Yesterday's men - Madness

After all the fun and games of Madness' previous work, 'Yesterday's men' suddenly sounded stern and serious. What's more, the single signalled the beginning of the end for the band. Mike Barson, who was one of the founders of Madness and a principal songwriter, left the band in October 1983, partly because he lived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The band left their label Stiff records in 1984 and started releasing records on their on Zarjazz label. In 1985, that label released the album 'Mad not mad', from which 'Yesterday's men' was taken. The single peaked at number 18 in the UK charts. Two further singles stalled below that position.

The band then attempted to record a new album, but after recording 11 demo tracks the band cited 'musical differences' as a reason to split.

My collection: 7" single no. 1013

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Yesterday's men' / 'All I knew'

You're the voice - John Farnham

John Farnham was born on July 1, 1949. Between 1982 and 1985 he was the lead singer of the Australian band Little River Band. He went solo after that and released 'You're the voice' in October 1986. The song was written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson

In Australia, the song was one of the biggest hits of the year, topping the singles chart for many weeks. It is also Farnham's biggest international success, reaching the top 10 in many European countries. In the Netherlands, it stalled at number 15.

My collection: 7" single no. 1533

Found: Brussels, October 11, 1991

Cost: 70 Belgian Francs

Tracks: 'You're the voice' / 'Going, going, gone'

The lover in me - Sheena Easton

'The lover in me' was the first single from Sheena Easton's 1988 album of the same title. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 12 in the Netherlands and number 15 in the UK. The track was produced by L.A. and Babyface and the sleeve of the single confirmed Sheena Easton's image as a seductive vamp.

The 12" single contains three versions of the track, which all sound alike but have different lengths. The extended version is not a big surprise: it is indeed extended, but really nothing exciting happens. Oh well, the bigger version of the sleeve is enough of a convincing reason to buy it.

My collection: 12" single no. 493

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'The lover in me (extended version)' / 'The lover in me (radio edit)', 'The lover in me (instrumental)'

Dum dum girl - Talk Talk

'Dum dum girl' was the third single taken from Talk Talk's second album 'It's my life'. Released in the summer of 1984, it reached number 74 in the UK singles chart, but ended up at number 20 in Germany, number 32 in Switzerland and number 24 in the Netherlands. Not their biggest hit, obviously, but certainly a reasonably good chart performance.

I bought two different issues of this single, because the sleeves were so different from eachother. The first one I bought was the Dutch one, featuring an illustration by James Marsh, who made more illustrations for Talk Talk's record covers. That some illustration appeared on the UK sleeve, but smaller and together with a photograph of the band. It's the only UK sleeve featuring a band photograph, as far as I know!

My collection: 7" single no. 2148 / no. 2897

Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, August 25, 1994 / Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997

Cost: 2 guilders / 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Dum dum girl' / 'Without you'

New thing from London town - Sharpe and Numan

Another single by Bill Sharpe and Gary Numan, released in 1986. While their first collaboration 'Change your mind' was released by the record company Polydor, to which Sharpe was signed, this single appeared on Gary Numan's own record label Numa Records.

'New thing from London town' was a less surprising track from the duo. Gary's phrasing sounds a little forced and the song is slightly middle of the road. Still, it's a great track with lush synthesizer sounds.

My collection: 7" single no. 2934

Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 24, 1998

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'New thing from London town' / 'Time to die'

Hey little girl - Icehouse

'Hey little girl' was released by Icehouse in 1982 on their album 'Primitive man'. It was the first Australian recording to feature a Linn drum machine. The single became a hit in the Netherlands in November of that year. Before that, it peaked at number 7 on the Australian singles chart.

The song has a certain atmosphere that always appealed to me a lot: a bit mysterious and melancholy, somehow. It's another one of those singles which I had to search for a lot time. I ordered it a couple of times from the mailorder company 'Oldies Unlimited' in England, but it was always out of stock.

My collection: 7" single no. 731
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 3, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Hey little girl' / 'Love in motion'

On my radio - The Selecter

Two Tone was the big hype of the late Seventies and early Eighties. Fronted by bands like the Specials, Madness and The Beat. The Selecter was another band making music in this genre, which mixed elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae and pop. The band consisted of Pauline Black, Compton Amanor, Charley Anderson, Charley 'H' Bembridge, Desmond Brown, Neol Davies and Arthur Hendrickson.

