If I could choose - Sean Dunphy

In 1967, Ireland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest by Sean Dunphy, who was 29 years old at the time. Born on November 30, 1937, he became famous in his home country as lead singer with The Hoedowners, a showband led by trumpeter Earl Gill. Between 1966 and 1973, fourteen singles by Sean Dunphy and The Hoedowners entered the Irish Charts including, in 1969, two number ones: 'Lonely Woods of Upton' and 'When The Fields Were White With Daisies'.

'If I could choose' narrowly missed winning the Contest in 1967, finishing in second place behind Sandie Shaw's 'Puppet on a string'. Dunphy went on to have two further hits as a solo artist. He died at his home in Baldoyle, County Dublin on May 17, 2011.

My collection: 7" single no. 6053
Found: Discogs.com, received April 30, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'If I could choose' / 'Yellow bandana'

The look of love - ABC

Unbelievably, I never owned a copy of ABC's 'The look of love' despite owning all of the band's albums, nearly all of their singles and even a few 12" singles and CD-singles. This strange situation has now been rectified. I ordered a beautiful copy of the UK 7" singles recently.

I can understand, however, how I never bought this single. It was played a lot on the radio during the Eighties and there were loads of other singles that I wanted to own and play. I really didn't need to hear this one - in fact for most of the Eighties and Nineties I'd had enough of this track. It's one of ABC's signature songs and having not heard it in a long time, I can now listen to it and enjoy it again.

My collection: 7" single no. 6051
Found: Discogs.com, received April 17, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'The look of love (part 1)' / 'The look of love (part 2)'

What comes after goodbye - Respect featuring Philip Oakey

The Sheffield-based band Respect had a short but sweet career. This single was released just a few days before Christmas 1990 with the result that it only appeared on the shelves in the gap between Christmas and New Year and was gone by the time 1991 came.

It's a pity, because with the contribution of Human League's Philip Oakey they managed to make quite an interesting track. The sound is reminiscent of the Human League, but slightly poppier. The band released one album in 1991, entitled 'The kissing game', and then broke up. What remains is this very listenable single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6049
Found: Discogs.com, received April 17, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'What comes after goodbye' / 'The ghost in me'

Non ho l'eta - Dora Manganello

The Eurovision Song Contest brought forth many evergreens in the Sixties, and one of them was 'Non ho l'eta', the Italian song that won the 1964 edition. Many cover versions of the song exist, and this is one of them.

Dora Manganello didn't really become a household name, but she sang this version of the song on an EP that was released by Grosjean, a French manufacturer of cheeses. Perhaps this is why this EP is a bit cheesy, with a French cover of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the wind' and two instrumentals on the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 6038
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Non ho l'eta' (Dora Manganello), 'Écoute dans le vent' (Fiona) / 'Ne te moque plus', '23 heures 30' (Hully-Gully Party)

Escapade - Janet Jackson

There is something special about UK pressed 7" singles, which is why every now and again I do buy some copies of singles I already own, but in their European counterparts. The latest delivery contained a few handfuls of such singles, coupled with a few I didn't already have. This single was one of them.

Of course I already did own a version of Janet Jackson's 'Escapade', but the UK version is notably different because both mixes on this disc do not appear on the other single I have. These mixes were created by Shep Pettibone, and it's interesting that these were preferred over the original single version that was used elsewhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 6048
Found: Discogs.com, received April 17, 2019
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Escapade (We've got it made 7")' / 'Escapade (Housecapade 7")'

Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen - Udo Jürgens

After competing in the Euovision Song Contest 1964 with Warum nur, warum, Udo Jürgens represented his country Austria again the next year. The song 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen' has a strong melody and a rather sad message. Jürgens is telling a friend what to tell a former lover. He explains that the lover must be told that he sends his regards and that he is doing fine, but that his hope that she might come back to him must not be mentioned. He ends, however, with the instruction that 'in spite of that, tell her I love her'.

The song was slightly more successful in the Eurovision jury system: while 'Warum nur, warum' made it to sixth place, this 1965 entry made it to fourth place. It may have contributed to sending Jürgens to the Eurovision stage again in 1966 with 'Merci Cherie', with which he finally won the contest. This French EP features the Eurovision song along with three more German language songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 6042
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen', 'Du darfst nicht geh'n' / 'Frag' nie', 'Ich traum' noch von Jenny'

Goodbye little Colombus - Chris Rea

I have many singles by Chris Rea. The man is a solid songwriter and his singles rarely disappoint. Bewilderingly, there's never been a complete singles collection of the man's output. I once made one myself, but this was in the days before Discogs and Wikipedia, so the 2 CDR set I made was not complete.

Proof of this fact is provided in the form of this single, which I never knew existed. Taken from his self-titled 1982 album, this is actually a promotional version of 'Goodbye little Colombus' from Germany. The back cover states that the song is presented in the TV programme 'Café in Takt' on August 12, 1981. Probably 1982 I'd think....

My collection: 7" single no. 6046
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Goodbye little Colombus' / 'If you choose to go'

Warum nur, warum - Udo Jürgens

Udo Jürgens made a name for himself in Eurovision history by winning the 1966 edition with 'Merci Chérie'. What many people don't know or seem to forget is that he actually represented Austria in three consecutive editions. He started in 1964 with 'Warum nur, warum'.

In the song, Jürgens wonders why flowers are dying and the object of his affection is ignoring him. The song finished in sixth place in a field of 16 competitors. This French EP features two songs in German and two in English, showing the multilingual qualities of the singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 6040
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Warum nur, warum', 'Beautiful dreamgirl' / 'Kiss me quick', 'Tausend Träume'

Mama - Kim Appleby

Basically I was looking for a UK copy of Kim Appleby's 'Mama' because recently I have acquired UK versions of her other singles as well. When I found this copy I was surprised to find a review stuck to the front cover and a sticker correcting the track listing on the back cover. Turns out this is a promotional copy of this single - and quite an interesting one, too.

While the commercial version of 'Mama' contains the earlier single 'Don't worry' on the B-side, this single contains the acoustic version of 'Mama' on the B-side. It was no problem to part with one euro to get this disc into my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6044
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 20, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Mama' / 'Mama (acoustic version)'

Liberty town - Perfect Day

After the single Jane, Perfect Day released 'Liberty town', a track produced by Ricky Wilde. I managed to find this single during last Saturday's record fair in Utrecht, not long after finding 'Jane' with the same dealer.

Released in January 1989, it fared slightly better than its predecessor, but still didn't manage to get into the UK singles top 40. The band released two more singles before packing it in.

My collection: 7" single no. 6034
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Liberty town' / 'On the right side'

Absolutely immune - Act

Claudia Brücken and Thomas Leer formed Act after Brücken left her previous band Propaganda. 'Absolutely immune' was released as the couple's second single, after the hit single Snobbery and decay. This single didn't reach the chart, unfortunately.

It is a pity that Act broke up after the release of their debut album. Judging from the contents of this single, they could have released much more interesting tracks. 


My collection: 7" single no. 6045
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Absolutely immune' / 'Bloodrush'

Keep me warm - Carita

I have acquired many Eurovision Song Contest singles through the years, especially in the last few years. The more I have collected, the more obscure the new additions get. I'd never seen the 1974 entry from Finland before last Saturday - and now I saw this single with two different dealers during the Utrecht record fair. I bought this single the first time I saw it, which is just as well since the other dealer asked two more euros for it.

Carita Elisabeth Holmström was born on February 10, 1954 in Helsinki. She represented Finland with the song 'Keep me warm'. She finished in 13th place in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6043
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Keep me warm' / 'Shadow on the wall'

Revolutions - Jean Michel Jarre

'Revolutions' was the ninth studio album by French synth wizard and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, first released in August 1988. The album spans several genres, including symphonic industrial, Arabian inspired, light guitar pop and ethnic electro jazz. The album reached number number 2 in the UK charts, Jarre's best chart position since 'Oxygène'. The majority of the album was played with a Roland D-50 synthesizer, with the majority of sound programming gathered from custom sound banks, compiled into a single bank and later released for French Keyboards magazine

This single presents an edited version of the album's title track, backed with the entire 'part 2' of 'Industrial revolution' as it appears on the album. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6047
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Revolutions' / 'Industrial revolution: part 2'

Pomme pomme pomme - Monique Melsen

Luxembourg is a small country, which is why it is allowed to attract artists from other countries to represent it during the Eurovision Song Contest. In the history of the Contest, only eight native Luxembourgians have represented their own country. One of them was Monique Melsen, born on February 24, 1951 in Ettelbruck.

