Tom tom tom - Emigranterna

Marion Rung represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with 'Tom tom tom', an upbeat song that certainly could have done better in the competition if it weren't for the complicated Finnish language. 

The Swedish band Emigranterna thought they could do something with the song, and so they recorded a version in Swedish. Not only that, they also added the popular song 'Eviva España' on the flipside. I don't know how well the song did in Sweden at the time - there were no official charts in Sweden at the time - but I bet it was at least more accessible for most Scandinavians.

My collection: 7" single no. 7249
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 July 2024
Tracks: 'Tom tom tom' / 'Eviva España'

Stand by me - Maurice White

Most people will be familiar with 'Stand by me' through the version by Ben E. King. But in 1985, Earth Wind & Fire member Maurice White started his solo career with a cover version of that song. It wasn't quite the success he might have hoped for: the single didn't chart in the UK and only nearly made it into the Dutch Top 40.

I heard the track on a compilation album some 30 years ago, but I never actually bought the single. When I bought some 12" singles online I spotted this one and decided I wanted to check out the 'extended dance remix' on this disc. It sounds more like an extended version, but it's an interesting addition to my collection nonetheless.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'Stand by me (extended dance remix)' / 'Stand by me (instrumental)'

West End girls - Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys released 'West End girls' in 1984 and it wasn't very successful. After signing to a major label, 'West End girls' was quickly re-released, and that release came with a 12" single featuring a remix of the track. The remix was created by the Pet Shop Boys themselves, together with Frank Roszak. 

There are at least two slightly different versions of this mix. The original version appears on this 12" single and on the album Essential. A remastered version with a slightly longer fade (mostly silence) on the Further Listening bonus disc with the Please reissue.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'West End girls (dance mix)' / 'A man could get arrested', 'West End girls'

Am I losing you forever - Mai Tai

I have a few singles of Mai Tai's 'Am I losing you forever' (here, here and here), but I didn't know that there was an extended version of the track on a 12" single, until very recently, when I was going through the inventory of an online seller. And that extended version is really extended, i.e. over 9 minutes. 

Of course I had to check this out - not least because the item wasn't exactly expensive. This disc delivers: it's a great extended version of this ballad, and the B-side is extended as well. Fortunately this song is from the Eighties, so it doesn't replace the music with generic beats - it stays true to the original songs.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'Am I losing you forever [extended]' / 'The rhythm of the street [extended]'

Let it swing - Bobbysocks

Back in 1985, the Norwegian duo Bobbysocks won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'La det swinge'. The English version 'Let it swing' became a hit in several European countries, and was even released on a 12" single with an extended remix.

As it turns out, the 12" single is pretty rare. It's a shame, really, because the extended version really does improve on the original version. I was happy to find a copy online, along with a few other rare 12" singles.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 June 2024
Tracks: 'Let it swing (extended)' / 'La det swinge'

Meisje, één reisje - Annie

It took me a while to continue the Annie story after this entry, perhaps because it is slightly embarrassing to own up to the fact that I actually own all these singles. But it's Dutch heritage after all, and although some people think I know nothing about Dutch culture, this is one little bit of culture that I know a lot about.

'Meisje, één reisje' (Literally: 'Girl, one trip') is the story of a fisherman who pleads with his girlfriend to go fishing for herring one last time before their wedding. By now you should be familiar with the cloud of doom that is present in every song by Annie, and indeed: a month later the scene is painted of a village in mourning, after a hurricane has turned his ship into wreckage. On the day of their wedding, the priest sings the funeral song. It's the kind of cynical story we've come to expect from Annie.

My collection: 7" single no. 2872
Found: Disco Market, 1985
Tracks: 'Meisje, één reisje' / 'Tranen zul je mij niet zien huilen'

Caterina - Silvio Francesco

Silvio Francesco (Paris, July 13, 1927 – Lugano, August 20, 2000) was an Italian schlager singer, entertainer, clarinetist, guitarist, dancer and actor. He was born into a family of artists. His mother, Maria Valente, was an internationally renowned musical clown, and his father, Giuseppe, was a famous accordion virtuoso. He grew up in the world of circus and entertainment. In his early childhood, he learned to play several instruments. He became an excellent guitarist and clarinetist. With his youngest sister, Caterina Valente, he sang several duets under the pseudonyms Club Manhattan, Club Honolulu, Club Argentina, Club Indonesia or Club Italia. A super hit by the duo was the hit 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini'.

This single, titled 'Caterina', features a cover version of 'Ring-a-ding girl' in German on the B-side: 'Das muss Amore sein'.

