Rover's return - The Korgis

I don't have an enormous amount of instrumental hit singles, and certainly the only instrumental song that became the signature track for an artist I can think of was Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular bells'. But 'Rover's return' by the Korgis is another good example.

It may have been the funny barking noises and the upbeat character of the track that caused it to be played so often on the radio in 1980. This in turn helped it become a big hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. The track was obviously less popular with UK DJ's, as it didn't chart there.

My collection: 7" single no. 2466
Found: September 9, 1995
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Rover's return' / 'Dumb waiters'

Him - Rupert Holmes

Rupert Holmes fifth album 'Partners in crime' was released in 1979. It contained his biggest hit 'Escape', but also 'Him', which was released as the follow-up. The single reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 18 in the Dutch Top 40. In the UK, the single reached number 31.

My collection: 7" single no. 2411
Found: Record fair, 1994
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Him' / 'Get outta yourself'

Kiss this thing goodbye - Del Amitri

After the chart success of 'Nothing ever happens', Del Amitri's debut single 'Kiss this thing goodbye' was re-released in 1990. A numbered limited edition 7" with a gatefold sleeve was also released; this is number 15500.

The single reached number 43 in the UK singles chart, but also managed to break the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 35. I wonder if it's the banjo in this track that did the trick...

My collection: 7" single no. 1339
Found: London, October 17, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Kiss this thing goodbye' / 'No holding on'

The ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull

'The ballad of Lucy Jordan' was originally written by American poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein and recorded by Dr. Hook.

Faithfull recorded her cover version of the song on her 1979 album 'Broken English'. It was released as a single in November 1979. Faithfull later commented that the story she intended to put across in the song was that Lucy climbs to the roof top but gets taken away by 'the man who reached and offered her his hand' in an ambulance to a mental hospital, and that the final lines ('At the age of thirty-seven she knew she'd found forever / As she rode along through Paris with the warm wind in her hair...') are actually in her imagination at the hospital. Funny, I always thought the line meant she was dead.

My collection: 7" single no. 1338
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1991
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'The ballad of Lucy Jordan' / 'Brain drain'

So hard - Pet Shop Boys

'So hard' was the first single taken from the Pet Shop Boys' 1990 album 'Behaviour'. According to Neil Tennant, the song is about 'two people living together; they are totally unfaithful to each other but they both pretend they are faithful and then catch each other out'. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 15 in the Dutch Top 40.

The B-side of this single is 'It must be obvious'. Tennant commented about this track that it 'rather horrifyingly features my first ever guitar solo'.

My collection: 7" single no. 1434
Found: April 26, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'So hard' / 'It must be obvious'

Blood makes noise - Suzanne Vega

'Blood makes noise' is the third single taken from Suzanne Vega's 1992 album '99.9 F°'. While it only reached number 60 in the UK singles chart, it was the only single from the album to achieve some chart success in other countries as well. The single reached number 61 in Australia, number 42 in New Zealand and number 27 in Canada.

The B-side was recorded live at the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland on July 26, 1991.

My collection: 7" single no. 2397
Found: London, July 6, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Blood makes noise' / 'Neighbourhood girls (live)'

The end of the innocence - Don Henley

As has become obvious to me, this blog is not only viewed by friendly people. Sometimes a prick comes along. The prick in question commented on my earlier entry on Don Henley's 'The boys of summer', suggesting that the info in that posting was not correct and that I should 'do [my] homework'. I wonder if a person like that would be able to come up with an active blog like this.

Fortunately for him, there's not much information about 'The end of the innocence', also by Don Henley. All I can say about it is that it was produced by Henley and Bruce Hornsby, with the latter also playing piano on this track. And to me the fascinating thing is that the beauty and excellence of the A-side of this single is matched by the horrible horribleness of the B-side.

My collection: 7" single no. 1149
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, January 12, 1990
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'The end of the innocence' / 'If dirt were dollars'