I'll fly for you - Spandau Ballet

Yes, I know, I wrote about the 12" single of 'I'll fly for you' in December, but it was exactly that piece which made me realise that I didn't actually have the 7" single. And so I bought it, quite recently. And not just any old 7" single: it's the limited edition, apparently, released in a poster bag. And quite a creepy one: it shows the Spandaus without a shirt on. I wish I hadn't now...

The single version is just as powerful as the extended version, only shorter. It reached number 27 in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1984. In the UK, it went to number 9.

My collection: 7" single no. 3573
Found: eBay, received February 2, 2009

Cost: 3 pounds

Tracks: 'I'll fly for you' / 'To cut a long story short (live)'

Download: here

Ainsi soit je... - Mylene Farmer

'Ainsi soit je...' was the second single taken from Mylene Farmer's 1988 album of the same name. As for all her songs since the 1987 single 'Tristana', Farmer wrote the lyric. Nevertheless, the first words of the couplets 'bulle de chagrin, boule d'incertitude' were written by Marie, a singer unknown to the general public who died not long before. It was a way for Mylene to pay a tribute to her.

I'd started collecting Mylene Farmer singles only months before I went on a holiday to Vienna, Austria. I was greatly surprised to find an old single in a record shop there - but of course I bought it right away.

My collection: 7" single no. 1934

Found: Marik, Vienna, Austria, 1993

Cost: 59 Austrian Schilling

Tracks: 'Ainsi soit je...' / 'Ainsi soit je... (Lamentations)'

Download: here

Without your love - Roger Daltrey

'McVicar' is a British film, released in 1980, starring Roger Daltrey from The Who in the title role of John McVicar, an armed robber turned writer who Scotland Yard publicly announced to be Public Enemy Number One and wanted dead or alive. The soundtrack of the film was performed entirely by Daltrey, and the single 'Without your love' was drawn from the soundtrack album.

Though it was only a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 55 in the singles chart), it reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and it remains Daltrey's only top three hit in this country.

My collection: 7" single no. 824

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 18, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Without your love' / 'My time is gonna come'

Download: Album 'McVicar', including both tracks

White and black blues - Joelle Ursull

'White and black blues' was composed by Georges Ougier de Moussac, with lyrics by legendary French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The song was originally titled 'Black Lolita Blues', however Joelle Ursull, who was chosen to represent France at the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest, declined to perform it with this title. Rewritten as 'White and black blues', the song deals with the need to overcome the prejudices of skin colour.

Eurovision songs were always difficult to get a hold of in record shops. 1990 was actually the first year that several songs were readily available: in a short amount of time I collected the entries of Belgium, France, Spain and even Portugal. Due to a lack of budget, I didn't buy the cd-single of this track - something I do regret, because I'm unable to find it now.

My collection: 7" single no. 1231

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 11, 1990

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'White and black blues' / 'White and black blues (instrumental)'

Download: here

Crazy - Icehouse

The Australian band Icehouse found fame with 'Hey little girl' and 'Can't help myself' in the early Eighties. I was very impressed with these early singles, and the later hits 'No promises' and 'Crazy' took some more getting used to after that. 'Crazy' was drawn from their 1987 album 'Man of colours', Icehouse's best selling album worldwide.

It took me many years to finally buy this single. 15 years to be exact. It's one of those singles you come across regularly and you always think, 'nah, later'. So 'later' finally happened in 2003.

My collection: 7" single no. 3393

Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Crazy', 'Completely gone'

Download: 'Crazy', 12" single 'Crazy', including 'Completely gone'

Bring me closer - Altered Images

During the Here and Now Tour 2002 I saw Altered Images, or rather Clare Grogan, live in concert and immediately liked the songs she was performing. So I went to the nearest record shop in London and found 'I could be happy' and this single. I didn't know this song - she hadn't performed it - but the sleeve looked interesting enough and so I decided to buy it anyway.

It's one of those instances where you are a little too impulsive. 'Bring me closer' is a rather directionless song, and really doesn't end up anywhere. The same goes for the B-side. Clare Grogan's typical voice sounds a bit weird in these tracks. So not one of my most prized possessions this single. But it is a nice sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 3369

Found: Record Exchange, London, December 2002

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Bring me closer' / 'Surprise me'

Download: here

Uncertain smile - The The

After 'Uncertain smile' single version 1 and version 2, I quickly realised that I should also buy the 12" single. It would probably feature an extended version of this wonderful track. There was always the chance, of course, that it would simply contain the album track which is lengthy enough as it is, but it was a risk I was willing to take.

As it turned out, I was lucky: the 12" single features an extended version which goes on for more than nine minutes. It is based on the original version (single version 1) and then goes on for several minutes where the single fades out. Needless to say, I was very glad when I found this disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 122

Found: Record fair, 1991

Cost: 15 guilders

Tracks: 'Uncertain smile [extended version]' / 'Soul mining (Definitive Version)'

Download: here