http://eil.com/images/main/Atomic-Kitten-Love-Doesnt-Have-498875.jpg

 

 

Almost as bland as 'It's OK', it's a mystery how this ended up being another top 5 hit when really, low top 10 was about all it deserved. As with Sugababes v2.0, it would be the last we'd hear of the girls for six months in this thread whilst they attempted to not only break America ('The Tide is High' was picked as the lead song from the 'Lizzie McGuire' movie), but also extensively toured the Far East and Australia, and record their third album. New mum Natasha was back in their fold by this point but, as we'll come to see, was buckling under the pressure...

 

Is there she got really really skinny and got a sever case of smug face whenever she hit a note? Especially on their Ladies Night Greatest Hits Tour (where they didn't perform all the singles but did perform alot of Ladies Night album tracks).

I am so sorry people. Looking back the other day I realised I'd omitted to write about The Bangles' comeback single 'Something That You Said'. Rest assured I have now included their entry from the week it charted - it's under the same entry as Sugababes' "Shape" on page 5 if you want to read/listen :)

Is there she got really really skinny and got a sever case of smug face whenever she hit a note? Especially on their Ladies Night Greatest Hits Tour (where they didn't perform all the singles but did perform alot of Ladies Night album tracks).

 

This was indeed the start of said phase...although, as we'll come onto assess with the last few Kittens entries there was (partly) a reason for this!

27TH APRIL 2003

 

VBirds - "Virtuality"

Official UK Chart peak: #21

 

http://s14.postimg.org/9m4j8gx1d/51_XCNA02_R0_L.jpg

 

When I set my criteria out at the start of this thread, I did mention quite specifically it was to feature girl groups who'd had a UK top 40 at some point in this century. Their planet of origin, however, was not specified in the criteria I set, thus meaning this was irrelevant. And so it is we now encounter our first animated group of girls in this thread - Boom, Wow, Bling and D-Lin, otherwise known as VBirds.

 

 

The stars of a series of short films for the Cartoon Network channel in the UK and Europe, which saw them banished from their home Planet V for being unruly rule breakers (hmm, remind you of anyone we've met?) this, their first and only single was promoted heavily on The Box, TMF and Blazin' Squad's first headline tour, but was close but no cigar to a top 20 debut, thus resulting in the cancellation of a second series.

 

As theme tunes from cartoon series go - hell, we've already sort of met one with Little Trees from 2001, it's no Bob the Builder or Wombles record, and is instead like Destiny's Child on helium with badly imitated American accents to match. It's not hard to see why this barely caught on in the first place - and I could certainly live without hearing it again.

11TH MAY 2003

 

The Cheeky Girls - "Take Your Shoes Off"

Official UK Chart peak: #3

 

http://s14.postimg.org/wyk780jlt/R_1437730_1283265910_jpeg.jpg

 

Time for our first visit to the Transylvanian tyrants of all things erm, cheeky now in 2003. Such had been the success of 'The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)' the previous Christmas - and subsequently round the world in the months that followed, including Europe and Japan to bring its worldwide sales to 2 million - that their one single deal with dance division Multiply was extended as they went in to record - horror of horrors - a Cheeky Girls album.

 

 

I apologise now to any Cheeky fans that may be reading this thread, but these were horrible records to my ears 12 years ago and still are in 2015. This is what happens when record companies get carried away with thinking a joke can run on for longer than it was ever intended to, by which point it becomes both desperate and awful, regardless of the top 3 placing of this one. I'd say thank God for R Kelly but given what he kept off the following week - i.e. our next entry - that's not a sentence I'm comfortable with either...

18TH MAY 2003

 

Girls Aloud - "No Good Advice"

Official UK Chart peak: #2

 

http://s22.postimg.org/v1tmovipt/10401168_31085397431_9681_n.jpg

 

600,000 copies sold and four weeks at number one later - as well as a further two and a half months inside the top 40 - all around were watching, and in some cases circling like hawks to see what would become of Girls Aloud once the cameras had finished rolling on 'Popstars: The Rivals'. The natural feeling was that 'Sound of the Underground' was such a fluke, it was almost impossible that they could come back with something just as good as that now iconic debut single.

