Een beetje vrede - Nicole

The winner of the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, Nicole, recorded her winning song 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' in six languages. One of them was the Dutch version, 'Een beetje vrede'. The thing that struck me back then was that this young German girl spoke (sang) better Dutch than my aunt in her fourties, who was born in Germany but spent two decades in the Netherlands, did.

Not only the A-side, but also the B-side, 'Thank you, merci, danke' was recorded in Dutch. It all helped Nicole reach the first place in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3477

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Een beetje vrede' / 'Thank you, merci, danke'

Download: here

Wunderbar - Tenpole Tudor

Eddie Tudor-Pole formed the British punk band Tenpole Tudor in 1974 with Bob Kingston, Dick Crippen and Gary Long. In 1980, they signed a recording contract with Stiff Records and released their debut single 'Three bells in a row' in 1980. A year later, their debut album 'Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary' was released. This album spawned two hit singles, 'Sword of a thousand men' and 'Wunderbar'. The latter was the only single to have some success abroad: it reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 3385

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Wunderbar' / 'Tenpole 45'

Download: Album 'The Stiff Records Singles Collection', including both tracks

Sloppy heart - Frazier Chorus

Frazier Chorus released the single 'Sloppy heart' twice: their debut single in 1987 on 4AD records, and as their fourth single on Virgin Records in 1989. This is the latter. It features an edited version of the track on their debut album 'Sue'. The single reached number 73 in the UK singles chart.

The real treat of this single is the B-side: a cover of the Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK'. You would think that song doesn't lend itself to a ballad version, until you hear this.

My collection: 7" single no. 2524

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Sloppy heart' / 'Anarchy in the UK'

Download: here

Come home Billy Bird - The Divine Comedy

In 2004, The Divine Comedy released their eighth studio album, 'Absent friends'. The first single, 'Come home Billy Bird' featured ex-Kenickie vocalist Lauren Laverne. Released on 7" vinyl, the B-side track was 'All things', which was not released on the cd-single and remains unreleased on cd to this day.

'Come home Billy Bird' was only the second 7" vinyl single I bought in 2004 (the first one being 'Waterloo'), on a total of only five. To date it is still the year in which I bought the lowest number of 7" singles since 1977.

My collection: 7" single no. 3405

Found: hmv.co.uk website, 2004

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Come home Billy Bird' / 'All things'

Download: here

Living on video ('85 re-mix) - Trans X

After I'd bought 'Living on video' shortly after it was released, Trans X disappeared from the scene. The duo consisting of Pascal Languirand and Cerstin Strecker, hailing from Canada, did release some more singles, but they failed to chart outside of Canada. In 1985, Trans X released a 1985 re-mix of 'Living on video', which reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. Incidentally, the original version didn't chart in that country. In the Netherlands, the original version reached number 12 in the summer of 1983, but this remix version didn't chart. And so I only found out about this single more than a decade later.

My collection: 7" single no. 2896

Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Living on video ('85 re-mix)' / 'Digital world'
Download: here

If I say yes - Five Star

'If I say yes' was the fourth single taken from Five Star's 1986 album 'Silk and steel'. The single reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, but didn't chart in the Netherlands.

The 12" single features remixes of 'If I say yes' (by Phil Harding) and the previous single 'Can't wait another minute' (by John Morales and Sergio Munzibair (a.k.a. M&M)). The instrumental B-side 'Let me down easy' completes this set.

My collection: 12" single no. 345

Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1998

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'If I say yes (extended mix)' / 'Let me down easy', 'Can't wait another minute (M&M New York remix)'

Download: here

Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen - The New Seekers

The New Seekers were founded in 1969 by Keith Potger after the Seekers split up. The idea was that the new group would appeal to the same market as the previous one. He recuited Laurie Heath, Chris Barrington, Marty Kristian and the sisters Eve and Sally Graham.

In 1972, the New Seekers were chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. They performed the song 'Beg, steal or borrow'. which was chosen out of six songs. They went on to finish in second place at the Eurovision final in Edinburgh. The song reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Netherlands. In Germany, a German version of the song was released, entitled 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen'. I found this single and bought it for its curiosity value.

My collection: 7" single no. 3475
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, December 11, 2008

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Oh, ich will betteln, ich will stehlen' / 'Move me Lord'

Download: here