If Princess had continued working with Stock, Aitken & Waterman, her entire body of work would have sounded like her debut single. So thankfully, with this single, she changed things around a bit. 'Red hot!' was produced by Richard James Burgess, giving the track a bit of a fuller sound.
It was the last time that Princess would grace the UK singles chart, reaching number 58 in the summer of 1987. This single was a limited edition, pressed on - how appropriate - red vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 2373 Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Red hot!' / 'Programmed to love you'
Sam Brown is the daughter of Sixties rocker Joe Brown and top session singer Vicki Brown. She was born on October 7, 1964 in Stratford, London, England. She began her musical career at twelve, singing backing vocals on the Small Faces album '78 in the shade' (1978). She continued doing backing vocals with Sade, Spandau Ballet and Barclay James Harvest.
In 1986, she signed a recording contract with A&M Records. Her debut single 'Walking back to me' was released in 1988. It did not chart in England, but it did reach number 65 in Germany. Little did she know that her second single would become the biggest hit of her career...
My collection: 7" single no. 1885 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 24, 1993 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Walking back to me' / 'Tender hearts'
Although this track sounds slightly rudimentary, it is the seventh single by UB40, released in 1982. 'Love is all is all right' is one of the most laidback reggae songs I ever heard in my life, which was part of the appeal.
The single reached number 29 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2405 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Love is all is all right' / 'One-a-penny'
When you compare all the sleeves of All about Eve singles through the years, this one is a pretty dismal affair. It's almost a shoddy sleeve, a piece of work that could only have resulted from disinterest from the record company.
'Some finer day' was the final single by All about Eve, the second one from their album 'Ultraviolet' (1992). It reached number 57 in the UK singles chart during its one week in the chart. Soon after this, the band was dropped from their label MCA Records and the band disbanded not long after that.
My collection: 7" single no. 1865 Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, January 30, 1993 Cost: 10 guilders Tracks: 'Some finer day' / 'Moodswing'
'What if' is a track from Coldplay's third album 'X&Y'. It was released as a single to radio stations in France and the French speaking regions in Belgium and Switzerland. A cd-single was only released commercially in Belgium, whereas this 7" vinyl single is originally part of the Coldplay Singles box set. (I managed to buy a separate single from a dealer who was apparently splitting up his box set.)
This single features the Tom Lord-Alge mix of 'What if', which differs from the album version.
My collection: 7" single no. 3496 Found: eBay.com, received December 23, 2008 Cost: 4 euro Tracks: 'What if' / 'How you see the world (live)'
At 7 minutes and 30 seconds, the original version of New Order's 'Blue Monday' is one of the longest tracks ever to chart in the UK. It was released on 12" single only, which made it an even more unique charting track. The band claimed to have written the song in response to crowd disappointment at the fact that they never played encores. This song, they say, allowed them to return to the stage, press play on a synthesiser and leave the stage again.
The track was remixed in 1988 and released as a single. This remixed version was considerably shorter and peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart (whereas the original reached number 9).
My collection: 7" single no. 2450 Found: Record fair, Leiden, September 2, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Blue Monday 1988' / 'Beach buggy'
Roger Hodgson was born on March 21, 1950 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Between 1969 and 1983 he was a member of the legendary pop group Supertramp, lending the band his distinctive vocals and also writing some of their best known songs.
After he left Supertramp, Hodgson launched into a solo career, starting off with 1984's 'In the eye of the storm'. He was credited with playing nearly all the instruments as well as writing and producing the album. The single 'Had a dream' was released in October 1984 and reached number 39 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2417 Found: All that music, Leiden, July 22, 1995 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Had a dream' / 'Only because of you'
Young Vanessa Paradis followed up her debut album 'M&J' (1987) with a second album, 'Variations sur le même t'aime' in 1990. On this album, she had French music legend Serge Gainsbourg compose songs for her. The track 'Tandem' was released as one of the singles from the album.
I bought the single without having heard it, because sometimes I like to experiment a little. Even though the song did not touch me back in 1995, I have to say I quite like it now that I've heard it again. At only 18 years old, Paradis was making some very mature music.
