Sol och vår - Inger Berggren

Inger Berggren was born in Stockholm (Sweden) on 23 February 1934. She began her vocal career with Thore Swanerud's orchestra, and later sang with Thore Ehrling, Simon Brehm, and Göte Wilhelmsson. Berggren represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962 in Luxembourg with the song 'Sol och vår' which finished in seventh place in a field of 16 competitors.

Some of her singles were Swedish versions of American rock 'n' roll hits. Her most popular period was during the Sixties. In 1979 she released one more album called 'En helt vanlig kvinna', featuring Swedish versions of 'A natural woman' and Janis Ian's 'At Seventeen'. Inger Berggren died on 19 July 2019 at the age of 85.

My collection: 7" single no. 6574
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 December 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Sol och vår' / 'Och flicka spann...'

Augustin - Brita Borg

Whatever happened to the sleeve of this single, I don't know exactly, but its slightly dismal state has to explain the lower price of this rather rare and very old single. By contrast, the actual single is in a very good state, as you can hear.

'Augustin' was the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1959. It was actually performed by Siw Malmkvist at the Swedish national final (Melodifestivalen) but it was Brita Borg who took to the international stage. Unfortunately the song only got 4 points and finished in 9th place in a field of 11 competitors. 

The B-side of this single features a monologue by a Swedish comedian (at least, I think that it has to be a comedian of some sort since the audience is laughing) which drags on for six minutes. Perhaps it's funny when you're Swedish but I couldn't understand anything of this.

My collection: 7" single no. 6573
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 December 2021
Cost: €3,5
Tracks: 'Augustin', 'Dags igen att vara kära' (Brita Borg) / 'Ester' (Martin Ljung)

Romancing the stone - Eddy Grant

Although I've had the 12" single of Eddy Grant's 'Romancing the stone' for 27 years, I never actually bought the 7" single. High time to rectify that oversight. I ordered this copy earlier this month and received it rather swiftly, together with a few other singles which you've already read about. And of course, I selected the limited edition red vinyl version. If you've followed this blog you'll know that I've already got quite a few Eddy Grant singles on red vinyl - all from Germany.

This wasn't a very big hit but it does take me back to 1984, the year that gave me a lot of favourite pop songs that have stayed with me for decades.

My collection: 7" single no. 6572
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Romancing the stone' / 'My turn to love you'

Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu) - Enzo Mondi

Although this version of 'Volare' was released almost 30 years after the original, it stays rather true to the original arrangement, although it does update the soundtrack considerably. Enzo Mondi had his take on the classic sonig released on yellow vinyl - although this is not announced on the sleeve of this single, strangely enough.

Enzo Mondi didn't become a great name in music: the only known recordings he made are included on this single. According to the Discogs website he never released any other tracks and other sources never mention him at all either. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6571
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)' / 'Guardami'

Volare - Peter Rafael

Peter Rafael (Real name: Hans Peter Bauer) is a German singer, born in Neunkirchen (Germany) on 17 July 1965. He started his professional career in music in the mid-Eighties, with a series of singles. His debut album 'Die Erste' ('The first') was released in 1990. Some of those earlier singles were included on the album, such as 'Sangria im Glas' and 'Tanz Lambada'. The B-side of this single, 'Sonne, Wind und Sterne' was also included, but the A-side, oddly, wasn't, even though this single was also released in 1990.

It is a German cover version of the classic 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', better known as 'Volare'. It is one of many cover versions of this song, and in these days of online shopping it is easy to find them. And if they're not too expensive, I'll always add them to my collection! 

Peter Rafael died on 22 February 2008 in Bad Ems, Germany. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6569
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'Sonne, Wind und Sterne'

Bye bye I love you (Deutsche originalaufnahme) - Ireen Sheer

'Bye bye I love you' was originally performed in French. Ireen Sheer represented Luxembourg when she participated with this song in 1974. A month ago I found the English version of this song, and now here's the German version, which, of course, is called 'Deutsche originalaufnahme'. 

