Fool - Radio Java

Radio Java formed in the first half of the eighties. Comprising Tony Moore, Steve Price and Johnny Sequins, they started gigging all over London until they signed to Carrere Records. They recorded their debut album 'Some of the parts' at Abbey Road Studios in London. A Dutch DJ bought a copy of their second single 'Fool', and started to play it on Dutch radio. The group flew over to promote the song on Dutch TV, but despite an appearance in the Dutch Tipparade (the 'bubbling under' singles chart), it didn't become a hit.

Injustice! 'Fool' is a beautiful orchestral ballad, and even though the B-side spells 'middle of the road rock fare', it deserved to get more recognition than it did.

My collection: 7" single no. 262

Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Fool' / 'Lost in your love'

Download: here

O Superman - Laurie Anderson

'O Superman' by Laurie Anderson was an unlikely chart hit. Anderson had never reached the charts before, and she never would again. Anderson constructed the song as a cover of the aria 'O Souverain, o juge, o père' from Jules Massenet's 1885 opera Le Cid. The first line of the song is a part-translation of that title: 'O Superman / O judge / O mom and dad'. The lines 'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice / And when justice is gone, there's always force / And when force is gone, there's always Mom' were derived from the fourth sentence of Chapter 38 of the Tao Te Ching: 'When Tao is lost, there is goodness. When goodness is lost, there is kindness. When kindness is lost, there is justice. When justice is lost, there ritual. Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion.'

My copy of the single was housed in a custom WEA Records single sleeve. The label features some specially designed artwork. Although picture sleeves do exist, I still feel this is a great alternative.

My collection: 7" single no. 232
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1984
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'O Superman' / 'Walk the dog'
Download: Album 'Big Science', including both tracks

Noi - Matia Bazar

The Italian group Matia Bazar had phenomenal success with their 1986 hit 'Ti sento'. It went top three in several European countries and it even raised their album to gold and platinum status. How to follow up a hit like that? Simply by continuing whatever you were doing: making great pop songs. 'Noi' lives up to a high standard, even if it didn't get the amount of acclaim 'Ti sento' did.

I was happy to buy the 12" single of 'Noi', because it contained both the single and album versions of the track - and it was also a coloured vinyl edition. The marbled vinyl is a beautiful item to give a spin on your record player.

My collection: 12" single no. 121

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1991

Cost: 7,95 guilders

Tracks: 'Noi' / 'Noi (7" version)' / 'Ai confini della realta'

Download: here

Silver shorts / Falling - The Wedding Present

Like many others, I loved the series 'Twin Peaks' when it was broadcast. Part of its appeal was the soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti and the songs performed by Julee Cruise. 'Falling' was the best known track from that soundtrack: Julee Cruise had a hit with it in several territories.

I found out about the cover version by The Wedding Present a couple of years later. As soon as I knew, I started looking for the single that would contain this cover. I finally found it in 1995, but I wasn't too impressed. Let's just say that there are good cover versions and mediocre ones...

My collection: 7" single no. 2352

Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, June 26, 1995

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Silver shorts' / 'Falling'

They're coming to take me away ha-haaa! - Napoleon XIV

Napoleon XIV was the pseudonym of American singer/songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels. In 1966, he recorded 'They're coming to take me away ha-haaa!'. The single reached no. 1 status in America one week after its release. In the UK, it reached number 4 and in the Netherlands it went to no. 13. Some groups protested the apparent mockery of mental illness. Officially a one hit wonder, Napoleon XIV did record a whole album of songs referring to mental illness, including the reply from his wife: 'I'm happy they took you away, ha-haaa!' and, later, the sequel: 'They're coming to get me again, ha-haaa!' (which sees the singer slipping back into madness after being released from the insane asylum).

I bought my copy of the single during a record fair. To my surprise, this copy was made in Lebanon. A very unusual country for a vinyl single, but the quality is impressive: it's very thick, hard vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 2923

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 30, 1997

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!' / '!aaah-ah ,yawa em ekat ot gnimoc er'yehT'

Download: here

Thinking of you - Maureen Walsh

For a while, I was totally infatuated by this girl called Maureen. I couldn't stop thinking about her, I was watching her every move and that parallysed me so much, that I never got round to actually talking to her. It didn't matter, she probably wasn't my type anyway.

During this time, I came across this test pressing. The white label only stated 'Maureen' and 'Thinking of'. It seemed almost too appropriate - I couldn't resist buying it. Upon playing the single, I found out that it contained bogstandard nineties dance fare. The two tracks were nothing special, so I basically forgot all about it. For this blog I decided to pull it out again, and, while I was at it, to find out the identity of all this. It's Maureen Walsh! According to discogs.com, she released several 7" and 12" singles, but no albums. Not a big star then.