 

Although it could have been rather different indeed. Having recorded tracks for their debut album with the likes of Alison Clarkson (Betty Boo in a previous pop life, of course, and the writer of Hear'Say's 'Pure and Simple'), Korpi and Blackcell and the Beatmasters, when they met with the label to discuss the album campaign, they'd initially been looking to release a track called 'Can't Stop Rockin' (later renamed 'Mars Attack' on the album) as their next single.

 

Just one problem - the resulting songs that came back sounded, as did a lot of songs being put forward for the girls, like 'Sound of the Underground' but nowhere near as good. It wasn't showing a sense of progression from the debut single. Hence Colin Barlow, head of A&R at Polydor's insistence to Brian Higgins and Xenomania that he write, produce and record more songs for them. After all, if everyone was copying what he was doing, they may as well make more use of him, right?

 

 

However, minus any real management (Louis Walsh was of course by this point, as has been documented very well in recent years, the girls' manager only on paper, meaning they were now managing themselves) or any real media training/damage control (see the Cheryl vs. toilet attendant saga that wound up in the High Court by the years' end), they weren't backward in coming forward to what they thought of the music given to them, even in the years to come.

 

An understandably outraged Brian, upon being confronted by the girls about a demo they weren't too happy with (the words 'It's not our sound' were believed to have been bandied around), informed them they had 30 minutes to decide if they wanted to work with him ever again. Thankfully, those 30 minutes passed without event, and 'No Good Advice' became their second single.

 

Launched in a blaze of spandex and bacofoil glory with a 'Tales of the Unexpected' style video, it proved that the Aloud were far from being a one hit wonder type fluke. In fact, they meant business. A gobby, aggressive and rebellious little beast (with a co-writing credit from Aqua's Lene Nystrom, no less), 'No Good Advice' was heavily indebted to both Blondie and The Knacks' 'My Sharona', and was so well received not just, again, by respected publications (Julie Burchill of The Guardian, for instance, called it 'pantyliner punk') but also found a following on American college radio at one point.

 

It's a real in-yer-face punky pop track, but was frustratingly deprived of being their second chart topper by the abomination that was the R Kelly record (who both Justin Timberlake and a now departing S Club would also fall foul of in this month). Nevertheless, it shot straight in at number 2 and when the parent album - now named after their debut hit - zoomed in at the same position on the album chart and went gold within two months on sale, Girls Aloud were now cementing their place as chart forces to be reckoned with for real.

Edited January 24, 20169 yr by ThePensmith

I absolutely loved 'No Good Advice' when it was released. As has been mentioned, Girls Aloud could have easily become one-hit-wonders after SOTU. 'No Good Advice' will always be the song that prevented that from happening. :heart:

I absolutely loved 'No Good Advice' when it was released. As has been mentioned, Girls Aloud could have easily become one-hit-wonders after SOTU. 'No Good Advice' will always be the song that prevented that from happening. :heart:

 

I think as well it was, again, Polydor learning from the mistakes they made with Hear'Say. There's not many people who can remember that 'The Way to Your Love' was the follow up to 'Pure & Simple', let alone that it was a number 1. Having said all that, the next GA entry we'll meet could potentially be regarded as 'forgotten' itself!

Edited August 28, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

Gonna disagree on t.A.T.u. and "All The Things She Said", which is one of my all-time faves, and it's all down to the song as I wasn't aware of the shock value aspect until later on. I still find it incredible that the song was originally in Russian and translated to English, and yet the lyrics are just outstanding. The album is one of my all-time faves as well!

