In 1992, Wind participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with Träume sind für alle da. And as with their other two entries, there is an English version of the song. I didn't know this until I found a listing of this single on the website of Fun Records in April. It was a nice discovery, and of course I ordered the single right away.

I've always been a sucker for translations of Eurovision songs by the original artists - although I still have to find Japanese singles of Udo Jürgens and Gigliola Cinquetti that apparently exist. 'Dreams are made for everyone' is a good translation of the original, and sounds almost identical to the German studio version.

My collection: 7" single no. 5785
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received April 24, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dreams are made for everyone' / 'One night only'

Listen to the song

Found you out - Daniela Simons

Eurovision singer Daniela Simons followed up her 1986 Eurovision single 'Pas pour moi' with several other singles. 'Found you out' was released in 1989 and sounds nothing like the Eurovision song. It is an attempt to reach the charts with danceable music.

It's a nice enough song, but it didn't chart anywhere, as far as I know. But I am open to any suggestions on where to find more information about this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5784
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received April 24, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Found you out' / 'Loving somebody'

Listen to the song

Sobran las palabras - Braulio

Braulio García was born in 1946 in Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. He began his career in music in 1971, debuting in a local festival with a song called 'Mi Amigo El Pastor'. In 1976 he represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Sobran las palabras' ('Words are unnecessary'). He placed 16th in a field of 18 contestants.

Over the years he also participated in some other song festivals: three times at the Benidorm International Song Festival (1973, 1975 and 1981); at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 1979, where he won the main prize; or at the Yamaha Music Festival in 1982. He has written songs for, amongst others, other Spanish Eurovision singers José Vélez and Massiel.

My collection: 7" single no. 5783
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received April 24, 2015
Cost: 1,5 euro
Tracks: 'Sobran las palabras' / 'A ti que hoy despiertas a la vida'

Listen to the song

Canzone per te - Sandra Simo

Sandra Simo was born as Sandra Studer in Zurich (Switzerland) on February 10, 1969. She represented her country in 1991 with this song, 'Canzone per te'. The song ended up in fifth place in a field of 22 contestants. The B-side of this single is 'Lo so', the song with which Sandra competed in the Swiss national final for Eurovision in 1990.

The singer became a major Swiss television personality, using her real name. In recent years she has hosted the Swiss and German national heats of Eurovision and has also provided commentary of the contest for German audiences in Switzerland.

My collection: 7" single no. 5782
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received April 24, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Canzone per te' / 'Lo so'

Listen to the song

Goeiemorgen morgen - Nicole & Hugo

When I bought this single (along with a few others) the shop owner looked at the sleeve and said 'This is one of Belgium's finest Eurovision entries ever, isn't it?'. I could tell he meant what he said and it wasn't what I expected to hear. Eurovision is often met with ridicule, but the ridicule reserved for Nicole & Hugo's later entry Baby Baby was a especially harsh kind of ridicule.

It has to be said, however, that 'Goeiemorgen morgen' ('Good morning, morning') has a beautiful melody and the duo did a very decent performance of the song - considering the Seventies context of course. It's a shame, then, that they ended up on 14th place in a field of 18 competitors when they competed in the Contest in 1971.

My collection: 7" single no. 5780
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Goeiemorgen, morgen' / 'Er gaat altijd een trein'

Listen to the song

Ein Bisschen Frieden - Judy

The sleeve of this single makes much of the fact that Dutch singer Judy sang her cover of Nicole's 1982 Eurovision winner 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' in 6 languages. She was obviously old enough to pronounce Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Italian convincingly, even if the lyrics were probably written down phonetically for her.

As a cover version, this doesn't add much to the original song, it's just without the naive charm that would make Nicole win the Contest. This single comes across as a cynical ploy to cash in to someone else's success... but failing because it flopped of course. The less said about this single's B-side - in which Judy introduces herself in six languages - the better.

My collection: 7" single no. 5779
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' / 'Introduction'

Listen to the song

Waterloo - Abba

'Here he goes again', you sigh, reading the title of this item. But I have to confess that I never bought an original 7" single of Abba's famous Eurovision song 'Waterloo'. Yes, I do have the 2014 re-release and even the 2004 re-release, but the original single somehow never reached my record collection.

