If faut chanter la vie - Severine

In 1973, the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Luxembourg. The previous year the contest was won by Vicky Leandros with 'Apres toi', and in 1973, Luxembourg snatched pole position once again with Anne-Marie David's 'Tu te reconnaitras'. It was proof of the dominance of French as the 'lingua franca' at the time.

1973 was an interesting year, because Israel debuted with Ilanit's 'Ey Sham' and the United Kingdom sent Cliff Richard over to sing 'Power to all our friends' - five years after he appeared at Eurovision with 'Congratulations'. Severine, the French singer who had won Eurovision in 1971 with 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue', decided to profit from the popularity of the Contest by covering the two songs on this single. 'Il faut chanter la vie' was a French version of Cliff Richard's song, and 'Autour de nous' was the French version of 'Ey Sham'. My finding this French single in a German second hand store only emphasises the international appeal of the Eurovision Song Contest.

My collection: 7" single no. 5938
Found: Come Back, Mannheim, September 13, 2018
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Il faut chanter la vie' / 'Autour de nous'

Zeroes (2018) - David Bowie

I rarely buy new singles anymore, and that's not strange when you think that most vinyl singles these days are released by new indie bands, bands that I don't know and that I often am not interested in. My interests are, as you may have noticed, centered around Eighties artists (check out the impressive section of almost 3800 Eighties singles in this blog - more than half of the 6000+ articles on this entire blog).

David Bowie keeps releasing picture disc 7" singles at an alarming rate. The 40th anniversary picture discs are lost on me because of their staggering price (10 pounds each is a little bit much for me, considering it's all old music) but this release is interesting. 'Zeroes (2018)' is a reworked track from Bowie's 'Never let me down' album. So it's old, but still new. Just like I like it, I guess.

My collection: 7" single no. 5937
Found: Amazon UK, received September 11, 2018
Cost: 10 pounds
Tracks: 'Zeroes (2018) (radio edit)' / 'Beat of your drum (2018) (radio edit)'

Who needs love like that - Erasure

'Who needs love like that' was originally Erasure's debut single in 1985. While the original 1985 release enjoyed only minor success, this later 'Hamburg mix' version (issued in 1992 to promote the 'Pop!' compilation) reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.

The lyrics are a cast-off to a destructive love relationship, in which the protagonist asks "who needs love like that?" This single features both the original version of the song and the 'Hamburg mix'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5936
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, September 1, 2018
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Who needs love like that (Hamburg mix)' / 'Who needs love like that'

Everlasting love - Worlds Apart

Just like Could it be I'm falling in love, 'Everlasting love' is a cover version - originally recorded by Love Affair - and was produced by Ricky Wilde. It also sports a poster sleeve, which is always a nice incentive for me to buy a single. 'Everlasting love' was of course also covered by German singer Sandra a few years earlier.

Unusually, this 7" single also features the 12" club remix on the B-side. It was one of the signs that record companies were becoming a bit confused by their own formats.

My collection: 7" single no. 5935
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, September 1, 2018
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Everlasting love' / 'Everlasting love (The Everlasting 12" club remix)'

Hot summer girls - Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids

This past summer was hot. While we are enjoying the last few rays of sunshine, here's a sunny summer track. Recorded by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids in 1975, 'Hot Summer Girls' was a cover version of a song written by Marty Wilde. I knew about this single but didn't buy it online because with added postage it would become a bit pricey. I was very pleased, therefore, to find this single for just one euro in a local free record fair.

Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids started out in 1969 in Boulder, Colorado (USA). They got their name from Hughey Plumley who spent most of his time in the back of a Boulder bar, The Sink, and who entertained himself by creating names for bands. The band released five albums between 1972 and 1988. 'Hot Summer Girls' appeared on their third album, 'Sons Of The Beaches'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5933
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, September 1, 2018
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hot summer girls' / 'Time will tell'

Infected - The The

For many years I have procrastinated buying this single by The The. 'Infected' was originally released in a sleeve that was deemed too smutty for the general public, and so it was retracted. Only part of the artwork appeared on the subsequent editions.

