Dancing queen / Fernando - Abba

This single was released in the GDR, or 'East Germany' as we called it until 1990, when that part of Germany was under communist rule. The state-run label Amiga released singles for the wealthier part of the public - although there were, apparently, also lots of illegal tapes doing the rounds.

I bought this single because it feels a bit like a rarity. It's not really that rare - it is available regularly online - but it's always nice to own a piece of history, and this is it. Amiga released a couple of Abba singles, and this one features two of their biggest hits: 'Dancing queen' and 'Fernando'. Who knows I may find those other Amiga singles someday too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6459
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dancing queen' / 'Fernando'

Hotel California - Eagles

Although I do own 'Hotel California' on one of those re-release singles from the 'Old Gold' series, it always feels a bit like cheating to just have that. I wasn't exactly inclined to buy the original single, until I saw this Japanese beauty at the record fair. This is the original Japanese single from 1976, and it features a slightly edited version of that classic track: it's 20 seconds shorter than the orginal album version.

It's no wonder that the guitar solo at the end of this track is often quoted as one of the best guitar solos of all time. It takes up the last two minutes of the track (which originally runs at 6½ minutes) and includes some impressive twists and turns. Would such a track still become a hit these days? When hell freezes over, perhaps.

My collection: 7" single no. 6458
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Hotel California' / 'Pretty maids all in a row'

Here in my heart / Aldri i livet - Finn Kalvik

For the first time in two years, I went to a real record fair this weekend. It was quite great to see a bunch of dealers at the Ahoy in Rotterdam, not in open air (like the minor record fairs in Den Haag of recent months) but in a real hall. There was still a relatively limited amount of international sellers, but the atmosphere was great and it almost felt like old times. I actually scored a few rare items, too.

The first rare item I saw was this single by Norwegian singer Finn Kalvik, who represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with 'Aldri i livet'. The single was produced by Benny Andersson from Abba, which makes it a collectors item for certain fans I guess. I was quite shocked by the price on this one - until I saw that the dealer was selling everything at half price! Considering I have been looking for this one for years, it was a great find.

My collection: 7" single no. 6457
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 2 October 2021
Cost: €7,50
Tracks: 'Here in my heart' / 'Aldi i livet'

Oxygene 2 - Jean Michel Jarre

It's time for a much needed break from the Eurovision repertoire on this blog, and it comes in the shape of French synthesizer god Jean Michel Jarre. His single 'Oxygene IV' is probably his best known track. I was quite surprised to find out there was also a single of 'Oxygene 2', another track from his album 'Oxygene'. The tune is very different, but just as arresting. 

The record-buying public seemed less interested at the time: whereas 'Oxygene IV' was a major hit worldwide, this second single only managed to reach number 61 in Australia (and didn't even chart in his native France!). His career was far from over: Jarre continues to release music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 6456
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 September 2021
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Oxygene 2' / 'Oxygene 6'

A force de prier - Nana Mouskouri

For the longest time I have been searching for a good and cheap copy of 'A force de prier'. I bought the English version, 'The one that got away' for almost nothing 2½ years ago, but finding the original version has been much more difficult. I am glad to say that I finally succeeded, for only slightly more than I wanted to pay for this.

'A force de prier' was Nana Mouskouri's Eurovision entry for Luxembourg back in 1963. According to her: "It was a beautiful song, but when I listened to the other participants, I understood that I would not win". It must have been a disappointment to land on 8th place. It has to be said that the winning song, 'Dansevise' was a true classic, but this song should at least have been in the top 5.

My collection: 7" single no. 6455
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 September 2021
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'A force de prier', 'Ensemble' / 'Laissez-moi pleurer', 'Les yeux pour pleurer'

Ballare stretti - Sergio Dalma

Sergio Dalma represented Spain with 'Bailar pegados' in 1991. By that time, recording songs in other languages had become less fashionable (it was pretty common especially in the Sixties and Seventies), but he decided to record his song in Italian as well. This version was entitled 'Ballare stretti'. 

There are a few releases of this song. The commercially-released version fetches some amazing amounts these days, but this Italian promo, amazingly, was quite cheap. There's also the added bonus of a track by a certain Federico Vassallo on the other side of this single, and it is a nice contrast to the rather downbeat ballad by Sergio.

My collection: 7" single no. 6454
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 September 2021
Cost: €5.50
Tracks: 'Siamo qua' (Federico Vassallo) / 'Ballare stretti' (Sergio Dalma)

Ho sognato te / La danza delle note - Sandie Shaw

When I wrote an entry on 'Wiedehopf im Mai' last month, I already promised that the Italian version of 'Puppet on a string' would follow soon. And indeed it does: I received this single just a few days ago. Incredibly, that Italian version entitled 'La danza delle note' appeared on the flipside of 'Ho sognato te', which is the Italian version of 'Had a dream last night', which was the B-side of 'Puppet on a string' in most territories.

