Tie uuteen päivään - Markku Aro

Markku Aro was born as Markku Tuomas Puputti on 3 February 1950 in Mouhijärvi, Finland. Together with the pop duo Koivistolaiset he represented his country at the 1971 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Tie uuteen päivään' ('Road to a new day'). The song deals with the progress of humanity towards "a new day", contending that this is not something to be afraid of. The song finished in eighth place, in a field of 18 competitors.

This single may not look much - and the center has been pushed out unfortunately - but it is a true collector's item: for a couple of years no other copy has been offered for sale online, and so I am still happy to have this one. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6485
Found:  Discogs.com, received 12 October 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Tie uuteen päivään' / 'Silmät ja suu'

I still have faith in you - Abba

One of the most anticipated comebacks of all time: it's easy to see that when Abba announced not only a few new tracks (which were already announced a couple of years ago), but a full album, the music world shook on its foundations. During a live streamed press moment the music video for 'I still have faith in you' was shown - undoubtedly an emotional moment for Abba fans worldwide.

While it is easy to get caught up in this hype, the question remains: is the new song any good? Without reservation I would say, yes of course. Thankfully they remained true to their own sound and didn't employ rappers, modern producers or "big names". They just made their own music, and released it, thankfully, on 7" vinyl as well. The only disappointing thing is that they didn't include a B-side: that side is etched with the lyrics of the song. That's beautiful, of course, but another song would have been nicer.

My collection: 7" single no. 6444
Found: Platenzaak.nl, received 4 September 2021
Cost: € 9,99
Tracks: 'I still have faith in you'

You don't have to say you love me - Dusty Springfield

I do have versions of this song by Michael Ball and Guys and Dolls, but the version by Dusty Springfield remains the best of all times. The original version of the song comes from Italy and was introduced at the Sanremo Festival by Pino Donaggio as 'Io che non vivo (senza te)'. The song reached the final at Sanremo and, as recorded by Donaggio, reached No. 1 in Italy in March 1965.

Dusty Springfield, who participated at the 1965 Sanremo Festival, was in the audience when Donaggio performed the song and, although she did not know the meaning of the lyrics, the song moved Springfield to tears. She obtained an acetate recording of Donaggio's song, but allowed a year to go by before actively pursuing the idea of recording an English version. English lyrics were provided by her friend Vicki Wickham together with her own friend Simon Napier-Bell. Dusty's recording became a number 1 hit in the UK and went top 10 in most of the other countries around the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6471
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $2
Tracks: 'You don't have to say you love me' / 'Little by little'

Having it all - Eighth Wonder feat. Patsy Kensit

Most people know the movie 'Absolute beginners' from the single 'Absolute beginners' by David Bowie, but this movie had so much more to offer. Who could forget Sade's beautiful song 'Killer blow'? It's a shame that was never released as a single.

I thought the same about 'Having it all', performed in the movie by Patsy Kensit from Eighth Wonder. I was surprised, and pleased, to find that this song was released as a single, albeit in Japan only. The jazzy track is a departure from their other material, which is much more synth-driven, but I guess that's what makes this track extra special.

My collection: 7" single no. 6467
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $5
Tracks: 'Having it all' / 'Stay with me (instrumental)'

Forever autumn - Vigrass & Osborne

'Forever autumn' is a rather familiar title on this blog: I own a UK single, a Dutch single and a re-released single from 1989. One thing was still missing, though: the original version by Paul Vigrass and Gary Osborne.

They wrote the song together with Jeff Wayne. It was Wayne who wrote the original melody as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album 'Queues'. Their interpretation was also released as a single and gained moderate commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a top-20 hit on the country's record chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6466
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 October 2021
Cost: $3
Tracks: 'Forever autumn' / 'Men of learning'

En un mundo nuevo - Waldo de los Rios

In 1971, Karina represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'En un mundo nuevo'. It was a successful entry for the country, because it finished in second place. The song was arranged and conducted by Waldo de los Rios, who was smart enough to also record a version of the song himself - albeit instrumental. This single presents that version.

Waldo de los Ríos (real name: Osvaldo Nicolás Ferraro Gutiérrez) was a native of Buenos Aires who relocated to the USA in 1958 and then Spain in 1962. He is best-remembered for his ability to transform European classical music into pop music. De los Ríos committed suicide in 1977. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6464
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'En un mundo nuevo' / 'Pamperito'

Este mundo - Katja Ebstein

Katja Ebstein represented Germany in 1971 with the song 'Diese Welt'. And just like the song 'Wunder gibt es immer wider' (which she recorded in Spanish as 'Siempre hay algun milagro'), she recorded this song in Spanish. 'Este mundo' was released in Spain just after her Eurovision appearance. Strange thing is, the B-side was still in German, unlike that other Spanish single.

'Diese Welt' reached third place in the 1971 edition of Eurovision. In her autobiography, Ebstein wrote: "For me, this placement was the international breakthrough... I took bronze, with the eco-song 'Diese Welt' by Dieter Zimmermann and Fred Jay."

My collection: 7" single no. 6463
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Este mundo' / 'Wind in der Nacht'