Raggio di luna - Matia Bazar

When you say 'Matia Bazar', most people immediately scream 'Ti sento', but it is less well known that the band actually participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979. Formed in 1975 by Piero Cassano, Aldo Stellita, Carlo Marrale, Giancarlo Golzi and Antonella Ruggiero, they have released over 20 albums between then and now.

'Raggio di luna', the song they performed in 1979 at the Contest, representing Italy, was the very first Eurovision entry that didn't have an orchestral accompaniment, two decades before the orchestra was disposed of altogether. The song received 27 points and became 15th in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5893
Found: Discogs.com, received March 8, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Raggio di luna' / 'Pero che bello'

Listen to the song

Ring dinge ding - Thérèse Steinmetz

In 1967, Thérèse Steinmetz represented the Netherlands during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Ring dinge ding' written by Johnny Holshuyzen and Gerrit den Braber. Performed first on the night, it ended up at place 14 in a field of 17 competitors, with just 2 points.

Steinmetz was born on May 17, 1933 in Amsterdam. She played various theatre, television and film roles and in 1966 she was given her own TV series, Thérèse. After participating in the Eurovision Song Contest she won the Golden Stag Festival in Romania, making her very popular in that country. These days she lives in Cannes (France), where she has become a successful painter.

My copy of this single turns out to be rather damaged, but it is a promotional copy which makes it a bit more special. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5892
Found: Discogs.com, received March 8, 2017
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Ring dinge ding' / 'Zing'

Listen to the song

Fun - Blondie

One band that continues to release albums on a regular basis is Blondie. Their latest release 'Pollinator' is due soon, and this single, 'Fun', was out recently to signal that release. It's nothing very innovative, but still an entertaining pop song that respects the bands legacy and adds a little to their already impressive body of work.

I've always seen Blondie as a singles band, especially when the albums I bought from them ('No exit', 'Panic of girls' and 'Ghosts of download') were a bit disappointing in the end. Still, the new album is released as a box set of singles and I will definitely be buying that one. Now that's fun.

My collection: 7" single no. 5889
Found: Amazon, received February 23, 2017
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Fun' / 'My monster'

Listen to the song

Sex cymbal - Sheila E.

My wife came home with a few singles, and I had almost all of them. Still, no harm, because it allowed me to ditch the copies that were in lesser shape, and there was one I didn't know. It was this song by Sheila E., released in 1991.

'Sex cymbal' was taken from Sheila's fourth solo album, the first not to be made with any input from her mentor Prince. It has a very prominent house- and dance-focused sound that was popular in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. It's not her best single, but it's a decent effort nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 5878
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, December 27, 2016
Cost: 0
Tracks: 'Sex cymbal' / 'Bass base'

Listen to the song

I'm Mandy fly me - 10CC

10CC band member Eric Stewart recalled about this song, 'National Airlines used to have this beautiful poster that they displayed of this gorgeous stewardess inviting you onto the plane. Now her name wasn't Mandy actually, it was something like, er, oh gosh knows, "I'm Cindy", a very American name. "I'm Cindy, fly me" which was a quite sexual connotation as well, but I remember seeing in Manchester this beautiful poster and just below it was this tramp, I mean a serious tramp, quite a raggedy guy, looking up at this girl, and I thought God, do you know, there's a song there. I know he's never gonna get on an aeroplane, I don't think, except in his dreams. So I brought it back, the idea back to the studio, where we were writing for the How Dare You! album, and put it to the guys: "Anybody interested in this 'I'm Mandy Fly Me'". I'd switched it to Mandy. And Graham said "yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I've got some ideas, I've got some chords. Let's slot those things in, try it, mess it around". We wrote it, and we didn't like it. But, enter from stage left, ha ha, the "wicked villain" Kevin Godley, twiddling his moustache, says "I know what's wrong with it. Let's sit down again." He said "I think it just gets too bland, it just goes on, on one plane, your verses and your middles and your der-der-der, they're all going on the one plane. What it needs is someone to go 'Bash' on the side of your head". So we changed the rhythm completely, and we put two whacking great guitar solos in there, in the middle of this quiet, soft, floaty song. Once we'd got that idea in, it, it just gelled into something else. Again, impossible to dance to, as a lot of 10cc tracks were.'

I found this single in between a heap of old, uninteresting vinyl, but this one stood out because both the sleeve and record were in great condition. I couldn't let go of a classic track like this.

My collection: 7" single no. 5877
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, November 12, 2016
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'I'm Mandy fly me' / 'How dare you'

Listen to the song

I've got mine - UB40

UB40 was between albums when they released 'I've got mine' in 1983. It was just months before they hit the big time with their smash hit 'Red red wine', but while it was still very much a UB40 track -  reggae rhythm and all - it was more dynamic than songs like 'Love is all is alright' and 'Food for thought'.

I picked up this single at work, oddly enough. In the 'little white library' colleagues exchange books, but sometimes cd's and vinyl pop up as well. It's the newest way to add to my collection, I guess!

