'The Show' really is a forgotten pop gem in GA's discography. It's very light-hearted, fun pop with an entertaining video to match. Unfortunately, for me personally, their standards slip for their next two entries but rise again for the final single of the WWTNS campaign.

 

I (sort of) concur on that last statement. But for which entry you'll have to wait and see ;)

I (sort of) concur on that last statement. But for which entry you'll have to wait and see ;)

 

I think I can guess which one. :kink:

11TH JULY 2004

 

Nina Sky - "Move Ya Body"

Official UK Chart peak: #6

 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00020HBBO.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

Ah. Time now for a one hit wonder of this thread I've been genuinely excited to hear again, from Natalie and Nicole. No, not the Appletons. This time the sisters Albino, aka Nina Sky. Originating from New York, and of Puerto Rican and Dominican Republic descent, they were essentially to the US what Fya were to the UK in this year, albeit slightly more successful.

 

Discovered by Cipha Sounds, a hip hop DJ who was signed to Pharrell Williams and the Neptunes' Star-Trak record label, this deliciously hiccupy, summery slice of reggae infused pop stormed the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic upon its debut release. In fact, listening back to it now it does sounds rather like an early blueprint for a single that, over exactly a year later, would be launching the career of a certain Barbadian teenager.

 

 

It's one of those songs I feel incredibly linked to even now, as it soundtracks a happy time. The summer of 2004 was a (largely) blissful one for me - the last before GCSEs and their ensuing dramas and pressures reared their head, it was long, mostly hot and sunny, and packed full of great music, and the last one until I went to uni where I remember feeling completely carefree all told.

 

Alas, like all good summer romances, my flirtation with Nina Sky didn't last beyond September, nor indeed with the rest of the record buying public. Their follow up single 'Turnin' Me On' failed to get a UK release and vastly underperformed on the Billboard charts. But, lack of continued success aside, I'll always have that glorious time listening to this in July 2004 to look back on fondly.

Edited November 1, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

1ST AUGUST 2004

 

Mania - "Looking For a Place"

Official UK Chart peak: #29

 

http://s15.postimg.org/m8fcupewr/R_2020989_1445355740_7188_jpeg.jpg

 

“Whether you like it or not our songs are going to come back into your head. That’s what’s been missing for a long time. There’s been so much shit – you get a beautiful girl with a lovely smile, but actually she can’t sing, she doesn’t write and the f***ing music is shit.” Not my words, but those (and very steely words too) of Niara Scarlett, one half of Brian Higgins' vanity project Mania upon their launch in the early summer of 2004.

 

She and Giselle Sommerville were, as we'll see much later on of course, not to be Brian's only attempt at taking the A&R middle man out the equation and releasing and producing the records himself. Niara had been at Xenomania Towers in Westerham for a good couple of years by this point - some of her lyrical contributions we've already met on the likes of 'Sound of the Underground', 'Hole in the Head' and 'In The Middle' on this thread.

 

As anyone who's been lucky enough to track down their album sampler - illegally or otherwise - in the years after will know, you have to say Ms Scarlett (on your right in the above single cover) did have a point. Even as I sat listening to the sampler again for the purposes of this entry this afternoon, I identified with the hook, the quirkiness and the soul straight away. 'Looking For a Place', their first and only appearance on this thread, was a very clever, but very instant pop record, and it still stands out to me now.

 

 

Trouble was, however, was that it was one of the mid-00's many 'problem child' pop records. It was just that little bit too cool and knowing for the top end of the charts, despite everything in its favour suggesting otherwise, hence this tanking in at the bottom end of the top 30 to then never be seen again. Brian Higgins has often stated in early interviews from the immediate flush of success he experienced with Girls Aloud and Sugababes that he wanted to make 'music the postman could whistle'.

 

'Looking For a Place' made that goal even easier - or at least was trying to - by having the girls whistle the melody of the chorus before the second chorus kicked in. In hindsight, it seems that the bolshy in-yer-faceness and honesty of Mania was just so not at the right time. Let's not forget this was a time in pop music when Rachel Stevens could still legitimately bounce into the top 3 first week out - probably who Niara was slyly referring to in that above quote.

