Radio gaga - Queen

Queen released 'Radio gaga' as the first single from their new album 'The works' in February 1984. After having been absent from the music scene for almost two years, it was perceived as a 'comeback' single. It performed better than any single they'd released in the Eighties up until that point and went number 1 in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. In the UK the single peaked at number 2.

The song was a commentary of the invention of television overtaking radio's popularity, and how one would listen to radio for their favorite comedy, drama, sci-fi programs and so on as well as the advent of the music video and MTV. The 12" single featured an extended version of the track, as well as an instrumental version. (The instrumental version actually contains some vocals.) Both were longer than the original album version.

My collection: 12" single no. 497

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, 2003

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Radio gaga (extended version)' / 'Radio gaga (instrumental)', 'I go crazy'

Whenever you need me - T'pau

After an absence from the pop scene for three years, T'pau returned in 1991 with a new album, 'The Promise' and a new single, 'Whenever you need me'. The single was a bigger success than any of the three singles drawn from the previous album 'Rage', peaking at number 16 in the UK. However, the band had lost its European appeal, because the single did not chart on the continent.

Personally I felt that T'pau had regained the power of their debut album, and I bought 'The Promise' very soon after it came out. It was one of my favourite albums of the year.

My collection: 7" single no. 1440

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 18, 1991

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Whenever you need me' / 'All the love'

Little girl - Sandra

Released as the third and final single from Sandra's debut album 'The Long Play', 'Little girl' rose to number 2 in Israel and number 3 in Italy. In other countries, the chart performance was disappointing, peaking at number 12 in Germany and not charting in the Netherlands at all.

Perhaps it's not surprising: 'Little girl' wasn't the big surprise 'Maria Magdalena' and 'In the heat of the night' were. Sandra and her husband Michael Cretu were smart enough to realise that new material was needed; later on in 1986 they would release Sandra's second album with new singles to accompany it.

My collection: 7" single no. 2110

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, June 4, 1994

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Little girl' / 'Sisters and brothers'

Sit down - James

James performed an acoustic session on Dutch radio in the early Nineties. The track 'Sit down' was included on a cd compilation, and greatly impressed me. I started getting curious what the original track sounded like, so I started searching for the original single. Well, it was a more powerful version but somehow I didn't get into it. Now that I heard it again recently, I was convinced that this was actually a great track.

The single spent three weeks at number 2 in the UK singles chart, being held off the top spot by 'The one and only' by Chesney Hawkes. Later on the band had to sell the rights to the song to Mercury Records to help pay off debts to the record company.

My collection: 7" single no. 2331

Found: Record fair, June 25, 1995

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Sit down' / 'Sit down (Live at G-mex)'

Wrong - Depeche Mode

The Netherlands have never been very friendly towards Depeche Mode. Having released over 40 singles, they only managed about a dozen hits in the low countries. It is no surprise that their most recent single, 'Wrong' did not chart in the Netherlands as well. Still, it was a number 1 hit in Italy, Latvia and Spain, and peaked at number 2 in Germany.

And Germany, that's where this single was made. The text 'platte in mehrfarbigem vinyl' on the sleeve pictured here simply means that the disc was pressed on vinyl of multiple colours. Basically it's a darkred disc with some splatters of black for good measure.

My collection: 7" single no. 3616

Found: recordstore.co.uk, received April 2009

Cost: 5 euro

Tracks: 'Wrong' / 'Oh well (edit)'

Close (to the edit) - Art of Noise

'Close (to the edit)' is one of the weirdest tracks I heard back in 1984. It took me some time to get used to this seemingly random array of noises. It takes its title from 'Close to the edge' by Yes, and also samples 'Owner of a lonely heart' by the same group. The single heavily features the recorded sample of a car, a VW Golf, belonging to band member J. J. Jeczalik's neighbour, stalling and restarting.

'Close (to the edit)' did not chart initially. It still reached number 8 in the UK singles chart when it was re-released in November 1984.

My collection: 7" single no. 2009

Found: October 18, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Close (to the edit)' / 'A time to hear (who's listening)'

Down, deep inside - Donna Summer

'Down deep inside' is the theme song from the 1977 film 'The Deep'. The film's score was written by British composer John Barry and the lyric to the main theme were written and performed by disco singer Donna Summer. The single peaked at number 6 in the Netherlands and number 5 in the UK.

