18TH JANUARY 1997- QUIT PLAYING GAMES (WITH MY HEART)- The Backstreet Boys (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Quit_Playin_Games.jpg

 

From their debut back in the Summer of 1996 there was something terribly amateurish about BSB's, too American, too clean cut, bland and polished. That actually changed over time and by 1999 I would say they were producing as good a collection of songs as thier Birtish counterparts (take that as you will), but certainly singles like "Get Down" and "We've Got It Goin On" were woeful by the standards of Boyzone and certainly of Take That. Yet we had been spoilt by our boybands so far, and the Backstreet catch-up starts here.

 

What changes here is that the boys have discovered Cheiron, or vice versa, and the sound that would dominate he chats by 99 and propel Britney to superstardom, can be found here, the euro friendly sound enables the record to sound a great deal more professional, thus making the first No 2 of the late 90s coincidently "sound" late 90s. It's not their first production credit with Cherion so one has to assume that their sound was developing and blossoming through 95 and 96 before they finally found pay dirt. Not a song I loved at the time but it was always passable enough to my ears, but with US money behind them they would go on to dominate the US boyband market until the end of the decade, in reality always eclipsing rivals N-Sync, and in my opinion rightly so, tracks like "Larger Than Life" and "Shape Of My Heart" are glowing examples of well written perfectly executed pop of their time. QPGWMH has none of that touch its true but allowances can be made.

 

Edited December 4, 201113 yr by Gezza76

8TH FEBRUARY- WHERE DO YOU GO?- No Mercy (2 weeks)

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RpCT7joiu6w/TMHm7SCQ-VI/AAAAAAAAAT0/efXEInkwQFs/s1600/Where%20Do%20You%20Go.jpg

 

Sorry- Guilty pleasure time for me! This is CHEESY i know but I still love it. Doesn't that backing track sound very familar? It certainly did back in 1997 when this hit the charts with the tag of "a big hit on the continent", that's because it's very similar to the Todd Terry remix of Everything But The Girl's "Missing" from 1995. They actually released a cover of that very track as their first single (that's how much they loved it) but it failed to anything and so they took a La Bouche track (they were big on the continent as well) from 1995 and married it to the backing track, kinda like an early mash up and produced this.

 

Imagine a Latin 911 and you're kind of there, they were barren of ideas (note follow up "Kiss You All Over" and "Please Don't Go" were virtually carbon copies of this) but this is kind of like that embarrassing "indescretion" you had on holiday in Ibiza that was kind of fun but we've all agreed to forget about it, if there were chavs in 1997 on a bus on the top floor they would probably be playing this, but for all of that I can't be too mean to No Mercy. Never outstaying their welcome and always cheery this is a little snip of Latin pop that I recommend.

 

Edited December 4, 201113 yr by Gezza76

16TH JANUARY 1993- EXTERMINATE!- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris (3 weeks)

Quite frankly, I don't see anything particularly wrong with this. Then again, my slant towards breakbeat hardcore probably helps in my view of this track. I'm not sure if anyone pointed this out, but "Exterminate!" isn't so much a remix but an almost complete reshuffling of album track "Ex-Terminator". Nikki Harris was then a new addition to the panel of Snap!'s singers/collaborators, as both Turbo B. and Thea Austin had left by the end of 1992; so this single was, in many ways, a Nikki introduction as a "member" of Snap!. But as I was saying, I don't see anything particularly wrong with this track. It might not be your average verse-chorus-verse dance tune, but it only adds to its period charms. On the other hand, I agree that it also bears too many marks of its time to truly stand up. But as a timepiece snapshot, it's certainly a deserving ditty.

 

20TH FEBRUARY- WHY CAN'T I WAKE UP WITH YOU- Take That (2 weeks)

In retrospect, the decision to remix this track for single release in a new jack swing-style which was already starting to sound dated by early 1993 wasn't the wisest one, as all those who only heard this song through the radio or MTV Europe would think of it as dull. The original, piano-led minimal version though is an unheralded piece of pop craftsmanship, pointing towards Gary Barlow's emancipation as a songwriter of worth in the near future.

 

6TH MARCH- GIVE IN TO ME- Michael Jackson (1 week)

As someone rightfully pointed out, this was to Dangerous what "Dirty Diana" was to Bad - and "Beat It" was to Thriller too. And while "Give in to Me" was quite the decent song, this game of parallels also illustrates just why Michael was starting to be seen as passé by this point, however successful he continued to be. In many ways, Thriller was both a blessing and a curse, as Michael seemed content to mirror that record's formulas and adapt them to current trends just slightly so as to not completely lose touch. It was enough for a few moments of pop craftsmanship, but the fact of the matter was that Jackson no longer signified the centre of pop's heart. He was an icon, and one who managed ride on it to have the kind of success during the 90's others would die for. But we all know that wasn't really enough for him, right?

