Martha's harbour - All about Eve

All about Eve's success was slowly rising, until this single was released. 'Martha's harbour', a rather uncharacteristic ballad by the band, was their first and last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 10.

On its creation, Julianne Regan commented: 'This song happened by accident when we were recording the first album. It was one of those things when we had the day off and we were sat in this very idyllic setting beneath a willow tree besides a stream by this beautiful residential recording studio and it just came out so naturally. It was a miracle of a little song and its very dear to us because of that, because it was very pure, a really happy accident. Everybody went to the pub and we put it down and by the time they got back Martha's Harbour was committed to tape. Martha's Harbour is a fictitious backdrop for this happening.'

My collection: 7" single no. 649

Found: Melody Maker, August 25, 1988

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Martha's harbour' / 'Another door'

Another you, another me - Gemini

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, 'Another you, another me' was the second single taken from Gemini's self-titled debut album. Compared to 'Just like that', this was the weaker track. The single didn't reach the chart in as many countries, either.

The B-side of this single is the album track 'Falling', although in Scandinavia the B-side was another album track 'Slowly'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2965
Found: February 4, 1998
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Another you, another me' / 'Falling'

Can you feel the force - Real Thing

There's something strangely 'Can you feel it'-esque about 'Can you feel the force'. Unlike the Jacksons, Real Thing hails from Liverpool, UK. Members Eddie Amoo, Chris Amoo, Dave Smith and Ray Lake debuted in 1976 with 'You to me are everything'.

This single reached number 5 in the UK and number 11 in the Netherlands. It was their last hit in the Netherlands (although a remix of 'You to me are everything' did chart in 1986), but their success continued vigorously in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3008
Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2001

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Can you feel the force' / 'Children of the ghetto'

Don't fall in love - Toyah

'Don't fall in love', released in 1985, was Toyah Wilcox's last top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 22. She'd had a lot of hit singles since 1977, when she started her career as part of a band named Toyah. A year later she married guitarist Robert Fripp.

I bought this single because my sister said she liked the song a lot. Myself, I was more impressed with the colourful and visually striking cover of the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2368

Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 40p

Tracks: 'Don't fall in love' / 'Snow covers the kiss'

This melody - Julien Clerc

Julien Clerc was born as Paul-Alain Clerc on October 4, 1947 in Paris, France. In 1969 he got the leading role in the musical 'Hair'. Since then, he's released a few dozen albums and even more singles. Some of them achieved international fame.

'This melody' was released in the summer of 1976 and rose to number 1 in the Netherlands. I always confuse this song with the previous single 'Venise', which I'm still searching for...

My collection: 7" single no. 2729

Found: September 7, 1996

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'This melody' / 'Prends ton coeur par la main'

Ever so lonely - Monsoon

Monsoon formed in 1981 and consisted of singer Sheila Chandra, producer Steve Coe and bass guitarist Martin Smith. They released one album, 'Third eye' in 1983. This album featured a cover of Lennon & McCartney's 'Tomorrow never knows' and their only hit, 'Ever so lonely'.

The song was a track inspired by the sounds of India, like most of the album. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK singles chart. A remix of the track appeared in 1995, but this version did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 901

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Ever so lonely' / 'Sunset over the Ganges'

A little more love - Olivia Newton-John

After Olivia Newton-John achieved world fame with the movie Grease, she picked up her own music career with the 1978 album 'Totally hot'. The single 'A little more love' shot to number 4 in the UK and number 3 in the Netherlands.

While I wasn't so impressed as a child with her Grease tracks, this track really impressed me. The song sounded modern and melodic and has remained a favourite of mine all these years.

My collection: 7" single no. 1120

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 1, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'A little more love' / 'Borrowed time'

True Faith - New Order

New Order wrote and recorded 'True Faith' and '1963' during a 10-day studio session with producer Stephen Hague. The two songs were written as new material for New Order's first singles compilation album, 'Substance 1987'. After the two songs were recorded, the band's US management decided that 'True Faith' was the stronger track and would be released as the new single, with '1963' as the B-side.

