Human features - Black

It's hard to believe, but it's ten years since I saw Black, or should I say Colin Vearncombe, live at Paradiso in Amsterdam. It was the penultimate time, because I would see him again in Bruges in November 2015 - two months before his untimely death. 

Having been a fan of Black almost since the beginning (well, since 1984) it took me some time to get hold of his early singles, but I succeeded when I finally managed to get a copy of 'Human features' in 1998. It was Black's earliest release on the Rox label, and although the man himself disowned his earliest material, I very much enjoyed it. 

I was quite surprised when a limited edition of this single was released this year. It was released on the Optic Nerve label, in their series of Optic Sevens. Apparently it is a series of re-releases of "classic indie singles", always on coloured vinyl and with a poster and postcard. In this case, it is pressed on white vinyl. It is a lovely release and a new chance to get acquainted with these two fabulous tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 6776
Found: HHV (Germany), received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Human features' / 'Electric church'

Downtown - One 2 Many

The group One 2 Many only released one album, but it was a great pop album and one of those albums that I still play regularly. Their biggest hit was 'Downtown', released in 1988. I own two singles of the track and a CD-single, but somehow it got past me that there was also a 12" single with exclusive remixes on it. 

And so, a quarter of a century later, I acquired it from a Dutch seller on Discogs - an American promotional 12" single with two mixes on it. Actually, the 7" edit on this one also sounded different to me, because at 2'17 lead singer Camilla Griehsel sings 'This is no time in a village for a while', a line I never heard on the three discs I mentioned before. So, three 'new' tracks by One 2 Many - that's a good catch.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 November 2022
Tracks: 'Downtown (Way Downtown mix)' / 'Downtown (7" edit)', 'Downtown (2 Down Dub)'

Pazzo amore / Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno

The earliest Eurovision song to obtain legendary status is Domenico Modugno's 'Volare', or, more correctly, 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'. I'm not sure that everybody knows that Domenico actually re-recorded this song a few times, and this single, released in 1984, is one of those versions.

It was recorded with the orchestra of maestro Nello Ciangherotti for the TV series La luna nel pozzo - although I'm not sure if that claim holds true for both tracks on this single. I can say for sure that 'Pazzo amore' was featured on that TV show. The modernized and slightly 'discofied' version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' is what is the real attraction on this disc for me, however. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6784
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'Pazzo amore' / 'Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)'

Eres tu - Mocedades

The Spanish group Mocedades represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with the song 'Eres Tu'. Without winning, the song still gained a legendary status and became a big hit all over the world.

Proof of this is found in this Mexican copy of the song. It is actually an EP, featuring four tracks by the band. I got my hands on it when I ordered the 12" single of 'Parlez-vous Français', which was released in Mexico only. But this is a very nice item too, and probably quite rare in this part of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6777
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Eres tu', 'Rin ron' / 'Adios amor', 'Ayer (fue un dia feliz)'

De diepte - S10

It was reported recently that the Netherlands will be sending two unknown singers to next year's Eurovision Song Contest. Some people think that we should send "big names"; that is, artists that are wellknown in the Netherlands. The past has proven that this is a recipe for disaster. Just remember Willeke Alberti, The Toppers and the 3JS for example. 

In recent years we've done pretty well with unknown artists. Duncan Laurence won a few years ago and this year's entry met critical acclaim. 'De diepte' ('The depth') reached 11th place in the contest and was released on 7" vinyl just recently. There were actually two versions: one on black vinyl and one on pink vinyl. The sleeve remained the same, and the tracks as well. One point of criticism: the 'acoustic live session' on the B-side sounds like a home tape. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6786 & 6787
Found: Top Notch website, received 12 October 2022
Tracks: 'De diepte' / 'De diepte (acoustic live session)'

Amiga Quartett - Abba

A few East German singles from Abba, released by the state-run record company Amiga have already popped up on this blog: Dancing Queen/Fernando, Mamma Mia and The winner takes it all. The collection is not complete yet, but I recently found perhaps the most interesting of them all: an EP that featured four of the Swedish band's hits. 

This quartet mops up singles from their last two albums, plus the track 'Under attack' that was released as the last original Abba single back in 1982. The cover actually features a photograph of the band, which didn't happen often on these Amiga releases. As far as I know, there's only two more singles to go. I'm sure they will pop up on here sometime.

