Let love rule - Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz debuted in 1989 with 'Let love rule', a retro track with lots of Sixties influences, evoking images of hippies dancing on the grass. It was the title track of his debut album, which appeared shortly after the release of the single.

Interestingly, Kravitz was married with The Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet at the time. She appeared in the video for the song and also co-wrote two tracks on the album. This would be the only 7" vinyl single I bought from Kravitz: his subsequent singles didn't interest me much until the release of 'If you can't say no', which was released a decade later (and not on vinyl).

My collection: 7" single no. 1113
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 17, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Let love rule' / 'Empty hands'
Download: Album 'Let love rule', including both tracks

Cloud eight - Frazier Chorus

Frazier Chorus followed up their single 'Nothing' with 'Cloud eight'. You could say it was equally successful, as it peaked at number 52 in the UK singles chart. But things were looking a bit grim for the band: with no chart success to speak of, the inspiration to go on began to wane too. Two more singles would follow before the band broke up.

Still, 'Cloud eight' is an inspired piece of breezy pop. I bought a quartet of Frazier Chorus singles on the day I bought this one, and I like every one of them a lot.

My collection: 7"single no. 2522
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Cloud eight' / 'Le change est magnifique'

We belong - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar released 'We belong' as a follow-up to her highly successful single 'Love is a battlefield'. The track was taken from her sixth studio album 'Tropico'.

While it matched the success of 'Battlefield' in the US (peaking at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart), the song was less successful elsewhere, peaking at number 10 in the Netherlands and number 22 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 2125
Found: Record Palace, July 30, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'We belong' / 'Suburban king'
Download: Album 'Tropico', including both tracks

Bad ambassador - The Divine Comedy

As far as I know, 'Bad ambassador' was the only single from The Divine Comedy's 2001 album 'Regeneration' that was released on 7" vinyl. Of course I bought it right away, even if I had to order it from the UK.

The reason for my greed was the fact that the 7" vinyl featured a live track not found on the two cd-single releases. 'Life on earth' is not, as it may seem, a cover of the David Bowie track, but a composition that appeared on The Divine Comedy's 1998 album 'Fin de siècle'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3339

Found: HMV mail order, London, 2001

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'Bad ambassador' / 'Life on earth (live)'

The comfort of strangers - Julia Fordham

When I bought 'The comfort of strangers', it was mainly because it was so very cheap and because I knew the name Julia Fordham because of her single 'Happy ever after'.

This single actually predates that hit, it was released as Julia's debut single in 1988. It peaked at number 89 in the UK singles chart, and no-one could foresee that the second single from Julia's debut album would become such a big hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 2508
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 30, 1995
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'The comfort of strangers' / 'I wish'

Why should I love you? - Des'ree

The third single drawn from Des'ree's debut album 'Mind adventures' was the sublime soul ballad 'Why should I love you?'. It wasn't as successful as the previous single, peaking at number 44 in the UK singles chart. Personally I thought it was the strongest track on the album.

The cd-single was released as a double package in the UK, with the second disc featuring covers of 'Imagine', 'Calling you' and 'Killing me softly with his song'. On the vinyl single, though, only the self-penned track 'Competitive world' appeared.

My collection: 7" single no. 1659

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 30, 1992

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Why should I love you?' / 'Competitive world'

Lass die Sonne in dein Herz - Wind

Wind represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time in 1987 with 'Lass die Sonne in dein Herz'. Just like the first time in 1985, they ended up on second place, behind Johnny Logan, who won with 'Hold me now' for Ireland. Their performance is notable for including as a backing singer Robert Pilatus, later to achieve infamy in connection with Milli Vanilli.

Written and composed by longtime Contest contributors for Germany Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, the song is a reggae-oriented track with a lyric full of positive platitudes.

My collection: 7" single no. 540

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 1, 1987

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Lass die Sonne in dein Herz' / 'Let the sun shine in your heart'

That loving feeling - Cicero

Cicero followed up his debut single 'Love is everywhere' with another track produced by the Pet Shop Boys, 'That loving feeling'. Despite the fact that the track had that typical Pet Shop Boys sound, it only made number 46 in the UK singles chart. It could be because of the unremarkable lead vocals by Cicero.