As is the case for many New Order songs, the words in the title do not appear anywhere in the lyrics. The song is about Ecstacy. This is more obvious in the original lyrics, which contain the line, 'They're all taking drugs with me', in place of, 'They're afraid of what they see.' The line was changed at the last minute due to pressure from label executives, but the original line is often used when the band performs the song live.

The single peaked at number 4 in the UK, but did not chart in the Netherlands. I mainly remembered it because of the bizarre music video. In it bizarrely costumed dancers leap about, fight and slap each other in time to the music; while a girl in dark green makeup emerges from an upside down boxer's speed bag and signs the lyrics.

My collection: 7" single no. 918

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'True faith' / '1963'

Go - Scott Fitzgerald

Scott Fitzgerald was born as William McPhail in Glasgow, Scotland on April 28, 1948. He represented the UK in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Go', written by Julie Forsyth, a former member of singing group Guys & Dolls. Scott lost the contest, by one point, to Switzerland's entry performed by Celine Dion.

'Go' is still the better song of the two: a heartfelt rendition instead of the plastic, cold and emotionless voice of Dion. The Contest juries were once again failing.

My collection: 7" single no. 796

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 15, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Go' / 'Love don't live here anymore'

Everybody's changing - Keane

After Keane had hit it big with 'Somewhere only we know' in 2004, they had the major task of following the single up with something equally successful. They succeeded: 'Everybody's changing' peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart while reaching number 18 in the Netherlands.

I had actually sortof stopped buying 7" singles during that year, so when I decided to revitalise my collection last year I had to start finding those old Keane singles. I bought a whole bunch of them from an online dealer. This single was released as a limited numbered edition. This is number 28.

My collection: 7" single no. 3488
Found: eBay, received December 20, 2008
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Everybody's changing' / 'Fly to me'

Gravitate to me - The The

When it was decided that 'Gravitate to me' would be a single from The The's album 'Mind bomb', I imagine that it was a wise decision to edit the track down. The album version takes up all of eight minutes, while the 'little version' on this single is just over half that length.

Unfortunately, it didn't help matters much: the single only reached number 63 in the UK, which was a disappointment after 'The beat(en) generation' had been a top 20 hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 1007

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Gravitate to me (little version)' / 'The violence of truth'

I need love - LL Cool J

Hip hop will always be a genre dominated by people who feel the need to use a lot of words to say... well... nothing. It doesn't happen very often - well, once every decade on average as far as I know - that I actually like a hip hop record. LL Cool J released 'I need love' in 1987 and took care of the Eighties for me.

The idea of making a rap about a troubled lovelife in a kindof ballad setting was pretty good I have to admit. He was rewarded with chart placings around the word, reaching number 8 in the UK and number 3 in the Netherlands. Just forget about all the other rubbish he's made since then. (And yes, the B-side of this single is very bad as well.)

My collection: 7" single no. 566

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'I need love' / 'My rhyme ain't done'

So lang' man träume noch leben kann - Münchener Freiheit

'So lang' man träume noch leben kann' is a fine piece of orchestral pop, performed by Münchener Freiheit with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Jackson Singers. In the English-speaking world this track is better known as 'Keeping the dream alive', but this German version was recorded for their home turf.

The single was recorded in three separate location, the back of the sleeve reveals: Münchener Freiheit were recorded in Weryton Studios in Cologne, the Jackson Singers were recorded at Far Music-Studio in Rosbach and the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Andrew Powell, were recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 3275

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2000

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'So lang' man träume noch leben kann' / 'So lang' man träume noch leben kann (instrumental version)'

New frontier - Donald Fagen

I was quick to discard Donald Fagen's single 'New frontier' as boring when it was released in 1983. Just like previous single 'I.G.Y.', I couldn't appreciate the subtle sound of this track. Chances are, I was simply to young to appreciate it.