My collection: 7" single no. 2275 Found: Record fair, April 23, 1995 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Tandem' / 'Ophelie'
'Careless memories' was the second single by Duran Duran, released in April 1981. The choice to release this song as a single was made by the record company. They must have been unpleasantly surprised when it stalled at number 37 in the UK singles chart, after the debut single 'Planet earth' had been a top 20 hit. Subsequent singles were chosen by the band - and became big hits.
This perhaps one of the least recognised Duran Duran tracks, and I admit I didn't know the track when I bought the single. Still, as I was collecting Duran Duran, I had to have this one as well.
My collection: 7" single no. 2639 Found: April 13, 1996 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Careless memories' / 'Khanada'
Kim Wilde left RAK Records in 1984 and signed a new recording contract with MCA Records. They launched Kim Wilde with a new image, courtesy of XL Design, who were also responsible for the images of Wham! and Frankie goes to Hollywood back then. Kim's new single 'The second time' sounded fresh and exciting, the video was vibrant and full of energy and the lyric of 'The second time' was quite daring.
Still, the audiences did not fall for it immediately. The single reached number 24 in the Dutch Top 40 and at number 29 in the UK singles chart. It was quite hard for Kim to come back with a bang. I for one still think this is one of the best singles of her career.
My collection: 7" single no. 244 Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1984 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'The second time' / 'Lovers on a beach'
The second single from the Blue Nile's second album 'Hats' was a remixed version of 'Headlights on the parade'. The remix was made by Bob Clearmountain, who previously mixed tracks by artists like Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Bryan Adams. Not the most obvious person to handle a Blue Nile track, but the remix turned out quite reasonable.
It didn't help the success of the single much: it spent one week in the UK singles chart at number 72. But the Blue Nile was always an 'albums act' anyway.
My collection: 7" single no. 1295 Found: HMV, London, October 15, 1990 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Headlights on the parade (Bob Clearmountain remix)' / 'Headlights on the parade (album version)'
'Straight up' was the third single from Paula Abdul's debut album 'Forever your girl', but the first one to be a worldwide success. The single spent three weeks at number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at number 2 in Australia and number 3 in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.
I bought the single within months of its release, since I liked this song as it played on the radio. In later years, I learned to appreciate it less for its synthetic sounds and the thin voice of Abdul. But now I have to say my judgement lies somewhere in the middle: despite its flaws it's still a nice song. I bought a poster edition of the single in the UK, but only just realised that the B-side of the poster edition is different. Hence, here's the last addition from my London shopping spree.
My collection: 7" single no. 871 / no. 3999 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 2, 1989 / Record Exchange, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 6 guilders / 50p Tracks (1): 'Straight up' / 'Cold hearted' Tracks (2): 'Straight up' / 'Straight up (Power mix)'
When I was introduced by a friend to the music of Sandra (he kept nagging me to listen to it until I finally gave in), he gave me the cd of 'Into a secret land'. It was the title track that grabbed my attention, and it is probably the track you can single out as the creative peak of Sandra and Michael Cretu. A great synth hook, an interesting lyric and a nice, glossy Eighties production.
The song is an adaptation of a Hubert Kemmler-produced song called 'Trenchcoat man', released as a single by an unknown German band named Fabrique in 1987. 'Secret land' reached number 1 in Israel, peaking at number 7 in Germany and number 9 in Switzerland.
My collection: 7" single no. 2094 Found: Record fair, April 16, 1994 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Secret land' / 'Into nobody's land'
Oh dear. Whenever the song 'You keep me hangin' on' is mentioned, the cover version by the Sixties band Vanilla Fudge comes up. I guess at the time it was quite an innovation to record a song in a different style than the original (in this case, slower and in a rock fashion), but when you listen to it now, you can't help but noticed the dated sound of it all and the terrible lead vocals by Mark Stein. This is even more obvious in the B-side, which sounds like an amateur band at best.
Still, the band managed to reach number 18 in the UK singles chart and number 13 in the Dutch Top 40. After this one hit, they disappeared from the charts until their breakup in 1970. But like in bad horror movies, the band keeps being reanimated - they have reformed in various lineups three times already.
