Talk Talk - Talk Talk

So here's another version of Talk Talk's 1982 single 'Talk Talk'. I wrote about the single once before, but that version was a re-release. This is the original version, featuring a version of the track 'Mirror man' on the B-side.

I found this single during my very first shopping spree in London, back in 1989. I'd discovered the Music & Video Exchange shops in Notting Hill Gate: at the time, there were three different addresses all stacked with 7" vinyl records. I spent hours there, finding a lot of singles I'd been searching for years. I'd love to have those times back again sometimes: these days there aren't such big record shops anymore.

My collection: 7" single no. 1006
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Talk Talk' / 'Mirror man'

If I was - Midge Ure

'If I was' was written by Midge Ure and Danny Mitchell. The track features Mark King from Level 42 on bass guitar. Ure commented about the track: 'This song is pure Danny Mitchell. I found a demo of it on a cassette Danny had sent me for his band The Messengers. I grabbed it with both hands, messed around with it, sprinkled it with fairy dust and the rest is history.'

Indeed: the single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40. It was a hit all over Europe, launching Midge Ure's solo career with a bang.

My collection: 7" single no. 736
Found: All that music, Leiden, February 9, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'If I was' / 'Piano'

Nobody's diary - Yazoo

Well, at least they went out on a high. 'Nobody's diary' was Yazoo's last single release back in 1983, and it was a piece of synthpop perfected. The single became one of their biggest hits, peaking at number 3 in the UK singles chart.

After this, Yazoo broke up. Vince Clarke ended up, after a few short-lived projects, forming Erasure with Andy Bell, while Alison Moyet enjoyed a successful solo career. Last year they reformed for a reunion tour, and on that occasion, 'Nobody's diary' was remixed and releases as a download single.

My collection: 7" single no. 204
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Nobody's diary' / 'State farm'

Turn your back on me - Kajagoogoo

Released in the summer of 1984, 'Turn your back on me' was Kajagoogoo's last significant hit. Although it only reached number 47 in the UK singles chart, it reached number 16 in the Dutch Top 40 and also made number 2 in the American dance chart.

This single contains the original version of the song. It was subsequently remixed, and that version appears on most cd's nowadays.

My collection: 7" single no. 1390
Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Turn your back on me' / 'The pump rooms of Bath'

Chance - Big Country

Big Country was formed in 1981 by Stuart Adamson, Bruce Watson, Tony Butler and Mark Brzezicki in Fife, Scotland.

'Chance' was released as the fourth single from Big Country's debut album 'The crossing' in 1983. It became the biggest hit from the album, peaking at number 9 in the UK singles chart, but also charting in the Netherlands, reaching number 14.

My collection: 7" single no. 904
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Chance' / 'Tracks of my tears'

Step back in time - Kylie Minogue

'Step back in time' was released in October 1990 as the second single from Kylie Minogue's third album 'Rhythm of love'. The lyric is about how modern music can never beat the swinging disco music from the Seventies ('Remembering the old days / Remember the O'Jays').

Kylie prolongued her success in Australia and the UK with this single, reaching number 5 and 4 in the charts respectively. Although her music, still produced by UK producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman, was not radically removed from her previous output, Kylie did change her image from 'girl next door' to a more raunchy look. It did not only have positive effects: for the first time she was nominated for 'worst dressed popstar' in the teen magazines of the day.

My collection: 7" single no. 3311
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Step back in time' / 'Step back in time (instrumental)'

Toy soldiers - Martika

If you think you're suffering from deja vu, you're almost right. I did write about Martika's 1989 single 'Toy soldiers' once before, right in the first month of this blog's existance. But this single is different: for one, it has a diferent sleeve, and also, it contains an edit of the track, cutting it short by a full 37 seconds.

While the single reached number 17 in the Netherlands, this UK version reached number 5. So I guess the lesson is: if you can edit a song for commerciality's sake, don't hesitate to do so.

My collection: 7" single no. 2703
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Toy soldiers (edit)' / 'Exchange of hearts'

Geboren voor het geluk - Het Goede Doel

Taken from their 1984 album 'Tempo Doeloe', 'Geboren voor het geluk' was an ill-fated single. Despite the humorous lyric and the strong music, the Dutch audience was no longer interested in the group, it seemed.

'Geboren voor het geluk' ('Born to be lucky') is about a man who is always unlucky (falling off the stairs, a wife who is unfaithful to him) but consolates himself with the statement that things could always be worse. As often with the band, it's hard to tell if this is meant to be taken at face value, or more cynical.

My collection: 7" single no. 2857
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 21, 1997
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Geboren voor het geluk' / 'Sous-chef'

Crazy - Seal

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel was born on February 19, 1963. As a son of Nigerian parents, he was adopted because his parents were unable to support him financially. He was raised in London and studied architecture. In the Eighties, he joined a funk band, before meeting Adamski, with whom he recorded 'Killer', which became a huge hit in 1990.

Seal subsequently signed to ZTT Records and released his debut album, produced by Trevor Horn, in 1991. The first single from that album was 'Crazy'. It reached number 1 in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1374
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, January 21, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Crazy' / 'Sparkle'

Madam Butterfly - Malcolm McLaren

Malcolm McLaren achieved notoriety as the 'brains' behind the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow. In the Eighties, he started recording his own tracks. After the New York-influenced 1983 album 'Duck rock', he turned his attention to electronic music, recording the unique single 'Madam Butterfly', which was released in 1984.

The track was based on the opera by Puccini from 1902. With atmospheric synthesizers, drum machines and spoken verses, it was an unlikely chart hit, but it reached number 13 in the UK and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40. The music video had nothing to do with the song, showing women in a sauna while wearing make up and clothing for some reason.

