It's OK, it's alright - Fine Young Cannibals

After a very successful run of singles taken from their 1989 album 'The raw and the cooked', Fine Young Cannibals released a remix album entitled 'The raw and the remix' in 1990. From that album, the single 'It's OK, it's alright' was drawn. The A-side featured the original version of the song, recorded in 1988, the B-side contained a remix of 'Johnny come home' which was on the remix album.

The single didn't reach the chart anywhere and as such has become some kind of rarity. I know I was very surprised when I saw this single when I bought it, because I'd never seen it before - or since.

My collection: 7" single no. 2782

Found: Record Exchange, London, November 1, 1996

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'It's OK, it's alright' / 'Johnny come home (Johnny takes a trip mix)'

Show me heaven - Maria McKee

Maria Louise McKee was born on August 17, 1964 in Los Angeles, California. She was a founding member of the band Lone Justice in 1982. When she was 19, she wrote 'A good heart', which became a hit for Feargal Sharkey in 1985. Her debut solo album appeared in 1989. A year later, she recorded 'Show me heaven' for the soundtrack of the movie 'Days of Thunder'.

Originally written by Joshua Rifkin and Eric Rankin, when McKee was first offered the song, she refused to record it unless she was allowed to change the lyrics. The single turned out to be a massive success for her, peaking at number 1 in the UK and the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1310

Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Show me heaven' (Maria McKee) / 'Car building' (Hans Zimmer)

No self control - Peter Gabriel

If you think Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush worked together for the first time in 1986 when they recorded 'Don't give up', you wouldn't be alone in thinking that. But in reality, they got together as early as 1979, when Kate Bush recorded a television special for UK television. They sang 'Another day' together, and Gabriel performed 'Here comes the flood' solo in this special.

In 1980, Peter Gabriel recorded his third solo album. Kate Bush provided backing vocals on the tracks 'Games without frontiers' and 'No self control'. It might be a coincidence, but both tracks were released as a single in 1980. Being a Kate Bush fan, I had to have these singles, so I was very glad when I found a reasonably good copy of 'No self control' in 1995.

My collection: 7" single no. 2341
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'No self control' / 'Lead a normal life'
Download: Album 'Peter Gabriel [3]', including both tracks

Mother mother - Tracy Bonham

Tracy Bonham was born on March 16, 1969 in Eugene, Oregon. She is a classically trained violinist and pianist. In 1997 she received two Grammy nominations for her 'best alternative album' 'The burdens of being upright' and best female rock vocal performance for 'Mother mother'.

'Mother mother' is an aggressive-sounding song. In America, it was number one in the rock chart for a month. In the Netherlands it peaked at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40, whereas it was a top 10 hit in Norway and Australia.

My collection: 7" single no. 2772
Found: HMV, London, October 30, 1996
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Mother mother' / '50 ft. Queenie (live)'

Sausolito summernight - Diesel

The Dutch rock band Diesel was formed in 1979 by producer Pim Koopman and Rob Vunderink. They recruited Mark Boon and Frank Papendrecht and started playing together, at first just for other acts which were produced by Koopman at the time. They had some hits in the Netherlands, but the single 'Sausolito summernight' brought them international success: it reached number 35 in the Dutch Top 40, but ironically did much better abroad, peaking at number 25 in the USA and at number 1 in Canada.

The song actually refers to Sausalito instead of Sausolito, but only few releases state the right spelling.

My collection: 7" single no. 1383

Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Sausolito summernight' / 'Bite back'

So cold the night - Communards

The Communards had their biggest hit in 1986 with a cover version of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' 1975 soul classic 'Don't leave me this way' - although the Communards' version was inspired by the dance version recorded in 1976 by Thelma Houston. A year later they reached number 8 in the UK singles chart with 'So cold the night', which peaked at number 11 in the Netherlands.

A limited edition two record set of 'So cold the night' included the single 'Don't leave me this way' as the second disc. On all four tracks, Jimmy Somerville screams like a demented choirboy - but always with great effect.

My collection: 7" single no. 2755

Found: House of rhythm, London, October 29, 1996

Cost: 80p

Tracks: 'So cold the night' / 'When the walls come tumbling down' // 'Don't leave me this way' / 'Sanctified'

Road to nowhere - Talking Heads

Talking Heads had a worldwide hit with 'Road to nowhere' in 1985, at a time where music videos became increasingly important for chart success. The video to promote this single was a clever piece of work, with lots of shots in different environments. The video was shown on TV so often and the song played on the radio even more, that I got totally bored with the song.

Still, ten years later, it was a pleasant surprise when my friend Puck showed up with a copy of this single and gave it to me. It was a nice present, filling a gap in my collection of Talking Heads singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 2159

Found: Den Haag (present)

Cost: nothing

Tracks: 'Road to nowhere' / 'Television man'

Download: Album 'Little creatures', including both tracks