My collection: 7" single no. 1660

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, June 6, 1992

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Thinking of you' / 'One chance'

Download: here

Lydia - Dean Friedman

Dean Friedman is an American singer/songwriter who was born in New Jersey on May 23, 1955. His beautiful ballad 'Lydia' by Dean Friedman was a small hit in the UK and the Netherlands.

This is one of those singles I bought two times. The first purchase took place in London during a holiday there. I found a tattered copy of it in a plain white sleeve and bought it immediately. This version was pressed in England, and carries the song 'S&M' on the B-side. The copy turned out to be virtually unplayable. Six years later, I bought another single to replace the original one in my collection, a Dutch pressing with the song 'Well well said the rocking chair (it's gonna be alright)' on the B-side. This time, it had a picture sleeve!

My collection: 7" single no. 1063

Found: London, October 18, 1989 / Leiden, November 19, 1995

Cost: 50p / 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Lydia' / 'S&M' or 'Well well said the rocking chair (it's gonna be alright)'

Download: Album 'Well well said the rocking chair', including all three tracks

Whistle down the wind - Nick Heyward

Nick Heyward was born in Beckenham, Kent (UK) on May 20, 1961. In 1980 he formed Haircut 100, a band that became very popular in the UK in the early eighties. They released just one album in 1982, 'Pelican West', but it contained no less than four UK top 10 hits. Heyward quit the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career.

This solo career started with 'Whistle down the wind', a song that would reach no. 13 in March 1983. Thanks to radio I heard this song and I grew to like it. Two years later, I bought this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 391

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Whistle down the wind' / 'Atlantic Monday'

Download: here

I love this life - The Blue Nile

Ever since I heard 'Tinseltown in the rain' and 'Stay' in 1984, I had a soft spot for The Blue Nile. Their silent, beautiful music is truly in a league of its own. The fact that they only release an album every six or seven years add to their appeal.

It didn't take me long to find out that their debut album 'A walk across the rooftops' (1983) was preceded by a debut single, 'I love this life', released back in 1981. It did take a long time, however, to find that single. It suddenly appeared in a shop in London. No picture sleeve, unfortunately, but still: here were two tracks I'd been searching for endlessly. It was the first day of a holiday in London. I had to wait for another week to finally hear the tracks...

My collection: 7" single no. 2163

Found: Record exchange, Camden, London, September 26, 1994

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'I love this life' / 'The second act'

Download: cd-single 'I would never', including both tracks

Images of heaven - Peter Godwin

Peter Godwin was born in Germany and one of the members of the band Metro in the late 1970's. In 1982, he released this solo single, 'Images of heaven', which became well-known in alternative circuits. The single was accompanied by two different videos: a rude version and a clean version.

I got to know Peter Godwin initially because of his other single, 'Emotional disguise'. Buying this single was an experiment. I wasn't disappointed.

My collection: 7" snigle no. 1389

Found: All that music, Leiden, February 22, 1991

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Images of heaven' / 'Spoken images'

Download: here

Peeping Tom - Rockwell

Rockwell is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy. To avoid charges of nepotism, Rockwell secured his record deal without his father's knowledge. 'Peeping Tom' was Rockwell's third single, taken from the motion picture 'The last dragon'.

When I heard the 12" remix of this track, thanks to my sister who had bought the 12" single, I was really impressed. I liked the echoed vocals, the extra beats, the instrumental breaks and everything that the single version lacked. I only got the chance to buy this record three years after it was released - but I still remembered it. Good remixes can do that.

My collection: 12" single no. 70

Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Peeping Tom [remix]' / 'Tokyo (instrumental version)'

Download: here

Fairytale - Dana

Dana's main clame to fame is winning the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland. It was the first time that country won the contest, but it wouldn't be the last time. Dana, meanwhile, had a very successful international career thanks to her winning song, 'All kinds of everything'. Seven years later, she released this single, 'Fairytale', an energetic popsong not reminiscent of 'All kinds of everything' at all. 'Fairytale' reached no. 13 in the UK and no. 5 in the Netherlands. In Mexico, it was no. 1 for eight weeks, reaching gold status.

My collection: 7" single no. 1628

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, April 18, 1992

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Fairytale' / 'Country girl'

Download: here

Seasons - Grace Slick

Grace Slick is an American singer/songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of Jefferson Airplane. In 1980 she released a solo album entitled 'Dreams', and 'Seasons' was the first single to be drawn from that album. It reached no. 12 in the Dutch Top 40, and as a result of that I knew it. When I bought this single it was probably because of that fact: the bargain bin didn't always contain the most attractive singles and sometimes they were all virtually unknown to me.

To my young ears this song must have sounded mysterious. I didn't quite understand the lyrics, but Grace's performance was gripping nonetheless. Almost thirty years on, this is still a great song.

