La la la (deutsch gesungen) - Massiel

Massiel's 'La la la' is often cited as one of the most inane Eurovision winners, because of the title and chorus of the song. Still, if you listen to the verses and the music in the background, you get to appreciate the song more. Personally I have grown to appreciate this song more than Cliff's 'Congratulations', which is actually a less challenging song. 

When I saw this copy in the shop I didn't initially think I should have it, until I saw the little red banner in the lower right corner. Deutsch gesungen? I didn't know Massiel recorded this song in German. It was a no-brainer: of course I had to have this single. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6825
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'La la la (deutsch gesungen)' (Massiel) / 'Spanish step' (Orchester Roberto Delgado)

Figure of eight / Ou est le soleil? - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has released a lot of singles during his career. So many, that he decided to release an expensive box set last year, featuring no less than 80 7" singles. There was, of course, a price to match: you could only get the set if you were willing to fork out about 600 euros. That's about 7,5 euros per 7". 

I got this 7" for considerably less. The weird thing about this single is that the B-side (or the AA-side, as it is declared on the disc) is much better than the title track 'Figure of eight'. 'Ou est le soleil' is an inspired piece of throwaway pop, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn. More tracks like this would have been welcome!

My collection: 7" single no. 6824
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Figure of eight' / 'Ou est le soleil?'

Always look on the bright side of life - Monty Python

On the last day of 2022 I got that urge. You know, the urge to visit a record shop and buy some vinyl. Unfortunately there aren't that many shops where I live - blame the internet for that - and so I had to go to the only shop that offers some interesting second hand singles in the area. There's always something there if you're desperate enough to buy something. 

This classic single by Monty Python was a bit of a surprise find. The song is familiar enough, but I don't think I've seen the single that much. My favourite line of the song is "Life's a piece of shit / When you look at it", and it pretty much sums up my view on life in general. I wasn't really intent on owning this single, but it was a nice find nonetheless.

My collection: 7" single no. 6823
Found: 33|45 records, Den Haag, 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Always look on the bright side of life' (Monty Python) / 'Brian' (Sonia Jones)

Tschau, tschau Bambina - Peter Alexander

Domenico Modugno had a hit on his hands when he sang 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)' in 1959 at the Eurovision Song Contest. He probably didn't realize this when he failed to win that edition (the prize went to the Netherlands instead) but there are many cover versions of his song, and it must have earned him a fortune.

One of those cover versions was released the same year by Austrian singer Peter Alexander. He was born on 30 June 1926 and died on 12 February 2011.During his life he released almost 100 albums and twice as many singles. 'Tschau, Tschau Bambina' was a beautiful, sentimental version of that Italian song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6822
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Tschau, tschau Bambina' / 'Hol den Peter'

Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht - Rex Gildo

Ronnie Carroll represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest sixty years ago with 'Say wonderful things', ending up in fourth place. Still, the Contest being what it was in those early years, it caused him to have a hit around Europe and several artists got the idea to cover his song.

The German singer Rex Gildo recorded a version in German, entitled 'Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht'. It wouldn't be his only Eurovision adaptation, either: in 1976 he recorded 'Küsse von dir', a version of Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your kisses for me'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6821
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Zwei blaue Vergissmeinnicht' / 'My Sonny I love you'

Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs

Not so long ago, I acquired the French version of 'Jennifer Jennings' by Louis Neefs. Only two more versions to go, I wrote back then, and I was lucky enough to find the German version recently - and for a low price too! Obviously I had to order a couple more singles to make the postage worthwhile, but this was a very good catch. Certainly when it was described as 'very good', which on a scale towards 'very good +', 'near mint' and 'mint' is not something to write home about. Imagine my surprise when I actually received this one: it is nearly flawless! Okay, so there's a name and address written on the back of the sleeve, but it's the front of the sleeve that counts - and obviously the disc itself which is in a very good state, as you shall hear. 

Only one more version to go! Oh, those Italians... I hope there will be a generous one out there.

My collection: 7" single no. 6820
Found: Discogs.com, received 31 December 2022
Tracks: 'Jennifer Jennings (deutsch gesungen)' / 'I love you'

If you need me now - Alan Sorrenti

I bought the single 'Non so che darei' back in 2010, as part of my subcollection of Eurovision singles. Little did I know that the song was actually released on a 12" single as well. 

This 12" single was released in France only, and featured extended versions of both the English and Italian versions of the song. 'If you need me now' is the English version of 'Non so che darei' and appears on the A-side of this 12" single.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 August 2022
Tracks: 'If you need me now [extended version]' / 'Non so che darei [extended version]'

Where are you - Imaani

Truth be told, I don't really like the 12" single format. I have sold a lot of them through the years just to make space for other things and generally I think it's much more efficient to have the same tracks on a CD-single, which takes up a lot less space. 