 

I enjoyed the write-up for "Sound Of The Underground", having missed out on the Popstars series from which Girls Aloud originated, all that background information is very helpful! I can imagine how exciting it was to follow that chart battle at the time, and yes the song itself is an ultimate pop anthem.

Firstly a big thank you to Pensmith for doing this, it's bringing back so many memories and loving each post, just brilliant.

 

T.A.T.U. = Actually loved it when it first came out, honestly got caught up in the hype myself, but now looking back it is a pretty awful track, so much screeching and they were just another throw away pop act that have been long forgotten.

 

Mis-Teeq = Yes loved them at the time and "Scandalous" is definitely their best tune by miles, also like "All I Want" and "One Night Stand", shame they never did a third album.

 

Atomic Kitten - Love Doesn't Have To Hurt = I honestly like this song and it's single mix is much better than the album version which sounded like a b-side, this polish does give it a nice feel. A harmless enough song and really nice. But there were better tracks on the album like "Feels So Good" or "Love Won't Wait" would have been better choices for the 4th single.

 

Girls Aloud = Again fond memories and knew that the instant I heard "Sound Of The Underground" that they were gonna beat One True Voice to the #1 spot. Then following it with "No Good Advice", pure genius and still love both of them to this day.

Thanks again for all your responses and feedback people. It's always lovely to see new people reading this thread and getting your thoughts and memories on the different entries! Nearly halfway through 2003, and up next, our second visit to Russia...

 

25TH MAY 2003

 

t.A.T.u - "Not Gonna Get Us"

Official UK Chart peak: #7

 

http://eil.com/images/main/tATu-Not-Gonna-Get-Us-239605.jpg

 

With a song like 'All the Things She Said' as your debut single, as was touched upon briefly earlier, anything else after that is going to scream 'difficult follow up' however hard you try. And t.A.T.u certainly did try hard on their second single out. 'Not Gonna Get Us', all frenetic breakbeats and a kind of seething urgency that called to mind Garbage at their 90's zenith was, despite still being on the shrieky side vocally, actually a far more enjoyable effort than their debut.

 

It was an easy top 10 coming so soon after their first single and album had arrived, but it was a single that, without the same hype and with not even half the same chart run as their opening release, was largely forgotten, except for those with either a copy of the single's parent album or the 55th edition of the Now albums that came out a month later (on which this featured as a track on the first CD of that hallowed compilation series).

 

 

The fact it didn't scale higher than a #7 debut is all the more surprising when you consider what they were up as a band to the very week this single was released - namely, their participation as Russia's entry for that year's Eurovision in Riga, Latvia. Tipped as the favourites to win there in much the same cloud of hype as their debut single was met with, they were close but no cigar and finished in joint 3rd place with their entry 'Ne Ve, Ne Boysia' - some way behind that year's runaway winner, 'Everyway That I Can' by Turkey's Sertab Erener.

 

Then to add more salt in the wounds, a UK tour that had been planned for that September was cancelled following poor ticket sales - the climaxing date at Wembley Arena had sold only 25% of its available seats. A public image as rebellious, controverstial teenagers was one thing with getting a debut single release to the top of the charts, but, as t.A.T.u were finding out to their peril, not the solution for a career of long standing juncture. They were to take a break for much of 2004 whilst Julia became a mum - and it'll be autumn of 2005 when we next meet them for one last time...

15TH JUNE 2003

 

Lemonescent - "Cinderella"

Official UK Chart peak: #31

 

http://eil.com/images/main/Lemonescent-Cinderella-500374.jpg

 

The fact no one even remembered the last Lemonescent entry we encountered probably doesn't bode well for this next entry of theirs that we meet now. Again, Wikipedia is the source of what limited information my brain already had, and this, their fourth single, was also their biggest hit to date, peaking just outside the top 30 here and at #3 in their native Scotland. It's also, and I say this even without being able to provide you with an accompanying YouTube video for it, as predictably bobbins as their last single was.