When I started frequenting record fairs (25 years ago), I saw the original sleeve many times, but I never bought it. I regret that now, because of course it can't be found anymore. So I finally caved and bought this copy. It's cheap and in great condition. It will do for now, until I do find that other one. Meanwhile, 'Infected' remains a great track, of course. The B-side sounds a bit like a discarded Tears for Fears B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 5931
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Infected' / 'Disturbed'

If - Bread

I don't have a lot of original singles by Bread, although I do like the band. They are simply quite hard to come by if you're not prepared to pay a lot for them. But sometimes I do get lucky. This original release of 'If', one of the band's most sentimental ballads, suddenly turned up in one of the many racks in Leiden's biggest vinyl shop, and of course I took it immediately.

Released in 1971, it was the first of only three hit singles in the Netherlands. It reached number 19 during a chart run of four weeks. In the USA, the single got to number 4, but in the UK it did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5929
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'If' / 'Take comfort'

Belly dance - Amina

Before Amina represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991, she already had a little career of her own. The album 'Yalil' was released in 1989, and featured the single 'Belly dance'. The single was remixed by Paul Oakenfold, who was already a big name in dance circles.

After Eurovision, Amina released one more album in 1992 before disappearing from the scene, only to reappear with another album in 1999. Her success remained limited to France.

My collection: 7" single no. 5928
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Belly dance (Oakenfold edit)' / 'Belly dance'

Always something there to remind me - Naked Eyes

Record companies can be strange, especially when different strategies are employed in different territories. In the UK, EMI released Naked Eyes' 'Always something there to remind me' in a perfectly great picture sleeve featuring a photograph of the band, but somehow EMI in Germany decided to use the same design while omitting the photograph. I thought the difference was weird enough to make me want to have this version as well.

Of course, the songs remain the same, so this is mainly an opportunity for me to repost the tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 5927
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Always something there to remind me' / 'Pit stop'

Dallas - Frank Barber Orchestra

Regular readers of this blog will know that I already posted a version of the 'Dallas' theme two years ago, in a version by the Bobby Patrick Band and the original version by Jerrold Immel. The single here also claims to contain the original version, and despite being quite sure that it wasn't, I was still curious enough to buy this piece.

Sure enough, this single has a decent version of the 'Dallas' theme, but not the original. The B-side features a version of the theme from 'Knots Landing', a 'Dallas' spinoff that I never had the chance to see myself. Perhaps if it is released on DVD someday.

My collection: 7" single no. 5926
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Dallas' / 'Knots Landing'

The two of us - Earth & Fire

Released in April 1983, 'The two of us' was the last single by Earth & Fire to reach the Dutch Top 40. The band had a lot of hits since 1970, but by 1983, their time was up. They only reached number 32 with this single, and not long after this, they broke up.

There was a brief reunion before the end of the decade, with the single French word for love as a result, but that reunion was short-lived. Later on, singer and frontwoman Jerney Kaagman made a career out of being a jury at inane television talent shows like 'Idols'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5925
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'The two of us' / 'Love is to give away'

Built for the future - The Fixx

For many years, the Fixx was the band that gave me Stand or fall and Red skies, two singles that ended up in my collection very quickly. Other releases ended up in here years later, and didn't achieve quite that mythical status.

I did become familiar with their album 'Walkabout' when my sister bought it on CD near the end of the Eighties, and the single Secret separation already ended up in my collection nine years ago. This one, 'Built for the future', followed recently. Arguably, the B-side track, 'Camphor', also from the album, is even better.

My collection: 7" single no. 5924
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, August 31, 2018
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Built for the future' / 'Camphor'

The world keeps turning - Heddy Lester

Heddy Lester represented the Netherlands with the song 'De Mallemolen', with a fairly depressing lyric. I wrote about that nine years ago. I didn't know back then, that there was also an English version of the song. It seems to have a more positive stance: even the title is 'The world keeps turning', which seems to offer a glimmer of hope.

Heddy recorded her song in four different languages: in Dutch, English, German and France. The latter two are very hard to come by, but who knows... as long as the world keeps turning there might be a chance for those to turn up in my collection and on this blog.

My collection: 7" single no. 5923
Found: Discogs.com, received August 28, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The world keeps turning' / 'Never saw him laughing'

A ave e a infancia - Marie Myriam

'A ave a infancia' is the Portuguese version of 'L'oiseau et l'enfant', the song that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977. I ordered a few singles from Portugal recently and this one came up as well, so I thought I might as well take it. I've always had a soft spot for Eurovision songs by the original artists in a different language.

French singer Marie Myriam is actually of Portuguese descent, so her pronunciation of this version is probably spot on. She also recorded the song in English, German and Spanish. I'm still looking for those singles...

My collection: 7" single no. 5922
Found: Discogs.com, received August 28, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'A ave e a infancia' / 'On garde toujours'

Little Julie - Peter Shelley

Taken from his album 'Girls and Places', 'Little Julie' may be a little sentimental, but this single was typical Seventies fare. Having launched Magnet Records in 1973 and Alvin Stardust's career (initially by performing as Stardust himself!), he started a career as a songwriter and performer in his own right.

His songwriting was often done in collaboration with Marty Wilde, who also penned the two songs on this disc: 'Little Julie' and 'Wisconsin'. Shelley was presented with the Ivor Novello Award in 1975 for his services to the UK music industry. However, due to differences between Magnet co-founder Michael Levy and himself, Shelley resigned from Magnet in late 1975 to pursue an independent career.

My collection: 7" single no. 5921
Found: Discogs.com, retrieved August 31, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Little Julie' / 'Wisconsin'

Du er fuld af løgn - Trax

Lise Haavik (born 23 February 1962) is a Danish/Norwegian singer, best known for representing Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen, Norway in 1986. She is also well-known domestically for her partnership in the duo Trax with John Hatting, her ex-husband. While they were both on the Eurovision stage, only Lise Haavik was credited as she was the only one who sang. Still, this single release is credited to Trax.

The song was successful in the Contest, placing sixth out of 20 entries that evening. This would be the only time Haavik would appear at Eurovision, having tried and failed to represent Denmark in 1984 and 1985. She also made an attempt to represent Norway in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 5919
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Du er fuld af løgn' / 'Du er fuld af løgn (instrumental)'

Once we might have known - Cock Robin

Not content with just the promo 7" single I bought two months ago, I was happy to find the commercially released single of Cock Robin's 'Once we might have known' recently. I didn't actually expect to find it this quickly, but with online ordering you have to be smart about orders: I got a few from these sellers and then one extra disc doesn't matter much for shipping.

This commercial 7" features a B-side, the album version of 'More than willing'. It might be a little underwhelming, but I still think it's a nice addition to my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5920
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Once we might have known' / 'More than willing'

More than words can say - Mel & Kim

Mel & Kim are best known for their four singles released in 1987 and 1988, from Showing out to That's the way it is. It may come as a surprise that another single saw the light of day in 1989. It was this one, 'More than words can say', a track taken from their debut (and only) album. It was released in Scandinavia to support the release of 'Something Special', an album that was also released in only a few countries. 'Something Special' brought together a selection of remixes, and this single was apparently released to promote that compilation album.

I didn't know all this until a few years ago, but the single, rare as it is, is pretty hard to find. I was pleasantly surprised recently when a copy popped up in the collection of a Danish seller on Discogs.com, so I snapped it up immediately (along with a few other singles).

My collection: 7" single no. 5916
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'More than words can say' / 'You changed my life'

N'oublie pas - Mylene Farmer & LP

For the first time in a long time, Mylene Farmer has released a single on the 7" vinyl format. I thought the last one was Que mon coeur lâche, but to my dismay I just found out that her 2013 single 'Je te dis tout' was also released on 7" vinyl - as a limited edition picture disc.

Anyway, the new single 'N'oublie pas' was released last Friday on CD-single and 7" vinyl. It is a decent song, and a duet with a certain LP. I'd never heard of her. Full name: Laura Pergolizzi, an American singer from Italian descent with a less than pleasant voice. The single was a no. 1 hit in France upon its release, of course, because Mylene Farmer hasn't stopped being a superstar over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5915
Found: Fnac.com, received August 14, 2018
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'N'oublie pas' / 'N'oublie pas (instrumental)'

Sister paradise - Time Bandits

'Sister paradise' was the Time Bandits' second single, but it wasn't as successful as their debut single, 'Live it up'. The 12" single, shown here, featured the full length version of the track, which was also found on their debut album, released some time after this single. It does sound a lot like an extended remix, with the instrumental part in the second half of the track.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received August 11, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Sister paradise' / 'Cues part 2'