 

In fact, you almost wish that Brian had waited a couple more years to launch an act of this nature from his and Miranda Cooper's productive hand to see it flourish in the way it was really intended to. Alas, Mania's awesomely titled debut album 'Do You Know Your Daughter's on the Roof?' never saw the light of day - and its songs were to sit festering in a cupboard in Westerham until two years down the line, when Polydor wanted some of them not for Girls Aloud, but for another Xenomania one hit wonder we'll meet later...

Edited November 1, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

I actually can't think who the Xenomania one-hit wonder is you're referring to? I can't think of an Xenomania girl-group from 2006. :lol:

A very big clue for you Scene to tide you over until their entry...they were getting more viewers than The OC at one stage...

A very big clue for you Scene to tide you over until their entry...they were getting more viewers than The OC at one stage...

 

Oh I think I've got it. It was a #40 smash if I remember correctly.

Ah I two know who you are talking about.

Hello all! I realise I have somewhat neglected this thread of late - not out of choice, but out of simply lacking the time to get it updated again. I shall try to stick back to the Sunday/Wednesday posting rota from next week if I can. For now, let's continue on with 2004...

 

29TH AUGUST 2004

 

The 411 - "Dumb"

Official UK Chart peak: #3

 

http://s11.postimg.org/6ckgmbcab/R_4053499_1373016044_5629_jpeg.jpg

 

Sugababes - "Caught in a Moment"

Official UK Chart peak: #8

 

http://a2.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Music/v4/b3/4e/be/b34ebe8e-2208-1739-211f-2c15440e59a6/cover600x600.jpeg

 

August 2004 was a time of great excitement for most chart watchers. Namely, this new fangled thing called 'music downloads' - previously thought of a lascivious, industry massacring beast thanks to the likes of the then still illegal Napster and file sharing networks like LimeWire - were beginning their tentative steps to something approaching full inclusion in official chart stats and data as iTunes and the iPod were launched in the UK for the first time.

 

Said first step to show this moving with the times was for the introduction at the start of September of the Official Download Chart, although given that for much of 2004 it was made up solely of random Westlife recordings, Chris Moyles parodies and U2 album tracks topping said chart, it still bared little resemblance to what was going on in the still entirely physical sales based top 40.

 

 

Meanwhile, over in the top 10 that week, not one but two of our 2004 entrants were rearing their heads again. The 411 were your higher charters of the week, besting the #4 peak of 'On My Knees' by debuting one better at #3 with second single 'Dumb', a huge radio and video channel airplay hit, no thanks in part to its use in a Lux shower gel advert starring 'Sex and the City' actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

 

A broody, mumbly and highly addictive offering, 'Dumb' was short and sweet at under three minutes but what it lacked in length it made up for in an irresistably catchy chorus and a sassier-than-thou delivery. With two top 5 hits under their belt just three months into their chart career, and even praise from more serious publications like Q and The Observer, it seemed as if the ladies were destined for even greater things. Or were they?

 

Meanwhile, further down the top 10 with the fourth and final single of the 'Three' campaign were Sugababes v2.0. And a single which, three albums, one lineup change and 12 singles into their career, would be unfair to call 'fourth ballad single off the album times', for it only seems that on its chart position alone. Along with the lower peaking but longer running 'Too Lost in You' that we met earlier, 'Caught in a Moment' is unquestionably one of their finest slower moments.

 

 

All husky, heartbreaking verses by Mutya and Heidi, and soaring adlibs from Keisha against a lush, almost trip hop laden back drop, it may have lasted for just over a month inside the top 40, but it's criminal really this single came out as late as it did. Especially also, when it was a matter of a month or two following this single's departure from the top 40, that the announcement came of Mutya being pregnant with her first daughter.

