She's strange - Cameo

Cameo started out as a 13-member group in the seventies, called the New York City Players. In March 1984, they had their first hit outside of America, reaching number 37 in the UK singles chart with this single, 'She's strange'. It is a far cry from later hits like 'Word Up' and 'Candy', with its understated, subtle music and close harmony vocals. The video was a regular on music television during that year, but in the Netherlands, the single couldn't be found.

I finally bought this 12" single as a good alternative. With a long version and a club mix of the track, it is a treat.

My collection: 12" single no. 404

Found: Beanos, East Croydon (UK), May 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'She's strange (long version)', 'Love you anyway' / 'She's strange (club mix)', 'Groove with you'

Download: here

Allergies - Paul Simon

While I was never a big Paul Simon fan, 'Allergies' is an interesting song. The single never charted in the UK, but it did reach number 31 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1983. It was taken from Simon's album 'Hearts and bones'. The songs on this album were apparently planned to be part of a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album after their famous concert in Central Park on September 19, 1981. Simon finally recorded and released the songs solo.

My collection: 7" single no. 3395

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2004

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Allergies' / 'Think too much'

Download: Album 'Hearts and bones', including both tracks

Limited Edition Hits E.P. Number Two - A-ha

The record company repeated the trick of the Limited Edition Hits E.P. with an E.P. Number Two. It was the second single from A-ha's 1990 album 'East of the sun west of the moon' that got the Hits E.P. treatment. 'I call your name' was coupled with 'The sun always shines on T.V.', 'Hunting high and low' and 'The blood that moves the body'.

'I call your name' peaked at number 44, and while further singles were drawn from A-ha's album, no further Hits E.P.'s were compiled.

My collection: 7" single no. 2386

Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'I call your name', 'The sun always shines on T.V.' / 'Hunting high and low', 'The blood that moves the body'

Download: Album 'Headlines and deadlines', including these tracks

Limited Edition Hits E.P. - A-ha

When A-ha released 'Crying in the rain' in 1990, the record company decided that in order to sell more copies, they would make a limited edition hits e.p. Besides 'Crying in the rain', this e.p. also contains previous hits 'Take on me', 'Cry wolf' and 'Stay on these roads'. While these singles peaked at number 2, 5 and 5 in the UK respectively, 'Crying in the rain' didn't get any higher than number 13. It's interesting to know that this Hits e.p. was only released on vinyl and not as a cd-single, even if that format was getting increasingly popular in 1990.

My collection: 7" single no. 2742

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1996

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Crying in the rain', 'Take on me' / 'Cry wolf', 'Stay on these roads'

Download: Album 'Headlines and deadlines', including these tracks

You did cut me - China Crisis

The double single for China Crisis's 1985 single 'You did cut me' is a real treat. It features three live tracks, of which the recording of 'Christian' has to be the most charming version of that song ever put to disc. The tracks were recorded at the Liverpool Empire on May 19, 1985.

My sister was very into China Crisis in the eighties, so it's no wonder I found out about this double single thanks to her. I bought my own copy almost five years after it came out via an English mail order company. It was a great way to get hold of old singles - and they were almost always English pressings, too!

My collection: 7" single no. 1179

Found: Oldies Unlimited, England, received February 26, 1990

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'You did cut me' / 'You did cut me (live)' // 'Christian (live)' / 'Seven sports for all (live)'

Download: 'You did cut me' / 'You did cut me (live)' // 'Christian (live)' / 'Seven sports for all (live)'

Mexican girl - Smokie

Smokie was formed in 1965 by Chris Norman, Terry Uttley, Alan Silson and Ron Kelly. After releasing their debut album 'Pass it around' in 1975, they developed a softer signature sound, comprising string arrangement, acoustic guitars and close harmony vocals. Their biggest hit, 'Living next door to Alice' has become a classic, but in the second half of the Seventies they released several singles, sounding a lot like that one.

I bought 'Mexican girl' in London as part of a set of 10 singles for a pound, and - as you can see - afterwards I pulled out the center of the disc. This kind of vandalism is unthinkable these days, but at the time the small hole in the middle was incompatible with my other - mostly European - singles. Children can be silly.

My collection: 7" single no. 9

Found: London, 1979

Cost: 10p

Tracks: 'Mexican girl' / 'You took me by surprise'

Download: Album 'The Montreux album', including both tracks

Glad it's all over - Captain Sensible

'Glad it's all over' was produced by Tony Mansfield. No wonder then, that this track sounds suspiciously like a New Musik song. After having been out of sight for more than a year, Captain Sensible had a top 10 hit with this in the UK in May 1984. The double A-side single also featured 'Damned on 45', a 'Stars on 45'-inspired medley of tracks by The Damned, the band in which Captain Sensible found his fame in the Seventies.

