Thank you for the music - Abba

The current resurgence of Abba would have you think that I have suddenly started buying Abba singles. This could be true, of course, but this particular single has been on my wantlist for about two years. It just took me very long to find a decent copy for a decent price. 

This is, of course, a re-release of Abba's immortal 'Thank you for the music'. It was released in the UK in 1983 in a poster sleeve. It coincided with the release of a compilation album, also titled 'Thank you for the music', that same year. It was only a year after the release of 'The Singles: The first ten years' in 1982, the one that featured the group's last two singles. But between 1982 and this year, Abba has released dozens of compilation albums and also re-releases (and re-re-releases) of all their albums. And box sets, of course. I wonder how many re-releases 'Voyage' will get in decades to come...

My collection: 7" single no. 6506
Found: Ebay, received 17 November 2021
Cost: £5
Tracks: 'Thank you for the music' / 'Our last summer'

Flying up with my balloon, my balloon, my balloon - Manuela Bravo

In 1979 Manuela Bravo represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest with Sobe, sobe, balao sobe. Besides the original version in Portuguese, she also recorded the song in French as 'Tu t'envoles mon ballon, mon ballon, mon ballon' and in English as 'Flying up with my balloon, my balloon, my balloon'. The English version appears on this single, with the Portuguese version on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 6505
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Flying up with my balloon, my balloon, my balloon' / 'Sobe, sobe, balao sobe'

Claudia (Uno per tutte) - Louis Neefs

Belgian singer Louis Neefs is no stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest: he represented Belgium in 1967 with 'Ik heb zorgen' and in 1969 with 'Jennifer Jennings'. But there's more... In 1963 he recorded a cover version of the Italian Eurovision entry 'Uno per tutte'. Retitled 'Claudia', the song was rewritten in the Dutch language by Belgian songwriter, producer, publisher and label owner Louis Van Rymenant. 

Louis Neefs died on 25 December 1980 after a car accident. It was a tragic ending to a very successful career.

My collection: 7" single no. 6504
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Claudia (Uno per tutte)' / 'Wat zou de wereld zonder liefde zijn'

Auf der grossen Himmelsstrasse - Margot Eskens

Here's another single I didn't buy for the A-side, but for the B-side! 'Damals war alles so schön' is a great German version of Corry Brokken's winning Eurovision song 'Net als toen', and unsurprisingly this single was released in 1957, the year of this song's success.

Margot Eskens (born on 12 August 1939 in Düren) was most popular in the 1950's and 1960's. She continued to be a frequent guest on television programs into the 2000s. In 1966, she represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Die Zeiger der Uhr'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6503
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Auf der grossen Himmelsstrasse' / 'Damals war alles so schön'

Als je maar nooit bekent - Corry Brokken

'Als je maar nooit bekent' is a Dutch-language cover of 'N'avoue jamais', the song that was made famous by Guy Mardel, who represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. It is perhaps no wonder that this single by Corry Brokken - herself a Eurovision winner in 1957 - was also released in 1965. 

The other side of this single, 'Tommy-Tom' is also a cover version: 'Laura Lee' was written by Forrest Wood and Liam Sullivan and recorded by Eddy Arnold in February 1965. Corry's version, recorded with Bert Paige's orchestra, was released in June of that same year.

My collection: 7" single no. 6502
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Als je maar nooit bekent' / 'Tommy Tom'

 

Johnny Blue - Katri Helena

'Johnny Blue' was originally recorded by Lena Valaitis, and it was her entry for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, representing Germany. The song was written by the infamous duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, who together wrote many songs for the Contest. 

Katri Helena's version was translated into Finnish by Kaisu Liuhala, who was a rather prolific song translator. Katri Helena, of course, represented Finland at Eurovision twice, in 1979 with 'Katson sineen taivan' and in 1993 with 'Tule luo'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6501
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Johnny blue' / 'Olet ystäväin'

Een sprookje - De Spelbrekers

De Spelbrekers represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 with 'Katinka'. However, this wasn't the first brush with Eurovision repertoire. In 1959, they released the single 'Een sprookje' ('A fairytale') with on the B-side a cover version of 'Oui, oui, oui, oui', Jean Philippe's entry for France at Eurovision. Obviously, this is what drew me towards this single, which I could buy for almost nothing from a Dutch seller. 