 

27TH MARCH- INFORMER- Snow (3 weeks)

Ah, what to say about this? A Canadian white bloke delivering a cod-ragga tune, then. Much was made out of it back then, enough to basically condemn Snow to one-hit wonder status. But you know what? It's not half-bad. Of course the next couple of singles are best left forgotten as they already are, but "Informer" was a decent-enough piece of not-really-ragga.

 

8TH MAY- THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES- Janet Jackson (1 week)

The same way "Better The Devil You Know" marked a transformation in Kylie, so did this in Janet. The OTT bent was gone, in favour of a more sensual approach. Furthermore, "That's The Way Love Goes" was, musically speaking, in thrall with what was happening in American R&B at the time, when new jack swing was already considered the past and an edgier brand dubbed hip-hop soul was emerging strongly. Thus it was the right change at the right time, securing Janet with a very much deserved sultry hit single which would pave the way to a decade where it seemed like she could do no wrong. Until...

 

3RD JULY- WHAT IS LOVE?- Haddaway (2 weeks)

If you ask any of your American friends who were the same age as us at the time, they'll more than happily link this song to the famous (and hysterically funny, it must be said) "Roxbury Guys" sketches of Saturday Night Live in the mid-90's. Those of us with a European origin though will more than happily link this song to what was one of the most timeless songs of the Eurodance genre - and let's face it, there aren't many of them! It's probably Haddaway's only real song of worth in his catalogue, but how worthy is this? A lot, I say! And the secret is in its insidious melody, as classicist as any Eurodance song might get. So if you still look at this from a guilty pleasure standpoint, I say you should just relax, let it all out and just enjoy it for its sake, bugger!

 

24TH JULY- WHAT'S UP?- 4 Non Blondes (2 weeks)

Dear Lord, how overplayed was this on radio and MTV Europe? You don't have to answer this, it's a rhetorical question. And sure enough, what is clear to me is how absolutely calculated this song sounded. Even with its relatively stripped-down arrangements, "What's Up?" sounds for the whole world as some 1989 AOR group hurriedly applying some earthy alternative rock stylings so as to fit in with whatever was going on in commercial rock music at the time. Apparently the whole world was fooled, but only for a little while, as 4 Non Blondes had trouble following it up with other hits. But i do remember Bigger, Better, Faster, More! not selling badly at the time.

14TH AUGUST- THE KEY THE SECRET- Urban Cookie Collective (2 weeks)

This is one of those dance tracks that still gets remixed/revamped/etc. from time to time, but never with the same success. Quite frankly, it's one of those tracks that, at this distance, seems to leave me cold for a reason. It's not a bad dance track (or even a pop record) per se, but there's just something seriously lacking here. The one good thing about this is that the singer in it, Diane Charlemagne, would be borrowing her vocals to some of the tracks in Goldie's utterly classic Timeless album in two years' time.

 

4TH SEPTEMBER- IT KEEPS RAININ' (TEARS FROM MY EYES)- Bitty McLean (2 weeks)

In the Jamaican Summer of 1993, I'd say there were definitely better tunes than this one. Still, it's a nice enough one, with Bitty crooning longingly over a vintage lovers rock rhythm. If it came on the radio by chance these days (and it doesn't much often), I'd wager I wouldn't change the station by any means.

 

18TH SEPTEMBER- GO WEST- Pet Shop Boys (2 weeks)

I still hold Very (and previous album Behaviour) as the jewels in the crown of PSB's entire long-form oeuvre. As such, the appearance of "Go West" is more than welcome to me. This happily twisted reading of the Village People's camp original certainly stands as one of the best examples of what became PSB's specialty: take what's commonly thought of as garbage and put a cutting, very intelligent reading on it. And as far as turning shite into shine, you can hardly do better than this!

 

2ND OCTOBER- MOVING ON UP- M People (1 week)

Taking us back to the days when the "M" in them didn't mean MOR Makes Money. Or something. Anyway, apart from being their one sniff at an American hit (#34 practically a year to the letter later), "Moving on Up" is also one of the best examples of the disco (and 70's) revival going on at the time. Unlike those dreary Sister Sledge and Gloria Gaynor remixes being released then, this is disco moving on up (ha!) into the present and acknowledging its debt in launching house music into the world. The fact that it did in the best possible way by pouring a little pop craftsmanship over it was just the cherry on top.

 

30TH OCTOBER- U GOT 2 LET THE MUSIC- Capella (1 week)

There's just no other way around it: this is a product of its time. Borrowing heavily from Alphaville's "Sounds Like a Melody" synth line and adding a vocal sample from JM Silk's "Let The Music Take Control" as its main hook, "U Got 2 Let the Music" would never win any awards for creativity, no matter what material it sampled. It was a generic club groove, not really Eurodance as such, but also not really "proper" house music either, as was a lot of Italian-made dance music then. It tried to be all things to all people, and apparently it worked, as this #2 placing indicates. Unfortunately for Cappella, when they went full-on Eurodance, chart positions started dwindling and thus was their short brief in the limelight.

