If you don't love me - Prefab Sprout

In 1992, Prefab Sprout released their greatest hits album 'A life of surprises'. The album reached number 3 on the UK albums chart. It was a chance for me to get my favourite tracks 'When love breaks down', 'Appetite' and 'Johnny Johnny' on cd. And as has happened to me before: once I started playing the cd a lot, I started looking for more singles.

During a visit to London, I came across this single, 'If you don't love me', one of the nicest tracks from the compilatoin cd. I was very happy to see that a remixed version appeared on the B-side. It didn't take me long to make the decision to buy this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1756

Found: Tower Records, London, October 19, 1992

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'If you don't love me' / 'If you don't love me (String driven thing)'

Becoming more like Alfie - The Divine Comedy

After the chart success of 'Something for the weekend', the Divine Comedy released the second single from their album 'Casanova', 'Becoming more like Alfie'. It peaked at number 27 in the UK singles chart, which meant that it did slightly worse than its predecessor.

The B-side, 'Your daddy's car' is another album track, but performed live on BBC Radio 1's Mark Radcliffe Show on April 29, 1996.

My collection: 7" single no. 3140
Found: Setanta mailorder, 1999
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Becoming more like Alfie' / 'Your daddy's car'

Real men - Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson was born as David Ian Jackson on August 11, 1954 in Burton upon Trent, England. He started off learning to play the violin but soon switched to piano. When he was sixteen he started playing in bars, and eventually won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Jackson did not like the prospect of being a classical composer, and moved towards pop and rock instead.

Starting his career in the late Seventies, he had some early hits in the UK with 'It's different for girls' and 'Is she really going out with him?'. His first big hit in the Netherlands was 'Real men', taken from the 1982 album 'Night and day'. The album paid tribute to the wit and style of Cole Porter (and indirectly to New York City). 'Real men' pointed obliquely to the city's early Eighties gay culture.

My collection: 7" single no. 142

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Real men' / 'Chinatown'

Download: Album 'Night and day', including both tracks

Spacer - Sheila B. Devotion

Sheila was born as Annie Chancel on August 16, 1945 in Créteil, France. She started her musical career in 1962. She had numerous hits in France during the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. One of her biggest hits was 'Spacer' (1979). The song was taken from her album 'King of the world', which was produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic fame.

The song was sampled by the Swedish pop group Alcazar for their track 'Crying at the discotheque' in 2000. Of course I prefer the original.

My collection: 7" single no. 3298

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Spacer' / 'Don't go'

I believe in you - Talk Talk

Out of all the Talk Talk 7" singles I have, this is probably the rarest one. It showed up in my record shop and I bought without hesitation. 'I believe in you' was already out for a few weeks, and spotting this promotional single with twice the edit of the song on it, I had to have it. This edit wasn't released on cd at the time, so I even wrote down which side of the disc I played, so I could preserve the other side for later. Fortunately, the edit was released on cd in 1997.

Taken from the excellent album 'Spirit of Eden', 'I believe in you' is apparently an 'anti-heroin song'. When asked whether the lyrics are based on personal experience, Mark Hollis replied, 'No, not at all. But, you know, I met people who got totally fucked up on it. Within rock music there's so much fucking glorification of it, and it is a wicked, horrible thing.'

My collection: 7" single no. 659
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 1, 1988
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'I believe in you (edit)' / 'I believe in you (edit)'

What becomes of the broken hearted - Dave Stewart featuring Colin Blunstone

Dave Stewart (not to be confused with David A. Stewart of Eurythmics fame) was born as David Lloyd Stewart on December 30, 1950 in London. As a musician he has worked in various progressive rock bands like Uriel, Egg, Gong, National Health and others. In 1981 he recorded a solo single with vocals by Colin Blunstone. It peaked at number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Dutch Top 40.

'What becomes of the broken hearted' was originally a hit for Jimmy Ruffin in 1966. I didn't know the original song when I first heard this in 1981. I thought it was a great electronic composition!

My collection: 7" single no. 360
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'What becomes of the broken hearted' / 'There is no reward'

Embarrassment - Madness

'Embarrassment' was Madness' sixth single and lyrically one of their darkest tracks up to that point. Primarily written by Lee Thompson, the song reflected the unfolding turmoil following the news that his teenage sister, Tracy Thompson, had become pregnant and was carrying a black man's child. The song describes the following rejection by her family, and the shame felt.

The song is a clear indication of changing times and attitudes as time goes on. The real life story had a happy ending, however; Thompson later stated that when the child, named Hayley, was born, the antipathy of Tracy's relatives dissolved.

My collection: 7" single no. 1796
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 4, 1992
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Embarrassment' / 'Crying shame'