But sometimes tracks don't appear on that format, and I have to buy the 12" single anyway. These two remixes of Imaani's 'Where are you' never appeared on CD and so this 12" single is the only way to acquire them. They are relevant, of course, because 'Where are you' was the Eurovision song for the UK in 1998 and I just happen to love remixes of Eurovision tracks. When they are done right - and these are done just about right.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, 3 August 2022
Tracks: 'Where are you (Blue Icon's vocal club mix)' / 'Where are you (Blue Icon's lost piano mix)'

Destination - DT8 feat. Roxanne Wilde

It's not the first time that 'Destination' features on this blog - I bought a 12" single of this track many years ago and it was posted here twelve years ago. However, several different 12" singles of 'Destination' exist, each with their own remixes of the track. 

This particular one is a white label 12", featuring the original version of the track as well as remixes by Woody van Eyden and Trinity X. Even if dance music isn't your thing, the vocals of Roxanne Wilde - sister of Kim - truly lift this track up. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 August 2022
Tracks: 'Destination (Original)' / 'Destination (Woody van Eyden remix)', 'Destination (Trinity X remix)'

The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

If the sleeve of this single looks unfamiliar to you, you might not be familiar with the phenomenon of 'different sleeves for different countries'. This copy of Kate Bush's 'The man with the child in his eyes' comes from Poland, and the record company Tonpress decided on a completely different sleeve design in comparison to its Western European colleagues.

I ordered this single especially because of this different sleeve. I've been aware of it for years, but singles like this command unusually high prices. Fortunately, this particular copy was not as ridiculously priced.

Interestingly, the same photograph was used on the sleeve of the Yugoslavian pressing of the accompanying album, 'The Kick Inside'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6819
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 December 2022
Tracks: 'The man with the child in his eyes' / 'Moving'

Genghis Khan - Genghis Khan

The German group Dschinghis Khan was very successful with their song of the same name. So much so that they created an English version called 'Genghis Khan'. 

What I didn't know was that they also released an extended version of this English version. What's more, this extended version was only released in Australia. It took me a while to find a copy at a half-decent price, but I finally managed to find one - but it still had to be flown in from Australia. The 12" version adds a couple of choruses and comes in a standard record company sleeve. It should have been an Astor record company sleeve, but I'll take the CBS one as a beautiful substitute.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 December 2022
Tracks: 'Genghis Khan' / 'Desert land'

Przyda Się Do Kartoteki - Izabela Trojanowska & Stalowy Bagaż

The Polish rock band Stalowy Bagaż was founded at the beginning of 1981 in Wrocław. They disbanded in 1983. In 1981 they recorded this EP together with Polish singer Izabela Trojanowska. She would go on to record the single 'Brylanty' the next year, which I thought was a bit more sophisticated than this collection of straight rock songs. But then, I've always had a thing for keyboards.

This EP completes the set of Polish singles I received from my friend in Poland. It was an interesting ride and I've discovered quite a few things about Polish music that I didn't know. My favourite of the eleven discs has to be the one by Kombi. Which is hardly a surprise, as this one is the most futuristic sounding. For the early Eighties, that is.

My collection: 7" single no. 6818
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Przyda się do kartoteki', 'Na bohaterów popyt minął' / 'Pieśń o cegle', 'Czysty zysk'

Adriatyk, ocean gorący - Lombard

The Polish band Lombard formed in 1981. Bandleader Grzegorz Stróżniak is composer, arranger, and vocalist who also plays the keyboards. For over 35 years, he has given the band its original pop-rock character, combining expressive guitar sound with a full range of keyboards and electronics. In the first decade of its activity, Lombard cooperated with many instrumentalists and two vocalists: Wanda Kwietniewska and Małgorzata Ostrowska, who then decided to pursue their solo career. In 1999, Marta Cugier became the band’s lead singer. 

The band boasts a number of well-known and well-liked hits. This single, 'Adriatyk, ocean gorący' ('Adriatic, hot ocean') was released in 1983 and also included on their second studio album 'Wolne Od Cła'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6817
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Adriatyk, ocean gorący' / 'Dwa Słowa, dwa Światy'

Wciąż bardziej obcy - Lady Pank

Lady Pank is a popular Polish rock band, started in 1981 in Wrocław by Jan Borysewicz and Andrzej Mogielnicki. Their first hit was Mała Lady Punk ('Little Lady Punk'). The band's most popular songs are: 'Tańcz głupia, tańcz' ('Dance, stupid, dance'), 'Mniej niż zero' ('Less than zero'), 'Wciąż bardziej obcy' ('More and more of a stranger'), 'Kryzysowa narzeczona' ('Crisis fiancée'), 'Zamki na piasku' ('Castles on the sand'), 'Tacy sami' ('Just the same'), 'Zostawcie Titanica' ('Leave the Titanic alone') and many more. 

