Although I was not impressed with Suzanne Vega's initial material ('Marlene on the wall' bored me to tears) her later work was quite great. Her third album 'Days of open hand' (1990) contained the first single by her I ever bought: 'Tired of sleeping'. With slow, slightly seductive vocals and a beautiful melody, this song landed right in my list of favourites of the year.
My opinion went in against the general opinion at the time: the single did not chart in most territories.
My collection: 7" single no. 1351 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, October 28, 1990 Cost: 7 guilders Tracks: 'Tired of sleeping' / 'These whole girls (Run in grace)'
The lyric of 'Rent' concerns a financialy one-sided relationship, i.e. that of a kept man. It was the third single from the Pet Shop Boys' album 'Actually'. The B-side 'I want a dog' was inspired by their friend Peter Andreas who said one day 'I want a dog, a chihuahua. I've only got a small flat'. This inspired Neil Tennant, who wrote the lyric for the song.
The single peaked at number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 28 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" snigle no. 1042 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Rent' / 'I want a dog'
'Don't you (forget about me)' was released in April 1985 and made a big impression on me right away. I loved the song, and the fact that my record shop was selling it cheaply for one week only meant that I had it even before it charted. It's a purchase I regretted for a long time, because the song was played so often and became such a big hit that I didn't play the single for years on end.
The song was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff for the soundtrack of the movie 'The breakfast club'. Forsey asked both Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but both declined, although Idol would later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Schiff then suggested the Simple Minds, who initially refused as well, but then were persuaded by their record company to do it. The band reportedly rearranged and recorded 'Don’t you (forget about me)' in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it'.
The single reached number 1 in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands, while in the UK it reached number 7. Despite its success, the band continued to dismiss the song; the most obvious slight being its absence from their subsequent album 'Once upon a time'. It finally appeared on their 1992 compilation album 'Glittering prize 81/92'.
My collection: 7" single no. 282 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, April 1985 Cost: 4,5 guilders Tracks: 'Don't you (forget about me)' / 'A brass band in Africa'
Since the second single from the album 'Ray of light', the title track, was released with a delay of a month in the USA, the record company decided to release 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' as a single in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa to close the gap between the next single release, 'The power of goodbye'. Still, this 7" single is an American pressing.
The single reached number 27 in the Netherlands and number 10 in the UK and Japan. The single was a top 40 hit in most other countries, but didn't make the top 10 in other territories.
My collection: 7" single no. 3017 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 5, 1998 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Drowned world/Substitute for love' / 'Sky fits heaven (Sasha remix edit)'
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)'
Although I was not impressed with Suzanne Vega's initial material ('Marlene on the wall' bored me to tears) her later work was quite great. Her third album 'Days of open hand' (1990) contained the first single by her I ever bought: 'Tired of sleeping'. With slow, slightly seductive vocals and a beautiful melody, this song landed right in my list of favourites of the year.
