Julia - Eurythmics

'Julia' was a track on the soundtrack of the movie '1984', which was composed and recorded entirely by the Eurythmics. It was subsequently released as the second and final single from the album. The song is a ballad with very sparse electronic instrumentation and an almost a cappella performance by Lennox. Her vocals are accentuated by vocoder effects in the background. The title and lyrics of the song are based upon the novel's heroine and love interest, Julia.

The single was released as a limited edition in the UK, featuring a pop-up sleeve and a picture disc with a still image from the film, featuring English actress Suzanna Hamilton as Julia. The single reached number 44 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1346
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 18, 1990
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Julia' / 'Ministry of love'

Spending my time - Roxette

Although for some this song may be a bit too melodramatic, this was my favourite single of the year 1991. 'Spending my time' was one of the best tracks on Roxette's 1991 album 'Joyride', and when it was released as a single, it was coupled with a very strong non-album track, 'The sweet hello the sad goodbye'. The cd-single also added a great extended remix of the track.

The single reached number 29 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 22 in the UK singles chart. In 1996, a Spanish version, 'Un dia sin ti' was recorded on the album 'Baladas en Español'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1548
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 2, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Spending my time' / 'The sweet hello, the sad goodbye'

Dance this night away - Maarten Peters

In 1988, Maarten Peters left his record company Dureco after releasing two albums with them, and signed a new contract with EMI. His first release for EMI was the standalone single 'Dance this night away'.

Despite the danceable music and the straightforward lyric, the single was not a chart success. It almost seemed like his career was heading for a nosedive, but in 1989 Peters came back with a new album, that would give him his biggest successes.

My collection: 7" single no. 634
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Dance this night away' / 'Dance this night away (instrumental)'

China girl - David Bowie

A nice romp on the beach with an Asian woman: David Bowie knew how to have a good time in the early Eighties. The video for 'China girl' caused some controversy, as back then, artists were not generally showing their naked bodies too often. (These days you would long for even one of them to put on some clothes...) It was a visual reference to the movie 'From here to eternity', but still some TV channels censored the music video.

'China girl' was written by Bowie and Iggy Pop and originally recorded by Iggy Pop on his 1977 album 'The idiot'. David Bowie recorded the song in 1983 on his album 'Let's dance'. He decided to put the song on his album when Pop was in dire straits and was close to facing bankruptcy. The inclusion of the song on the album and the subsequent release as a single helped him to get back on his feet financially, as he collected half the royalties. The single reached number 2 in the UK and the Netherlands, while also reaching number 10 in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 1602
Found: Record fair, March 28, 1992
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'China girl' / 'Shake it'

Army dreamers - Kate Bush

Released in September 1980, Kate Bush's 'Army dreamers' can actually be described as an EP, as it contained not one, but two B-side tracks: an old demo recording from 1973 called 'Passing through air' and the album version of 'Delius', though without the outro of Babooshka through the first few seconds of the tracks as on the album 'Never for ever'.

The lyric of 'Army dreamers' was about the effects of war and about a mother who grieves for her young son, who was killed on military maneuvers. Saddened by his unnecessary death, she wrestles with her guilt over what she could have done to prevent it. The single reached number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 36 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 76
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Army dreamers' / 'Delius', 'Passing through air'

We don't need another hero - Tina Turner

'We don't need another hero' by Tina Turner doesn't sound too far removed from an earlier hit, 'What's love got to do with it'. That's not a surprise, given that the track was written and produced by the same people behind Turner's album 'Private dancer'. It was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie 'Mad Max: beyond Thunderdome', in which Turner had a starring role.

On the track, Turner was backed by a choral group from King's House School in Richmond, London. The song's lyrical content and theme is mostly a statement of anti-war and anti-violence. It reached number 1 in several European countries, number 7 in the Dutch Top 40, number 3 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 315
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'We don't need another hero' / 'We don't need another hero (instrumental)'

He's a liar - Bee Gees

The 12" single of 'He's a liar' was featured on this blog some time ago already, but mostly when I've got a 12" single, I also have the 7" single. And this one is no exception.

'He's a liar' was the first single from the Bee Gees album 'Living eyes', released in 1981. It had been approximately 2 years since the last Bee Gees single had been released - which was an eternity at that time - and although this song sounded nothing like the Bee Gees disco era singles, this single was ignored in most territories because the band had become so heavily associated with disco - and disco was no longer in fashion.

My collection: 7" single no. 882
Found: All that music, Leiden, June 16, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'He's a liar' / 'He's a liar (instrumental)'

Hazy shade of winter - The Bangles

'Hazy shade of winter' was written by Paul Simon and recorded by Simon & Garfunkel in 1966 for their 1968 album, 'Bookends'.

The Bangles recorded a harder-edged cover the song for the soundtrack of the 1987 movie 'Less than zero'. It was released as a single and subsequently reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 11 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1460
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 27, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Hazy shade of winter' / 'She's lost you' (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)

Love will never do (without you) - Janet Jackson

Originally, producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis toyed with the idea of making Janet Jackson's 'Love will never do (without you)' a duet. They thought about possibly getting Prince, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, or anyone else working with them at the time. During the recording of the first verse, Jimmy Jam told Janet to 'sing it low like some guy would sing it.' As a result, they kept the idea of her singing the first verse in a low octave but go an octave up on the second verse.

The single became Janet Jackson's fifth number 1 single in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the final of seven top five singles from the album 'Rhythm Nation 1814', making her the only artist to achieve seven top five singles from one album in the USA. Its success was more moderate in Europe: in the UK singles chart, 'Love will never do (without you)' peaked at number 34, and in the Dutch Top 40 it reached number 33. The single remix did a lot to ruin what was actually a great song on the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 1377
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, January 26, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Love will never do (without you) ('Work it out' 7" with intro)' / 'Love will never do (without you) (The love 7")'

Maggie May - Rod Stewart

The lyric of the song 'Maggie May' describes the ambivalence and contradictory emotions of a young man involved in a relationship with an older woman. It was written from Rod Stewart's own experience. He later commented: 'Maggie May was more or less a true story, about the first woman I had sex with, at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival.'

The track was recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album 'Every picture tells a story'. It was initinially included as the B-side of the single 'Reason to believe', but after dj's took to 'Maggie May' instead, the sides were flipped and 'Maggie May' became the A-side. It finally reached number 1 in the UK and the USA, while it reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was Stewart's first substantial hit as a solo performer and launched his solo career.

My collection: 7" single no. 1863
Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, January 30, 1993
Cost: 4,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Maggie May' / 'Reason to believe'

Should I do it - Pointer Sisters

For some time in the Eighties, the Pointer Sisters were one of the most successful black groups around. Their album 'Black & White', released in 1981, reached high positions in the album charts in various countries including the UK and USA.

The single 'Should I do it' was taken from this album. The single reached number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 9 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3289
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Should I do it' / 'Take my heart, take my soul'

Magic oh magic - Al Bano and Romina Power

Al Bano and Romina Power represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest twice. Their first attempt was in 1976 with the song 'We'll live it all again'. They returned in 1985 with 'Magic oh magic', which contrary to their previous entry was sung almost entirely in Italian - with the exception of the title of course.

At the close of voting, 'Magic oh magic' finished seventh in a field of 19 competitors. Although Al Bano and Romina Power had some hits outside of Italy in the early Eighties, this single did not give them any chart success outside of Italy.

My collection: 7" single no. 4467
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received January 28, 2010
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Magic oh magic' / 'It's forever'

Paradise - Black

The last single from Black's debut album 'Wonderful life' was an edited version of 'Paradise'. To boost the sales of the single, a limited edition box set including postcards and a large poster was released. For some time, this was a holy grail I was searching for frantically in the Dutch record shops that simply refused to import something like this. In the end, I found a copy in London during a holiday there, a year after its release.

The single, meanwhile, reached number 38 in the UK singles chart during a three week chart run. It was to be Black's final top 40 hit in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 599
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1989
Cost: 1,5 pound
Tracks: 'Paradise (edit)' / 'Dagger reel'

Atomic - Blondie

The track 'Atomic' was composed by Jimmy Destri and Debbie Harry. According to Harry, 'He was trying to do something like 'Heart of glass', and then somehow or another we gave it the spaghetti western treatment. The lyrics, well, a lot of the time I would write while the band were just playing the song and trying to figure it out. I would just be scatting along with them and I would just start going, 'Ooooooh, your hair is beautiful.''

The single version of 'Atomic' was in fact a remix. The original 4:35 version as featured on the albums 'Eat to the beat' opens with an intro inspired by the nursery rhyme 'Three blind mice' and includes an instrumental break with a bass guitar solo. The 7" version mixed by Mike Chapman omits the intro and replaces the instrumental break with a repeat of the verse.

My collection: 7" single no. 2489
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 30, 1995
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Atomic' / 'Die young stay pretty'

Het antwoord - Frank Boeijen Groep

Frank Boeijen, lead singer of the Frank Boeijen Groep had to undergo surgery on his vocal chords because of a medical problem in early 1983. It had some effect on the sound of his voice, which is why there are actually two versions of this track, 'Het antwoord' ('The answer'). The track on the single was recorded before the surgery, whereas the version on the album '1001 hotel', as well as all the other tracks on the album, was recorded after the surgery.

All this makes this single a bit of a rarity. This version of the song has never been released on cd, while the single has never been a hit. What about the B-side? Well, that was simply a track from the previous album.

My collection: 7" single no. 214
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Het antwoord' / 'Sneeuwblind'

Through the barricades - Spandau Ballet

'Through the barricades' is the title track of Spandau Ballet's 1986 album. It was released as the second single from the album. The lyric of the song was inspired by love prevailing over the troubles in Northern Ireland. The single was released as a limited edition with a gatefold sleeve.

The single reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3258
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 2000
Cost: 40p
Tracks: 'Through the barricades' / 'With the pride (live in '85)'

Situation - Yazoo

Although I was a really big fan of Yazoo in the early Eighties, I never had the money to buy their 12" singles. And by the time I did, I'd played my singles so often that I just didn't want to buy those 12" singles anymore.

On one occasion I did, though: I found a cheap American 12" single of 'Situation' in 1993 and because of its low price I bought it. It's got two versions of 'Situation' on it, that were finally released on cd in 2008 when the box set 'In your room' was released.

My collection: 12" single no. 168
Found: Record fair, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Situation (remix by François Kevorkian)' / 'Situation (dub version)'

I go to sleep - The Pretenders

'I go to sleep' is a track from the second album by the Pretenders, called 'Pretenders II'. Although it is not one of their most exciting tracks, it is one of their biggest hits, as it peaked at number 7 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

I didn't like the song when it first came out, but a few years later I learned to like it. That's how it went with many more Pretenders tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 787
Found: All that music, Leiden, March 30, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I go to sleep' / 'Waste not want not'

Did it in a minute - Daryl Hall and John Oates

'Did it in a minute' is my bugspray single. I bought the single on the same day I was going on a holiday with my parents and my sister. I was only ten years old, of course, and we were leaving late one afternoon. When I came home with this single, my father had already sprayed my room, so I went up there and held my breath while I lay down the single on the desk in my room. I did it in a minute, by the way. Strange memories can last a lifetime.

The single was not the biggest success for Hall and Oates. While it peaked at number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, it went by unnoticed by the rest of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 128
Found: Rapsody, Den Haag, 1981
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Did it in a minute' / 'Head above water'

First boy in this town (Lovesick) - Scritti Politti

Scritti Politti is a band that repeatedly surprised me as the Eighties went on. Their reggae-influenced singles circa 1985 please me a lot, but 'Oh Patti' sounded nothing like that and it still thrilled me.

And then there was 'First boy in this town (Lovesick)'. I can vividly remember hearing that single for the first time, when my sister had just bought it and played it to me. I thought it would never be a hit, but I also knew I had to get it myself. Well, I was right on both counts of course: in the UK this single only reached number 63 and I got the copy only a year after its release.

My collection: 7" single no. 1001
Found: HMV, London, October 16, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'First boy in this town (Lovesick)' / 'World come back to life'