Locomotion - OMD

'Locomotion' was the first single taken from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's 1984 album 'Junk culture'. The track was a departure from the group's synth-based tracks and was, according to critics, a deliberate step towards a more commercial 'mainstream' sound.

It was a success. Where previous single 'Telegraph' only managed to reach number 42 in the UK singles chart, this one peaked at number 5. In the Netherlands, it reached the exact same position. Things were looking up for OMD!

My collection: 7" single no. 3909
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Locomotion' / 'Her body in my soul'

The old fashioned way - Charles Aznavour

Charles Aznavour was born in Paris, France on May 22, 1924. Often described as the 'Frank Sinatra of France', he's one of that country's most popular and enduring singers and also one of the most wellknown singers in the world. One of his signature songs is this romantic track, 'The old fashioned way'.

It is the English version of Aznavour's French song 'Les plaisirs demodes'. The single, released in 1973, reached number 38 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. Aznavour also performed the track in an episode of the Muppet Show in 1976.

My collection: 7" single no. 3911
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'The old fashioned way' / 'What makes a man'

Breathless - Viktor Lazlo

Viktor Lazlo was born as Sonia Dronier on October 7, 1960 in Lorient, France. She studied in Belgium, where she is best known. She took her stage name from Paul Henreid's character in the 1942 film Casablanca.

In 1987, she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest which was held in Brussels after Sandra Kim won the competition the year before. The programme started with Lazlo's new single 'Breathless', which subsequently became a hit in some European countries. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 27.

My collection: 7" single no. 3914
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Breathless' / 'Don't say no'

Goody two shoes - Adam and the Ants

So is this a collectors item or not? All the references I could find to the song 'Goody two shoes' state that it was performed by Adam Ant, not Adam and the Ants. Yet, here I am with a limited full colour poster sleeve edition of 'Goody two shoes' by Adam and the Ants. Interesting!

'Goody two shoes' is a phrase for an overly virtuous or conformist person. The single was a number 1 hit in the UK and peaked at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3922
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Goody two shoes' / 'Red scab'

Do it any way you wanna - People's Choice

People's Choice was an American funk band, formed in 1971 by Frank Brunson. The band consisted of himself with David Thomson, Darnell Jordan, Johnnie Hightower, Stanley Thomas, Valerie Brown and Marc Reed. 'Do it any way you wanna' was their biggest hit, peaking at number 36 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

The main theme of the song was re-used a couple of years later by Dillinger for his novelty hit 'Cokane in my brain'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3915
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Do it any way you wanna' / 'The big hurt'

Careless whisper - George Michael

Unlike all the singles by Wham!, 'Careless whisper' was written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley together. They didn't record it as a Wham! song however, considering it too out of synch with their other work.

The song was finally recorded as a solo single by George Michael, although he was still a member of Wham! at the time. It was recorded twice, once with legendary producer Jerry Wexler. George Michael wasn't happy with this version, so he re-recorded it with himself producing. The original version did appear on the UK 12" single of 'Careless whisper', but alas, this is the European version which only contains the extended and instrumental version of the song.

My collection: 12" single no. 506
Found: Songs for sale, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Careless whisper (extended)' / 'Careless whisper (instrumental)'

Forever your girl - Paula Abdul

I won't beat around the bush: the sexy sleeve helped my decision to buy this particular single, showing that the right artwork can make an item more desirable. 'Forever your girl' was the title track from Paula Abdul's 1989 debut album.

The single went number 1 in the USA and Canada. In Europe, its appeal was considerable less great: in the UK the single stalled at number 24, in Germany it peaked at number 17 and in the Netherlands at number 13.

My collection: 7" single no. 3921
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Forever your girl (remix)' / 'Next to you'

Precious little diamond - Fox the fox

One of the reasons, besides this blog, for my current singles-buying frenzy is the fact that there are some weird omissions in my collection. And when I get a chance to visit a record store with a list of what I already own, such as today, I finally can fill up some of those weird holes.

Much to my surprise I found out that I don't actually have the 7" single of 'Precious little diamond' by Fox the fox. (I do have the 12" single, as you can see here.) While buying singles for almost nothing, this is a great moment to solve the problem. It was the band's only hit, peaking at number 14 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3907
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Precious little diamond' / 'Man on the run'

You're the one that I want - Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard

When Grease was all the rage in 1978, everyone was trying to profit from that success. It led to some unlikely products, such as this one. Ex-boxer and comedy actor Arthur Mullard (born September 19, 1910) teamed up with comedy actress Hylda Baker (born February 4, 1905) to record this substandard cover of 'You're the one that I want'. It sounds a bit like the Dutch antisocial Tokkie family doing karaoke.

The single reached number 22 in the UK singles chart, but failed to climb further due to a disastrous appearance on the chart show Top of the Pops. The couple fluffed the lyrics and seemed utterly confused as to what was happening. (You can see the performance here). The B-side is a Eurovision cover: Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your kisses for me' as performed by this bizarre couple.

My collection: 7" single no. 3912
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'You're the one that I want' / 'Save your kisses for me'

Everything has rhythm - Frizzle Sizzle

I've had the single of Frizzle Sizzle's 1986 Eurovision entry 'Alles heeft ritme' for more than 10 years now. Since I bought this Dutch version in London, it's only fair that I should find the English version of the single in the Netherlands. Well, guess what: I did.

I wasn't even sure an English-language single existed, even though I was aware of an English version being recorded. 'Everything has rhythm' went the same way a lot of Eurovision singles abroad did: right to the discount bin, never into the charts in other countries. It is a nice version, with all the naivity that only young girls can put into their vocals.

My collection: 7" single no. 3906
Found: Songs for sale, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Everything has rhythm' / 'Alles heeft ritme'

Circle - Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

I was happily surprised when the two most favourite tracks of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians' debut album ended up on this single. 'Circle' is a beautiful melodic song, whereas 'Now' is full of atmospherics and tension.

I was even happier when I bumped into this limited edition box set, containing the single and a large poster, showing members of the band in various video stills. For some reason, no matter what the contents, these single box sets always remind me of Christmas.

My collection: 7" single no. 2346
Found: Record fair, 1991
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Circle' / 'Now'

West end girls - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys released a version of 'West end girls' produced by Bobby Orlando in 1984, but after signing a deal with Parlophone records, they released a new recording of that song in 1985. This time around, it was produced by Stephen Hague and it became their breakthrough single. It was a number 1 hit in the UK, peaked at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and it was often incorrectly referred to as the duo's debut single.

Neil Tennant started to write the song when he was staying at his cousin's house in Nottingham while watching a gangster film. Just when he was going to sleep, he came up with the lines: 'Sometimes you're better off dead, there's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head'.

My collection: 7" single no. 363
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'West end girls' / 'A man could get arrested'

Making your mind up - Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz may have been the most memorable act to have won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK. Their song 'Making your mind up' won in 1981, mostly thanks to the choreography which involved ripping off the skirts of the two female members (Jay Aston and Cheryl Baker) by the two male members of the group (Bobby G and Mike Nolan), revealing shorter skirts. Receiving a less favourable response was the group's vocal abilities, since they sang most of the song off-key during the night.

The single was a number 1 hit in the UK and the Netherlands. The lyrics of the song are largely meaningless, although it can be argued that they are about making the decision to commit to a serious relationship.

My collection: 7" single no. 2089
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 30, 1994
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Making your mind up' / 'Don't stop'

Looking for a new love - Jody Watley

Jody Watley went solo after being part of the band Shalamar for several years. Her debut solo single was 'Looking for a new love', relased in 1987. The single hit number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 36 in the Dutch Top 40.

While listening to a tape of instrumental tracks given to her by producer André Cymone, Watley reflected on a recent sour romantic breakup. Fusing her own feelings of 'I'll show you' with the feel of the track, Watley came up with the basic idea of the song. The released version is the eight-track demo of the song; that way the emotional urgency of Watley's vocal was still intact. Watley's phrase 'Hasta la vista, baby' was later used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1035
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Looking for a new love' / 'Looking for a new love (acapella)'

Seagull - Kayak

Kayak were extremely popular in the Netherlands during the Seventies, but they entered the Eighties with a lot of problems. Personnel changes and a lack of single hits caused the band to eventually break up.

Their last hit was 'Seagull', released in the spring of 1981. It reached number 33 in the Dutch Top 40. It sounded a lot like earlier songs by the band, and that may have contributed to their demise: the audience simply had enough.

My collection: 7" single no. 885
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Seagull' / 'The sword in the stone'

Your love is king - Sade

In the UK and Europe, 'Your love is king' was Sade's debut single. It was a track from their debut album 'Diamond life', which only became a multimillionselling album after this song became a hit. Hard to believe, but it's still the band's only top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 6.

In the USA, 'Your love is king' was released as the third single from the album, with a different sleeve. I'm still looking for that one...

My collection: 7" single no. 1010
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'Your love is king' / 'Love affair with life (recorded live)'

What difference does it make - Earth and Fire

Although Earth & Fire started out as a symphonic rock band, in the second half of the Eighties they started to lean more and more towards disco-oriented singles. 'What difference does it make' is one of those songs that showed early signs of this change in direction.

The audience seemed unsure whether they liked this, as the single was only the second one to miss the top 10 in the Dutch Top 40, reaching number 12. Personally, it's still one of my favourite Earth & Fire tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 595
Found: All that music, Leiden, February 16, 1987
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'What difference does it make' / 'What difference does it make (instrumental)'

Three times a lady - Commodores

Lionel Richie from the Commodores reportedly wrote 'Three times a lady' about his love for his wife, his mother and his grandmother; hence the title. Released in 1978, it became the Commodores's first Billboard Hot 100 number 1 hit. It was also the band's only number 1 hit in the UK and it peaked at number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.

Lionel Richie went solo at the beginning of the Eighties. The original Commodores version of the song was included as the final track on Lionel Richie's greatest hits compilation album Back To Front, released in 1992.

My collection: 7" single no. 1186
Found: Disco Market, March 3, 1990
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Three times a lady' / 'Look what you've done to me'

Love - John Lennon

John Lennon is probably one of the most prolific artists after dying. After his tragic death in December 1980, he's released an album or two with previously unreleased work and more than a dozen compilation albums. One of these was 'The John Lennon collection' (1982), from which this single, 'Love', was taken.

'Love' was originally released as a track on Lennon's 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' album (1970). This single is a remix of the track, adding a piano intro and outro, played by Phil Spector, mixed at the same volume as the rest of the song. On the album version, the intro fades in and the outro fades out. The single peaked at number 41 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2892
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Love' / 'Give me some truth'

Oblivious - Aztec Camera

Track 1 from Aztec Camera's debut album 'High land, hard rain' (1983) is 'Oblivious', which was also released as a single. The band consisted of Roddy Frame, Bernie Clark, Campbell Owens and Dave Ruffy.

The single was the band's first to reach the singles chart, peaking at number 47.

My collection: 7" single no. 3255
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Oblivious' / 'Orchid girl'