With one look (The wildest dream) - Rupert Hine & Cy Curnin

Rupert Hine was one of the world's best producers, having worked with Howard Jones, Noa and Stevie Nicks, among many others. He also released some very great singles on his own, like 'Blue flame' and 'Eleven faces'. The name Cy Curnin might not ring a bell with everyone, but he is the lead vocalist of the new wave band The Fixx. 

Together they recorded 'With one look (The wildest dream)' for the soundtrack of the movie Better Off Dead, a romantic teen comedy starring John Cusack. That soundtrack also featured a song called 'Arrested by you', performed by Rupert Hine. That song was later covered by Dusty Springfield.

My collection: 7" single no. 8482
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2026
Tracks: 'With one look (The wildest dream)' / 'With one look (The wildest dream)'

Say you really want me - Kim Wilde

Last Friday a new deluxe edition of Kim Wilde's 1986 album Another Step was released, featuring 3 cd's en a dvd. It collects all the tracks she released in 1986 and 1987, including several versions of 'Say you really want me'. When I say 'several versions', I mean twelve versions. That's how much was released at the time, owing to the fact that it was first released in America and Canada, and a year later, in remixed form, in the UK.

One of the remixes was the so-called 'CHR version', released in the US and Canada in 1986. I was very pleased to find a Canadian promotional single of that version recently, and ordered it straight from Canada in fact. You'd think by now I had all of Kim Wilde's output, but of course I don't. 'Close', would be my best guess. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8481
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2026
Tracks: 'Say you really want me (CHR version)' / 'She hasn't got time for you' 

Vox - Sarah McLachlan

Although I have the commercial version of Sarah McLachlan's 'Vox' on 7", it's always a pleasure to find rare promotional discs, and this one was released in Canada only. As usual for promotional discs, it features the same track on both sides, so that DJ's wouldn't inadvertedly play the B-side of the single.

Sarah went on to make many fabulous albums, but her debut still stands out as probably the most pure collection of her early songwriting craft. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8480
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2026
Tracks: 'Vox (radio remix)' / 'Vox (radio remix)' 

Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme) - Mouth & MacNeal

If you've read the very first entry in this blog (from almost 18 years ago!) you know that for all intents and purposes 'Hello ah' by Mouth & MacNeal is my very first 7" single. Although I think it's a bit of a dodgy song it still holds a certain special place in my memory, which is why I never got rid of this single.

When I saw the German version of that song in Duisburg last week, I didn't pick it up at first. But after I went through everything I still went back to it, because the whole opportunity of owning a German version of my first single was just too good to forego. It's just too funny that I bought it over 8400 singles later.

My collection: 7" single no. 8478 
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Hello-A (Deutsche Originalaufnahme)' / 'Ladi-Lau'

Genghis Khan - Lam

George Lam is a singer, songwriter and actor from Hong Kong, born on 12 October 1947. His career spans more than four decades. 

In 1980 he released this single, featuring cover versions of 'Genghis Khan' and 'Y.M.C.A.' - in Chinese. Quite why these tracks were released in Germany is unknown, but I am pretty sure that an element of nationalism was there: 'Genghis Khan' was of course the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978, and to have it covered in a different language must have been some compliment to the Germans. But perhaps there is a different explanation (I'd love to know it). Anyway, it's a great, curious single.

My collection: 7" single no. 8477
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Genghis Khan' / 'Y.M.C.A.' 

Neutron dance - Pointer Sisters

'Neutron dance' by the Pointer Sisters was used in the movie Beverly Hills Cop, but I couldn't tell you where and if the song was even important for the story line. (My best guess is: probably not.)

The song features Ruth Pointer on lead vocals. She recalled: 'When I first heard 'Neutron Dance' I didn't want to sing it. I liked [its] rhythm and vigorous arrangement but to me the word 'neutron' had a violent connotation on account of the neutron bomb then so much in the news.' According to Ruth, she suggested to the songwriter Allee Willis that the lyric be modified: 'She told me to quit overthinking it and just sing the damn song! Luckily I shut up and listened. I gave 'Neutron Dance' a gospel feel and nailed it in a few takes.'

My collection: 7" single no. 8476
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Neutron dance' / 'Telegraph your love' 

Don't let him steal your heart away - Phil Collins

For the first time in 15 years I bought a Phil Collins single again. And it's a beauty! 'Don't let him steal your heart away' is one of the best tracks of his second solo album Hello, I must be going. It was the third single off that album, although it was only released in the UK and Ireland. In Europe the track was the B-side of 'I don't care anymore', which for its passion and fury remains the best track off the album. 

The single only reached number 45 in the UK singles chart and number 18 in Ireland, which of course is a sad fact. This should have been top 5 at least!

My collection: 7" single no. 8475
Found: 33 1/3 Schallplatten, Duisburg, 22 October 2026
Tracks: 'Don't let him steal your heart away' / 'Thunder and lightning'