My collection: 7" single no. 64

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Seasons' / 'Angel of night'

Download: Album 'Dreams', including both tracks

Water on glass - Kim Wilde

I was still desperately searching for Kim Wilde's 'Cambodia', but I couldn't find it. Instead, one autumn day in 1982, I bumped into an unknown English single by her. I found 'Water on glass'. I didn't know the track, since I hadn't bought any album by Kim yet, but the sleeve was appealing enough and I had become interested enough to want to have this single.

'Water on glass' was the third single to be drawn from Kim's debut album. It was a hit in the UK, reaching no. 11, but by the time European countries had caught on to the phenomena 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love', Kim had already recorded 'Cambodia', so in most countries that single was released instead. I did buy a Dutch pressing of 'Water on glass' in 1998, however, so maybe the record companies did try to get it in the chart. I just don't know...

My collection: 7" single no. 175 / no. 3036

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 / Record fair, Utrecht, October 11, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders / 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Water on glass' / 'Boys'

Download: A selection of Kim Wilde songs, including both tracks

How to be a millionaire - ABC

After the glitzy kitschpop of 'Lexicon of love' and the harder edged rock of 'Beauty stab', ABC reinvented themselves as cartoon characters and released 1984's 'How to be a millionaire'. The accompanying video was a Hanna-Barbera style motion cartoon, presenting Martin Fry and Mark White in their new cartoon guise, plus the two new band members Fiona (a busty brunette) and David (a short bald guy).

It wasn't a big success chart-wise: it only reached no. 49 in the UK, and it didn't even chart in the Netherlands. It would take a while for them to have big hits again...

My collection: 7" single no. 1604

Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, March 28, 1992

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'How to be a millionaire' / 'How to be a billionaire'

Download: here

Sometimes - Spargo

I already explained a few times on this blog how I revised my singles collection when I was younger. Sometime in the eighties the final revision took place. On this occasion, most of the Dutch language singles plus those of Dutch bands were removed. That included my rather big collection of Spargo singles. I owned most of their hits thanks to cheap offers in my favourite second hand record shop. 'Head up to the sky', 'One night affair', 'Just for you', 'Hip hap hop'... They all went out.

One single remained: 1980's 'Sometimes', which was a great ballad. The band didn't even make the top 10 with this, like they had with all the aforementioned singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 77

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Sometimes' / 'Take a break'

Download: Album 'Good time spirit', including both tracks

How beautiful you are - Peter Blegvad

Peter Blegvad was born on August 14, 1951. He is an American musician, singer/songwriter and cartoonist. He was a member of the avant-rock band Slapp Happy, which founded in Germany in 1972. In the 1980's he released two albums that were both commercially unsuccessful. This single, 'How beautiful you are' is taken from his debut album 'The naked Shakespeare'. On the album he collaborated with several wellknown British musicians. 'How beautiful you are' was produced by Dave Stewart (Not the one of Eurythmics fame, but the other one who worked with Barbara Gaskin) and the B-side 'Vermont' was produced by Andy Partridge (from XTC).

I recorded this track from radio in 1983, played it endlessly and finally found the single in 1990 during a record fair.

My collection: 7" single no. 1228

Found: Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990

Cost: 5 guilders

Tracks: 'How beautiful you are' / 'Vermont'

Interlude - Rosie Vela

'Interlude' was another single to be taken from the album 'Zazu' by Rosie Vela. Like its predecessor 'Magic smile', the single contained album versions only. Even the 12" single offers no surprises: it only adds the track 'Tonto', also taken from the album.

So why buy all this? Well, because of the sleeves of course. And to complete a collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 2147 / 12" single no. 138

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, August 25, 1994 / London, 1992

Cost: 2 guilders / 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Interlude' / 'Taxi', 'Tonto' ('Tonto' 12" only)

Download: Album 'Zazu', including these tracks

Suffer the children - Tears for Fears

Taken from their debut album 'The Hurting', 'Suffer the children' was actually Tears for Fears's debut single. According to Curt Smith: ''Suffer The Children' was the first song we did together when we left Graduate. It was our very first experimentation with sequencers and drum machines, with a guy called David Lord, who worked with Peter Gabriel and different people down in Bath. So that was actually the first song we did as Tears For Fears.'

The 12" single featured three tracks that were never included in any of the compilations and re-releases on cd: an extended remix, an instrumental version and the B-side 'Wino', which is probably the simplest track Tears for Fears ever recorded: just guitar and voice.

My collection: 12" single no. 87

Found: London, 1989

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Suffer the children (remix)' / 'Suffer the children (instrumental)', 'Wino'

Download: here

Love games - Belle and the Devotions

'Love Games' represented the UK at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Luxembourg. The song was criticized by some for its blatant resemblance to certain Motown classics. It was a relative success, because it ended up seventh place in the Song Contest and number 11 in the UK charts.