In 1983 alone, the group performed live 369 times. The same year they released this single, 'Wciąż bardziej obcy' ('Still more alien'). After another three years the total number of live shows grew to over 800, a record at the time in Poland. On November 30, 2000 Lady Pank played a jubilee concert in Wrocław, celebrating the group's 18th birthday. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6816
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Wciąż bardziej obcy' / 'Zamki na piasku'

Zamieniam Się W Psa - Perfect

Two years after they released the EP 'Chcemy Być Sobą', Perfect came up with the single 'Zamieniam Się W Psa' ('I'm turning into a dog'), taken from their 1982 album 'Unu'.

That album was released in late 1982, in a period when martial law was introduced in Poland. A year later, Perfect released their first live album. Subsequently, they disbanded, only occasionally appearing on stage – in 1987, 1989 and in the early 1990s, when they toured in the United States twice. Before 2021, the band wanted to do a farewell tour, they released their last single 'Głos' in 2020 and started touring all across Poland. On the 27 April 2021, Grzegorz Markowski announced via the Facebook page of his daughter that his health was going down. The rest of the band said they would play on "for Grzegorz". That never happened. Instead, a few weeks later the band disbanded.

My collection: 7" single no. 6815
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Zamieniam się w psa' / 'Dla zasady nie ma sprawy'

Bruce Lee karate mistrz - Franek Kimono

With this single we move firmly towards novelty repertoire. Franek Kimono is a musical character created by actor Piotr Fronczewski. His character was a parody of the disco style. The originator of the character was Andrzej Korzyński (under the pseudonym Andrzej Spol), and the co-authors were Mariusz Zabrodzki and Sławomir Wesołowski. Apart from Andrzej Korzyński, lyrics for the album were also written by Krzysztof Gradowski. 

Piotr Fronczewski was chosen as the vocalist during the recording of the soundtrack to the film Akademia Pana Kleks (1983). In 1983, a single with the songs "King Bruce Lee karate master" and "Dysk Jockey" was released, and the next year a full-length vinyl record. Over time, CD reissues of the album appeared - in 1991, in 1999 and in 2008.

My collection: 7" single no. 6814
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'King Bruce Lee karate mistrz' / 'Dysk Dżokej'

Zimne kino - Kapitan Nemo

Kapitan Nemo is the stage name of the Polish singer Bogdan Tadeusz Gajkowski. Having released his first singles in 1983, the year 1984 brought the greatest success in his career, when the compositions 'Zimne kino' and 'Twoja Lorelei' were released on a single. The latter was actually the B-side of the single but became his best known song.

The single actually features two very accessible synthpop songs that were probably unknown to most people on the western side of the iron curtain. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6813
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Zimne kino' / 'Tvoja Lorelei'

Jezu Jak Się Cieszę - Klaus Mitffoch

Contrary to what you might think, Klaus Mitffoch is not the name of a male singer. It is the name of a Polish rock band. It was founded in 1979 by Lech Janerka and split in 1984. In those five years they only released one album and three singles. The second one was this one: 'Jezu Jak Się Cieszę' ('Jesus I'm So Happy'). 

The band consisted of Lech Janerka (bass guitar/vocals), Krzysztof Pociecha (guitar/backing vocals), Wiesław Mrozik (guitar/backing vocals) and Marek Puchała (drums/backing vocals). Janerka went on to a long-term solo career; Pociecha collaborated with Janerka on two more albums. From 1986 to 1989 Mrozik and Puchała, joined by Paweł Chyliński (guitar/vocals), Jacek Fedorowicz (bass guitar) and Zbigniew Kapturski (guitar/vocals), continued to perform under the name 'Klaus Mit Foch'; this latter line-up released the album 'Mordoplan' in 1988.

My collection: 7" single no. 6812
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Jezu Jak Się Cieszę' / 'O glowie'

Brylanty - Izabela Trojanowska

Izabela Trojanowska was born on 22 April 1955 in Olsztyn (Poland). She managed to create two successful careers almost synchronously: as an actress and as a singer. Her debut album 'Iza' was released in 1981, followed by 'Układy' the next year. This single, 'Brylanty', is taken from that second album, which is described as synthpop and new wave - an accurate description as far as I can tell.