It has to be said that the sleeve of this single is probably the most beautiful one of all the international versions of 'Puppet on a string'. I'm satisfied that I now have all the versions of that song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6453
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 September 2021
Cost: €2.20
Tracks: 'Ho sognato te' / 'La danza delle note'

A la folie ou pas du tout - Christian Lorant

Serge & Christine Ghisoland performed 'A la folie ou pas du tout' at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. Apparently there was some interest in this song in Belgium, because it was actually covered by Christian Lorant almost at the same time.

This Christian Lorant remains a mysterious figure, since he doesn't appear on the sleeve and he only released this one single. Needless to say, this single wasn't a hit and it has become a bit of a curiosity. There are actually more cover versions of the song; these may appear in this blog in the future yet. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6452
Found: Discogs.com, received 23 September 2021
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'A la folie ou pas du tout' / 'Madame'

Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel - Tonia

Arlette Antoine Dominicus was born in Anderlecht on 25 July 1947. She released her first single as Tonia in 1963, and continued to release singles throughout the decade. A lot of her releases were Dutch and French covers of popular German songs.

In 1966 she was chosen to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song, 'Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel' ('A little pepper, a little salt') deals with the singer's quest to impress the object of her affections, whom she sees every day but can't make look at her twice. In desperation, she enlists the help of "the local sorceress", who gives her a recipe to create a love potion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the potion does its job. Tonia also recorded the song in Dutch, then under the title 'Een beetje suiker' ('A little sugar'). The song finished in fourth place in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6451
Found: Discogs.com, received 23 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel' / 'Tu pourrais m'emmener danser'

Waarom - Jacques Raymond

Jacques Raymond was born as Jozef Remon in Temse (Belgium) on 13 October 1938. He represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963 with the song 'Waarom?' ('Why?'). The song poses rhetorical questions, with Raymond wondering why the question 'I love you – do you love me too?' is so powerful in the human experience. The song was not particularly successful, as it finished in 10th place in a field of 16 competitors.

I was lucky to find a copy on the Dutch website Marktplaats, because everywhere else this single commands rather high prices. I didn't actually know the song but I have to say it is a charming piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 6450
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 20 September 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Waarom' / 'Eens'

Catherine - Daniele Vidal

Daniele Vidal was born on 27 June 1952. She was born in Morocco when it was a French colony. She debuted in 1969 at age seventeen with the record 'Aime ceux qui t'aiment', a French-language cover of Edita Piekha's Russian song 'Nash sosed' with different lyrics. 

An EP of this song featured a cover version of the song 'Catherine', which was performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 by Romuald, who represented Luxembourg. That song was subsequently also released as a single in Japan. Although I am still looking for the original version by Romuald, I thought it would be nice to own this cover version. 

Daniele moved to Japan in the early 1970s and lived there for several years, while also releasing many singles over there. In 1980 Vidal married musician Shibata (Japanese name: 柴田功) of the Japanese group sounds band Chaco & Hell's Angel. They had one son and later divorced. Vidal now lives in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 6449
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £2.99
Tracks: 'Catherine' / 'Je suis comme toutes les filles'

On and on and on - Abba

The song 'On and on and on' was taken from the album 'Super Trouper' and in Europe it was never released on a 7" single. A 12" single was released at the time, featuring the track on the B-side, but it was almost a double A-side, condisering both 'Lay all your love on me' and this track were pretty popular at the time. 

That 12" single was the first 12" single I ever bought, and now, forty years later, I found a Japanese 7" single featuring 'On and on and on' on the A-side. Strangely, it is coupled with 'The piper', which was the B-side of 'Super trouper' in the rest of the world. As always, this Japanese single is a thing of beauty and in almost impeccable state, despite all the decades that passed since its release.

My collection: 7" single no. 6448
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £2.99
Tracks: 'On and on and on' / 'The piper'

L'amour est bleu - Vicky

Vicky Leandros was just 17 when she was offered to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967 with 'L'amour est bleu'. The song eventually finished in fourth place, but became a classic despite not winning - a fate shared with songs like 'Volare' and 'Eres tu'. 

For the longest time I have been searching for a copy of the single but it is very hard to find - if you're not willing to pay an unreasonable price. So imagine my surprise when I recently stumbled on a Japanese pressing of this single for just £3.99! You would even think it was a bad copy, but both the disc and the sleeve are in pristine condition. Add to that the fact that I really love Japanese singles, and you can imagine that I am pretty happy with this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6447
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £3.99
Tracks: 'L'amour est bleu' / 'Le soleil a quitte ma maison'

夢みるシャンソン人形 日本語盤 - France Gall

It ain't easy to decipher the title on this particular single, but that's because it is written - and sung! - in Japanese. If you use Google Translate on this one, you get 'Dreaming Chanson Doll Japanese Edition' as the result, but fortunately we can listen to the track and find out that this is the Japanese version of 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son', the Serge Gainsbourg-penned track that propelled France Gall to worldwide stardom. 

