Occhi di ragazza - Gianni Morandi

Italy was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970 by Gianni Morandi, singing 'Occhi di ragazza' ('Eyes of a girl'). The breezy song is a ballad, with Morandi musing on the power of his lover's eyes. Initially, he describes them as windows into her soul and places where he can see their future. The song ends, however, on something of a pessimistic note, as he explains that these same eyes will one day fill with tears as their relationship ends. The song received 5 points, placing it eighth in a field of 12 competitors.

Gian Luigi Morandi was born in a little village called Monghidoro on the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. His father Renato was active within the Italian Communist Party and Gianni used to help him sell the party newspapers. At an early age Morandi worked as a shoe-shiner, cobbler and as a candy vendor in the village's only cinema. His vocal abilities led him to a number of small gigs, some of which were during the Communist Party’s activities. His career took flight during the Sixties. He achieved national stardom with the song 'Fatti mandare dalla mamma', and remained Italy’s darling throughout that decade. He remains active in the Italian music scene until the present day. One of his most recent hits is a duet with Fabio Rovazzi, called 'Volare' - not the Domenico Modugno song!

My collection: 7" single no. 6100
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Occhi di ragazza' / 'T'amo con tutto il cuore'

Li´ per li´ / Piove...! - Teddy Reno

Released in 1959, this single features cover versions of two wellknown songs of that time: Li' per li' (also covered by Teddy Scholten and Willy Alberti that year) and 'Piove', the song made famous by Domenico Modugno when he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Teddy Reno was born as Ferruccio Merk Ricordi in Trieste on July 11, 1926. The Italian singer and actor started his career in the Fifties and took part in several San Remo Music Festivals in Italy. In 1948 he founded one of Italy's first record companies, CGD (i.e. Compagnia Generale del Disco), which he later sold to Ladislao Sugar. In the 1960s he focused his career on discovering and producing new talents, mainly through the Festival degli sconosciuti (Festival of the Unknowns) which he created in 1961. Some or Reno's discoveries at the Festival include The Rokes, Dino and Rita Pavone, whom he married in 1968.

My collection: 7" single no. 6098
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Li' per li'' / 'Piove...!'

King of fools - Perfect day

Having bought 'Jane' and 'Liberty town' in April, I followed up last month with the acquisition of 'King of fools', another single by Perfect Day. As with the previous two, the involvement of Ricky Wilde made me want to check this one out: the B-side 'Step out' is produced by him and contains some of the hallmarks that makes Kim Wilde's music so glorious.

This single was released in a special gatefold sleeve, probably in an attempt by the record company to make this a more attractive package. Unfortunately this didn't help: this was to be the band's final release.

My collection: 7" single no. 6066
Found: Discogs.com, received May 10, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'King of fools' / 'Step out'

I love Paris / Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu) - The 'Go' Sound of the Kirby Stone Four

Domenico Modugno's 'Nel blu dipinto di blue' - better known as 'Volare' is one of the Eurovision Song Contest's best known songs ever, and it has been covered by many different artists including David Bowie and the Gypsy Kings. Collecting all those cover versions is not something I will attempt, but whenever I see a cheap one, I won't leave it behind.

And so I picked up this single by the Kirby Stone Four, apparently made in the Netherlands or Belgium. It wasn't even listed on Discogs.com yet, so that makes it rarer than most singles. As for this version, you will probably enjoy it. It's quite amazing to hear this kind of music sixty years after its original release.

My collection: 7" single no. 6097
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I love Paris' / 'Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)'

Se piangi, se ridi - Bobby Solo

Collecting Eurovision singles is a confusing business, especially when there are so many different releases of the same song in different territories. I didn't realise that I already had this song on an EP I bought two years ago when I found this one.

So this is the Dutch release of 'Se piangi, se ridi', the song that represented Italy during the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Bobby Solo. This single presents two songs, as opposed to the Festival San Remo 65 EP that I bought in 2017.

My collection: 7" single no. 6095
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, March 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Se piangi, se ridi' / 'Saro' un illuso'

Call of the wild - Midge Ure

I didn't just find Midge Ure's 'Dear God' on clear vinyl recently, but also his lesser known single 'Call of the wild'. For the longest time I believed I already had this one, but that was a mistake.

'Call of the wild' was released in 1986, after three singles taken from his debut solo album 'The gift'. Despite the fact that it was a new song, it didn't quite deliver in terms of chart success: it only reached number 27 in the UK singles chart. As a result, the song did not appear on Ure's next album, 'Answers to nothing'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6092
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Call of the wild' / 'When the winds blow (live at Wembley Arena, 23 December 1985)'

Chiquitita - Nana Mouskouri

Having bought my first ever Nana Mouskouri single in February ('The one that got away') it looks like 2019 might be her year - at least in my record collection. 'A force de prier' - the original version of 'The one that got away' - is one that I will probably get before the end of this year, and here is her cover version of that immortal Abba song, 'Chiquitita'.

