Working in a goldmine - Aztec Camera

Taken from the album 'Love', 'Working in goldmine' was an unlikely single candidate. The track lasts for 5 minutes and 40 seconds and is a tad introverted. But it is an interesting song and that was rewarded by the listeners in the UK; the single climbed to the number 31 position.

My copy of the single contains a slight error: the label for the A-side is attached on both sides of the disc. The B-side, 'I threw it all away', was recorded live at the Colston Hall, Bristol in June 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 793
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 15, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Working in a goldmine' / 'I threw it all away (live)'

Calling out - Curt Smith

After the demise of Tears for Fears as a duo in the early Nineties, Roland Orzabal decided to go on under the name of the band while Curt Smith tried to make it on his own. Unfortunately, he turned out to be the least successful one of the two.

Both this single and the album 'Soul on board', released in 1993, failed to chart. Subsequently, the album was never released at all in the US. Smith himself has stated that he hates the album and alleges that he made it purely to fulfil his recording contract with Phonogram/Mercury Records.

My collection: 7" single no. 1990
Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Calling out' / 'Deal'

Writing on the wall - One 2 Many

The last single from One 2 Many's only album 'Mirror' was 'Writing on the wall'. The track was remixed for the single release by Julian Mendelsohn. It did not help matters much: the single did not chart.

Singer Camilla Griehsel was still promoting the music of the band while it had already fallen apart. After she was released from her contract she'd already met singer Colin Vearncombe (from Black), with whom she married and had children. Nowadays they live in Ireland, and Camilla is enjoying a successful career as a classical singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 1012
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Writing on the wall' / 'Another man'

Bad old days - CoCo

The group CoCo formed in the first half of the Seventies but they only rose to fame in 1978 when they represented the United Kingdom during that year's Eurovision Song Contest. The group consisted of Terry Bradford, Josie Andrews, Cheryl Baker, Keith Hasler and Paul Rogers.

'Bad old days' finally reached 11th place in a field of 20 participants. Subsequently, the single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart. In contrast to previous years, the song had not reached the chart in the weeks leading up to the contest and had been noticeably absent. Its eventual peak of 13 occurred several weeks after their appearance in the Contest. It was to be the group's only hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 3801
Found: eBay.co.uk, received June 25, 2009
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Bad old days' / 'Get you out of my life'

Tell it like it is - Don Johnson

Don Johnson is best known for his acting work in the television series Miami Vice. Once you are famous in America, you can do pretty much whatever you want, so mister Johnson opted for a singing career, despite not having a very remarkable voice.

'Tell it like it is' is a song written by George Davis and Lee Diamond and recorded several times by different artists, to varying degrees of success. It was first recorded by Aaron Neville, who released the song as a solo single in 1966. It became a hit, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1967. Don Johnson's version was only released in the UK and Europe to reasonable success: the single peaked at number 6 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1051
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Tell it like it is' / 'Angel city'

Bliss - Tori Amos

'Bliss' was the first single from Tori Amos' 1999 double album 'To Venus and back'. One disc of that album was filled with new tracks, whereas the other disc was filled with atrocious live tracks. Atrocious, because the audiences kept screaming through the music. I'll never understand why people felt the need to do that during Tori Amos concerts.

Tori Amos commented about the song: 'I sing Father I killed my monkey to lead off the song, which explains that sometimes you even destroy your own so they can't excavate it. When I was growing up, I started becoming very secretive about my thoughts and the sensory world I would go to, because there's a lot of mind control that goes on constantly, people wanting access: 'What are you thinking?' So sometimes I'd have my own defense going, which would be to look them straight in the eye and make them think I've killed my imagination. But it's like, I'll take control.'

My collection: 7" single no. 3145
Found: Record fair, 1999
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Bliss' / 'Hey Jupiter (live)'

Jealous heart - Maire Brennan

When you listen to this single and you know Máire Brennan's sister Enya's body of work, it's hard to imagine that there was ever a rowdy party at the Brennan residence. The music of the two sisters is beautiful, but sometimes verging on boring.