I had to chance my point of view a decade later, when the music video (which strangely enough can not be found on YouTube) appeared regularly on MTV for some reason. I quite like the track now.

My collection: 7" single no. 2285
Found: May 6, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'New frontier (edit)' / 'Maxine'

That's love - Jim Capaldi

Jim Capaldi was born on August 2, 1944. In his teenage years he learned to play the drums. Since then, Jim made a career for himself as drummer with bands like the Hellions and Traffic.

In 1972, he released his first solo album, 'Oh how we danced'. Ten years and ten albums later, he had his first and only American top 40 hit: 'That's love', taken from the album 'Fierce heart' which was produced by Steve Winwood. The single reached number 28. The single was also released in the Netherlands, where it didn't chart.

Capaldi died of stomach cancer on January 28, 2005. He is survived by his wife and daughters.

My collection: 7" single no. 1292

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, September 1, 1990

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'That's love' / 'Runaway'

Zo gaat ons leven voorbij - Rob Meier

This is one very strange single. 'Zo gaat ons leven voorbij' ('And so our lives pass by') is a collection of short talks with several characters, including such immortal lines as 'Vreet maar uit je neus en je bent toch al zo vet' ('Eating out of your nose as if you're not fat enough').

So who's Rob Meier? Where did he come from? What did he do before and after this single? No-one really knows. There is no information about the man anywhere and the single itself did not chart in the Netherlands. All that remains is this rather strange single.


I do wonder what foreign readers make of this. Tell me your thoughts after hearing this...

My collection: 7" single no. 211
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Zo gaat ons leven voorbij' / 'Klaas is de baas'

Ich bin wie du - Marianne Rosenberg

Marianne Rosenberg was born on March 10, 1955 in Berlin, Germany. She is the fifth of seven children of Auschwitz survivor Otto Rosenberg, who was part Roma. At age fourteen, she won a talent show, after which she recorded her first single.

'Ich bin wie du' was released in late 1975, at the height of the disco craze. The single reached number 18 in Germany, but (amazingly) did better in the Netherlands, peaking at number 2 in early 1976. It has since become a disco classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 3128

Found: July 24, 1999

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ich bin wie du' / 'Was kann ich tun'

I don't want to be a hero - Johnny hates Jazz

'I don't want to be a hero' was the second hit single for Johnny hates Jazz. The song has a strong anti-war sentiment and is written from the perspective of a soldier who is questioning their participation in what they consider an unjust war. The band's American record company were reluctant to release the single in the U.S. because of its anti-war stance.

Still, it was released in the US and peaked at number 31 in the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, the single peaked at number 11 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1474

Found: Record exchange, London, June 30, 1991

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'I don't want to be a hero' / 'The cage'

Maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight - Earth and Fire

While Jerney Kaagman is best known in the Netherlands for the static expression on her face thanks to an overkill of botox treatments these days, she used to be the singer in a successful Dutch band called Earth & Fire. The group started out in the early Seventies as a progressive rock outfit, tending more towards pop as the Eighties came along.

'Maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight' was released in 1973 and shows a successful blend of the two genres. Slightly bombastic but very effective, this single peaked at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 in April 1973.

My collection: 7" single no. 1138
Found: All that music, Leiden, December 28, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight' / 'Theme from Atlantis'

Why do I always get it wrong - Live report

Live Report was originally called Midnight Blue and was formed by Ray Caruana, John Beeby, Brian Hodgson and Maggie Jay. Their moment of fame came in 1989 when they participated in the Eurovision Song Contest, representing the UK. Their song 'Why do I always get it wrong' finished second in the Contest, behind one of the worst winners in the history of the Contest: 'Rock me' by Riva.

I still rate this as one of the UK's best songs for Eurovision ever. Strangely enough, the citizens of the UK don't agree. The single only landed in the UK singles chart for one week, at number 73.

My collection: 7" single no. 839

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, May 27, 1989

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Why do I always get it wrong' / 'Take a chance on me'