 

And add into that that much of their year had been taken up with touring not just the UK, but also America and the Far East, (in the former territory, 'Hole in the Head' broke the Billboard dance charts but went no further), they had no new album immediately recorded and ready, and so there were to be no further entries or appearances from them for a year in this thread, save a coveted line in the 20th anniversary re-recording of the Band Aid single which was the year's biggest seller and Christmas chart topper, but that we won't obviously be covering here. But when we do meet them again, boy will they back with a vengance...

Edited November 24, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

19TH SEPTEMBER 2004

 

Girls Aloud - "Love Machine"

Official UK Chart peak: #2

 

http://a1.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Music/v4/80/ef/9c/80ef9ce5-6b92-6ecf-972a-9da9b4f757d4/cover600x600.jpeg

 

Now for a Girls Aloud entry which I have a feeling is, undoubtedly, going to divide opinion. At least, looking at not just on here, but on other pop forums' 'ultimate single rate' type threads for the ladies since their (spoiler alert) split two years ago. And if there's one thing this particular single of theirs has done in the last decade, it's divide opinion. As 'The Show' rode high in the charts and work continued on their still to be titled second album that summer with Brian and the gang at Xenomania, they and Polydor considered the next logical move to follow that single.

 

Recorded in 18 parts, and three different keys, 'Love Machine' sounded nothing at all like the girls had been hearing it in the studio when Colin Barlow, their A&R rep who'd matched them to 'Sound of the Underground' two years previously, presented the final mix to them. A scatty, erratic, technicolor word salad of 60's styled electropop, it was not at all what they had been expecting, or anyone else for that matter. In fact, it was a bit of a bloody weird record even to my ears when I first heard it.

 

A crisis meeting - led, somewhat naturally, by Cheryl & Kimberley, was called. Once again, the dreaded phrase 'It's not us' was bandied around in a heated meeting with them, Peter Loraine and Colin, as were the phrases 'We'll be a laughing stock' and 'People will say we're copying Busted and McFly'. However, after some gentle (but grudging) persuasion, and through gritted teeth, 'Love Machine' became their sixth single.

 

 

And only once the song had been given one of the girls' most memorable looks (positively mahogany tans whilst dressed in a rainbow of skimpy clubbing frocks) and dance routines (it became so ubiquitious that year, that myself and a form mate, both of us then Year 11, did the dance for it as a laugh on Friday mornings. Small things, small pleasures etc), and once they'd started to perform it on TV shows, did it become one of their most popular and famous tracks.

 

'Love Machine' is in my top 5 Girls Aloud singles of all time now, for the simple reason that as a song, it embodies their very essence and ethos as a band and what made them such a thrilling pop act as well as girl group. No two singles from them were ever the same (except for a couple of their later entries to come. I'll say no more) and at a time when British pop music was about as low down the pecking scale as you could get it, they and Xenomania were pushing the boundaries no one else was daring to and the results were electric.

 

And also, any single with a cover artwork as brilliant as that for the CD2 release of it above, designed by the brilliant FormUK team with a whole plethora of soundbites from the lyrics of the song as magazine headlines, is deserving of more than damning praise. And extending their run of top 3 hits to six - just missing out on #1 again, this time to Eric Prydz's so-so 'all video and no substance' Steve Winwood sampling fodder 'Call On Me' - it would seem 'Love Machine' is the risk the girls should be grateful they took.

3RD OCTOBER 2004

 

The Cheeky Girls - "Cheeky Flamenco"

Official UK Chart peak: #29

 

http://i64.tinypic.com/5uhkie.jpg

 

So a year on, and suddenly labeless, we encounter the Cheekies at their final top 40 stop, this time signed to a small independent with zero budget, and thus this is thankfully their last entry into this thread. Their swansong? A cheapo 'Latin' inspired effort, set to a plodding Casio keyboard backing track, mit castanets and horn solos, and the sort of lyrics that even Geri Halliwell during the 'Mi Chico Latino' phase of her solo career would have turned down on grounds of decency.