The film soundtrack LP also contained a slower tempo version of the song, and an extended version of the original later appeared on a cd version of Summer's 1978 'Live and More' album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2106

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, June 4, 1994

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Down, deep inside' (Donna Summer) / 'Theme from The Deep' (John Barry)

Getting away with it - Electronic

Electronic debuted in 1989 with this single, 'Getting away with it', written by Bernard Sumner from New Order, Johnny Marr, ex-Smiths guitarist, and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant. The lyric is a parody of Marr's Smiths partner Morrissey and his public stereotyping as morose and masochistic. Vocals were performed by Sumner and Tennant on this track.

The sleeve of the single was designed by Peter Saville, who used an elegant stock photo of a glass of whisky. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 2198

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, October 8, 1994

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Getting away with it' / 'Lucky bag (edit)'

Life's what you make it - Talk Talk

Released as the first single from Talk Talk's third album 'The colour of spring' (1986), 'Life's what you make it' caught my attention because of the strong piano hook. At the time, it was said that the only bass sound of the track came from the piano, and I guess that's a good call.

The chart performance of this single was good, peaking at number 16 in the UK and number 13 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 356

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Life's what you make it' / 'It's getting late in the evening'

Perfect symmetry - Keane

The title track of Keane's most recent album, 'Perfect symmetry' was released as a single in December 2008. The song was written by the band and was released as a digital download, a cd-single and this 7" vinyl single. Its limited availability made it difficult for me to get hold of it (and, by the way, partly explains the fact that this single did not chart in the UK).

At first I ordered it from the band's official website, but this proved to be a mistake. The online shop went bankrupt or something, and although they did send me all the other (older) singles I ordered, this 7" vinyl and cd-single never showed up. To this day I don't know whether I actually paid for it or not. Itried finding the singles somewhere else, but they were unavailable in most of the online stores I knew. So in the end, I ordered it last month from the new online shop on Keane's official website. With success, this time! It's a miracle.

My collection: 7" single no. 3710

Found: keane.com, received May 13, 2009

Cost: 5 pounds

Tracks: 'Perfect symmetry' / 'Staring at the ceiling'

Dansevise - Grethe og Jørgen Ingmann

'Dansevise' will always be one of the most eccentric and beautiful winning songs in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest as far as I'm concerned. Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann performed the song in 1963, representing Denmark. Grethe and Jørgen met in 1955 and got married the next year. After winning the contest, the couple got divorced in 1975. Grethe passed away on August 18, 1990.

'Dansevise' has been covered by various artists including Eurovision celebrities like Corry Brokken, Birthe Kjaer and Lys Assia.

My collection: 7" single no. 3708

Found: Marktplaats.nl, received May 13, 2009

Cost: 4 euro

Tracks: 'Dansevise' / 'Forevigt forbi'

Lucky man - Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Keith Emerson from the band The Nice and Greg Lake and Carl Palmer from King Crimson started working together after their two respective bands shared the same venue on two occasions in 1969. They released their debut album, the self-titled 'Emerson, Lake and Palmer' in 1970. This album brought forth the single 'Lucky man'. It didn't chart in the UK but it was a number 12 hit in the Netherlands.

The single pictured here is a re-release. The sleeve nor the label lists a year of release, but I could tell because the backside of the sleeve pictures subsequent albums by the band.

My collection: 7" single no. 2805

Found: January 25, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Lucky man' / 'Knife edge'

No more I love you's - Annie Lennox

'No more I love you's' was the last single by Annie Lennox to be released on the 7" vinyl format. It was a great last one, because this song received a Grammy Award in 1995 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It also went number 1 in the UK. In the Netherlands, it peaked at number 23.

The original version of this song was performed by The Lover Speaks in 1986. The B-side of this single is a cover of 'Ladies of the canyon', originally written and performed by Joni Mitchell.

My collection: 7" single no. 2240

Found: Record fair, February 18, 1995

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'No more I love you's' / 'Ladies of the canyon'

Twist of fate - Olvia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John will forever be associated with the movie 'Grease', in which she starred together with John Travolta in 1978. But does everyone know she played with him in another movie five years later? I guess not, because 'Two of a kind' was a commercial failure. Musically it was interesting mostly for Olivia's 1983 single 'Twist of fate', a rock-oriented track that also went past the record-buying audiences.

I bought a Brazilian copy of this single, which is interesting for its 33rpm speed. The B-side is a live version of 'Jolene', the song originally made famous by Dolly Parton.

My collection: 7" single no. 2232

Found: January 21, 1995

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Twist of fate' / 'Jolene'

Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants

In November 1981, Adam & the Ants released their third album, the highly successful 'Prince Charming'. The band had two UK number 1 singles. 'Stand and deliver' was the number 1 single in the UK for 5 weeks in May 1981, followed by 'Prince Charming', which topped the UK charts for 4 weeks in September 1981.