My collection: 7" single no. 2980 Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 16, 1998 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'You keep me hanging on' / 'Take me for a little while'
After 'It's my life' and 'Such a shame', here's the third and - as far as I know - last of three singles taken from the compilation album 'Natural history'. As far as re-releases go, this single is probably the most interesting of the three. Not only does it feature a live recording of the track on the B-side, the A-side features a new edit of 'Living in another world'. Although I'm not a fan of edits per se, it is always interesting to hear a new version of a track.
It was an unsuccessful release: the single did not chart, and the record company EMI turned their attention towards the following step in their 'milking the Talk Talk catalogue' operation. More about that later.
My collection: 7" single no. 2725 Found: September 7, 1996 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Living in another world (edit)' / 'Living in another world (live)'
Jody Watley's debut album 'Looking for a new love' yielded five hits, of which 'Don't you want me' was the second. It reached number 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 55 in the UK singles chart.
Even though I am really impressed with the album as a whole and all the hit singles as well, I do wonder why Jody Watley posed on the sleeve of this single in such a lack of clothes. It doesn't look particularly classy...
My collection: 7" single no. 1749 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 19, 1992 Cost: 60p Tracks: 'Don't you want me' / 'Don't you want me (radio remix)'
'I don't like Mondays' was written by the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof after he read a telex report at Georgia State University's campus radio station, WRAS, where he was giving an interview. The report was about Brenda Ann Spencer, aged 16 at the time, firing at children playing in a school playground across the street from her home in San Diego, California. She killed two adults and injured eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime, and her full explanation for her actions was 'I don't like Mondays, this livens up the day'.
Geldof had originally intended the song as a B-side, but changed his mind after the song went down well with audiences on the Boomtown Rats' US tour. Spencer's family tried unsuccessfully to prevent the single from being released in the United States. It reached number 73 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, it was a number 1 hit, and in the Netherlands the single reached number 2. The single was one of two singles I got from my parents as a birthday present.
My colection: 7" single no. 27 Found: present, August 31, 1979 Cost: nothing Tracks: 'I don't like Mondays' / 'It's all the rage'
When an artist records two versions of a song, one in French and one in English, it's quite easy to make an extended remix: you just use the verses of both versions and before you know it the song is about seven minutes long.
That's what happened with Stephanie's 'Irresistible', which she also recorded in French as 'Ouragan', on this 12" single. Fortunately, there are also a few interesting instrumental passages, but the whole thing is not very imaginative. Still, like all the material from Stephanie's debut album, it's pleasant enough to listen to.
My collection: 12" single no. 511 Found: ? Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Irresistible (extended)' / 'Irresistible', 'Ouragan'
Such is the nature of beautiful music, that these days even people with not an inch of artisticity in their body recycle it to make their own filth. Bruce Hornsby's 'The way it is' fell victim to Tupac Shakur when he made the track 'Changes', which for reasons that are still a mystery to me became a worldwide hit.
'The way it is' itself is a thing of rare beauty. I've always been attracted to keyboard-based songs and the way the piano is used in this track is truly phenomenal. The lyric tends a bit towards the preachy side, but with a Christian Scientist upbringing, Hornsby probably couldn't help himself. The single was a number 1 hit the Netherlands and the USA. And in this case, that's not a mystery to me.
My collection: 7" single no. 915 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'The way it is' / 'The red plains'
Adamski was born as Adam Tinley on December 4, 1967 in the New Forest, England. In the late Eighties, at the time of acid house, Adamski made a name for himself in the club circuit, touring with Daddy Chester and later with Seal. With the latter, he wrote 'Killer', which would become Adamski's breakthrough single, but is better known as the track that launched Seal's career.
The single reached number 1 in the UK singles charts and peaked at number 2 in the Netherlands and Germany. While Adamski had no more notable hit singles, Seal started a solo career that would see him reach the charts around the world with hits like 'Crazy', 'Kiss from a rose' and many others.
My collection: 7" single no. 1405 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, April 3, 1991 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Killer' / 'Bassline changed my life'
I bought this single of 'It would take a strong strong man' in 1995. I didn't know it had been released as a single, but since this was an American pressing I assumed it was only released over there. I was right, to a degree: this single reached number 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100, but it also reached number 2 in Canada and number 4 in Ireland.