 

6TH NOVEMBER- PLEASE FORGIVE ME- Bryan Adams (3 weeks)

I guess That Song That Shall Remain Nameless pointed the way. And judging from what I recently heard from him, it's not as if he's in a hurry to get out of there any time soon. Too bad the music got lost on the way to the cash register, then.

 

27TH NOVEMBER- TRUE LOVE- Elton John & Kiki Dee (2 weeks)

They say you can't make magic twice. And sure enough, "True Love" was no "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". It was the type of song which was appropriate to the very season we're in the midst now, simple background music to accompany your Xmas shopping. And as such, it was promptly forgotten once January blues set in.

Edited December 2, 201113 yr by jaxxalude

I've now noticed I left Kylie's "Give Me Just a Little More Time" slip by. And you know what? I'm not terribly bothered by that, as it's not that much of a tune in the first place. So I guess we'll leave it at that.

Edited December 2, 201113 yr by jaxxalude

29TH JANUARY 1994- ALL FOR LOVE- Bryan Adams/ Sting/ Rod Stewart (1 week)

I could pretty much cut my "Please Forgive Me" comment and paste it here. The only things deserving of being pointed are the fact that this was part of the zillionth The Three Musketeers film adaptation soundtrack and that he roped in Rod Stewart and Sting - thus making them one, two, three musketeers, geddit?

 

5TH FEBRUARY- BREATHE AGAIN- Toni Braxton (2 weeks)

And thus began Toni Braxton's run of 90's success in Britain and the rest of Europe - the Babyface duet "Give You My Heart" and "Another Sad Love Song" already had been Top 40 hits in America for her, with the latter going Top 10. Still far from "Un-Break My Heart's" runaway smash status, yes, but nonetheless a solid hit she had with "Breathe Again". And was it any cop? Not really, to be very honest. It was quite a run-of-the-mill R&B mid-tempo jam with enough of an adult contemporary vibe for it to crossover to a Pop audience and especially Europe, as American Urban music still wasn't that saleable around these shore at the time.

 

5TH MARCH- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base (3 weeks)

When you take time to think about it, Ace of Base were quite an alien at the time. Not really Eurodance but not "proper" pop either, they stood somewhere in the middle. And in a musical scenario where a clear trend wasn't dominating at the core centre, multi-format appeal like this came went down like a blessing for all concerned in the industry. So it was that Ace of Base managed to bag a splendid run in the 1993/94 season, with their singles routinely going Top 10 and the Happy Nation album doing solid business itself. As for this song, you can say it's pretty much a condensation of everything that sold singles in Britain back then: a little Euro flavour here, a little pure pop there and a twist of Jamaican influences thrown in for good measure and voilà, a surefire hit single was borne!

 

2ND APRIL- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA- Bruce Springsteen (1 week)

We were just mere months away from the double attack of Portishead's Dummy and Massive Attack's much anticipated second album Protection. And just what does this have to do with The Boss? Well, in some ways, "Streets of Philadelphia" had some trip-hop flavour to it just before those two albums made the term common currency. The slow-mo hip-hop beat, the eerie atmosphere, the orchestral touches, it's all pretty much there, really, just in a more streamlined, mainstream-friendly version. As such, it was quite a departure from the usual roots-rock-based material The Boss made his fortune from. Of course being tied to an Oscar-nominated film like Philadelphia helped it in spades, but you can't deny the sheer brilliance of this song.

 

30TH APRIL- MMMM MMMM MMMM- Crash Test Dummies (1 week)

Not a matter of opinion, but pure fact: this is the most bovine song ever to make to any chart. Now that we got this out of the way, let's get on with the matter at hand. And I say this is quite a fine song, actually. This triple-tale of down-on-their-luck kids set to a very left-of-center (even for those "alternative"-friendly days) backing certainly stuck out in the middle of all the dance, teen-pop and MOR clogging the charts. On the other hand, being so unique was probably CTD's very own loss, as they couldn't simply follow up such a tune in the charts game. But hey, more than being one-hit wonders, they're one-decent-song status better than most!

 

11TH JUNE- BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY- Big Mountain (3 weeks)

In the middle of the second consecutive Jamaican Summer, it's a bit heartening that some of the biggest hits in this trend were actually some of the worst! In many ways, Big Mountain weren't so much an American reggae band insomuch as they were an MOR act big on reggae - which is basically another way to say they were America's own answer to post-1986 UB40, with the penchant for cover versions and all - in this case, Peter Frampton's well known 70's staple. And yes, this was also another film tie-in, as this was one of the songs to the soundtrack of the generation-defining Reality Bites - which definitely helped it along the way. Even so, it would always be hard for such a non-entity like Big Mountain to follow up a hit cover. They did try one more time with another cover in 1995 - the Chet Powers original (popularized by The Youngbloods) "Get Together". Alas, it only reached #44 on the Hot 100, sealing their fate once and for all.