Their first track appeared on the B-side of the Specials' hit song 'Gangsters'. Then they released 'On my radio' (1979), which became a top 10 hit in various countries. It peaked at number 8 in the UK and number 10 in the Netherlands. After this, they released several more singles, of which only one made the Dutch Top 40. They continued to have some success in the UK until the end of 1980. They reformed in 1991 to minimal success.

My collection: 7" single no. 92
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1981
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'On my radio' / 'Too much pressure'

On the turning away - Pink Floyd

'On the turning away' was the second single taken from Pink Floyd's 1987 album 'A momentary lapse of reason', the first album without Roger Waters. The song lyric is about poverty and oppression, lamenting on the tendency of people to turn away from those afflicted with such conditions. The B-side was recorded live in Atlanta on November 5, 1987.

I didn't hear this single when it was released, but picked it up from my brother's collection soon after. When I played the single, I realised it was a beautiful power ballad I really wanted to have myself. By then, the disc had disappeared from the shops, and I had to wait for a couple of years to finally find my own copy.

My collection: 7" single no. 1419

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 7, 1991

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'On the turning away' / 'Run like hell (live)'

It's your conscience - Deniece Williams

Deniece Williams was born on June 3, 1950. She started her career with the 1976 album 'This is Niecy', containing the hit single 'Free'. Every year she released a new album, until a short break in 1980. In 1981, her album 'My melody' was released, containing this single, 'It's your conscience'. Like most of her material, it was a softpop song.

I heard this song on a compilation album I bought in the late Eighties. A decade later, I bought the single. Just for completeness sake: if you know a good single, you have to have it, right?

My collection: 7" single no. 3122
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'It's your conscience' / 'Sweet surrender'

I will be with you - T'pau

It could have been too much to ask for, but the fifth single from T'pau's debut album 'Bridge of spies' was, like the four previous ones, a big hit in the UK. It peaked at number 14 in the singles chart. Outside of the UK, the single did nothing - and I don't think it was even released in most countries.

'I will be with you' is a beautiful powerballad, a bit like 'Valentine' and 'China in your hand' but different. Part of the attraction was this special limited edition gatefold sleeve, in which frontwoman Carol Decker looks quite delicious.

My collection: 7" single no. 647
Found: Sister Ray, London, 1989
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'I will be with you' / 'Still so in love'

Walk through the fire - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel contributed the track 'Walk through the fire' to the soundtrack of the 1984 movie 'Against all odds'. It's interesting to note that other Genesis members contributed to the soundtrack as well: Mike Rutherford contributed the song 'Making a big mistake' and Phil Collins recorded the well-known title track.

It's interesting how little is known about this track by Peter Gabriel: I couldn't find any background information about it on the web. I did find out that it peaked at number 69 in the UK. So not a big hit, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 2481
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Walk through the fire' (Peter Gabriel) / 'The race' (Larry Carlton)

Autobahn - Kraftwerk

Perhaps Kraftwerk's best known track, 'Autobahn' is an ode to the German expressways. The track is intended to capture the feeling of driving on the Autobahn: from the high-speed concentration on the fast lane, to tuning the car radio, to the monotony of a long trip. For the single version, the original 22 minute track was edited down to a mere three minutes.

Released in 1975, the single peaked at number 11 in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the Netherlands. The album of the same name was equally successful, peaking at number 4 in the UK and number 9 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2686

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, July 3, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Autobahn' / 'Kometenmelodie 1'

Download: here

Un banc, un arbre, une rue - Severine

Severine was born as Josiane Grizeau on October 10, 1948 in Paris. She represented Monaco in the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue'. The lyric of the song focuses on the loss of childhood innocence, and people following their dreams. Severine recorded the song in French, English, German and Italian. This single features the original French version.

She won the Contest, but this did not result, as is usual, in the 1972 Contest being hosted in Monaco, as the country did not have the resources. Instead, it took place in Edinburgh, UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3598

Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, March 14, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue' / 'Viens'

Download: here

How you gonna see me now - Alice Cooper

During his 1977 tour Alice Cooper's alcoholism was becoming an issuel. It was rumoured that he drank up to two cases of Budweiser and a bottle of whiskey every day. Following the tour, Cooper had himself hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for treatment. His experience in the sanitarium was the inspiration for his 1978 semi-autobiographical album 'From the inside', which Cooper co-wrote with Bernie Taupin.