Between 1950 and 1968, the duo released many singles, but it didn't give them any chart placings. However, their song 'Katinka' remains a classic in the Netherlands. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6500
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Een sprookje' / 'Oui, oui, oui'

Lied für einen Freund - Maxi & Chris Garden

I already own a copy of 'Lied für einen Freund', but the opportunity came up to buy a stack of singles (and cd-singles) from a Eurovision collector and this single was among them. It features a French version of the same song on the double A-side, instead of a different track (which appears on that other single).

Maxi and Chris Garden recorded their Eurovision song in a few different languages apparently and normally these singles command high prices. So I guess I was lucky to get this one. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6499
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Lied für einen Freund' / 'Chant pour un ami'

Voulez-vous - Abba

With sales of over 5 million copies, 'Abba Gold' is the second highest selling album of all time in the UK, after Queen's 'Greatest Hits'. As of July 2021, "Gold" became the first album to reach 1000 weeks on the Official Charts in United Kingdom with pure sales of 5.61 million copies sold in United Kingdom.

When the album was first released, back in 1992, it was supported by a series of single releases. 'Dancing queen' was the first single, and this one was the second: 'Voulez-vous' backed with another single which didn't appear on Abba Gold: 'Summer night city'. This single didn't chart, but it still attracted some attention. These days it's very hard to get hold of a copy, and the third single is even more difficult. But it will appear here someday, I'm sure. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6486
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Voulez-vous' / 'Summer night city'

Humanaho (Alle Menschen sind Brüder) - Roberto Blanco

Roberto Zerquera Blanco was born on 7 June 1937 in Tunis (Tunisia). He grew up in Beirut and Madrid, before coming to Germany in 1956. He forged a career for himself singing schlagers in German at the end of the 1960's. 

This single, 'Humanaho' is a cover version of Jean Gabilou's French Eurovision entry from 1981, 'Humanahum'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6497
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 November 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Humanaho (Alle Menschen sind Brüder)' / 'Sing ein Lied'

Tausend Fenster - Karel Gott

This single has been on my wantlist for a long time and I just couldn't find a decent copy for a reasonable price. But I never give up, and so I have finally got a good copy now. 'Tausend Fenster' was produced by Udo Jürgens - who also recorded the song himself around the same time - and performed by Karel Gott. 

Karel Gott (14 July 1939 – 1 October 2019) was a Czech singer and amateur painter, considered the most successful male singer in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. He was voted the country's best male singer in the annual Český slavík (Czech Nightingale) national music award 42 times, most recently in 2017. After appearing at the Midem music fair in Cannes in 1967 he was offered a recording contract with Polydor, and he stayed with the company until 2000. In 1968, he represented Austria with 'Tausend Fenster', which earned him just 2 points. He finished in 13th place in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6496
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Tausend Fenster' / 'Aber du glaubst an mich'

Bye bye I love you (English version) - Ireen Sheer

Ireen Sheer's 1974 Eurovision entry 'Bye bye I love you' was originally performed in French (even if the title of the song would have you believe otherwise). However, she also recorded the song in German and English, and it is the English version that I can present here.

Ireen would not be a stranger to Eurovision: she would return in 1978 with the song 'Feuer' and in 1985 as part of a bigger group of artists with the song 'Children, Kinder, enfants'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6495
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Bye bye I love you (Englische originalversion)' / 'Rosebery Avenue'

She's my kind of girl - Bjorn & Benny

Before Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson became famous with Abba, they had careers themselves. They had success with the Hootenanny Singers and the Hep Stars respectively. 'She's my kind of girl' represents their first single together. It was recorded for the Swedish movie 'Inga II: The seduction of Inga'. Originally released in 1970, the single became a huge hit in Japan two years later, selling half a million copies.

The song was subsequently put on the B-side of the Swedish issue of ABBA's 'Ring Ring' (English Version) single, and on the album of the same name in some other countries (in spite of it having been recorded before ABBA was formed and featuring no contribution from ABBA's other members, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad). The song is also unusual in that it is the only track in the entire catalogue that appears in fake stereo. To date, there is no known mono-only version. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6482
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'She's my kind of girl' / 'Inga's theme'

Shine On - Kim Wilde & Boy George

As a lifelong collector of Kim Wilde records, a limited edition 7" single of her latest single 'Shine On' was a musthave of course. The single was released back in August, and right now the item has sold out, although you can still find some copies on Discogs.com and Ebay. And it's worth owning, not only for the two excellent tracks on this disc, but also for the fact that it is pressed on blue vinyl. Oddly, to my knowledge this is the first coloured vinyl 7" single ever by Kim Wilde.