Whatever it was, it was the beginning of the end for him: the subsequent single 'Heaven must have sent you back to me' peaked at number 70 and later singles didn't chart. A promising career was cut short pretty quickly.

My collection: 7" single no. 3081

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, May 10, 1999

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'That loving feeling' / 'Splatt'

One, two, three... Bananas - Marga and Deuce

After the Dutch girl group Luv' split up in 1982, one of the members Marga Scheide teamed up with twin sisters Clari and Anja Horsmeier to record 'One, two, three... Bananas', hoping to achieve similar success. The single flopped mercilessly, despite its pretty decent retro production.

Marga Scheide reformed Luv' in 1989 with different members, and later on with the original members of Luv' in 1993 and 2005. The Horsmeier sisters competed in the Dutch national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 with the song 'Computergames', but didn't win.

My collection: 7" single no. 167

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'One, two, three... Bananas' / 'Ooh, he did it'

Another brick in the wall part 2 - Pink Floyd

'Another brick in the wall (part 2)' is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in particular. It led to the song being banned in South Africa and several other countries. It was a number 1 hit for Pink Floyd in the UK, peaking at number 3 in the Netherlands.

For this track, Pink Floyd needed a school choir. Producer Bob Ezrin asked sound engineer Nick Griffiths to find one. Griffiths approached music teacher Alun Renshaw of Islington Green School, around the corner from their Britannia Row Studios.

When I went to English class for the first time, when I was nine years old, the teacher asked if we knew any words in English. 'Another brick in the wall' was the first phrase I came up with. The teacher assumed I didn't know what those words meant - but I did. 'We don't need no education', indeed.

My collection: 7" single no. 3201
Found: Record fair, September 30, 2000
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Another brick in the wall (part 2)' / 'One of my turns'

Johnny come home (Mark Moore remix) - Fine Young Cannibals

Released as a single from their remix album 'The raw and the remix' (1990), this Mark Moore remix of Fine Young Cannibals' debut single 'Johnny come home' did not impress anyone. The single was released and disappeared from the racks as quickly as it had come.

My friend Puck once bought the LP 'The raw and the remix'. He probably liked the singles that the band had released from the album 'The raw and the cooked' (1989), but was very disppointed with this album. He tried forever to sell it, but I think he still has it now....

My collection: 7" single no. 3210
Found: Record fair, September 30, 2000
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Johnny come home (Mark Moore remix)' / 'Johnny takes a trip'

It's really you - Barbara Dickson

Barbara Dickson was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland on September 27, 1947. She started singing in folk clubs around her native Fife in 1964. Her first solo album was 'Do right woman' in 1970. Ten years later she reached her commercial peak when she released 'The Barbara Dickson Album', produced by Alan Tarney. The album yielded two singles, of which 'January February' was the successful one and 'It's really you' flopped.

Personally I think 'It's really you' is the better one of the two, being a rather bouncy poppy piece of work.

My collection: 7" single no. 3137
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'It's really you' / 'Plane song'
Download: Album 'The Barbara Dickson Album', including both tracks

Everytime I think of you - The Babys

'Everytime I think of you' was recorded by the Babys in 1978 for their third album 'Head first' (the title track appears on the B-side of the single). It peaked at number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 7 in the Netherlands. Amazingly, it didn't chart in the UK at all.

In 2006, an appalling cover version was recorded by Lucie Silvas and Dutch singing sweater Marco Borsato. It was bought by brainless people who can't tell the difference between shit and music. Nothing beats the original, certainly in this case.

My collection: 7" single no. 819

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Everytime I think of you' / 'Head first'

Download: Album 'Anthology', including both tracks

No more lies - Sharpe and Numan

After recording 'Change your mind' for Bill Sharpe's solo album, he and Gary Numan decided to record a whole album together. The album, titled 'Automatic', saw the light in 1989, but before that, a couple of singles were released.

'No more lies', released in January 1988, was one of them. At the time of its release I came across the cd-single several times, but I never bought it. Something I lived to regret. When I saw the vinyl single a decade later, I snapped it up. It's great synthpop, which was rewarded in the UK with a chart placing, peaking at number 34 in the singles chart. Outside of the UK, it was largely ignored.

