Living on video ('85 re-mix) - Trans X

After I'd bought 'Living on video' shortly after it was released, Trans X disappeared from the scene. The duo consisting of Pascal Languirand and Cerstin Strecker, hailing from Canada, did release some more singles, but they failed to chart outside of Canada. In 1985, Trans X released a 1985 re-mix of 'Living on video', which reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. Incidentally, the original version didn't chart in that country. In the Netherlands, the original version reached number 12 in the summer of 1983, but this remix version didn't chart. And so I only found out about this single more than a decade later.

My collection: 7" single no. 2896

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Living on video ('85 re-mix)' / 'Digital world'
Download: here

If I say yes - Five Star

'If I say yes' was the fourth single taken from Five Star's 1986 album 'Silk and steel'. The single reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, but didn't chart in the Netherlands.

The 12" single features remixes of 'If I say yes' (by Phil Harding) and the previous single 'Can't wait another minute' (by John Morales and Sergio Munzibair (a.k.a. M&M)). The instrumental B-side 'Let me down easy' completes this set.

My collection: 12" single no. 345

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1998

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'If I say yes (extended mix)' / 'Let me down easy', 'Can't wait another minute (M&M New York remix)'

Download: here

Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen - The New Seekers

The New Seekers were founded in 1969 by Keith Potger after the Seekers split up. The idea was that the new group would appeal to the same market as the previous one. He recuited Laurie Heath, Chris Barrington, Marty Kristian and the sisters Eve and Sally Graham.

In 1972, the New Seekers were chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. They performed the song 'Beg, steal or borrow'. which was chosen out of six songs. They went on to finish in second place at the Eurovision final in Edinburgh. The song reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Netherlands. In Germany, a German version of the song was released, entitled 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen'. I found this single and bought it for its curiosity value.

My collection: 7" single no. 3475
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen' / 'Move me Lord'

Download: here

Turn my back on you - Sade

This remix of 'Turn my back on you' was the fourth and last single drawn from Sade's third album 'Stronger than pride'. At the time, I felt it was the worst track on the album and I was very surprised to find that it was released as a single. I also remember the video, which was a busy, hyperactive affair. While I appreciate the track better now, twenty years later, the years have not been kind to the video: I still can't stand to see it.

The cd-single of this track was released as a small, 3" cd. I didn't buy it at the time, which I really regret now, because it is nowhere to be found. So contact me if you have one and want to get rid of it. :)

My collection: 7" single no. 800

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 21, 1989

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Turn my back on you (remix)' / 'Keep looking'

Download: 'Turn my back on you (remix)'

Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson

'Dirty Diana' was the fifth single taken from Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad'. Like the four previous singles, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, whereas it reached number 4 in the UK and number 2 in the Netherlands.

Jackson hired Billy Idol's former guitarist Steve Stevens to back him on the track. There were rumours that the lyric (and title) of the song referred to Diana, Princess of Wales or Diana Ross, but in a recent interview with Quincy Jones, he revealed that the song was actually about groupies. When Jackson performed live in London at Wembley Stadium in the presence of Lady Diana, he cut the song from the set. Ironically, she then confessed that it was one of her personal favourites.

My collection: 7" single no. 3504

Found: Record mania, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Dirty Diana' / 'Dirty Diana (instrumental)'

Download: here

Fantastic day - Haircut One Hundred

I didn't know the song 'Fantastic day' when Nick Heyward appeared as one of the artists during the 2001 Here and Now tour. He played this track and it was a real live favourite. The compilation cd I bought during this tour only contained a live version, so it was great to hear the studio version when I finally found the single.

Haircut One Hundred was formed in 1980 by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes, Tim Jenkins and Rob Stroud. Jenkins left the band before they were signed to a record company, followed later by Stroud. They were replaced with Graham Jones and Blair Cunningham. With this lineup they achieved their biggest commercial successes with this single, 'Boy meets girl' (1981) and 'Love plus one' (1982).

My collection: 7" single no. 3567

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Fantastic day' / 'Ski club'

Download: here

The jam was moving - Debbie Harry

'The Jam Was Moving' was the second and final single from Debbie Harry's debut solo album, 'Koo Koo'. After Debbie's debut solo single, 'Backfired' failed to become the big hit everyone expected, there was no video and little promotion for this single. Unsurprisingly, this second single flopped. In 1988 Debbie Harry and Chris Stein themselves remixed 'The Jam Was Moving' for inclusion on the Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation 'Once More into the Bleach'.

I bought this single because I was curious about the track. It is a nice track but I can see why it didn't appeal to the general public: it's a bit of a boring, repetitive song.