'Shine On' is performed as a duet with Boy George. The two have crossed paths several times during the last four decades, but never collaborated on a song. The other side featured 'You're My Karma', another duet but this time with up and coming British talent Tom Aspaul. Everything is produced, as usual, by brother Ricky Wilde, who turns 60 today. Gosh, how time flies! 

My collection: 7" single no. 6424
Found: Cherry Red records, received 5 August 2021
Cost: £7.99
Tracks: 'Shine On' (with Boy George) / 'You're my karma' (with Tom Aspaul)

Il Padrino - Orchestra Mario Battaini

Mario Battaini (Milan, 6 October 1931 - 26 April 2000) was a multi-instrumentalist, arranger and italian conductor. He was very concerned with his privacy. For this reason he used various stage names during his career. One of them was Duke of Burlington. The hit 'Flash' was one of his biggest successes.

The A-side features an instrumental version of the theme from the movie 'The Godfather', entitled 'Il Padrino' in Italian. However, it is of course the B-side that interested me more: a version of Gershon Kingsley's immortal 'Popcorn'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6494
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Il Padrino' / 'Popcorn'

Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht - Gunnar Winckler & Bibi Johns

This is an extremely old single, but it's also in an unusually fine state. You won't find that many 64 year old singles sounding this good. It's also in its original record company sleeve. Online purchases can be disappointing sometimes, but this certainly exceeded my expectations.

What this single is, is a German version of a Danish entry to the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest. On stage, Gunnar (a.k.a. Gustav) Winckler and Birthe Wilke performed 'Skibet skal selje i nat', but for this German version Birthe made way for Bibi Johns, a Swedish singer and film actress. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6493
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht' / 'Gin und Rum'

Mein Ruf nach dir - Piera Martell

Piera Martell was born on 2 July 1943 in Jona, St. Gallen (Switzerland). She is best known for her participation in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. It's hard to believe that 'Mein Ruf nach dir' is from the same year as Abba's 'Waterloo', because it sounds so old-fashioned. The juries seemed to think so too, because it finished in joint last place (together with the German, Norwegian and Portuguese entries) of the 17 entries. 

Martell went on to make three further attempts to perform at Eurovision, without success. In 1976, she entered the German selection ('Ein neuer Tag' – 11th place), followed by two more participations in the Swiss selection in 1977 ('Aldo Rinaldo' – 4th place) and 1978 ('Hier, Pierre' – 6th place). She continued performing and releasing singles periodically until her retirement from the music industry in 1981. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6492
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Mein Ruf nach dir' / 'Du hast mir die Liebe gegeben'

Bonjour, bonjour - Paola

With a title like 'Bonjour, bonjour' you might suspect that this is a song in French, but the Swiss entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 was sung almost entirely in German - except for the title. Perhaps this was inspired by the fact that French was the most popular language at the time, both in the world and in the Contest. 

The song was performed by Paola del Medico, who was born on 5 October 1950 and was just 18 years old at the time of the Contest. Her song finished in fifth place in a field of 16 competitors. Considering the first four places were all winners in the old system, she did pretty well. She would return to the Contest in 1980 with the song 'Cinema'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6491
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 November 2021
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Bonjour, bonjour' / 'Valse d'amour'

That's me - Abba

Today is release day for Abba - their first album in 40 years is called 'Voyage' and serves to remind people that music can be timeless if you ignore "current trends". Fortunately they didn't employ rappers or other "famous people" to create their new work.

On this special occasion I thought I'd get out one of the special items I have in my collection: I got a nice handful of Japanese Abba singles last month and this one is extra special, because it flipped the A- and B-sides, relegating 'Money, Money, Money' to the B-side whereas 'That's Me' was promoted to the A-side. Why the Japanese felt this necessary I don't know - perhaps they thought the message of 'Money, Money, Money' was unsuitable for the Japanese public? 

My collection: 7" single no. 6479
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $7
Tracks: 'That's me' / 'Money, Money, Money'

This is your life (Barcelona mix) - Banderas

I find it quite sad that Banderas only ever released one album. I have it in my collection and it's one of those albums I keep returning to, quite regularly at least. The only big hit they scored was their debut single 'This is your life', and much to my surprise I found this promotional single recently online, featuring the so-called 'Barcelona mix' of the track. It is actually a shorter version of the 'Easy Life mix', found on the song's 12" single. 

