I've been buying some Nineties singles recently, and it's interesting how the 7" format continued in America as it was slowly abolished in Europe already.
'Don't cry' was released as the fifth and final single from Seal's fourth album in 1995. It featured a radio edit of the track (which was not that much shorter than the album version). The single reached number 51 in the UK singles chart and number 33 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4117 Found: eBay.com, received October 19, 2009 Cost: $3 Tracks: 'Don't cry (radio edit)' / 'Fast changes'
'Hallo spaceboy' was a track on David Bowie's 1995 album '1. Outside', a loud rock track that would surprise a lot of listeners if they would hear it. The lyric of the song featured a return of Major Tom, a character wellknown from Bowie's songs 'Space oddity' and 'Ashes to ashes'.
The single version was remixed by the Pet Shop Boys and was far more dance oriented. The introduction was sampled from 'Outside's opening track, 'Leon take us outside'. Bowie initially expressed reservation about the additions, which referenced and 'chopped up' the lyrics to 'Space oddity', but later agreed that they worked well so long as Tennant sung them. The single became a hit for Bowie, peaking at number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 24 in the Dutch Top 40. The 7" single was pressed on pink vinyl. On my copy, the label of the B-side is missing.
My collection: 7" single no. 2632 Found: March 16, 1996 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Hallo spaceboy' / 'The hearts filthy lesson (radio edit)'
I bought the Clannad compilation album 'Pastpresent' somewhere around 1990 and it was through that cd that I discovered the interesting back catalogue of this Irish band. I went through a phase of buying their singles whenever I came across them - and I still will, I think.
'Robin (the hooded man)' was the only single to be lifted off Clannad's 1984 album 'Legend'. The music of that album was composed for the ITV drama series 'Robin of Sherwood', starring Michael Praed, who appears on the cover of this single. It reached number 42 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2901 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 30, 1997 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Robin (the hooded man)' / 'Lady Marian'
Kylie Minogue was changing her image from 'girl next door' to 'sex siren', and the music video for 'What do I have to do' was one of the means to do this. The video showed Kylie in a swimming pool, a fairground, doing the ironing in a French maid's costume, and dancing with a female friend in a club. The sexual undertones in the video directed by Dave Hogan proved too much for Saturday morning TV shows, and so they showed a censored version of the video.
The music video was exploited in the single release as well: this limited edition features two free postcards with stills from the video. 'What do I have to do' reached number 6 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2701 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'What do I have to do' / 'What do I have to do (instrumental)'
'Hide and seek' was the third single from Howard Jones' debut album 'Human's lib'. The ballad had an almost biblical lyric and intriguing synthesizer sounds. It reached number 12 in the UK singles chart and number 28 in the Dutch Top 40.
This 10" single features both the A- and B-sides of the 7" single, but also an exclusive 'concert version', recorded live in concert at High Wycombe Concert Hall in 1984.
My collection: 10" single [unnubered] Found: Record Exchange, London, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Hide & seek (Concert version)' / 'Hide & seek', 'Tao te Ching'
'Circle of one' was the second single released by Oleta Adams, taken from her debut album of the same name. Capitalizing on the success she found with Tears for fears wasn't easy at first, because after her debut single 'Rhythm of life' only reached number 52 in the UK singles chart, this one only managed to peak at number 95.
'Circle of one' was written by Adams herself and produced by Roland Orzabal and Dave Bascombe. It would take another single to finally find breakthrough success: the ballad 'Get here'.
My collection: 7" single no. 1302 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Circle of one' / 'Think again'
'With or without you' is the song that took U2 to superstardom for good. They scored their first American number 1 hit, launching the album 'The Joshua tree' with a bang. At the same time, band leader Bono became involved in way too many charities, taking on some kind of Jesus image - something he would never shake off since then.
The single also reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40. The song recently re-entered the UK singles chart in May 2009 at number 43, based on download sales alone.
