Number 8

 

The KLF - 'Kylie Said to Jason'

Average rating: 7.8

 

The Summer of 1989 was memorable for dance classics such as 'Back To Life' by Soul II Soul and 'Ride on Time' by Black Box, but the sound of SAW was everywhere too from Kylie, Jason, Sonia, Sinitta and some acts with surnames too. Having struck number one a year earlier and written a manual to instruct others on how to match the feat, The KLF put the pure trance sound to one side and embraced the pure pop template instead - apparently in an attempt to raise funds to complete their "The White Room" road movie.

 

Sitting unashamedly somewhere between SAW and the Pet Shop Boys and featuring joyously daft lyrics referencing all things Australian (Rolf Harris on his didgeridoo, Skippy the bush kangaroo...ooh ooh ooh etc.), this should have been a top ten hit but instead failed to reach the top 100. Perhaps the problem was that the KLF moniker was associated with something completely different while re-using the Timelords name wouldn't make a great deal of sense. Either way, the failure of the pop experiment allowed them to concentrate instead on Chill Out and the soon to come Stadium House trilogy - so perhaps it was all for the best.

Number 7

 

The Timelords - Doctorin' the Tardis

Average rating: 8.2

 

A bit of a surprise here as the first of the duo's two number one singles scrapes in at a relatively low number 7. Earlier in the year, Coldcut had a top 10 hit with "Doctorin' the House" - a punning title on several levels and, come June, the time was right to take that pun further. With the JAMs sampler still hot, the duo set about creating a pop song from several recognisable sources - the pounding 70s glam of The Sweet's Blockbuster and Gary Glitter's 'Rock n Roll (Part 2)', the catchy party house of Steve Walsh's 'Let's Get Together Tonight' and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's haunting theme to Dr Who. Although it was almost universally critically panned, it benefitted from a memorable performance on Top of the Pops and climbed from number 22 to number 4 in early June before hitting the top spot for one week afterwards.

 

Drummond and Cauty released a book entitled "The Manual (How to have a Number One Single the Easy Way) shortly afterwards and its instructions were followed to the letter by Swiss act Edelweiss whose Abba-centric 'Bring Me Edelweiss' reached the top 5 the following April.

 

The critics don't know sh1t.

 

Doctor in the Tardis is genius.

Number 6

 

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - 'It's Grim Up North'

Average Rating: 8.6

 

A bit of a surprise here as the duo's club monster from late 1991 crashes outside the top 5 (meaning a clean sweep above for the KLF stadium-era releases). Inspired by a piece of graffiti on the M1 (not their own doing for a change), the track was originally released in late 1990 as a white label with vocals from ex-Crucial Three man Pete Wylie but, by the time it was released nationally, Bill Drummond had taken over the lead with his dour Scots voice giving extra "grim" to the list of towns in Northern England. But it was the backing that really caused a few ears to prick up, it sounded much, much harder than anything else anywhere near the charts - the pounding bass and drum lines leading to many a speaker blowing. If you consider that it shared chart space with the tinny dance of the likes of "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited, you'll get what I mean.

 

Also important to this release was the way the drums fade out to the hymn 'Jerusalem' to the end of the record - making it one of the band's first "collage records" and very much a blueprint for "***k the Millennium".

 

Scottish novelty act The Mad Jocks actually released their own version as part of a medley a month later listing an array of Scottish towns in a parody entitled "It's Freezing Up North".

Edited April 8, 201510 yr by richie

great commentary, and the top 5 is exactly as it should be! :lol:

Actually, since my last post referenced both 2 Unlimited and The Mad Jocks - here is that terrible medley in all its glory (probably one for Scots of a certain age only)

 

Number 6

 

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - 'It's Grim Up North'

 

Average Rating: 8.6

 

A bit of a surprise here as the duo's club monster from late 1991 crashes outside the top 5 (meaning a clean sweep above for the KLF stadium-era releases). Inspired by a piece of graffiti on the M1 (not their own doing for a change), the track was originally released in late 1990 as a white label with vocals from ex-Crucial Three man Pete Wylie but, by the time it was released nationally, Bill Drummond had taken over the lead with his dour Scots voice giving extra "grim" to the list of towns in Northern England. But it was the backing that really caused a few ears to prick up, it sounded much, much harder than anything else anywhere near the charts - the pounding bass and drum lines leading to many a speaker blowing. If you consider that it shared chart space with the tinny dance of the likes of "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited, you'll get what I mean.

 

Also important to this release was the way the drums fade out to the hymn 'Jerusalem' to the end of the record - making it one of the band's first "collage records" and very much a blueprint for "***k the Millennium".

 

Scottish novelty act The Mad Jocks actually released their own version as part of a medley a month later listing an array of North Scottish towns and villages in a parody entitled "It's Freezing Up North".