I didn't know there was a 12" single of this track until I spotted it during a record fair. It is one of the few 12" extended versions of a Eurovision song. Even 1987's winner Johnny Logan managed to release a 12" single with just the three minute version of his winning song on it...

My collection: 12" single no. 470

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 2003

Cost: 2 euro

Tracks: 'Love games [extended]' / 'Rock me'

Download: here

(Feels like) Heaven - Fiction Factory

Fiction Factory were a British band, formed in the mid-1980's. Kevin Patterson, Eddie Jordan and Chic Medley were playing in a band called The Rude Boys, a skinhead ska band based in Perth, Scotland. After they left that band, they wanted to keep writing songs but were fed-up with live performances. With no name for this project, the first song Kevin and Eddie wrote for it was '(Feels Like) Heaven' in the space of roughly half a day. From a list of names that Chic had drawn up, Fiction Factory was chosen: firstly, because of the perceived falseness of the music scene and its reliance on pretty faces, the project was originally going to be fronted by nice-looking people who had nothing to do with the songwriting or performance of the music; secondly, the hope was that they would write music for themselves, other artists and maybe even films.

'(Feels like) Heaven' is one of the big pop standards of the eighties. It got to number 6 in the UK singles chart, and number 12 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 12" single no. 467

Found: ?

Cost: ?

Tracks: '(Feels like) Heaven [extended]' / 'Everyone but you', 'This is'

Download: here

Popcorn - Luminatus

'Popcorn' was always a popular track to cover. Many artists and groups have tried their hand at this instrumental track through the years, with varying success. One of my personal favourites is the 1993 cover version by Luminatus.

I found this single during a holiday in London in 1995. By then, I'd already made the resolution to buy every 'Popcorn' cover I would come across. This was one of the first I found (and bought). It was going downhill from then on, because my oh my, there have been lots of worse covers around. More about that later...

My collection: 7" single no. 2515

Found: London, October 31, 1995

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Cryptoid'

Download: here

Sometimes you cry - Renée

René and his Alligators were founded by René Nodelijk in the sixties. Playing mainly covers of popular rock and roll tracks, they were a hit on Dutch stages. When René met Anja Exterkate in 1976, the idea of changing the band name to Renée and his Alligators was made in due time. When the band signed to CNR Records, they shortened the band name to Renée.

They released several albums and singles between 1978 and 1983, and 'Sometimes you cry' was the last one to reach the Tipparade, the 'bubbling under' chart for the Dutch Top 40. It's an energetic, poppy track with a catchy chorus.

My collection: 7" single no. 1834

Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, January 13, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Sometimes you cry' / 'Running out of time'

Download: here

Do you wanna hold me? - Bow wow wow

Bow wow wow's biggest hit in the Netherlands, 'Do you wanna hold me?', reached number two in the charts in the summer of 1983. It was a very positive song, the rhythm and melody in this song gave it a very upbeat sound.

Even though it fared less well in the UK (only reaching number 47 there), it was the end of the band. Having become mainstream, the only option for a punk band was to break up. Tensions in the group were rising. Suffering from illness and exhaustion after touring the USA intensively, they went their separate ways.

My collection: 7" single no. 1578
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 25, 1993
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Do you wanna hold me?' / 'What's the time (Hey Buddy)'
Download: Album 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going', including both tracks

Breakfast - The Associates

Before releasing 'Breakfast', the Associates had made their name on satellite music TV with songs like 'Waiting for the loveboat' and 'Those first impressions'. I wasn't aware of their debut hit 'Party fears two', and didn't like the two mentioned songs at all. 'Breakfast', by comparison, was a masterpiece. I loved the music of this track, strings and all.

The B-side of the single featured an extended instrumental version, and I was expecting a vocal version of that on the 12" single. What a pleasant surprise that it was actually a different extended remix! I only bought this 12" 15 years after its original release, but it was still worth it...

My collection: 12" single no. 395

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Breakfast [extended]' / 'Breakfast alone', 'Kites'

Download: here

Guilty - Mike Oldfield

Mike Oldfield will be remembered forever as the man who created 'Tubular bells', the epic instrumental piece that was bought by millions. But since that debut album, he's released dozens of albums and a large quantity of singles. Most of his tracks are instrumental, although sometimes vocalists are hired in to sing along. On 'Guilty' the lyric is limited to the words: 'I'm guilty'.

I found this 12" single in a shop in Kensington, London, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was pressed on lightblue vinyl. It made the record extra attractive. Come to think of it, I might never have bought it if it were a regular black record... Mind you, the long version of 'Guilty' was worth it though.