 

 

Not to mention that it is coupled with quite possibly the worst video I've ever seen - and believe me, I've seen some stinkers in my time - filmed in what looks like a working men's club in Acton, and this is not so much the sound of the final nail in coffin but the sound of the bell tolling as the coffin is being lowered into the ground. A blessed relief for all concerned.

7TH NOVEMBER 2004

 

Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"

Official UK Chart peak: #2

 

http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Music/v4/66/4b/87/664b878f-700a-e7ab-52fe-70083cca10b7/cover600x600.jpeg

 

Not for the first time in this thread, we encounter a group of ladies who were back after some time apart, and so it's hello once again to the three piece Destiny's Child, who were part of an all new entry top 5 on the UK charts that week (the first instance of this happening since 1998), narrowly missing out on #1 to Eminem, but finishing some way ahead of Britney, Christina Aguilera with Missy Elliott and Usher.

 

It says a lot though, that of those five records, it was the one that stayed around the longest, retaining it's runner up slot for a whole month whilst Eminem, then U2, then another entry still to come to this thread all occupied the #1 slot. 'Lose My Breath', their first single in three years by this point, was also the first off their comeback album 'Destiny Fulfilled', and was an interesting entry to their back catalogue for a number of reasons.

 

Production wise, vocal wise and energy wise it's their most thrilling single we've encountered in this thread since 'Independent Women'. With a sharp, aggressive military style backing and a naggingly infectious chorus, it goes without saying and certainly based on its chart run that had it not run into any of the three records it encountered whilst at #2 that it would have been a massive number one - one of the biggest of the year in fact.

 

 

But it was interesting for another reason. Much like the Spice Girls before them, the decision for them to take a hiatus at their peak was because of numerous members beginning to embark on solo careers. As 'Emotion' was leaving our top 40 in early 2002, the member who was looking most likely to be the band's breakout star was Kelly Rowland, as she went onto score a huge chart topper on both sides of the Atlantic as guest vocalist on rapper Nelly's 'Dilemma', as well as topping the UK album chart with her solo set 'Simply Deep'. Michelle also recorded a gospel album 'Heart to Yours', which did well on the associated Billboard chart and won her a MOBO for Best Gospel Act.

 

But no one had accounted for the band's founder and de facto leader, Beyonce Knowles, becoming the huge sensation that we know her as today, almost irrespective of what her band had achieved. Her debut solo single proper 'Crazy in Love' swept aside virtually all competition and stormed to number one on every singles chart around the globe - including the UK, where it spent three weeks at the top in July 2003, whilst her debut solo set 'Dangerously in Love' went onto be her first million selling smash. And thus this is where our trouble begins. It's hard from this point onwards not to think of Destiny's Child being 'Destiny's Child featuring Beyonce'.

 

Coming back to your successful group after being a gargantuan success as a solo artist is tricky, and try though they might, their camp just wasn't very successful at covering up the fact she was now the centrepiece of all their efforts as a group. They were just about covering it up here - both Kelly and Michelle do get vocal turns at least - but as we'll see with their next two entries in 2005 (and, spoiler alert, their last to this thread), 'Destiny Fulfilled' seemed to become more and more of an apt title for this stage of their career as a group.

Edited December 6, 20159 yr by ThePensmith

OMG LOSE MY BREATH, what a tune :heart:

Our last two entries from 2004 now...2005 is just around the corner, but for now, to a week where two of this year's frequent entrants find themselves at the polar opposite of success...

 

21ST NOVEMBER 2004

 

Girls Aloud - "I'll Stand By You"

Official UK Chart peak: #1

 

http://a3.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Music/v4/24/8d/ca/248dcaf3-6e6e-3544-7203-031406aaec69/cover600x600.jpeg

 

The 411 - "Teardrops"

Official UK Chart peak: #23

 

http://s11.postimg.org/5mv5fq9cz/R_1082533_1409330194_5666_jpeg.jpg

 

With six top 3 hits, a million singles sold in the UK, a record breaking Christmas number one, and a platinum album to their name, and considering the position they'd been in this time a year ago, it was a surprise to all that Girls Aloud had, given their TV talent show origins, got to a second album at all. But that was indeed the case in November 2004, as they readied the release of 'What Will the Neighbours Say?', which would go onto be their second top 10 album by the year's end and easily outsell it with eventual sales topping the 700,000 mark.

