Showing posts with label Seventies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seventies. Show all posts

Sunday 10 March 2024

Cuba - Gibson Brothers

A year before the Gibson Brothers had a hit with 'Que sera mi vida', they had a hit with a similarly Latin America-oriented single called 'Cuba' in 1979. The single peaked at number 32 in the Dutch Top 40, and reached number 41 in the UK singles chart. It fared better in the UK in 1980 when it was re-released: it reached number 12.

They actually had two more hits in the UK: 'Mariana' (1980) and 'My heart's beating wild' (1983). Neither of those charted in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, my musical interests had shifted to other bands as well.

My collection: 7" single no. 7145
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, 3 March 2024
Tracks: 'Cuba' / 'Cuba (instrumental)'


Sunday 28 January 2024

Heroes (live) - David Bowie

'Heroes' is undoubtedly one of the highlights of David Bowie's genre, perhaps bridging the gap between lovers of 'Seventies Bowie' and 'Eighties Bowie'. This particular single seems to be an unofficial released by Reel to Reel Records, featuring two different live versions of the track.

The first recording was made live at Montreal Forum on 13 July 1983, the second was recorded live at the Tokyo Dome, 16 May 1990. The two don't sound very different really, but it's a nice item for fans nonetheless. The added attraction of it being a picture disc drew me in - after all, there have been quite a few picture disc releases of Bowie during the last decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 7116
Found: Sounds, Delft, 27 January 2024
Tracks: 'Heroes (live at Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada, 13th July 1983)' / 'Heroes (live at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, 16 May 1990)'

Friday 5 January 2024

Mile after mile - Jahn Teigen

Although Jahn Teigen wasn't exactly successful with his 'Mil etter mil' at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978, he did record the song in English. It was surprisingly difficult to get this single for a reasonable price, even online. In the end, I wound up buying this copy together with three rarer Norwegian singles from a Norwegian seller late last year.

Jahn even recorded the B-side 'Claudius' in English. This copy was made in Norway; the single was also released in Germany with a different sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 7107
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Mile after mile' / 'Claudius'

Småting - Grethe og Benny

'Småting' is a Norwegian pop song that won the Melodi Grand Prix 1972, and was Norway's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest the same year. The melody and lyrics were written by Kåre Grøttum and Ivar Børsum, and the song was performed by Grethe Kausland (3 July 1947 - 16 November 2007) and Benny Borg (born 13 November 1945 in Gothenburg). The song is a ballad, where the duo compares the great successes of human life ("inheriting a castle, landing on the moon") with small things, such as watching the sunset, which they sing are higher experiences.

In the international final, the song received 73 points, placing it 14th out of 18 contestants. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7106
Found: Discogs.com, received 3 January 2024
Tracks: 'Småting' / 'Har du noengang'


Thursday 28 December 2023

Magazine - Heart

After Heart's very successful debut album 'Dreamboat Annie', they had a falling out with their label Mushroom over an advert for that album that was too suggestive for their liking. Legal wrangles followed, during which Mushroom released the second album 'Magazine' prematurely. After the dispute was resolved, Heart still had to deliver a second album proper, and so they re-recorded 'Magazine'. 

The title track was released as the third single from the album in 1979. It failed to chart in all territories, after which Heart's ties with Mushroom Records were broken. In the early 1980s, Mushroom Records went out of business. Ownership rights to Heart's two albums for Mushroom were purchased by Capitol Records, which reissued the recordings. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7099
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 December 2023
Tracks: 'Magazine' / 'Devil delight'

Friday 22 December 2023

Sunday girl - Blondie

I've complained about Record Store Day on this blog before: it's too expensive, too limited and too attractive for scalpers. That's not to say that the releases are always bad: there's been quite a few interesting items over the years - the trick is just to find them, years later, and hopefully for lower prices.

This double single of Blondie's 'Sunday girl' was released in April 2022, so not too long ago. One disc is pressed on yellow vinyl, the other on red vinyl. The second disc actually presents a previously unreleased live version, recorded at the Paramount Theatre in Portland in January 1979. Unfortunately that's a rather low-fi recording. But anyway, it's a nice release and it looks great.

My collection: 7" single no. 7090
Found: A&O, Düsseldorf, 16 December 2023
Tracks: 'Sunday girl' / 'Sunday girl (French version)' // 'Sunday girl (demo)' / 'Sunday girl (live)'

You're all I need to get by - Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams

'You're all I need to get by' was written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson. It was originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968.

Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams recorded the song for their 1978 duet album 'That's what friends are for'. It was the follow-up to their US number 1 hit 'Too much, too little, too late'. Their version of 'You're all I need to get by' reached number 47 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 45 in the UK singles chart. The copy I bought is a UK promotional single, which is a nice find!

My collection: 7" single no. 7091
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 22 December 2023
Tracks: 'You're all I need to get by' / 'You're a special part of my life'

Saturday 9 December 2023

Jeg er en astronaut - Anne Mette Torp

It's almost eight years ago that I found a copy of 'Jag är en astronaut' by Anne Mette Torp, the Swedish cover version of 'I am an astronaut', recorded by Ricky Wilde in 1972. Back then I already found out that Anne Mette originally recorded the song in Norwegian, but the single, officially with 'En sang jeg har laert av min bestemor' on the A-side, was very hard to get hold of.

But I was finally successful last month. A Norwegian seller had this single on offer and luckily I was the first one to find out about it. It's not that I am a particular fan of songs recorded by children, but one of my (many) subcollections is, of course, cover versions of songs by Marty Wilde. And so, here it is: the second and last Anne Mette Torp single in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 7083
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 December 2023
Tracks: 'En sang jeg har laert av min bestemor' / 'Jeg er en astronaut'

Saturday 18 November 2023

Let's get serious - Jermaine Jackson

It's an odd fact that Jermaine Jackson always remained somewhat in the shadows of his younger brother Michael, despite the fact that certainly in the late Seventies he released some very great material. This single is a good example: 'Let's get serious', produced by Stevie Wonder, is a song that is impossibly catchy. 

I actually only discovered this track recently, when I bought a CD of 12 inch singles from 1980. This is quite strange, since this single was released in 1978. But it's true: in the UK this single peaked at number 8 in the singles chart in 1980. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7077
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'Let's get serious' / 'Je vous aime beaucoup (I love you)'

Friday 17 November 2023

To the unknown man - Electric Playground Orchestra

It's hard to surpass the majestic beauty of Vangelis' 'To the unknown man', but still it has been tried. In 1978, the Electric Playground Orchestra released this single - a single I've never seen before. I bought it out of curiosity, because I wanted to know what this version would sound like. 

The identity of this 'orchestra' has not been revealed, but we do know that this single is produced by a certain Werner Schüler, which leads me to conclude that this is a German outfit. But if you know more, you are welcome to post in the comments!

My collection: 7" single no. 7069
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'To the unknown man' / 'Cascade'

Betcha by golly wow - The Stylistics

'Betcha by golly, wow' is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, originally titled 'Keep growing strong' and recorded by Connie Stevens under the Bell label in 1970. The composition later became a hit when it was released by the Philadelphia soul group the Stylistics in 1972 under its better known title. It was the third track from the Stylistics' 1971 debut self-titled album; released as a single in 1972, it reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1996, Prince recorded another version of the song, which leaned a lot on the Stylistics' version. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7065
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'Betcha by golly wow' / 'Ebony eyes'


Wednesday 15 November 2023

Freedom is today - Mia Martini

Mia Martini performed 'Libera' at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977, representing Italy. As nice as the song was, Italian is not my strong point, and so I was happy to know that there was also an English version of this song. But how to find it?

This single is rather rare, which is why it was also under the table at the record fair last Saturday. Fortunately the price wasn't very steep, and so I was able to pick up this UK promo, which features both the English and the original version. Oddly, both labels feature the prominent 'A' on them.

My collection: 7" single no. 7063
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'Freedom is today' / 'Libera'

Die heerlijke wereld - Micha Marah

Micha Marah made headlines earlier this year when she decided to finally record her Eurovision entry from 1979, 'Hey nana'. Until now, only the version by composer Charles Dumolin has been available on record, and unfortunately it seems like it will remain like this, since there is no physical release of Micha's version yet. 

We'll have to made do with Micha's cover version of 'En un mundo nuevo', Spain's Eurovision entry from 1971. She recorded it as 'Die heerlijke wereld' ('That delicious world') in 1971, and it sounds as joyful as the original - even if the lyrics sound rather naff if you can understand Flemish/Dutch.

My collection: 7" single no. 7060
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 November 2023
Tracks: 'Die heerlijke wereld' / 'Die ring'

Thursday 9 November 2023

Ey sham - Ilanit

Back in 1973 a country called Israel made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest. The song 'Ey sham' was performed by Ilanit, a singer who was originally contacted to perform for Germany. Then the opportunity arose to represent her own country. This single is particularly special since it features the original Hebrew version and only contains Hebrew writing. Hence, I relied on a transliteration to name these tracks.

