Apols for my Corrs error- i thought you might correct me if I was wrong :D

 

 

The sales I was referring to (for TOC) were the sales it had generated up until Feb 99 when "Runaway" was released, of course it went to accrue roughly 3 million thereafter. :)

 

My mistake - you're forgiven (not forgotten :P)

 

Apols, The Corrs bring out a side in me that no other act can, one mention and I revert back to my 12 year old boy state of being a walking encyclopedia of sales figures, release dates, chart positions, remix names and just about anything else you could want relating to the band - blame nostalgia and the fact that I was utterly obsessed with them from about 1998-2004 :lol: Sort of like the majority of Buzzjack members are now with one or more of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Jessie J!

10TH APRIL- MY NAME IS.....- Eminem (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Eminem_-_My_Name_Is..._CD_cover.jpg

 

Eminem eh? I don't really know where I stand with him, I either really love his songs or couldn't tell you how they went for love or money. Back in 99 when "My Name Is" launched his UK career, he seemed quite gimmicky, yes his acerbic rapping was present but it didn't seem that he dominated 1999 in quite way that he was reverred through the early noughties. The track samples "I got the..." by Labi Siffre, who prior to clearing the sample by Eminem, said that Emnem would have to change the lyrics- saying that attacking gays and women were signs of a lazy songwriter, and that if he wanted to be anti-establishment he should attack the agressors of society.

 

Shame he never took that lesson on board long term, but he did change it for Siffre and earned himself a No 2 hit to boot. Never a song I thought was amazing or I ever hear really, his first hit I loved was "Stan" partly for the Dido sample I confess but also because the narrative is so strong. Perhaps this song is in a bizarre way all of what Eminem was about- it's about self promotin and gladualation. The title may be missing his name but it's false modesty, this is all about Eminem saying "here I am, and I'm a big deal", I can imagine if I were a 14 yr old in 1999 I might have loved this, but at 23 I think I expected more from an artist who had such clear self belief.

 

He would prove himself, eventually, but it's a song too grand in scope and ambition to work well as a 4 minute track, but it's well constructed don't get me wrong but like a star that wants to be as big as possible as quick as possiblem it all seems a bit rushed.

 

24TH APRIL- TURN AROUND- Phats & Small (1 week)

 

http://www.radiocapris.si/media/userfiles/phats_small_turn_around_294x251.jpg

 

A little bit of dance royalty here (kinda). Sampling Tony Lee's "Reach Up" Phats & Small produced one of the most memorable dance records of 1999 in my view. As a pice of music to get you moving in a club this was hard to beat. Guest vocalist Ben Ofoedu was to go on to be currently engaged to Vanessa Feltz, whilst Russell Small is one half of probably the best producers of the last few years, the might Freemasons. It is little surprise therefore that "Turn Round" is a great dance track, founded in "handbag" house as it used to be called back in the day, it directs you to the dancefloor and refuses to take no for an answer.

 

Really....what more do you expect from a dance song. Whilst 1999 has it's fault dance music was certainly not one, there are more examples of greats to come in this particular genre before the year is out, but this still brings a small to my face and a tap to my toe!

 

1ST MAY- RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW- Fatboy Slim (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/Right_Here,_Right_Now_(Fatboy_Slim_song)_front_cover.jpg

 

How very 1999 this sounds now. The rise of the cult of the DJ had been in the pipeline for sometime, and with strings from the James Gang song "Ashes, the rain & I" this is the final calling card from his 1998 album "You've Come A Long Way Baby" which turned Norman Cook into just about the coolest thing in the planet back in the late 90s. He'd been all the way to the top of course as part of the Housemartins in 1986 and Beats International in 1990, and charted in several different guises in between, but his music has always left me cold.

 

Of course the "art" of DJing is the feel for the beats, to blend seemlessly, to mash- up tracks and on that level it works, What he does on record is marry two tunes together to produce something else, if an modern artist took the Mona Lisa and painted it in the style of Picasso would that similarly work? Maybe to the extent of "that's interesting" as you walked by but a modern classic is something I doubt it would be hailed. To give the man his due he's always insisted that what he does is nothing special and I have to allow for the fact that he has some pretty amazing video's to accompany these singles. but I also have to say I think that's a sneeky admission that he probably understands that's because what he is selling is so relatively flimsy.