My collection: 7" single no. 2907
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 31, 1997
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'No more lies' / 'Voices'

Ça plane pour moi - Plastic Bertrand

Originally released in December 1977, Plastic Bertrand had a hit in May 1978 with 'Ça plane pour moi'. It peaked at number 18 in the UK and at number 2 in the Netherlands. The lyric of this song is open to interpretation, since it is full of French slang that was used in the Seventies. The title means 'It is gliding for me', which could imply that the singer is with his head in the clouds, or possibly high on drugs. Other suggestions are 'It's all working out for me', 'This works for me', 'Everything's cool/groovy for me' or, more loosely, 'Things are going great' or even 'I'm on cloud nine'.

I wasn't impressed with this song when it came out, but twenty years later I still bought it. In time, punk songs get a certain nostalgia value.

My collection: 7" single no. 3126

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ça plane pour moi' / 'Pogo pogo'

Bright eyes - Art Garfunkel

I once knew a girl who had such amazing eyes, they looked like the deepest lakes with mysteries so dark and beautiful I got so fascinated it stifled any chance of me talking to her. (I have to admit, sometimes they looked hollow and uninviting too.) And so it came to pass she got the nickname 'Bright eyes'.

This, of course, came from the famous Art Garfunkel song from 1979. It was composed by Mike Batt for the soundtrack of the movie 'Watership down', an animated movie about rabbits. The song relates to the transition into death highlighted by Hazel's close shave when he is shot by a farmer, and then years later when Hazel finally departs his body and enters the world of spirit. It may also be viewed in reference to the disease the rabbits refer to as 'white blindness' - actually Myxomatosis. I've always had a soft spot for animated videos, so when I saw this one in 1979, it stuck in my mind.

My collection: 7" single no. 818

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Bright eyes' / 'Kazaar's theme'

Light my fire / Please release me - Mike Flowers Pops

Mike Flowers Pops followed up their hit 'Wonderwall' with a double A-side 7" single, featuring covers of 'Light my fire' (originally by the Doors) and 'Please release me' (originally by Engelbert Humperdinck). The success of this single was limited: during a two week run it peaked at number 39 in the UK singles chart. This despite 'Please release me' being used for an advertising campaign by Bodington Bitter in the UK. It seemed the momentum for Mike Flowers Pops had gone as fast as it came.

My collection: 7" single no. 2649

Found: HMV, York, June 28, 1996
Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Light my fire' / 'Please release me'

Once in a lifetime - Talking Heads

'Once in a Lifetime' was taken from the fourth album by Talking Heads, 'Remain in Light'. It was written by David Byrne and Brian Eno. The lyric has a rather existential vibe to it, although it is usually interpreted to be a song dealing with midlife crisis and the inevitable sacrifice of youthful ideals and dreams for conventional success.

In 1981, the single peaked at number 28 in the Netherlands and number 14 in the UK. In 1985, the single was re-released as part of the promotion of the concert film Stop Making Sense. It didn't chart in the UK, but made number 29 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2946

Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Once in a lifetime' / 'Seen and not seen'

Download: Album 'Remain in light', including both tracks

Marionette - Maribelle

Before representing the Netherlands at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, Maribelle had already competed in the National finals in 1981. She sang two songs: 'Marionette' and 'Fantasie'. She didn't win the competition (which was won by Linda Williams with 'Het is een wonder'), but the two songs were released as a single.

It became a small success for Maribelle: the single reached the Dutch Top 40, where it peaked at number 36 during a four week run.

My collection: 7" single no. 3296
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Marionette' / 'Fantasie'

She - Vegas

The second single from Vegas' debut (and only) album was 'She', a cover of the 1974 song by Charles Aznavour. It was written by Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer and reached number one in the UK. Terry Hall and David Stewart must have hoped to repeat that success, but alas they weren't able to: the single peaked at number 43 and stayed in the chart for only four weeks.

The single was notable for the B-side, which was a 'disco mix' of the track. As far as I know, it's the only remix of a Vegas track ever released.

My collection: 7" single no. 2181

Found: Record Exchange, London, September 27, 1994

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'She' / 'She (disco mix)'

Download: cd-single 'She', including both tracks