The real treat here is the B-side: just like 'It would take a strong strong man', 'You move me' was taken from Astley's debut album 'Whenever you need somebody'. But 'You move me' is the best track on the album, a bouncy, soulful track that is still fresh two decades later. And the lyric is very appropriate for these times of crisis and people losing their jobs.
My collection: 7" single no. 2317 Found: Record fair, June 3, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'It would take a strong strong man' / 'You move me'
'Advice for the young at heart' was the third single taken from the 1989 Tears for Fears album 'The seeds of love'. The song was written by Roland Orzabal and keyboardist/singer Nicky Holland. The lyric 'Love is a promise, love is a souvenir once given, never forgotten, never let it disappear' is a quote from John Lennon. The lead vocal on the song was sung by Curt Smith; the only track he sang on the whole album. The single peaked at number 36 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Dutch Top 40.
In the UK, this single was released in a limited edition box set (pictured below) including four postcards. The front of the box set states that it's 'part one', but I've never seen 'part two'.
The music video for this single was the last Tears for Fears video to feature both Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith before their acrimonious split in the early Nineties. It would be 15 years before they made a video together again ('Closest thing to heaven' in 2005).
My collection: 7" single no. 1230 Found: Esprit Mail Order, received July 1990 Cost: 5 pounds Tracks: 'Advice for the young at heart' / 'Johnny Panic and the bible of dreams'
You don't hear it much on the radio nowadays, but George Michael's 'Faith' actually starts out with an organ intro, playing the Wham! song 'Freedom'. There were high expectations preceding the release of this solo single, since all of Michael's previous solo singles resulted in top three hits in the UK. This was the last single release before his debut album, also called 'Faith' saw the light of day one month later.
The single 'Faith' did not disappoint: it reached number 2 in the UK singles and topped the charts in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the USA.
My collection: 7" single no. 2452 Found: Record fair, September 2, 1995 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Faith' / 'Hand to mouth'
Gino Vanelli was born on June 16, 1952 in Montreal, Quebec. His career took off in the Seventies, when he signed to A&M Records, releasing his debut album in 1973. Although successful in Europe and America, Vanelli never had a hit in the UK.
He continued to be successful in the Eighties, with this ballad as a good example. 'Hurts to be in love' was released in December 1985 and reached number 6 in the Dutch Top 40. The single also reached number 57 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 1410 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, April 3, 1991 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Hurts to be in love' / 'Here she comes'
Ten Sharp were unable to release an album between 1985 and 1987, but they did release four singles on the CBS label. This one was the third and probably the best of them. 'Last words' was not a hit for the band, causing them to rethink their sound and come back in 1987 with a hardrock-esque track, 'Way of the west'.
The 12" single contains a good extended remix of 'Last words'.
My collection: 7" single no. 419 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 28, 1986 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Last words' / 'White gold'
I've always been a fan of songs with a beautiful melody and deep, meaningful lyrics. I like to be touched by music, feel the passion and the warmth of the artist in it, that's also why I have a lot of singer/songwriters in my record collection. But every now and again, I have to buy a record because it does not fit the profile.
In the autumn of 1989, I was suddenly grabbed by the nonsensical track 'Pump up the jam' by Belgian producers act Technotronic. I suddenly felt the desire to write down the lyrics and take it all in. Until you do that, there's no way to pin down the utter vacuousness of it all. In the end, I bought the single because I laughed so hard at the track. It has been a top 10 hit around the world. Used to be a time when one had to actually be able to compose to achieve that. But in 1989, all you had to do was say 'Pump up the jam / Pump it pump it pump it pump it'.
My collection: 7" single no. 1178 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 17, 1990 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Pump up the jam' / 'Pump up the jam (original mix)'
Although first released in 1992, Archer and her co-writers wrote 'Sleeping satellite' in the late Eighties, but it was only when Archer got a record deal that the song saw the light of day. Archer sings backing vocals on the track along with Tessa Niles and Carol Kenyon. Released on August 31, 1992, the single rose to the top of the chart in the UK, creating an instant media hype at the time.