This single actually completes the series: although more pressings were made with varying sleeves, Ireen only recorded three versions of the song. Alas, no versions of this song in Spanish, Italian or Hungarian, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 6568
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Bye bye I love you (Deutsche originalaufnahme)' / 'Rosenbaum Boulevard'

Mata Hari - Anne-Karine

Those who paid attention last May remember that there was a song at this year's Eurovision Song Contest called 'Mata Hari'. It was a nice enough song, but the idea was not new: already 45 years ago someone else performed a song called 'Mata Hari' at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was Norwegian singer Anne-Karine Strøm, representing Norway. 

Anne-Karine was no stranger to the Contest: she'd already performed on the Eurovision stage in 1973 as part of the Bendik Singers, singing 'Å for et spill' and in 1974 singing 'Hvor er du'. 'Mata Hari' placed last of the 18 participating songs in 1976. Prior to the contest the song was expected to do well, but it was suggested afterwards that Strøm's rather odd outfit and performance on the night may have cost votes. In the late 1970s Strøm began performing in musical cabarets with Øystein Sunde and her then husband Ole Paus. She released three albums between 1978 and 1986, which reflected a move towards a more serious style of music.

My collection: 7" single no. 6567
Found: Discogs.com, received 13 December 2021
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Mata Hari' / 'Please don't go away'

Accordeon Potpourri no. 39 - The 3 Jacksons

I found a single by the 3 Jacksons just eight days ago: Potpourri nr. 62 featuring their take on the Marty Wilde classic 'Abergavenny'. My subcollection of Marty Wilde cover versions was happy. 

Imagine my surprise when my eyes fell on this single, 'Accordeon Potpourri no. 39', featuring the 3 Jacksons' version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', Domenico Modugno's immortal Eurovision song from 1958. It is a worthy addition to my subcollecton of Eurovision covers, and more specifically, covers of the song that became best known as 'Volare'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6566
Found: Rataplan Kringloop, Den Haag, 12 December 2021
Cost: €0,50
Tracks: 'Veel bittere tranen / La Paloma / De verloren zoon' / 'Nel blu dipinto di blu / Love letters in the sand / Colonel Bogey'

On the beat - Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band

I recently found a little journal of mine from the 1980's in which I mentioned this song. I had totally forgotten about it, but apparently I was pretty enthousiastic about it back in 1981. It was a big hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 13 in October of that year. Strangely the band had less success in the UK: 'On the beat' only reached number 41 and their biggest hit over there was 'Dreamer', released in 1986 and peaking at number 35.

Jacques Fred Petrus, together with Mauro Malavasi, brought together a group of musicians to form the BB&Q Band. They released a total of four albums and a number of compilation albums. With the mysterious death of producer Jacques Fred Petrus in 1987, the band also came to an end.

My collection: 7" single no. 6565
Found: Rataplan Kringloop, Den Haag, 12 December 2021
Cost: €0,50
Tracks: 'On the beat' / 'Don't say goodbye'

 

Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Two weeks ago it was Black Friday, and for some reason this prompted various record companies to release limited edition records on vinyl. My recent purchase of 'No time to die' was one of them, and this 10" single is another one. 

This disc presents four different versions of Duncan Laurence's triumphant Eurovision song 'Arcade' - the one that gave him victory two years ago. Besides the two versions already on the 7" single, this disc presents a duet version with a certain Fletcher (no, I'd never heard of her either, but it appears she is an American singer/songwriter) and a remix by Sam Feldt (who the hell...?). 

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 1 December 2021
Tracks: 'Arcade', 'Arcade (acoustic version)' / 'Arcade (feat. Fletcher)', 'Arcade (Sam Feldt remix)'

Heimcomputer - Kraftwerk

The story of this single is an interesting one. It was released as a bonus disc with the June 2021 issue of Musikexpress, a German magazine. I discovered this in August and decided to order the magazine from their official website. Within a week I received a letter with a note, thanking me for my order. I e-mailed them, saying that I'd like to get the magazine itself too... No reply. Another e-mail in October got replied to: they would resend the magazine. Nothing happened. Last week I decided to send another e-mail. Two days ago I got the answer: they would resend the magazine.