Nana Mouskouri recorded this song in 1984, with French lyrics by French musical theatre lyricist  Alain Boublil. The single was taken from the album 'La Dame De Coeur', also released in 1984.

My collection: 7" single no. 6094
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Chiquitita (Dis-moi pourquoi)' / 'La fin du voyage'

Erasure-ish - Björn Again

When Erasure released their Abba-esque EP, it was almost a given that Björn Again, one of several Abba cover bands, would come up with the idea of covering Erasure songs. And sure they did. 'Erasure-ish' was released in 1992 and reached number 25 in the UK singles chart.

Björn Again was created in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia by Rod Stephen and John Tyrrell. After the first Björn Again show at a pub in the inner Melbourne suburb of Collingwood called The Tote Hotel on May 6, 1989 the show's popularity increased quickly, which first took the group Australia-wide and then overseas to international acclaim. Original members for the first six years of the band included Gavin Charles (Bjorn), Janette Stuart (Agnetha), Dorina Morelli (Frida) and Peter Ryan (Benny). Both Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have lauded Björn Again a number of times over the years, and after Abba's former members made their intentions known that they were not going to perform together any longer, Andersson was quoted as saying in 1999, 'Björn Again are the closest you can get to seeing Abba. Abba will never reform!'

My collection: 7" single no. 6093
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'A little respect' / 'Stop!'

Hit me with your rhythm stick (Paul Hardcastle remix) - Ian Dury

During the Seventies I was already watching Toppop, thanks to my older brother and sister. They had their own interpretations on what the 'rhythm stick' that was mentioned in this song was, and as an impressionable youngster I immediately got the joke myself. The song has remained a fun 'double entendre' ever since.

Paul Hardcastle remixed the track in 1984, giving the song a well-deserved second outing. The remixed version peaked at number 55 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6088
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hit me with your rhythm stick (Paul Hardcastle remix)' / 'Sex & drugs & Rock & Roll (Paul Hardcastle remix)'

Dear God - Midge Ure

I always held off on buying this single because I knew that there was a clear vinyl edition of it, just like all those Ultravox singles during the Eighties. 'Dear God' was taken from Midge Ure's second solo album 'Answers to nothing' (1988) - and I already own the clear vinyl edition of the single of that title track.

'Dear God' was a minor hit for Midge, peaking at number 55 in the UK singles chart and number 95 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics of the song are less cynical than the song by XTC with the same title - perhaps Midge has a little more faith in that invisible non-existant force in the sky.

My collection: 7" single no. 6091
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dear God' / 'Music #1'

Romantica - Renato Rascel

While at Chelsea Records last week, I naturally checked out the Eurovision boxes, but there wasn't that much in there that I didn't already have. But to my surprise and amusement, there were a handful of old Eurovision singles in the 'Italian' section. One of the first I found was the 1960 entry 'Romantica', performed by Renato Rascel.

The song was first performed at the 1960 San Remo Festival, by Rascel and Italian singer Tony Dallara. Dallara's version was more powerful, but the slow, romantic version by Rascel made it to the Eurovision stage. The song ended up in eighth place in a field of 13 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6099
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Romantica' / 'Dimmelo con un fiore'

Non ho l'eta' per amarti - Patricia Carli

The song 'Non ho l'eta' is best known in the version by Gigliola Cinquetti, who won the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest, representing Italy. During the San Remo festival, which was organised in Italy almost two months before Eurovision, she sang the song together with Patricia Carli as per the rules of San Remo. Both Cinquetti and Carli released the song as a single, although only Cinquetti's version became an international hit.

Patricia Carli was born on March 12, 1938 in Taranto, a coastal city in southern Italy. She grew up in Belgium, where her parents had emigrated for work. After studying music and singing, she began performing in public and in a few years she became well known in Belgium and in France, where she performed at the prestigious Olympia music hall in Paris. She released dozens of singles during the Sixties, but only one album.

My collection: 7" single no. 6096
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Non ho l'eta' per amarti' / 'Cosi' felice'

On the beach (Summer '88) - Chris Rea

I scored a hattrick last week when I bought three singles by Chris Rea. The last of the three, after Giverny and You can go your own way, was the 'Summer '88' version of 'On the beach'. It is one of my favourite songs by Chris Rea - although there are more - and this version is a bit more up-tempo than the original. It was taken from the album 'New light through old windows', a collection of re-recordings of his older songs.

The original version of 'On the beach' only reached number 57, so it must have been a surprise to find that this new version peaked at number 12 in the UK. In other territories, the single did not chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 6083
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'On the beach (Summer '88)' / 'I'm taking the day out'

And then there were none - The Enid

The British rock band The Enid was formed in 1973 by former Barclay James Harvest member Robert John Godfrey. Despite several album and single releases, commercial success always eluded the band. In 1981, they played most of the music for Kim Wilde's debut album, which probably is their biggest claim to fame.

After this, they released the single 'And then there were none' in early 1982. It was interesting enough for me to check this out. At the time of release, the band consisted of Godfrey with Steve Stewart and Chris North - the latter would also drum with Kim Wilde on subsequent tours. 'And then there were none' is a great single, but wasn't exactly chart material at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6087
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'And then there were none' / 'Letter from America'

Brown girl in the ring (remix '93) - Boney M

Having grown up with Boney M it's hard to withstand the German lipsynch band produced by the infamous Frank Farian. After Bobby Farrell left the band they never recovered, and even without personnel Farian tried to earn more money from the Boney M reputation. In short: there is a bit of controversy surrounding those later releases.

'Brown girl in the ring' was originally released in 1978. It was based on a traditional Jamaican children's song and ring game. The 1993 remix is uncredited but is thought to have been created by Frank Farian. It featured new lead vocals by Liz Mitchell and reached number 6 in Denmark and 38 in the UK, while failing to chart in Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 6086
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Brown girl in the ring (radio version)' / 'Brown girl in the ring (radio rap version)'

Lost without your love - Bread

To be honest, I had forgotten that I already owned a copy of Bread's 'Lost without your love', so you might argue that I wasted some money on this one. On the other hand, the sleeve of this French edition is a lot more beautiful than the other one.

'Lost without your love' was the product of a reunion. Bread had broken up in 1974 but reconvened in 1976 to record one more album. It was to be the band's last hit. Through the years it has become a real classic and a surefire tearjerker. Perhaps that's what I like about this song. It's worth owning it twice at least.

My collection: 7" single no. 6085
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Lost without your love' / 'Change of heart'

I need a man - Eurythmics

A long time ago, when I was working at the public library, I had the opportunity to borrow cd's for free. During that time I listened to a lot of music I didn't (yet) own - and I do mean A LOT. One of the bands that I listened to was Eurythmics. In the end I wasn't that impressed with their albums, which is why I never bought them. But there were a lot of good singles, and I did buy those.

'I need a man' somehow escaped my attention and that must be because of the frankly horrible sleeve of that single in Europe. The American sleeve looks a lot nicer, as you can see here. The best track on this single actually isn't the A-side: I prefer the album track that is included on the flipside. 'Heaven' is a weird, but great track.

My collection: 7" single no. 6084
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I need a man' / 'Heaven'

You can go your own way - Chris Rea

Not the famous Fleetwood Mac song, but a Chris Rea original. This single was released in 1994 to promote one of his greatest hits albums, 'The best of Chris Rea'. I already knew the track because of a cd-single I bought eons ago, but as you know, 7" vinyl is still my preferred format.

Equally interesting is the B-side, a calm Chris Rea track called 'Ruby blue'. This is a specially recorded B-side, not on any album. Which makes this single more interesting.

My collection: 7" single no. 6082
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'You can go your own way' / 'Ruby blue'

Det' lige det - Hot Eyes

Kirsten Siggard (born 7 September 1954 in Slagelse) and Søren Bundgaard (born 4 March 1956 in Glostrup) formed Hot Eyes and represented Denmark at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest for the first time - and certainly not the last time. 'Det' lige det' ended up in fourth place, in a field of 19 competitors.

This single presents both the Danish and the English version of the song. The song is sung from the perspective of a woman waiting for her lover to come to her. She tells him that his presence brightens the day considerably and that he shouldn't be afraid of loving her, as he appears to be.

My collection: 7" single no. 6078
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Det' lige det' / 'Waiting in the rain'

Giverny - Chris Rea

Somewhere along the way, I have become addicted to unknown Chris Rea singles. They are always surprising, but in a good way. His sound is usually pretty relaxed, laidback and soothing. This single from 1986 is no exception. 'Giverny' was taken from his album 'On the beach', but it was only released in Europe.

In these days of European politics, it is worth noting that Chris Rea is apparently a supported of the idea of a Brexit, claiming that 'you cannot force different people to live together [when] they simply do not want to'. Applying this logic to the United Kingdom, we're in for some interesting times then...

My collection: 7" single no. 6081
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, May 24, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Giverny' / 'Bless them all'