(Si Si) Je suis un rock star - Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman was born as William George Perks on October 24, 1936. He is best known as bass guitarist of the Rolling Stones, which he was between 1962 and 1992. While in the Stones, he recorded four solo albums, the third of which was 'Bill Wyman', released in 1982.

The single '(Si Si) Je suis un rock star' was released in July 1981 and became a top 20 hit in several countries. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 13, while in the UK it reached number 14.

My collection: 7" single no. 3829
Found: Zeeheldenfestival, Den Haag, July 4, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: '(Si Si) Je suis un rock star' / 'Rio de Janeiro'

Blaze of glory - Joe Jackson

It is printed on the sleeve and on the label of this single: 'For promotion only Not for sale'. So was 'Blaze of glory' released commercially as a single? You would guess not, because it is not listed in his discography on Wikipedia and discogs.com. Yet, I do have a cd-single which does not come with the 'promotion only' warning... How strange!

Anyway, 'Blaze of glory' is the title track of Joe Jackson's 1989 album. The on the album were an examination of his generation as the Eighties were ending, ranging from the optimism of the Fifties ('Tomorrow's world') to the politics of terrorism ('Rant and rave', included here on the B-side). The title track tells the story of a singer who is successful, but then dies young.

My collection: 7" single no. 1117
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, December 1, 1989
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Blaze of glory' / 'Rant and rave'

She's out of my life - Michael Jackson

It's hard to believe now, but 20 years ago, when you wanted to hear a song and not be dependent of radio stations, you actually had to buy records. You could also opt for cd's, but since my money resources were limited, I usually bought singles. And this is how I ended up with this single from the 'Hall of fame' series by Epic Records.

'She's out of my life' was an old song from 1980, which I did not have. I really wanted to have it, and while I am usually searching for picture sleeves, in this instance I made do with this release. Even if it didn't look that attractive, and even if the B-side was already part of my collection. These days, most people just download tracks somewhere. Life has become so much easier.

My collection: 7" single no. 1079
Found: HMV, London, October 19, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'She's out of my life' (Michael Jackson) / 'Lovely one' (Jacksons)

I'll wait - Taylor Dayne

Even though the American double 12" single of 'I'll wait' contains no less than 7 remixes of the track, the 'US 7" mix' is not on it. That one is included on the B-side of this single, which I bought almost a year after I bought the 12" format.

By that time, I was merely completing my collection, not so much an avid Taylor Dayne fan anymore. That star had faded fast, unfortunately.

My collection: 7" single no. 2360
Found: June 30, 1995
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'I'll wait (Hot mix)' / 'I'll wait (US 7" mix)'

More than the sun - Black

'More than the sun' was the second single by Black. Unlike the debut single 'Human features', this single was released on the independent 'Wonderful world of...' label. It is an early version of a track that Black would re-record in 1984, when they were signed to WEA Records. The B-side 'Jump' is an even bigger rarity, since that track never appeared again.

I ordered this single, together with another early Black release, in the UK, although I can't remember from which company. I received it some time after I ordered it. It was a very special moment: I was filling in some much-lamented gaps in my Black collection.

By the way: if you go to Black's official website, you can download the new album 'The Given' for free! (Donations welcome.)

My collection: 7" single no. 2626
Found: received March 9, 1996
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'More than the sun' / 'Jump'

Love is - Vikki

Vikki Watson was born in 1959 in Liss, Hampshire (UK). As a child she took singing and dancing lessons, and then went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She wanted to become an opera singer, but soon realized that her voice was more suited to popular music.

In 1985 she represented the United Kingdom during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Love is', gaining fourth place. The single reached number 49 in the UK singles chart. She toured the United States and then returned to her Celtic roots. She did well in terms of touring, television shows and live work, yet a difficult lifestyle coupled with the commercial direction of the material, drove her to emigrate to the United States. These days she is performing world music under the pseudonym Aeone.

My collection: 7" single no. 3828
Found: 45toeren.nl, received July 3, 2009
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Love is' / 'Lead me through the darkness'

Livin' thing - Electric Light Orchestra

'Livin' thing' was written by Jeff Lynne and appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album 'A New World Record'. In the UK and Canada the single peaked at number 4, whereas in the Netherlands ELO scored their first top 10 hit with this, peaking at number 6. According to 'Unzipped', Suzi Quatro's autobiography, her sister Patti sang uncredited backing vocals on the track, particularly the 'higher and higher' parts.

The chorus of the song ('It's a livin' thing / It's a terrible thing to lose / It's a given thing / What a terrible thing to lose') has been subjected to frequent interpretation, because the lyric never explicitly identifies what 'it' is. This has led to the interpretation by some that the song was intended as an anti-abortion or a pro-environmentalist statement. Lyrical imagery elsewhere in the song may also give support to these impressions. Jeff Lynne has stated that the song was intended to be about love and the loss of love.

My collection: 7" single no. 3819
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, July 2, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Livin' thing' / 'Fire on high'