Kiss me - Tintin

Stephen Anthony James Duffy was born on May 30, 1960. In 1982, he created the band Tintin with John Mulligan, Dik Davis, Andy Growcott and Bob Lamb. The band was signed with WEA Records in the UK and released the song, 'Kiss Me', which did not reach the UK singles chart. Two years later, Stephen 'Tintin' Duffy would re-record 'Kiss me' and have a hit with it in several countries.

But this is the original version. I didn't know it existed when I bought it, so I was suitably surprised. I never bought the later version, but if I come across it, I will. Back in 1985, the song was played too many times on the radio so I really didn't need to have it.

My collection: 7" single no. 3006

Found: June 20, 1998

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Kiss me' / 'Love's duet'

African blood - Supermax

'We are the jungle people', proclaims the song 'African blood' by Supermax. And it continues to do so for several minutes. The music of this song is obviously more important than the lyric. It's no surprise that this single did less well than its predecessor 'Love machine', that gave Supermax a big hit all over Europe.

In the Netherlands, the song failed to chart. In Germany, Supermax is still going strong, judging from his official website. But in the Netherlands, nothing was ever heard from him again.

My collection: 7" single no. 2310

Found: Rotterdam, May 27, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'African blood (part 1)' / 'African blood (part 2)'

Take my breath away - Berlin

Some time ago I wrote about the double single 'Like flames' by Berlin, which included 'Take my breath away'. I'd almost forgotten that I have the original single as well. Taken from the soundtrack of the movie 'Top Gun', the B-side is a song by Giorgio Moroder with vocals by Joe Pizzulo. It was this single that reached number one in several countries.

My collection: 7" single no. 883

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Take my breath away' (Berlin) / 'Radar radio' (Giorgio Moroder feat. Joe Pizzulo)

Cheese - Mo

Although the Dutch band Mo released a dozen singles during their career, only two of them made the Dutch Top 40. This was the second one: 'Cheese', a short upbeat synthpop song. It was the first single of Mo with new personnel. Drummer Harm Bieger was the only original member. He recruited Linda Bloemhard, Ton van der Meer and Hans Nieuwint after the original band split up after the release of just one album (and three singles).

'Cheese' peaked at number 30 in the Dutch Top 40. It was succeeded by a handful of singles that didn't make the chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 3328
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Cheese' / 'Human race put on display'

Docklands - Betsy Cook

'Docklands' was produced by Trevor Horn. It was the only track on Betsy Cook's album 'The girl who ate herself' that was produced by him, and that fact alone must have been enough to make this track a single.

Well, it was good enough for me anyway: I loved the whole album, and so I bought all the singles that were drawn from it. I didn't know about this single until I found it in London - fortunately by that time it had arrived in the sales bin.

My collection: 7" single no. 1736

Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 17, 1992

Cost: 49p

Tracks: 'Docklands' / 'Nothing ventured'

Zoveel te doen - Toontje Lager

Back to the Eighties, when Dutch bands were still able to produce something listenable. Toontje Lager was a band that was founded in 1978. They released their self-titled debut album in 1980, then followed up with 'Er op of er onder' and 'Stiekem gedanst'. Those two albums were very successful in the Netherlands, peaking at number 12 and 2 in the album charts respectively.

From the third album comes this single, 'Zoveel te doen' ('So much to do'). It's about being busy all the time, being too busy to have time to leave this place. It's simple synthpop like more bands were making at that time in the Eighties - but not so much in Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 3604
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Zoveel te doen' / 'De deur staat altijd op een kier'

May this be your last sorrow - Banderas

Banderas appeared on the scene with 'This is your life', then followed up that single with 'She sells' and the debut album 'Ripe'. That was just about the extent of my knowledge circa 1994, when I suddenly found this single. 'May this be your last sorrow' was a great track from the album, so I was happy to buy this disc - especially since the B-side contained a non-album track, 'Nice to know'.

I have no idea what happened next with Sally Herbert and Caroline Buckley. They disappeared from the scene, unfortunately.
My collection: 7" single no. 2182
Found: Big Company records, London, September 27, 1994
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'May this be your last sorrow' / 'Nice to know'

Tomorrow - Communards

The Communards have released several great singles. 'Tomorrow' may not have been their biggest hits, but I think it's one that's stood the test of time very well. It was the first single from the duo's second album 'Red', which came out in 1987.

This single peaked at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40, and number 23 in the UK singles chart. The second single would be 'Never can say goodbye', one of their best known hits.

My collection: 7" single no. 636

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Tomorrow (remix)' / 'I just want to let you know'

Als jij maar wacht... - Sandra Reemer

I recently wrote about (and bought) the single 'Non ho l'eta', Gigliola Cinquetti's 1964 Eurovision winner. Not long after that, I found out that the song was actually covered by one of the Netherlands' most prominent Eurovision singers. Sandra Reemer participated in the Contest three times, but long before that she made singles as a very young girl.

'Als jij maar wacht' is a cover of 'Non ho l'eta' with alternate lyrics in Dutch. The single was released, probably in 1964, in the series 'Favorieten Expres', a series of singles on the Philips label. The sleeve only mentions Sandra's first name, but we all know it's her. I almost bought the single via a website recently, but the seller didn't come through. Now I've got the single for slightly less, because there's no postage charge!

My collection: 7" single no. 3603

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 4 euro

Tracks: 'Als jij maar wacht...' / 'Ben je 't heus?'

Don't say it's love - Johnny hates Jazz

'Don't say it's love' was the last single taken from Johnny hates Jazz's debut album 'Turn back the clock'. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that the single performed worse, chart-wise, than its predecessors. It peaked at number 48 in the UK singles chart.

The cd of 'Turn back the clock' included the extended mixes of previous singles 'I don't want to be a hero', 'Turn back the clock' and 'Heart of gold'. It's the reason why I bought this 12" single, because I was really curious what the extended version of this track would be like. I wasn't disappointed: it's an extended version like they should be.

My collection: 12" single no. 492

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Don't say it's love (12" extended remix)' / 'Living in the past', 'Don't say it's love (7" remix)'

Coming around again - Carly Simon

Carly Simon's thirteenth studio album was her first for the Arista record label, after her contract with CBS was cancelled following disappointing sales of her previous album, 'Spoiled girl'. 'Coming around again' was a strong comeback album and single. The album reached number 25 in America and the UK, whereas the single peaked at number 18 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 10 in the UK singles chart.

The two tracks on this single were written for and featured in the 1986 film 'Heartburn', starring Meryl Streep (ugh!) and Jack Nicholson.

My collection: 7" single no. 3606
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Track: 'Coming around again' / 'Itsy bitsy spider'

In your room - The Bangles

The Bangles had to come up with some new hit to follow up charttoppers like 'Walk like an Egyptian' and 'Hazy shade of winter'. Expectations were high when they released their new album 'Everything' in 1988. The chart performance of the first single from that album was slightly disappointing: it only made number 35 in the UK, while it didn't even chart in the Netherlands. The girls probably didn't mind, because the single made number 5 in America.

And it wouldn't take long until follow-up single 'Eternal flame' would take over the number one spot in various countries...

My collection: 7" single no. 3596

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,66 euro

Tracks: 'In your room', 'Bell jar'

Download: Album 'Everything', including both tracks

Insieme: 1992 - Toto Cutugno

Toto Cutugno was born on July 7, 1943 in Fosdinovo, Tuscany, Italy as Salvatore Cutugno. In 1976 Cutugno participated for the first time in the San Remo Music Festival. He reached 3rd place with his band Albatros. He won the festival in 1980, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1989. In total he participated 13 times.

He won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with his own composition 'Insieme: 1992' ("Together: 1992"), a ballad which celebrated European political integration. Along with Gigliola Cinquetti, Italy's only other Eurovision winner from 1964, he presented the 1991 contest, which was staged in Rome as a result of his victory.

My collection: 7" single no. 3594

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,66 euro

Tracks: 'Insieme: 1992' / 'Insieme: 1992 (instrumental)'

Download: here

Life of surprises - Prefab Sprout

Prefab Sprout recorded 'Life of surprises' in 1985, just when 'When love breaks down' finally became a hit after its fourth re-release. The record company shelved the album with 'Life of surprises' on it. The track only resurfaced in 1993, when Prefab Sprout's greatest hits compilation was released.