 

Just ahead of it came their second UK chart topper. With Polydor having seen the success that 'Jump' had bought the girls a year ago, it was a formula they were prepared to try again, as they and Brian Higgins were quite well aware that whilst the singles continued to peak in the top 3 and were a critical hit too, they still lost out airplay wise to Sugababes and/or Destiny's Child. In the American R&B and indie guitar dominated airwaves, neither 'The Show' or 'Love Machine' screamed 'radio record'. And so the second cover version of their career rolled around, in the shape of The Pretenders' 1994 top 10 power ballad 'I'll Stand By You'.

 

 

Originally, a 90's, slightly breakbeat take on proceedings was in the making, but it wasn't until the BBC approached them to record that year's Children in Need campaign single - previously the remit of their old labelmates S Club 7, a strong omen indeed given that their involvement had provided them two of their four chart toppers in 'Never Had a Dream Come True' and 'Have You Ever' - that it was decided a more straightforward take on the song was required.

 

Though universally panned by the broadsheet and rock critic audience that they'd won over with their earlier singles, their fans and a suitably generous record buying public saw the single zoom to the top for a fortnight before Band Aid 20 took over as the cause celeb. And airplay was, predictably, stronger for this single than their last two had been - and were probably responsible for boosting their album sales no end in the run up to Christmas that year. And with Louis Walsh finally deposited from his (lack of) managerial duties as they announced their first headline tour, the girls ended the year well and truly on the up.

 

Sadly, whilst two top 5 hits to open their career on should have meant it was likewise for The 411, it wasn't to be the case. In fact, the catastrophic chart showing of 'Teardrops', their third single, is all the more baffling when you consider the airplay and exposure their first two singles had had. But here in lies our problem. Sony were now expecting the same for this single, and for their debut (and only) album, 'Between the Sheets', to reach the top 10. But crowded under an already busy autumn release schedule, and lower down the pecking order on station playlists, the single just got lost and thus staggered into the top 30 before falling.

 

 

A shame really, when it was just as dead on the mark as 'Dumb' before it had been. Based around a haunting sample of the Portishead track 'Sour Times', it sounded like the sort of thing Jamelia would have easily soared into the top 10 with at any point in 2004. It's quite possibly the 20's flapper girl inspired 'strip club' video, that saw Tisha Martin's actual boobies on show and thus had a watershed ban slapped on it, that killed it off, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that a new pop act with little exposure won't end prettily for anyone concerned. Come March 2005, and with disastrous sales of the album on their hands, Sony had pulled the plug, and Carolyn, disillusioned, had left the ranks. A futile attempt to carry on under a new name, Sunshyne, saw it all end a year later. Suzie would attempt a second bite at the cherry on the 2008 series of X Factor, but didn't get as far as Dannii Minogue's judges houses in the over 25s category.

I hated 'I'll Stand By You' and loved 'Teardrops'. :( I always used to notice how Kimberley could never keep a straight face in the more "emotional" and slower music videos they'd shoot. She's always cracking a smile.

Girls Aloud - Love Machine = I have to admit, wasn't crazy on that at first, but it did quickly grow on me when I bought the album and it definitely ranks in my top 10 fave Girls Aloud singles. "I'll Stand By You" I quite liked that one, although I've never been a fan of their covers, apart from "Jump", but this one is actually very decent, and okay it doesn't compare to the original, but it did the trick and got them another UK #1.

 

Destiny's Child - Lose My Breath = YES YES YES, Loved that and still do to this day. My personal fave single from them.

 

The 411 - Teardrops = Such a shame that this was their last single, they had so much potential, both "On My Knees" and "Dumb" were fantastic and were totally my jams of 2004. This one wasn't as strong as those 2, but it did deserve better. I actually remember reading that there was another single planned "Soaking Wet" which never got released.