 

2ND JULY- I SWEAR- All-4-One (7 weeks)

My sweet Lord, what year was this, 1986 or something? Because that's what this song sounded like: a Lionel Richie outtake that even Mr. MOR himself would deem too drippy for release. The truth of the matter is that this was a cover of a song first recorded by then rising country music star John Michael Montgomery, which had reached the summit in its respective component chart in America a few months prior. And alas, I guess I was in the very minority, as this David Foster-produced take by the R&B vocal quarted All-4-One stormed to #1 in their homeland and into the top of the charts pretty much everywhere. Still, it's soap opera soundtrack fare at its worst, always and forever.

 

20TH AUGUST- CRAZY FOR YOU- Let Loose (2 weeks)

As someone already pointed out, Let Loose were, for a short time, the kind of boyband it was actually alright to like. Of course, the fallacious (because never a good criteria for valuing whatever it is) fact that they were an act who could actually play their own instruments instead of just singing and performing choreographies somehow helped in that perception. Still, "proper" boyband or not, "Crazy For You" was the kind of song that you just couldn't deny. It had been released once in 1993, to no big avail. Thanks to a slightly altered remix, it finally reached mass success, only to become one of five songs to be denied the top spot by That Other Soundtrack Single Which Shall Remain Nameless. Oh well, such is life!

 

3RD SEPTEMBER- COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS- Red Dragon Featuring Tony & Brian Gold (1 week)

Now THIS is proper chart Jamaica! A lovers rock rhythm, an inspired toasting (that's what they call rapping in the Treasure Isle) by Red Dragon and smooth crooning from Tony & Brian Gold was all it took to capture the British public imagination. But it sure was enough, as it was one irie shot to nice up di dance, bwoy. Gwan! :D

 

10TH SEPTEMBER- CONFIDE IN ME- Kylie Minogue (1 week)

And here was Kylie, mk. III! Signing with prestigious dance label deConstruction, La Minogue now attempted a dance-based renaissance, having flown finally free from S/A/W's clutches. For a little while it worked, as this shot directly to #2 and seemed to signal a new era for her; one where top of the pops longevity AND credibility seemed really possible. Alas, it wasn't to be (for the rest of the decade anyway), as follow-ups complied with the Law of Diminishing Returns. But maybe that stroll around the desert was necessary, as it probably gave her the kick up the bum (quite literally sometimes) she needed to come back strong once the 1990's ended.

 

24TH SEPTEMBER- RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT- Corona (2 weeks)

Being a continental European myself, I was already well familiar with this by the time it hit the success trail in the UK. What I could use though was the UK's (and a few months later America's) edit of the song, as it made it feel far more rounded and complete than the quite tinny original. Still, I was a bit surprised to find out how this actually holds up quite nicely these days. Out of curiosity, I listened to all of Corona's other singles - I shouldn't have bothered, as they all belong to that era and that era alone!

 

8TH OCTOBER- ALWAYS- Bon Jovi (3 weeks)

As I said earlier, Bon Jovi managed to change their sound and attitude in both the right doses and at the right time, unlike other pop-metal bands of their ilk, like the aforementioned Def Leppard. That didn't mean it was a change for the better, as "Always" symbolised everything that Jovi became known for later down the road: adult contemporary-friendly dullness of the highest order. But it paid the bills and guaranteed them another slew of hits, which come in handy when you're one of the most successful touring acts of the last few years.

 

19TH NOVEMBER- ANOTHER NIGHT- (M.C Sar) & The Real McCoy (1 week)

A big hit this was back then. Too bad it just sounds so dull and unremarkable these days. Best leave it there, really.

 

3RD DECEMBER- LOVE SPREADS- The Stone Roses (1 week)

Let's face it: such high expectations could never be fulfilled. And yet "Love Spreads" disappointed nonetheless, as it was a piss-poor stab at Zeppelin-esque rock not worthy of the band that had made classicist guitar pop sound modern and important with their brilliant debut album and their even more brilliant "Fool's Gold" single. And sure enough, the Second Coming album was very much a letdown.

 

17TH DECEMBER- ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU- Mariah Carey (3 weeks)

As Gezza rightfully said, this is Mariah's pension fund. It's just not less insufferable because of it after all these years!