The single was also a success in other countries. In the Netherlands, 'Sleeping satellite' became Archer's only chart hit, peaking at number 9 in November 1992.
My collection: 7" single no. 2482 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 29, 1995 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Sleeping satellite' / 'Sleeping satellite (acoustic version)'
'Shadow in the wall' by Mike Oldfield was taken from his 1983 album 'Crises'. Vocals on this track were performed by Roger Chapman, formerly from the band Streetwalkers. The single had an aggressive sound, very different from the biggest hit from the same album, 'Moonlight shadow'.
The single was a number 1 hit in Austria, reached number 10 in the Netherlands and stalled at number 95 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 218 Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1983 Cost: 5,5 guilders Tracks: 'Shadow on the wall' / 'Taurus 3'
Gilbert O'Sullivan was born on December 1, 1946 in Waterford, Ireland. After scoring worldwide successes with songs like 'Alone again (naturally)' and 'Get down', he released the 1980 album 'Off centre', with 'What's in a kiss' as the first single from that album.
The single reached number 19 in the UK singles chart and number 21 in Japan. I got to know the song thanks to a compilation album released in the second half of the Eighties, and bought the single not long after that.
My collection: 7" single no. 846 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 27, 1989 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'What's in a kiss' / 'Down, down, down'
After the success of their debut single 'Too shy', Kajagoogoo's follow-up single 'Ooh to be ah' was released quickly. Although not topping the chart like its predecessor, the single still reached a respectable seventh place in the UK singles chart.
The nonsensical title hides a lyric about the showbiz and glamour world in which appearance is all-important. It is still a very topical song, then.
My collection: 7" single no. 1307 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 1990 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'Ooh to be ah' / 'Animal instincts'
'Smooth operator' was released as the third single from Sade's debut album 'Diamond life'. Ray St. John, who co-wrote the song with Sade Adu, was a member of Adu's former band Pride, although he was not a member of the band Sade. The pair had co-written the song in 1982 while still members of Pride, but they did not get around to recording it because St. John left Pride shortly after Sade joined.
The B-side of the single contained a non-album track, 'Spirit', whereas the A-side was an edited version of the album track. It reached number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 19 in both the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 1417 Found: April 7, 1991 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Smooth operator' / 'Spirit'
In 1992, All about Eve left their record company Phonogram and signed to MCA Records. They recorded a new album 'Ultraviolet', which was released in the autumn, with this EP preceding it. Well, it was... different. Gone was the romantic, goth-like All about Eve of the past: here was a modern, cold-sounding band, with Julianne Regan's vocals buried deep in the mix.
The Phased EP was a collection of two album tracks, one instrumental version of an album track and one non-album track ('Ascent/descent'). It barely caught on, but still managed to reach number 38 in the UK singles chart during its two week chart run.
My collection: 7" single no. 1726 Found: Tower Records, London, October 17, 1992 Cost: 2,3 pounds Tracks: 'Phased', 'Mine' / 'Infrared (instrumental version)', 'Ascent/descent'
'Set the fire to the third bar' was the third single taken from Snow Patrol's fourth album 'Eyes open'. It features guest vocals from Martha Wainwright, a Canadian-American folk-rock singer/songwriter. The lyric of the song is about a couple separated by a great distance and their longing to be together again. After their long journey to meet each they would settle down in front of an electric bar fire, hence the title, 'Set the fire to the third bar'.
The single reached number 18 in the UK singles chart and number 22 in the Irish chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3580 Found: eBay, received February 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Set the fire to the third bar' / 'Chasing cars (live)'
Released in 1988, 'Fat' by Weird Al Yankovic is a parody of Michael Jackson's 1987 single 'Bad'. In a way, Yankovic continued the theme set out by his parody of 'Beat it', entitled 'Eat it'. The music video for 'Fat' was shot in the same subway set as the music video for 'Bad' and parodies a host of elements from that video.
Although the music video was shown numerous times on Dutch television, it did not chart. In the UK singles chart, 'Fat' reached number 80, whereas in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart it peaked at number 99.