My collection: 7" single no. 3565
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009
Cost: 1,5 euro
Tracks: 'The jam was moving [7" remix]' / 'Chrome'
Download: here

Revolution baby - Transvision Vamp

'Revolution baby' was the last single by Transvision Vamp I ever bought. It was a gamble: whereas I knew the three others before I bought them, I hadn't heard this one at all. It is a far less memorable song, which is why I stopped buying their singles.

Still, it was a hit, reaching number 30 in the UK in the summer of 1988. The band went on to release the hit album 'Pop Art' in October. It stayed on the album chart for 32 weeks, peaking at number 4.

My collection: 7" single no. 2906

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Revolutoin baby' / 'Honey honey', 'Long lonely weekend'

Download: here

You should be dancing - Bee Gees

'You should be dancing' was released by the Bee Gees in 1976. It became a US number one hit, whereas it reached number 5 in the UK and number 17 in the Netherlands. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into disco stardom, although rock-oriented drums and guitars can be heard in the background.

'You Should Be Dancing' is known today as the first charttopper in which Barry Gibb uses his now-trademark falsetto. The song was prominently featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever and appears on its soundtrack album.

My collection: 7" single no. 3563

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'You should be dancing' / 'Subway'

Download: Album 'Children of the world', including both tracks

Soul Cha Cha - Van McCoy

Van McCoy was born on January 6, 1940. McCoy moved to Philadelphia just before he was twenty, where he formed his own label Rockin' Records, and released his first single Hey Mr. DJ in 1959. This single gained the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired McCoy as a staff writer and A&R Representative. As a writer there, McCoy wrote many hits for Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chris Bartley and Jackie Wilson, amongst others. He also put together the hit-making duo of Peaches & Herb, arranging and co-producing their first hit, 'Let's Fall In Love'.

In the second half of the Seventies he made a series of solo albums. His biggest single success was 'The Hustle' (1975), but in 1977 he had two hits in the UK with 'Soul Cha Cha' and 'The Shuffle'. These two tracks are both mainly instrumental, although the former contains vocals by a certain Zulema. In the Netherlands, only 'Soul Cha Cha' became a hit, reaching number 7 in the spring of 1977, but 'The Shuffle' was included on the B-side and became a popular radio tune for Radio Veronica.

Van McCoy died from a heart attack in Englewood, New Jersey on July 6, 1979.

My collection: 7" single no. 3474

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Soul Cha Cha' / 'The Shuffle'

Download: here

Take on me - A-ha

After the original release of 'Take on me' in 1984 failed to chart, the record company tried it for the second time - again without success. Then, in 1985, they released the single for the third time, this time with an innovative video to accompany it. It was a success: the song peaked at number on in the USA and the Netherlands, and reached number 2 in the UK. At the MTV Video Music Awards in 1986, the video won six awards.

The single was released with a new sleeve, but there was also a limited edition sleeve with a booklet, featuring several images from the video. I bought the regular single back in 1985, and last year I bought the limited edition - finally.

My collection: 7" single no. 344

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Take on me' / 'Love is reason'

Download: Album 'Hunting high and low', including both tracks

Stay the night - Ghosts

Ghosts were formed as Polanski by Simon Pettigrew, Johnny Harris, Mark Treasure and Robbie Smith in Guildford. Their first single was 'Musical chairs', released in January 2007. The second single 'Stay the night' was the first one to chart, reaching number 25 in the UK singles chart.

'Stay the night' was released on two different 7" vinyl singles: one was pressed on blue vinyl and contained the album version of the track and a B-side track, and this one, which was pressed on purple vinyl and contained a demo version of 'Stay the night' and a version of 'Mind games'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3570

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 5,5 euro

Tracks: 'Stay the night (demo version)' / 'Mind games (Olympic Session)'

Download: here

Stay (remix) - The Blue Nile

After the original release of 'Stay' and the commercial success abroad of 'Tinseltown in the rain', Linn Records tried it again with a remix version of 'Stay'. The UK audience was still unresponsive: the single didn't chart.

This limited edition double pack featured both singles: 'Stay' in the remix version and 'Tinseltown in the rain', which had been released as a single before. I bought this double pack mostly for the remix of 'Stay', which I didn't have, and as a Blue Nile fanatic, I had to have it all.

My collection: 7" single no. 1747

Found: Sister Ray, London, October 19, 1992

Cost: 6 pounds

Tracks: 'Stay (remix)' / 'Saddle the horses' // 'Tinseltown in the rain [edit]' / 'Heatwave (instrumental)'

Download: here

Nightporter - Japan

Japan released their first album for Virgin Records, 'Gentlemen take polaroids', on November 15, 1980. Only the title track was released as a single, a month earlier. It was only in 1982 that another track from this album appeared as a single, the classic 'Nightporter'. As anyone can hear, the track was influenced by the works of French composer Erik Satie's 'Gymnopédies'.