Both women are still active in music, it seems. Sally Herbert made a name for herself as violinist, orchestral arranger, composer and producer.and released a track called 'Everything must change' together with Jimmy Somerville in February this year, whereas Caroline Buckley appeared on an EP called 'Lovers Unlimited', on which that same Jimmy Somerville was the main man. Funny enough, Jimmy also appeared on the Banderas'  sole album, thirty years ago. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6490
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'This is your life (Barcelona mix)' / 'This is your life (Barcelona mix)'

Todo esto es la música - Serafin Zubiri

This single has been on my want list for a few years. It's the first of two Eurovision appearances by Serafin Zubiri. In 2000 he participated with 'Colgado de un sueño' - which, unfortunately, was never released on a 7" single, and in 1992 with this song, 'Todo esto es la música'. Curiously, this song was only ever released as a promotional item on both 7" single and CD-single. And it is a no frills affair: the CD only has one track, and this single features the same track on both sides.

The album 'Te veo con el corazon' followed later in 1992, after Serafin reached 14th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a field of 23 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6489
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Todo esto es la música' / 'Todo esto es la música'

The old street musician - Ben Cramer

Even this week Ben Cramer was still on Dutch TV. The enduring career of this singer proves that he certainly wasn't a one hit wonder - even if his success didn't necessarily translate to other countries. His 1973 Eurovision entry 'De oude muzikant' was recorded in several other languages, but that didn't give him any hits. 

This single, a Portuguese pressing, features the English version of the song, correctly translated into 'The old street musician'. And even the B-side, 'Kom Sylvia dans met mij' was translated into 'Sylvia, come dance with me', which is also a literal translation. The A-side was written, and both sides produced, by Pierre Kartner a.k.a. Father Abraham, who made himself internationally known as the Smurfs man later on in that decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 6488
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'The old street musician' / 'Sylvia, come dance with me'

Tie uuteen päivään - Markku Aro

Markku Aro was born as Markku Tuomas Puputti on 3 February 1950 in Mouhijärvi, Finland. Together with the pop duo Koivistolaiset he represented his country at the 1971 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Tie uuteen päivään' ('Road to a new day'). The song deals with the progress of humanity towards "a new day", contending that this is not something to be afraid of. The song finished in eighth place, in a field of 18 competitors.

This single may not look much - and the center has been pushed out unfortunately - but it is a true collector's item: for a couple of years no other copy has been offered for sale online, and so I am still happy to have this one. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6485
Found:  Discogs.com, received 12 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Tie uuteen päivään' / 'Silmät ja suu'

I still have faith in you - Abba

One of the most anticipated comebacks of all time: it's easy to see that when Abba announced not only a few new tracks (which were already announced a couple of years ago), but a full album, the music world shook on its foundations. During a live streamed press moment the music video for 'I still have faith in you' was shown - undoubtedly an emotional moment for Abba fans worldwide.

While it is easy to get caught up in this hype, the question remains: is the new song any good? Without reservation I would say, yes of course. Thankfully they remained true to their own sound and didn't employ rappers, modern producers or "big names". They just made their own music, and released it, thankfully, on 7" vinyl as well. The only disappointing thing is that they didn't include a B-side: that side is etched with the lyrics of the song. That's beautiful, of course, but another song would have been nicer.

My collection: 7" single no. 6444
Found: Platenzaak.nl, received 4 September 2021
Cost: € 9,99
Tracks: 'I still have faith in you'

You don't have to say you love me - Dusty Springfield

I do have versions of this song by Michael Ball and Guys and Dolls, but the version by Dusty Springfield remains the best of all times. The original version of the song comes from Italy and was introduced at the Sanremo Festival by Pino Donaggio as 'Io che non vivo (senza te)'. The song reached the final at Sanremo and, as recorded by Donaggio, reached No. 1 in Italy in March 1965.

Dusty Springfield, who participated at the 1965 Sanremo Festival, was in the audience when Donaggio performed the song and, although she did not know the meaning of the lyrics, the song moved Springfield to tears. She obtained an acetate recording of Donaggio's song, but allowed a year to go by before actively pursuing the idea of recording an English version. English lyrics were provided by her friend Vicki Wickham together with her own friend Simon Napier-Bell. Dusty's recording became a number 1 hit in the UK and went top 10 in most of the other countries around the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6471
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $2
Tracks: 'You don't have to say you love me' / 'Little by little'

Having it all - Eighth Wonder feat. Patsy Kensit

Most people know the movie 'Absolute beginners' from the single 'Absolute beginners' by David Bowie, but this movie had so much more to offer. Who could forget Sade's beautiful song 'Killer blow'? It's a shame that was never released as a single.