My collection: 7" single no. 6778
Found: Discogs.com, 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'Super trouper', 'Head over heels' / 'One of us', 'Under attack'

All souls night - Loreena McKennitt

When I posted this single recently, I noticed that there was no previous entry about Loreena McKennitt on this blog. Which is strange, because I definitely own another single by her. I bought it on 30 December 1994 in a period of frantic singles buying because I'd just recently started - and lost - my first proper job. I bought this single in Utrecht in a shop called Grammophoonwinkel, and I recently found out that the shop had closed down back in May, after almost fifty years. I would have liked to visit the shop one last time, but I found out too late. 

Anyway, 'All souls night' is one of the singles I bought on that cold and dark December afternoon, just before a birthday party in the same city. I think this single must have been on this blog in the early days, but back then Blogger used to honour "copyright claims" from unknown parties who apparently protested against me writing about "their" records. Fortunately this doesn't happen anymore. So here it is, just a few days too late because the traditional Irish All Souls' Night happened a few days ago. 

My collection: 7" single no. 2230
Found: Grammophoonwinkel, Utrecht, 30 December 1994
Tracks: 'All souls night (edit)' / 'Bonny Portmore'

Liebe, so heisst meine Welt - Véronique Muller

The German language has a tendency to sound a bit aggressive, especially when during my childhood my peers did impressions of a certain leader. A song like 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' shows a more tender side of the language: Véronique Muller shows that German can sound tender and soft as well.

'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' is the German version of 'C'est la chanson de mon amour', with which she represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. I bought that single almost a year ago, and this one is the only other version of that song. Even the B-side was translated into German: 'Quand le printemps revient' became 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6791
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2022
Tracks: 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' / 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'

Nur ein Lied - Thomas Forstner

In 1989 Thomas Forstner represented Austria with the song 'Nur ein Lied'. Avid readers of this blog will know this because I already wrote about the single back in 2009. 

A recent discovery was the 12" single of this song, which featured an extended version of the song. It still contains the rather bombastic sound of the single recording, but adds an instrumental part in the middle. It wouldn't be hard to construct this extended version using the single, since that one already contains the instrumental as well as the vocal version of the song, but there you go. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'Nur ein Lied [extended]' / 'Nur ein Lied (instrumental)', 'Nur ein Lied'

The big one - Black / King of emotion - Big Country

A collection of singles by Black can't be complete without those Italian promos that feature two (possible) hit tracks on one disc. In the case of 'The Big One', Black was coupled with Big Country's 'King Of Emotion'. In short: two tracks that had little in common, except that both the artists came from the UK.

Surprisingly, 'King of emotion' was the bigger hit of the two, reaching number 16 in the UK singles chart, whereas 'The Big One' only made it to number 54. In Italy it was the other way around: 'The Big One' reached number 17 whereas 'King of emotion' did not chart. I would be tempted to call that justice.

My collection: 7" single no. 6581
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 December 2021
Tracks: 'The big one' (Black) / 'King of emotion' (Big Country)

Out on the ropes - The Shirts

Nothing could beat the great pop track 'Laugh and walk away' by the Shirts, a single I bought when I was just nine years old. Apparently they released another single from the same album with almost the same sleeve and the same B-side, and it is this one: 'Out on the ropes'. This copy is a so-called 'demo record', as it says on the label. 

Interestingly enough, the band reunited two decades after breaking up in 1981. Since then, they have released two new albums. The last one, 'The Tiger Must Jump' (2010) included a new version of 'Out on the ropes'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6789
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Out on the ropes' / 'Maybe, maybe not'

Tot bloedens toe - Frank Boeijen

The Dutch singer Frank Boeijen has continued his career to this day, but 'Tot bloedens toe' is the last of his singles that was released on 7" vinyl. As such it is a true rarity, because it is rarely offered for sale. The only chance to grab hold of a copy is to hunt for it online - and even then it is not easy. 

This single had been on my wantlist for four or five years, and suddenly, earlier this month, one copy was offered for sale. Naturally I had to buy it. The single features a rather ugly single edit (fading out much earlier than the album version) and a beautiful B-side. It is certainly worth a listen, even if you don't understand Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 6788
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Tot bloedens toe' / 'Stormvogels'

The mummers' dance - Loreena McKennitt / Only if... - Enya

This Italian promo brings together two ethereal artists. Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer who made a career out of recording Celtic folk music, owing to her Irish and Scottish descent. 'The mummers' dance' was a track from her 1997 album 'The book of secrets'. Her music by then was often compared to the work of Enya. 

And that's funny, because this promo features an Enya track on the B-side. 'Only if...' was released as a new track on the compilation album 'Paint the sky with stars', also in 1997. The song was only released on a 7" in the USA and on this Italian promo. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6785
Found: Discogs, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'The Mummers' dance' (Loreena McKennitt) / 'Only if...' (Enya)

Al di la - Betty Curtis

Only two Italian Eurovision songs were still missing from my 7" singles collection, and this one was one of them. 'Al di la' was performed by Betty Curtis in the 1961 edition, and the single is very difficult to find - especially if you prefer a picture sleeve. They are for sale, of course, but only if you are willing to pay up to €50 for it. And I am not that crazy.

