Stiekem gedanst - Toontje Lager

Dutch music from the Eighties can be interesting at times. At the height of the synthpop age, even Dutch artists were inspired to make good tracks. (Which is interesting, because since then, nothing really interesting has happened.)

One of those bands was Toontje Lager. They released three albums during the Eighties, all of them filled with easily recognisable synthpop tunes. 'Stiekem gedanst' ('Secretly danced') came from the band's album 'Stiekem dansen' ('Dancing secretly'). It was their biggest hit, peaking at number 8 in the summer of 1983.

My collection: 7" single no. 3782

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Stiekem gedanst' / 'Amigo'

Gente di mare - Tozzi and Raff

Umberto Tozzi and Raffaele Riefoli represented Italy during the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Gente di mare' ('People of the sea'). It was a decent effort - although at the time I thought the song was unspeakably boring - reaching third place in the Contest.

While not winning the Contest the song achieved considerable popularity, becoming a Top 10 hit in most parts of Europe and Scandinavia in the summer of 1987. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 20.

My collection: 7" single no. 3773

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Gente di mare' / 'Lascia che sia il tuo cuore'

The locomotion - Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin

'The loco-motion' was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1962. The original recording of the song was sung by Eva Boyd, under the stage name Little Eva, which reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.

Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin recorded their version of the song in 1986. It became the duo's last hit, reaching the number 70 spot in the UK singles chart. A subsequent cover version by Kylie Minogue was more successful, reaching number 2 in the UK. Artistically, this is the more interesting version.

My collection: 7" single no. 3775

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'The locomotion' / 'Make me promises'

Gangsters - The Specials

Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter formed The Automatics in 1977. When Terry Hall and Roddy Byers joined the band the following year, the band changed its name to The Special AKA The Coventry Automatics, and then to The Special AKA.

The Specials began at the same time as Rock Against Racism which first gathered in 1978. According to Jerry Dammers anti-racism was intrinsic to the formation of The Specials with an intention to integrate both black and white people. In 1979, Dammers decided to form his own record label, and 2 Tone Records was born. On this label, the band released their 7" debut 'Gangsters', featuring a part of Prince Buster's ska hit 'Al Capone'. The single peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 3788

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Gangsters' (The Specials) / 'The selecter' (The Selecter)

I only want to be with you - The Tourists

'I only want to be with you' was written by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield. Recorded while she was still a member of The Springfields, the song was released in November 1963, three weeks after The Springfields' final concert.

The Tourists, a British pop band consisting of Peet Coombes, David A. Stewart, Annie Lennox, Eddie Chin and Jim Toorney, recorded their version of the song in 1979. The single peaked at number 4 in the UK at the end of 1979. When the group disbanded the next year, Stewart and Lennox went on to form the Eurythmics. The rest, as they say, is history...

My collection: 7" single no. 3789

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'I only want to be with you' / 'Summers night'

Tomorrow never knows - Monsoon

While Monsoon is best known for their hit 'Ever so lonely', the band continued to record tracks for a couple of years. The single 'Tomorrow never knows' was taken from their only album, 'Third eye'. It was a cover of the Beatles track from their 1966 album 'Revolver'.

John Lennon wrote the song in January 1966, closely adapted from the book The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert, and Ralph Metzner, which in turn was adapted from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. McCartney stated that he and Lennon once visited a newly opened Indica bookshop and Lennon found a copy of The Psychedelic Experience, which quoted the lines: "When in doubt, relax, turn off your mind, float downstream". Lennon bought the book, went home, took LSD, and followed the instructions exactly as stated in the book.

My collection: 7" single no. 3785

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Tomorrow never knows' / 'Indian princess'

Baby it's true - Mari Wilson

Mari Wilson scored her second UK hit with 'Baby it's true' in 1982. The single peaked at number 42. The single was even played on Dutch radio, but that didn't give her a hit in this country. Like all of Mari Wilson's singles from around this time, the track evokes images of the Fifties and Sixties, with big hair and big bands.

The funny thing is, although I remember this track well, I have totally forgotten about it. The mind is a jukebox but sometimes needs a kick to get started.

My collection: 7" single no. 3774

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Baby it's true' / 'You look so good'

Leaving on the midnight train - Nick Straker Band

'Leaving on the midnight train' was the third single by the Nick Straker Band. After the debut single 'A walk in the park' had been a good success, their second single 'Don't come back' flopped everywhere.

At least, this single charted again, although it only reached number 61 in the UK singles chart. The influence of the New Musik sound is particularly noticeable on the B-side of this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3780

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Leaving on the midnight train' / 'Play the fool'

Belangrijk nieuws van Louise Tucker

'Belangrijk nieuws van Louise Tucker' ('Important news from Louise Tucker') is a promotional 7" single from the Netherlands. It offers a fascinating insight in the world of the music business in 1983. The single, which can only be played on one side, contains a short greeting by Louise Tucker himself, followed by the original recording of 'Midnight blue', the single that was a hit in the Netherlands the year before. A voice-over then starts to talk about her 'phenomenal success' in the Netherlands and Europe.

The important news, which is announced on the sleeve of the record, is that DJ's and other recipients of this promotional 7" single should look in their mailbox next week, as they will get something (it is not specified what). The single was part of the promotion for Tucker's 1983 album 'After the storm'. Since the album nor the singles were a hit in the Netherlands, I doubt this promotional single was effective.

My collection: 7" single no. 3776

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Belangrijk nieuws van Louise Tucker'

Hop on the bus - Nick Hall

The Dutch singer and bass guitarist Nick Hall released his album 'A very special case', produced by Pim Koopman, in 1980. The single 'Hop on the bus' was taken from that album. The single did not chart.