I thought the same about 'Having it all', performed in the movie by Patsy Kensit from Eighth Wonder. I was surprised, and pleased, to find that this song was released as a single, albeit in Japan only. The jazzy track is a departure from their other material, which is much more synth-driven, but I guess that's what makes this track extra special.

My collection: 7" single no. 6467
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Having it all' / 'Stay with me (instrumental)'

Forever autumn - Vigrass & Osborne

'Forever autumn' is a rather familiar title on this blog: I own a UK single, a Dutch single and a re-released single from 1989. One thing was still missing, though: the original version by Paul Vigrass and Gary Osborne.

They wrote the song together with Jeff Wayne. It was Wayne who wrote the original melody as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album 'Queues'. Their interpretation was also released as a single and gained moderate commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a top-20 hit on the country's record chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6466
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Forever autumn' / 'Men of learning'

En un mundo nuevo - Waldo de los Rios

In 1971, Karina represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'En un mundo nuevo'. It was a successful entry for the country, because it finished in second place. The song was arranged and conducted by Waldo de los Rios, who was smart enough to also record a version of the song himself - albeit instrumental. This single presents that version.

Waldo de los Ríos (real name: Osvaldo Nicolás Ferraro Gutiérrez) was a native of Buenos Aires who relocated to the USA in 1958 and then Spain in 1962. He is best-remembered for his ability to transform European classical music into pop music. De los Ríos committed suicide in 1977. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6464
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'En un mundo nuevo' / 'Pamperito'

Este mundo - Katja Ebstein

Katja Ebstein represented Germany in 1971 with the song 'Diese Welt'. And just like the song 'Wunder gibt es immer wider' (which she recorded in Spanish as 'Siempre hay algun milagro'), she recorded this song in Spanish. 'Este mundo' was released in Spain just after her Eurovision appearance. Strange thing is, the B-side was still in German, unlike that other Spanish single.

'Diese Welt' reached third place in the 1971 edition of Eurovision. In her autobiography, Ebstein wrote: "For me, this placement was the international breakthrough... I took bronze, with the eco-song 'Diese Welt' by Dieter Zimmermann and Fred Jay."

My collection: 7" single no. 6463
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Este mundo' / 'Wind in der Nacht'

Popcorn - Popcorn Orchestra

This cheap looking sleeve hides the fact that the Popcorn Orchestra is actually French synth god Jean Michel Jarre. At least, that is what more knowledgeable people have told me. No wonder, then, that this single fetches some stunning prices online, especially when it is in pristine condition.

My copy is reasonably good, but the seller already warned that the B-side sounded a bit off. That was no problem: it was, after all, the A-side that I was after. You can tell from this blog that I am a bit of a Popcorn collector, and so the version by Jarre was one I just had to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 6462
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Blackbird'

Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt - Marianne Rosenberg

German singer Marianne Rosenberg released this single in 1980, featuring not just one, but two cover versions in German of contemporary hits. The A-side featured a version of Barbra Streisand's evergreen 'Woman in love', and the B-side a version of the immortal 'The winner takes it all' by Abba. Quite why she thought this would improve those two songs is unknown.

Still, this single became a hit in Germany, reaching number 31 at the turn of the year. And she wasn't the only one to cover 'Woman in love' either: Gitte Haenning released 'Die Frau, die dich liebt' and Mireille Mathieu released 'Une femme amoureuse'. And that was just in 1980. There have also been lots of cover versions of 'The winner takes it all', although most of those were released after 1980.

My collection: 7" single no. 6460
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Ich hab' auf Liebe gesetzt' / 'Nur Sieger stehn im Licht'

Walk away - Matt Monro

When Matt Monro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 with 'I love the little things', he was quite impressed with the Austrian entry by Udo Jürgens, 'Warum nur warum?'. He decided to record a cover version, with English lyrics by Don Black. This became 'Walk away', released before the end of the year. It became a hit for him, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart and even number 6 in Australia. Monro would go on to record a cover version of Udo Jürgens' Eurovision winner, 'Merci Chérie', in 1966.

This EP features four tracks by Monro. The two tracks on side one are quite enjoyable, the two on the other side... not so much.

My collection: 7" single no. 6461
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Walk away', 'Around the world' / 'Fools rush in', 'Walk into the dawn'

Dancing queen / Fernando - Abba

This single was released in the GDR, or 'East Germany' as we called it until 1990, when that part of Germany was under communist rule. The state-run label Amiga released singles for the wealthier part of the public - although there were, apparently, also lots of illegal tapes doing the rounds.