My collection: 12" single no. 432

Found: Big Company Records, London, 2004

Cost: 2,5 pounds

Tracks: 'Guilty' / 'Guilty (long version)'

Download: here

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday - Boney M

There's nothing more appropriate than buying a single about holidays during your summer holiday. I guess that was the reasoning behind buying this single. Or it might have been that I was actually a big fan of Boney M when I was eight. Or the fact that this was the only single in the bargain bin with a picture sleeve. Or it might have been a combination of the three.

Whatever it was, it's one of Boney M's big hits. It was number one in the Netherlands and number three in the UK. Frank Farian was still the king of pop music and Bobby Farrell and his three girls were stupidly popular. Life was sunny.

My collection: 7" single no. 17

Found: London, 1979

Cost: 10p

Tracks: 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday' / 'Ribbons of blue'

Download: Album 'Best in Spain', including both tracks

Feel the raindrops - The Adventures

The Adventures released their debut album 'Theodore and Friends' in 1985. It featured the track 'Send my heart', as well as the earlier single 'Another silent day' and this one, 'Feel the raindrops'. All three singles were minor hits in the UK, but despite a world tour supporting Tears for fears, they didn't manage more success than that.

This 12" single is a relatively new find. I didn't pay much attention to 12" singles in 1985, apart from those released by my very favourite artists. Fortunately, a decade on, these vinyl discs kept popping up from time to time. Up for grabs!

My collection: 12" single no. 275

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, 1995

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Feel the raindrops (extended version)' / 'Nowhere near me', 'Tristesse en vitesse'

Download: here

Clouds - David Gates

David Gates is best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which released 11 hit singles between 1970 and 1973. When Bread disbanded in 1973, fans and the music industry were very surprised. It enabled David Gates to record his debut solo album, entitled 'First'. This solo album contained a lengthy track called 'Suite: Clouds, Rain', consisting of two songs coupled together by piano instrumentals. For this single, the song 'Clouds' was edited from that suite and released on its own. In the USA, the single peaked at no. 47 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

I got to know the album by David Gates in the early nineties, and found this single in 1995. Having never known it was released, that was quite an interesting find.

My collection: 7" single no. 2236

Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, January 21, 1995

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Clouds' / 'I use the soap'

Download: here

Magic touch - Kiss

The album 'Dynasty' was a great success for Kiss, even though fans criticised them for having gone commercial. The blend of hardrock with a more 'disco' style made a big impact on a broad audience. Until then, Kiss had focused exclusively on their hardcore black leather wearing Kiss Army. I was only nine years old when 'Dynasty' was released. I had no desire to get involved in hardrock. But I did get into these scary looking individuals because of their glammed up music and their strange looks.

My collection of Kiss singles from the album 'Dynasty' was completed when I bought 'Magic touch'. The third single to be lifted from that album, it didn't do as well as its predecessors. The masked men desperately needed to come up with something new, and fortunately they did, a bit later that year.

My collection: 7" single no. 39

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1980

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Magic touch' / 'Save your love'

Download: Album 'Dynasty', including both tracks

Love letters - Alison Moyet

'Love letters' was written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman in 1945. The song was performed by various artists. The best known versions were performed by Dick Haymes (1945), Ketty Lester (1962) and Elvis Presley (1966). In 1987, Alison Moyet recorded her version. It ended up as no. 4 in the UK top 40.

The B-side of 'Love letters' was the track 'This house'. Moyet would re-record this track in 1991, and it would become a hit on its own. The original version, however, is a bit more tense and contains a great guitar solo.

My collection: 7" single no. 1103

Found: All that music, Leiden, November 11, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Love letters' / 'This house'

Download: here

Somewhere in my heart - Aztec Camera

I first discovered the track 'Somewhere in my heart' because of the cd-single that featured Aztec Camera's old hit 'Walk out to winter'. I bought the cd-single and discovered that the lead track was very good as well. Then when I spotted the 12" single a few years later, I discovered that it contained a remix version. Clocking in at 7 minutes, this truly is an extended version, and a pretty good one too.

Aztec Camera is one of those great undiscovered British bands that deserved more recognition in the charts. The cover of Van Halen's 'Jump' in a true singer/songwriter style on this 12" single is further proof of their talent.

My collection: 12" single no. 466

Found: Record exchange, London, 2004

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Somewhere in my heart (remix)' / 'Everybody is a number one (Boston '86 version)', 'Down the dip (live)', 'Jump (live)

Download: here

When the Gap Band hit the charts in 1980 with 'Oops upside your head' I found it at least an irritating song. My sister liked it, and to my disgust she actually bought the single too. To me, it was a bunch of people talking and laughing over what should be a good tune. Later in life I would learn this is the nature of hiphop - a music style I would never get into.

