Come summer - Fra Lippo Lippi

The sleeve of Fra Lippo Lippi's 'Come summer' is one of the most beautiful sleeve designs ever. Made by StyleForEveryMood in Stockholm, it looks deceptively simple: just a beautiful image with the lyric of the song printed over it. Sometimes you wonder how people come up with something like this.

The song, of course, is no less beautiful. Taken from the band's album 'Songs', it followed 'Shouldn't have to be like that' but didn't achieve the same amount of international success. It's strange, because it is the better of the two songs. Even three decades ago, people didn't recognise a hit when it was slammed in their face.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Den Haag, 1993
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Come summer (extended, remixed)' / 'Come summer', 'Even tall trees bend (original version)'

Live it up - Time Bandits

This copy of the 12" single of Time Bandits' debut single 'Live it up' was not in a very good shape when I bought it. My needle kept sliding off the record after playing a few seconds, barricades by clouds of dust. Fortunately, it was nothing that a good cleaning session couldn't fix.

There were actually two 12" singles of 'Live it up' back in 1981: a version with a remix of over 7 minutes, and this one, which just contains the album version of the track. The single version was shorter by a minute or so, so this could still be considered an 'extended' version, but I guess some fans felt disappointed back then after hearing this one...

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Live it up' / 'Juvenile acquaintance'

I'm lovin' it - Justin Timberlake

This is a mysterious 12" single. Released unofficially, it is supposed to contain two remixes by the Trouser Enthusiasts, but it sounds rather different than their other work. There are no credits on the label, so it is hard to find out.

Justin Timberlake released 'I'm lovin' it' in 2003, after he was paid $6 million to sing a jingle for McDonald's. The Neptunes produced a song based on this jingle, and this was released in November 2003. The single became a number 1 hit in the Wallonian part of Belgium and reached number 13 in the Netherlands. It did not chart in the UK or USA.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, January 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'I'm lovin' it' / 'I'm dubin' it'

Hey, hey - Gershon Kingsley and the Moog

Gershon Kingsley of course gave the world Popcorn, he did release some more music. This single is an example. Also made on the famous Moog synthesizer, 'Hey, hey' is a nice but forgettable piece of instrumental music.

The B-side is a poppy Moog version of Beethoven's 'Fur Elise', although for some reason Beethoven does not get composer credits (Kingsley does) and the track is called 'For Alisse Beethoven'. Interestingly, a different single with a different sleeve also exists: with the A-side on the B-side and vice versa. It wasn't always easy to decide which track would do best. (In this case, neither did chart.)

My collection: 7" single no. 5849
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hey, hey' / 'For Alisse Beethoven'

Ragtime piano Joe - Peter Straker

One of the many tracks on the The best of the Top 40 of the year double album, which basically started my obsession with collecting music, was Peter Straker's 'Ragtime piano Joe'. Through the years I have bought almost all the tracks on single, but for some reason I never did buy this one. Even now I thought I already had it, strangely enough.

Peter Straker was born on November 7, 1943. The Jamaican singer and actor became best known for his appearances in the London production of the musical 'Hair', and in the 1979 series of Doctor Who. 'Ragtime piano Joe' was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Peter's close friend Freddie Mercury. The single reached number 11 in the Dutch Top 40 but, weirdly enough, did not chart in the UK. The B-side of this single is also worth listening to, for its moving sentimentality.

My collection: 7" single no. 5951
Found: Velvet Vinyl outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ragtime piano Joe' / 'The saddest clown'

The sun always shines on TV - Diva

In 1994, the Norwegian duo Diva released a cover version of A-ha's 'The sun always shines on TV'. Helene Sommer and Elene Nyborg did manage to attract some attention with their version of the song, although it didn't become a hit - except in Norway where it reached number 2 and in the UK where it got to number 53.