My collection: 7" single no. 914 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'With or without you' / 'Luminous times (Hold on to love)', 'Walk to the water'
'Heal the pain' was the fourth single taken from George Michael's 1991 album 'Listen without prejudice vol. 1'. The guitar-based love song was a moderate success, reaching number 31 in the UK singles chart and number 16 in the Dutch Top 40.
In the USA, the sides were flipped and 'Soul free' was released as the A-side. That single did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2569 Found: Record fair, December 2, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Heal the pain' / 'Soul free'
As Rick Astley left Stock, Aitken & Waterman behind, his singles became better artistically and less appreciated commercially. 'Move right out' was written by Rick Astley and Rob Fisher and was the second single release from Astley's third album 'Free' (1991).
The single reached number 58 in the UK singles chart and number 81 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the Neherlands, the single failed to reach the Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1484 Found: July 3, 1991 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Move right out' / 'Move right out (vox, piano, strings mix)'
I don't remember how I got to hear 'Why can't I have you' by the Cars. As it didn't reach the charts in the Netherlands and I can't imagine it being played on the radio much, I really can't figure it out. But I'm glad I did: it's one of my favourite songs from the Eighties.
'Why can't I have you' is a track from the Cars' very successful 1984 album 'Heartbeat city'. The single only charted in the USA, peaking at number 33 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
My collection: 7" single no. 917 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Why can't I have you' / 'Heartbeat city'
'No ordinary love' was released as the first single from Sade's fourth studio album 'Love deluxe'. The band had been away from the scene for three years and their comeback was highly anticipated. Some may have thought it was time for the band to explore new territories musically, but the song fit perfectly into the formula that had been so successful the three previous albums.
The single reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. In the US Billboard Hot 100, the single was slightly less successful, peaking at number 28. It was impossible to find this 7" single in the Netherlands, but fortunately a holiday in London helped me get the single after all.
My collection: 7" single no. 1727 Found: HMV, London, October 17, 1992 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'No ordinary love' / 'Paradise (remix)'
Ofra Haza scored her biggest international hit in 1988 with 'Im nin' alu'. A sample of the track, which was originally recorded in 1984, appeared in Eric B & Rakim's hiphop track 'Paid in full' in 1987. Izhar Ashdot then remixed Ofra Haza's song, and this remix was released within months of the chart success for 'Paid in full'.
As a result, Ofra Haza reached number 15 in the UK singles chart and number 27 in the Dutch Top 40. Reportedly the song sold three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first so-called 'world music' recordings to cross over to mainstream pop chart success.
My collection: 7" single no. 2115 Found: Record fair, June 11, 1994 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Im nin' alu (Played in full mix - English vocal)' / 'Im nin' alu (Yemenite vocal)'
This is one of those rare occasions where I bought a 7" single because of the B-side. Puck played me 'Sunday morning' back in 1995, and only weeks later I found this single which featured that particular album track on the B-side. Playing the single now, I still think that the A-side is very uninteresting, while the B-side is simply beautiful.
'You're the one' was released as the second single from Julian Lennon's 1989 album 'Mr. Jordan', but it didn't chart at all. Perhaps more people should have heard the B-side.
My collection: 7" single no. 2532 Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'You're the one' / 'Sunday morning'
The Dutch band Dr. Pop is formed in Velp in 1978 by Ans Dijkstra, Bert Meijer, Chris Meurs, Jan de Wit and Ton van Tent. Their self-titled debut album is released in 1980 and is produced by Jaap Eggermont (who would go on to have international success with his 'Stars on 45' project).
The single 'World at war' is released in May 1980 and reaches number 21 in the Dutch Top 40. It's the band's only hit. In 1981 they split up.
My collection: 7" single no. 2407 Found: Record fair, 1994 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'World at war' / 'Titanic'
According to Tears for fears' Curt Smith: ''Suffer the children' was the first song we did together when we left The Graduate. It was our very first experimentation with sequencers and drum machines, with a guy called David Lord, who worked with Peter Gabriel and different people down in Bath. So that was actually the first song we did as Tears For Fears.'
