Magic touch - Kiss

The album 'Dynasty' was a great success for Kiss, even though fans criticised them for having gone commercial. The blend of hardrock with a more 'disco' style made a big impact on a broad audience. Until then, Kiss had focused exclusively on their hardcore black leather wearing Kiss Army. I was only nine years old when 'Dynasty' was released. I had no desire to get involved in hardrock. But I did get into these scary looking individuals because of their glammed up music and their strange looks.

My collection of Kiss singles from the album 'Dynasty' was completed when I bought 'Magic touch'. The third single to be lifted from that album, it didn't do as well as its predecessors. The masked men desperately needed to come up with something new, and fortunately they did, a bit later that year.

My collection: 7" single no. 39

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Magic touch' / 'Save your love'

Download: Album 'Dynasty', including both tracks

Love letters - Alison Moyet

'Love letters' was written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman in 1945. The song was performed by various artists. The best known versions were performed by Dick Haymes (1945), Ketty Lester (1962) and Elvis Presley (1966). In 1987, Alison Moyet recorded her version. It ended up as no. 4 in the UK top 40.

The B-side of 'Love letters' was the track 'This house'. Moyet would re-record this track in 1991, and it would become a hit on its own. The original version, however, is a bit more tense and contains a great guitar solo.

My collection: 7" single no. 1103

Found: All that music, Leiden, November 11, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Love letters' / 'This house'

Download: here

Somewhere in my heart - Aztec Camera

I first discovered the track 'Somewhere in my heart' because of the cd-single that featured Aztec Camera's old hit 'Walk out to winter'. I bought the cd-single and discovered that the lead track was very good as well. Then when I spotted the 12" single a few years later, I discovered that it contained a remix version. Clocking in at 7 minutes, this truly is an extended version, and a pretty good one too.

Aztec Camera is one of those great undiscovered British bands that deserved more recognition in the charts. The cover of Van Halen's 'Jump' in a true singer/songwriter style on this 12" single is further proof of their talent.

My collection: 12" single no. 466

Found: Record exchange, London, 2004

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Somewhere in my heart (remix)' / 'Everybody is a number one (Boston '86 version)', 'Down the dip (live)', 'Jump (live)

Download: here

When the Gap Band hit the charts in 1980 with 'Oops upside your head' I found it at least an irritating song. My sister liked it, and to my disgust she actually bought the single too. To me, it was a bunch of people talking and laughing over what should be a good tune. Later in life I would learn this is the nature of hiphop - a music style I would never get into.

The next year things went just the other way around: 'Burn rubber' was a tune I really liked, while my sister couldn't understand what attracted me to this. I felt the guys had learnt to sing somewhat, and on the whole it had more of a song structure. I bought a copy of the song - obviously to my sisters disgust. My brother managed to talk me out of the custom Mercury sleeve - so now I'm stuck with a standard 'Vroom & Dreesman' sleeve for this single, manufactured at that time by the Dutch warehouse of the same name.

My collection: 7" single no. 83

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1981

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Burn rubber on me' / 'Nothin' comes to sleepers'

Download: Album 'Gap Band III', including both tracks

Danny - Kit Hain

Kit Hain made her name as one half of the duo Marshall Hain. After one album, the duo broke up and Kit Hain tried to launch a career on her own. It started well enough, with her first single 'Danny' reaching no. 27 in the Dutch Top 40 in June 1981. But after that, the hits dried up. Hain did release two albums, 'Spirits walking out' and 'School for spies', before giving up as a performing artist. However, she continued to write songs and successfully so. Her songs have been performed by Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Chaka Khan and many others.

I found this single for 1 guilder and bought it on a whim. It's a charming song, nothing spectacular but nice enough to listen to on cold evenings like today.

My collection: 7" single no. 1267

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 14, 1990

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Danny' / 'Inner ring'

Download: here

Danceable - Spectral Display

The undeniable innovative sound that was introduced by Spectral Display on their debut single 'It takes a muscle to fall in love' had disappeared when they recorded their second album 'Too much like me'. The band released two singles from this album, of which 'Danceable' was the first. As far as I know, it was the only single by Spectral Display that also appeared on 12" single. And that 12" single contained an extended version of the song.

When I bought the single, I didn't really know about this second album. It was advertised in 1983, but since none of the singles reached the charts, I didn't pay attention to them. And so I bought my copy in 2001, not really expecting much. When I bought the 12" single recently, I still didn't expect much. Such is the nature of collectors: sometimes they just buy something because it completes a part of their collection. I can now say that I own all of Spectral Display's tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 3306 / 12" single no. 462

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001 / Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 guilder / 2 euro

Tracks: 7": 'Danceable' / 'Big 5'. 12": 'Danceable (extended mix) / 'Danceable', 'Big 5'

Download: 'Danceable (extended mix)' ; Album 'Too much like me', including the two other tracks.

Magic - Olivia Newton-John

Taken from the original motion picture soundtrack of 'Xanadu' featuring Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John, 'Magic' is Olivia's second single from that soundtrack. The title track was a number one hit in the UK, and the third single 'Suddenly' made number 15. By comparison, 'Magic' did less well by only reaching no. 32.

It wasn't a bad track, though. Olivia's vocals are shimmering and the music is varied and melodic. I couldn't explain why it didn't do better. Personally I always liked the song and it was a nice surprise when I found the single in 1993.

My collection: 7" single no. 2053

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, November 20, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Magic' / 'Whenever you're away from me'

Download: Album 'Xanadu', including both tracks