'Prince Charming' was released in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, which was even released on the European continent - which in itself was a rarity. I was always jealous of the copy my sister had since right when it was released, so I was really relieved when I finally bought my own copy a few years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 384

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Prince Charming' / 'Christian D'Or'

Ik hou van jou - Maribelle

Hard to believe, but it's twentyfive years ago that Maribelle represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Ik hou van jou' ('I love you'). The song finished 13th in a field of 19 competitors ('below Turkey', the Dutch rightwing newspaper 'de Telegraaf' cried in outrage). When you hear the debilitating noise of this year's Dutch entry, it's hard to believe that this country was once able to come up with a simple and effective ballad like this. The song has been covered by artists like Cilla Black, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jose Carreras and John McCook (yes, the 'Bold and the Beautiful' actor).

Maribelle didn't have a big hit with this in the Netherlands: the single peaked at number 33 in the Dutch top 40. She also recorded an English version, 'In love with you'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2158

Found: Bea Records, 1993

Cost: 4 guilders

Tracks: 'Ik hou van jou' / 'Maar vanavond'

Never again - Tomas Ledin and Agnetha Fältskog

Tomas Ledin was born on February 25, 1952 in Rätan, Sweden. He started his career in pop music in 1972, debuting with his single 'Då ska jag spela'. After six studio albums and one live album, Ledin was approached by Abba's Benny Andersson to record for the band's company Polar Music. He joined Abba as a backing vocalist during their tour, but also got the chance to sing his own composition 'Not bad at all' during the show.

In 1982, he released the duet 'Never again' with Agnetha Fältskog from Abba. The song reached number 1 in Chile and was popular across Europe. In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 24 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1396

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, March 7, 1991

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Never again' (Tomas Ledin and Agnetha Fältskog) / 'Just for the fun' (Tomas Ledin)

Rush rush - Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul was born on June 19, 1962. In the 1980s, Abdul rose from being a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to being a sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era, then to being a pop singer with a string of hits in the late Eighties and early Nineties. After her debut album 'Forever your girl' had been incredibly successful worldwide, she released her second album 'Spellbound' in 1991.

The first single from that album was 'Rush rush'. The single was promoted with a music video with a 'Rebel without a cause' motif featuring Keanu Reeves in the role originally played by James Dean. As the first ballad ever released by Abdul as a single, it seemed like a risky choice, but it paid off: 'Rush rush' was a number 1 hit in America, peaking at number 6 in the UK and number 9 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1444

Found: June 1, 1991

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Rush rush (7" edit)' / 'Rush rush (Dub mix)'

Echo my heart - Lindy Layton

After the release of 'Silly games' Lindy Layton's debut album 'Pressure' (1991) followed. It was mostly produced by Norman Cook and Driza Bone. Her second solo single was 'Echo my heart', which peaked at number 42 in the UK.

I didn't buy this single for a long time, despite the fact that the shop had it for months at the same price. In the end, my curiosity could no longer be contained. I bought the single but didn't play it very often.

My collection: 7" single no. 2477

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 30, 1995

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Echo my heart' / 'This isn't fair'

The thin wall - Ultravox

'The thin wall' was released as the first single from Ultravox's 1981 album 'Rage in Eden'. Like the album, the single was produced by Conny Plank. Its stark synthesizer-based music was similar to Ultravox's previous singles from the album 'Vienna'. The band was rewarded with a reasonably good chart placing, peaking at number 14 in the UK singles chart.

I bought the single twice: the regular version on black vinyl in 1995, and a few years later the limited edition pressing on clear vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 2485 / no. 3228

Found: Record exchange, London, October 30, 1995 / London, 2004

Cost: 1 pound / 1 pound

Tracks: 'The thin wall' / 'I never wanted to begin'

Ik wil alles met je delen - Maywood

The sisters Alie en Doetie de Vries took on the names Alice May and Caren Wood and formed the duo Maywood in 1978. Their songs - performed in English - were mostly theatrical ballads and popsongs. Their early work was produced by ex-Kayak drummer Pim Koopman. After their success seemed to elude them in the late Eighties, they tried to regain public profile by representing the Netherlands in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest.

The song 'Ik wil alles met je delen' ('I want to share everything with you') wasn't the success they were hoping for: they finished 15th in the Contest. After this, the duo fell apart and even went to court on a few occasions. Alice May is still touring the Netherlands with Maywood songs these days.