The original 7" version of "Suffer The Children" is distinct from the version found on their debut album 'The hurting' by the inclusion of an extra Curt Smith-sung lyric at the beginning of the song.
There are two versions of the single: the original release featured a white sleeve (pictured above). In 1985, following up on the massive success of the band's second album 'Songs from the big chair', the single was reissued in a black sleeve. All this didn't help matters: both releases did not chart anywhere.
My collection: 7" single no. 1319 Found: London, October 16, 1990 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Suffer the children' / 'Wino'
Back in the Eighties, commercials with old Motown hits were all the rage. Everybody remembers Nick Kamen stripping off in the launderette to the sound of Marvin Gaye's 'I heard it through the grapevine'. A Dutch commercial about milk was made to the sound of this song, 'My girl' by the Temptations. When it was re-released as a single, it promptly reached number 19 in the Dutch Top 40.
It has to be said, though, that this single is a re-release in the UK as a result of a compilation album by the Temptations because of their 25th anniversary. And in the UK, this re-release did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1053 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'My girl' / 'Wherever I lay my hat (that's my home)'
'Being boring' was the second single taken from the Pet Shop Boys' 1990 album 'Behaviour'. The song is concerned with the idea of growing up and how people's perceptions and values change as they grow older. The title apparently materialised after someone in Japan accused the duo of being boring. The title is also derived from a Zelda Fitzgerald quotation, 'she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring'.
The track was originally pieced together in a studio in West Glasgow, where the music for 'My October symphony', 'The end of the world' and the unreleased track 'Love and war' were also done. 'Being boring' was not the duo's biggest chart success: it didn't chart in the Netherlands and only reached number 20 in the UK singles chart (whereas previous singles made the top 10 with ease).
My collection: 7" single no. 1503 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 6, 1991 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Being boring' / 'We all feel better in the dark'
Taken from their Heart's tenth album 'Brigade' (1990), 'All I wanna do is make love to you' was the first single from the album, composed by producer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange. In the track, the protagonist speaks of a one-night stand with a man, only to reveal later in the song that her intent all along was to use the encounter as a way to become pregnant, because the man she really loves is not able to give her children. It was not the best lyric Heart ever performed.
In the liner notes of Heart's album 'The road home', Ann Wilson commented on the band's dislike for the song, stating, 'Actually we had sworn off it because it kind of stood for everything we wanted to get away from. It was a song by 'Mutt' Lange, whom we liked, and it was originally written for Don Henley, but there was a lot of pressure on us to do the song at the time.' The single was a hit for the band, peaking at number 5 in the Dutch Top 40, number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
My collection: 7" single no. 1206 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 13, 1990 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'All I wanna do is make love to you' / 'Call of the wild'
'Suspended in gaffa' was the third single release from Kate Bush's fourth studio album 'The dreaming', at least in Europe. In the UK, 'There was a tenner' was released instead. The song lyrics are about seeing something one really wants (God in this case), then not being able to see or experience it ever again. The 'gaffa' of the title and chorus refers to gaffer tape, the tough black tape used by technicians in the film and concert industries.
The B-side is the original mix of 'Ne t'enfuis pas'. 'Ne t'enfuis pas', which is misspelled on the original sleeve as 'Ne t'en fui pas', means 'don't go' in French.
My collection: 7" single no. 4116 Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, October 17, 2009 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Suspended in gaffa' / 'Ne t'en fui pas'
Liam Reilly represented Ireland during the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Somewhere in Europe', a slightly contrived song in which the singer describes his desire to meet a former lover once again. As he is 'back in Ireland', he wants to meet his lover somewhere in Europe. All the cliches about European capitals are subsequently described.
Still, this array of cliches pleased the European juries, as the song finished second behind that year's winner, the appalling 'Insieme 1992' by Toto Cotugno.
My collection: 7" single no. 4115 Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, October 17, 2009 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Somewhere in Europe' / 'Walking on the brighter side'
I've been buying some Nineties singles recently, and it's interesting how the 7" format continued in America as it was slowly abolished in Europe already.
