'Angelina' was the second single taken from Matia Bazar's 1986 album 'Melanchólia'. Although the Italian band had just had an international hit with 'Ti sento', this single did not manage to break the charts the way its predecessor had done.
It has to be said that this song is a lot less catchy. I didn't know the track when I bought the single - and I quickly found out that I wouldn't play it very often. Still, it is a nice track.
My collection: 7" single no. 2957 Found: Record fair, February 7, 1998 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Angelina' / 'Fiumi di parole'
The movie 'In the name of the father' was directed by Jim Sheridan and was based on the true life story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing, which killed four British soldiers and a civilian.
The soundtrack of the movie, which was an Irish production, featured a host of Irish musicians, most notably Sinéad O'Connor, who perfomed 'You made me the thief of your heart', the first single release from the soundtrack. The song was written by Maurice Seezer, Gavin Friday and Bono from U2. The single reached number 42 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2072 Found: Record fair, February 19, 1994 Cost: 8 guilders Tracks: 'You made me the thief of your heart' / 'The father and his wife the spirit'
The German rock band The Scorpions recorded 'Still loving you' in 1984 on their album 'Love at first sting'. It was released as the second single from the album, reaching number 64 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Oddly enough, the single only managed to hit the Dutch Top 40 in 1987, when it reached number 4. On that occasion, the track was taken from the Scorpions compilation album 'Gold ballads'.
The song is considered to be a thinly veiled metaphor for a still divided Eastern & Western Germany. 'Your pride has built a wall so strong that I can't get through, is there really no chance to start once again?' was a clear reference to the Berlin Wall and the despair many Germans felt about their divided homeland.
My collection: 7" single no. 512 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Still loving you' / 'Holiday'
Hot Chocolate followed up one of the biggest hits of their career, 'Every 1's a winner' with the ballad 'I'll put you together again'. The track was written by Don Black and composed by Geoff Stephens. Stephens is one of the most successful composers of the UK, based on the number of weeks which his songs have spent in the UK singles chart.
'I'll put you together again' was released in December 1978 and reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2442 Found: August 26, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'I'll put you together again' / 'West End of Park Lane'
Bucks Fizz followed up their Eurovision-winning song 'Making your mind up' with their second single, 'Piece of the action'. The song was written by Andy Hill and included on their self-titled debut album, released later on in 1981.
The single reached number 12 in the UK singles chart. The song was covered by the Bay City Rollers in 1983 as a Japanese-only single release.
My collection: 7" single no. 938 Found: All that music, Leiden, July 7, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Piece of the action' / 'Took it to the limit'
'Elisabeth's eyes' was the second and last single to be released from Nik Kershaw's fourth album 'The works'. Unlike the previous single, this one failed to reach the UK singles chart.
After this, Kershaw devoted himself to writing songs for other artists - the most successful track being 'The one and only' which launched Chesney Hawkes' career in 1991, peaking at number 1 in the UK - and only returned with an album called '15 minutes' in 1999, ten years after the release of this single.
My collection: 7" single no. 2718 Found: July 20, 1996 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Elisabeth's eyes' / 'My friend John'
It's interesting how Wikipedia states that Mai Tai didn't release any new work after 1987, whereas I have in my hand the proof that this statement is false. The single 'Dance in the light' was made in 1988. The track was produced by Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma, who were involved in most of Mai Tai's Eighties songs.
'Dance in the light' is mentioned on the Wikipedia page, but as a new track on a 1991 compilation album. Wrong again! But one thing is true: the band did split up and reformed in 2003. Don't trust the online encyclopedia too much.
My collection: 7" single no. 4333 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Dance in the light' / 'Wrap me up'
'Heart of glass' began its life in 1975 as a slow reggae track called 'Once I had a love', performed frequently on live tours by the band Blondie. It was recorded on their album 'Parallel lines' in 1978 as a disco-oriented track with producer Mike Chapman. It became one of the band's better known tracks.
The Associates recorded a cover of 'Heart of glass' in 1988, and their version hit number 58 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2679 Found: Record Exchange, London, July 2, 1996 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Heart of glass' / 'Her only wish'
'Denis' seemed to be Blondie's debut single when it charted in the Netherlands in 1978, but in reality the band had already been going for some time. In the UK, it was Blondie's second single release, and in America three singles went before this one, including the second single which was 'In the flesh', featured here on the B-side.
The song is a gender-swapping cover of the 1963 hit 'Denise' by Randy & the Rainbows. Blondie's recording of the song contains a verse with partly improvised lyrics in French by vocalist Debbie Harry. Although Chrysalis insisted that the band re-record the song with a grammatically correct French translation, both the band and producer Richard Gottehrer preferred the first take. Eventually this version was released. (The second, re-recorded version had its debut as a bonus track on EMI UK's 1994 re-issue of the album 'Plastic letters'.) The single reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 3048 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 23, 1999 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Denis' / 'In the flesh'
'Distant sun' was the first single release from Crowded House's fourth album 'Together alone' (1993). The single was a hit in the UK in the autumn of 1993, peaking at number 19, and in Australia, where it reached number 21. In March 1994, a remixed version of 'Distant sun' was released in the USA, but it did not chart.
Buying this single was a gamble: it was a new release during a week when I was in London, and I decided to buy it on account of the fact that I liked the band's previous singles.
My collection: 7" single no. 1989 Found: Virgin Megastore, London, October 18, 1993 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Distant sun' / 'Walking on the spot'
I wrote about 'If she knew what she wants' once before, but that was a UK pressing, and a limited edition double single to boot. This single, which I'd bought some time earlier, is the Dutch pressing, with a completely different sleeve.