My collection: 7" single no. 3687

Found: Private seller, received May 4, 2009

Cost: 3 euro

Tracks: 'Ik wil alles met je delen' / 'Wat zijn we met de wereld aan het doen'

From a lover to a friend - Paul McCartney

The sticker on the sleeve of this single states that the profits from the sales of this single will go to aid families of the New York firemen and police. This statement makes it clear that the single was released after September 11, 2001. And indeed it was: although 'From a lover to a friend' was recorded earlier in the year, the single was released in October 2001.

Still, the subject matter of the single doesn't have much to do with the events in New York: it's a personal song in which Paul McCartney tries to come to terms with the death of his wife Linda McCartney. When he sings 'Let me love again', little does he know that he will fall victim to greedy mrs. Mills. But did the police and firemen in New York get a lot of money? I doubt it; the single only made number 45 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 3351

Found: HMV, London, November 2001

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'From a lover to a friend' / 'Riding into Jaipur'

When the snow falls - Ten Sharp

The band Ten Sharp debuted in January 1985 with this single, 'When the snow falls'. It was quite an impressive debut, with its melodramatic chorus and heavy instrumentation. But even though critics were very positive about this single, the record-buying audiences were not impressed: the single stalled in the Dutch bubbling under chart and did not reach the Top 40. After three more singles, the band fell apart.

However, after Ten Sharp returned with only core members Marcel Kapteijn and Niels Hermes remaining, they had a big European hit with 'You'. This led to them recording a debut album 'Under the water-line'. This album featured a version of 'When the snow falls'.

My collection: 7" single no. 262

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'When the snow falls' / 'Time and time'

Love is like oxygen - Sweet

The Sweet were a popular glam rock band throughout the Seventies in the UK, racking up no less than 10 top 10 hits, including one number 1 hit. 'Love is like oxygen' was their last hit single, peaking at number 9 in the UK singles chart. The single was released after the band had switched labels and took on a different style, comparable to Electric Light Orchestra. Indeed, 'Love is like oxygen' is often mistaken for an ELO song.

In the Netherlands, the single peaked at number 16. I think I've always liked the song, but I did forget about it for a couple of years. When I heard it again in the early Nineties, I started to look for this single. It took me ages to finally find it.

My collection: 7" single no. 2840

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 5, 1997

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Love is like oxygen' / 'Cover girl'

Mirror man - Human League

'Mirror man' was released in November 1982 as the first single after the Human League's hugely successful 'Dare!' album and tour. The track was reportedly inspired by the Motown sound. The lyric was subject to a lot of speculation, until in 1988 Phil Oakey revealed that it was about Adam Ant. Oakey had become concerned that Adam was starting to believe his own publicity, and was in danger of losing touch with reality. Oakey had avoided revealing this at the time for fear of offending the song's subject.

The single became a number two hit in the UK, and peaked at number 24 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2815
Found: Record fair, February 1, 1997
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Mirror man' / 'You remind me of gold'

White horse - Laid Back

The Danish group Laid Back was formed by Tim Stahl and John Guldberg in Copenhagen in 1979. After hitting it big in Europe in 1982 with 'Sunshine reggae', they released 'White horse', an anti-drug abuse themed track about people who were lured into the drug culture/lifestyle that was commonplace in the 1980s.

The single reached number 17 in the Netherlands and also was a number 1 hit in the American dance/disco chart (as shown on the sleeve).

My collection: 7" single no. 2796

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 14, 1996

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'White horse' / 'Don't be mean'

I got a feeling - Lisa Stansfield

Before Lisa Stansfield hit it big in 1989, performing vocals on the Coldcut track 'People hold on', she tried her hand at solo singles for a couple of years. This was one of them: 'I got a feeling', a track written by Lamont Dozier and Brian and Edward Holland, better known as the Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland.

This single, released in 1983, was not a hit, just like early singles 'Alibis' (1981), 'The only way' (1982) and 'Listen to your heart' (1983).

My collection: 7" single no. 2675
Found: Record Exchange, London, July 2, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'I got a feeling' / 'Red lights'

You're history - Shakespear's sister

'You're history' was released as the second single by Shakespear's Sister after the double A-side 'Heroine/Break my heart', which failed to chart in 1988. In the summer of 1989, 'You're history' became their first UK hit peaking at number 7 on the UK singles chart.

The single was released as a limited edition box set featuring the single, a full colour poster and a lyric sheet.

My collection: 7" single no. 2751

Found: October 28, 1996

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'You're history' / 'Dirty mind (Live in Leningrad)'

Bohemian rhapsody - Queen

What can you write about a monumental piece of music like 'Bohemian rhapsody' that hasn't already been written dozens of times - and with more eloquence - by others? Suffice to say that a lengthy article in Wikipedia contains all you need to know.