Some people wonder why Israel even takes part in Eurovision. I think the world would be a better place if Arabic countries would also participate. Morocco tried it once, other countries never dared to. I guess there's a lot of unresolved hate in the world, and some people (both in Israel and elsewhere) are just not interested in peace and unity.

My collection: 7" single no. 7048
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 October 2023
Tracks: 'Ey sham' / 'Bifrot nevel ve'ugav'


Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus - Seija Simola

Four years ago I bought the single 'Give love a chance' by Seija Simola, the English version of Finland's Eurovision entry from 1978. The original Finnish version was still missing from my collection, but I am glad to say that I finally managed to buy a copy. 

It comes from a slightly expensive seller in France, who happened to have more than a few collector's items on sale. I decided to buy this one because it isn't offered for any low price online - and don't think you'll ever find it during record fairs or anything. Collecting Eurovision singles can be frustrating, but it's always an exciting feeling when a particularly rare item ends up in your collection!

My collection: 7" single no. 7049
Found: Discogs.com, received 27 October 2023
Tracks: 'Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus' / 'Pieni hymy'

Monday 30 October 2023

Pop corn - Antoine

Born as Pierre Antoine Muraccioli on 23 January 1945 in Toamasina, Madagascar, Antoine is a French singer, and also a sailor and adventurer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. He was very popular in the Sixties and Seventies. In 1972 he released this single, a vocal version of Gershon Kingsley's fabulous composition 'Popcorn', with lyrics he wrote himself.  

He stopped his musical career to travel around the world. Antoine published the first book of his adventures, Globedrifter (French: Globe Flotteur) in 1977; several more have followed, including his book on distance navigation Setting Sail (French: Mettre les Voiles).

My collection: 7" single no. 7045
Found: Discogs.com, received 10 October 2023
Tracks: 'Pop corn'  / 'Feuilles d'automne'

Friday 6 October 2023

Ceol an ghrà - Sandie Jones

Sandie Jones was born in Dublin in 1951. She was one of 11 children. She began recording songs from 1969 onwards. Those singles were all in English. When she represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972, she performed 'Ceol an ghrà', a song in Gaelic. It was a first for her, although she was obviously a native speaker. 

'Ceol an ghrà' ('The music of love') remains the only time Ireland contributed a Eurovision song in Gaelic. The song ended up in 15th place in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 7041
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 October 2023
Tracks: 'Ceol an ghrà' / 'Cry cry again'

Wednesday 30 August 2023

Theme from 'The Deer Hunter' - The Shadows

If for some reason (probably lack of space) I'll ever need to let go of this double groove 12" single of the Shadows' 'Theme from 'The Deer Hunter'', I can now fall back on the 7" version, which includes two of the three tracks.

The sleeve of this single, released in 1979, actually features a still from the movie on the cover. The other side of the sleeve is an advert for an album by Cliff and the Shadows, a recording of their reunion concerts at the London Palladium. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7017
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 26 August 2023
Tracks: 'Theme from 'The Deer Hunter'' /  'Bermuda triangle'

Part time love - Elton John

Some artists have become so legendary that you would almost forget that not all of their singles have been huge hits. At least, some singles are certainly not what they are remembered for.

Take 'Part time love' by Elton John for example. I never saw a copy of this single before - I think - and I was quite surprised to find out it actually reached number 15 in the UK singles chart in October 1978. By comparison, the single did not chart in the Netherlands at all. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7015
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 26 August 2023
Tracks: 'Part time love' / 'I cry at night'

Sunday 18 June 2023

Even it up - Heart

'Even it up' was the next single by Heart, after 'Dog & butterfly', but now released on the Epic label instead of Portrait. It was the first single of the band's fifth album 'Bebe le Strange'. Lyrically it is about a woman who is demanding that her lover "even it up" by reciprocating the effort that she has put forth in their relationship. 

According to Ann Wilson: "That song was written in about '79 or '80, and it was definitely a response to being obstructed as women in the rock field. There are so many systemic things that get thrown up in front of you, different glass walls and stuff. We were speaking out against it then." The single reached number 33  the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 56 in Canada.

My collection: 7" single no. 6999
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 3 June 2023
Tracks: 'Even it up' / 'Pilot'

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