My collection: 7" single no. 3998 Found: Marktplaats.nl, received August 12, 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Fat' / 'You make me'
Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded Cutting Crew along with Canadian guitarist Kevin Scott MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin Farley and drummer Martin Beadle joined in 1986. They recorded the debut album 'Broadcast', which was released that same year. Their debut single '(I just) Died in your arms' was a worldwide hit, but after that they had some trouble coming up with a satisfactory successor.
'I've been in love before' was released two times: the original single appeared in later 1986. A different version of the single appeared a year later, featuring a shorter and slightly remixed version of the A-side. I bought the 1987 version (pictured below) in 1995, but depending on my photographic memory once again, I bought the 1986 version (pictured above) last week. At first, I thought I'd struck out, but listening more closely to the tracks made me realise these are actually two different singles.
Both singles actually made the UK singles chart: the 1986 version reached number 31, whereas the 1987 version reached number 24.
My collection: 7" single no. 2519 (1987 version) / no. 3997 (1986 version) Found: Record Exchange, London, November 1, 1995 / August 5, 2009 Cost: 60p / 1 pound Tracks: 'I've been in love before' / 'Life in a dangerous time'
'Human racing' was the fifth and final single from Nik Kershaw's debut album of the same name. Kershaw suddenly showcased a certain Stevie Wonderesque quality in his voice while singing this song. While initially this song bored me - probably because of the music video accompanying it - it has grown into my alltime favourite Nik Kershaw tracks.
The single became a hit in the UK only, peaking at number 19 in the UK singles chart. To this day I don't know why this didn't appeal to international audiences.
I bought a double single edition of this a decade ago, featuring a second single with two live tracks. The gatefold sleeve showed a rather funny playing board based on Kershaw's songs. On August 5, I found a picture disc of this single (pictured below) for 50p at Revival Records.
My collection: 7" single no. 3056 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, May 8, 1999 Cost: 5 guilders Tracks: 'Human racing' / 'Faces (remix)' // 'Cloak and dagger (live)' / 'Drum talk (live)'
'Real life' was released as the fourth single from the Simple Minds' 1991 album 'Real life'. Released in October 1991, it was the first time since 1984's 'Up on the catwalk' that a single by the band stalled outside the top 20 of the UK singles chart, reaching number 34 only.
That's not to say that this is a bad track, because it contains all the hallmarks of a good Simple Minds track. But perhaps it wasn't memorable enough. I mean, even I didn't know I already had the single and bought another copy last week in London. It cost me 10p, so I'm not complaining - but I already had it.
My collection: 7" single no. 3054 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, May 8, 1999 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Real life' / 'See the lights (live)'
The title track from Abba's last album 'The visitors' (1981) was released as a single in the USA, after the band participated in an American TV show, 'Let Poland Be Poland', broadcast via satellite around the world on January 31, 1982. The show, which also featured Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Orson Welles, Henry Fonda and US President Ronald Reagan, was a public protest against the then-recent imposition of martial law in Poland. Abba performed this song, which is a protest against the mistreatment of political dissidents in the Soviet Union back then.
This promotional 7" single contains both the full length version of the song and an edit, which is 80 seconds shorter than the original.
My collection: 7" single no. 3996 Found: eBay.com, received August 6, 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'The visitors' / 'The visitors (short version)'
'My love is for real' was the first single from Paula Adul's 1995 album 'Head over heels'. The middle-eastern sounding groove is given more depth by guest vocals performed by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. The single did not become as big a hit as expected, peaking at number 28 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart. In the Netherlands, it didn't even make the Dutch Top 40.
This 7" single is another surprise for me: while I was ordering some other singles this one popped up in the list. I wasn't aware it had been released on this format, so I snapped it up.
My collection: 7" single no. 3995 Found: eBay.com, received August 6, 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'My love is for real' / 'Didn't I say I love you'
'Stranger in Moscow' was the fifth and last single from Michael Jackson's album 'History'. While writing the song, Jackson used elements of Russian imagery and symbolism to help promote the concept of fear and alienation in the track. It concludes with a narrative, spoken in Russian, by a KGB interrogator. Translated into English he says, 'Why have you come from the west? Confess! To steal the great achievements of the people, the accomplishments of the workers...'. The single was a number 1 in Spain, and reached number 4 in the UK and the Netherlands.
