Children of paradise - Boney M

'Children of paradise' was released as a single in autumn of 1980 to fill the gap between Boney M's 1979 album 'Oceans of fantasy' and the 1981 album 'Boonoonoonoos'. The single featured the religiously-inspired title track and a disco cover of the 1968 psychedelic track 'In a gadda-da-vida' by Iron Butterfly.

As usual, the single became a Europe-wide hit for Boney M. I bought the single as soon as it came out. Aged 10, I bought all of Boney M's singles at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 73

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Children of paradise' / 'Gadda-da-vida'

Download: here

You won't see me cry - Wilson Phillips

At the time I bought this single, the forthcoming demise of the 7" vinyl single format as a commercial item in Europe was getting more obvious by the week. Although 7" singles were still being made in the UK, European pressings became increasingly rare. At the time of buying this single, I was buying every track I liked on this format on principle.

'You won't see me cry' was actually the first Wilson Phillips track I liked - all their previous singles were dull and uninteresting to me. It wasn't a hit in the Netherlands, but it peaked at number 18 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1684

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, July 11, 1992

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'You won't see me cry' / 'This doesn't have to be love'

Download: here

Something for the weekend - The Divine Comedy

After having been in the music business for seven years, and having released three albums, The Divine Comedy suddenly found chart success in the UK for the first time with this single, 'Something for the weekend'. Released in June 1996 in advance of the fourth album 'Casanova' it peaked at number 14 in the UK singles chart - and it would be the first of many chart hits that followed.

I found this single while on holiday in York. I knew about the Divine Comedy, but wasn't aware that this new single was released. I bought it despite not having heard it, and of course I bought every single and album since then.

My collection: 7" single no. 2647

Found: HMV, York, June 28, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Something for the weekend' / 'Songs of love (Theme from 'Father Ted')

Download: here

Love machine - Supermax

The band Supermax was set up by the Austrian musician and producer Kurt Hauenstein. Other members of his band were Hans Ochs, Ken Taylor, Lothar Krell, Peter Koch and the singers Cee Cee Cobb and Jean Graham.

'Love machine' was their biggest hit, peaking at number 6 in Switzerland, number 9 in Austria and number 11 in the Netherlands. The single even reached the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 96. The track was taken from the album 'World of today', where it appears in its entirity. For the single, it was divided into two parts.

My collection: 7" single no. 2294

Found: May 13, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Love machine part 1' / 'Love machine part 2'

Download: here

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' will always be remembered mostly because of this video. It was directed by Stephen R. Johnson. Aardman Animation and the Brothers Quay provided claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation that gave life to images in the song. In 1987, it won nine MTV Video Music Awards, a record which still stands today. It ranked at number four on MTV's 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made (1999). MTV later announced that 'Sledgehammer' is the most played music video in the history of the station.

The lyric of the song contains thinly-veiled sexual innuendo, which was common in soul music from the 1960's, which the song was influenced by. The lyrics include phallic references such as a steam train, bumper cars, a Big Dipper (roller coaster) and a fruit cage. It also includes references to the sexual reproduction of plants, mentioning pollination, fruit and bees.

I bought this single a decade after it came out. At the time of its chart ascent, the song was played so often on radio and television that I thought I would never play this record anyway. And I was right. I still haven't played it much.

My collection: 7" single no. 2832

Found: Record Exchange, London, February 8, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Sledgehammer' / 'Don't break this rhythm'

Download: here

Lead me on - Amy Grant

Amy Grant was born on November 25, 1960 and made her debut already in 1977. She made a career out of recording Christian music, which got her a lot of critical and commercial acclaim in those circles. In 1988 her music took on a more contemporary pop form, when she released the album 'Lead me on'.

The title track deals lyrically with slavery and the Holocaust. The lyrics also talk about man's relation to these events and man's relation to man. The message of the song makes it very strong, unusual for Amy Grant, who was known for her meaningful but light lyrics.

My collection: 7" single no. 2342

Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Lead me on' / 'Find a way'

Download: here

Love on the rocks - Neil Diamond

In 1980, the movie 'The Jazz singer' was released. It was a remake of the 1927 movie of the same name. The soundtrack of the 1980 movie was performed by Neil Diamond. He had been singing and performing since 1966 and got praised and scorned for his role in the movie. Three hit songs came from the soundtrack album: 'America', 'Hello again' and 'Love on the rocks' - but only the last one was also a hit in the Netherlands. I thought it was a beautiful song, and now that I've heard it again, I stand by my judgement of almost 30 years ago.