 

But, I also bring up their regional disproportions re: chart positions again in relation to a story regarding their followup single, 'Unconditional Love', which failed to chart upon its release that September and which we thus won't meet. And why? Because the Official Charts regulators disqualified it after getting reports of numerous bulk transactions being made for the single in certain record stores in and around Glasgow. Now if that's not rabid Scottish fan worshipping from the early 00s, I don't know what is.

29TH JUNE 2003

 

Tommi - "Like What"

Official UK Chart peak: #12

 

http://www.roxcalibur.com/pix/e7148.jpg

 

And from a girl group with some information with which to write about and no YouTube video to dissect, to a girl group with a YouTube video to dissect and virtually bugger all information with which to write. Luckily (or not, as the case may be), I do have some recollection of said group - and it's just as well it's the only time we'll encounter them because frankly I would have struggled after a second or third entry.

 

Tommi were launched as the female answer to the then Nickelson tracksuited, mini So Solid Crew in waiting force that was Blazin' Squad, a sizeable competitor in the boyband realm at the time with several top 10s to their name including 2002's chart topping 'Crossroads'. You know that the industry's taken a turn for the worse when someone decides a female version of an already awful boyband is the next logical step. Just before you click the YouTube video to listen, readers, I want you to picture what you think this will sound like even without taking the above single cover into the equation.

 

 

Now click the YouTube video, whilst I tell you the bad news: 'Like What' is just as awful as you may have been thinking it would be, and then some. It's all shouty shouty, ultra chav-y gubbins about being 'cool and fresh in da club' and 'not having time for da haterrzz' whilst sung/rapped with all the conviction of a McQueen sister on Hollyoaks really stressssin about GCSE Biology courssssssework.

 

It actually sounds, to be more specific, like one of those sort of songs put on a really lame pre-teen flick in the vein of 'Wild Child' or 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'. Thankfully, a #12 debut and a swift two week stay in the top 40 put paid to any further hellraising of this lot on the charts. I promise things are about to get better again though - starting, in fact, with our next entry...

Edited September 2, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

Those last two are just......

Those last two are just......

 

I know, right? I do apologise James but as I said, it is about to get better!

I'm really struggling to predict what songs will be popping up next in this thread. My memory of 2003 is pretty poor to be honest.

Here's your answer Scene...

 

6TH JULY 2003

 

Mis-Teeq - "Can't Get it Back"

Official UK Chart peak: #8

 

http://www.roxcalibur.com/pix/e15478.jpg

 

Finally, two back to back entries I can actually write about. Always a blissful feeling, that! With the huge success of 'Scandalous' not just in the UK and Europe, but in the US as well, it was inevitable that Mis-Teeq would start showing a lenience to a sound that was more suited for that kind of market, and their second album 'Eye Candy' showed that change off.

 

It's always a difficult thing to see a British R&B or hip hop based act make that more international transition, more so because it's a genre of music in this country where, more than ever, you are critiqued if you even so much as hint at 'selling out' to America. Thankfully, Mis-Teeq did it whilst still maintaining their very British edge.

 

 

In fact, considering the song was actually a cover of a minor hit for US R&B trio Blaque, the fact they've taken a song like 'Can't Get it Back' and made it their own is no mean feat. As ever, it's Alesha's MC turn that really makes this the defining version of this song. You can hear shades of the late Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes at the height of her powers in TLC as she fires out an amusing kiss off to a cheating ex.

 

Props also has to go to the hilarious courtroom based video for this single - it's so fitting to the song and it's got tons of the sass and attitude to match. Little did they know it at the time however, but this would be their 7th consecutive - and last - UK top 10 hit. Come November, as with their last album, a repack of 'Eye Candy' was readying release, but it was to mark the beginning of the end for the Mis-Teeq ladies...