What's amazing, is that this lady is still going strong. She still plays live, performs in movies and TV series and acts as a coach in the Polish version of The Voice Senior. From what I can gather online, she still has the looks too. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6811
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Brylanty' / 'Nic naprawdę'

Chcemy Być Sobą - Perfect

Although the official founding date of Perfect is considered to be 1980, its beginnings date back to the turn of 1977-1978. The group was founded in Warsaw on the initiative of drummer Wojciech Morawski and bass guitarist Zdzisław Zawadzki. The group's original name, suggested by Tabaka, was Perfect Super Show and Disco Band. It came from the name of Christine Perfect-McVie, who sang and played keyboards in the band Fleetwood Mac. 

This EP is their first release, featuring four tracks. Of the four tracks included her, I mostly prefer 'Bla Bla Bla', an aggressive piece of rock with impressive vocals. It is pretty standard rock fare that wasn't unusual before 1981, the year of this EP's release.

My collection: 7" single no. 6810
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Chcemy Być Sobą', 'Coś Dzieje Się W Mej Biednej Głowie' / 'Bla, Bla, Bla', 'Nie Płacz Ewka'

Hi-fi - Wanda i Banda

Wanda i Banda (also known as Banda i Wanda) is a Polish rock band, founded in 1982. They debuted at the turn of 1982 and 1983 in the New Year's Eve broadcast on Polish Radio. Their debut album, released in 1984, turned out to be a success. It included hits such as 'Nie będę Julią' ('I will not be Julia'), 'Hi-Fi' and 'Chcę zapomnieć' ('I want to forget') and it was certified gold. 

This single, 'Hi-Fi', was actually their debut single. Interestingly they pronounce the title as 'High-fee', but the lyrics are obviously about the wellknown sounds system.  The chorus goes: "Hi-Fi super star super hit / Discjockey szczerzy kły znad konsolety / Hi-Fi super star super hit / Na zwariowane sny świat ma apetyt" ("Hi-Fi super star super hit / The discjockey bares its fangs from above the console / Hi-Fi super star super hit / The world has an appetite for crazy dreams"). 

My collection: 7" single no. 6809
Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Hi-fi' / 'Nie będę Julią'

Linia zycia - Kombi

I recently got a present from Poland: a stack of singles by various Polish artists from the Eighties. Any perceptions I might have had of the lands behind the iron curtain were immediately shattered. This first single is a good example. 

Kombi was a successful pop rock music band from Poland, founded in 1976 in Gdańsk by Sławomir Łosowski. In the beginning group played mostly rock music, later their style turned towards synth pop. Kombi was the first Polish band to use the Commodore 64 as a MIDI sequencer, a Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer, Simmons SDS-V electronic drum kit and Yamaha RX-11 drum machine. This single, 'Linia zycia' stands the tests of time very well and could easily be compared to superior bands like Ultravox who were active in the West at the time.

 My collection: 7" single no. 6808R

Found: Received 21 November 2022
Tracks: 'Lynia zycia' / 'Komputerowe serce'

Come along - Duo Datz

A long time ago, I bought the single 'Come along' by the Israeli Duo Datz, just two months after they represented their country at the Eurovision Song Contest with the Hebrew version of that song, 'Kan'. I didn't know then that there was also a 12" single of the song. How could I know? The world was very different in 1991, there was no internet to find out about Israeli releases.

All that has changed. I found out about this 12" single earlier this year - now it was just a question of getting a copy. And a copy at a reasonable price, of course. All the 12" singles are available from Israeli sellers only, it seems no copies made it to other countries since 1991. (Well, they must have, but people are obviously not selling them here.) I was lucky enough to find a copy recently, and now I am the proud owner of five remixes of the track; three in Hebrew and two in English. It's just a shame that same old James Brown sample is overused. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 November 2022
Tracks: 'כאן (12" dance mix)', 'כאן (12" instrumental mix)', 'כאן (a capella)' / 'Come along (The Two Inch Remix)', 'Come along (The Two Inch Edit)'

Tubular bells - Keyboards affair

When you look at this sleeve you probably notice the amusing spelling mistake in the title. Fortunately the label of this 12" single shows the correct title, i.e. 'Tubular bells'. 

I found this record in a collection of a German seller, and he had two different versions of this 12" - the other sleeve doesn't feature the picture that is nicked from Mike's original album. Of course I found this one more attractive.