This sleeve of the Dutch pressing of 'Bohemian rhapsody' is quite amusing for it lists the B-side as 'With my car I'm in love'. The track is of course named 'I'm in love with my car'.

My collection: 7" single no. 305

Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Bohemian rhapsody' / 'I'm in love with my car'

Just outside of heaven - H2O

H2O were a Scottish band, formed in 1978 in Glasgow by Colin Ferguson, Colin Gavigan, Ian Donaldson, Kenny Dorman, Pete Keane and Ross Alcock. Their biggest success was the synthpop single 'I dream to sleep' which reached number 17 on the UK singles chart in June 1983.

'Just outside of heaven' was the band's second single. It reached number 38 later the same year. In 1984 they released their only album 'Faith', but further success eluded them and they split soon after.

My collection: 7" single no. 2472
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 16, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Just outside of heaven' / 'Stranger to stranger'

Don't look back - Lloyd Cole

'Don't look back' was the second single taken from Lloyd Cole's first solo album, 'Lloyd Cole' (1990). It was released in a limited edition box set featuring the single (of course) and three prints. One wonder why they weren't just stuck into the sleeve of the single, but anyway...

Released in April 1990, the single didn't make the UK top 40, stalling at number 59 instead. I only knew 'No blue skies', Cole's previous single when I saw this boxset, but I took the gamble. I'm glad I did, because this song is equally great.

My collection: 7" single no. 1301

Found: Record exchange, London, October 15, 1990

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Don't look back' / 'Blame Mary Jane'

Speed of sound - Coldplay

Released as the first single from Coldplay's third album 'X&Y', the lyric of the song 'Speed of sound' was written by singer Chris Martin about his daughter Apple. He explains: 'That's a song where we were listening to a lot of Kate Bush last summer, and we wanted a song which had a lot of tom-toms in it. I just had my daughter up also, and was kind of feeling in a sense of awe and wonderment, so the song is kind of a Kate Bush song about miracles.'

The single was released in May 2005. It reached number 2 in the UK, being held off the top spot by Crazy Frog's cover of 'Axel F'. In America, the single peaked at number 8 and in the Netherlands it reached number 6.

My collection: 7" single no. 3413

Found: HMV, London, 2005

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Speed of sound' / 'Things I don't understand'

Save your kisses for me - Brotherhood of man

Songwriter and producer Tony Hiller formed the group Brotherhood of man in 1969. The early lineup consisted of John Goodison, Tony Burrows, Roger Greenaway, Sue Glover and Sunny Leslie. After a few years they were replaced by Martin Lee, Lee Sheriden, Sandra Stevens and Nicky Stevens. This lineup was the one that participated in the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest in an effort to make a big impact in UK as well as in Europe.

'Save your kisses for me' was a number 1 hit in the UK two weeks before the Contest final. During the Contest final it was awarded the maximum twelve points by seven countries, totalling 164 points compared to the second-placed French entry with 147 points. After their Eurovision win, the song became the biggest selling single for a winning entry in the history of the Contest. It reached number 1 in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Norway and eventually sold more than five million copies.

My collection: 7" single no. 3569

Found: La la land, Den Haag, January 31, 2009

Cost: 1,5 euro

Tracks: 'Save your kisses for me' / 'Let's love together'

S.O.S. - Abba

'S.O.S.' was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. The title itself was coined by Stig, though the lyrics he provided were re-written by Ulvaeus. 'S.O.S.' was among the first three songs recorded for the group's upcoming 1975 album, ABBA. Despite the song's catchiness, it was passed over as the lead single from the album; the track 'So long' was chosen instead. 'So long' was chosen primarily because it had the same uptempo beat as their 1974 hit single, 'Waterloo'.

After 'So long' performed less well than expected, 'S.O.S.' became Abba's comeback single. It was a number one hit in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa. In the UK, the single peaked at number 6 and in the Netherlands at number 2. Abba would from then on remain a force to be recogned with in pop music.

I have two versions of the single: I first bought the French edition (pictured above) during a record fair. 18 months later I bought a Dutch pressing (pictured below). When I bought the cd-singles box set a few years ago, the sleeve of 'S.O.S.' was different. So now I'm still looking for the German edition...

My collection: 7" single no. 2049 / no. 2298

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, November 13, 1993 / Record fair, Utrecht, May 27, 1995

Cost: 3 guilders / 2 guilders

Tracks: 'S.O.S.' / 'Man in the middle'