20TH JULY 2003

 

Appleton - "Everything Eventually"

Official UK Chart peak: #38

 

http://s3.postimg.org/vcoqbidir/R_569650_1132685356_jpeg.jpg

 

Not for nothing, upon its release at the start of the year, had Q magazine called Appleton's debut album 'Everything's Eventual' a 'sneakily fine effort' (rewarded with four stars also, no less). In fact, my then 14 year old stanning for Nat and Nic aside, it was a sonically brilliant album, traversing all manner of sounds and styles. And none more so than on this, the third single from that album and it's (sort of) title track.

 

'Everything Eventually' originally started life as a song called 'The Day Before' - so titled, because it was one of the first songs they'd written with Marius de Vries (a hand in some of Madonna's 00's material, as well as songs for Melanie C and Liberty X) and because it was written 'the day before' a life changing event - which in their case, had been the day before 9/11.

 

On the album, it's nearly 5 minutes in length and is a lot slower - it starts off with this eerie, haunting but ambient soundscape that builds and builds into this dreamy, poetic number that's almost Enya-esque. Lyrically, it reads like the page of one of the sister's diaries of their - then much looked into - private lives post-All Saints, all kite flying jaunts on Primrose Hill, battling the flu and even listening to Harry Potter audiobooks.

 

 

In a way, the sisters were very ahead of their time with this single. Just three years later, a then teenage and unknown Lily Allen would be making waves with her breezy, conversationalist, 'k!tchen sink' style pop - compare 'Everything Eventually' particularly with the likes of 'LDN' and 'Littlest Things'. But even with a faster, more commercial radio edit to back the single, Appleton suddenly found that they were battling for chart and radio supremacy with numerous other contemporaries - namely the likes of Kym Marsh, Emma Bunton and Lisa Scott-Lee who'd rocketed up the top 10 that same summer.

 

And the sisters' biggest adversaries at that point, the press, having been silent but not forgetful about that book saga from the previous autumn, were cackling with delight when the midweeks for this single came in, howling that the 'washed up once famous sisters of All Saints' were now barely clinging onto a position inside the top 40. Even though the album had sold in respectable quantities, a #38 following two top 5 singles just wasn't cutting it for Polydor, and they were subsequently dropped in the months that followed.

 

In the two long years that came after, and with the Appleton project firmly on the rocks, Nicole did some presenting work and took time out to be a stay at home mum - and then got married to Liam Gallagher. Natalie gave birth to her first son, Ace, and then infamously shrieked her way through the fourth series of 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' (she eventually walked after being voted for one too many bushtucker trials). And then, whilst Nicole was on holiday in the South of France in the summer of 2005, she received a phone call from an old friend. The rest, as we'll see three years down the line in this thread, was history...

Absolutely loved 'Can't Get It Back' at the time. It's a shame 'Style' never made the top 10. I really thought Mis-Teeq were set to become one of the major girl-groups before they split.

T.a.T.u - Not Gonna Get Us = Actually forgot all about this, an okayish song and I do actually remember the follow up "How Soon Is Now", which I don't think was released over here, but as for "NGGU" it has an interesting video, but to be honest nothing was ever gonna live up to the hype they had with their first single, especially since the whole lesbian thing was just made up by the record company, and they ended up suffering the backlash when the truth came out.

 

Lemonscent - WHO...

 

Tommi - Like What = Terrible, terrible, why they thought that we needed a female Blazin' Squad is beyond me, they were bad enough, but these girls how it got as high as #12 is beyond me. #67 would have been more suitable.

 

Mis-Teeq - Can't Get It Back = I do remember this, thanks to the courtroom video, which was fun and it was a shame that this was their last ever top 10 hit, wish they went on a little longer, for a 3rd album at least.

 

Appleton - Everything Eventually = They were so unfairly treated by all the bad press and everything, as they did produce some decent music. But I can see why this one didn't fair as well as the first two, it doesn't have that memorable edge to it like the first two had, but it was unfair that they got dropped like they did, especially after starting off with 2 top 5 singles and a decent selling album.