The twin brothers Hans and Rob Keller were born and raised in Hilversum, the Netherlands. Together with Lidy Sluyter they formed the trio Chips in 1979. Their debut single 'You name it... I'll do it' was produced by Hans van Hemert.
It was a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 26. After this one single, subsequent singles failed to reach the chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3286 Found: February 24, 2001 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'You name it... I'll do it' / 'Ooh... the night'
'Kalimba de Luna' was originally released as a single by Italian musician Tony Esposito in 1984. It was covered almost instantly by Boney M for the German market. The lead vocals were performed by new group member Reggie Tsiboe, who was originally scheduled to release it as a solo single. The plans were changed, and 'Kalimba de luna' became a new Boney M single, released in the autumn of 1984.
Neither Liz Mitchell nor Marcia Barrett sang on this recording - the backing vocals were done by producer Frank Farian, Amy & Elaine Goff, and vocal group La Mama (Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis and Judy Cheeks). The single became Boney M's first hit single in three years, peaking at number 27 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 246 Found: Cochem, Germany, October 1984 Cost: - (present) Tracks: 'Kalimba de luna' / '10.000 lightyears'
The fourth and final single from A-ha's third album 'Stay on these roads' was 'You are the one'. The track was remixed by Justin Strauss to give the track some extra 'punch'. The strategy worked in some countries: in the UK, for instance, the single reached number 13. In the Netherlands the audience was less impressed: the single did not chart.
The B-side was one of the album's strongest tracks, the lengthy 'Out of blue comes green'. After two rather disappointing singles (for me at least), the band was back on track.
My collection: 7" single no. 696 Found: Present, December 5, 1988 Cost: - Tracks: 'You are the one (remix)' / 'Out of blue comes green'
Adding insult to injury, ABC released a second single from their disappointing fifth album 'Up' (1989). This second single performed even worse in the charts than 'One better world', peaking at number 68 in the UK singles chart.
After this single, the record company quickly released a compilation album, and must have felt some relief to see an end to the recording contract with the band. Fortunately, further releases were better than 'Up', which despite its title was the lowpoint of their career.
My collection: 7" single no. 1059 Found: London, October 18, 1989 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'The real thing (edit)' / 'The greatest love of all (edit)'
After Terry Hall left the band Fun Boy Three, he went on to form The Colourfield together with ex-Swinging Cats members Toby Lyons and Karl Shale. Their third album 'Deception' was released in 1987 and featured various session musicians as a result of Lyons leaving the band.
The two singles released from the album were both cover versions: 'Running away' was originally recorded by Sly & The Family Stone in 1971, whereas 'She' was composed by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. The singles did not chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 2993 Found: May 27, 1998 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'She' / 'Monkey in winter'
Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Alison Moyet released her third solo album 'Hoodoo' in 1991. The album was a firm step away from the glossy pop songs on the previous two albums and sounded a lot more mature and personal.
Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, but the singles fared less well. The second single from the album was 'Wishing you were here'. It only reached number 72 during its one week residence in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1448 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 15, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Wishing you were here' / 'Back where I belong'
'The lovecats' was released by the Cure in 1983. It was the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 7. Originally a non-album single, it later appeared on the compilation album 'Japanese whispers'.
The single was accompanied by another Tim Pope directed music video featuring lots of cats, both living and stuffed ones.
My collection: 7" single no. 2867 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 1997 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'The lovecats' / 'Speak my language'