The next year things went just the other way around: 'Burn rubber' was a tune I really liked, while my sister couldn't understand what attracted me to this. I felt the guys had learnt to sing somewhat, and on the whole it had more of a song structure. I bought a copy of the song - obviously to my sisters disgust. My brother managed to talk me out of the custom Mercury sleeve - so now I'm stuck with a standard 'Vroom & Dreesman' sleeve for this single, manufactured at that time by the Dutch warehouse of the same name.

My collection: 7" single no. 83

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1981

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Burn rubber on me' / 'Nothin' comes to sleepers'

Download: Album 'Gap Band III', including both tracks

Danny - Kit Hain

Kit Hain made her name as one half of the duo Marshall Hain. After one album, the duo broke up and Kit Hain tried to launch a career on her own. It started well enough, with her first single 'Danny' reaching no. 27 in the Dutch Top 40 in June 1981. But after that, the hits dried up. Hain did release two albums, 'Spirits walking out' and 'School for spies', before giving up as a performing artist. However, she continued to write songs and successfully so. Her songs have been performed by Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Chaka Khan and many others.

I found this single for 1 guilder and bought it on a whim. It's a charming song, nothing spectacular but nice enough to listen to on cold evenings like today.

My collection: 7" single no. 1267

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 14, 1990

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Danny' / 'Inner ring'

Download: here

Danceable - Spectral Display

The undeniable innovative sound that was introduced by Spectral Display on their debut single 'It takes a muscle to fall in love' had disappeared when they recorded their second album 'Too much like me'. The band released two singles from this album, of which 'Danceable' was the first. As far as I know, it was the only single by Spectral Display that also appeared on 12" single. And that 12" single contained an extended version of the song.

When I bought the single, I didn't really know about this second album. It was advertised in 1983, but since none of the singles reached the charts, I didn't pay attention to them. And so I bought my copy in 2001, not really expecting much. When I bought the 12" single recently, I still didn't expect much. Such is the nature of collectors: sometimes they just buy something because it completes a part of their collection. I can now say that I own all of Spectral Display's tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 3306 / 12" single no. 462

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, February 24, 2001 / Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 guilder / 2 euro

Tracks: 7": 'Danceable' / 'Big 5'. 12": 'Danceable (extended mix) / 'Danceable', 'Big 5'

Download: 'Danceable (extended mix)' ; Album 'Too much like me', including the two other tracks.

Magic - Olivia Newton-John

Taken from the original motion picture soundtrack of 'Xanadu' featuring Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John, 'Magic' is Olivia's second single from that soundtrack. The title track was a number one hit in the UK, and the third single 'Suddenly' made number 15. By comparison, 'Magic' did less well by only reaching no. 32.

It wasn't a bad track, though. Olivia's vocals are shimmering and the music is varied and melodic. I couldn't explain why it didn't do better. Personally I always liked the song and it was a nice surprise when I found the single in 1993.

My collection: 7" single no. 2053

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, November 20, 1993

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Magic' / 'Whenever you're away from me'

Download: Album 'Xanadu', including both tracks

The Angler - Gary Brooker

Gary Brooker was born on May 29, 1945 in Hackney, East London. He founded Procol Harum in 1966 with his friend Keith Reid. They are best known for their worldwide hit 'A whiter shade of pale'. The band broke up in 1977. In 1979, Brooker joined Eric Clapton's band. When Clapton fired his entire band two years later, Gary Brooker decided to record a solo album. 'Lead me to the water' was released in 1982 and contained this single, 'The angler'. Amazingly, it didn't become a hit.

I have no idea where I heard 'The angler' for the first time, all I know is that I was very impressed when I did hear it. And I was really glad to find this single cheaply shortly afterwards.

My collection: 7" single no. 933

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1989

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'The angler' / 'Badlands'

Download: here

Left in the dark - Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand can be cheesy, too mellow and even kitschy, but sometimes she manages to create something magical. With the aid of producer Jim Steinman, who made his name with Meatloaf's 'Bat out of hell' epic, she recorded 'Left in the dark' in 1984. The lyrics are still melodramatic and a bit embarrassing ('You swore you'd be with me at seven o'clock / now it's a quarter to three') but the music can't be beat. And then of course there's those trademark backing choirs...

I bought this promo 7" single from my favourite second hand record shop. It was an unusual find, since it was a promo from the UK. This promo features a version of 'Left in the dark' "without spoken intro". It still clocks in at 5'47.

My collection: 7" single no. 362

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Left in the dark (without spoken intro)' / 'Here we are at last'

Download: here

A ride in the night - Teach-In

The Dutch pop group Teach-In was formed in 1967. In the Netherlands they had their first hit 1974 with the song 'Fly away'. International fame followed one year later when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm with 'Ding a dong'. Lead singer Getty Kaspers left the group one year after that, and was replaced by Betty Vermeulen and Marianne Wolsink. With these two singers the group recorded 'A ride in the night', a single that was to become the second one in my current collection.