This double 12" single - housed in a rather anonymous black sleeve - was given to me by regular blog reader Puck some time ago, but I never got around to recording all the versions included in this package. I'm sure you'll agree that none of them can't hold a candle to A-ha's original version of the song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Cost: free
Tracks: 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial club mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (original version)' / 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial hard dub mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Crucial club edit)' // 'The sun always shines on TV (Perfecto mix)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Sunshine mix)' / 'The sun always shines on TV (Sexy disco dub)', 'The sun always shines on TV (Volcano club edit)'

Liverpool hello - Capricorn

The band Capricorn consisted of Sue Avory (lead vocals), Unwin Brown (drums), Colin Travers (guitar) and Steve Pryor (bass). They were much more popular in Japan than they were in the UK. Their first single was 'Hello Liverpool', a song written by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott. It features the song 'How did you find me', written by the same duo, on the B-side. In the UK, the single appeared in a record company sleeve, but the Japanese version was much prettier, featuring a picture sleeve. I was lucky enough to find a copy for a reasonable price some time ago.

The single was released in 1970 and reached number 1 in the Japanese singles chart. Two years later the band won the World Popular Song Festival in Japan, representing the UK with the song 'Feeling'. A couple of years later the band split up.

My collection: 7" single no. 5688
Found: Discogs.com, received August 2015
Cost: $4
Tracks: 'Liverpool hello' / 'How did you find me'

Ode to Billy Joe - Torch Song

I mentioned Torch Song once before on this blog, back in November 2008, describing my 12" single of  'Don't look now'. Since then I have found out that a 7" single does exist, because I recently ordered one. But then I went to Velvet Vinyl Outlet yesterday and suddenly found this single: 'Ode to Billy Joe'.

The song was taken from the band's debut album 'Wish thing' as well, and while it isn't the best track off that album, the B-side of this single contains a rather pleasant surprise. 'The Zebra Room' - a non-album track' - can be considered a sort of 'dub mix' of 'Don't look now'. And since that is one of my favourite tracks of the Eighties, this single turned out to be one of my best buys of the day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5848
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ode to Billy Joe' / 'The Zebra Room'

20 fantastic bands - Dazzling All Night Rock Show

Try as you might, you can't find any information anywhere about a band called 'Dazzling All Night Rock Show'. There is every likelihood that it was simply used as a nom de plume by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley who released '20 fantastic bands' as a single on November 23, 1973.

Glamrock was the name of the game, you can easily hear the influences on this song. It isn't that hard to imagine that bands like The Sweet would record a similar kind of song. But they didn't, and this version didn't become a hit.

My collection: 7" single no. 5798
Found: Discogs.com, received March 2017
Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: '20 fantastic bands' / '20 fantastic bands (continued)'

Raindrops - Joey Dell

In 1975, Joey Dell appeared on the pop scene with a single that was produced by Frere Manston - a pseudonym of Marty Wilde. Dell had previously smelled at the music scene in 1962 with a single called 'Let's find out tonight'. This single was a comeback of sorts, although it didn't become a hit.

'Raindrops', the A-side, was written by Manston and Simmons, and takes cues from Buddy Holly in the vocals department. It's a charming little song of a lover who despairs at the disappearance of his partner. The B-side, 'A boy that's growing up' is written by Joey Dell himself, but also produced by Marty Wilde.

My collection: 7" single no. 5788
Found: Discogs.com, received January 24, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Raindrops' / 'A boy that's growing up'

Listen to the man with the golden voice - Time Bandits

During my last visit to Velvet Vinyl Outlet in Leiden I saw a row of 12" singles by the Time Bandits, a Dutch band that was pretty popular in the Eighties. I have some singles by this band, too. I didn't buy them at the time, because my budget wasn't big enough, although they definitely were interesting: none of these 12" remixes have ever been released on cd. (Some actually have been, but that was only a handful.)

After a recent donation I was very tempted to go back and get them - and so I did. Today's visit to the shop was successful within the first few minutes, because I had a stack of 'em before I even moved to the 7" singles department. You can expect a few Time Bandits remixes on this blog in the near future. The first of them is 'Listen to the man with the golden voice', a top 10 hit for the band in 1983.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Listen to the man with the golden voice (extended remixed version)' / 'Words'

New fuzz / I will wait for you - The Hazzah

I'm not one to turn down gifts, which in the case of 7" singles can be tricky. A dear colleague of mine came to me with this single, and although I didn't know the band it was worth checking out. The Hazzah are based in the Netherlands and have already been signed by a record label.

