(Life may be) A big insanity - Sandra

So here's a song for the Misheard Lyrics website. Ever since I've heard Sandra singing 'Life may be a big insanity', I've heard 'Life may be a big obscenity'. Try it for yourself, you may hear it too.

'(Life may be) A big insanity' was released as the second single from Sandra's fourth album 'Paintings in yellow'. The song was written by husband Michael Cretu with Klaus Hirschburger. The single only became a minor hit for Sandra, reaching number 27 in Germany, number 18 in Israel and number 41.

The single was released in the UK as well - though without any chart success - and I've got the different sleeve to prove it. I found this UK edition (pictured below) two years after I bought the original German version. I don't think it's Sandra's best single, but when you've got a collection, you have to buy everything that's pretty. And I do think the UK sleeve is more beautiful than the German one!

My collection: 7" single no. 2096 / no. 2659
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 16, 1994 / House of Rhythm, London, June 29, 1996
Cost: 2 guilders / 50p
Tracks: '(Life may be) A big insanity' / 'The skin I'm in'

Sit and wait - Sydney Youngblood

'Sit and wait' was Sydney Youngblood's second single, taken from his debut album 'Feeling free'. Written by Ralf Hamm, Mike Staab, Sydney Youngblood and Claus Zundel, it was another dance song with a catchy hook.

The single became a success in Europe, peaking at number 2 in Austria, Germany and Sweden, number 6 in Switzerland and the Netherlands. It was only less successful in the UK (where it peaked at number 16), Ireland (15) and France (number 21).

My collection: 7" single no. 1141
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 6, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Sit and wait' / 'Feeling free' (duet with Elaine Hudson)

Dear sir - Mice

With the album 'Because I can' making the Indie Top Ten, things were looking up for Mice. A third single was released from the album: 'Dear sir', released as a cd-single and a 7" vinyl single pressed on orange vinyl.

Then, disaster struck: Permanent Records went out of business in 1997, shortly after the release of 'Dear sir', prompting one fan to remark: 'it turned out to be Temporary Records'. The single was not promoted, nor could it be replaced after it sold out. It marked the end of Mice, and frontwoman Julianne Regan pursued other musical interests.

My collection: 7" single no. 2739
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1996
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Dear sir' / 'Pyjamadrama'

Promises promises - Naked Eyes

There's no mistaking the sound of producer Tony Mansfield on this single. It might well have been a New Musik track. Instead, it's Naked Eyes, with their second hit single 'Promises promises' (1983). At least, it was a hit single in the USA, where it peaked at number 11. Oddly enough, the British duo didn't manage to have a hit with this in their own country.

The B-side features an early version of '(What) In the name of love', a track they would release as a single in 1984.

My collection: 7" single no. 2131
Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, July 30, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Promises promises' / 'In the name of love'

Sweet harmony - The Beloved

'Sweet harmony' was the Beloved's biggest hit. It peaked at number 8 in the UK and even landed in the charts in Europe, peaking at number 22 in the Netherlands.

The song gained notoriety for its music video, which some considered to be controversial. It consisted of a naked Jon Marsh and a bevy of other equally naked females - including Tess Daly - lipsynching the lyrics. In an interview, Marsh pointed out that the video was 'not intended to be sexual' and was 'as A-sexual as you can get'. The video is supposed to represent unity between humans.

My collection: 7" single no. 1927
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 8, 1993
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Sweet harmony' / 'Motivation (Energised)'

Real love - Jody Watley

In the spring of 1989, Jody Watley released her second album, 'Larger than life'. She co-wrote 11 of the album's 12 songs. The first single release, 'Real love", sold over 500,000 copies in the USA alone and was certified gold. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In the UK, people were less impressed, as it only made number 31 there. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 19.

