Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. It is also the title of Nik Kershaw's 1985 hit single, taken from his second album 'The riddle'. The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
This limited edition of the single comes in a gatefold sleeve with a 12 page booklet full of photographs of Nik.
My collection: 7" single no. 2780 Found: House of Rhythm, London, November 1, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Wide boy' / 'So quiet'
'Steppin' out' was a hit for Joe Jackson in 1982. The song is about the anticipation and excitement of a night out on the town. It became Jackson's biggest hit in the USA, reaching number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK singles chart, it also reached this position.
When his record company released the compilation album 'Stepping out: the very best of Joe Jackson' (1990), the track was re-released as a single. It didn't seem like a very logical thing to do, since the song had already been a hit. This time around, the single flopped.
My collection: 7" single no. 1329 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Steppin' out' / 'Sentimental man'
With Curt Smith gone, the Tears for Fears name belonged to Roland Orzabal and he decided to continue the band on his own. The first order of business was the compilation album that the record company was going to release. Roland completed a track that originally appeared as a B-side on the single 'Sowing the seeds of love', 'Tears roll down'.
'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' was released in February 1992 and reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40. The compilation album 'Tears roll down (Greatest hits 82-92)' followed quickly and reached number 2 in the UK albums chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1585 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 15, 1992 Cost: 6,5 guilders Tracks: 'Laid so low (Tears roll down)' / 'The body wah'
'The milkman' was the second single taken from Mice's debut album 'Because I can'. The album reached the Indie top 10 in the UK, and this single was beginning to attract some attention from press and record buyers alike. The single was promoted with a music video that was also released on a promotional VHS video (Yes, those were the pre-dvd days).
The B-side 'Martian man' was a cover of a song originally performed and written by Lynsey de Paul.
My collection: 7" single no. 2646 Found: London, June 25, 1996 Cost: 1,2 pounds Tracks: 'The milkman' / 'Martian man'
When Roy Orbison made his comeback with this single, 'You got it' in December 1988, it was a remarkable return. Although he released a few new tracks throughout the Seventies and Eighties, his last big hit was 'Penny Arcade' (1969), which reached number 1 in Australia. He was involved in the Traveling Wilburys' 1988 single 'Handle with care', but this single from 1989 meant that he was riding a whole new wave of success.
'You got it' was taken from his comeback album 'Mystery girl' (1989). That album was completed shortly before his death of a heart attach on December 6, 1988. Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit, to the applause of a huge crowd, at the Diamond Awards Festival in Antwerp (Belgium), a few days before his death. The single reached number 1 in Canada, number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 726 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 28, 1989 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'You got it' / 'The only one'
The boring thing about A-ha singles is that they rarely have an interesting B-side.Take this one for instance: the B-side is the 1990 hit 'I call your name'. Well, at least the A-side was interesting. 'Angel' was written as a wedding present for Lauren, the wife of A-ha's principal songwriter Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.
'Angel' was taken from A-ha's last pre-breakup album, 'Memorial beach'. It reached number 41 in the UK singles chart. Soon after the band reunited in 1998, they performed live at Valhall, a concert that was later released on dvd. 'Angel' was played during the concert but it was the only song to be omitted from the dvd. It is unclear why this happened.
My collection: 7" single no. 1997 Found: HMV, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Angel' / 'I call your name'
Throughout the Eighties, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were an essential part of Prince's backing band The Revolution. After some internal struggle, the band was dismissed by Prince in October 1986, leaving Wendy & Lisa to find a record deal of their own.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1987. It featured their debut single 'Waterfall', which became a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 66) and a big hit in the Netherlands (peaking at number 13). The B-side, 'The life', was re-released in 1995 as an A-side, entitled 'This is the life', after the song was included in the soundtrack of the movie 'Dangerous minds'.
My collection: 7" single no. 578 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 30, 1988 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Waterfall' / 'The life'
'No more lonely nights' was recorded by Paul McCartney for the soundtrack of the movie 'Give my regards to Broad Street', which was produced by McCartney and featured him in the lead role. The movie was a financial disaster, but the soundtrack actually sold quite well. Judging from this song, rightfully so: this is one of McCartney's most accomplished songs in my opinion. It features a beautiful guitar solo by David Gilmour and backing vocals by 10cc's Eric Stewart.
The single reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 37 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1761 Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'No more lonely nights (ballad)' / 'No more lonely nights (playout version)'
In 1984, the Thompson Twins scored the biggest hit of their career in the UK: 'You take me up' reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and earned the band a silver disc. The album from which the single was taken, 'Into the gap', was one of the biggest sellers of the year, topping the British album charts and selling over five million copies worldwide.
In the Netherlands, the single did not chart. I think the Dutch were right: this wasn't the best single the Thompson Twins ever released, however entertaining it was. The music video was amusing, but forgettable as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 1629 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'You take me up' / 'Passion planet'
'Voices in my head' is a single taken from Naked Eyes' 1983 album 'Burning bridges'. Like most of their singles, this one wasn't successful: it did not chart in the UK, nor anywhere else.
It was the first single by Naked Eyes that I bought, although I was looking for other releases such as '(What) In the name of love', the music video of which was shown regularly on television.
My collection: 7" single no. 1289 Found: All that music, Leiden, August 31, 1990 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Voices in my head' / 'Sweet poison'
Ad van den Berg formed the Dutch band Vandenberg in 1982 with Bert Heerink, Dick Kemper and Jos Zoomer. They recorded a demo that fell into the hands of pop journalist Kees Baars. He offered to manage the band and managed to get them a contract with Atlantic Records in the USA.
Their debut single was the power ballad 'Burning heart', which reached number 39 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the Netherlands, the track only did slightly better, peaking at number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 682 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, November 12, 1988 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Burning heart' / 'Out in the streets'
'Got to be certain' was another single by Kylie Minogue, written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. It was taken from Kylie's debut album 'Kylie' (1988). The production sounded decidedly thin this time around, with clunky keyboards and a rather simple melody.
Still, the single was a number 1 hit in Australia, Belgium, Finland and Israel and reached number 2 in the UK. The bubbly music video might have helped. However, in the Netherlands, the single did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3334 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Got to be certain' / 'Got to be certain (instrumental)'
When asked about the inspiration for the song 'Somewhere down the crazy river', producer Daniel Lanois commented: 'Robbie Robertson was describing what it was like to hang out in Arkansas with Levon Helm in his old neighbourhood. He was telling me about the hot nights and fishing with dynamite, and was asking someone for directions for someplace somewhere down the crazy river... I had presented him with this toy instrument that Eno introduced me to called the Suzuki Omnichord, like an electric autoharp. He found a little chord sequence with it that was sweet and wonderful. As he was developing his chord sequence I recorded him and superimposed his storytelling, which I was secretly recording, on top. That was the birth of 'Somewhere down the crazy river.' It's kind of like a guy with a deep voice telling you about steaming nights in Arkansas.'
The song was released as a single and became notable as Robertson's only solo hit in the UK, reaching number 15 on the UK singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40, it did even better, peaking at number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 1540 Found: Record fair, October 27, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Somewhere down the crazy river' / 'American roulette'
I hate it when artists are labelled 'dodgy' or 'cheesy' when really there's no reason too. But that's exactly what happened to Barry Manilow during the Eighties. His hits in the Seventies were described as cliched and oldfashioned. When you listen to his two biggest hits now, you'll have to admit there's some nifty songwriting in there. And the performance is immaculate.
'Mandy' was originally a hit for Scott English in 1971. When Barry Manilow released his version three years later, it shot to number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, whereas it reached number 11 in the UK singles chart. In 1977 he released 'Copacabana' (a number 8 hit in the USA, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40), a song so memorable it was later turned into a fullblown musical.
I'd been searching for the original single of 'Mandy' for years, and finally settled for this 'old gold' re-release.
My collection: 7" single no. 2325 Found: Record fair, June 3, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Mandy' / 'Copacabana'
'Don't go' was the second single taken from Yazoo's debut album 'Upstairs at Eric's'. Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke achieved their breakthrough with this single, which became an instant Eighties classic after its release.
The single peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart and reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 153 Found: Studio Echo, 1982 Cost: 5,5 guilders Tracks: 'Don't go' / 'Winter kills'
After the success of their debut album 'Happiness', the Beloved pressed on with a remix album entitled 'Blissed out'. This remix album featured almost all the tracks from 'Happiness' in remixed form, with the addition of some previously unreleased instrumental tunes, and a remix of 'It's alright now'.
The 'regular' version of 'It's alright now' was released as a single to promote the album. The single failed to make the UK top 40, stalling at number 46 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2270 Found: Record fair, April 8, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'It's alright now' / 'Scarlet beautiful (Naked & foxy)'
'I hope I never' was taken from Split Enz's 1980 album 'True colours'. The single version is 40 seconds shorter than the album version. Like many of their records at the time, this single was released as a laser etched disc, although it was a limited edition; I've got a later, non-etched copy.
The single reached number 30 in the Dutch Top 40. Australian singer and songwriter Tina Arena recorded the song in 2008 with the London Studio Orchestra for her album 'Songs of love & loss 2' and changed the lyrics to reflect her gender.
My collection: 7" single no. 1523 Found: Record fair, September 21, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'I hope I never' / 'The choral sea'
When I listened to 'Under the iron sea', Keane's second album, for the first time, 'Nothing in my way' was one of the first songs to jump out of this new batch of songs. It was only right when this song was released as a single. Tim Rice-Oxley, who wrote the song, explains: 'The song's actually written about some people I know who are married, and their marriage was essentially just bringing a lot of misery to both of them, but for some reason they just refused to acknowledge it. I hate the idea of people being so much in denial that they're prepared to almost let their lives fall apart rather than acknowledge what's going on.'
The single became a modest hit, peaking at number 19 in the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40. This 7" single is a numbered limited edition; this is number 2278.
My collection: 7" single no. 3575 Found: eBay.co.uk, received February 2, 2009 Cost: 3 pounds Tracks: 'Nothing in my way' / 'Thin air'
Terence Charles White was born on March 3, 1948. He played guitar with the likes of Thin Lizzy (of which he was a member from 1979 to 1981) and Pink Floyd (in 1977 and 1980.
In 1983 he released his first solo album, 'White flames'. The album featured his biggest hit, 'Bird of paradise', the only single to be released from the album. It reached number 6 in both the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 424 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Bird of paradise' / 'The answer'
One of the classics from the year 1978. 'Love is in the air' was performed by John Paul Young. It became his only worldwide hit in January 1978, peaking at number 2 in Australia, bumber 5 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.
It's a strange thing: whenever this song is played, people get a certain look in their eyes and they can't help dancing. Reportedly, the song was covered by Cher, to be included in her album 'Believe' (which spawned the hit single of the same name). It was, however, removed from the album before it was released.
My collection: 7" single no. 1064 Found: London, October 18, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Love is in the air' / 'Love you so bad it hurts'
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. It is also the title of Nik Kershaw's 1985 hit single, taken from his second album 'The riddle'. The single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, but did not chart in the Netherlands.