My collection: 7" single no. 854

Found: Den Haag, May 27, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Love on the rocks' / 'Acapulco'

Download: here

Let it all blow - Dazz Band

The Dazz Band grew out of the Cleveland jazz fusion band Bell Telefunk. Originally consisting of Mike Calhoun, Kenny Pettus, Bobby Harris, Ike Wiley and Michael Wiley, they recruited extra members Kevin Kendrick, Steve Cox, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, Sennie "Skip" Martin, Jerry Bell and Terry Stanton. Their debut hit in America was 'Shake it up' in 1980.

'Let it all blow' was released in 1984, like their former albums and singles on the Motown label. It became their biggest hit in the UK, peaking at number 12, and their only hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 10.

My collection: 7" single no. 1855

Found: Concerto, Amsterdam, January 30, 1993

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Let it all blow' / 'Now that I have you'

Download: here

I'm on my way - Betty Boo

In December 1992, an acquaintance of my sister went to London and offered to buy us some singles while she was there. I wrote down a couple of titles and included this one. A week later, I suddenly had this posterbag edition of Betty Boo's second single off her album 'Grrr! It's Betty Boo'. I can't say I played this single a lot, but it's a nice throwaway pop song. It also includes a musical quote from the Beatles' 'Lady Madonna', by the way.

After 'Let me take you there', this was the second and last Betty Boo single I bought. Her career was almost over by that time: she released one more single and then disappeared from the scene - writing song for other acts instead.

My collection: 7" single no. 1797

Found: Virgin Megastore, London, December 7, 1992

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'I'm on my way' / 'Boo choons'

Download: here

My side of the bed - Susanna Hoffs

The Bangles had a big hit with 'Walk like an Egyptian' in 1986. In the video, Susanna Hoffs was the one that caught the eye of the viewer the most, with an innocent look and big seductive eyes. It should be no wonder, then, that her first solo single in 1991 was titled 'My side of the bed'. It's just enough to make any man fantasize away.

Well anyway - with those smouldering looks and such a great voice, I bought the single when it came out and the cd soon after that. But I was surprised five years later when I found out that there was also a picture disc 7" of this single - with quite a different photograph of Susanna on it. At one pound, I couldn't resist buying that one too. So now I have two editions of this single. Well, not a problem. It's still very nice to look at those pictures.

My collection: 7" single no. 1394 / 7" single no. 2668

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 2, 1991 / Record fair, Leeds, June 30, 1996

Cost: 6 guilders / 1 pound

Tracks: 'My side of the bed' / 'Made of stone'

Download: Album 'When you're a boy', including both tracks

Melodrama - Bolland

The brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland are famous in the Netherlands, mostly for their production work with Falco and others, but also for their successful singles in the seventies. Their biggest international hit, 'You're in the army now', ironically didn't chart in the Netherlands - and this single from 1979 befell a similar fate.

It's amazing when you read Dutch career overviews of Bolland & Bolland, because they simply ignore this single. Most articles state that 1979 was the year in which they started producing other artists (like for instance Sandra Reemer, who participated in that year's Eurovision Song Contest), but 'Melodrama' was released in 1979 as well. And I bought this single back then, because it was one of the few available for 3 guilders in the shop I went to almost weekly. And that was just about what I could afford...

My collection: 7" single no. 26

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Melodrama' / 'Showdown at sundown'

Download: here

Tell me - Jahn Teigen and Anita Skorgan

This is the first Eurovision Song Contest-related single I ever bought. That's quite amazing, because I don't live in Norway and I had been following the Contest for three years already. But this single came cheap and the memory of the song had faded but was still clear enough for me to remember that I actually liked it better than that year's winning song, 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' by Nicole. The single contained the English and Norwegian version of the song 'Adieu'.

Jahn Teigen participated three times in the Contest, of which 1982's 'Adieu', together with his wife at the time, Anita Skorgan, was the second. They ended up at twelfth place, which seemed like a great injustice to me at the time. Even now I think it was a great song - but perhaps not as overwhelming as a Bambi-eyed German girl singing about peace.

My collection: 7" single no. 136

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Tell me' / 'Adieu'

Download: here

Can't shake loose - Agnetha Fältskog

25 years after the fact, I think that 'Can't shake loose' was the best single from Agnetha Fältskog's album 'Wrap your arms around me'. It's not the most logical choice, since only 'The heat is on' and the title track became hits for her in 1983. But it's a great rock track, and it utilises the desperation that sometimes flares up in Agnetha's voice to full effect.

The song was written by Russ Ballard, who also wrote the more successful 'I Know There's Something Going On' for Agnetha's former Abba colleague Frida.

