No more lies - Sharpe and Numan

After recording 'Change your mind' for Bill Sharpe's solo album, he and Gary Numan decided to record a whole album together. The album, titled 'Automatic', saw the light in 1989, but before that, a couple of singles were released.

'No more lies', released in January 1988, was one of them. At the time of its release I came across the cd-single several times, but I never bought it. Something I lived to regret. When I saw the vinyl single a decade later, I snapped it up. It's great synthpop, which was rewarded in the UK with a chart placing, peaking at number 34 in the singles chart. Outside of the UK, it was largely ignored.

My collection: 7" single no. 2907
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 31, 1997
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'No more lies' / 'Voices'

Ça plane pour moi - Plastic Bertrand

Originally released in December 1977, Plastic Bertrand had a hit in May 1978 with 'Ça plane pour moi'. It peaked at number 18 in the UK and at number 2 in the Netherlands. The lyric of this song is open to interpretation, since it is full of French slang that was used in the Seventies. The title means 'It is gliding for me', which could imply that the singer is with his head in the clouds, or possibly high on drugs. Other suggestions are 'It's all working out for me', 'This works for me', 'Everything's cool/groovy for me' or, more loosely, 'Things are going great' or even 'I'm on cloud nine'.

I wasn't impressed with this song when it came out, but twenty years later I still bought it. In time, punk songs get a certain nostalgia value.

My collection: 7" single no. 3126

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Ça plane pour moi' / 'Pogo pogo'

Bright eyes - Art Garfunkel

I once knew a girl who had such amazing eyes, they looked like the deepest lakes with mysteries so dark and beautiful I got so fascinated it stifled any chance of me talking to her. (I have to admit, sometimes they looked hollow and uninviting too.) And so it came to pass she got the nickname 'Bright eyes'.

This, of course, came from the famous Art Garfunkel song from 1979. It was composed by Mike Batt for the soundtrack of the movie 'Watership down', an animated movie about rabbits. The song relates to the transition into death highlighted by Hazel's close shave when he is shot by a farmer, and then years later when Hazel finally departs his body and enters the world of spirit. It may also be viewed in reference to the disease the rabbits refer to as 'white blindness' - actually Myxomatosis. I've always had a soft spot for animated videos, so when I saw this one in 1979, it stuck in my mind.

My collection: 7" single no. 818

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Bright eyes' / 'Kazaar's theme'

Light my fire / Please release me - Mike Flowers Pops

Mike Flowers Pops followed up their hit 'Wonderwall' with a double A-side 7" single, featuring covers of 'Light my fire' (originally by the Doors) and 'Please release me' (originally by Engelbert Humperdinck). The success of this single was limited: during a two week run it peaked at number 39 in the UK singles chart. This despite 'Please release me' being used for an advertising campaign by Bodington Bitter in the UK. It seemed the momentum for Mike Flowers Pops had gone as fast as it came.

My collection: 7" single no. 2649

Found: HMV, York, June 28, 1996
Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Light my fire' / 'Please release me'

Once in a lifetime - Talking Heads

'Once in a Lifetime' was taken from the fourth album by Talking Heads, 'Remain in Light'. It was written by David Byrne and Brian Eno. The lyric has a rather existential vibe to it, although it is usually interpreted to be a song dealing with midlife crisis and the inevitable sacrifice of youthful ideals and dreams for conventional success.

In 1981, the single peaked at number 28 in the Netherlands and number 14 in the UK. In 1985, the single was re-released as part of the promotion of the concert film Stop Making Sense. It didn't chart in the UK, but made number 29 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2946

Found: Record fair, Leiden, January 31, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Once in a lifetime' / 'Seen and not seen'

Download: Album 'Remain in light', including both tracks

Marionette - Maribelle

Before representing the Netherlands at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, Maribelle had already competed in the National finals in 1981. She sang two songs: 'Marionette' and 'Fantasie'. She didn't win the competition (which was won by Linda Williams with 'Het is een wonder'), but the two songs were released as a single.

It became a small success for Maribelle: the single reached the Dutch Top 40, where it peaked at number 36 during a four week run.

My collection: 7" single no. 3296
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Marionette' / 'Fantasie'

She - Vegas

The second single from Vegas' debut (and only) album was 'She', a cover of the 1974 song by Charles Aznavour. It was written by Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer and reached number one in the UK. Terry Hall and David Stewart must have hoped to repeat that success, but alas they weren't able to: the single peaked at number 43 and stayed in the chart for only four weeks.

The single was notable for the B-side, which was a 'disco mix' of the track. As far as I know, it's the only remix of a Vegas track ever released.

My collection: 7" single no. 2181

Found: Record Exchange, London, September 27, 1994

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'She' / 'She (disco mix)'

Download: cd-single 'She', including both tracks