My collection: 7" single no. 949
Found: V&D, Den Haag, July 21, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Real love' / 'Real love (instrumental)'

Woman in chains - Tears for Fears featuring Oleta Adams

After the release of Tears for Fears' compilation album 'Tears roll down: Greatest hits 82-92' in 1992, their 1989 single 'Woman in chains' was re-released in the UK. By that time, Oleta Adams, who was virtually unknown at the time of the original release, had become a famous singer in her own right, so this single was actually credited to 'Tears for Fears featuring Oleta Adams'. The record company even went so far to include the other album track from 'The seeds of love' (1989) featuring Adams on the B-side.

While the original release reached number 26 in the UK singles chart, this re-release only managed to scrape in at number 57, and then dropped of the chart again the next week.

My collection: 7" single no. 2843
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 5, 1997
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Woman in chains' / 'Badman's song'

Sunny - Boney M

'Sunny' was originally written and performed by Bobby Hebb in 1966. It was covered by Boney M in 1976, and released as a single from their debut album 'Take the heat off me', following their breakthrough single 'Daddy cool'. Hebb himself released a disco version of the song, also in 1976, and had minor success on Billboard's R&B chart.

Boney M's version topped the charts in Germany and the Netherlands and reached number 3 in the UK. The track was remixed in 1988 and 1999, but when released as singles they didn't have the same amount of success. While Liz Mitchell sang the original lead vocals on Boney M.'s version, original member Maizie Williams recorded a solo version in 2006.

My collection: 7" single no. 183
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Sunny' / 'New York City'

Happy ending - Joe Jackson

A track from Joe Jackson's 1984 album 'Body & Soul', 'Happy ending' is a duet with Elaine Caswell. She was his backing vocalist during his world tour at the time, when they recorded this song together. It was released as the second single from the album.

The single was only a modest hit, reaching number 34 in the Netherlands, number 47 in Australia, number 57 in the USA and number 58 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 2448
Found: Record fair, September 2, 1993
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Happy ending' / 'Loisaida'

Never as good as the first time - Sade

Sade recorded a new version of 'Never as good as the first time' for the third single release from their second album 'Promise'. This new version featured new backing vocalist Leroy Osborne prominently, giving the track a whole new lease of life.

Still, it didn't become the band's biggest hit. The single reached number 20 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but in Europe the single landed outside the top 30. As a result, this was the last single release from 'Promise' and Sade went back to the studio to record their third album.

My collection: 7" single no. 416
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 21, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Never as good as the first time' / 'Keep hanging on'

One step out of time - Michael Ball

Michael Ball was picked by the BBC to represent the United Kingdom during the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest. He sang a few songs during a national final, two of which are featured on this single. The A-side features 'One step out of time', the song with which Ball was sent to Malmö.

Michael Ball managed to get to number 2 in the Contest, behind winner Linda Martin with her dreadful ballad 'Why me?'. In the UK singles chart, 'One step out of time' peaked at number 20.

My collection: 7" single no. 1654
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 16, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'One step out of time' / 'No more steps to climb'

Always on my mind - Pet Shop Boys

'Always on my mind' was written by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson and originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972. That same year, Elvis Presley also recorded the song, and this is the version that became the most famous one through the years.

In 1987, Pet Shop Boys performed a version of 'Always on my mind' on 'Love me tender', an ITV network television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, in which various popular contemporary acts performed cover versions of his hits. Their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single. This version became that year's UK Christmas number one.

My collection: 7" single no. 1963
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Always on my mind' / 'Do I have to?'

She's a mystery to me - Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison recorded 'She's a mystery to me' in 1988 with The Edge and Bono from U2. Bono commented later: 'I stood beside him and sang with him. He didn't seem to be singing. So I thought, 'He'll sing it the next take. He's just reading the words.' And then we went in to listen to the take, and there was this voice, which was the loudest whisper I've ever heard. He had been singing it. But he hardly moved his lips. And the voice was louder than the band in its own way. I don't know how he did that. It was like sleight of hand.'