Imagine my surprise when I actually found it in my mailbox today! Well, I'm happy that it finally worked. And the single itself is a beauty: pressed on yellow vinyl, and with just one track - the B-side is empty. I would think this will be a collector's item in due time.

My collection: 7" single no. 6564
Found: Musikexpress website, received 8 December 2021
Cost: €10 (with magazine)
Tracks: 'Heimcomputer'

Hope in a hopeless world - Paul Young

Released in 1993, 'Hope in a hopeless world' was, for a change, not a cover version but an original song performed by Paul Young. The track was taken from his album 'The Crossing', after the lead singer 'Now I know what made Otis blue'. While that single was a reasonably big hit for Paul, this single was less successful: it only reached number 42 in the UK singles chart and number 51 in Ireland.

Paul wasn't as popular as he'd been during the Eighties. 'The Crossing' was the first not to be certified gold (or more) in the UK, and while this album reached number 27 in the albums chart, subsequent releases wouldn't reach this height anymore. However, he still is quite active in the live circuit these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 6529
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 25 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Hope in a hopeless world' / 'Half a step away'

Rumours - Hot Chocolate

The career of Hot Chocolate took off slowly, with a handful of hits in the UK. It was only when they released 'Emma' in 1974 that they became successful in other territories - and landed their first silver certification within the UK. 

The single that preceded 'Emma' was 'Rumours', a song penned by the band members Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The single peaked at number 44 in the UK singles chart and would be the last of eight non-album singles the band released until their debut album 'Cicero Park' in 1974. \

My collection: 7" single no. 6525
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 25 November 2021
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Rumours' / 'A man needs a woman'

Je suis tombé du ciel - David Alexandre Winter

David Alexandre Winter was born as Leon Kleerekoper on 4 April 1943 in Amsterdam. He and his parents – of Jewish background – survived different German concentration camps, and were reunited in 1945 at the war's end in the Netherlands. From 1966 to 1968 Winter was the lead singer for The Hague-based band Daddy's Act. Under the name Johnny van Dooren, he was a DJ at Radio Veronica and later at Radio 227. In early 1968 while living in London he represented England at the Innsbruck Song Festival in Austria, where he obtained first prize and the coveted prix de press. 

In 1970 he was asked to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Je suis tombé du ciel'. The song wasn't exactly successful: it received no points at all and ended up in the last of 12 places. Listening to both sides of this single, I would have to say that the word 'subtle' isn't exactly in David Alexandre's dictionary. Both songs are quite loud, and mostly because of the vocals.

My collection: 7" single no. 6563
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 December 2021
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Je suis tombé du ciel' / 'Isabelle mon amour'

Potpourri nr. 62 - The 3 Jacksons

When I mention this band named the 3 Jacksons, your thoughts immediately drift towards Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. But nothing could be further from the truth... Dutch accordion players Piet Koopmans, Harry van de Velde & Piet van Gorp met in 1940 and started this trio. They started releasing records in 1946 and continued right up until 1971. During this time they released no less than 65 different potpourri's, i.e. medleys of usually six different songs, performed on their beloved instruments. They were very successful in the Netherlands and also had many gigs abroad. Harry van de Velde died in 1970, which meant the end of the trio.

Their 62nd potpourri caught my eye and that's because of one reason only: the fact that it includes Marty Wilde's classic song 'Abergavenny'. As such, this single belongs in my ever growing collection of cover versions of Wilde songs. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6562
Found: De elpeezaak, Den Haag, 4 December 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Ich bau dir ein Schloss / Ik kan geen kikker van de kant afduwen / Moest dat nou' / 'Abergavenny / Costa Brava / Callow la Vita'

Never the end - Kari Kuivalainen

Kari Kuivalainen was primarily a composer rather than a singer, and in 1986 he submitted his song 'Päivä kahden ihmisen', which was originally intended for singer Kaija Koo. However, she declined the chance to participate, so Kuivalainen decided to perform the song himself at the Finnish national final, where he was the choice of the jury (by a margin of only one point over former Eurovision participant Kirka) to go forward to represent Finland at the 31st Eurovision Song Contest.