 

Not really a pop star, more a DJ that made good "Right Here Right Now" is probably my favourite track of the singles he released, it has a slight ominous feeling about it and the video is also holds the attention for 4 minutes but never a song I'd think to play.

 

8TH MAY- WHY DON'T YOU GET A JOB?- The Offspring (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/Getajobsingle.jpg

 

THIS was absolute tripe at the time and remains so to this day. His girlfriend in the video is played former Pussycat Dolls dancer Carmit Bacher, that's as close to interested as I can get on this one. After the quirky US college indie of "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) in January this came as a bit of shock, I remember being completely surprised when it debuted at No 2 and for one of the few times in my life was actually glad for a Westlife track to be at No 1.

 

The track limps along almost apologetically, veering between ska influences and indie, and melodically nods to both "Ob-La-Di-Ob-la-Da" and "Cecilia" but until a couple of years ago I'd forgotten all about this song. Hearing it again I recall why.

 

22ND MAY- LOOK AT ME- Geri Halliwell (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Lookatme-ukregularcd.jpg

 

"Look At Me" is so much more than just a pop record. It's a record with ambition, a mission, and a determination to get Halliwell not only noticed but back on the pop landscape and in all of those respects it is a record that succeeds. Word is that Halliwell was none to impressed when she was beaten to No 1 by Boyzone as she was confident that she had made a chart topping track and to be fair it woul very hard to argue that their rendition of Anne Murray's "You Needed Me" was a better track.

 

Trouble is it's rather poor, cobbled together and ill fitted, it's a rag tag of styles and a tune that fails to get going with any gusto until it's almost over. With a video refrencing her recent departure from the Spice Girls there is a lot to admire here, the confidence and yes even "swagger" of ealy Halliwell records helped to sell the myth of "girl power" for another year at least but this is a record to promote the star rather a record to stand the test of time. With short term aims fulfilled it was fit for purpose but this isn't the start of a musical legacy by a long chalk.

 

Edited January 4, 201213 yr by Gezza76

05 JUNE- OOH LA LA- The Wiseguys (1 week)

 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JOM9.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

Budweiser advert.

Song....

= number two hit.

 

Thoughts on song= rhymes with No 2.

Edited January 4, 201213 yr by Gezza76

Yep. Gezza, do you think that the Fatboy Slim, Geri, and Wiseguys tracks serve better as background music than tracks you would choose to hear on the radio?

 

Either way, "Look At Me" is great. One of those tracks to unleash your "inner diva" out to the world.

You're right about that Offspring song sounding like Cecilia :o I heard it for the first time probably since 1999 whilst out clubbing at one point last year. It actually went down well, surprisingly so considering it was always a bit of a halo effect sort of hit imo, and I was surprised that so many people remembered it. Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) is excellent but Why Don't You Get A Job? Crap - I remember being shocked that it got as high as #2 at the time but that's what quickly following up a #1 used to do for a lot of acts pre-download era...

19TH JUNE- BEAUTIFUL STRANGER- Madonna (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Beautiful_Stranger.jpg

 

With more than just a whiff of Love's "She comes in colour" about this i'm surprised that didn't result in some kind of lawsuit. Anyway whilst Madonna didn't quite finish the decade where she had begun it, she did manage to claw back much of the commercial clout which had eluded her post "The Immaculate Collection", this william Orbit produced tie in with the Austin Powers film being her final output of the decade. I was bowled over with BS when I first heard it, never having been a 60s fan (I blame my father for ODing me on it when I was growing up) it's psychadelic feel was all a bit too retro for me but it grew on me over the years and now I don't mind it too much.