I was therefore very happy when I found a listing of the single with an original record company sleeve. It is the next best thing. CGD released this single back in 1961 and it's great to have an original CGD sleeve with this disc. It almost completes my Italian Eurovision singles collection. Now I just need that elusive 'Corde della mia chitarra' by Nunzio Gallo. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6783
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'Al di la' / 'Vicino a te'

Ich sehe dich weinen - Bobby Solo

The Italian song for the Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was performed by Bobby Solo and was called 'Se piangi, se ridi'. At the time, it wasn't unusual for artists to record their songs in different languages, and Bobby was no exception. He recorded his song in French and German.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of the German version online, for a price that wasn't too ridiculous. The title, 'Ich sehe dich weinen', is not a direct translation of the Italian original. Two pressings of this version exist: a Swiss one and a Dutch one. This is the Dutch one.

My collection: 7" single no. 6772
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 August 2022
Tracks: 'Ich sehe dich weinen' / 'Buon giorno, signorina'

Der Tingler singt für euch alle - Jürgen Marcus

The only other single I have of Jürgen Marcus is 'Chansons pour ceux qui s'aiment', the song he performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. This single, with a slightly different cover, is the German version of that song. Back in the early days of the Contest it was not unusual to record songs in different languages - it improved the chance of a hit in different territories. Besides, Jürgen, as his name indicates, was better in speaking German than he was in speaking French. 

The search for this single wasn't exactly easy, because most people ask more for it than it's really worth. But I found a bargain, and that's always nice. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6779
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'Der Tingler singt für euch alle' / 'Nur Liebe zählt'

This wheels on fire - Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity

'This wheels on fire' was originally written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko and recorded by The Band in 1967. In 1968, a version by Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and the Trinity became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. With its use of distortion, phasing, the evocative imagery of the song's title and the group's flamboyant dress, this version is closely associated with the psychedelic era in British music. 

The song was also covered by Siouxie and the Banshees, and I bought that single back in 1996. I never bought the Driscoll version, partly because I thought I already had it. But I didn't, and I found out when I came across this copy. It is a German double single featuring four tracks by the band. I needn't really have bothered because aside from the first track this isn't really the kind of thing I take pleasure in listening to, but it's good to finally have this track nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 6778
Found: Discogs.com, received 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'This wheels on fire' / 'Road to Cairo' // 'Save Me, part 1', 'Tramp'

Go - Scott Fitzgerald

Here's a single that I find a bit confusing. This is the UK pressing of Scott Fitzgerald's 'Go', the song with which he represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988. The A-side should feature the studio version and the B-side a live version.

What I am hearing: the A-side presents a sort of demo version of the song, whereas the B-side is the same as the A-side of the European version of the single. There is no answer to the question if the record company messed up somehow.

My collection: 7" single no. 6773
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 September 2022
Tracks: 'Go' / 'Go (live version)' [sic]

Just an illusion (the 1989 remix) - Imagination

In the second half of the Eighties, it became a bit of a habit to remix everything that moved, basically. Old hits by Jackie Wilson or Marilyn Monrie, for instance, but also more recent songs fell victim to this. Even songs that were pretty perfect to begin with. 

Imagination's 'Just an illusion' is a good example. There was nothing wrong with this Jolley and Swain production, but still Mike Pickering and Graeme Park thought they could improve on the track. The 1989 remix was released in, er, 1989, and failed to trouble the charts, predictably. The single was taken from a remix album called 'Like it is: hot sensational re-mixes', but this album also failed to chart. Sometimes people prefer to hear songs like they are.

My collection: 7" single no. 6774
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 September 2022
Tracks: 'Just an illusion (the 1989 remix)' / 'LTO (Love's taking over) (L.J.´s Blues Mix)'

Gwendolyne - Salomé

In 1970, Julio Iglesias represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Gwendolyne'. Salomé, who was one of the four winners in 1969 when she performed 'Vivo cantando', thought it was a good idea to record her own version of this song, and perhaps profit a little from the success that Iglesias might have with this song in Spain.

Unfortunately, Salomé's version doesn't come close to the subtle beauty of Iglesias' version; it is a bit bland to be honest. Still, with singles like this it is always interesting to add a bit of history to your collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6768
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 August 2022
Tracks: 'Gwendolyne' / 'Llévatelo'