This second single from Máire Brennan's debut solo album 'Máire' flopped in the UK. The B-side, sung in Gaelic, would not be out of place in a church repertoire. Sometimes you would just wish that Máire would rock out a little.

My collection: 7" single no. 1735
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1992
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Jealous heart' / 'Citi Na gCumann'

Casanova - Luv'

'Casanova' was Luv's fifth hit single, released in April 1979. First awarded the 'Alarmschijf', Radio Veronica's weekly tip for the chart, the single quickly moved up to sixth place in the Dutch Top 40. Nothing else is very spectacular about the song: it sounds a lot like the trio's earlier material.

I bought the single back when I was just an eight year old. I was a fan of Boney M, Abba and Luv', and having learned the importance of a record collection at a very early age from my older brother and sister, I bought anything they released. The least you can say about Luv' nowadays is that their records had great sleeves back then.

My collection: 7" single no. 20
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Casanova' / 'DJ'

What becomes of the broken-hearted - Jimmy Ruffin

Jimmy Ruffin was born on May 7, 1939 in Collinsville, Mississippi. Ruffin abandoned his gospel background to become a session singer in the early Sixties. He first signed with a Motown Records subsidiary, the short-lived Miracle, in 1961. He recorded a one-off single, before he was drafted for national service.

After leaving the U.S. Army, he returned to Motown. He turned down the opportunity to join the Temptations and instead recommended his brother David Ruffin for the job. In 1966 he released 'What becomes of the broken-hearted'. In the UK, the single peaked at number 8. When it was re-released in 1974, the single improved on this placing, peaking at number 4!

My collection: 7" single no. 3281
Found: February 9, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'What becomes of the broken-hearted' / 'Don't you miss me a little bit baby'

Giddyap a gogo - Ad Visser and Daniel Sahuleka

Ad Visser was born in Amsterdam on April 28, 1947. After a short spell in the avant garde trio Blurp and working for several record companies, he becomes the face of the weekly pop programme Toppop, broadcast in the Netherlands between 1970 and 1985.

In 1982 he writes the book 'Sobriëtas' with a soundtrack released on LP. The single 'Giddyap a gogo', with guest vocals from Dutch artist Daniel Sahuleka, is taken from this LP, and becomes a surprise hit. The single peaks at number 26 in the Dutch Top 40 and Ad Visser actually presents and performs his own song on Toppop.

My collection: 7" single no. 560
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Giddyap a gogo' / 'Relief of Demorzan'

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Somehow I couldn't imagine Michael Jackson playing 50 dates in London this year, but the way it doesn't come to pass is even more bizarre than I could ever have imagined. 'Where were you when you heard Michael Jackson died?'. Well, I saw the first reports coming in late last night and as the first rumour of his death appeared on the internet I went to sleep. The next morning I got up in the knowledge that he was probably dead. And the news only confirmed my expectation. It's a sad day.

Michael Jackson leaves behind an unequalled musical legacy. By themselves the songs aren't that extraordinary, but the whole catalogue of his hits is quite amazing. 'Thriller' is probably the song that confirmed his status as a superstar in 1984. With the guest voice of Vincent Price and the amazing music video, this is the one single that I chose to represent Jackson's amazing career.

My collection: 7" single no. 3758

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, May 27, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Thriller (special edit)' / 'Things I do for you (live)' (The Jacksons)

Midnight man - Sandra

'Midnight man' was released as the fourth and final single from Sandra's second album 'Mirrors'. The single charted in a few European countries, but didn't make the top 10 in any of them. In Germany, the single only reached number 24, making this Sandra's lowest charting single in that county.

I had started collecting Sandra singles when I bought this one. It was really quite easy to find them all as long as I went to record fairs.

My collection: 7" single no. 1924
Found: Record fair, June 5, 1993
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Midnight man' / 'Mirror of love'

Steam - Peter Gabriel

'Steam' was released as the second single from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album 'Us'. Peter Gabriel has said that the song is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything and that the man knows nothing about anything, except, he does know about the woman, and she doesn't know much about herself.

In a way, 'Steam' does take the listener back to the sound of 'Sledgehammer', and the video even reminds of that video as well. It became Gabriel's last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 10. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 16.

My collection: 7" single no. 2242
Found: February 18, 1995
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Steam' / 'Games without frontiers (Massive/DB mix)'

Fanfare for the common man - Emerson Lake and Palmer

'Fanfare for the common man' is a 20th-century American classical music work by American composer Aaron Copland. The piece was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Copland's fanfare was reincarnated in 1977 by British rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer on their album 'Works Volume I'. Keith Emerson had long been an admirer of Copland's Americana style. The track became one of the band's biggest hits when an edited version was released as a single that year. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2644
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 24, 1996
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Fanfare for the common man' / 'Brain salad surgery'

Catch me - Marsha Raven

Marsha Raven recorded 'Catch me' in 1983. It was originally released as a simple dance song but it didn't hit the charts. It was remixed in 1984. This version featured a recording of London's Big Ben. In this version, the track became a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 4. It is quite remarkable that this single did not chart in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 1286
Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Catch me' / 'Catch me (instrumental)'

Touchy! - A-ha

Although I was a fan of A-ha's music ever since they hit it big with 'Take on me', I grew increasingly unimpressed by their choice of singles in 1988. The album 'Stay on these roads' was decent enough, but the record company had a knack for choosing the most bland tracks as a single. Things hit rock bottom - in my opinion, of course - when 'Touchy!' was released in the summer of 1988. It was A-ha's most 'autopilot'-inspired track. The audiences still fell for it: the single peaked at number 11 in the UK and number 14 in the Netherlands.

I only bought the single when I found this limited edition with an extra outer sleeve. It features the A-ha logo with green liquid in it. Unfortunately, time has caused a leak in this logo, so my copy does not contain much liquid anymore. I'm curious if anyone reading this still has an intact copy of this.

My collection: 7" single no. 1852
Found: Record fair, January 23, 1993
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Touchy!' / 'Hurry home'

Blinded (by the beauty of your eyes) - The Kick

Buying this single was actually a mistake. When I was only nine years old, sometimes I got confused by all these bands and their names. I was actually looking for 'My Sharona' by The Knack, but arrived home with 'Blinded (by the beauty of your eyes)' by The Kick.

The Kick was a short-lived Dutch band. In fact, they were so short-lived that no information about the band has survived today. All I can gather from the single itself is that their song was written by W.S. van Vugt and that they were produced by famous Dutch producer/songwriter/DJ Will Luikinga. This single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 74
Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1980
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Blinded (by the beauty of your eyes)' / 'Like a puppet'

Living in a box - Living in a box

Richard Darbyshire, Marcus Vere and Anthony Critchlow formed Living in a box in Sheffield in 1985. Their most commercially successful single, 'Living in a box', peaked at number 5 on the UK singles chart and was the band's only single to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, peaking at number 17. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 10.

The Penthouse mix, which appears on the B-side of this single, was mixed by Arthur Baker.

My collection: 7" single no. 525
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Living in a box' / 'Living in a box (The Penthouse mix)'

Free fallin' - Tom Petty

'Free Fallin'' is the opening track from Tom Petty's 1989 solo album, 'Full moon fever'. The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne. The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days, making it the first song completed for the album.

The single peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1990. In the UK it stalled at number 64.

My collection: 7" single no. 1143
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, January 13, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Free fallin'' / 'Love is a long road'

Peace - Depeche Mode

'Peace' is the second single from Depeche Mode's current album 'Sounds of the Universal'. It was released two weeks ago on two different cd-singles and this numbered limited edition 7" pressed white marbled vinyl. This is number 10891. Martin Gore told The Sun newspaper that 'Peace' is one of his favourite songs of the ones that he has ever written.

The single peaked at number 57 in the UK singles chart, just like their debut single 'Dreaming of me' in 1981. In Germany, 'Peace' reached number 25.

My collection: 7" single no. 3800
Found: eBay.co.uk, received June 25, 2009
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Peace (single version)' / 'Come back (Jonsi remix)'