'A ride in the night' reached number 31 in the Dutch Top 40, the lowest placing of the twelve singles by Teach-In that made it into the chart. I won't revise my record collection anymore, but if I did, this one would definitely be out...

My collection: 7" single no. 2

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1978

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'A ride in the night' / 'Wonderful feeling'

Download: here

I still remember - Gary Numan

Gary Numan really impressed me when he recorded 'Change your mind' together with Bill Sharpe in 1985. I played this track all through the year. Then a year later I heard this one, 'I still remember'. I don' t recall where I heard it, but I really liked the kind of melancholy feeling this song evoked. It was only when I bought the single that I found out that it had been recorded to benefit the RSPCA. Shortly after I bought the single, I also got my hands on the picture disc 12" single.

As Gary Numan himself said: 'This version features a different lyric to the version which appears on The Fury album, being written from the point of view of an abused dog, I was watching the animal squad programme and there was a dog that had been starved and it ended with the dog look at the camera and there was a sad Barbara Dickson song playing in the background. I thought it was very, very moving. So I took an old ballad and re-wrote the lyric. What I tried to do was put myself from the point of view of a badly treated dog. That's why the chorus for example was changed from “I still remember” to “How can they do this.”'

The single didn't get any radio exposure. It went into the UK singles chart, at no. 74 for one week on December 6, 1986. And that was that. Numan was frustrated: 'You’ve got a record for charity, for animals, at Xmas and not one single play on the Radio; I found it disgusting, hypocritical, if we’d had the radio behind that we’d have done so much good.'

My collection: 7" single no. 480 / 12" single no. 42

Found: LP top 100, Den Haag, 1986

Cost: 6 guilders / 15 guilders

Tracks: 'I still remember' / 'Puppets' (extended version of A-side on 12")

Download: here

Union of the snake - Duran duran

Limited editions are a phenomenon in the UK. Especially in the eighties, there were gatefold sleeves, double singles, box sets and strangely coloured vinyl singles aplenty. In the Netherlands, these phenomena didn't happen as often. So whenever it did, it was immediately a collector's item. If I liked the artist, I simply had to have it.

However, I found out about Duran Duran's limited edition single 'Union of the snake' too late. So when I did, it had already left the shops. I finally found it two years later during a flea market in my highschool. The unsuspecting fellow student from which I bought this didn't know quite what he parted with: he only asked a mere two guilders for it. What a steal! I was very satisfied. Little did I know that later in life these items would change hands for astronomical amounts at times...

My collection: 7" single no. 358

Found: School fair, Den Haag, 1985

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Union of the snake' / 'Secret oktober' plus free flexi disc with medley of tracks from the albums 'Duran Duran' and 'Rio'

Download: here

The day before yesterday's man - The Supernaturals

On February 8, 1997 I went to London to see the last performance of the musical 'Tommy', starring Kim Wilde as mrs. Walker. It was a fine performance, and after that very nice evening I went back to the hotel. Before being able to sleep, I watched some television and saw an episode of good old Top of the Pops. During this episode there was a performance by the Supernaturals, playing their current single 'The day before yesterday's man'. I'd never heard of the group, but I liked the song. So sure enough, the next day I went to the Virgin Megastore and got myself a copy of the limited edition yellow vinyl 7" single.

My collection: 7" single no. 2835

Found: Virgin Megastore, London, February 9, 1997

Cost: 99p

Tracks: 'The day before yesterday's man' / 'Honk Williams'

Download: here

Hello again - The Cars

The Cars were very successful in their native America, but they only got noticed here in Europe in 1984, when video music channels were on the rise. Their innovative video for 'You might think' was played dozens of times a week, and 'Drive' became famous after it was used for a video full of needy African people during Live Aid. To the best of my knowledge, neither of the 12" singles for these songs contained remixes.

'Hello again' was taken from the same album as the two named singles, 'Heartbeat city', and the 12" single featured remixes by famous producer Arthur Baker.

My collection: 12" single no. 465

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 2004

Cost: 2 euros

Tracks: 'Hello again (extended remix version)', 'Hello again (dub version)' / 'Hello again'

Download: here

Vienna - Ultravox

In 1981, I thought Ultravox was the best band in the world. In some ways, I still think that. But back then, I was totally enchanted by the song 'Vienna' and its interesting video. I'd been to Vienna on holiday with my parents the year before and I was always trying to figure out where they had filmed the scenes. One part of it was easy: the cemetary in Vienna is famous for its buildings and beautiful graves - one of which is featured on the sleeve of the single. I would come to visit that grave, too, because we went back to Vienna that summer. But the other scenes I couldn't identify. I have recently found out that Ultravox filmed those scenes in England. A great disappointment... Vienna is the title track of the equally great album, a landmark in pop history.

