Sugar walls - Sheena Easton

Alexander Nevermind was credited for composing and producing Sheena Easton's 1984 single 'Sugar walls'. It was a pseudonym of Prince, marking the first time the purple midget from Minneapolis worked with the innocent Scottish girl.

'Sugar walls' was a suggestive song, for its repeating innuendo about a woman's private parts where the listener should 'come inside', adding 'Take advantage, it's all right' just to be sure. The single was not a hit in Europe, but reached number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4807
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Sugar walls' / 'Straight talking'

Love in the natural way - Kim Wilde

Such was the success of Kim Wilde's sixth album 'Close', that the record company decided to release a fifth single in early 1989. 'Love in the natural way' was released in Germany, Ireland and the UK only, but failed to chart in Germany. In the UK singles chart, the single reached number 32, whereas in Ireland it reached number 26.

This was Kim's final single release of the Eighties, the decade in which she had become the biggest selling British female solo singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 764
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 9, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Love in the natural way' / 'You'll be the one who'll lose'

Food for thought - UB40

'Food for thought' was the first single release by British reggae band UB40. The song was an attempt to publicize and condemn the Ethiopian famine in Africa, comparing it with the Western over-indulgent celebration of Christmas, a full five years before Band Aid brought the subject to widespread attention.

It was released as a double A side along with 'King', which was a song written about the late Martin Luther King, questioning the lost direction of his followers and the state of mourning of a nation after his death. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart early in 1980 and number 1 in New Zealand a few months later.

My collection: 7" single no. 4813
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Food for thought' / 'King'

Playing the blues - Maarten Peters

In early 1991, Maarten Peters came up with the follow-up to his successful 1989 album 'White horses in the snow'. Entitled 'A scary tale', it was a collection of songs mainly inspired by fairytales.

The first single 'Playing the blues', however, was not one of them. This one sounded like a poppy version of a blues track. It probably didn't sound that believable coming from a white Dutch man, because the single failed to chart even in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1397
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 9, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Playing the blues' / 'Merlin'

Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum) - Severine

In 1971, Severine won the Eurovision Song Contest for Monaco with the song 'Un banc, un arbre, une rue'. She recorded three alternative versions of the song: 'Chance in time' (English version), 'Il posto' (Italian) and 'Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)'.

This German version was released in German-speaking countries. It reached number 23 in the German singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4771
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)' / 'Ich denke oft noch an dich'

Angel - Eurythmics

'Angel' was written by Eurythmics band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. It was the fourth single taken from their album 'We too are one'.

The single reached number 23 in the UK singles chart, but failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1233
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 8, 1990
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Angel' / 'Angel (Choir version)'

Whatever happened to Benny Santini? - Chris Rea

When Chris Rea signed his first record deal with Magnet Records in 1978, they suggested he use the stage name Benny Santini. He refused, but it did inspire him to write the song 'Whatever happened to Benny Santini?'. What's more, his debut album was named after this song.

And the song in turn was released as the second single from the album. Although this single flopped all over Europe, it did manage to reach number 71 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Even more remarkable: only 'Fool (if you think it's over)' (1978) and 'Diamonds' (1979) were bigger single hits for Rea in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 4794
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Whatever happened to Benny Santini?' / 'Three angels'