My collection: 7" single no. 5876
Found: Little white library, November 2016
Cost: 0
Tracks: 'I've got mine' / 'Dubmobile'

Listen to the song

Pas gentille - Jef Barbara

The song 'Pas gentille' was first recorded by Françoise Hardy in 1964. Based on Marty Wilde's 'Bad boy', she translated the lyrics herself and it became a rather beautiful French chanson. In 2012, this song was covered by Jef Barbara.

Born in Montreal, Jef Barbara is a pop star who seems to wander around the gender spectrum rather loosely: sometimes man, sometimes woman but always himself (or herself, depending on your views). The 2012 single with 'Pas gentille' (only available as a 7" vinyl single) showcases a beautiful voice in a subtle musical arrangement.

My collection: 7" single no. 5860
Found: Discogs.com, received July 26, 2016
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Pas gentille' / 'I have a friend'

Listen to the song

Skorápky orechu - Marie Rottrová

Every once in a while I buy a single not for the A-side, but for the B-side. This is a good example. Marie Rottrová's 1983 single 'Skorápky Orechu' is a bit of a rarity for Kim Wilde fans, since the B-side features the only known cover version of Kim's song 'Action city'. Entitled 'Já tvé sny znám', you won't easily find it, but fortunately the sleeve does actually mention 'Action city' between brackets (as you can see below).

Marie Rottrová was born in Ostrava-Hrušov (Czech Republic) on November 13, 1941. She was born and raised in a musical family, with her mother a singer and her father an organist. She initially started working as a bank clerk but after participating in a talent show in Ostrava she was discovered and became a member of groups like Františka Trnka, Octect, Samuel, Majestic and the Flamingos. Her first LP with the Flamingos was recorded in 1970. This self-titled debut album in the Czech language was re-recorded a year later in English as 'This is our soul'. Several solo albums followed.Rottrová still performs and records these days, although she never became as prolific as she was during the 1970's and the first half of the 1980's.

My collection: 7" single no. 5859
Found: Discogs.com, received July 1, 2016
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Skorápky orechu' / 'Já tvé sny znám'

Listen to the song

Jezebel - Marty Wilde

The last time I saw Marty Wilde live - which, I'm ashamed to say, is almost ten years ago now! - it was his song 'Jezebel' that made the biggest impression on me. It sounded every bit as vibrant as it did on this original recording from 1962. The man and his voice were every bit as powerful as they were when he was just in his twenties.

At the time of the release of this single, Marty had already become a songwriter in his own right, but this song 'Jezebel' was written by Wayne Shanklin and originally recorded by Frankie Laine. Wilde added his own composition on the B-side. This single became his last top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 19.

My collection: 7" single no. 5855
Found: Discogs.com, received June 24, 2016
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Jezebel' / 'Don't run away'

Listen to the song

Jezamine - Misty

If you hear the name Misty, you might think of a middle-aged sultry female singer, but in fact it was a duo consisting of Mark Eden and Mickey Fudge. They recorded a couple of singles which were released in 1977. Their first release was 'Jezamine', a cover of the track originally recorded by the Casuals, and written by Marty Wilde. They followed it up with 'Magic spell', which was an original track written by Fudge.

Their version of 'Jezamine' was typical Seventies disco fodder, although you could also recognize it as a proto-Level 42 track.

My collection: 7" single no. 5867
Found: Discogs.com, received September 7, 2016
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Jezamine' / 'That's no way'

Listen to the song

Eurovision songs - Groot Draaiorgel Mortier

This is probably the most mysterious single I've ever bought. It didn't come with a sleeve, so all I have is the disc and the info on the label. It is credited to Groot Draaiorgel Mortier, and since the single is made in Belgium I have to assume it's a Belgian barrel organ.

The songs played by this barrel organ all come from the 1960 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest: 'Niet voor mij', 'Wat een geluk', 'Looking high' and 'Tom Pillibi'. There is no information about Groot Draaiorgel Mortier on the web, so this single looks likely to remain a mystery.

Listen to one side
Listen to the other side

My collection: 7" single no. 5819
Found: Kringloop Den Haag, January 16, 2016
Cost: 0,25 euro
Tracks: 'Niet voor mij', 'Wat een geluk' / 'Looking high', 'Tom Pillibi'

Io senza te - Peter Sue & Marc

I already bought Io senza te by Peter Sue & Marc at the end of 2009 as part of a big stack of Eurovision singles. The B-side of that single featured the English version of the song. When I was in Vienna last month, I suddenly spotted the German version of that song, with the German version of the song on the B-side.

Nothing wrong with a little language variation here and there, and so I bought this single as well, especially since it was so cheap (if you ignore travel fares and hotel costs, that is). It just goes to show that you never know what you find when you go shopping for records in other countries!

Listen to the song

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Moses Records, Vienna, June 3, 2016
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Io senza te' / 'Ich ohne dich'

December - All about Eve

Ordering online can be a treat sometimes, especially when you're able to combine things and get a few interesting singles together. I was a little surprised when this one arrived in a picture sleeve. It is a promotional 7" single for All about Eve's 'December', featuring the single edit on one side and an even shorter radio edit on the other side.

