This is my life (La vita) - Shirley Bassey

One of the gay anthems of all time was recorded by Shirley Bassey. 'La vita' was originally written in Italy by Bruno Canfora and Antonio Amurri. Shirley Bassey's version included English lyrics by Norman Newell and was called 'This is my life'.

The track first appeared in 1968 on Bassey's album of the same name. In 1979, she released the album 'The magic is you', another album featuring 'This is my life'. The track was released as a single and reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. It has since been adopted by gay rights activists as a statement of independence and pride.

My collection: 7" single no. 4523
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'This is my life (La vita)' / 'The magic is you'

Attention to me - The Nolans

In 1980, the Nolan Sisters changed their group name to the Nolans. Following her marriage, Anne temporarily left the group and Coleen was made a new official member. Their 1980 album 'Making waves' peaked at number 11 in the UK albums chart but stayed in the chart for 33 weeks.

Four singles were drawn from the album, of which 'Attention to me' was the last one. It reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, number 5 in Ireland and number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" sinle no. 4522
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Attention to me' / 'Old feelings again'

I'm in the mood for dancing - The Nolan Sisters

Tommy and Maureen Nolan, who had both worked as singers in Ireland, moved their family from Dublin to Blackpool in 1962, and launched a family singing group, The Singing Nolans, in 1963. The original lineup comprised the parents, sons Tommy and Brian, and daughters Anne (born November 12, 1950), Denise (born April 9, 1952), Maureen (born June 14, 1954), Linda (born February 23, 1959) and Bernadette (born October 17, 1960).

In 1974 the five daughters began performing as The Nolan Sisters. They released one uncharted single on EMI in 1974 and several more on Target Records between 1975 and 1977. After signing with CBS subsidiary Epic Records in 1979, the group enjoyed their greatest period of commercial success. At the end of 1979, the group released the disco-flavoured single 'I'm in the mood for dancing', which became their best-known tune and biggest hit. It reached number 3 in the UK, number 2 in Ireland and the Netherlands and number 1 in Japan.

My collection: 7" single no. 4521
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'I'm in the mood for dancing' / 'Let's make love'

Manuel goodbye - Audrey Landers

Audrey Landers was born on July 18, 1956. She was first noticed when she wrote and performed a country song when she was just 12 years old. During her teenage years, she acted on the daytime drama 'Somerset' and studied music at the Juilliard School in New York. Her feature film debut came in 'The Tennessee Stallion' (1978) with her younger sister, Judy Landers.

In 1981 she was given the role of Afton Cooper in the drama series Dallas, in which she appeared from 1981 to 1984. It was during this time that the single 'Manuel goodbye' was recorded and released. She had a Europe-wide hit with this in 1983, peaking at number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4520
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Manuel goodbye' / 'Shot down'

Het is een wonder - Linda Williams

Linda Williams was born as Henriëtte Willems on June 11, 1955 in Valkenswaard. She was an unknown singer when she took part in the 1981 national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands as a last-minute replacement for singer Oscar Harris, who had to drop out at short notice. One of the two songs she performed during the night, 'Het is een wonder', emerged as the winner, and so she represented the Netherlands during the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on April 4, 1981. She finished ninth in a field of 20 competitors.

Following her Eurovision appearance, Williams released a few singles which passed unnoticed, and soon returned to obscurity. She did however make another appearance on the Eurovision stage in 1999, when she was one of the backing singers for that year's Belgian entrant, Vanessa Chinitor, along with her daughter Eva-Jane.

My collection: 7" single no. 4519
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Het is een wonder' / 'Zo is het leven'

Cassandra - Bonnie en Jose

Dutch singers José Hoebee and Bonnie St. Claire got together in 1984 to record a Dutch language cover of the Abba track 'Cassandra'. The two were friends and apparently thought it would be a good idea to do this. The lyric was translated by Benny Neyman, another Dutch singer. The single reached number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

The single got a couple of sequels: the duo were involved in the project 'Abbacadabra', a TV musical for children based on songs of Abba, featuring more Dutch celebrities. In 1985 the duo recorded 'Herinnering' ('Memory'), a whole album of Abba covers.

My collection: 7" single no. 4518
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Cassandra' / 'Ik blijf wachten'

Living doll - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard and the Drifters recorded 'Living doll' in 1959, with Norrie Paramore producing. The single reached number 1 in the UK singles chart in July 1959, selling over a million copies. It America, the song reached number 30 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was Richard's first hit in the Netherlands, reaching number 2 in the charts.

Richard re-recorded the song in 1986 with the alternative comedy group The Young Ones for the Comic Relief charity.

My collection: 7" single no. 4517
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Living doll' / 'Apron strings'

Garden party - Mezzoforte

Mezzoforte is a traditional musical term, an instruction to play literally 'moderately loud'. It is also the name of an instrumental funk fusion-band from Iceland. The line-up consists of Eyþór Gunnarsson, Jóhann Ásmundsson, Gunnlaugur Briem, Friðrik Karlsson and Staffan William-Olsson.

Their biggest hit was the track 'Garden party', released in early 1983. It reached numbe 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4516
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Garden party' / 'Early autumn'

Those were the days - Mary Hopkin

Although I already have a 7" single with 'Those were the days' on it, I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to buy this original edition from 1968, made in the UK and released as the second single on the Apple label.

The B-side of this single is a folky version of the song 'Turn, turn turn', a hit for the Byrds in 1965.

My collection: 7" single no. 4515
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Those were the days' / 'Turn, turn, turn'

Pretend - Alvin Stardust

Alvin Stardust was born as Bernard William Jewry on September 27, 1942 in North London. After some success as a member of the band Shane Fenton and The Fentones in the Sixties, he took on the name Alvin Stardust in the early Seventies and had some hits, such as 'My coo-ca-choo' (1973) and 'Jealous mind' (1974).

From 1976 to 1980, Alvin Stardust didn't have any chart hits at all, which made his return in 1981 all the more impressive. The catchy 'Pretend' - a cover of a 1952 song made famous by Nat King Cole and many others - was not only a hit in the UK, where it reached number 4, but it also became a number 1 hit in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 4514
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Pretend' / 'Goose bumps'

The things we do for love - 10CC

After the departure of Godley and Creme, Stewart and Gouldman opted to continue as 10CC, bringing in to the studio drummer Paul Burgess, who had up to that point been their tour backup drummer. Their first album as a three piece band was 'Deceptive bends' in 1977.

The album yielded three hit singles, of which 'The things we do for love' was the first. It reached number 6 in the UK singles chart, number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40. Stewart later said he and Gouldman felt vindicated by the success: 'I was out to prove also that we could write a hit album without Kevin and Lol ... we did!'

My collection: 7" single no. 4513
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'The things we do for love' / 'Hot to trot'

It's a long way there - Little River Band

Fueled by a very successful Australian hit single 'Curiosity killed the cat', the band began making promotional visits to the USA in 1976. This resulted in a hit single Stateside, 'It's a long way there', edited down from an album track over 8 minutes long.

The single reached number 28 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4512
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'It's a long way there' / 'Meanwhile'

Tiger feet - Mud

'Tiger feet' was written and produced by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and recorded by Mud. It was the first of Mud's three number 1 hit singles in the UK, reaching the top of the UK charts in January 1974. Two months later, the single also reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40.

Co-writer Mike Chapman credited bassist Ray Stiles with a particularly memorable bass lick which helped fuel the success of the record.

My collection: 7" single no. 4511
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Tiger feet' / 'Mr. Bagatelle'

I want you to want me - Cheap Trick

'I want you to want me' was originally recorded by Cheap Trick on their second album 'In color' (1977). It was the first single released from that album, but it didn't chart. However, it was a number 1 hit in Japan.

This success, as well as the success of other singles, prompted Cheap Trick to play a few concerts at the Tokyo Budokan in April 1978. These concerts were recorded and a selection of track ended up on the album 'Cheap Trick at Budokan'. When the live version of 'I want you to want me' was released as a single in early 1979, it reached number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 29 in the UK singles chart and a surprising number 1 in the Dutch Top 40: the band had never charted in the Netherlands before.

My collection: 7" single no. 4510
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'I want you to want me' / 'Look out'

Room with a view - Deco

Noël Coward wrote 'Room with a view' for the 1928 revue 'This year of grace'. The Noël Coward Society, drawing on performing statistics from the publishers and the Performing Rights Society, ranks 'Room with a view' among Coward's ten most popular songs.

One of the many cover versions recorded throughout the last century was released by Deco, a trio consisting of Charles Grant, Tim Donaldson and John Melvin. The single did not chart in the UK, but reached number 30 in the Dutch Top 40 in April 1979.

My collection: 7" single no. 4509
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Room with a view' / 'She's a great great girl'

Fool (if you think it's over) - Chris Rea

Although I have a lot of singles by Chris Rea, I had a hard time locating a copy of his debut hit, 'Fool (if you think it's over)'. You can imagine my surprise when I found a UK copy of this single in this shop where I got all these singles for 10 cents each.

The single originally failed to chart in Rea's native UK. In the USA, the single peaked at number 12 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1978, while in the Dutch Top 40 it reached number 25. When re-released in the UK in October 1978, the single made it to number 30 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4508
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Fool (if you think it's over)' / 'Midnight love'

Beautiful noise - Neil Diamond

The album 'Beautiful noise' marked a radical departure in production, style, arrangements and compositional diversity for Neil Diamond and is considered by many to be his finest album. It was billed at the time of its release as something of a 'comeback' album, and did mark a new and highly productive phase of Diamond's recording and touring career.

The title track was released as a single in the autumn of 1976 and reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4507
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Beautiful noise' / 'Home is a wounded heart'

She's in love with you - Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro initially had a lot of success with her brand of glam-rock in the first half of the Seventies. Between 1975 and 1978, however, she had a hard time maintaining that success: only the 1977 single 'Tear me apart' had some moderate success in the UK and Australia.

In 1978, 'If you can't give me love' became a sudden success in those countries. The duet 'Stumblin' in', which she recorded with Chris Norman from the band Smokie, was even a success Stateside. Both tracks featured on the album 'If you knew Suzi'. A year later, she released 'Suzi... and other four letter words', which featured singles such as 'She's in love with you', which made number 11 in the UK and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4506
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'She's in love with you' / 'Space cadets'

We gotta get out of this place - Gilla

'We gotta get out of this place' was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded in 1965 by the Animals. It became an iconic song in its time and was a favourite among the American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Gilla recorded a cover version in 1979 with Frank Farian producing. Her version reached number 26 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 4505
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'We gotta get out of this place' / 'Take the best of me'

You're the one that I want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

I was never a fan of 'Grease' in 1978, when everyone in my class was. The girls were in love with John Travolta and the boys were in awe of him. Meanwhile, I preferred the singing qualities of Olivia Newton-John but thought the whole madness about one movie was a bit silly. I was always a bit sceptical of manias anyway.

'You're the one that I want' did stand the test of time, however. The single was a number 1 hit in most countries and it is still the sixth best-selling single ever in the UK, where it has sold over 1,975,000 copies.

My collection: 7" single no. 4504
Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'You're the one that I want' / 'Alone at a drive-in movie (instrumental)'