I corrected that mistake in part recently, when I bought the German and French pressings of the 1974 single. Of course there are some more versions to collect, and they will certainly appear on this blog when I get them, but I refuse to pay more than 1 or 2 euro for this single, which complicates matters somewhat. If I'd bought this single in the Eighties I would have paid far less as they were sold in every second hand shop in the world, but these days you have to rely on record fairs and everyone knows that the name Abba almost guarantees big sales numbers. Except for people like me, who aren't necessarily an avid fan of the band, but still want to get their hands on these old singles. Somehow, somewhere someone will hand over an old copy of this famous song for less than 'too much'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5778 / no. 5791
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015 / Discogs.com, received August 13, 2015
Cost: 1 euro / 2 euro
Tracks: 'Waterloo' / 'Watch out'

Listen to the track

Merci Cherie - Tino Rossi

Constantin "Tino" Rossi (29 April 1907 – 26 September 1983) was a Corsican French singer and film actor. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, he was gifted with a voice well suited for opera. He became a tenor in the French cabaret-style. Later, he appeared in various movies. During his career he recorded hundreds of songs and he appeared in more than 25 films, the most notable of which was the 1953 production, 'Si Versailles m'était conté' directed by Sacha Guitry.

He remains the only French singer to have sold more than 700 million records. His disc "Petit Papa Noël" alone sold 80 million copies worldwide. This cover version of Udo Jürgens' 1966 Eurovision winner is less wellknown, but it's a beautiful rendition nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 5777
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Merci Cherie', 'Bye, bye, bye (moi je reste)' / 'Parle-moi d'Ajaccio', 'Teresa'

Listen to the song

Un tout petit pantin - Les Parisiennes

Sandie Shaw didn't just record her Eurovision hit Puppet on a string in Spanish, a French version also exists. She recorded that version as Un tout petit pantin. And that version, of course, was covered by French artists.

In this case, Les Parisiennes, a group of four singers clad in sexy minidresses. Brought together by one Claude Bolling, they sang original songs written by him and Frank Gérard, but in 1967 they tried their hand at the Eurovision winner. During the Seventies the group broke up, but two of the ladies remained active in the entertainment business. Raymonde Bronstein had a solo career as a singer and Anne Lefébure was a presenter on the French TV channel FR3.

My collection: 7" single no. 5776
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Un tout petit pantin', 'Ah! Vivement ce soir qu'on s'couche' / 'Y'a comme un défaut', 'Grand prix'

Listen to the song

Popcorn - Mister K

You'd almost forget, through all these Eurovision postings, that I have several other sub-collections within my record collection. And this is an addition to one of them: the many versions of 'Popcorn', the instrumental tune composed by Gershon Kingsley.

This single comes from the Czech Republic, where I ordered a few CD-singles, but this 7" single was a nice addition with almost no extra shipping costs. This version was actually released all over Europe, but this is my first 'Made in Czechoslovakia' single - and it is likely to be my last as well, because I don't know too many places to get such pressings. Mister K seems to be a certain Mathias Camison, a French guy who remains active in music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5787
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Synthetic sister No. 1'

Listen to the song

Elle était si jolie - Alain Barriere

Alain Barrière (born Alain Bellec, 18 November 1935 in La Trinité-sur-Mer, Morbihan) is a French singer, who has been active since the Fifties and is known for participating in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. His song, 'Elle était si jolie', turned out to be by far the biggest seller of Barrière's career to that point.

He released his first album, 'Ma vie', a year later, and the title-track became a huge hit. In 1965 he was offered, and accepted, a leading role in a heist thriller, 'Pas de panique', alongside Pierre Brasseur. This would be his only venture into acting, but his singing career reached its peak in the latter part of the decade with a string of hits making him one of France's biggest stars and a sell-out live attraction. He remained popular until a decade later, when he got married and moved to the USA. Upon returning four years later, his popularity had waned and he had difficulty getting successful again. However, he continues to release albums to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5775
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Elle était si jolie', 'Le temps d'une valse' / 'Plus je t'entends', 'La route'

Listen to the song

'k Zen liever lui as muug - De Strangers

When Toto Cotugno won the 1990 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Insieme: 1992', the Belgian band De Strangers was quick to record a parody in their native language. Thus, ''k Zen liever lui as muug' was born.

The title roughly means 'I prefer to be lazy rather than tired', and is another stab at Eurovision songs done in a different way. And yes, it's another addition to my growing collection of Eurovision covers.

My collection: 7" single no. 5773
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: ''k Zen liever lui as muug' / 'Den baas hee altijd gelijk'

Listen to the song