This track is of course best in its unedited version, but to own an exclusive radio edit is a nice addition to my already impressive All about Eve collection.

Listen to the song

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Discogs.com, received July 1, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'December (radio edit)' / 'December [single edit]'

Hon går rakt fram - Leyla

Having a complete Kim Wilde collection also includes many cover versions. Through the years I have been able to identify over 250 cover versions of Kim Wilde songs, and more than half of those are cover versions of 'Kids in America'. So it really is a nice surprise when it turns out that not everyone has turned to Kim's debut hit for inspiration.

The Swedish band Cotton Club debuted in 1984 with a self-titled album full of cover versions from hits between 1981 and 1984. One of them was Kim Wilde's 'Love blonde'. All the songs were translated into Swedish, and so 'Love blonde' became 'Hon går rakt fram'. When the track was released as a single, the record company decided to release it as a solo single from the band's lead singer, Leyla Yilbar Norgren.

Listen to the song

My collection: 7" single no. 5865
Found: Discogs.com, received July 27, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Hon går rakt fram' / 'En enda rad'

The world would never turn again - Keith Potger

Keith Potger was a member of the Seekers, as the sleeve of his first solo single proclaims. The band had some success during the Sixties, until they disbanded in 1968.

'The world would never turn again' was released the next year, and although Potger would become a songwriter and producer, this first single was written by someone else. The B-side, interestingly, was provided by Frere Manston, which of course is a pseudonym of Marty Wilde. And there it is... the main reason for me to pick up this single. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5854
Found: Marktplaats, received June 22, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The world would never turn again' / 'Santa Maria'

Do the Bartman - The Simpsons

I wasn't really planning on spending a lot of money on a single called 'Do the Bartman', despite the fact that I have an impressive amount of Michael Jackson singles in my collection. It is an amusing little song but songs by cartoon characters don't do very much for me. I finally found the single last month at a price that can't be beat.

There has been a lot of confusion about Michael Jackson's involvement in this song, mainly because he was under contract with Epic Records at the time of this single's release. However, the song's writer Bryan Loren has conceded that Jackson's contributions included back up vocals, providing the title "Do the Bartman" and that Jackson insisted his own name to be mentioned in the lyrics (read the story here).

My collection: 7" single no. 5852
Found: Kringloop, Leiden, May 14, 2016
Cost: 0,1 euro
Tracks: 'Do the Bartman (7" House mix/edit)' / 'Do the Bartman (LP edit)'

Listen to the song

Bodies / Kids in America - Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy was founded by Singer Dane Etteridge, who began writing and demoing a handful of songs with the intention of starting a new band. He teamed up with Simon Goldring (drums), Joseph Heaselgrave (guitar), Greg Bishop (bass) and Tom Beck (organ/keys). Their debut single 'Home' was released in 2014.

With just a few tracks released and a handful of live shows under their belt, they were invited to record two tracks for the RAK Singles Club. The original track 'Bodies' was coupled with a cover version of Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America'. As you know I collect everything to do with Kim, so this single was quickly included in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5851
Found: RAK Singles Club, received May 14, 2016
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: 'Bodies' / 'Kids in America'

Listen to the song

You don't die from love - Stephanie

Princess Stephanie from Monaco appeared on this blog before with singles from her debut album, released in 1986. It was a rather successful album in some parts of Europe, so she went about recording a follow-up. Unfortunately, that took such a long time that the music scene had totally changed in the mean time.

That self-titled second album was finally released in 1991, with the lead single 'Winds of chance' failing to reach the charts. This single, 'You don't die from love' was the second and last single to be released by Stephanie. She did appear on Michael Jackson as the mystery voice on 'In the closet', but after that, her music career was over and done.

My collection: 7" single no. 5848
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'You don't die from love' / 'Good dreams'

Listen to the song

Song of love - Thomas Forstner

On the day of the dramatic outcome of the British referendum about the EU and proof that democracy does not always work well, I thought it would be nice to write about something else the Brits are really good at: Eurovision. In fact, they are so good at it that they haven't reached the top 10 in that competition for over a decade now (except in 2009, when they made number 5 just for once).

Even Austria has done much better in recent years, winning in 2014 and reaching the top 10 once as well. And in 1989, they did pretty well too: Thomas Forstner's 'Nur ein Lied' made it to number 5. Such was the success that he even recorded an English version of that song. 'Song of love' was released as a separate single, but this didn't become a hit outside of Austria.

Listen to the song



My collection: 7" single no. 5846
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Song of love' / 'Song of love (instrumental)'

Layla - Habibi

Habibi represented Israel during the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Layla'. The band consisted of: Shlomit Aharon, Kikki Rothstein, Yuval Dor and Ami Mendelman. They had originally been offered the song 'Hallelujah' in 1978, but they turned it down. That song was performed by Milk and Honey, and famously won the contest in 1979.

'Layla' fared less well, with just 56 points placing seventh in a field of twenty competitors. They released one more album in 1982 (which included their Eurovision song) before disbanding.

My collection: 7" single no. 5845
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Layla (English version)' / 'Layla (Hebrew version)'

Listen to the song