My collection:  7" single no. 7248
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Caterina' / 'Das muss amore sein'

Das bist du - Mocedades

Although 'Eres tu' is considered a Eurovision classic by many, the fact that Mocedades recorded the song in many other languages is not as wellknown. Unfortunately those other versions are rather hard to find, because the market was flooded by the original version. 

'Das bist du' is the German version. The German lyrics were provided by Fred Jay, who is best known for adding the lyrics to the melody of the track 'Soleado', which then became track 'When A Child Is Born', performed by many artists over the years. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7247
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Das bist du' / 'Si, si, señor'

Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen - Jimmy Fields

An EP like this is slightly frustrating, because I only bought it for one track, but I get four of them, which aren't necessarily attractive for me. Which is why this entry is named after that one track. Charlotte Marian, Jimmy Fields and Udo Spitz are engaged to sing four tracks on this EP with the orchestra Teddy Todd and the orchestra Rolf Andy. 

The real catch here is, of course, the cover version of 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen', the Austrian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. Jimmy Fields delivers a solid version of the Udo Jürgens classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 7245
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Küsse unterm Regenbogen' (Charlotte Marian), 'Schenk mir doch ein Bild von dir' (Jimmy Fields) / 'Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüssen' (Jimmy Fields), 'Tanz die ganze Nacht mit mir' (Udo Spitz)

Weak in the presence of beauty - Alison Moyet

Quite why Alison Moyet decided to record a cover version of 'Weak in the presence of beauty' is not something I know. The original was not a hit, but Alison's version actually reached number 6 in the UK singles chart. It just proves that sometimes a good song just needs a wellknown singer. 

Floy Joy's lead singer Desy Campbell was asked if he felt cheated that the song was a hit for Moyet, but not for Floy Joy. He said, "On the contrary, my association with that song has and continues to open many doors for me and I'm very proud to have been part of a little piece of pop history."

Moyet, on the other hand, later confessed that she didn't actually like the song. In an interview she said: "'Love Letters' and 'Weak in the Presence of Beauty' – neither song I enjoy now – they're both my fault. I found them. That was when I was feeling smart, thinking that I knew what a hit was - I don't know what's a fucking hit! But they were hits, and now I'm forever to fucking sing them years later!"

My collection: 7" single no. 7243
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Weak in the presence of beauty' / 'To work on you'

Teddybeer / De tijd staat niet stil - Reggy van der Burgt

Dutch singer Reggy van der Burgt was born on 14 September 1944 in Uden. She started singing early on, but things really took off when she is offered a permanent engagement with dance orchestra The Continentals from Den Bosch. In between performances with The Continentals, she works freelance with various other dance orchestras and combos. She became the winner of the singing competition 'Miss Talent' in 1965. Soon after that she lands a recording contract. 

In 1966, her second single 'Teddybeer' becomes a hit. Some 40.000 copies were sold. The B-side of the single is 'De tijd staat niet stil', a Dutch version of 'Die Zeiger der Uhr', the German entry of the Eurovision Song Contest that year.Reggy's career was pretty successful for a couple of years, but by 1968 it ended when she met her husband and started raising their daughter. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7241
Found: Discogs.com, 25 June 2024
Tracks: 'Teddybeer' / 'De tijd staat niet stil'

Gwendolyne - Lola Flores

Flamenco is the national pride of Spain, a music style with a lot of pathos and drama. Lola Flores could be seen as one of the biggest cultural phenomena of the country, having acted in several films and recorded many studio albums. She is considered an icon of the Gypsy and Roma community in Spain, particularly since she married into a gypsy family.

In 1970 she recorded a version of 'Gwendolyne', the song originally written and performed by Julio Iglesias at the Eurovision Song Contest that year.  Lola's version is very different, being influenced by her flamenco style, but it's equally compelling.

My collection: 7" single no. 7240
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 June 2024
Tracks: 'El Lerele', 'Gwendolyne' / 'Mojamachis', 'Somos'

Paradise - Sade

In Spain, promotional singles were often made in a special edition of only one side. The B-side remained blank, and for some people, including me, that means they are desirable collector's items. I try to not go overboard with this, because there are limits to my budget, but every now and then I like to order some of these beauties. 

Sade released 'Paradise' in 1988, a track from her third album Stronger than pride. It was remixed for the single release, because the album version was a bit too long. This single has - you guessed it - one side, but the sleeve remains the same as the commercial one, announcing an instrumental version of 'Paradise' on the B-side. I guess DJ's could do without it.

My collection: 7" single no. 7238
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 June 2024
Tracks: 'Paradise (remix)'

Bonjour, bonjour (en Español) - Paola

Paola represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 with the song 'Bonjour, bonjour'. The song was sung in German, even if the title was in French. The same goes for this version, which is performed in Spanish. 

Attentive readers will notice that the sleeve of this single is made in the style of other Eurovision entries from 1969, like 'Primaballerina', 'Un dia, un niño' and 'Saludos al mundo'. This single represents a rarity in Paola's repertoire, because she mostly recorded songs in German and French. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7237
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 June 2024
Tracks: 'Bonjour, bonjour' / 'Vals de amor'

Eurovision '69 - Various artists

The Spanish record company Belter released this promotional EP featuring three Eurovision songs in 1969 and called it Eurovision '69. Fair enough - but why did they also include three other tracks on the B-side? Probably to promote their other repertoire as well, but it is a kind of baffling combination.

 The nice thing about this EP is the fact that they included Spanish versions of Eurovision classics, and so  'Un jour, un enfant' becomes 'Un dia, un niño', 'Jedan dan' becomes 'Saludos al mundo' and 'Primaballerina' becomes, er, 'Primaballerina'. I'm not  so sure about the other three tracks, but I guess recipients of this promotional disc had no right to complain. It was probably a freebie anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 7236
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 June 2024
Tracks: 'Un dia, un niño' (Frida Boccara), 'Primaballerina' (Siw Malmkvist), 'Saludos al mundo' (Ivan &M's) / 'Lala' (Michel), 'Mil veces volverias' (Madalena Iglesias), 'Bajo el cielo de Moscu' (Michel)

Guardando il sole - Gianni Mascolo

Gianni Mascolo (3 November 1940 – 21 December 2016) was an Italian singer, best known for his participation on behalf of Switzerland in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Guardando il sole'. The single of that song is pretty hard to find; it usually commands high prices on the web. I was lucky enough to find a copy that looks a bit worse for wear, but fortunately the disc itself plays rather well.

What's interesting about this release, besides the Eurovision entry, is the B-side, which is a cover version of the Bee Gees' 'Words' in Italian. Rather than simply naming it 'Parole', or something like that, it's given the lengthy title 'Fai un po'quello che vuoi'. Of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 7234
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 June 2024
Tracks: 'Guardando il sole' / 'Fai un po'quello che vuoi'

I see a star - Mouth & MacNeal

I've had a certain soft spot for Mouth & MacNeal, mostly because they were my very first single. But also because they delivered a very good Eurovision entry with 'I see a star' in 1974, which might actually have won the Contest if it weren't for a certain Swedish quartet. (Of course, the jury's were not wrong - we all love Abba now.)

I already own a few copies of 'I see a star', but this French pressing is an interesting one because it features a different B-side. 'Ah! L'amore' was apparently performed at the San Remo festival in 1974, and it's a nice little song. The fact that this single has another different sleeve also counts, of course. My Eurovision collection is increasingly focused on different pressings with attractive sleeves.

My collection: 7" single 7233
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 June 2024
Tracks: 'I see a star' / 'Ah! L'amore'

Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen - Ellen Caron

In 1972 the New Seekers represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Beg, Steal or Borrow'. It wasn't unusual for artists at the time to record their Eurovision songs in different languages, and in the case of the New Seekers, they went for German and recorded 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen'. 

German schlager singer thought this was an opportunity, so she decided to record a cover version of that song. And so here's another version of 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen'. I actually think it sounds better than the New Seekers version!

My collection: 7" single no. 7232
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 June 2024
Tracks: 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen' / 'Mehr und mehr'

Waarom? - Jan Schoepen

Such was the popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest in those early years that pretty much every song was covered by a handful of artists. Even a song like 'Waarom?' by Jacques Raymond, which finished in 10th place, got worked on by a colleague. 

In this case, it's a version by Jan Schoepen, a Belgian singer about whom not much is known. He released four singles in the early Sixties, including one in German ('Für Immer'). His version of 'Waarom?' is quite charming.

My collection: 7" single no. 7228
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 June 2024
Tracks: 'Waarom?' / 'Zilvere maan'

Dumb as a death's head - The The

Although I was quite a fan of The The ever since their single 'Uncertain smile', I never knew that they released an exclusive track on a flexidisc, free with the 21 May 1983 issue of Melody Maker magazine. I only found out about that recently while I was looking through an online seller's inventory. It doesn't really happen that you find something unexpected online, but there you go.

This flexi disc was the only official release of this particular The The track, although it does appear on an unofficial 7" single and an unofficial compilation called Early rarities. It's a rather primitive-sounding track but it fits with other early The The repertoire. Quite a find!

My collection: 7" single no. 7230
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 June 2023
Tracks: 'Dumb as a death's head' (The The) / 'Johnathon' (The Sines)