22ND FEBRUARY- I SHOT THE SHERIFF- Warren G (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/I_Shot_the_Sheriff_WG.jpg

 

Well I suppose if it ain't broke don't fix it is the theory, trouble is this was broke last time round! Anyway, having "re-interpreted" Tina Turner for his last No 2 hit in Nov 96 he turned now to Bob Marley (who you know I Love) to repeat the trick and once again the great British public bought into it. Now considering I don't like reggae he does actually make this song slightly more digestable for me but really it's like being asked your preferred method of dying, there's no good answer, the rapping is passable but oh how we have fallen from the greatness of "Regulate" which at least had a shiff of originality and swagger in it.

 

Apparently Warren G is Dr Dre's half brother by way of useless info. Anyhoo, Warren quickly dropped off the radar after this track, only a couple of top 20 followed, and to be fair he's the author of his own misfortune, "Selling out" is an over used phrase and often mis-used, but in Warren G's case he went for short term gain and he paid a price.

 

Edited December 5, 201113 yr by Gezza76

21ST DECEMBER- UN-BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (3 weeks)

 

So as 1996 draws to a close my fave Spice Girls single was the UK #1 single. I bought '2 Become 1' on CD single in its first week of release (one of over 430k to do so :D ). Then alongside other presents, my parents only went and bought me....'2 Become 1' as a Christmas present. :drama: So yes, I had two copies of the CD to listen to. :lol: I later gave the second CD away as a present myself. ^_^

 

Anyways, 'Un-break My Heart' was easily one of my fave singles in the charts at this time. I didn't buy the single admittedly but nonetheless it was a track I enjoyed. Toni's deep vocals just melt over the backing track creating, for me at least, a pure RnB powerhouse ballad. I do remember a girl from work I was friendly with a few years ago telling me that she hated this song because it reminded her of when she broke up with her boyfriend at the time.

1ST MARCH- ENCORE UNE FOIS- Sash! (1 week)

 

http://991.com/NewGallery/Sash-Encore-Une-Fois-82928.jpg

 

I was slow to come to the Eurodance scene, I always preferred my Dance UK based in the early/ mid 90s, and there are some Sash! records that I love (we'll come to one later in this thread) but "Encore" is not one of them. I know there's a lot of love for this track but for me it always sounded like a cheaper version of say Stretch N Verne or Faithless who hit in big in 96, there's probably some kind of dance division for that kind of music, but what I know is that's how I liked my dance music. His later stuff (and some would say his poppier stuff) was more to my liking but then I'm a pop kid at heart.

 

There's a distinct lack of vocals in this Sash track which might accout for my growing sense of ennui with this, a barrier not broken down until Trance broke through in about 98/99 so had this of been two years later then maybe my appreciation of it would have been different. I can see the attraction of it in a light dance throwaway kind of way but it can't inspire love like it does with many, but as I said before I reserve my love of a Sash! record for later. Thanks to No Doubt, Sash! was prevented from becoming the first Belgian act to make No 1 ever, joining Technotronic as that country's biggest hit makers in the UK.

 

Edited December 5, 201113 yr by Gezza76

18TH JANUARY 1997- QUIT PLAYING GAMES (WITH MY HEART)- The Backstreet Boys (1 week)

 

In fact, iirc the two biggest hits in Europe around this time went on to become UK #2 singles in 1997.

 

Here's the first one. :D Backstreet Boys may have scored their biggest UK hit to date in January 1997 but this had already become a massive European hit in November 1996 when it hit #1 in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

 

As far as boybands go, Backstreet Boys are definitely ranked high in terms of releasing singles that I liked. 'Quit Playing Games' was definitely one of them and easily their best single by this point. Of course having become a keen follower of the European music scene, I'd already been hearing this song for a good 3 or 4 months by this point. This was also a major turning point for BSB as they slowly built up their UK fanbase. The only bad thing about Backstreet Boys is that they helped launch the career of Aaron Carter!!! :puke: :manson: (and people say Justin Bieber is bad).

 

8TH FEBRUARY- WHERE DO YOU GO?- No Mercy (2 weeks)

 

Everybody has their guilty pleasures. 'Macarena'? Yep!!! 'Where Do You Go'? Oh yes!!! :D For a group who have become a fully established "one hit wonder", I still see the video to 'Where Do You Go' quite often on Clubland TV when I'm flicking through the music channels. Again, like 'Quit Playing Games', this was another of those big late summer European hits that took a little bit longer before becoming such a big hit in the UK. I'd also describe this song, in terms of the UK charts, as a survivor. Why? Because I remember this entered at #10 iirc and it climbed to its peak. Yet when I think back to early 1997 there were so many singles going straight into the top 5 and dropping down quite heavily in the second week. Even some of the UK chart toppers like the likes of U2, LL Cool J and Blur just plummeted despite getting that #1 spot. The only other single from this period that I would say was a genuine hit was 'Say What You Want' by Texas.