I bought the single twice: once in 1981 and once in 1998. The latter was a clear vinyl version, released in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 82 / no. 3061

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1981 / Record Exchange, London, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders / 3 pounds

Tracks: 'Vienna' / 'Passionate reply'

Download: Compilation album 'Dancing with tears in my eyes', including both tracks (Part One / Part Two)

Reduced to tears - In Parallel

In Parallel was an English band. Their single 'Reduced to tears' was a regular on satellite TV channels like Music Box and Sky Channel in 1984. It was produced by Phil Harding. That's about the extent of my knowledge. Even the web, usually a fountain of wisdom, contains no more information about this release. A truly rare single then, because it didn't even make the charts anywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 2129

Found: Record Palace, Amsterdam, July 30, 1994

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Reduced to tears' / 'Somewhere in Paris'

Download: here

Sensitive - Mick Karn

Having collected Kim Wilde records for more than a decade, it's not so strange that I started 'branching out'. The singles released by her brother Ricky were hard to come by, since they were all released in the seventies in rather small quantities. So the first Ricky Wilde record I found was 'Sensitive' by Mick Karn, which was produced and mixed by Ricky Wilde together with Mick Karn.

Karn made his name as part of the English group Japan, but he also made some solo records. 'Sensitive' was his first solo single, which didn't make the charts anywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 2961

Found: Record fair, Netherlands, February 9, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Sensitive' / 'The sound of waves'

Download: here

Magic smile - Rosie Vela

Everyone who has a singles collection will recognise this: once you've heard an album you like, you'll want to have all the singles drawn from that album. Well, at least, I do. So after buying Rosie Vela's cd 'Zazu' in 1989, I started looking for her singles. It took me some time to collect them, but I finally started to see things going my way when I found 'Magic smile', the first single to be drawn from 'Zazu'.

'Magic smile' reached no. 27 in the UK singles chart in January 1987. In other countries it didn't reach the charts. Despite her great music, Rosie Vela was discarded by many so-called 'serious' critics because of her modeling career. When you listen to 'Magic smile', it's obvious that the former model was mistreated in this respect.

My collection: 7" single no. 2029

Found: House of rhythm, London, October 19, 1993

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Magic smile' / '2nd emotion'

Download: Album 'Zazu', including both tracks

Living on video - Trans X

My sister didn't approve. That's what I always think when I see this single. Back in 1983, it was still a big issue which records we bought. As we both had record collections, she didn't appreciate it much when I bought the same singles she did, because we would have less extra songs to play, but whenever I bought something she didn't like, she was disappointed as well.

'Living on video' was an example of electronic music. When I grew older, I came to realise that women generally don't like electronic music, because of its mechanic nature. But I loved this song for all its simplicity and weird noises. And that includes the vocals...

My collection: 7" single no. 212

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1983

Cost: 3,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Living on video' / 'Digital world'

Download: Album 'Living on video', including both tracks. (Part one / Part two; password video93)

Så länge det lyser mittemot - Marie Fredriksson

Marie Fredriksson was famous in Sweden even before she joined the band Roxette, that would take her around the world. Her solo work is sometimes just as poppy, but also contains a darker, more melancholic side that appeals to me a lot.

I got to hear 'Så länge det lyser mittemot' via MTV Europe in 1992, soon after it was released in Sweden. I wasn't too impressed by this track at first, mostly because the video didn't appeal to me. Then, a year later, I spotted Marie's cd 'Den standiga resan' in a record shop in Amsterdam at a discount price. The booklet of this cd was beautiful, and because of that I decided to buy this cd and try it out. I fell in love with the album. It was only in 2001 when I bought this vinyl single. I've come to like this track and the thought of owning this single was too attractive to deny. It's the only Marie Fredriksson track that I have on vinyl - everything else I have on cd now.

My collection: 7" single no. 3317

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, March 24, 2001

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Så länge det lyser mittemot' / 'Den där novemberdan'

Download: here

Precious little diamond - Fox the fox

The Dutch group Fox the Fox was formed in 1983 by Berth Tamaela and Robbie Brans. They were joined by Silhouette Musmin. Their first single 'Flirting and showing' barely missed the Dutch top 40, but in 1984 they had their first (and only) hit: 'Precious little diamond'. The song is a big success in Europe and South America as well.

'Precious little diamond' was remixed by Ben Liebrand, who had just become a famous dj and remixer thanks to his weekly 'minimix' on Radio Veronica. The remix is an extended version of the original song with extra instrumental breaks. Very attractive.

My collection: 12" single no. 459

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Precious little diamond (special remix by Ben Liebrand)' / 'Man on the run'

Download: here