 

The Cheeky Girls - Cheeky Flamenco = Never knew this existed, but looking it up and can't believe it got as high as #29, just goes to show how low sales were back then, today that track wouldn't even make the top 150. Awful just awful, how in the hell did anyone think this would do well. I could say that about their previous singles, but somehow they had managed to make the top 10. Also surprised that they had another single after this "Boys And Girls" which tanked at #50 and saw it on YouTube, and yes it's as equally dire as their other hits. They were just another novelty act that outstayed their welcome.

Hello all! Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas :) Two bits of exciting news before we get into today's entries to this humble little thread. Firstly we are now a third of the way through - five years in - to my reviews of every girl group top 40 hit of the 21st century. How mad is that? Thanks for all your comments and memories of the entries so far.

 

And secondly, I did always say once the time was right, there would be a companion piece for this thread, in the shape of my reviews of every boyband top 40 hit of the 21st century, and I am pleased to tell you that that is exactly what's happening!

 

First reviews for that new thread will be up on New Year's Day (unless I sleep in until 1pm, in which case, I apologise). But for now, and to today, let's get to our first entries of a brand new year on this thread - 10 whole years ago to be exact!

 

2005

 

13TH FEBRUARY 2005

 

Destiny's Child feat. T.I & Lil' Wayne - "Soldier"

Official UK Chart peak: #4

 

http://streamd.hitparade.ch/cdimages/destinys_child_feat_ti_and_lil_wayne-soldier_s.jpg

 

2005, it's fair to say, was a pretty naff time to be a fan of out and out pop music. Britney had married K-Fed and gone crazy. Kylie (understandably so) cancelled her headline slot at Glastonbury and Showgirl tour after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Busted split up just 14 days into the year. And perhaps worse than all of that, Rachel Stevens released a bloody amazing second solo album which very few people bought.

 

I think it's also fair to say that after this year certainly, this'll become a thread where the main entrants will be two groups and two groups alone, give or take the odd curveball. It's also in this year we'll be saying 'ta ta' to these lot, so let's get right down to the penultimate DC entry to this thread. And following the total amazingness that was 'Lose My Breath' comes the second 'Destiny Fulfilled' single, 'Soldier'. I'm going to put my hands up here and say that this is far from being Destiny's Child at their best.

 

 

What we essentially have here is Lil' Wayne and T.I mumbling boredly about being 'a soldier as euphemism for being quite good at the sex' whilst Beyonce and the other two - but mainly Beyonce - coo equally boredly about how good their man needs to be at doing a bit of the sex over the most anaemic backing possible. There is just so little going on or indeed going for this single, but as I pointed out at the end of my last review for them, as a band Destiny's Child were terminally in decline because they were now essentially Beyonce featuring Destiny's Child.

 

Everything, the first single excluded, about this period of their career just smacked of contractual obligation until Ms Knowles could swan back to her world beating solo antics. But whilst this is a limp effort overall, it's nothing compared to the monstrosity that'd go onto be their swansong (in the UK at least) just three months later...

20TH FEBRUARY 2005

 

Atomic Kitten - "Cradle 2005"

Official UK Chart peak: #10

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6107D8CEQDL.jpg

 

A year on from the announcement of their break, and the year off's end had rolled around for Kittens v2.0. Or, let's be honest, we could probably call them Kittens v3.0 now, because it was essentially just Liz and Jenny holding fort whilst Tash continued to be a mum to Josh, not wanting much of a public spotlight. Still, contractual obligations had to be met, and so through gritted teeth, we reach the ladies' 14th and final entry to this here thread.

 

For a group of girls we first met in a year chock-a-block with new girl group launches, most of which fell by the wayside, they did very well to get to five years. So what of their swansong? It was a re-recorded version of fan favourite 'Cradle', which, back in the happier, Katona era years of the band (specifically, July 2000), had in fact been a massive number one in Japan.

 

 

Jenny's vocals were quickly recorded and bolted onto this new version, 'