YMCA - Village People

The Village People had the biggest hit of their career with 'Y.M.C.A.', a number one hit in the UK and the Netherlands, peaking at number 2 in the USA. Taking the song at face value, its lyrics marvel at the virtues of the Young Men's Christian Association. In the gay culture, from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the Y.M.C.A.'s reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot, particularly for the younger gay men to whom it was addressed. As such, this disco classic became a gay anthem, but bizarrely enough also a favourite at wedding parties and school dances.

Producer Henri Belolo recalls that he saw the Y.M.C.A. sign while walking down the street with composer Jacques Morali, who seemed to know the institution fairly well. He told Henri, that this was a place where a lot of people went when they were in town. Then Henri got the idea: 'Why don't we write a song about it?'

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My collection: 7" single no. 6193

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'YMCA' / 'The women'

To know someone deeply is to know someone softly - Terence Trent d'Arby

I haven't written about Terence Trent d'Arby in ten years, I just found out, and there's a reason for that: I think I have all the singles I want from him. Even 'To know someone deeply is to know someone softly' was already in my colleciton, but I couldn't resist buying this UK edition with a gatefold sleeve, because it is different from that German version: it features two of his previous hits, 'Wishing well' and 'Dance little sister' on the B-side.

Musically, it's nothing new, but a beautifully designed limited edition EP is something I just have to have.

My collection: 7" single no. 6192
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'To know someone deeply is to know someone softly' / 'Wishing well', 'Dance little sister'

På en gammal bänk - Siw Malmkvist

Although the sleeve of this single simply credits the song 'På en gammal bänk' to Siw, the label clears up the mystery: yes, this is Siw Malmkvist, the Swedish singer who was popular both in Sweden and in Germany. In 1969 she participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Primaballerina', but this single proves that she was still interested in the Contest two years later: 'På en gammal bänk' is a Swedish version of 'Un arbre, un banc, une rue', with which Severine won the Contest that year.

What's more, the B-side, 'Ett Rött Äpple' is a Swedish version of 'Pomme pomme pomme', another Eurovision song from that year. No wonder, then, that this single had to end up in my collection. Even if the sleeve isn't in the best of conditions...

My collection: 7" single no. 6190
Found: Discogs.com, received November 12, 2019
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'På en gammal bänk' / 'Ett Rött Äpple'

Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig - Birthe Wilke

Birthe Wilke was born on March 19, 1936. When she was in her teens, she won a talent competition at the National Scala Theatre in Copenhagen, sang as soloist with Bruno Henriksen's Orchestra at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, made her first recording, and was named "Denmark's Doris Day" and recorded 'Que sera sera' in 1956. She participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 where she sang 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' ('The ship is leaving tonight') with Gustav Winckler. They ranked third of 10 competitors at the end of the voting, and stunned television audiences with a 13-second long kiss at the end of their performance.

Birthe returned to the Contest two years later with the song 'Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig' ('Oh - I wish I were you'). This time, she finished in fifth place. In 1961, she won the award for best singer at the first international song festival in the Gdansk shipyard hall, the forerunner of the Sopot festival and Intervision Song Contest. In 1966 she retired from public life, but made a short-lived return in 1973. In addition to her recording successes, she participated in radio, television, advertising and commercial film.

My collection: 7" single no. 6189
Found: Discogs.com, received November 12, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Uh jeg ville ønske jeg var dig' / 'Augustin'

The busker - Marty Wilde

Released in 1971, 'The busker' is one of the rarer Marty Wilde singles. Marty continued to release singles in the 1970's, even if he didn't manage to reach the singles charts anymore by himself. By contrast, his song 'I'm a tiger' was a hit for Lulu in 1968 and 'Jesamine' was a worldwide hit for the Casuals in 1969.

Written by Parker and Stirling, 'The busker' was the only Marty Wilde single I was still very much after - although obviously I'll continue to hunt for variations and EP's in the near future.

My collection: 7" single no. 6188
Found: Discogs.com, received November 9, 2019
Cost: 10 pounds
Tracks: 'The busker' / 'It's so unreal'

Wonderful life - Black / Hai hai - Roger Hodgson

Another Italian promo I acquired recently is this single, featuring a track by Black and one by Roger Hodgson. 'Wonderful life' went on to become a major hit worldwide, whereas ex-Supertramp frontman Hodgson didn't really make an impression with the title track of his second solo album.

'Hai hai' did make the album charts in strange places like Canada, Switzerland and Norway (peaking at number 42, 16 and 20 respectively) but it was released just after Hodgson fell from a loft in his home and broke both wrists, which disabled him from promoting the album. Doctors told him he would never play music again. Within a year and a half, he was playing again. These days, he is still touring, although I understand his Supertramp past is still what attracts the most attendees.

My collection: 7" single no. 5965
Found: Discogs.com, received December 7, 2018
Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'Wonderful life' (Black) / 'Hai hai' (Roger Hodgson)

Running up that hill - Kate Bush / Some people - Belouis Some

There's not much to be said about Kate Bush's 'Running up that hill' that hasn't already been said. It's the first of four remarkable singles from a remarkable album - some would say her creative peak (although the previous album 'The dreaming' and 2005's 'Aerial' are not to be missed either!). The single reached number 31 in Italy, and for this Italian promo it was paired with a track by Belouis Some.

Belouis Some's 'Some people' was a hit in Italy, reaching number 34, just one place below its chart peak in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 6109
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Running up that hill' (Kate Bush) / 'Some people' (Belouis Some)

Babooshka - Kate Bush / Dammelo - Bianca Berg

Two women on this single: one is a woman who has produced excellent music since 1978, the other has only ever released one single. They ended up on this Italian promotional single, because Bianca Berg's 'Dammelo' was released around the same time as Kate Bush's 'Babooshka'.

After the release of 'Dammelo', Bianca Berg faded back into anonymity, and today it's impossible to find information about this Italian singer with her thin voice. Kate Bush, on the other hand, is still going strong. There are even some rumours that there might be a new album in the works for the next decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 5994
Found: Discogs.com, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Babooshka' (Kate Bush) / 'Dammelo' (Bianca Berg)

Hammer horror - Kate Bush / Una serata in rima - Marras

Another odd pairing on this Italian promo single: Kate Bush and Italian singer Piero Marras. And since Kate Bush is a familiar name on this blog, here is some information about that Italian guy.

He started his musical career in Nuoro, playing in local bands like Jollymen and I Granchi. In 1967 he moved to Cagliari and joined the Nobles, immediately after he founded the Yamaha and later in 1971, he will be a singer keyboardist with the 2001 Group, which is part of the Italian progressive rock scene. The band releases three singles and one album, after which Marras went solo in 1974. 
An initial period of songs in Italian with three LPs released for EMI, was followed by a period of songs in Sardinian with the records Abbardente, Funtanafrisca and Tumbu. Their contents refer to characters and atmospheres of Sardinian culture. In 2000 he was invited to participate in the Christmas Concert in the Vatican before John Paul II.

My collection: 7" single no. 6107
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost:  5 euro
Tracks: 'Hammer horror' (Kate Bush) / 'Una serata in rima' (Marras)

Sat in your lap - Kate Bush / Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

The unlikely pairing of Kate Bush and Kim Carnes is something that can only happen in Italy. For years they released promotional 7" singles with two (potential) hits on them. I recently acquired quite a few of them.

Whether these singles became a hit in Italy is unknown: although the web offers mountains of information, I have yet to find a good source for Italian singles charts data from the past. Suggestions welcome in the comments, of course...

My collection: 7" single no. 6108
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Sat in your lap' (Kate Bush) / 'Bette Davis eyes' (Kim Carnes)

Ik wil me Donaldukkie - Bob Bouber

On August 25, 2019, Bob Bouber passed away. This is probably not a famous name for those outside the Netherlands, but during the Sixties he was quite famous in this country. In 1962 he founded the beat band ZZ en de Maskers. Their career lasted for four years. After this, Bouber went solo.

His most remarkable single has to be 'Ik wil me Donaldukkie' from 1968, which basically is a song about someone who wants his rubber duck (in the shape of Donald Duck) back. The song is loosely based on Napoleon XIV's 'They're coming to take me away ha-haaa!', which was released two years before.

I knew about this single and have searched for it for many years, but it was always too expensive. Prompted by Bouber's passing, I started looking for it online, with more luck this time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6187
Found: Discogs.com, received October 5, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Ik wil me Donaldukkie' / 'Kie ka kaketoe'

Star people '97 - George Michael

Taken from his third album 'Older', 'Star people '97' was the fifth single from that album. It was called 'Star people '97' because the single version is a remixed and re-recorded track. The lyrics make reference to the materialism and frivolity of certain (not specified) people in the show business, suggesting that those behaviors are derived from some insecurity or a bad childhood (parental neglect, being given up for adoption, etc.).The single peaked at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

The B-side of the single was taken from George's MTV Unplugged performance, recorded in New York on April 10, 1996.

My collection: 7" single 6186
Found: Discogs.com, received October 3, 2019
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Star people '97' / 'Everything she wants (Unplugged)'

Mitt liv - Kate

'Mitt liv' ('My life') was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987, performed in Norwegian by Kate Gulbrandsen. She was only 21 when she performed the song on the Eurovision stage. This was, after all, the year after Sandra 'Je suis quinze ans' Kim won the Contest, so young women and children were flocking towards that stage at the time. (It would take the EBU decades to finally organize a Junior contest for those who are actually interested in seeing children sing. For the record: I am not one of them.)