 

For an artist as future focused as Madonna was in the 80s and 90s this seemed a curious retro step (taking the film connection out of it) which perhaps jarred but I have no problems with it now. Flirty, confident, and oddly vulnerable, it's a track which now reminds me of the old Madonna, back with a spring in her step which the "Ray Of Light" era must have left her with. The Victor Caldrone remix was for me, much better and a significant boost to the track, which had it been the main version would doubtless have propelled this to No 1.

 

 

3RD JULY- MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE- Whitney Houston (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/55/WhitneyHoustonMyLoveIsYourLoveMaxiSingleCover.jpg

 

Why don't I like MLIYL? I feel like I should, it's critically lauded as one of her finest songs, certainly of the 90s which was patchy for Whitney. I've just realised I've never reviewed one of her records in this thread yet- I loved Whitney back in the 80s in fact up to "Bodyguard" which just overkilled the whole thing for me. After that the occasional song was ok but it wasn't the same until the might of "It's Not Right But It's Okay" (specifically the Thunderpuss remix) which was one of my tracks of 1999 without a doubt and somehow managed to bring something new to the tired old theme of "my man did me wrong so i'm gonna get myself rid" or similar sentiment. Perhaps because I loved that this song seems something like an anti climax.

 

I can certainly appreciate it's a well crafted song, nice sentiment, a cute bit of backing vocal from her daughter, and it treads along nicely, but for all that it just misses providing me with little X factor to get me truly hooked. It seems therefore a little like Houston treading water for me, I'm not a fan of R N B so I think that didn't help its cause but can I really be the only one who's left with the impression "next" when I reach the end of the song?

 

I think there was also a dancier remix of "My Love Is Your Love" that was played on the radio that I preferred to the original.

I think there was also a dancier remix of "My Love Is Your Love" that was played on the radio that I preferred to the original.

Oh if only Whitney had done a dance album in 1999, I think I may have loved her forever! :)

10TH JULY- WILD WILD WEST- Will Smith Featuring Dru Hill (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/Will_smith_west.jpg

 

So it's the summer of 1999 and Smith returns with another piece of instantly forgettable R N B infused pop. I can't deny the man's popularity but looking back records like this are the filler to the decade, proof if anyone needed that the decade just as much dross as any other. Naturally being Smith it is tied to his most recent cinematic release and really there is nothing more to this record than simply a promo for that film. Yes by this time Will will treating the charts quite dismissively using it for other ends than producing good music, lots of acts do that but usually this is for an album or promotion for a tour- normally something musically related.

 

The sample, in case you're interested is Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" but really that's incidental. This is appauling and mind numbingly dull if I'm honest. I had long lost interest in Smith by 99 and this was just the final nail in the coffin- thankfully, in terms of recording, the public wasn't that far behind me, but it isn't the last time we'll see him sadly..

 

24TH JULY- LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON MY HEART- Steps (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Stepsloves.jpg

 

After Will Smith THIS comes as a blessed relief I can tell you! Ok so its not the best thing they ever did but LGAHOMH is as bright and breezy pop a la 99 as you could wish for, full of daytime pop cheer and an infectious chorus that most acts would be pleased with even to this day this si the sound of the group during their greatest era before the songs became rather more hit and miss. Another story of lost midweek No 1 here this time to another sensation of 99 Ricky Martin, who I recall was a big hit with the girls. ooops :lol:

 

Co-Penned by Waterman he held on to this track for 8 years before handing it to Steps to launch that do or die second album, and whilst it didn't give them a second chart topper I've always rather liked this song. To say that it's cheap manufactured pop is to miss the point of Steps, and in 1999 quite frankly there was a lot of cheaper manufactured pop around (step forward Lolly), Waterman here is playing to the demographic he has always played to, the gays and the kids, and proved once more that it's a lucrative market to appeal to. With the unofficial demise of the Spice Girls there was a huge vaccuum in the pop arena of 1999 which was filled more or less with Steps, with B*Witched, A1, Adam Rickett et al mopping up the residue, OK it moved on quite quickly but every genre and every time produces some good music, and tracks like this, I would say, are if nothing else, the sound of 1999 and for some that was a very good year indeed.

