Elkie Brooks' breakthrough second album, released in 1977, propelled her into solo stardom in the UK and Europe. Featuring the top ten hits 'Pearl's a singer' and 'Sunshine after the rain', it had a distinct American sound largely due to the work of legendary writers and producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
'Sunshine after the rain' was released as the third single from the album and reached number 10 in the UK singles chart in August 1977.
My collection: 7" single no. 5293 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 2,7 euro Tracks: 'Sunshine after the rain' / 'You did something for me'
Elton John released 'Philadelphia freedom' as a single in 1975. Elton, looking to honour his friend, tennis professional Billie Jean King, asked Taupin to write a song called 'Philadelphia Freedom', an homage to her tennis team. Taupin said, 'I can't write a song about tennis', and did not. Taupin maintains that the lyrics bear no relation to tennis, Philly Soul or even flag-waving patriotism. In the U.S. it was a charttopper in April 1975.
The B-side features a live performance of 'I saw her standing there' by Elton John and John Lennon at Madison Square Gardens on November 26, 1974.
My collection: 7" single no. 5292 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 2,8 euro Tracks: 'Philadelphia freedom' / 'I saw her standing there (live)'
'Ace of hearts' was the fourth single taken from Chris Rea's 1984 album 'Wired to the moon'. In the UK, it was the title track of a mini album featuring five tracks. This German single features just two of them: 'Ace of hearts' and 'True love'.
The single did not become a hit in Germany. In the UK, it reached number 79 in 1984, and a reissue reached number 78 a year later.
My collection: 7" single no. 5291 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1,5 euro Tracks: 'Ace of hearts (special remix)' / 'True love'
I posted my 12" single of Earth Wind & Fire's 'Boogie Wonderland' just two weeks ago, a few days before I ordered this 7" single. I didn't know I didn't have the 7" single, but as I was writing that piece, I found out. It was a pleasure to correct this small omission.
The 7" single is, obviously, shorter than the 12" single. The full length version is 8'30 minutes, whereas the single edit is just 5 minutes. The instrumental version on the B-side is just 50 seconds shorter than its 12" counterpart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5290 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Boogie wonderland' / 'Boogie wonderland (instrumental)'
Record producer John Carter was the veteran of the early Sixties beat music, most notably Carter-Lewis and the Southerners, a band Carter formed with fellow producer Ken Lewis. Lewis and Carter formed a vocal harmony band, The Ivy League, that enjoyed three top twenty hits in Britain in 1965. Carter and Gill Shakespeare wrote the song 'Beach Baby' in the summer of 1974 in their home in East Sheen, South West London, far from any beach. Carter immediately enlisted the help of lead singer Tony Burrows and another session singer, Chas Mills, to record the song for Jonathan King's UK Records record label under the name The First Class.
The dense, complex production, layered vocals evoked the Sixties west-coast production style of lead Beach Boy Brian Wilson. At one point the arrangement utilises the horn theme from the last movement of Sibelius' Fifth Symphony. In 1974, at a moment when nostalgia for the Sixties was fashionable (and The Beach Boys sat atop the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with Endless Summer on 5 October 1974), the song became a hit in the UK (where it peaked at number 13), and in the USA, where it peaked at number 4.
My collection: 7" single no. 5289 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1,6 euro Tracks: 'Beach baby' / 'Surfer queen'
The 12" single I bought back in 1994 features four remixes of Kim Appleby's 'Free spirit', but this promotional double 12" set, which I found last month on a website, features five. Indeed, that's one extra and so I guess you could say I bought this set for one track only.
Now if 'Free spirit' was recorded by Madonna or Britney Spears these days it would probably be a hit, because it's a piece of inspired high energy pop, but Kim Appleby's star had faded in 1994, when this disc came out, and so it disappeared quietly. What a shame.
My collection: 12" single no. 624 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Free spirit (Mixed by Mobius Loop)' / 'Free spirit (Club mix - remix by Tony King' // 'Free spirit (Sound of Stockwell dub)' / 'Free spirit (Spiritual mix)', 'Free spirit (Diesel & Ether Defacto mix)'
I don't have any Joe Cocker tracks, except this one. I already had the 12" single, which I bought two decades ago, but I decided I had to have the 7" single as well. So when the opportunity presented itself last month, I ordered it.
Much to my surprise, this German pressing comes in a rather boring sleeve, whereas the UK version (at least, the 12" single I have was made in the UK) is much prettier with an actual photograph on the front cover. The song remains a true classic with Joe's devastated voice used to full effect.
My collection: 7" single no. 5288 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1,5 euro Tracks: 'Don't you love me anymore' / 'Tell me there is a way'
'Send me a lover' was written by Rick Hahn and George Thatcher, and released on September 6, 1993 as the second single from Taylor Dayne's album 'Soul dancing'. It peaked at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In Europe, the single didn't become a hit. Perhaps that's why it didn't appear on 7" vinyl in Europe. This single was made in the USA and didn't come in a picture sleeve.
Unfortunately, the song was later covered by Celine Dion, who butchered the song beyond recognition with her grating voice. This version by Taylor Dayne remains the only one you can hear without bleeding ears.
My collection: 7" single no. 5287 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 2, 2012 Cost: 1,2 euro Tracks: 'Send me a lover' / 'Someone like you'
David Morgan wrote 'Hiroshima' and recorded it with the band Wishful Thinking in 1969. The single wasn't a hit, but when it was re-released in Germany in 1978, it reached number 8 there. The single stayed in the charts for months.
In 1990 the German singer Sandra recorded a cover version of this song for her fourth solo album 'Paintings in yellow'. That version was eventually released as a single as well, becoming one of her biggest hits in Central Europe.
My collection: 7" single no. 5286 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Hiroshima' / 'She belongs to the night'
The first time I heard this song was a few months ago in a radio show presented by Kim Wilde called 'Secret Songs' on Magic 105.4 FM. Some singles can go by unnoticed for decades, but in the end I still catch them.
The song was written by Boz Scaggs, who recorded it on his 1976 album 'Silk degrees'. The Rita Coolidge version appeared on her album 'Anytime...Anywhere' released the next year. Coolidge recalled: 'When I was with A&M Records, it was like a family. I would visit Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, and it was a very open, communicative group of people. One day I was in Jerry Moss' office and he said that the Boz Scaggs album 'Silk Degrees' was in a million homes and there was a song on it that was perfect for a woman to sing. He said, 'It's called "We're All Alone" and as he's not doing it as a single, I think you ought to record it.'" Quite right too, as it reached number 6 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5285 Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012 Cost: 1,5 euro Tracks: 'We're all alone' / '(Your love has lifted me) Higher and higher'
'I.O.I.O.' is the second single (third in the U.S.) from the Bee Gees album, Cucumber Castle. Maurice Gibb described this as "Barry's African jaunt" as the opening has African-type percussion that leads into Barry Gibb singing the verse, joined by Maurice in the chorus. The single was a relative success mainly on European charts.
The title 'I.O.I.O.' Maurice calls on the chorus and made as a title of the song, accompanied by Colin's drumming. Vince Melouney was present on playing the guitar on the song's first session in 12 June 1968 while they are recording the songs for their fifth album and their third international album, 'Idea'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5284 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I.O.I.O.' / 'Sweetheart'
This American pressing of Bananarama's single 'I can't help it' features the sleeve artwork that was used for 'Love in the first degree' in the UK. The B-side, 'Mr. Sleaze', was also the B-side of 'Love in the first degree' in the UK. And so here's a release that I felt would be an interesting addition to my collection.
'I can't help it' was written Bananarama with Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who also produced the track. It reached number 47 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The single peaked at number 20 in the UK singles chart. So perhaps the Herb Ritts photography on the sleeve of the UK version would have been a better choice?
My collection: 7" single no. 5283 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'I can't help it' / 'Mr. Sleaze'
'Sir Duke' was written and recorded by Stevie Wonder in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Wonder had already experienced the passing of two of his idols (Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery) after attempting to collaborate with them. After Ellington died in 1974, Wonder wanted to write a song acknowledging musicians he felt were important. He later said, 'I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us. So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation.'
Released as a single from Stevie Wonder's 1976 album 'Songs in the key of life' in 1977, it reached number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5281 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Sir Duke' / 'He's misstra know it all'
When you take a look at the sleeve of this single, you might think that the Bee Gees went all religious in 1969. However, the title 'Don't forget to remember the Lord' is just a case of bad sleeve design. In fact it's a combination of the two song titles included in this package.
'Don't forget to remember' is a country ballad from the Bee Gees, taken from the album 'Cucumber Castle'. The single was a number 1 hit in the Dutch Top 40 in September 1969. In the UK singles chart, the song peaked at number 2.
My collection: 7" single no. 5282 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 29, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Don't forget to remember' / 'The Lord'
'Englishman in New York' was taken from Sting's 1987 album 'Nothing like the sun'. The 'Englishman' in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp. Sting wrote the song not long after Crisp moved from London to an apartment in New York's Bowery. Crisp had remarked jokingly to the musician 'that he looked forward to receiving his naturalization papers so that he could commit a crime and not be deported.'
The song was released as a single in 1988, but only reached number 51 on the UK singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40 it was considerably more successful, peaking at number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 5280 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'An Englishman in New York' / 'Ghost in the strand'
Although the Alessi brothers had only one significant hit in Europe with 'Oh Lori', they released several other singles and albums between 1977 and 1982. 'Driftin'' was released in 1978 as a single from their third album, also called 'Driftin''.
In the 2000s they resumed their touring and album recording career as a duo, with the release of two new albums as Alessi, and also as part of group Barnaby Bye.
My collection: 7" single no. 5279 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Driftin'' / 'Just can't stop it'
After Freddie Mercury died in November 1991, the remaining members of Queen staged a charity concert at Wembley Stadium in London with several pop and rock icons taking the place of Freddie and performing his vocals. After the concert, the EP 'Five live' was released to further benefit the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
From this EP, only 'Somebody to love' and 'These are the days of our live' were performed during the tribute concert. The other three live tracks were recorded during George Michael's 'Cover to cover tour' from 1991. The medley of 'Killer' and 'Papa was a rollin' stone' was one of them, and it was remixed by PM Dawn for this 12" single.
My collection: 12" single no. 620 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 2,5 euro Tracks: 'Killer/Papa was a rollin' stone (PM Dawn remix)' / 'Killer/Papa was a rollin' stone (PM Dawn remix instrumental)'
The Seventies group Showaddywaddy had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the Fifties and early Sixties. These cover versions included 'Three steps to heaven' (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), 'Heartbeat' (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly) and 'Under the moon of love' (originally a US hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce).
The Mike Hurst-produced version of that latter song spent three weeks at the top of the UK singles chart in December 1976. In the Dutch Top 40, the single peaked at number 3 in early 1977.
My collection: 7" single no. 5278 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Under the moon of love' / 'Showboat'
Shirley Mescher was born in Den Haag, Netherlands in 1963 and first made a name for herself as part of the group Music Hall. In 1983, they released the single 'Voulez-vous danser?'. Shirley then became a playmate in the magazine Playboy. She appeared on the front cover of the April 1985 issue.
Back to music, Shirley became part of the duo Fresh in 1987. Together with Ingrid Brans she recorded a cover of 'Summer in the city'. After that single flopped, Ingrid moved on to the successful Dutch trio Barbarella and Shirley went solo as Shirley-Jane. Her first outing was this single: 'Hit me!', a cover of the infamous single by Ian Dury. Despite the sexy cover and the half-decent cover version, it wasn't a hit.
My collection: 7" single no. 5277 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Hit me!' / 'This night'
Tommy Seebach did his first of three performances at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 with 'Disco tango'. The song was well received and ended up in sixth place out of 19 competitors. It became a major hit in Denmark and other European countries.
Seebach later became one of those tragic Eurovision heroes, as his other performances were less successful: 'Krøller eller ej' ended up in 11th place in 1981, and 'Under stjernerne på himlen' only reached 22nd place in 1993. The poor result meant that Denmark did not qualify for the ESC 1994, and Seebach was widely criticized, and never competed again. Seebach passed away on March 31, 2003 after a heart attack.
My collection: 7" single no. 5276 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Disco Tango (English Grand Prix version)' / 'Disco Tango (Danish Grand Prix version)'
Elkie Brooks' breakthrough second album, released in 1977, propelled her into solo stardom in the UK and Europe. Featuring the top ten hits 'Pearl's a singer' and 'Sunshine after the rain', it had a distinct American sound largely due to the work of legendary writers and producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