The song was written and composed by Norwegian Eurovision veterans Hanne Krogh and Rolf Lovland. It finished ninth in a field of 22 competitors. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6184
Found: Discogs.com, received October 2, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Mitt liv' / 'The woman and the girl in me'

Sangen om dig - Bjørn Tidmand

Bjørn Tidmand was born on January 24, 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark. After being a member of the Copenhagen Boys Choir as a child, Tidmand began performing in local nightclubs and signed a recording contract in 1959, having a hit with a Danish-language version of 'Only Sixteen'.

In 1964, he represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Sangen om dig'. He finished in ninth place in a field of 16 competitors. The song is a love ballad, with Tidmand singing that the song about his lover can never end because it would "never get everything said".

My collection: 7" single no. 6185
Found: Discogs.com, received October 2, 2019
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Sangen om dig' / 'Ingen'

Spinning the wheel - George Michael

You may have noticed a recent surge in my acquisition of George Michael singles. Truth is, I ordered this one online before I came across 'Older' and 'You have been loved' at the record fair last week. There's a few more I'd like to have, but that's something for another day.

'Spinning the wheel' was the third single from the album 'Older' and would have been the third number one hit in the UK, if it wasn't for the Spice Girls' debut single 'Wannabe' which kept it from the top spot. The song depicts the worry of a lover whose partner is sexually promiscuous during the period when AIDS was newly discovered and rampant in the West.

My collection: 7" single no. 6182
Found: Discogs.com, received September 26, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Spinning the wheel (radio edit)' / 'You know that I want you'

I was made for lovin' you - Kiss

The very first Kiss single I ever bought could also be my last - at least, I don't foresee any more purchases on disc from this legendary American band. But I had to have this one, because it appeared on red vinyl, back in 1979, when this single charted all over the world. This red vinyl single was released in Germany, and as far as I know it's the only territory where the 7" single was released on red vinyl.

A 12" single on red vinyl also exists, but since I don't collect 12" singles that much, I doubt that will ever appear in my collection. You never know, of course...

My collection: 7" single no. 6164
Found: Discogs.com, received September 18, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'I was made for lovin' you' / 'Hard times'

Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac (DD mix) - Hot Chocolate

After Errol Brown left Hot Chocolate in 1986, there must have been some panic at the record company quarters. In 1987 they put together a remix album, using the hits that the band racked up until then to 'update' the tracks to the dance flavours of the time. Confusingly, the remix album was called '2001'


Several singles were released from the remix album, one of which was this, 'Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac', remixed by Al Topo. Who? Exactly. Meanwhile, the band went on without Errol Brown - but didn't have any chart success with their releases.

My collection: 7" single no. 6181
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Heaven's in the backseat of my Cadillac (DD mix)' / 'Brother Louie'

Sovereign Light Cafe - Keane

Keane is back! They released a new album last week, and earlier this year they released a green vinyl single featuring two tracks from the so-called Dave Fridmann Sessions. 'Sovereign Light Cafe' and 'Disconnected' were taken from their previous album, 'Strangeland', released in 2012.

The Dave Fridmann Sessions took place in 2011, and were never released before. The single was released in April for Record Store Day for ridiculous amounts of money - but on the record fair this weekend I was able to get a copy for less.

My collection: 7" single no. 6180
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Tracks: 'Sovereign Light Cafe' / 'Disconnected'

Calling you - Paul Young

One of the big surprises of Paul Young's later career is that he started recording cover versions of better known song. 'Don't dream it's over' wasn't exactly an obscure track, as is 'Calling you', my latest catch.

The song was written by Bob Telson. Jevetta Steele and Telson himself both recorded versions of the song, and they both appeared on the soundtrack of the movie 'Bagdad Cafe' in 1987. The singing chainsaw Celine Dion also did a version during her live concerts in the 1990's. Less regrettable was this, Paul Young's version. It appeared on his 1990 album 'Other voices' and it was released as the album's fourth single. It stalled at number 57 in the UK singles chart, just before his career was revived by the duet with Zucchero, 'Senza una donna' and his compilation album 'From time to time'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6179
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Calling you' / 'Everything must change (live)'

Popmuzik (Hip Hop 1989 Re-mix) - M

This single serves to confuse matters more than they already were... Back in 2009 I bought the 1989 remix of 'Popmuzik', a UK release that was a hit in the UK. A year later I found the Ben Liebrand single edit, released in Europe. That single did not chart.

Enter this UK pressing of a 'Hip Hop 1989 re-mix' - also subtitled 'Ben Liebrand Re-mix'. A different sleeve, but it contains the same remix found on the European release. All I can conclude is that the record company was pretty busy with this track, but in all honesty it's quite confusing. All I know is that this version did not chart - the other one did.

My collection: 7" single no. 6177
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Popmuzik (Hip Hop 1989 Re-mix)' / 'Popmuzik (Original 1979 mix)'