The single 'How you gonna see me now', taken from that album, was a ballad. The lyric depicted the fear of the singer of how his wife would react to him after his spell in the sanitarium. The song was one of the first I recorded from the radio when I got a radio/taperecorder at age 10. I found the single ten years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 1420

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 7, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'How you gonna see me now' / 'No tricks'

Download: here

Break my stride - Matthew Wilder

Matthew Wilder was born as Matthew Weiner on January 24, 1953 in New York City. He started his music career as one half of the folk group Matthew & Peter in 1973. Five years later, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and started working as a backing vocalist for, amongst others, Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler.

In 1983, he recorded his debut album 'I don't speak the language'. The single 'Break my stride', which was taken from this album, became a number 5 hit in America, while it peaked at number 4 in the UK and number 3 in the Netherlands.

I had a friend who was always asking for this song when I made mixtapes for him in the early Nineties. I didn't have this single, so I could never oblige. I only bought this single in 2001, by that time I'd stopped making tapes for him. I hope he reads it now - if it gets through the Big Chinese Firewall, that is.

My collection: 7" single no. 3305
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Break my stride' / 'Break my stride (instrumental)'
Download: here

Working on it - Chris Rea

While I'm generally not impressed with guitar heroes, I have to admit that Chris Rea has me rocking away from time to time. Some people may call his work too soft, but I find it generally very enjoyable. Which is why I snap up any Chris Rea record when it's cheap.

And that was the story for this 12" single: it appeared in a London shop for less than a pound and although I didn't know the track, I was certain enough that an extended version would be worthwhile. I was not disappointed: it's one of Chris Rea's rockier tracks, with a strong melody line. 'Working on it' was released in 1989 and reached number 53 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 417

Found: Record Exchange, London, 2002

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Working on it (extended)' / 'One golden rule'

My heart lies - Barbara Dickson

The single 'My heart lies' didn't chart in the UK, but in the Netherlands it became her biggest hit in early 1982. It peaked at number 27 in the Dutch Top 40, which isn't spectacular, but it's two places higher than Barbara Dickson's 1981 hit, 'January February'.

Alan Tarney produced this single, as well as the album 'You know it's me' (1982). The title track of that album appears on the B-side of this single. I liked this single so much I bought it twice: once in 1999 and three years later I did it again. It was an honest mistake. Luckily it was a cheap single on both occasions.

My collection: 7" single no. 3131
Found: July 24, 1999
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'My heart lies' / 'You know it's me'

Mirror man - Talk Talk

'Mirror man' is Talk Talk's debut single, released in early 1982. On the many compilation albums that have been released since the band left their record label EMI, this track is always missing. This is easily explained, since it is the only single from their EMI period that didn't make the UK singles chart at all. Some of the later singles made the lower regions of the chart, but this one faded into obscurity soon after its release. Which makes it a great item for a Talk Talk collection, of course!

'Mirror man' appears on Talk Talk's debut album 'The party's over', but the B-side 'Strike up the band' was a non-album track. It appeared on cd only 16 years later, on the double cd compilation 'Asides besides'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3085

Found: Record Exchange, London, May 10, 1999

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Mirror man' / 'Strike up the band'

The heat is on - Agnetha Fältskog

In May 1983, Agnetha Fältskog released her first post-Abba solo album, 'Wrap your arms around me'. 'The heat is on' was the first single taken from that album. On the B-side the track 'Man' appeared, written by Agnetha herself.

The single proved very successful throughout Europe. It sold more copies than any of Abba's singles in the year 1982. It was a number one hit in Belgium, Norway and Sweden, while it peaked at number 2 in the Netherlands. In the UK, the single reached number 35. For a long time it was Fältskog's highest charting solo single in Britain until the release of her 2004 comeback single, 'If I thought you'd ever change your mind', which reached No.11.

My collection: 7" single no. 194

Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'The heat is on' / 'Man'

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

The heat is on - Agnetha Fältskog