Sometimes you cry - Renée

René and his Alligators were founded by René Nodelijk in the sixties. Playing mainly covers of popular rock and roll tracks, they were a hit on Dutch stages. When René met Anja Exterkate in 1976, the idea of changing the band name to Renée and his Alligators was made in due time. When the band signed to CNR Records, they shortened the band name to Renée.

They released several albums and singles between 1978 and 1983, and 'Sometimes you cry' was the last one to reach the Tipparade, the 'bubbling under' chart for the Dutch Top 40. It's an energetic, poppy track with a catchy chorus.

My collection: 7" single no. 1834

Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Sometimes you cry' / 'Running out of time'

Download: here

Do you wanna hold me? - Bow wow wow

Bow wow wow's biggest hit in the Netherlands, 'Do you wanna hold me?', reached number two in the charts in the summer of 1983. It was a very positive song, the rhythm and melody in this song gave it a very upbeat sound.

Even though it fared less well in the UK (only reaching number 47 there), it was the end of the band. Having become mainstream, the only option for a punk band was to break up. Tensions in the group were rising. Suffering from illness and exhaustion after touring the USA intensively, they went their separate ways.

My collection: 7" single no. 1578
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 25, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Do you wanna hold me?' / 'What's the time (Hey Buddy)'
Download: Album 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going', including both tracks

Breakfast - The Associates

Before releasing 'Breakfast', the Associates had made their name on satellite music TV with songs like 'Waiting for the loveboat' and 'Those first impressions'. I wasn't aware of their debut hit 'Party fears two', and didn't like the two mentioned songs at all. 'Breakfast', by comparison, was a masterpiece. I loved the music of this track, strings and all.

The B-side of the single featured an extended instrumental version, and I was expecting a vocal version of that on the 12" single. What a pleasant surprise that it was actually a different extended remix! I only bought this 12" 15 years after its original release, but it was still worth it...

My collection: 12" single no. 395

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Breakfast [extended]' / 'Breakfast alone', 'Kites'

Download: here

Guilty - Mike Oldfield

Mike Oldfield will be remembered forever as the man who created 'Tubular bells', the epic instrumental piece that was bought by millions. But since that debut album, he's released dozens of albums and a large quantity of singles. Most of his tracks are instrumental, although sometimes vocalists are hired in to sing along. On 'Guilty' the lyric is limited to the words: 'I'm guilty'.

I found this 12" single in a shop in Kensington, London, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was pressed on lightblue vinyl. It made the record extra attractive. Come to think of it, I might never have bought it if it were a regular black record... Mind you, the long version of 'Guilty' was worth it though.

My collection: 12" single no. 432

Found: Big Company Records, London, 2004

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Guilty' / 'Guilty (long version)'

Download: here

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday - Boney M

There's nothing more appropriate than buying a single about holidays during your summer holiday. I guess that was the reasoning behind buying this single. Or it might have been that I was actually a big fan of Boney M when I was eight. Or the fact that this was the only single in the bargain bin with a picture sleeve. Or it might have been a combination of the three.

Whatever it was, it's one of Boney M's big hits. It was number one in the Netherlands and number three in the UK. Frank Farian was still the king of pop music and Bobby Farrell and his three girls were stupidly popular. Life was sunny.

My collection: 7" single no. 17

Found: London, 1979

Cost: 10p

Tracks: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday' / 'Ribbons of blue'

Download: Album 'Best in Spain', including both tracks

Feel the raindrops - The Adventures

The Adventures released their debut album 'Theodore and Friends' in 1985. It featured the track 'Send my heart', as well as the earlier single 'Another silent day' and this one, 'Feel the raindrops'. All three singles were minor hits in the UK, but despite a world tour supporting Tears for fears, they didn't manage more success than that.

This 12" single is a relatively new find. I didn't pay much attention to 12" singles in 1985, apart from those released by my very favourite artists. Fortunately, a decade on, these vinyl discs kept popping up from time to time. Up for grabs!

My collection: 12" single no. 275

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1995

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Feel the raindrops (extended version)' / 'Nowhere near me', 'Tristesse en vitesse'

Download: here

Clouds - David Gates

David Gates is best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which released 11 hit singles between 1970 and 1973. When Bread disbanded in 1973, fans and the music industry were very surprised. It enabled David Gates to record his debut solo album, entitled 'First'. This solo album contained a lengthy track called 'Suite: Clouds, Rain', consisting of two songs coupled together by piano instrumentals. For this single, the song 'Clouds' was edited from that suite and released on its own. In the USA, the single peaked at no. 47 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

I got to know the album by David Gates in the early nineties, and found this single in 1995. Having never known it was released, that was quite an interesting find.

My collection: 7" single no. 2236

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, January 21, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Clouds' / 'I use the soap'

Download: here