Tell Michelle - White fire

Writing about singles isn't always easy. Take, for instance, the group White Fire: they released on single, 'Tell Michelle', in 1980. The sleeve portrais two people: a man and a woman. There's no clue who they were. The record is produced by Jeremy Paul, another person who has left no trace on the web. The single didn't make the charts in the UK and didn't make the Dutch Top 40 either. What else is there...

I bought this single because I remembered it from the radio. It was the summer holiday before I started my library school study. And, well, that's it. Great song.

My collection: 7" single no. 896

Found: All that music, Leiden, June 23, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Tell Michelle' / 'Don't lock away your love'

Download: Album 'Disco '81', including 'Tell Michelle'

The living daylights - A-ha

When you hear this year's James Bond track by Alicia Keys and Jack White, you would almost forget that there was a time when James Bond tracks were actually really good. 'The living daylights' by A-ha is a good example. Not that co-writer John Barry was actually happy to work with A-ha: he would say afterwards that he found working with the band 'exhausting'. According to keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, 'Apparently he compared us to Hitlerjugend in a newspaper interview'.

'The living daylights' was John Barry's last score for the James Bond series. Maybe he should take back the reins now that things are getting so out of hand.

My collection: 12" single no. 281

Found: Record Exchange, London, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'The living daylights (extended version)' / 'The living daylights (7" version)', 'The living daylights (instrumental)'

Download: here

Don't you want me baby - Mandy Smith

Mandy Smith was born on July 17, 1970 and forged a career as a model from an early age. In 1987, she signed to PWL and released a handful of singles produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman. Her first single, 'I just can't wait' generated a lot of press attention, just like her relationship with Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who was more than 30 years older than her. They married in 1989 and divorced only two years later.

'Don't you want me baby' was released just weeks before her marriage. According to the press release that was included with the single I bought, Mandy covered the Human League track because it is 'one of her all time favorites'. Personally, I prefer the B-side, which is a bit more bouncy and poppy.

My collection: 7" single no. 3063

Found: London, May 9, 1999

Cost: 50p

Tracks: 'Don't you want me baby' / 'If it makes you feel good'

Download: here

Epic - Faith no more

Faith no more's 'Epic' is in many ways just another hard rock song. It's actually because of the last few seconds of this track that I ended up buying the single. After all the aggression and tension comes a beautiful piano intermezzo, and then the track fades out. There's something very poetic in that.

The music video for 'Epic' received extensive airplay from MTV in 1990, despite provoking protests from animal rights activists for slow motion footage of a fish flopping out of water.

My collection: 7" single no. 1525

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Epic' / 'War pigs (live)'

Download: Epic

Hanna Hanna - China Crisis

Having just had a top 10 hit with 'Wishful thinking' in 1984, China Crisis followed it up with another track from their album 'Working with fire and steel': 'Hanna Hanna'. The 12" single contained an extended mix plus two live tracks: 'Here come a raincloud' and their debut single 'African and white'.

'Hanna Hanna' didn't repeat the success of 'Wishful thinking': it only reached no. 44 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 407

Found: Record Exchange, London, 2002

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Hanna Hanna (extended mix)' / 'Here come a raincloud (live)', 'African and white (live)'

Download: here

He is sailing - Jon and Vangelis

Jon Anderson, best known from his work with Yes, and the Greek synth wizard Vangelis worked together on a number of albums. 'He is sailing' is taken from their album 'Private collection', which contains eight lengthy tracks. It was nowhere near as successful as their 1981 singles 'I'll find my way home' and 'I hear you now', which is surprising as this track stands up well next to those two. This is probably also why no further singles were released: their next single was a re-release of 'State of independence', the song that was successfully covered by Donna Summer in 1982.

My collection: 7" single no. 3471

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'He is sailing [edit]' / 'Polonaise'

Download: here

Love cascade - Leisure Process

Gary Barnacle formed Leisure Process together with ex-Positive Noise singer Ross Middleton in 1982. During that time he was also working with Kim Wilde, with whom he also had a relationship. Their single 'Love cascade' was released on Epic records. It didn't make the charts anywhere, just like their three other singles, 'A way you'll never be', 'Anxiety' and 'Cashflow'.

Gary Barnacle continued doing session work after their brief career, working with amongst others Level 42, Public Image Ltd. and the Pet Shop Boys.

My collection: 7" single no. 3478

Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Love cascade' / 'The Fluke'

Download: here