My collection: 7" single no. 199

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Can't shake loose' / 'To love'

Download: Album 'Wrap your arms around me', including both tracks

Queer - Garbage

So this is an impressive packaging: the vinyl 7" of Garbage's fourth single 'Queer' came in a sleeve, with an extra card inside to show the credits of the two tracks, and a perspex casing with the 'G' from the band's logo branded on it, and a sticker on the casing to show that this single was called 'Queer' by the band Garbage. The whole thing originally came in a bubblewrap bag, but I have to confess I threw that away, because it took up too much space.

Butch Vig from the band said about the song: 'I was reading this novel about this woman who was hired to go and make this guy's son 'a man'. The kid is missing a few marbles. But then he realises that the woman who came to his room is also fucking his father.'

My collection: 7" single no. 2863

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, September 20, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Queer' / 'Queer (dub-bin mix)

Download: here

Rock 'n' Roll kids - Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan

This is the last winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest to be released on 7" vinyl single. Subsequent winners (1995 and later) were only released on cd-single. That's a great loss. But perhaps it's fitting: this song was a lament for the singers' lost youths, like many vinyl buyers these days buy singles for nostalgic reasons.

The duo Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan were - so it was presumed - specifically selected by Ireland not to win the Contest. As the Contest rules require the previous year's winner to host the next edition of the Contest, the argument runs that the Irish broadcaster was not prepared to do this. The setup didn't work: in an unlikely turn of events, Ireland won the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, and still had to organise the 1995 edition.

My collection: 7" single no. 2121

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, July 2, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Rock 'n' Roll kids' / 'Rock 'n' Roll kids (acoustic mix)', 'Rock 'n' Roll kids (Backing track)'

Download: here

House of thorns - Fiat Lux

After the singles 'Secrets' and 'Blue emotion' had made a big impact on me, I started trying out other singles by Fiat Lux. I bought 'Photography' and this one on the same day, hoping for more jewels in their repertoire.

All I can say is: sometimes you strike out. While 'Photography' still sounds interesting, 'House of thorns' is a bit of a mediocre affair. It seems like an unfinished demo; the production could (and should) have been tighter. Oh well, it's still not bad compared to loads of other songs around these days, but I won't play this often.

My collection: 7" single no. 3161

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'House of thorns' / 'Threes company'

Download: here

War babies - Simple Minds

The Simple Minds have had enormous success in the Eighties, but they had some difficulties continuing that success after the decade ended. The band effectively fell apart, with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill being the only active members. After being released from their contract with Virgin Records in 1998, Simple Minds decided to musically reinvent themselves, using techno influences in their rock music. The resulting album, 'Neapolis', got mixed reviews.

'War babies' was the second single drawn from the album. It reached number 43 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2996

Found: HMV, London, October 1998

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'War babies (Bascombe mix)' / 'I travel (Utah Saints mix - edit)'

Download: here

Invincible - Pat Benatar

After the major worldwide success of 'Love is a battlefield', the rest of Pat Benatar's career must have seemed to her and the world as a relative disappointment. Whatever she did, it wouldn't measure up to that one big hit.

'Invincible' is a convincing rock track, which is part of the soundtrack of the movie 'The legend of Billie Jean'. The movie was expected to be a big hit. However, the reviews were poor, and it flopped in the theatres. Benatar herself has often spoken disparagingly about the film before launching into 'Invincible' in concert, calling it 'The Worst Movie Ever Made' on at least one occasion.

My collection: 7"single no. 338

Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Invincible' / 'Invincible (instrumental)'

Download: here

Geno - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Dexy's Midnight Runners released 'Geno' in March 1980. Two months later, it reached number 1 in the UK singles chart. It was their second single. The song was a tribute to soul singer Geno Washington. The song's style - with classic soul influences - was out of sync with the popular new wave sounds of the time.

I'd forgotten this song totally until I heard it again sometime in 1996. A few months later, I was able to find a copy during a lovely weekend in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 2833

Found: Record Exchange, London, February 8, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Geno' / 'Breakin' down the walls of heartache'

Download: here

Milk from the coconut - Toto Coelo

Toto Coelo were brought together by producer Barry Blue. Original members were Anita Mahadervan, Lacey Bond, Lindsey Danvers, Ros Holness and Sheen Doran. The group's name is Latin and means 'by the whole extent of the heavens' or 'heaven-wide', but is commonly translated as 'completely', 'entirely' or 'utterly'. Of the name, Sheen Doran said, 'It has a number of meanings, such as 'heart and soul', 'root and branch' and 'totally different'. It seemed to describe what we were. Plus, it's strange-sounding and hard to pronounce, so it sticks in your mind.'

'Milk from the coconut' was released in 1983, but failed to chart. Personally, I think this track is more catchy and memorable than their only hit, 'I eat cannibals'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3156

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Milk from the coconut (part 1)' / 'Milk from the coconut (part 2)'

Download: here