Honey, Honey - Abba

Although I own quite a lot of Abba singles now, this one represents the first time that the song 'Hasta mañana' appears on a single. It was released as the B-side of the Dutch version of 'Honey, Honey', back in 1974. 

It's an interesting song, 'Hasta mañana', especially considering its history. Initially fearing that 'Waterloo' might be too risky to enter for the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, the group considered performing the ballad 'Hasta mañana' instead, as they thought that it was more in style with previous Eurovision winners. Eventually, they decided on 'Waterloo', primarily because it featured Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sharing lead vocals, whereas 'Hasta mañana' had Fältskog as the sole lead vocalist. What happened next... well, you know.

My collection: 7" single no. 7608
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Honey, Honey' / 'Hasta mañana'

It don't matter to me - Bread

'It don't matter to me' is a song written by David Gates and originally recorded by the pop-rock group the Cryan Shames in 1965. It was later recorded by Bread, of which Gates was a member. The single reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 6 in Canada. The single didn't chart in Europe.

I discovered Bread in the late Eighties and started buying their singles. Over time, I have managed to amass quite a lot of them, and my recent haul in Rotterdam was an impressive one. Expect to see a few more Bread singles on here soon.

My collection: 7" single no. 7606
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'It don't matter to me' / 'Call on me'

Love shines - Fleetwood Mac

The line-up of Fleetwood Mac is an intricate puzzle, because members come and go. By 1992, when 'Love shines' was released, the band consisted of Mick Fleetwood (of course!), John McVie (of course!), Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. 

'Love shines' was taken from the 'greatest hits' compilation 25 Years - The Chain, which came just four years after the successful Greatest Hits album. Since then, only the album Behind the mask had been released, so one might say this compilation was a bit of a moneygrab. The single only charted in the Netherlands (no. 51) and Germany (no. 82).

My collection: 7" single no. 7594
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Love shines' / 'The chain (previously unreleased alternate mix)'

Trans Europa Express - Kraftwerk

Buying Kraftwerk singles here and there through the years, I have managed to amass quite a collection. It's not an easy band to collect singles from: they're pretty scarce and many times they're pretty expensive. But I regularly find a good deal, and that makes it fun.

I already had 'Trans Europe Express' of course, having bought it back during a record fair in Utrecht in 2019. And now the German version of that same song was on offer during a record fair in Rotterdam. Another nice addition to my Kraftwerk collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 7600
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Trans Europa Express' / 'Franz Schubert'

Rikki don't lose that number - Steely Dan

With 'Rikki don't lose that number', the band Steely Dan had the biggest hit of their career. But what was the song about? Walter Becker stated in a 1985 interview in the magazine Musician that the "number" in question was not slang for a marijuana cigarette, and an uncharacteristically forthcoming Donald Fagen revealed that the "Rikki" in question was simply a woman he'd had a crush on in college [writer Rikki Ducornet].

This copy was pressed on yellow vinyl and comes in a slightly suggestive sleeve. The single reached number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but failed to chart in Europe.

My collection: 7" single no. 7598
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Rikki don't lose that number' / 'Any major dude will tell you'

Strawberry fields forever - The King's Singers

With a suggestive sleeve like this (there's even [gasp!] a nipple on the back cover!) and a disc pressed on red vinyl, it's no wonder that my interest was piqued. Especially when it contains a version of one of my favourite Beatles songs, 'Strawberry fields forever'. I would think this is quite a rare record, but to my surprise there's a lot of copies available online.  

The King's Singers is a British vocal ensemble founded in May 1968 in Cambridge, England.  Countertenor singers Alastair Hume & Nigel Perrin, Tenor singer Alastair Thompson, Baritone singer Simon Carrington & Anthony Holt, Bass singer Brian Kay were the former members of the ensemble.  The King's Singers are now Patrick Dunachie (countertenor), Timothy Wayne-Wright (countertenor), Julian Gregory (tenor), Christopher Bruerton (baritone), Christopher Gabbitas (baritone) and Jonathan Howard (bass).

My collection: 7" single no. 7597
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Strawberry fields forever' / 'Disney girls (1957)'

Tightrope ride - The Doors

After the sudden death of Jim Morrison, the three remaining members of The Doors soldiered on. They released an album called Other voices, and this single was taken from that album. While 'Tightrope ride' could never compare with classics like 'Light my fire', 'Touch me' or 'Riders on the storm', it is still a good example of what these men were capable of. 

Robbie Krieger later reflected: 'We probably shouldn’t have put it out that quick after Jim’s passing. We just felt like that was all we could do. We could've sat around and be depressed. Which we were. But, I don't know. The record company, Elektra, they were wanting us to continue. It wasn’t that hard of a decision.'

My collection: 7" single no. 7591
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Tightrope ride' / 'Variety is the spice of life'