For the single release, the track was remixed and edited. The B-side was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's 1965 song 'Ain't that peculiar', also taken from 'Gentlemen take polaroids'. The single peaked at number 29 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1543

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 27, 1991

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Nightporter [edit]' / 'Ain't that peculiar'

Download: here

I want your love - Transvision Vamp

It was this video that started me getting interested in Transvision Vamp. At first the singing irritated me, but I kept watching this video. Then something clicked: the music was nice and aggressive and the voice needed some getting used to. In the end, I succumbed and started buying later singles by Transvision Vamp - 'I want your love' was gone from the shops by then. So I had to find it afterwards.

'I want your love' was Transvision Vamp's first top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 5 in the summer of 1988. In the Netherlands, it was their only single to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2866

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, September 20, 1997

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'I want your love' / 'Sweet thing', 'Evolution Evie (acoustic)'

Download: here

Say say say - Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

A year after the release of 'The girl is mine', Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson were at it again, this time with a track for Paul McCartney's album 'Pipes of peace'. Composed and performed by the two, it would be their last collaboration before Michael Jackson acquired ATV music, which owned the publishing rights to the Beatles catalogue.

In 1983, 'Say say say' was one of the most played songs on the radio and after a while it became very boring. It's only now, 25 years later, that I can listen to this track again.

My collection: 7" single no. 3564

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Say say say' (Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson) / 'Ode to a koala bear' (Paul McCartney)

Download: 'Say say say' / 'Ode to a koala bear'

Block Buster - The Sweet

'Block Buster' was released by the Sweet in 1973. It became the band's only number one hit in the UK, whereas it was their third (and last) in the Netherlands. Although the lyric seems to refer to a person ('Nobody knows where Buster goes / He'll steal your woman out from under your nose'), the song features the sound of air raid sirens, alluding to the blockbuster bombs dropped in World War II.

The Sweet was very popular with my brother and sister in the Seventies, and although I never really 'got' that, some of their tracks are pretty nice. I bought this one because of the nice sleeve and the great song.

My collection: 7" single no. 3566

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Block buster' / 'Need a lot of lovin''

Download: here

Warwick Avenue - Duffy

I'm not wild about the current stream of young women with old hag's voices, like Amy Winehouse, Adele and others. The Welsh singer Duffy could easily be one of them. Fortunately her song 'Warwick Avenue' doesn't get unpleasant like many of her colleagues' tracks.

In this age of digital downloads, 'Warwick Avenue' entered the UK singles chart even before it was released on any physical format. It was finally released two months later as the third single from her debut album 'Rockferry'. I heard the track almost weekly on Kim Wilde's current radio programme Secret Songs on Magic FM (UK), and finally decided to buy the 7" single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3571

Found: La La Land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 5,5 euro

Tracks: 'Warwick Avenue' / 'Loving you'

Download: here

Ai no corrida - Chas Jankel

Chas Jankel was born in Stanmore, North London on April 16, 1952. In the Seventies he became a member of the Blockheads, the band that played with Ian Dury during his commercial peak. In 1980, he pursued a solo career, kicking off with a self-titled album. 'Ai no corrida' reached the Dutch Tipparade in January 1981, but never made it past this tip chart. Quincy Jones recorded a cover version a year later and reached number 14 in the UK singles chart with it. The title of the song is in Japanese (taken from the Japanese title of the 1976 film 'In the realm of the senses') but it sounds like Spanish "Ay no corrida" (which can be translated as 'oh no bullfighting').

According to the label of this 12" single, the extended mix of 'Ai no corrida' lasts for 9 minutes and 10 seconds, but in fact it is almost 90 seconds shorter.

My collection: 12" single no. 485

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 2000

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Ai no corrida [extended version]' / 'Lenta Latina'

Download: here

Appetite - Prefab Sprout

After getting hooked on 'When love breaks down', Prefab Sprout had definitely caught my attention. When 'Appetite' was released as the next single, I was in the shop to get it as soon as possible. I wasn't surprised when the single didn't chart in the Netherlands - as Prefab Sprout was a typically English phenomenon - but I am still amazed that this single didn't chart in the UK as well.

'Appetite' was taken from Prefab Sprout's second album 'Steve McQueen', which reach number 21 in the UK album chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 337

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Appetite' / 'Heaven can wait'