A different sleeve, but no different tracks: both were taken from the Bangles' 1986 album 'Different light'. The single did not chart in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 1610 Found: Record fair, March 28, 1992 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'If she knew what she wants' / 'Angels don't fall in love'
'Love in itself' was released in September 1983 as the final single from Depeche Mode's third album 'Construction time again'. The single version was called 'Love in itself 2', as it was an edit of the album version. Number 3 is an extended version, and number 4 is an acapella version with piano. The B-side was the track 'Fools', written by Alan Wilder instead of the band's main songwriter, Martin Gore.
The single reached number 21 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 867 Found: All that music, Leiden, June 2, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Love in itself 2' / 'Fools'
'Church of the poisoned mind' was Culture Club's third big hit single, released in spring 1983. The uptempo track has some similarities to Motown tracks, especially 'Uptight (Everything's alright)' by Stevie Wonder.
The single was a number 2 hit in the UK singles chart and reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40. The band also had their first hit in the USA with this track, peaking at number 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2064 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 29, 1993 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Church of the poisoned mind' / 'Man shake'
Sting, lead singer of the Police, was an English teacher before he found fame with his band. 'Don't stand so close to me', with its lyric dealing with the mixed feelings of a teacher (lust/guilt/fear), and inappropriateness leading to confrontation, caused some speculation on whether the song was actually autobiographical. Sting denied this in 2001 when he promoted the concert dvd 'All this time'.
The single was released in 1980. It gave the band their first hit in the USA, as it reached number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the UK, it was a number 1 hit, while in the Dutch Top 40 it reached number 3. The single I have is part of a limited edition with a poster sleeve.
My collection: 7" single no. 1219 Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Don't stand so close to me' / 'Friends'
'War party' was originally a track on Eddy Grant's 1981 album 'Killer on the rampage'. The track was remixed and released as a single in 1982. The single reached number 42 in the UK singles chart during a four week chart run.
This single was released as a limited edition pressed on red vinyl in Germany. This copy is one of that limited edition.
My collection: 7" single no. 3206 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 30, 2000 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'War party (Bajan remix)' / 'Say I love you'
Mylene Farmer released 'A quoi je sers...' ('To whom I serve...') in the summer of 1989, coinciding with her first live tour in France. It was a new song, not available on her debut album which the tour promoted. Both this song and its B-side, 'La veuve noire' were recorded fairly quickly.
As often with Mylene, the lyric of the song is very pessimistic. It's about madness, the desire of suicide and the impression of the futility of the life. According to some observers, the song sums up most of Mylene's work, as it displays the singer's doubts about her usefulness on Earth. The single reached number 16 in the French singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1971 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 25, 1993 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'A quoi je sers...' / 'La veuve noire'
Clannad collaborated with American singer/songwriter Bruce Hornsby to record 'Something to believe in'. He played piano and accordion on the track and also sang along on the track (his voice is clearly audible in the chorus).
The track was released as the first single from Clannad's 1987 album 'Sirius' but failed to chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1471 Found: June 30, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Something to believe in' / 'Second nature'
'Venus' was written by Dutch musician Robbie van Leeuwen for his band Shocking Blue, released as a single in late 1969. Bananarama had the song in their live repertoire for a couple of years before they decided to record it. They wanted to turn it into a dance track and brought the idea to producers Stock Aitken Waterman. It became Bananarama's first collaboration with them.
Initially, Stock, Aitken and Waterman also resisted the idea because they believed that 'Venus' would not make a good dance record. The three members of Bananarama persisted, and so they recorded the song. When it was released as a single in the summer of 1986, it went to number 1 in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico and South Africa. In the UK, the single reached number 8 and in the Dutch Top 40 it reached number 4. The collaboration on 'Venus' led Bananarama and SAW to work together on the group's follow-up album 'Wow!' in 1987.
My collection: 7" single no. 4324 Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, December 1, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Venus' / 'White train'
Throughout their career, the Pet Shop Boys have always been keen on remixing their songs. In the beginning, they made most of their extended remixes themselves, but when the Nineties started, they utilised more and more 'outsiders' for their remixes. This double 12" single set displays both the merits and the disadvantages of that approach.
The two Jam & Spoon remixes of 'Young offender' are great trance experiences, using most of the original song but in a very different musical setting. 'Liberation' was remixed by Murk, Oscar G and E Smoove, but none of them have been able to come up with something even remotely sounding like the original track. Some of them use one word from the track, namely its title, but the whole experience of disc 2 has become unlistenable dross. Remixing? Not everyone is good at it, you know.
My collection: 12" single no. 228 Found: Record fair, 1993 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Young offender (Jam & Spoon's Trip-o-matic fairy tale mix)' / 'Young offender (Remix no. 2)' // 'Liberation (E Smoove 7" mix)' / 'Liberation (Murk Deepstrumental mix)', 'Liberation (Oscar G's dopeassdub mix)', 'Liberation (Murk Dirty Club mix)'
U2 recorded 'Who's gonna ride your wild horses' many times during the sessions for their 1991 album 'Achtung baby', but they eventually ended up with a version that was very similar to the original demo. Bono wrote the song's lyrics for The Edge, who was going through a rough divorce from his wife during the recording sessions.
Bono has commented that the band were still dissatisfied with the track: 'It's a song I feel we didn't quite nail on the record because there was another whole set of lyrics that were dumped and I wrote those quickly and off we went.' The track was remixed for the single release. It reached number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1795 Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 28, 1992 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Who's gonna ride your wild horses' / 'Paint it black'
'Angelina' was the second single taken from Matia Bazar's 1986 album 'Melanchólia'. Although the Italian band had just had an international hit with 'Ti sento', this single did not manage to break the charts the way its predecessor had done.