I bought this single because it feels a bit like a rarity. It's not really that rare - it is available regularly online - but it's always nice to own a piece of history, and this is it. Amiga released a couple of Abba singles, and this one features two of their biggest hits: 'Dancing queen' and 'Fernando'. Who knows I may find those other Amiga singles someday too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6459
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Fernando'

Hotel California - Eagles

Although I do own 'Hotel California' on one of those re-release singles from the 'Old Gold' series, it always feels a bit like cheating to just have that. I wasn't exactly inclined to buy the original single, until I saw this Japanese beauty at the record fair. This is the original Japanese single from 1976, and it features a slightly edited version of that classic track: it's 20 seconds shorter than the orginal album version.

It's no wonder that the guitar solo at the end of this track is often quoted as one of the best guitar solos of all time. It takes up the last two minutes of the track (which originally runs at 6½ minutes) and includes some impressive twists and turns. Would such a track still become a hit these days? When hell freezes over, perhaps.

My collection: 7" single no. 6458
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Hotel California' / 'Pretty maids all in a row'

Here in my heart / Aldri i livet - Finn Kalvik

For the first time in two years, I went to a real record fair this weekend. It was quite great to see a bunch of dealers at the Ahoy in Rotterdam, not in open air (like the minor record fairs in Den Haag of recent months) but in a real hall. There was still a relatively limited amount of international sellers, but the atmosphere was great and it almost felt like old times. I actually scored a few rare items, too.

The first rare item I saw was this single by Norwegian singer Finn Kalvik, who represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with 'Aldri i livet'. The single was produced by Benny Andersson from Abba, which makes it a collectors item for certain fans I guess. I was quite shocked by the price on this one - until I saw that the dealer was selling everything at half price! Considering I have been looking for this one for years, it was a great find.

My collection: 7" single no. 6457
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €7,50
Tracks: 'Here in my heart' / 'Aldi i livet'

Oxygene 2 - Jean Michel Jarre

It's time for a much needed break from the Eurovision repertoire on this blog, and it comes in the shape of French synthesizer god Jean Michel Jarre. His single 'Oxygene IV' is probably his best known track. I was quite surprised to find out there was also a single of 'Oxygene 2', another track from his album 'Oxygene'. The tune is very different, but just as arresting. 

The record-buying public seemed less interested at the time: whereas 'Oxygene IV' was a major hit worldwide, this second single only managed to reach number 61 in Australia (and didn't even chart in his native France!). His career was far from over: Jarre continues to release music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6456
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 September 2021
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Oxygene 2' / 'Oxygene 6'

A force de prier - Nana Mouskouri

For the longest time I have been searching for a good and cheap copy of 'A force de prier'. I bought the English version, 'The one that got away' for almost nothing 2½ years ago, but finding the original version has been much more difficult. I am glad to say that I finally succeeded, for only slightly more than I wanted to pay for this.

'A force de prier' was Nana Mouskouri's Eurovision entry for Luxembourg back in 1963. According to her: "It was a beautiful song, but when I listened to the other participants, I understood that I would not win". It must have been a disappointment to land on 8th place. It has to be said that the winning song, 'Dansevise' was a true classic, but this song should at least have been in the top 5.

My collection: 7" single no. 6455
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 September 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'A force de prier', 'Ensemble' / 'Laissez-moi pleurer', 'Les yeux pour pleurer'

Ballare stretti - Sergio Dalma

Sergio Dalma represented Spain with 'Bailar pegados' in 1991. By that time, recording songs in other languages had become less fashionable (it was pretty common especially in the Sixties and Seventies), but he decided to record his song in Italian as well. This version was entitled 'Ballare stretti'. 

There are a few releases of this song. The commercially-released version fetches some amazing amounts these days, but this Italian promo, amazingly, was quite cheap. There's also the added bonus of a track by a certain Federico Vassallo on the other side of this single, and it is a nice contrast to the rather downbeat ballad by Sergio.

My collection: 7" single no. 6454
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 September 2021
Cost: €5.50
Tracks: 'Siamo qua' (Federico Vassallo) / 'Ballare stretti' (Sergio Dalma)

Ho sognato te / La danza delle note - Sandie Shaw

When I wrote an entry on 'Wiedehopf im Mai' last month, I already promised that the Italian version of 'Puppet on a string' would follow soon. And indeed it does: I received this single just a few days ago. Incredibly, that Italian version entitled 'La danza delle note' appeared on the flipside of 'Ho sognato te', which is the Italian version of 'Had a dream last night', which was the B-side of 'Puppet on a string' in most territories.