Later on in the Eighties, Hall joined the band La Blusa, specialising in swamprock and playing Louisiana-inspired compositions, fusing them with funk and rock. The American influence is already obvious on this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2555

Found: November 19, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Hop on the bus' / 'Love couldn't carry us through'

Secret - Heart

'Secret' was released as the fourth and final single from Heart's tenth studio album 'Brigade'. The single at number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 79 on the UK singles chart.

When I found this single, I did not know it had been released. I did know the track, because my sister owns the album 'Brigade'. I always thought it was one of the best tracks on the album so I was very happy to get this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2343

Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995

Cost: 60p

Tracks: 'Secret' / 'I love you'

Hazard - Richard Marx

'Hazard' tells the story of a relationship between Marx's character (usually considered the protagonist) and a woman named Mary. Mary is presumably murdered and Marx, shunned by many in the small town Hazard in Nebraska since his childhood, is immediately considered the main suspect. Marx, however, maintains his innocence throughout the song, and the question of such is left open to the listener's interpretation.

I got to know the song because of the music video being aired on television regularly in early 1992. The single peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart, although it did not chart in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1593
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 21, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Hazard' / 'Big boy now'

We just - Moses

Although I'm not exactly a fan of Italo disco music, the single 'We just' by Moses was an interesting one. Full of samples and beautiful synth solos, it was a memorable track, even if it seemed to be devilishly simple.

It was a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 3. The song was apparently the theme to the Italian music programme Discoring. At the time, synthesizer themes were all the rage, because the BBC's 'Top of the pops' used Paul Hardcastle's 'The wizard' at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 394

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'We just' / 'Our revolution'

A woman needs love (Just like you do) - Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio

The band Raydio started in the second half of the Seventies and had a few hits with songs like 'You can't change that'. From 1980 onwards, they became known as 'Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio', giving more prominence to their lead singer.

'A woman needs love' was taken from their fourth album from 1981. It reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2584

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 23, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'A woman needs love (just like you do)' / 'So into you'

Talk - Coldplay

'Talk' was released as the third single from Coldplay's 2005 album 'X&Y'. A number one hit in the Netherlands, it also reached number 10 in the UK and number 4 in Canada.

The band received permission from the German band Kraftwerk to use the main riff from their song 'Computer love' from their 1981 studio LP 'Computer world' for 'Talk', replacing Kraftwerk's synthesizers with guitars. According to reports, Chris Martin from Coldplay sent a letter to Kraftwerk in basic German, which he'd learnt at school.

My collection: 7" single no. 3421

Found: London, December 2005

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Talk' / 'Gravity'

I believe in you - Talk Talk

I wrote about 'I believe in you' before, but that was because of the promotional 7" single that I own. A few years after getting that one, I found a version of the commercially available single, featuring the B-side 'John Cope'. Since this single was made in Spain, it is a bit of a rarity as well.

The single failed to breach the charts in any country as far as I know. Tim Pope directed a music video for this track, featuring Mark Hollis sitting with his guitar, singing the lyrics. 'That was a massive mistake,' said Hollis afterwards. 'I thought just by sitting there and listening and really thinking about what it was about, I could get that in my eyes. But you cannot do it. It just feels stupid.'

My collection: 7" single no. 2613
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, February 10, 1996
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I believe in you (edit)' / 'John Cope'

Storm chaser - Erasure

Erasure released the 'Storm chaser' EP in September 2007. While the cd-single contained eight remixes of five different tracks plus a duet with Cyndi Lauper, the 7" single only had two tracks, making it a single, not an EP.

Released as a picture disc, the single still did not chart in the UK - or any other country for that matter.

My collection: 7" single no. 3577
Found: eBay, received February 2, 2009

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'Storm in a teacup (single version)' / 'Sucker for love (edit)'

Dream police - Cheap Trick

'Dream Police' was the 1979 studio album by the band Cheap Trick. After their worldwide success with 'I want you to want me' the pressure was on to come up with good new material, and the band rose to the challenge. The album shows the band expanding into longer, more complex songs and incorporating orchestration on several tracks. It was Cheap Trick's most successful studio effort, being certified platinum within a few months of its release.

The title track was released as a single in October 1979, and reached number 37 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 2938

Found: January 31, 1998

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Dream police' / 'Heaven tonight'

Breakout - Swing out sister

Swing Out Sister was formed by Andy Connell and Martin Jackson with Corinne Drewery. They took their name from a 1945 movie starring Arthur Treacher, called 'Swing Out, Sister', and they claim they chose the name because it was the only thing the band could agree on, in that they all hated it.

Prior to their debut album, they released the single 'Blue mood' in the UK in November 1985. This single did not chart. The first single from their debut lbum 'It's better to travel' was a big hit, however. It reached the number four position on the UK singles chart in November 1986 and number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1987. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands it peaked at number 30 in January 1987.

My collection: 7" single no. 2511

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 30, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Breakout' / 'Dirty money'

One better world - ABC

After ABC's success with their fourth album 'Alphabet city', Martin Fry and Mark White started experimenting with the hype of the year, house music. Released in 1989, their album 'Up' was their lowest charting album to that point, reaching number 57 during a one week chart run. The first single from the album, 'One better world', didn't do much better, peaking at number 32 in the UK singles chart.

After I bought the single on the strength of the band's name, I got one of the biggest musical disappointments of my life. The superficial music with equally superficial lyrics was a total breach of everything the band had done before. As an ABC fan I expected beauty and intelligence, but unfortunately I got something that merely flirted with the flavour of the week. House music is a thing of the past now, fortunately, but this painful single remains in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 874

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 3, 1989

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'One better world' / 'One better world (Percapella mix)'