In 1971 she sang 'Pomme pomme pomme' ('Apple apple apple'), a song about eating an apple. Yes, this is how simple a song can be. Doing so reminds her that it is spring, which causes her to wonder if she will find love during that season, or whether she will only find 'the snake'. The song finished on 13th place, in a field of 18 contestants.

My collection: 7" single no. 6041
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Pomme pomme pomme' / 'Fa fa fa'

Make it with you - Bread

Hard to believe, but the Bread song 'Make it with you' was recorded by only two people: Mike Botts (drums) and David Gates (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass & strings). Gates also wrote the song. It was released in June 1970 and became their first top 10 hit in the USA, peaking at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The single also did well in the UK (where it peaked at number 5), Canada (number 2), New Zealand (number 6) and Australia (number 7). In France, where the single I bought was made, it didn't chart at all.

My collection: 7" single no. 6036
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Make it with you' / 'Why do you keep me waiting'

Shake - Andrew Ridgeley

As one half of the duo Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley has been much maligned after he and George Michael went their separate ways. It was often said that he didn't bring much more to the duo than his looks. History has shown that there was more to the story than that - without Andrew, George might never have become the pop star he became.

When you listen to this single, you may understand where all the criticism came from. 'Shake' really isn't a very good song and Andrew's vocals sound too lightweight for what should sound like a rough, tough track. I bought the single out of curiosity, although I did vaguely remember what it sounded like - but the poster sleeve was too nice to resist.

My collection: 7" single no. 6039
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Shake' / 'Hangin''

Un día, un niño - Frida Boccara

One of the most beautiful Eurovision melodies of the Sixties must surely be 'Un jour, un enfant' by Frida Boccara. She was one of four winners in the 1969 edition, together with the Spanish, Dutch and UK entries.

Boccara recorded the beautiful ballad in five languages: the original French version, English, German, Italian - and this Spanish version. It is not easy to find these versions for a reasonable price, so I was happy to snap up this Spanish single for the tiny amount of 1 euro.

My collection: 7" single no. 6037
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Un día, un niño' / 'Bella de dia'

Jane - Perfect Day

In the mid-Eighties, Perfect Day was formed by Mark Jones (vocals), Kevin Howard (guitar), Andy Wood (bass) and Mark Stott (drums). After recording a demo they were picked up by London Records in 1987. They released their debut single 'Jane'  in the summer of 1988. The track was produced by Christopher Neil, with additional production and remix by Ricky Wilde. This is, of course, why I became interested in this particular release.

The single was not a chart success, but the band did manage to get a small fan following quite quickly. A fanclub was even formed before they ever made a chart appearance, which is an interesting feat for any band.

My collection: 7" single no. 6035
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Jane' / 'Preying on my mind'

The way you are - Tears for fears

The single 'The way you are' by Tears for Fears was released as a 'stopgap' between their first and second album. The song was actually recorded for the purpose of releasing a single, something the band looks back on with a certain amount of regret. In 2014, Curt Smith commented: 'We got over it and managed to go on and have more success despite that song. It’s one of those things that we can’t take it back, but we wish we hadn’t done it.'

Personally, I think it's one of the band's more interesting single releases. With all the percussion going on, it's a very amusing track to listen to. Which is why I was glad to find this promotional 7" single. It features the (regular) 'long version' and a (rare) 'short version'. Basically, the short version just fades out half a minute earlier, but still, it's a nice find.

My collection: 7" single no. 6032
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The way you are (short version)' / 'The way you are (long version)'

Sobe, sobe, balao sobe - Manuela Bravo

Maria Manuela de Oliveira Moreira Bravo, (known as Manuela Bravo) was born in Queluz (Sintra) on December 7, 1957. She made her first public apperarence when she was only 5 years old in Cinema Éden. When she was 15 years old, she released her first single with two songs composed by José Cid, 'Nova Geração' and 'Another Time'.

In 1979 Manuela Bravo won the Portuguese national final for Eurovision with the song 'Sobe, sobe, balão sobe' and represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished in 9th place in a field of 19 competitors. When you listen to this single now, the song sounds a bit dated.

My collection: 7" single no.  6031
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 13, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Sobe, sobe, balao sobe' / 'Meu tempo novo de viver'