Dallas - Jerrold Immel

Two months ago, I got me a copy of Bobby Patrick Band's interpretation of the 'Dallas' theme, but that was of course not the original version. I didn't even know if it was ever released on vinyl, but it turns out that it was. And as a child of the Eighties, of course I had to have the track.

The track features on the B-side of this single, but the A-side is best left forgotten. Written by Michel Salva and Jean Renard, it's a French retelling of the TV series' story line. For some reason, CBS Records was interested in releasing this in France, but the inclusion of the original Jerrold Immel-conducted 'Dallas theme' on the B-side warrants the 50 eurocents I shelled out for this piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 5838
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 17, 2016
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Dallas (Générique du feuilleton TV)' / 'Dallas theme'

Listen to the song

Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Some songs are classics that everyone should own. This blog is littered with them, of course, but there are some tracks that defy criticism. Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' is one such tracks.

Released on October 24, 1972, it was the lead single for Wonder's 'Talking book' album and topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA, peaking at number 10 and 11 in the Netherlands and the UK respectively. I've owned this song on CD for years already, but it's nice to finally add a 7" single to my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5837
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 17, 2016
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Superstition' / 'You've got it bad girl'

Listen to the song

Love is fire - Doris Dragovic

The Yugoslavian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986 was performed by Doris Dragovic. She sang the dramatic love ballad 'Zeljo Moja' ('My desire'), translated as 'Love is fire' for the international market. The song finished eleventh in the contest, in a field of 20 competitors.

Doris actually returned to the contest 13 years later, with the dynamic song 'Marija Magdalena', which fared a lot better: on that occasion she finished in fourth place.

My collection: 7" single no. 5836
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 17, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Love is fire' / 'Zeljo moja'

Listen to the song

Ich will, wenn ich wüsste, dass ich darf - Florian Haidt

Nik Kershaw had a big hit in 1984 with I won't let the sun go down. Such was the success of this single, that other artists were inspired to record their own version. At least, I stumbled upon a cover version from the same year, and a German translation at that.

A certain Florian Haidt released 'Ich will, wenn ich wüsste, dass ich darf' ('I would if I knew that I could') in Germany. The single was pressed on purple marbled vinyl, which added to the attraction - at least, for me. It's a chance to hear a rather unusual version of this classic Eighties song.

My collection: 7" single no. 5835
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 17, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ich will, wenn ich wüsste, dass ich darf' / 'Express (Instrumental)'

Listen to the song

Ding-a-dong - Teach In

Some singles are rather rare, and as a result, record dealers at record fairs are usually tempted to ask a high price for them. Then there are records that are not so rare, but associated to a certain event - let's say, the Eurovision Song Contest - and that's also a reason ask a minimum of 10 euros for the disc. And this one is a good example.

I found this copy in a mass of singles from a German dealer, all priced at a measly 1 euro each. Obviously, I bought it right away. Then, 10 minutes later and a few metres away, I saw another copy of this single, in a row of singles especially labeled 'Eurovision'. The price: 10 euros. And no, it didn't look any better than this one. You can imagine that I had a happy moment then and there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5832
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 16, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Ding-a-dong' / 'Hey hello'

Listen to the song

Avrei voluto - Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali

Back in 1989, I bought a compilation CD featuring all the songs from that year's Eurovision Song Contest. For obvious reasons, that CD never appeared on this blog, however many songs did make it, since I bought so many of them on 7" singles. I like all of the songs from that year, although some songs were later to be accepted than others.

Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali's 'Avrei voluto' was one of them. The raspy voice of Fausto in the first seconds was reason enough for me to skip to the next track. It's a bit of a complicated song, 'Avrei voluto', and the fact that Anna Oxa does an impressive 'We are the world'-era Cyndi Lauper impression doesn't help matters much. An attack on the ears, but still, I've grown to like this song anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5824
Found: Discogs.com, received February 5, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Avrei voluto' / 'Avrei voluto (Strumentale)'

Listen to the song

Ever so lonely - Monsoon

Monsoon's 1982 single Ever so lonely is wellknown, as it got a Europe-wide release after relative success in the UK. The single displayed here is a rare gem, however. It is an independent release from 1981 and features four tracks. The A-side features 'Ever so lonely' and 'Sunset over the Ganges' as one continuous track (where on the 1982 single they are split into two separate tracks).

This version of 'Ever so lonely' also features slightly different lyrics and less instrumentation. Released on the Indipop label, this single may have been one of the reasons for a major label to sign the group. It was quite a shock to find this single - which I'd never seen before.

My collection: 7" single no. 5831
Found: Dig Vinyl, Liverpool, February 19, 2016
Cost: £1
Tracks: 'Ever so lonely', 'Sunset over the Ganges' / 'The mirror of your mind', 'Shout (Till you're heard)'

Listen to the A-side