Going to the run - Golden Earring

'Going to the run' was the first single taken from the Golden Earring's 1991 album 'Bloody Buccaneers'. The single reaches number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and their last big hit before they start to repeat themselves.

In 1992 they record 'The naked truth', an album of 'Unplugged' tracks. From then on, the main body of their work is covers and re-recorded versions of their old hits.

My collection: 7" single no. 1496
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, July 25, 1991
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Going to the run' / 'Time warp'

Why do I - Golden Earring

Released as the second single from their 1986 album 'The hole', 'Why do I' was a slightly formulaic rock ballad by the Golden Earring. The band were not known for their ballads, but through the years they'd recorded quite a few.

Releasing one as a single was not a good idea, though: 'Why do I' failed to chart when it was released in August 1986. The third single from the album, 'They dance', also failed to chart, and the band disappeared from view for two years after that.

My collection: 7" single no. 433
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Why do I' / 'Gimme a break (Rock version)'

Quiet eyes - Golden Earring

In 1986, Golden Earring released the dark and overproduced album 'The hole'. The first single from that album was 'Quiet eyes', the only single from the album to reach the top 10 in the Netherlands, peaking at number 9.

The accompanying music video and the sleeve artwork was created by Anton Corbijn. The single was actually released in four different sleeves, featuring one of the four band members and blue, green, yellow or red lettering on the front, and the remaining three band members on the back.

My collection: 7" single no. 421
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 28, 1986
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Quiet eyes' / 'Gimme a break'

Just a little bit of peace in my heart / Please go - Golden Earring

Back in 1988, I spent a week in hospital for minor surgery. One of the joys of this was the fact that I had to do absolutely nothing except spend my time reading magazines and listening to the radio. One of the tracks I heard there was Golden Earring's 'Just a little bit of peace in my heart', an old track from 1968, when it reached number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.

I found this re-release single from 1988 a few months later. The B-side was another hit from the band: 'Please go', which reached number 10 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1965.

My collection: 7" single no. 859
Found: June 2, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Just a little bit of peace in my heart' / 'Please go'

Twilight zone - Golden Earring

My earlier post about 'Long blond animal' by the Golden Earring caused some readers to write a comment. I wrote that if the group had quit like they planned, it would have saved us a lot of unnecessary music. 'What about 'Twilight zone'?', was the general complaint.

Well, indeed. I did like the song when it came out in 1982, and I even bought the single. At the same time, the song has been played so often on radio and television that I'm still very bored by it. So would the world have been a darker place without this single? I don't really think so. But it was a number 1 hit for the band, which should have been, again, reason enough for them to call it quits. Unfortunately, they didn't...

My collection: 7" single no. 149
Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 5,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Twilight zone' / 'King dark'

Long blond animal - Golden Earring

I have to be honest and say that these days I don't like Golden Earring at all. They have turned into a band that is mercilessly repeating itself with performances in theatres with unplugged concerts. The band members are these old men who should think about having an annual prostrate checkup instead of planning new tourdates.

Back in 1980, it was a different story: the album 'Prisoner of the night' was released and the single 'Long blond animal' was a rock track that was totally out of sync with the new wave sounds that were taking over the charts. Still it managed to get to number 19 in the Dutch Top 40. The band was considering to throw in the title as the album and two later singles didn't sell as well. Maybe they should have done it - it might have saved us from the misery they are going through now.

My collection: 7" single no. 849
Found: Den Haag, May 27, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Long blond animal' / 'Triple treat'