The single was a success, peaking at number 24 in the UK singles chart. The B-side featured the band's only top 10 hit: 'The king of rock 'n' roll', originally released in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 1899
Found: Record fair, May 2, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Life of surprises' / 'The king of rock 'n' roll'

The sound of the crowd - Human League

After the loss of original members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig-Marsh, Phil Oakey recruited 'dancing girls' Susan Ann Sulley (17) and Joanne Catherall (18) in order to be able to fulfill tour obligations. In January 1981, the band was still in debt to their record company. Oakey recorded and rushed out a new single, 'Boys and girls', without the involvement of Sulley and Catherall, to reasonable success. In March, Oakey was introduced to veteran producer Martin Rushent.

The first result of their sessions was the single 'The sound of the crowd'. The single was an instant success, peaking at number 12 in the UK singles chart. It was the first song to feature female vocals from Sulley and Catherall. The twelve inch mix is an interesting affair, with a lot of extra instrumental bits.

My collection: 12" single no. 491

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'The sound of the crowd (Complete)' / 'The sound of the crowd (Instrumental)'

Liian pian ilta päättyy - Eini

Eini is a Finnish singer who has recorded several covers of Eurovision songs. When I bought this one, a sticker on the sleeve suggested that it was a cover of Israel's 1979 winning song, 'Hallelujah'. This is why I bought the single. Unfortunately, the information was wrong. Instead, this is a cover of Israel's 1981 contribution to the Contest, 'Halayla' ('Tonight'), performed by Hakol over Habibi.

The original track is a dramatic ballad, with the singer describing what will happen between herself and a lover "tonight". The Finnish version is more upbeat. Now, how do you think 'Liian pian ilta päättyy' is pronounced?...

My collection: 7" single no. 3601
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: Liian pian ilta päättyy' / 'Rajana Taivas'

Strut - Sheena Easton

In 1984, sweet Scottish singing sensation Sheena Easton made a transition towards a sexy dance-pop siren. She collaborated with Prince on her new album 'A private heaven', which was a big success.

While the single 'Strut' was ignored in Europe, it became her fifth top 10 single in America. It was a sassy and suggestive song, with a great hook and interesting vocals. Compare, if you like, the A-side with the B-side track. Where Sheena sounds great on the former, her voice sounds shrill and uninspired on the latter. Well, at least, that's what I think. Great sleeve, by the way...

My collection: 12" single no. 494

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Strut (Dance mix)' / 'Letters from the road'

Vandaag - Het Goede Doel

After the chart success of 'Met open ogen', Het Goede Doel released a second single from their album 'Souvenir' entitled 'Vandaag' ('Today'). Clocking in at six minutes, it was another lengthy single from the group. (Previous hits 'België', 'Hou van mij' and 'Alles geprobeerd' were also over six minutes long).

The single went by unnoticed by the general public: it stalled outside the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3595

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,66 euro

Tracks: 'Vandaag' / 'Vandaag (instrumental)'

We gotta get out of here - Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter was born on June 3, 1939 in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. He was lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople between 1969 and 1974, and then pursued a solo career. He had one hit in the Netherlands: 'We gotta get out of here', released in the summer of 1980. The ending of the song sounds a bit like a pastiche of Meatloaf's 'Paradise by the dashboard light'. That's because of the vocals of Ellen Foley, who'd spoken on that song as well as this one.

The B-side of the single features a live version of 'All the young dudes', originally recorded by David Bowie.

My collection: 7" single no. 3597

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'We gotta get out of here' / 'All the young dudes'

Cry me a river - Mari Wilson

'Cry me a river' was written by Arthur Hamilton in 1953. It was orginally meant as a song for Ella Fitzgerald in the movie 'Pete Kelly's Blues' (1955). The record producer insisted that Hamilton would remove the word 'plebeian' in the lyric since 'audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the '20s using that word.' Hamilton refused, and the song was dropped. The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955.

Mari Wilson recorded her version in 1983, to be used in the crime drama series McCallum. It was her last UK top 40 hit, peaking at number 27.

My collection: 7" single no. 3607
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Cry me a river' / 'Rave'