France Gall only recorded a French and Japanese version of the song, as far as I know, but quite why she recorded the song in Japanese remains unknown. We do know, however, that the song was covered numerous times and in no less than 20 different languages. Thank you Wikipedia!

My collection: 7" single no. 6446
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 September 2021
Cost: £7.99
Tracks: '夢みるシャンソン人形 日本語盤' (France Gall) / 'ドナ・ドナ・ドーナ 日本語盤' (Claude François)

Stop - Bang

The Greek band Bang was formed in 1987 consisting of members Thanos Kalliris, Vasilis Dertilis and Michalis Capoulas. The band's first release was 'Run for your love'. Capoulas left soon after and the band became a duo. In 1987, the duo competed in the Greek selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 1987. Their song, 'Stop', a pop/funk dance anthem was a success and the duo, along with Thanos' sister Katerina Kalliri, Mariana Efstratiou (who competed for Greece in Eurovision 1989) and Laura Burke doing the backing vocals, travelled to Brussels for the contest. 

The song started in Brussels with high hopes and good reviews, but scored only 64 points, reaching the 10th place. That however was a good result for a Greek entry at the time and the band was a massive hit back home. It was released on 7" and 12", but bizarrely the 12" single is available for a lot less than the 7" single. So I decided on ordering the 12" single for now - hopefully I will be able to get the 7" one day for a reasonable price (i.e. for less than 70 euros, which seems to be the average going rate for this one).

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Stop (English version)' / 'Stop (Greek version)'

Charlie Chaplin - Tania Tsanaklidou

In 1973 the Eurovision Song Contest dropped the rule that artists had to perform songs in (one of) the official language(s) of their country. When the rule was reinstated in 1977 various countries started being creative to work around this rule. And since there were no rule about singing about wellknown persons, the Greek song from 1978 was particularly inventive: they simply sang about Charlie Chaplin.

Chaplin had died the year before, and so it seemed a tribute to the wellknown actor and comedian. Tania Tsanaklidou, who performed the song, described his comic appearance (she was dressed in a similar style for her performance) and wishing that there were more of him. Of course, since she was singing in Greek, nobody made sense of the lyric - only the title. She finished in eighth place in a field of 20 competitors. Not bad!

My collection: 7" single no. 6445
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Charlie Chaplin' / 'Charlie Chaplin (instrumental)'

Let's go crazy - Tajči

Tajči, a.k.a. Tatjana Matejaš, was born on 1 July 1970 in Zagreb, Croatia. She represented Yugoslavia in 1990 with the song 'Hajde da ludujemo'. This 12" single features three remixes of the song, of which two are in English, and called 'Let's go crazy'. Presenting herself as a Balkan version of Marilyn Monroe, she certainly made an impression on the European juries, who awarded her 81 points, which gave her a 7th place in the competition.

Since 1992 Tatjana lives in the USA, where she has since taken up citizenship and residence.She continued to release albums, although they are certainly not all in the upbeat style of this disc.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 September 2021
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Hajde Da Ludujemo (Party Extended)', 'Let's Go... (Jack Mix D.J. Got Crazy)' / 'Let's Go Crazy (Total Madness)', 'Moj Mali Je Opasan / Let's Twist Again'

Jamas, jamas - Guy Mardel

Guy Mardel was one of many Eurovision artists who recorded his song for the competition in different languages. His 1965 entry 'N'avoue jamais' appeared in Spanish as 'Jamas, jamas'. What's more, he recorded an entire EP in Spanish, as you can see here.

The Spanish version of 'N'avoue jamais' was translated by a certain Salina, who remains otherwise uncredited. The other three songs were translated by a certain Mapel, who also remains unknown to me.  

My collection: 7" single no. 6443
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 September 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Jamas, jamas', 'Si lloviendo está' / 'La primera vez', 'Sera muy grande el mundo'

Wiedehopf im Mai - Sandie Shaw

I've no idea why Ernst Bader, who provided the German lyric of 'Puppet on a string', decided on 'Hoopoe in May' when he wrote this translation, but that is what 'Wiedehopf im Mai' means.

Sandie Shaw recorded the song in several different languages and I thought this was the last version that I still needed to get as a single. But there is still an Italian version to go...  You may find it on this blog soon.

My collection: 7" single no. 6442
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Wiedehopf im Mai' / 'Was kann ich dafur'

Eins zwei drei - Catherine Ferry

I don't know exactly how unusual it is for a French artist to record a German version of their song, but I think it doesn't happen very often. Catherine Ferry does a good job with her German version of '1, 2, 3', the song with which she represented France during the Eurovision Song Contest. I think she pronounces everything just right - although German readers and listeners may think otherwise. I do think it is a pity she didn't bother to record a German version of the B-side, 'Petit Jean', as well.

There is a Spanish version of this song as well, but from what I've seen the sellers seem to want more for it than I am willing to pay. So I guess I'll have to be patient. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6441
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 September 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Eins, zwei, drei' / 'Petit Jean'