 

Far and away the best thing I've head them do and that is not meant to do any disservice to What Time is Love? or Last Train.

I think number 6 in this was the highest it could possibly hope to achieve given what is left.

 

It's on top of my list of 12"s to purchase. It ain't cheap.

 

 

I suspect it would have faired better in the official Top 10 if they'd stuck with the KLF name. But they were contrary bast*rds. :D

 

The first six words of your commentary of Doctorin' the Tardis and It's Grim Up North are identical. Was that intentional?

Er, yes.

Number 4

 

The KLF - 'America: What Time is Love?'

Average rating: 8.8

 

There is no number 5 as two records tied at number four - first up, is the KLF's swansong - an unashamed attempt to break America by re-recording 'What Time is Love' yet again in rock mode with Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple on lead vocals, hints of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' and, overall, the suggestion that America ('this great nation' - pandering or what?) was discovered 500 years before Columbus by, yes, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu in their long boat.

 

The single was actually released to the US market first replacing 'Justified and Ancient' in the schedule and was only unleashed on the UK a week after they spectacularly left the music business at the Brit Awards. It wasn't enough to propel the single to the top of the charts though - the record only managed to reach number 4.

 

...and now..."a bit of a surprise"...

 

Number 4

 

The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette - 'Justified and Ancient'

Average rating: 8.8

 

A bit of a surprise here as the group's biggest selling single and nearly Christmas number one stalls at number 4 on our countdown. The melody to 'Justified and Ancient' had been hanging around since the JAMs' debut LP in 1987 and had featured in a sparse, stripped down version featuring Black Steel on vocals on their White Room LP. Bill and Jimmy struck upon the great idea of buffing up the track, throwing in a Hendrix sample and some Zulu warchants and taking on the Christmas market. But the original version with vocals by Maxine Harvey was missing something - the first lady of country. In his book '45', Bill Drummond explains that the project was very nearly scuppered at the last minute when they realised Tammy could no longer reach the notes they were asking of her. With some very early pitch-bending software, however, Jimmy was able to stretch Tammy's voice to make it fit the record and one of the greatest and weirdest collaborations of all time reached number 2 in late 1991.

 

Anyone shocked? What it does mean is, fittingly, the original stadium house trilogy make up our top 3...

As mental as Justified and Ancient is, I never really liked it. 3AM Eternal out next, please. Although, I suspect it will be Last Train next.

Justified and ancient is one of my all-time fave records by anyone, eccentric, tongue in cheek yet also spine-tingling, an odd combo!

It is a wonderful thing but the darkness is missing.

The two number 4s both appeared on the same Now album...Now 21.

The two number 4s both appeared on the same Now album...Now 21.

 

So they did...that's pretty odd.

Number 3

 

The KLF - '3am Eternal (Live at the SSL)'

Average rating: 9.6

 

The second of the Stadium House trilogy and the second of the group's number one singles makes it in to number 3. Benefitting from the low January sales, the KLF reached the top spot for one week with a massively remixed version of their 1989 release (before being replaced by Bart Simpson of all people). With a new rap from Ricky Lyte (who had previously worked with Adamski), plunging guitar licks and "KLF a-ha a-ha" and "Ancients of Mu Mu" chants, the new version delighted dance fans while a glut of recorded crowd noise at least gave the impression that the whole thing was a live recording.

 

One year later, they did release a live recording, albeit a thrash metal version with the very noisy Extreme Noise Terror from the 1992 Brit Awards. "This is television freedom," said Bill Drummond at the outset (a paraphrase of the "this is radio freedom" opening of the 1991 version) but it didn't stop famed conductor Sir George Solti from leaving the auditorium - something Drummond regretted as he was one of the few artists at the ceremony that he actually admired.

 

Just two records left - which one have you crowned the top KLF record of all time? Find out tomorrow!

Wow. I did not expect 3AM to be at 3. Great top 2.

So they did...that's pretty odd.

 

 

It happen quite a bit more than you might expect. Robbie Williams has done the double twice. Artful Dodger too.

Number 2

 

The KLF - 'Last Train to Trancentral (Live from the Lost Continent)'

Average Rating: 10

 

"This is what KLF is about, also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, furthermore known as the JAMs."

 

Yes, falling just short of the number one slot (as it did in 1991 when it was kept off the top spot by Cher's abysmal 'Shoop Shoop Song') is the fast-paced stadium house version of 'Last Train to Trancentral'. Just like 'Justified and Ancient' which was to get the remix treatment next, 'Last Train' appeared in a very different version on the band's White Room LP. On the single release, not much was kept bar the "All aboard, All aboard, woah-oh" mantra and the much-used arpeggio section from 'Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard' - and even Ricardo Da Force found his rap redundant as the tempo increased.