The version created by Keyboards Affair offers all the things you would expect from a production in the early 1980's: big drums, electronic music and a straightforward copy of the melody. It is kitsch, but still very nice.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Tubular bells' / 'Commando'

You win again - Bee Gees

In another installment of 'unexpected surprises', there's this 12" single of the Bee Gees' 'You win again'. For me this was a strong comeback of the Gibb brothers, back in 1987, and a very different sound compared to what they produced in the late Seventies.

The thought occured that there was never a Bee Gees 12" singles compilation on CD - this could be a great idea. But as we know, record companies are not big on great ideas lately.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'You win again (extended version)' / 'You win again', 'Backtafunk'

Three times a lady / Brick house - Commodores

It's fair to say that the Commodores had one of the coolest logos of any band ever, and with 'Three times a lady' they had one of the best ballads of the late Seventies in their repertoire. This 12" single features extended versions of that song and the previous hit 'Brick house', a beautiful soul/disco stomper that made the band a household name. 

I found this 12" single during a record fair - one of those unexpected purchases that you wouldn't find online, simply because I never even knew there were extended versions of these tracks. It's what I always say: with the disappearance of record shops and the occurance of record fairs also getting ever more rare, these chance encounters will become more difficult as time goes by.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Three times a lady' / 'Brick house'

Pretty boys and pretty girls - Book of love

Friends since high school, Ted and Susan Ottaviano (who share the same last name but are not related) initially worked musically with Jade Lee, Susan's classmate at the Philadelphia College of Art, in the early 80s. In 1983, the trio began recording as Book Of Love; the following year, Ted recruited New York’s School of Visual Arts fellow student Lauren Roselli to round out the quartet. 

In 1988 they released 'Pretty boys and pretty girls', a nice pop song, but I bought it for the B-side: a cover of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular bells'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6807
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 November 2022
Tracks: 'Pretty boys and pretty girls' / 'Tubular bells'

Vienna - Ultravox

If I had to buy promotional copies of all my singles, I would be bankrupt. However, this particular promotional single is something special, because it contains an edit of Ultravox's 'Vienna' which I've never heard before. It is shorter than the single version we all know, which is called 'album version' on the B-side of this single (I guess it was too hard to include the actual album version of the song). 

I think that with this single I've bought all the versions of 'Vienna' that exist in the world, but you never know what happens in the future...

My collection: 7" single no. 6804
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Vienna [edit]' / 'Vienna (album version)'

Nel blu dipinto di blu - Rocky Roberts

Charlie 'Rocky' Roberts (23 August 1941 - 13 January 2005) spent some time in the U.S. navy, was a welter weight championship boxer and got his first musical cudo's with the Airedales, recording in the U.S. and in France. In the second half of the sixties he moved to Italy where he recorded most of his songs (as a solo artist) and he was a guest in every other popular TV music show. His American accent didn't stop him from having a great hit with 'Stasera Mi Butto' and he was well known for his energetic Italian language cover versions of Motown & Atlantic soul hits, live and on record. 

He also, almost predictably, recorded his version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', the famous song by Domenico Modugno, in 1970. I bought the Argentine promo single, which is a nice rarity. In Italy the sides were flipped and 'Victoria' was the A-side. The B-side was called 'Volare' on the Italian sleeve, because that is the more familiar title the song goes by. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6803
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' / 'Victoria'

Papa Pinguin - Dorthe

Dorthe Larsen (born 17 July 1947) grew up in Copenhagen. She received her musical training from her father, who was conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. She also learned acting, dance and pantomime. She recorded her first single when she was eight years old. Four years later she got her first gold record for the single 'Åh, det er søndag' (cover version of 'Oh Lonesome Me' by Don Gibson). 

She came to Germany in the early 1960s and started a successful career there as a schlager singer. At the beginning of the 1970s, Dorthe took a step back from the limelight but continued to record songs in the years that followed. In 1980 she recorded a German version of 'Papa Pingouin', Luxembourg's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. Like the original version it was produced by Ralph Siegel and released on his record label. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6802
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Papa Pinguin' / 'Immer wenn Kinder träumen'

Stop - mens legen er go - Ulla Pia

The Danish entry of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 was Ulla Pia's ‘Stop, Mens Legen Er Go’’ (‘Stop, While The Going Is Good’). It was the first Eurovision performance that involved some dancing: Ulla was joined on stage by a couple who were making the most moves that anyone had done on the Eurovision stage until then. 

I'd been looking for this single for a long time, but it was never available for a reasonable price - until I stumbled on this near mint copy for a mere 5 euros. Maybe the dealer didn't know what he was selling - it was my only purchase from him but I was very happy.

Later in the year, Niels-Jørgen Kaiser became the head of entertainment at DR, Denmark’s national broadcaster. He hated the Contest and made sure that Denmark would not compete again - until he left his post in 1978. Ulla Pia died of cancer on 22 August 2020.

My collection: 7" single no. 6801
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Stop - mens legen er go' / 'Kom og dans en Bossa Nova'

Someday - Ronnie Tober

Ronnie Tober represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Morgen' ('Tomorrow') in 1968. The Blue Diamonds recorded a version of the song in English, entitled 'Someday'. However, Ronnie also recorded 'Someday', and five months ago I was still searching for that single. 

Online I could only find copies without the picture sleeve, and that would be a waste because the sleeve was so creatively put together. As you can see here, a photograph of Ronnie was superimposed on some very creative hand lettering. My copy of the sleeve is a bit tattered and torn, but a mint copy would probably cost thrice as much as what I paid for it. If not more.

My collection: 7" single no. 6800
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Someday' / 'I feel like crying'

Fernando y Felipe - Milly Scott

The Dutch Eurovision entry in 1966 was called 'Fernando en Filippo' and was performed by Milly Scott, the first black singer to ever enter the Eurovision stage. 

She also recorded her song in English and Spanish. 'Fernando y Felipe' is the Spanish version, released by the Spanish record company Belter in a surprisingly sturdy cardboard sleeve. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6799
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Fernando y Felipe' / 'Ya no me quieres'

Le monde tourne comme un manege - Heddy Lester

In 1977 Heddy Lester represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'De mallemolen'. The song was also recorded in English, German and French, and although I haven't been able to find a copy of the German version yet, here is the French one!

It was released in France - obviously - with a different sleeve than the other three. The German version, 'Karussel des Lebens' has a different sleeve entirely - also in colour - but the only copy that is available online right now costs €150. I'm not that crazy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6798
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Le monde tourne comme un manege' / 'Ce monsieur qui passe'

Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs

Why would I buy yet another copy of Louis Neefs' 1969 Eurovision song 'Jennifer Jennings'? As I pointed out recently, he recorded his song in several languages. I already own the Spanish version, and although the sleeve of this single does not explicitly state it, here is the French version of the song. The B-side, 'Au risque de te perdre' is also a beautiful song, worth listening to. 

There's only the German and Italian versions of this song to go, and I am pretty sure that I will get those if I am patient enough. After all, this is one of Belgium's better entries of the Sixties. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6797
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Jennifer Jennings' / 'Au risque de te perdre'

Kuin silloin ennen - Jarkko & Laura

Jarkko & Laura are a Finnish pop-duo, consisting of Jarkko Antikainen (born 9 August 1950) and Laura Ruotsalo (born 12 August 1949). They were chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 in Spain with the song ‘Kuin silloin ennen’ (‘Like in those times’). The song sounds very oldfashioned when you hear it now, but like most Finnish entries at the time it is very charming. 

What's interesting is that the single was released in Finland without a picture sleeve, but the Spanish version comes with a picture sleeve. It is usually hideously expensive on places like Ebay and Discogs, but I was lucky enough to find a copy at a more reasonable price.

My collection: 7" single no. 6796
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Kuin silloin ennen' / 'Et mennä saa'

 

Angelique - Gunnar Wiklund

Dario Compeotto represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 with the song 'Angelique'. The Swedish singer Gunnar Wiklund saw an opportunity and recorded his own version of the song - and filled an EP with two other Eurovision songs from the same year: 'Are you sure?' and 'April, April'. The fourth track, 'Spela på regnbågen' was the song that finished in second place at the Swedish national final for Eurovision in 1961, behind 'April, April'. 

Gunnar would record more Eurovision covers in 1966 on this EP.

My collection: 7" single no. 6794
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Angelique', 'Du kan vara säker på' / 'April, April', 'Spela på regnbågen'

Song for a friend - Maxi & Chris Garden

The funny thing about Eurovision singles is that there were often many editions and versions in different languages. I already owned Maxi & Chris Garden's 'Lied für einen Freund' in two languages, but there was also a version in English. Best of all, this version was released in a different sleeve. 

Maxi was actually called Meike Gärtner.When she grew up she acquired a solid music education. She appeared in several major musicals and had a big hit in Austria with ‘Ich Kann Dich Heilen’ as part of the group Aschenputtel in 2005.

My collection: 7" single no. 6793
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 12 November 2022
Tracks: 'Song for a friend' / 'Chant pour un ami'

SloMo - Chanel

At the beginning of this century it was quite a task to acquire all the physical releases of Eurovision Song Contest entries. Around 25 CD-singles from various European countries was not easy to get hold of. Flash forward to 2022 and there are just a handful of physical releases of Eurovision songs - and some of them were only released on vinyl in the confusing trend to release more on vinyl than on CD, despite a shortage of vinyl.

And so it happened that 'De diepte' was released two weeks ago, and the Spanish entry 'SloMo' followed last week - both six months after the Contest took place. Granted, this release is an interesting one: it's a shaped picture disc that functions as a 7" vinyl but still contains four tracks. The weird shape of the disc was caused by a mango, pictured on the A-side of this disc, because of the lines "Te gusta to' lo que tengo / Te endulzo la cara en jugo de mango" ("You like everything I have / I sweeten your face in mango juice"). Chanel's song loses some of its appeal without the engaging stage show, but this is still a nice pop song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6792
Found: FNAC Spain, received 11 November 2022
Tracks: 'SloMo (single version)', 'SloMo (acoustic version)' / 'SloMo (Eurovision's Dancebreak Edit)', 'SloMo (Karaoke version)'

Human features - Black

It's hard to believe, but it's ten years since I saw Black, or should I say Colin Vearncombe, live at Paradiso in Amsterdam. It was the penultimate time, because I would see him again in Bruges in November 2015 - two months before his untimely death. 

Having been a fan of Black almost since the beginning (well, since 1984) it took me some time to get hold of his early singles, but I succeeded when I finally managed to get a copy of 'Human features' in 1998. It was Black's earliest release on the Rox label, and although the man himself disowned his earliest material, I very much enjoyed it. 

I was quite surprised when a limited edition of this single was released this year. It was released on the Optic Nerve label, in their series of Optic Sevens. Apparently it is a series of re-releases of "classic indie singles", always on coloured vinyl and with a poster and postcard. In this case, it is pressed on white vinyl. It is a lovely release and a new chance to get acquainted with these two fabulous tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 6776
Found: HHV (Germany), received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Human features' / 'Electric church'

Downtown - One 2 Many

The group One 2 Many only released one album, but it was a great pop album and one of those albums that I still play regularly. Their biggest hit was 'Downtown', released in 1988. I own two singles of the track and a CD-single, but somehow it got past me that there was also a 12" single with exclusive remixes on it. 

And so, a quarter of a century later, I acquired it from a Dutch seller on Discogs - an American promotional 12" single with two mixes on it. Actually, the 7" edit on this one also sounded different to me, because at 2'17 lead singer Camilla Griehsel sings 'This is no time in a village for a while', a line I never heard on the three discs I mentioned before. So, three 'new' tracks by One 2 Many - that's a good catch.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 November 2022
Tracks: 'Downtown (Way Downtown mix)' / 'Downtown (7" edit)', 'Downtown (2 Down Dub)'

Pazzo amore / Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno

The earliest Eurovision song to obtain legendary status is Domenico Modugno's 'Volare', or, more correctly, 'Nel blu dipinto di blu'. I'm not sure that everybody knows that Domenico actually re-recorded this song a few times, and this single, released in 1984, is one of those versions.

It was recorded with the orchestra of maestro Nello Ciangherotti for the TV series La luna nel pozzo - although I'm not sure if that claim holds true for both tracks on this single. I can say for sure that 'Pazzo amore' was featured on that TV show. The modernized and slightly 'discofied' version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' is what is the real attraction on this disc for me, however. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6784
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 October 2022
Tracks: 'Pazzo amore' / 'Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)'

Eres tu - Mocedades

The Spanish group Mocedades represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with the song 'Eres Tu'. Without winning, the song still gained a legendary status and became a big hit all over the world.

Proof of this is found in this Mexican copy of the song. It is actually an EP, featuring four tracks by the band. I got my hands on it when I ordered the 12" single of 'Parlez-vous Français', which was released in Mexico only. But this is a very nice item too, and probably quite rare in this part of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 6777
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 September 2022
Tracks: 'Eres tu', 'Rin ron' / 'Adios amor', 'Ayer (fue un dia feliz)'

De diepte - S10

It was reported recently that the Netherlands will be sending two unknown singers to next year's Eurovision Song Contest. Some people think that we should send "big names"; that is, artists that are wellknown in the Netherlands. The past has proven that this is a recipe for disaster. Just remember Willeke Alberti, The Toppers and the 3JS for example. 