 

22ND FEBRUARY- I SHOT THE SHERIFF- Warren G (1 week)

 

Oh dear. Oh VERY dear!!! :lol: Whilst 'What's Love Got To Do With It' was pointless, 'I Shot The Sheriff' is much worse. I'm sure if tracked down everyone who bought this single and asked them to recite the lyrics from memory, they would most likely remember the first two lines of the chorus and that's it. The mind boggles when I think back to a time when non songs like this could sell enough to chart at #2, yet alone #1 (see LL Cool J). We should be thankful that No Doubt 'Don't Speak' was released the same week and broke that dreadful chain of one week wonders and actually managed to hold at #1 for three weeks. Gwen Stefani, we salute you!!! :D

 

1ST MARCH- ENCORE UNE FOIS- Sash! (1 week)

 

Whilst No Doubt successfully held onto the #1 spot, Sash! scored his first UK #2 hit of many to come. :lol: Anyways, I've always had a soft spot for all things Eurodance and it was only natural that I would love 'Encore Une Fois'. True fact - this particular week I remember very well (because of the sheer randomness of it all) we actually had a discusssion about 'Encore Une Fois' in our French lesson at school. :lol: We were also trying to think of other French songs that had been successful hits. One lad in our class mentioned Billy Ze Kick 'Mangez Moi' - a song about magic mushrooms. It really was the most bizarre French lesson I'd ever had and one I will never forget. :D

7TH JANUARY 1995- LOVE ME FOR A REASON- Boyzone (1 week)

And so it started with a whimper! Appropriately so, in more ways than one, I must add. It must not have been totally intentional. But starting out with an Osmonds cover should really tell you what the feck was going on here, as the Osmonds were nothing but the flavourless (and yes, White) answer to The Jackson 5. Similarly (and unaware were we all of what came next), Boyzone were Take That minus the clever gay subtexts/duality (no, Gately's coming out doesn't have anything to do with anything whatsoever) or, well, a talented songwriter like Gary Barlow. It would take a reunion and the untimely death of Gately to lend "Gave It All Away" some gravitas and, you know, give Boyzone a shot at a decent song.

 

11TH FEBRUARY- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (1 week)

Absolutely, positevely love this! How could I not? The rave stabs, the silly euphoria, THAT synth in order with the disjointed beat. And on top of it, Kelly Llorena belting it out like there was no tomorrow. It was a pop record, alright, through and through.

 

18TH FEBRUARY- NO MORE "I LOVE YOU"S- Annie Lennox (2 weeks)

And this was where Annie Lennox, the MOR peddler, came out and never went away. Enough said.

 

4TH MARCH- I'VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (1 week)

The JLS of their day. I could leave it at that, as it would be much funnier. But the fact is this song isn't that bad, really. Of course the innuendos are silly, but they came as a nice variation on the boyband concept, especially considering that the likes of Bad Boys Inc, Worlds Apart and Boyzone were active at the time! :puke2: They weren't the nice boys promising you roses, they were out for the prowl and let you know about it. And since honesty is the best policy... Of course MN8 could have left it at that, as the next singles were as paperthin as they could be.

 

11TH MARCH- DON'T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (2 weeks)

I guess one of my biggest personal surprises is to find out how much some of these superclub era dance tunes actually hold up better than I expected. Or maybe it's just my nostalgic side clouding my judgement, but let's not get too hung up on it. Previous single "Alex Party (Read My Lips)" didn't age that much either. As for Alex Natale's next singles though...

 

27TH MAY- GUAGLIONE- Perez "Prez" Prado & His Orchestra (1 week)

And we all thought dusting up songs from the past because of commercials ended when Levi's made a U-turn and adopted Biosphere's astounding "Novelty Waves" to soundtrack one of its campaigns. Turns out the beast wasn't entirely dead after all!

 

3RD JUNE- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (2 weeks)

First of all, a disclaimer: I have a love/hate relationship with Britpop. I think there were some good things coming out of it. But let's face it: Britpop was a false new dawn, a facsimile of a revolution; on the whole, it was as reactionary a "movement" as they come musically speaking. But most importantly, its long-term effects on British music (and the indie scene in particular) aren't that dissimilar to what grunge did to the alternative scene in America: it corporatised something which had been genuinely counter-cultural at one point. Call me hyperbolic, but if such things as "landfill indie" and "mortgage rock" exist, you can squarely blame them on Britpop's staid attitude.

That said, Pulp were always an exception. Unlike others, they weren't afraid of appearing literate, and yes, pretentious. Furthermore, instead of just aping their influences, Pulp wisely chose to take them and subtly turn their original spirit around. "Common People" was such an example, as Manifesto-era Roxy Music got rid of its hedonistic vibes and put clever, sarcastic social critique in its place. There's no need to emphasize how bloody brilliant the lyrics were and how Jarvis delivered them with all the style and panache only he could. A timeless piece of music!

17TH JUNE- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (2 weeks)

I certainly prefer this disjointed, almost uncertain era of U2 to the ultra-conservative, self-important, self-mythologising U2 of 2000 to today. They might not have always hit the right notes during the 90's, but at least it seemed like they were trying to challenge themselves and settle into a comfortable groove. So where does this leave "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"? Somewhere in the middle, I guess. Halfway between Achtung Baby and the coming controversial dance experiments of Pop, it was U2 somehow in transition mode. And all the better for it, really, whether this was tied to the beginning of the end of the worth of the first batch of Batman films or not.

 

15TH JULY- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (2 weeks)

Remember what I wrote about Britpop? Well, you can forget it for a little while. However derivative this was of The Small Faces, the unconstrained joie de vivre Supergrass so clearly show in this song is just too much for you to resist. Furthermore, it was the perfect soundtrack to a Summer where you just knew the Tory bast*rds fall from grace was just around the corner and optimism was in the air. No need to tell where all that sense of joy went afterwards; but for the time, it seemed really possible that everything could change.

 

29TH JULY- SHY GUY- Diana King (1 week)

Now this was a surprise in the most negative way. I came to it expecting it to sound just as good (if not even better) than it did back then. Alas, it wasn't meant to be and time and distance show how absolutely limp-wristed this song is. I guess its soundtrack tie-in with half-surprising Summer blockbuster Bad Boys was the thing that made its success possible. Otherwise, I just can't see the appeal in this half-baked confection of R&B and dancehall.

 

19TH AUGUST- I LOVE U BABY- Original (1 week)

Another one I expected to sound better after all these years than it did end up. Unlike "Don't Give Me Your Life", this just sounds too connected to a certain superclub era (this screams "Cream anthem" to a tee!) to really hold up today.

 

26TH AUGUST- ROLL WITH IT- Oasis (2 weeks)

And here it is, the infamous Britpop Battle. One which Oasis were just condemned to lose, as the limp trad-rock of "Roll With It" was no match for "Country House"'s sneering critique of the emptiness of superstardom dressed as a jolly Summer anthem.

 

16TH SEPTEMBER- STAYIN ALIVE- N-Trance Featuring Ricardo Da Force (1 week)

Listen to your mother when she says that if you don't have anything good to say, then don't say it!

 

7TH OCTOBER- MIS SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E'S & WHIZZ- Pulp (2 weeks)

Let's just put it this way: the whole tabloid hysteria around "Sorted..." just proved the song's point even further. How's that for a show of the near-genius of Jarvis?

21ST OCTOBER- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (1 week)

Where the switch was complete: instead of Jovi following Leppard's steps, it became the other way around. Yup, how the mighty have fallen and never really came back up!

 

28TH OCTOBER- I'D LIE FOR YOU (AND THAT'S THE TRUTH)- Meat Loaf (1 week)

Wherein Meat Loaf got back to his irrelevance. Good riddance!

 

4TH NOVEMBER- HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE- Queen (1 week)

Why don't some people just let the dead be?

 

11TH NOVEMBER- WONDERWALL- Oasis (1 week)

"What's a wonderwall anyway?", sang Fran Healy four years later. In the name of fairness, this is a brilliant song by any means. Yes, the lyrics are vage, as are Oasis lyrics in general. But Liam sings it as if his life was dependent on it and the melody is just too strong and too affecting to be denied. Too bad the video was such rubbish, but hey, nothing's perfect.

 

16TH DECEMBER- FREE AS A BIRD- The Beatles (1 week)

Why don't some people just let the dead be, part 2.

 

23RD DECEMBER- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (3 weeks)

I said enough about Boyzone already. But really, covering such a song when you're barely of clubbing and/or drinking age and with no children of your own? OK...

 

30TH DECEMBER- WONDERWALL- The Mike Flowers Pops (1 week)

It was a funny joke... for a week or two, mind!

8TH MARCH- HUSH- Kula Shaker (1 week)

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tPqj_D82G3A/RyJpO4PHikI/AAAAAAAAAQg/bPscvB75B-w/s400/ks3dc.jpg

 

Written by Joe South for Billy Joe Royal in 1967, the most famous version was of course by Deep Purple a year later though both were overlooked by the UK Audience at the time. In fact it wasn't a hit here until the purple did a new version to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the song in 1988 but even that fell short of the top 40 so this is really the version that bought it to attention of most people.

 

It's yet more psychedelic rock from the band who could do nothing wrong for about a year, but that time was almost up (thank god). It reminds me of the worst excesses of the 60s influences on Brit pop which acts like Ocean Colour Scene were also guilty off, it's a genre I've never had the slightest interest in admittedly so perhaps this slice of dad rock is a step too far for me, but I got my revenge. When they returned to the pure pop environment of 1999 they bombed quite heavily proving the change around in chart mindset between the two years, coupled with some ill advised comments by Mills on Nazism in 1997 finally saw them kill off the huge sales they had generated back in 96/97. They continue to this day, we continue to be largely uninterested, I pray it remains so.

 

 

Edited December 6, 201113 yr by Gezza76

22ND MARCH- ISN'T IT A WONDER- Boyzone (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5b/Boyzone_Isn't_It_A_Wonder.jpeg

 

Meanwhile back in Boyband land Boyzone had been quiet in this thread since the beginning of 1996, not so in real life where they had just managed to grab a pair of chart toppers in "A Different Beat" and "Words". It seems that the more religious a popstar the more the enevitablity that they will turn to preaching to the unconverted, it happened to Jacko on several occasions (Heal the world, Earthsong, Man In the Mirror) and here it happens to Boyzone. "Isn't It A Wonder" is drippy, oozing with a sense of goodness that revolts, and sickly in its piety, it's a great shame to be honest, and paradoxical as the story doing the rounds at the time was the band were almost involved in an airplane crash shooting the promo so it was a brush with mortality that the fans should ppreciate they were still around. Years later they confessed it was a grossly exagerrated tale designed to drum up publicity for the third single from their album, something they shouldn't have joked about seeing as both Shayne Lynch and Keith Duffy were involved in a real life Car crash which was nearly fatal in 1994.

 

Yes it truly is "the way of the world, when wrong takes hold of right" and a song trying to promote the goodness in life and how we don't appreciate all the marvels it can offer should be backed up with such a cynical promo story, but hey it's pop music and things are rarely what they appear- we all have to sell in the market place, maybe that should be the message they pushed rather than piece of dross which, quite frankly, is below the remainder of their 97 output. Put this down as a lesson learned.

 

Edited December 6, 201113 yr by Gezza76

1ST MARCH- ENCORE UNE FOIS- Sash! (1 week)

 

Thanks to No Doubt, Sash! was prevented from becoming the first Belgian act to make No 1 ever, joining Technotronic as that country's biggest hit makers in the UK.

 

Sash! is/are German, so Technotronic hold that record on their own I think! Have we never had a Belgian act hit #1 in the UK? :o Shame Ian Van Dahl or Lasgo never managed it with Castles In The Sky or Something respectively...

 

As for the other recent singles, I really like Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), definitely the first decent Backstreet Boys single imo. Isn't It A Wonder was one of Boyzone's less decent but I don't mind it :lol: Where Do You Go might as well have come out of Eurovision, it sounds so much like a ton of entries from 1997-2002, yes Cyprus I'm looking at you.

Sash! is/are German, so Technotronic hold that record on their own I think! Have we never had a Belgian act hit #1 in the UK?

I don't why I take the MW of the time as gospel. I obviously assume that the journalism isn't lazy :D

 

Thanks for info.

8TH MARCH- HUSH- Kula Shaker (1 week)

 

Having read Gezza's commentary, I'm actually surprised this is the most successful version of 'Hush' in the UK. Then again, it's the UK charts so it's just another classic example of a great song charting high thanks to a cover version - usually in these cases they're on varying levels of terrible ('Crossroads' by Blazin Squad, 'Take On Me' by A1, the list is endless...). Anyways, that said I sort of like 'Hush' by Kula Shaker but was well aware it was a hit for Deep Purple - or at least I already knew of their version. The type of track I probably liked for about 7 days before getting bored. I was never a fan of Kula Shaker with their faux-hippy indie pop (that's how it came across to me). If there were around in 1969 I might've understood them more but they weren't. About as believeable as Frankie Cocozza on The X Factor being this drug taking, womanising male prostitute. He isn't!!! He's just some former stage school pupil who had the right look and was signed to a contract to appear this way. It's like giving Aled Jones or Daniel O' Donnell the role of a vilan in a pantomime. :lol:

 

Next...

 

22ND MARCH- ISN'T IT A WONDER- Boyzone (1 week)

 

Oh dear. Did I say next? No!!! :( Next. NEXT!!! :P

 

Ok, I'll give a comment. I don't like this song at all. Never liked it in 1997 and don't like it now 14 years on. Why? Because it's another track taken striaght from the boyBLAND songbook. I don't care if it's supposed to have a positive messgae, it makes me feel bored listening to it. Doesn't surprise me that they used the "very 90s" trick of creating a media story to create some promotion for Boyzone on the verge of the singles release. In the late 90s you could tell which tracks were genuinely crap by the amount of news coverage said artist received. Geri Halliwell comes to mind. Media whore!!! :D

 

Oh, don't I sound like I'm in a great mood at the moment? :lol: I actually am, but these are my honest opinions on the above songs and pop music in general between 1997-2000.

Guys, could you wait for me? I have 1996 to do and then I can finally catch up! -_-