Can't shake loose - Agnetha Fältskog

25 years after the fact, I think that 'Can't shake loose' was the best single from Agnetha Fältskog's album 'Wrap your arms around me'. It's not the most logical choice, since only 'The heat is on' and the title track became hits for her in 1983. But it's a great rock track, and it utilises the desperation that sometimes flares up in Agnetha's voice to full effect.

The song was written by Russ Ballard, who also wrote the more successful 'I Know There's Something Going On' for Agnetha's former Abba colleague Frida.

My collection: 7" single no. 199

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Can't shake loose' / 'To love'

Download: Album 'Wrap your arms around me', including both tracks

Queer - Garbage

So this is an impressive packaging: the vinyl 7" of Garbage's fourth single 'Queer' came in a sleeve, with an extra card inside to show the credits of the two tracks, and a perspex casing with the 'G' from the band's logo branded on it, and a sticker on the casing to show that this single was called 'Queer' by the band Garbage. The whole thing originally came in a bubblewrap bag, but I have to confess I threw that away, because it took up too much space.

Butch Vig from the band said about the song: 'I was reading this novel about this woman who was hired to go and make this guy's son 'a man'. The kid is missing a few marbles. But then he realises that the woman who came to his room is also fucking his father.'

My collection: 7" single no. 2863

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, September 20, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Queer' / 'Queer (dub-bin mix)

Download: here

Rock 'n' Roll kids - Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan

This is the last winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest to be released on 7" vinyl single. Subsequent winners (1995 and later) were only released on cd-single. That's a great loss. But perhaps it's fitting: this song was a lament for the singers' lost youths, like many vinyl buyers these days buy singles for nostalgic reasons.

The duo Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan were - so it was presumed - specifically selected by Ireland not to win the Contest. As the Contest rules require the previous year's winner to host the next edition of the Contest, the argument runs that the Irish broadcaster was not prepared to do this. The setup didn't work: in an unlikely turn of events, Ireland won the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, and still had to organise the 1995 edition.

My collection: 7" single no. 2121

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, July 2, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Rock 'n' Roll kids' / 'Rock 'n' Roll kids (acoustic mix)', 'Rock 'n' Roll kids (Backing track)'

Download: here

House of thorns - Fiat Lux

After the singles 'Secrets' and 'Blue emotion' had made a big impact on me, I started trying out other singles by Fiat Lux. I bought 'Photography' and this one on the same day, hoping for more jewels in their repertoire.

All I can say is: sometimes you strike out. While 'Photography' still sounds interesting, 'House of thorns' is a bit of a mediocre affair. It seems like an unfinished demo; the production could (and should) have been tighter. Oh well, it's still not bad compared to loads of other songs around these days, but I won't play this often.

My collection: 7" single no. 3161

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'House of thorns' / 'Threes company'

Download: here

War babies - Simple Minds

The Simple Minds have had enormous success in the Eighties, but they had some difficulties continuing that success after the decade ended. The band effectively fell apart, with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill being the only active members. After being released from their contract with Virgin Records in 1998, Simple Minds decided to musically reinvent themselves, using techno influences in their rock music. The resulting album, 'Neapolis', got mixed reviews.

'War babies' was the second single drawn from the album. It reached number 43 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2996

Found: HMV, London, October 1998

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'War babies (Bascombe mix)' / 'I travel (Utah Saints mix - edit)'

Download: here

Invincible - Pat Benatar

After the major worldwide success of 'Love is a battlefield', the rest of Pat Benatar's career must have seemed to her and the world as a relative disappointment. Whatever she did, it wouldn't measure up to that one big hit.

'Invincible' is a convincing rock track, which is part of the soundtrack of the movie 'The legend of Billie Jean'. The movie was expected to be a big hit. However, the reviews were poor, and it flopped in the theatres. Benatar herself has often spoken disparagingly about the film before launching into 'Invincible' in concert, calling it 'The Worst Movie Ever Made' on at least one occasion.

My collection: 7"single no. 338

Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Invincible' / 'Invincible (instrumental)'

Download: here

Geno - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Dexy's Midnight Runners released 'Geno' in March 1980. Two months later, it reached number 1 in the UK singles chart. It was their second single. The song was a tribute to soul singer Geno Washington. The song's style - with classic soul influences - was out of sync with the popular new wave sounds of the time.

I'd forgotten this song totally until I heard it again sometime in 1996. A few months later, I was able to find a copy during a lovely weekend in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 2833

Found: Record Exchange, London, February 8, 1997

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Geno' / 'Breakin' down the walls of heartache'

Download: here