In recent years we've done pretty well with unknown artists. Duncan Laurence won a few years ago and this year's entry met critical acclaim. 'De diepte' ('The depth') reached 11th place in the contest and was released on 7" vinyl just recently. There were actually two versions: one on black vinyl and one on pink vinyl. The sleeve remained the same, and the tracks as well. One point of criticism: the 'acoustic live session' on the B-side sounds like a home tape. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6786 & 6787
Found: Top Notch website, received 12 October 2022
Tracks: 'De diepte' / 'De diepte (acoustic live session)'

Amiga Quartett - Abba

A few East German singles from Abba, released by the state-run record company Amiga have already popped up on this blog: Dancing Queen/Fernando, Mamma Mia and The winner takes it all. The collection is not complete yet, but I recently found perhaps the most interesting of them all: an EP that featured four of the Swedish band's hits. 

This quartet mops up singles from their last two albums, plus the track 'Under attack' that was released as the last original Abba single back in 1982. The cover actually features a photograph of the band, which didn't happen often on these Amiga releases. As far as I know, there's only two more singles to go. I'm sure they will pop up on here sometime.

My collection: 7" single no. 6778
Found: Discogs.com, 1 October 2022
Tracks: 'Super trouper', 'Head over heels' / 'One of us', 'Under attack'

All souls night - Loreena McKennitt

When I posted this single recently, I noticed that there was no previous entry about Loreena McKennitt on this blog. Which is strange, because I definitely own another single by her. I bought it on 30 December 1994 in a period of frantic singles buying because I'd just recently started - and lost - my first proper job. I bought this single in Utrecht in a shop called Grammophoonwinkel, and I recently found out that the shop had closed down back in May, after almost fifty years. I would have liked to visit the shop one last time, but I found out too late. 

Anyway, 'All souls night' is one of the singles I bought on that cold and dark December afternoon, just before a birthday party in the same city. I think this single must have been on this blog in the early days, but back then Blogger used to honour "copyright claims" from unknown parties who apparently protested against me writing about "their" records. Fortunately this doesn't happen anymore. So here it is, just a few days too late because the traditional Irish All Souls' Night happened a few days ago. 

My collection: 7" single no. 2230
Found: Grammophoonwinkel, Utrecht, 30 December 1994
Tracks: 'All souls night (edit)' / 'Bonny Portmore'

Liebe, so heisst meine Welt - Véronique Muller

The German language has a tendency to sound a bit aggressive, especially when during my childhood my peers did impressions of a certain leader. A song like 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' shows a more tender side of the language: Véronique Muller shows that German can sound tender and soft as well.

'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' is the German version of 'C'est la chanson de mon amour', with which she represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. I bought that single almost a year ago, and this one is the only other version of that song. Even the B-side was translated into German: 'Quand le printemps revient' became 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6791
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2022
Tracks: 'Liebe, so heisst meine Welt' / 'Der Frühling kommt niemals allein'

Nur ein Lied - Thomas Forstner

In 1989 Thomas Forstner represented Austria with the song 'Nur ein Lied'. Avid readers of this blog will know this because I already wrote about the single back in 2009. 

A recent discovery was the 12" single of this song, which featured an extended version of the song. It still contains the rather bombastic sound of the single recording, but adds an instrumental part in the middle. It wouldn't be hard to construct this extended version using the single, since that one already contains the instrumental as well as the vocal version of the song, but there you go. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'Nur ein Lied [extended]' / 'Nur ein Lied (instrumental)', 'Nur ein Lied'

The big one - Black / King of emotion - Big Country

A collection of singles by Black can't be complete without those Italian promos that feature two (possible) hit tracks on one disc. In the case of 'The Big One', Black was coupled with Big Country's 'King Of Emotion'. In short: two tracks that had little in common, except that both the artists came from the UK.

Surprisingly, 'King of emotion' was the bigger hit of the two, reaching number 16 in the UK singles chart, whereas 'The Big One' only made it to number 54. In Italy it was the other way around: 'The Big One' reached number 17 whereas 'King of emotion' did not chart. I would be tempted to call that justice.

My collection: 7" single no. 6581
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 December 2021
Tracks: 'The big one' (Black) / 'King of emotion' (Big Country)

Out on the ropes - The Shirts

Nothing could beat the great pop track 'Laugh and walk away' by the Shirts, a single I bought when I was just nine years old. Apparently they released another single from the same album with almost the same sleeve and the same B-side, and it is this one: 'Out on the ropes'. This copy is a so-called 'demo record', as it says on the label. 

Interestingly enough, the band reunited two decades after breaking up in 1981. Since then, they have released two new albums. The last one, 'The Tiger Must Jump' (2010) included a new version of 'Out on the ropes'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6789
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 October 2022
Tracks: 'Out on the ropes' / 'Maybe, maybe not'