My collection: 7" single no. 2702

Found: 7" single no. 2702

Cost: 4 guilders

Tracks: 'Glad it's all over' / 'Damned on 45'

Download: here

Good thing - Fine Young Cannibals

'Good thing' was the second single taken from the Fine Young Cannibals's second album 'The raw and the cooked'. It peaked at number 7 in the UK.

Like its predecessor, a limited edition of the single was released housed in a tin can. My copy of the single is pressed on black vinyl, but I suspect that it originally contained a coloured vinyl single. However, I haven't found any reference to this on the web.

My collection: 7" single no. 3154

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 12 guilders

Tracks: 'Good thing' / 'Social security'

Download: cd-single 'Good thing', including both tracks

Tænker altid på dig - Bamses Venner

In 2005, the Dutch NOS broadcast a repeat of the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, owing to the fact that it was the last contest to be held in the Netherlands -25 years earlier. It was very interesting to see this old contest a day before the new one (the 2005 edition) was held. Of course everyone remembers the winner (Johnny Logan with 'What's another year'), but many songs were long forgotten. Among them, this Danish entry by Bamses Venner. It finished 14th out of 19 contestants - and a lot of it has to be down to the presentation of this group. They seemed to have been pulled from the street.

The song itself was nice enough, so when I was in Denmark and I spotted this single, I jumped at the opportunity to own it. And it was cheap, too.

My collection: 7" single no. 3432

Found: Esbjerg, Denmark, June 17, 2006

Cost: 10 Danish crowns

Tracks: 'Taenker altid på dig' / 'Venner kom og se'

Download: here

Everything counts - Depeche Mode

While the original version of 'Everything counts' was released as a single in 1983, this 10" single and associated releases appeared in 1989 in support of Depeche Mode's live double album 101, a recording of their live appearance at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 1988 in America. This 10" single was the only release at the time that didn't feature the live version, but rather three remixes of 'Everything counts' plus an American 7" edit of the album track 'Nothing'.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1989
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Everything counts (Absolut mix)' / 'Everything counts (original 1983 remix)', 'Nothing (US 7" mix)', 'Everything counts (Reprise)'
Download: here

Is it a crime? - Sade

In 1985 and 1986, Sade's 'Is it a crime?' was one of my favourite songs of all time. Its intensity, the beauty of the melody, the subtle tones in the music and the dynamics of the song (from soft to loud and back) were a true revelation. A few years later, I would buy the cd of 'Promise' for this song alone - although the rest of the album was pretty beautiful too.

The 12" single didn't come into my collection after years of doubting. Sure, I loved the song, but Sade B-sides are not always that interesting - and this 12" featured two B-sides. Both tracks are instrumentals, performed by Sade's band. But without Sade Adu's voice, it's a lot less interesting. Even if the lyric is a bit bland, like on 'Is it a crime?'.

My collection: 12" single no. 293

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1996

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Is it a crime?', 'Wired' / 'Punch drunk'

Download: here

One more chance - Pet Shop Boys

In August 1983, music journalist Neil Tennant is sent to New York to interview The Police for his employer, Smash Hits magazine. While he is there, he decides to also have lunch with producer Bobby Orlando. Flattered by Neil's compliments about his hi energy music productions, Bobby O agrees to make a record with the Pet Shop Boys, the duo Neil has formed two years earlier with Chris Lowe. The first single they release together is an early version of 'West end girls'. This single is the follow-up: an early version of 'One more chance'. This version sounds a lot more mechanic and tinny than the version that would appear on their 1987 album 'Actually'.

I found this single, which is made in Sweden, in Denmark. It was very cheap for an item that can be considered a collector's item among Pet Shop Boys fans.

My collection: 7" single no. 3429

Found: Esbjerg, Denmark, June 17, 2006

Cost: 10 Danish crowns

Tracks: 'One more chance' / 'One more chance (remix)'

Download: here

Il veliero - The Chaplin Band

The Chaplin Band was founded in 1976 by the brothers Bartels in Maastricht, the Netherlands. They want to make disco music, and their first attempt is a success: the debut single 'Let's have a party', released in January 1977, reached number 24 in the Dutch Top 40. Their second hit comes only five years later: 'Il veliero', a cover from a song originally performed by Italian singer Luigi Battisti.

The 12" single features a seven minute dance version. A twelve minute extended remix also seems to exist.