My collection: 7" single no. 426
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 29, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Madam Butterfly' / 'First couple out'

Wheel of fortune - Ace of base

'Wheel of fortune' was originally the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of base. It was released on a small Danish independent label in April 1992. It failed to reach the chart on its first release. The first re-release was also unsuccessful.

It was after Ace of base had a worldwide hit with 'All that she wants' that 'Wheel of fortune' was re-released for the second time. On that occasion it reached number 20 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1991
Found: London, October 18, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Wheel of fortune' / 'Wheel of fortune (clubmix)'

Close to me - The Cure

'Close to me' was released in 1985 as a single from the Cure's album 'The head on the door'. On its original release, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 21. It was accompanied by an interesting music video, featuring all members of the band locket up in a wardrobe, which falls off of a cliff into an ocean by the end of the song.

In 1990, the song was remixed and this remix was also released as a single. Amazingly, this version improved on the original chart peak position in the UK, shooting up to number 13, whereas in the Netherlands the remix did not chart. The music video was a sequel to the original one, featuring the members of a band locked in a wardrobe filling with water.

My collection: 7" single no. 2350
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Close to me' / 'A man inside my mouth'

Waiting for that day - George Michael

'Waiting for that day' was a track from George Michael's 1990 album 'Listen without prejudice'. Although Michael wrote the song, the chords and rhythm are very similar to Rolling Stones' 'You can't always get what you want'. George Michael actually sings this title near the end of the song. A co-writer credit was given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

The track was released as the second single from the album in the USA, the UK, Ireland and Australia, but it was not released in Europe. The single peaked at number 27, 23, 11 and 50 respectively.

My collection: 7" single no. 1315
Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Waiting for that day' / 'Fantasy'

One more night - Sandra

'One more night' was written by Michael Cretu, Klaus Hirschburger and Frank Peterson. It was a ballad, taken from the album 'Paintings in yellow', released as its third and final single. The 7" single included a unique track on the B-side: an 2'42 edit of the album track 'The journey'. The cd-single and 12" single featured the original full length version of that track, clocking in at 7'27.

Released in September 1990, the single reached number 31 in the German charts, but did not chart in other countries. My copy of the single was made in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 2211
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 13 ,1999
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'One more night' / 'The journey (edit)'

Emma - Hot Chocolate

Errol Brown and Tony Wilson wrote 'Emma', a song that became a number 3 hit in both the UK and the Netherlnads in 1974. It was an unusually dark song for the band, who were known for their lightweight pop songs.

The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmaline from the age of 5 all through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma wanted to be a 'movie queen' but never got a break, eventually killing herself, explaining in a suicide note: 'I just can't keep on living on dreams no more'.

My collection: 7" single no. 465
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Emma' / 'Makin' music'

You little thief - Feargal Sharkey

'You little thief' was the fourth single taken from Feargal Sharkey's successful debut album 'Feargal Sharkey' (1985). It followed up the UK and Netherlands number 1 hit 'A good heart'.

This single became almost equally successful, peaking at number 5 in the UK singles chart. It also reached number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 407
Found: V&D, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'You little thief' / 'The living actor'

The boys of summer - Don Henley

The title of this 1985 hit single is taken from the 1972 non-fiction book, 'The boys of summer' by Roger Kahn. Kahn's 'boys of summer' are the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that Kahn covered as a sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune. The book is about how the lives of the former ballplayers had changed between the time he covered the team and the time he tracked each of them down twenty years later.

The lyric of Henley's song, which is driven by synthesizers and a LinnDrum, appears to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the obvious theme of 'summer love' apparent in the choruses. In an interview, Henley explained that the song is more about aging and questioning the past, which is a recurring theme in Henley's lyrics.

My collection: 7" single no. 665
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 15, 1988
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'The boys of summer' / 'A month of Sundays'

Hold the line - Toto

Toto's debut single was the 1978 track 'Hold the line', taken from their self-titled debut album. The song peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 25 in the Dutch Top 40.

My copy of the single is a bit tattered and torn, and comes in a standard Columbia sleeve. Although I have seen copies with a picture sleeve later on, I never felt the desire to replace the original copy I bought - even though the song is one of my favourite rock tracks ever.

My collection: 7" single no. 298
Found: Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Hold the line' / 'Takin' it back'

Nothing ever happens - Del Amitri

Del Amitri formed in Glasgow in 1980. The band consisted of Currie, Iain Harvie, Bryan Tolland and Paul Tyagi. The 1989 album 'Waking hours' proved to be their international breakthrough, containing their biggest hit, 'Nothing ever happens', which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart in January 1990.

The song deals with the banality of everyday life, with the refrain 'and we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow'. The song includes a startling penultimate line, 'they'll burn down the synagogues at six o'clock and we'll all go along like before', an apparent reference to the lack of popular opposition to Kristallnacht.

My collection: 7" single no. 1175
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, February 17, 1990
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Nothing ever happens' / 'No holding on'

De vuile zeeballade - Rubberen Robbie

'De vuile zeeballade' ('The ballad of the dirty sea') is a parody of the Dutch song 'De zuiderzeeballade' ('The ballad of the Zuiderzee'). The original song was an ode to the Zuiderzee, a lake in the Netherlands. The parody was all about environmental waste and people dumping oil and nuclear waste into the sea.

The real treat on this single, which didn't reach the Dutch charts, is the B-side. 'Broodje pindakaas' ('Peanut butter sandwich') is a parody of the Beatles' 'All you need is love'. The song starts with the immortal line 'I got fired last week / and that's a bit inconvenient', only to continue later on with 'the mice gnaw on my toes when I sleep / I'm so hungry'. The single was taken from Rubberen Robbie's self-titled debut album, which also didn't reach the Dutch albums chart. Still, it is a cult classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 106
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'De vuile zeeballade' / 'Broodje pindakaas'