Reeling in the years - Steely Dan

It was a surprise for me that, after decades of not buying anything by Steely Dan, I found two singles I fancied. 'Rikki don't lose that number' was the attractive one of the two, with its picture sleeve and yellow vinyl, so this ordinary one with a record company sleeve could easily have been discarded, but it's the better track of the two. So, after a slight doubt, I just bought them both.

'Reeling in the years' was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals.  The guitar solo was recorded in one take. The single peaked at number 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but didn't chart in Europe. Still, it was regularly on the radio when I was young.

My collection: 7" single no. 7599
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Reeling in the years' / 'Only a fool would say that'

I'm gonna love you just a little more baby - Barry White

Barry White never disappoints. He may be best known for his biggest hits 'Can't get enough of your love babe' and 'You're the first, the last, my everything', but this little gem is possibly the most sensual track the man has written and produced.

'I'm gonna love you just a little more baby' was released in the spring of 1973 and reached number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 23 in the UK singles chart. The B-side of this single extends the sensual track just a little more.

My collection: 7" single no. 7613
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'I'm gonna love you just a little more baby' / 'Just a little more baby'

Puppet on a string - Al Hirt

Back in the Sixties and Seventies, trumpet players had a good time. They had an instrument that was very popular with casual record buyers and instrumental versions of big hits were all the rage. Bert Kaempfert made a nice living releasing album upon album with such tracks. Lesser gods like Piet Knarren and Eddie Calvert didn't have any money problems either.

I must confess I'd never heard of Al Hirt before, but it turns out he did very well for himself too. He received 21 Grammy nominations during his lifetime, including winning the Grammy award in 1964 for his version of 'Java'. This single features his version of the Eurovision classic 'Puppet on a string', and of course I bought it. It was only 1 euro after all.

My collection: 7" single no. 7611
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1 March 2025
Tracks: 'Puppet on a string' / 'Big honey'

 

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'