It has to be said that the sleeve of this single is probably the most beautiful one of all the international versions of 'Puppet on a string'. I'm satisfied that I now have all the versions of that song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6453
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 September 2021
Cost: €2.20
Tracks: 'Ho sognato te' / 'La danza delle note'

A la folie ou pas du tout - Christian Lorant

Serge & Christine Ghisoland performed 'A la folie ou pas du tout' at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. Apparently there was some interest in this song in Belgium, because it was actually covered by Christian Lorant almost at the same time.

This Christian Lorant remains a mysterious figure, since he doesn't appear on the sleeve and he only released this one single. Needless to say, this single wasn't a hit and it has become a bit of a curiosity. There are actually more cover versions of the song; these may appear in this blog in the future yet. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6452
Found: Discogs.com, received 23 September 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'A la folie ou pas du tout' / 'Madame'

Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel - Tonia

Arlette Antoine Dominicus was born in Anderlecht on 25 July 1947. She released her first single as Tonia in 1963, and continued to release singles throughout the decade. A lot of her releases were Dutch and French covers of popular German songs.

In 1966 she was chosen to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song, 'Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel' ('A little pepper, a little salt') deals with the singer's quest to impress the object of her affections, whom she sees every day but can't make look at her twice. In desperation, she enlists the help of "the local sorceress", who gives her a recipe to create a love potion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the potion does its job. Tonia also recorded the song in Dutch, then under the title 'Een beetje suiker' ('A little sugar'). The song finished in fourth place in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6451
Found: Discogs.com, received 23 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel' / 'Tu pourrais m'emmener danser'

Waarom - Jacques Raymond

Jacques Raymond was born as Jozef Remon in Temse (Belgium) on 13 October 1938. He represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963 with the song 'Waarom?' ('Why?'). The song poses rhetorical questions, with Raymond wondering why the question 'I love you – do you love me too?' is so powerful in the human experience. The song was not particularly successful, as it finished in 10th place in a field of 16 competitors.

I was lucky to find a copy on the Dutch website Marktplaats, because everywhere else this single commands rather high prices. I didn't actually know the song but I have to say it is a charming piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 6450
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 20 September 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Waarom' / 'Eens'

Catherine - Daniele Vidal

Daniele Vidal was born on 27 June 1952. She was born in Morocco when it was a French colony. She debuted in 1969 at age seventeen with the record 'Aime ceux qui t'aiment', a French-language cover of Edita Piekha's Russian song 'Nash sosed' with different lyrics. 

An EP of this song featured a cover version of the song 'Catherine', which was performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 by Romuald, who represented Luxembourg. That song was subsequently also released as a single in Japan. Although I am still looking for the original version by Romuald, I thought it would be nice to own this cover version. 

Daniele moved to Japan in the early 1970s and lived there for several years, while also releasing many singles over there. In 1980 Vidal married musician Shibata (Japanese name: 柴田功) of the Japanese group sounds band Chaco & Hell's Angel. They had one son and later divorced. Vidal now lives in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 6449
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £2.99
Tracks: 'Catherine' / 'Je suis comme toutes les filles'

On and on and on - Abba

The song 'On and on and on' was taken from the album 'Super Trouper' and in Europe it was never released on a 7" single. A 12" single was released at the time, featuring the track on the B-side, but it was almost a double A-side, condisering both 'Lay all your love on me' and this track were pretty popular at the time. 

That 12" single was the first 12" single I ever bought, and now, forty years later, I found a Japanese 7" single featuring 'On and on and on' on the A-side. Strangely, it is coupled with 'The piper', which was the B-side of 'Super trouper' in the rest of the world. As always, this Japanese single is a thing of beauty and in almost impeccable state, despite all the decades that passed since its release.

My collection: 7" single no. 6448
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £2.99
Tracks: 'On and on and on' / 'The piper'

L'amour est bleu - Vicky

Vicky Leandros was just 17 when she was offered to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967 with 'L'amour est bleu'. The song eventually finished in fourth place, but became a classic despite not winning - a fate shared with songs like 'Volare' and 'Eres tu'. 