 

 

Love's Got A Hold On My Heart is up there in my top three favourite Steps songs along with Last Thing On My Mind and One For Sorrow - I wasn't even THAT much of a fan of Steps when they were first around, I was more of a dance fan, but those are the three that I loved at the time, just for being excellent pop that appealed to me in a big way. Love's Got A Hold On My Heart ended up at #23 in my personal 1999 end of year chart so it had to be doing something right!

 

The structure is perfect, excellent verse/bridge contrast from the stunning Faye (certainly in that video, despite the canary yellow!) and powerful Claire, the order of which was reversed to great effect in the second verse. The chorus is decent enough but it's the production that I always found impressive. To think that Pete had been sitting on it since the early 90s, he brought the production bang up to date for 1999, definitely one of the best pop songs of the summer. What a shame that it was one of their many #2 peaking singles :(

 

As for Wild, Wild West, it was ok but I was never much of a Will Smith fan either. I remember watching the film at the cinema though!

31ST JULY- IF YA GETTIN DOWN- Five (1 week)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Five-If-Ya-Gettin-Down-426738.jpg

 

The search for a No 1 continued for the band who for a second time lost a midweek No 1 position this time to Ricky Martin who turned that trick for a second week in a row. With a healthy slice of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" thrown in this is in my opinion a superior boyband record and a definite step up quality wise from the first album, and it's also a clear attempt to position themselves market wise in opposition to the Boyzone/ Westlife monopoly that had emerged throughout 1999. Far more "urban" than those bands the problem with the band was perhaps that they never really established themselves as personalities in the way that the Spice Girls or Take That managed, and whilst this works well in a collective band kinda way it makes it harder to expand beyond the "boyband" category they were in.

 

For all that FYGD is a full on assault on the pop senses, just as bright and breezy as the Steps track that preceeded it, it has just enough of a dollop of pop to engage the listener adn is probably one of the songs that non Five fans would tend to like. Some good pop DID come from 99 and this is a shining example, the follow up "Keep On Movin" did finally award them the chart topper they needed just before the decade end and as Boybands go I'd have to say that Five were one of the bands I'd much prefer to listen to now.

 

14TH AUGUST- BETTER OFF ALONE- DJ Jurgon Presents Alice Deejay (3 weeks)

 

http://991.com/newGallery/Alice-Deejay-Better-Off-Alone-384728.jpg

 

After spending a year off working after I finished my degree I decided I was going to a masters in Brighton and so spent several weekends down there flat hunting. THIS was the soundtrack to that summer, it is therefore the soundtrack to a fantastic part of my life and a song that instantly takes me back to 1999 like no other. It's also a FANTASTIC record and if ever there was a case for brevity in a record this si it the repetition of "Do you think you're better off alone" simultaneously can be taken two ways (i.e "you'd be better off alone" or the opposite "I don't think you'd be better off alone" it's a nice little contrast with just one phrase. I know this could be dismissed as "car horn music" which many did at the time, but the electronica in the track give the song a very melancholic feel i've always thought, for all the fast beats and dance track backing there is a situation going on here and it's not altogether good. How all of this can be communicated tot eh listender through minimal vocals is just magic.

 

Of course they went to denegrate their own name by pumoing out either carbon copies of this or naff dance music but once you've produced a dance classic like this I can almost forgive them anything. The only other line in the track "Talk To Me" referenced the Eurythmics "Here Comes The Rain Again" and the song is actually written after the lover of one of the writers left him, but it's brilliant that they chose not to construct a whole song and scenario around the story, almost as if that would be unbearable for the writer.

 

I can't praise it any more highly than I have- My favourite song of 1999 by a long chalk.

 

*waits for GD to see Alice Deejay* :P

 

Barry, are you going to do the #2s of the 00s after this? I don't think I could cope if you don't :lol:

*waits for GD to see Alice Deejay* :P

 

Barry, are you going to do the #2s of the 00s after this? I don't think I could cope if you don't :lol:

I'm torn to be honest- i think the reviews would be a hell of a lot worse :lol: But I may do 00-04 then have a think about the remainder :thinking: