Merry Christmas darling - The Carpenters

The voice of Karen Carpenter is almost universally lauded as one of the loveliest ever recorded. No wonder, then, that the Carpenters tried their hand at a Christmas recording. 'Merry Christmas darling' was originally recorded in 1970. The single reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.

In 1978, The Carpenters issued their 'Christmas Portrait' album, which contained a new remix of 'Merry Christmas Darling'. The original 1970 mix continued to be used for all single releases, however. The major difference between it and the 1978 version is a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter on the latter. Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister's very best.

My collection: 7" single no. 5008
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Merry Christmas darling' / 'Ticket to ride', 'Saturday'

Christmas through your eyes - Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan was very popular in the second half of the Eighties, but it seemed she lost her touch in the Nineties somehow. She remained popular for her solid fanbase, of course, but the rest of the world didn't seem to care as much anymore.

Maybe her music became too predictable. Even 'Christmas through your eyes', released in 1992 in time for the Christmas season, never became a seasonal classic, which for most artists is very easy once they have become a household name. The song is nice enough, but the Megamix on the B-side is a nice treat, too.

My collection: 7" single no. 4996
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 15, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Christmas through your eyes' / 'Megamix'

Saturday night - The Blue Nile

I bought this 12" single of 'Saturday night' a few years after its release. When I spotted it, I wasn't entirely sure whether a cd-single of this release also existed - and so I snapped it up. Of course, a few years later I would find the cd-single with exactly the same track listing. Still, it is nice to showcase this disc here - and on a Saturday too.

On the B-side an instrumental piece called 'Our lives' appears, divided in three parts, entited 'Lost', 'Bolivia' and 'New York'.

My collection: 12" single no. 209
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1994
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Saturday night (edit)', 'Saturday night (album version)' / 'Our lives'

The big sky - Kate Bush

The last release from Kate Bush's milestone album 'Hounds of love' was 'The big sky'. The track was remixed for the single release and the 12" single featured an extended remix of the track plus a previously unreleased B-side called 'Not this time', a euphoric singalong track that remains quite rare in Kate's musical output.

I remember having a hard time deciding to buy this disc. Of course I was very much into Kate Bush but the constant flow of singles meant a drain on my pocket money. In the end, I bought this disc a few months after its release - just before it became unavailable in fact.

My collection: 12" single no. 31
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'The big sky (Metereological mix)' / 'Not this time', 'The morning fog'

I'm not scared - Eighth wonder

The Pet Shop Boys produced 'I'm not scared' for Eighth Wonder, the group with frontwoman Patsy Kensit. She appeared in the BBC programme 'Saturday kitchen' earlier this month, with some people commenting that she looked like she'd had some cosmetic surgery done. Shame, because she always looked so great in the past and cosmetic surgery rarely does anything to enhance looks. Just ask Pete Burns.

The single 'I'm not scared' was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Phil Harding. This 12" single features an extended 'disco mix'. I looked for the cd-single for ages, but it's very hard to find a copy for a reasonable price. So in the mean time, this disc will have to do.

My collection: 12" single no. 433
Found: House of Rhythm, London, 2003
Cost: 1,4 pounds
Tracks: 'I'm not scared (disco mix)' / 'I'm not scared', 'J'ai pas peur'

Secret land - Sandra

Personally I consider 'Secret land' to be one of Sandra's best ever tracks. The 12" single was particularly interesting for its inclusion of both an extended remix (called the 'reverse mix') and a dub version. The melody of the track and the rhythms are engaging enough to keep the listener interested throughout the length of the entire disc.

'Secret land' was taken from Sandra's third album, which again I consider to be her best. After this album, her music became increasingly 'Enigma'-ish, and less pop.

My collection: 12" single no. 204
Found: Marik, Vienna, July 1994
Cost: 99 Schilling
Tracks: 'Secret land (Reverse mix)' / 'Secret land (single version)', 'Secret land (dub mix)'

Hounds of love - Kate Bush

The third single from Kate Bush's classic album 'Hounds of love' (1985) was the title track. Released in February 1986, the single came with an unreleased B-side: the near-acapella 'The handsome cabin boy'.

The 12" single featured an alternative version of 'Hounds of love', apparently created by Kate in the autumn of 1985. With less lyrics and a different backing track, it was a real treat for fans who had been waiting for the album for three years. It seemed an eternity back then, but later in life fans would learn that Kate wouldn't always be as prolific as she's been in 1978 or 2011.

My collection: 12" single no. 25
Found: Free Record Shop, 1986
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Alternative Hounds of love' / 'Jig of life', 'The handsome cabin boy'