Although before this year I assumed there were no 7" singles released after 'Scream' and 'You are not alone', now I find myself owning 'They don't care about us' and 'Stranger in Moscow'. So now, obviously, I'm after 'Earth song'. Where can I find that one?
My collection: 7" single no. 3992 Found: eBay.com, received August 6, 2009 Cost: 3 euro Tracks: 'Stranger in Moscow (radio edit)' / 'Stranger in Moscow (Tee's radio mix)'
The last of three Depeche Mode singles, and indeed the last single I bought in London on August 5. 'John the revelator' and 'Lilian' were two tracks from the band's 2005 album 'Playing the angel', released as a double A-side. On the 7" there were two remixes not available on any other (commercial) format. It was the first double A-side from Depeche Mode since 1984's 'Blasphemous Rumours/Somebody'.
The single became another number 1 hit for the band in Denmark, reaching number 18 in the UK singles chart. This picture disc 7" single is a numbered limited edition; this is number 2162.
This concludes my chronological listing of every single I bought in London on August 5. I hope you enjoyed looking in my heavy bag - without you having to carry it back to the airport and back home!
My collection: 7" single no. 3991 Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 6 pounds Tracks: 'John the revelator (UNKLE dub)' / 'Lilian (Robag Wruhme slomoschen kikker)'
'Suffer well' was the third single from Depeched Mode's 2005 album 'Playing the angel'. It was released in March 2006. It is the first Depeche Mode single whose lyrics are written by David Gahan. It is also the first Depeche Mode single that's not written by Martin Gore since 'Just can't get enough' in 1981, which was written by Vince Clarke. Finally, this is the first Depeche Mode single ever to be co-written with non-members of the band (Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner wrote the music).
The single reached number 1 in Denmark and went top 10 in Finland, Italy and Spain. In the UK, the single peaked at number 12. This picture disc 7" single was released as a numbered limited edition; this is number 3477.
My collection: 7" single no. 3990 Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 6 pounds Tracks: 'Suffer well (Metope vocal remix)' / 'The darkest star (Monolake remix)'
Although the meaning of almost all of Depeche Mode's songs are not revealed because Martin Gore prefers people to find their own meanings for each song, he made an exception with 'Precious', explaining that the song is written about his children and what they must have been going through when he was getting a divorce from their mother.
Released as the first single from their 2005 album 'Playing the angel', it was a number 1 hit in four countries, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40. This picture disc 7" single was released as a numbered limited edition; this is number 4535.
My collection: 7" single no. 3989 Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 6 pounds Tracks: 'Precious (album version)' / 'Precious (Michael Mayer Ambient mix)'
'Paris is burning' was the second single by Ladyhawke, taken from her debut self-titled album. Originally this track reached number 61 in the UK singles chart, however when it was re-released in March 2009 as a digital download and limited 7" vinyl, it improved on this chart placing and peaked at number 47.
What's a bit strange about this 7" single, is that it doesn't contain any 'regular' version of the track, just a remix and a French language version.
My collection: 7" single no. 3988 Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Paris is burning (Peaches remix)' / 'Paris s'enflamme'
Officially this is a double A-side single split evenly between the bands Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem, but I have to say that I think Arcade Fire's cover version of 'Poupée de cire poupée de son' is the superior track here.
Arcade Fire played this song, originally performed by France Gall, during their 2007 tour in support of their second album 'Neon Bible' and recorded a studio version especially for this limited edition 7" single. LCD Soundsystem's 'No love lost' is a cover of a New Order track.
My collection: 7" single no. 3987 Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009 Cost: 12 pounds Tracks: 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' (Arcade fire) / 'No love lost' (LCD Soundsystem)
If Princess had continued working with Stock, Aitken & Waterman, her entire body of work would have sounded like her debut single. So thankfully, with this single, she changed things around a bit. 'Red hot!' was produced by Richard James Burgess, giving the track a bit of a fuller sound.