This single was released by the band as a limited edition and features two tracks: the rather loud 'New fuzz' and the more relaxed - and kinda retro - 'I will wait for you'. The latter is my favourite, which is why I decided to present that one here, even if it's the B-side. It will be interesting to see what the guys come up with. With this signed copy in my collection of course I hope they will be huge!

If you like what you hear, check out the band's website and buy the single for yourself!

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: a gift!
Tracks: 'New fuzz' / 'I will wait for you'

Listen to the track

Where's the revolution - Depeche Mode

The record busines has been very effective in eliminating itself in recent years. After the introduction of compact disc - which was a good move - they wiped out vinyl - which was a bad move - then wiped out the cd - bad move - and reintroduced vinyl - good move - but only for certain bands and usually not on the attractive 7" format.

This 'exclusive vinyl' is another baffling move. Given away with the German magazine Musik Express it was not on general sale - even though Depeche Mode have a rather impressive fanbase outside of Germany as well. Obviously those 7" singles now pop up on Ebay and Discogs for inflated prices. The only reason I got this copy is because the sleeve is slightly dented, which resulted in the price going down a bit. Sometimes I really wonder if record companies even want to make money anymore.

'Where's the revolution' is the lead track of Depeche Mode's most recent album 'Spirit', which was announced in the margin of a big press conference for a tour - another weird move. Thankfully the band managed to create a great album again after the rather disappointing 'Delta Machine' from five years ago.

My collection: 7" single no. 5844
Found: Discogs.com, received July 5, 2017
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Where's the revolution' / 'Should be higher (live in Berlin)'

Listen to the track

I love you - Marty Wilde

Marty Wilde released quite a few singles during the Seventies, but unfortunately none of them were hits. My quest for all of these singles continues, and it's remarkable how some of them are really expensive whereas others are relatively cheap.

'I love you' was released on September 20, 1974. Written by Marty himself, it's a country-influenced track that seems very subdued compared to the man's earlier work. There's also a stark contrast with the B-side, 'She's a mover', written by Peter Shelley and Marty Wilde, which is more of a glam-rock type of song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received July 1, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'I love you' / 'She's a mover'

Listen to the track

Jukebox July: Fox The Fox & Time Bandits **UPDATE**

After Jukebox June went by unnoticed, I suddenly received a donation for a re-upload of songs by Fox the Fox and Time Bandits. But which ones? Those who've read this blog will know that I have quite a few songs by these bands, so here goes.

Fox the Fox:
Man on the run, Precious little diamond, Precious little diamond (Shep Pettibone remix)

Time Bandits:
1 2 3, Cool world, Cues part 2, Dancing on a string, Dancing on a string (instrumental), Don't let your love go bad, Endless road, Endless road (Special remixed dance version), Fiction, Ginny, How does it feel (my own favourite of this bunch), I won't steal away, I'm only shooting love, I'm only shooting love (US single version), I'm only shooting love (dub version), I'm only shooting love (extended version), I'm specialized in you, I'm specialized in you (extended), In town, Listen to the man with the golden voice, Lookin' out, Only a fool, Only lovers will survive, Pasadena dream world, Reach out, Sister paradise, Star, Star (special remix), Star (instrumental remix), Ushi girl, We'll be dancing, Wildfire, Words, You're not at home.

If you're interested in the stories behind these 7" and 12" singles, read the old entries about Fox The Fox and Time Bandits! You can also look forward to some new entries about Time Bandits later this year, so watch this space....

If you'd like to request a re-upload for yourself, please donate a dollar for each song you'd like to hear.

Teen wave - Ricky Wilde

Through the years I've managed to acquire all the songs released by Ricky Wilde during the Seventies. All the songs, but not all the various pressings from around the world. And, so it appears now, not all versions.

Thanks to the indispensable Discogs-website I managed to find an American promotional copy of Ricky Wilde's 1974 release 'Teen wave'. It features two versions of the song: in mono and in stereo. A lot of people are almost hysterical about the differences between mono and stereo versions, especially for acts like The Beatles, so for a Wilde afficionado, this can be considered a sort of holy grail. And yes, there are some differences between the two versions, as you can hear below.