The song was released as the second single from his last album 'Mystery girl', completed just before his death. It was another hit for Orbison, peaking at number 27 in the UK singles chart and number 18 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 837
Found: May 27, 1989
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'She's a mystery to me' / 'Crying' (duet with KD Lang)

Gypsy woman - Crystal Waters

Crystal Waters was born on October 10, 1964 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the great-niece of legendary singer Ethel Waters. She broke through in 1991 with the smash hit 'Gypsy woman'. Waters has been quoted saying that the song was an accident, and she'd rather been known for 'serious' music instead of this house track.

Still, the song became a number one hit in the Netherlands, peaked at number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1854
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, January 30, 1993
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Gypsy woman' / 'Gypsy woman (Hump instrumental mix)'

Diamante - Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari

'It's better than nothing', I must have thought when I bought this single. It features an edited version of Zucchero's most accomplished song, 'Diamante'. The album version is a few minutes longer and contains lots of atmosphere which is missing from this edited version.

The single went by unnoticed in most territories, but when Zucchero broke through internationally, I heard this song and was immediately hooked. Music like this is rare and precious.

My collection: 7" single no. 1785
Found: November 7, 1992
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Diamante (edited version)' / 'Il mare impetuoso al tramonto sali sulla luna e dietro una tendina di stelle...'

Don Quixote - Nik Kershaw

Nik Kershaw didn't waste any time to move away from the squeaky clean pop he was making on his debut album. His second album 'The riddle' was full of quirky tunes, and 'Don Quixote' was an example of that.

It was still pop, but much harder to swallow for the teenage audience he'd attracted. While this single still reached number 10 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in Ireland, in other countries the single failed to reach the top 20 - or even chart at all. After this, commercial success mostly eluded Nik, but artistic satisfaction must have been way bigger.

My collection: 7" single no. 2304
Found: May 27, 1995
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Don Quixote' / 'Don't lie'

Over you - Roxy Music

I discovered this single while I was wallowing in selfpity after once again I was not successful in conquering a young girl's heart. It was the dreary spring of 1989, and 'Over you' instantly became one of my favourite songs. I guess I was overdramatizing a tad.

'Over you' was the first single released from Roxy Music's 1980 album 'Flesh + Blood'. It reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 865
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 2, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Over you' / 'Manifesto'

Save a prayer - Duran Duran

So this single contains the only official version of 'Save a prayer' by Duran Duran. It clocks in at 5'30 minutes, unlike an edited version that keeps popping up on compilation albums and even official Duran Duran cd's. That edited version is about 10 seconds or so shorter, and omits a few 'Save a prayer for the morning after's from the last minute of the recording. That has always irked me.

The track was taken from their second album 'Rio'. It reached number 2 in the UK singles chart in the summer of 1982. In the Netherlands, the single did not chart, but was re-released in January 1985 after the band had so much success with 'The reflex' and 'The wild boys'. On that occasion, the single reached number 19.

My collection: 7" single no 263
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Save a prayer' / 'Hold back the rain (remix)'

Broken land - The Adventures

Between 1986 and 1988, things went quiet around the Adventures. During this time, main songwriter Pat Gribben composed some songs, the band left Chrysalis Records and signed to Elektra Records.

'Broken land', released in early 1988, was promoted heavily by their new record company. The sound of the band was warmer, and included some traditional instruments such as uillean pipes. The single became the band's first significant hit, peaking at number 20 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 722
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 21, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Broken land' / 'Don't stand on me'

Waar ze loopt te wandelen - Henk Westbroek

Henk Westbroek started a solo career after the band Het Goede Doel folded. His first solo single was 1992's 'Waar ze loopt te wandelen' ('Wherever she's walking'), which became a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

Subsequent singles didn't get a release on 7" vinyl anymore, as the format was on its way out in 1992. Westbroek continued to make interesting tracks, so a few cd-singles of his have actually made it into my collection as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 1651
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 9, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Waar ze loopt te wandelen' / 'Positief'