For the longest time I have been searching for a copy of the single but it is very hard to find - if you're not willing to pay an unreasonable price. So imagine my surprise when I recently stumbled on a Japanese pressing of this single for just £3.99! You would even think it was a bad copy, but both the disc and the sleeve are in pristine condition. Add to that the fact that I really love Japanese singles, and you can imagine that I am pretty happy with this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6447
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £3.99
Tracks: 'L'amour est bleu' / 'Le soleil a quitte ma maison'

夢みるシャンソン人形 日本語盤 - France Gall

It ain't easy to decipher the title on this particular single, but that's because it is written - and sung! - in Japanese. If you use Google Translate on this one, you get 'Dreaming Chanson Doll Japanese Edition' as the result, but fortunately we can listen to the track and find out that this is the Japanese version of 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son', the Serge Gainsbourg-penned track that propelled France Gall to worldwide stardom. 

France Gall only recorded a French and Japanese version of the song, as far as I know, but quite why she recorded the song in Japanese remains unknown. We do know, however, that the song was covered numerous times and in no less than 20 different languages. Thank you Wikipedia!

My collection: 7" single no. 6446
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £7.99
Tracks: '夢みるシャンソン人形 日本語盤' (France Gall) / 'ドナ・ドナ・ドーナ 日本語盤' (Claude François)

Stop - Bang

The Greek band Bang was formed in 1987 consisting of members Thanos Kalliris, Vasilis Dertilis and Michalis Capoulas. The band's first release was 'Run for your love'. Capoulas left soon after and the band became a duo. In 1987, the duo competed in the Greek selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 1987. Their song, 'Stop', a pop/funk dance anthem was a success and the duo, along with Thanos' sister Katerina Kalliri, Mariana Efstratiou (who competed for Greece in Eurovision 1989) and Laura Burke doing the backing vocals, travelled to Brussels for the contest. 

The song started in Brussels with high hopes and good reviews, but scored only 64 points, reaching the 10th place. That however was a good result for a Greek entry at the time and the band was a massive hit back home. It was released on 7" and 12", but bizarrely the 12" single is available for a lot less than the 7" single. So I decided on ordering the 12" single for now - hopefully I will be able to get the 7" one day for a reasonable price (i.e. for less than 70 euros, which seems to be the average going rate for this one).

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Stop (English version)' / 'Stop (Greek version)'

Charlie Chaplin - Tania Tsanaklidou

In 1973 the Eurovision Song Contest dropped the rule that artists had to perform songs in (one of) the official language(s) of their country. When the rule was reinstated in 1977 various countries started being creative to work around this rule. And since there were no rule about singing about wellknown persons, the Greek song from 1978 was particularly inventive: they simply sang about Charlie Chaplin.

Chaplin had died the year before, and so it seemed a tribute to the wellknown actor and comedian. Tania Tsanaklidou, who performed the song, described his comic appearance (she was dressed in a similar style for her performance) and wishing that there were more of him. Of course, since she was singing in Greek, nobody made sense of the lyric - only the title. She finished in eighth place in a field of 20 competitors. Not bad!

My collection: 7" single no. 6445
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Charlie Chaplin' / 'Charlie Chaplin (instrumental)'

Let's go crazy - Tajči

Tajči, a.k.a. Tatjana Matejaš, was born on 1 July 1970 in Zagreb, Croatia. She represented Yugoslavia in 1990 with the song 'Hajde da ludujemo'. This 12" single features three remixes of the song, of which two are in English, and called 'Let's go crazy'. Presenting herself as a Balkan version of Marilyn Monroe, she certainly made an impression on the European juries, who awarded her 81 points, which gave her a 7th place in the competition.

Since 1992 Tatjana lives in the USA, where she has since taken up citizenship and residence.She continued to release albums, although they are certainly not all in the upbeat style of this disc.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Hajde Da Ludujemo (Party Extended)', 'Let's Go... (Jack Mix D.J. Got Crazy)' / 'Let's Go Crazy (Total Madness)', 'Moj Mali Je Opasan / Let's Twist Again'

Jamas, jamas - Guy Mardel

Guy Mardel was one of many Eurovision artists who recorded his song for the competition in different languages. His 1965 entry 'N'avoue jamais' appeared in Spanish as 'Jamas, jamas'. What's more, he recorded an entire EP in Spanish, as you can see here.

The Spanish version of 'N'avoue jamais' was translated by a certain Salina, who remains otherwise uncredited. The other three songs were translated by a certain Mapel, who also remains unknown to me.  

My collection: 7" single no. 6443
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 September 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Jamas, jamas', 'Si lloviendo está' / 'La primera vez', 'Sera muy grande el mundo'