My collection: 12" single no. 36

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 7,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Il veliero (long dance version)' / 'Il veliero (radio version)', 'Gimme just a minute of your time'

Download: here

Let her go - Strawberry Switchblade

After Strawberry Switchblade had a hit with 'Since yesterday', the follow-up single 'Let her go' was released quickly. It couldn't compare to its success: it only reached number 59 in the UK singles chart, and didn't even chart in the Netherlands. And this despite the video being directed by Tim Pope and production duties performed by Phil Thornalley.


The B-side, 'Beautiful end', was recorded for a session on BBC Radio 1 in Janice Long's programme.

My collection: 7" single no. 2774
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 31, 1996
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Let her go' / 'Beautiful end'
Download: here

Family man - Fleetwood Mac

As much as I love 7" single box sets, some of them are pretty lame. Take for instance this one: it includes, besides the 7" single, two 'special prints'. The two illustrations on the prints by Susan Young and Christine Tongue are nice, but do they really warrant the manufacturing of a special box? Couldn't they just have put these two bits of paper into the sleeve of the single? These are just the questions that popped up in my head while I was doubting whether I would buy this item.

'Family man' was the fourth out of six singles drawn from the 1987 Fleetwood Mac album 'Tango in the night'. It was a very modest hit for the band.

My collection: 7" single no. 3463

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Family man' / 'You and I, part II'

Download: here

I can buy you - A Camp

The Cardigans were at the height of their popularity after singles like 'My favourite game' and 'Erase/rewind', when singer Nina Persson went off and started to work with Niclas Frisk to found A Camp. Their first single 'I can buy you' was released in the UK with a little success: peaking at number 46 in the singles chart.

Contrary to the aforementioned Cardigans singles, this single was released on vinyl and so I bought it when I was in London. I didn't play it very often, though...

My collection: 7" single no.

Found: HMV London, 2001

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'I can buy you' / 'Charlie Charlie'

Download: here

Wired for sound - Cliff Richard

I don't think 'Wired for sound' is regarded as one of Cliff Richard's best singles ever. The lyrics are a bit naff ('I like small speakers / I like tall speakers / If they've music / they're wired for sound') and the music is not revolutionary. After all, it must have been the umpteenth single produced by Alan Tarney. Still, it's a nice little song, and that's why I have it.

Cliff Richard is of course one of Britain's living pop legends. These days he's mainly recording Christmas singles - although he quit doing that as well recently I think - and he's still the tall, dark bachelor - although at 68 he isn't really attracting screaming young girls anymore I think.

My collection: 7" single no. 3479

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2004

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Wired for sound' / 'Hold on'

Download: here

The second time - Elaine Page

A fully orchestrated song, a beautiful ballad, that's what Elaine Page's 'The second time' is. On the sleeve of the single, it is also described as the 'theme from Bilitis'. 'Bilitis' was a French movie from 1977, which portrays the sexual adventures of a young girl during summer vacation. The theme of the movie was instrumental, Elaine Page's version adds a lyric written by Tim Rice. The result is a beautiful, dreamy song.

My collection: 7" single no. 1634

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'The second time' / 'The last one to leave'

Download: here

Kristallnaach - Bap

The band BAP hails from Cologne, Germany. They shocked many people by recording a song about the Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass. On a single night, November 9-10, 1938, 91 jews were murdered and 25,000-30,000 were arrested and deported to concentration camps. It was the beginning of a systematic eradication of people with jewish ancestry. The song was written, like most of BAP's material, in Kölsch, the German dialect spoken in Cologne. Songwriter Wolfgang Niedecken said in an interview that he wanted to express his astonishment at the fact that such a violent thing, directed at certain groups of people, could happen within an instant, with such venom.

It was a hit for BAP in the Netherlands, reaching number 8 in the beginning of 1983.

My collection: 7" single no. 537

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 28, 1987

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Kristallnaach' / 'Wellenreiter'

Download: Album 'Vun drinne noh drusse', including both tracks

Tell me tomorrow - Princess

Born as Desiree Heslop on November 27, 1961, the British singer Princess started her career as one of the members of the group Osibisa. Her solo debut album 'Princess' (1986) was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman and contained her best selling single 'Say I'm your number one'. 'Tell me tomorrow' was the fourth and final single from that debut album, and like the other singles it was a chart success in the UK for her.

The 12" single contains two mixes of the track, plus the original demo of 'Say I'm your number one'.

My collection: 12" single no. 474

Found: Record Mania, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Tell me tomorrow (extended album version)' / 'Tell me tomorrow (club version)', 'Say I'm your number one (original demo)'

Download: here