My collection: 7" single no. 5844
Found: Discogs.com, received July 12, 2017
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Teen wave (mono)' / 'Teen wave (stereo)'

Listen to the mono version | Listen to the stereo version

Love me baby - Sheila B. Devotion

Sheila (born Annie Chancel in Créteil, France on August 16, 1945) scored numerous hits in her homeland during the 1960s and the 1970s. Among her chart toppers were 'L'École est finie' (1963), 'Vous les copains' (the French cover version of Manfred Mann's 'Do wah diddy diddy' in 1964), 'Petite fille de Français moyens' (1968) and 'Les rois mages' (a cover version of 'Tweedle dee tweedle dum', originally performed by Middle of the Road in 1971). Her success helped her producer Claude Carrere to launch his label Carrere Records.

In 1977, Sheila completely changed her public image when Sheila & B Devotion was formed. Because Carrere did not want to shock Sheila's public and the French media, the debut single of the group ('Love me baby') was released anonymously in May 1977 in France. The first pressings of the record mentioned the obscure name of S.B Devotion. The song was a radio and club hit. The identity of the group was rapidly revealed and the quartet was officially named Sheila B. Devotion. The single became a mainstream top 10 hit all over Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 5787
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 6, 2017
Cost: 0
Tracks: 'Love me baby' / 'Love me baby (instrumental)'

Listen to the song

Tomorrow is now - Howard Jones

After Howard Jones'contract with Warner Bros. ended, I lost track of him for a couple of years. I was quite surprised when I found out that he'd steadily released albums like 'Working in the back room' and 'People' while I wasn't paying attention. Thanks to the internet, I quickly reconnected at the end of the Nineties. I bought the albums and some CD-singles, and all was good in the world again.

Last week I found out that one of his late Nineties tracks was also released as a 7" single in the USA. 'Tomorrow is now' features 'Let the people have their say' on the B-side, and both were released as CD-singles at the time. It's great to finally have this 7" single as well, even if it's just a jukebox release.

My collection: 7" single no. 5842
Found: Discogs.com, received May 24, 2017
Cost: £3
Tracks: 'Tomorrow is now' / 'Let the people have their say'

Listen to the song

Say it again - Precious

The girl band Precious was formed at the end of 1998 by Sophie McDonnell and Jenny Frost. A set of auditions saw the remaining members join, these were: Anya Lahiri, Kalli Clark-Sternberg and Louise Rose. In 1999 they were chosen to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel. While the single went to number 6 in the UK singles chart, their success at Eurovision was more limited, as they ended up in 12th place.

After three more singles (two of which were hit sigles) and a debut album which failed to chart, the group were dropped by their label and it was decided that the individual members should pursue separate careers. Sophie McDonnell started presenting for BBC TV and Radio including their CBBC brand, Jenny Frost replacing Kerry Katona in the band Atomic Kitten, and Anya Lahiri returning to her modelling activities. Lead singer Louise Rose also become an actress, her credits include the 2008 mini-series "Diamonds". Kalli Clark-Sternberg has since become a session singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 5841
Found: Discogs.com, received May 24, 2017
Cost: £ 3
Tracks: 'Say it again (Cutfather & Joe mix)' / 'Essential love'

Listen to the song

Où sont-elles passées - Romuald

'Où sont-elles passées' ('Where have they gone') was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, performed in French by French singer Romuald. The song was composed by noted French orchestra leader Francis Lai, best known for his film scores. Romuald laments the departure of the girls of his youth, explaining that as he grows older he loses the enjoyment and mystery of his early romances. It was a successful song for Monaco that year, ending up in third place.

Romuald ended up participating in the Eurovision Song Contest two more times: in 1969 for Luxembourg with 'Catherine' and in 1974 for Monaco once more with 'Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5840
Found: Discogs.com, received May 18, 2016
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Ou sont-elles passées', 'Demain' / 'A jamais', 'Toi ma blonde'

Listen to the song