Prior to the contest, Kuivalainen changed some of the lyrics to the song, and although it was sung in Finnish, the title was changed to 'Never The End', which appeared on screen on the night of the contest and is the name by which the song is commonly known. The song finished in 15th place in a field of 20 competitors. This single features the English version of the song rather than the Finnish one, hence the title... 'Never the end'. Kuivalainen subsequently became a member of band Menneisyyden Vangit, alongside another Eurovision veteran, Vicky Rosti.

My collection: 7" single no. 6561
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Never the end' / 'Sailing away with my dreams'

Schon wieder macht mein Herz bump bump - Fredi & Friends

Earlier this year, on 23 April, Matti Kalevi Siitonen passed away. He was known professionally as Fredi and he represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest on two occasions. His second and last appearance happened as part of the group Fredi & Friends with the song 'Pump Pump' in 1976. 

When I bought that single, I didn't know there was also a German version of the song. I was only made aware of this a few weeks ago. And as luck would have it, I found this copy a few weeks after that. Admittedly the sleeve is a bit damaged (with a stamp on the front) but it doesn't detract from the vinyl itself. And so I am quite satisfied with this little addition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6560
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Schon wieder macht mein Herz bump bump' / 'Zeig mir bei Nacht die Sterne'

Brasil - Baby Doll

These days we've grown accustomed to people looking like Christmas trees, all dolled up and with bells and baubles on, but back in 1991 it was quite a shock to see a certain Baby Doll performing 'Brasil' on the Eurovision stage. 

She represented Yugoslavia, just before the country de facto ceased to exist later that year. The song only gained one point (awarded to the song by the Maltese jury), which saved her from last place and got her to the 21st position in a field of 22 competitors. Baby Doll (real name: Dragana Šarić) continued her career in music and certain reality television shows in Serbia. In 2015, she married American-born Serbian professor of philology and Russian language Aleks Todorović and has allegedly changed her name to Danica Todorović.

My collection: 7" single no. 6559
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Brasil' / 'Control'

 

Could it be - Georgina & Paul Giordimaina

Exactly twenty years after Joe Grech, who was responsible for Malta's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest with a jazzy, swinging song, Georgina & Paul Giordimaina were responsible for the return of Malta on the Eurovision stage after an absence of 16 years. And they came with a song that was the absolute opposite of 'Marija L-Maltija': a syrupy, sticky, almost nauseating ballad. At least, that's how I qualified this song back in 1991. 

Listening to it now, it is a bit of a middle of the road affair, but the nauseating effect has worn off a bit. Still, it wasn't the best of what that year had to offer - although I wasn't exactly thrilled by the winning song either ('Captured by a lovestorm' by Carola, that was). The duo recorded their song both in English and in Maltese, and both versions appear on this 7" single, which is a bit of a rarity too: after 1991, no Maltese songs would ever be released on 7" vinyl again.

My collection: 7" single no. 6557
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Could it be' / 'Sejjah u ssbni'

Marija L-Maltija - Joe Grech

Although I would have preferred to get a copy with the picture sleeve, this is impossible, and so I settled for this one in a generic white sleeve. And 'this one' is a single of Malta's first ever entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Joe Grech was responsible for this debut performance, sung entirely in Maltese and ending up in last place. 'Marija L-Maltija' was composed by Joe Grech himself, and the lyrics were written by Charles Mifsud.Listen to it now and you're transported back to a time when chansons were popular and this jazzy, slightly noisy track probably fell out of place a bit. But it's not a bad track, I quite enjoyed listening to this one.

My collection: 7" single no. 6558
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Marija L-Maltija' / 'In-Nassab'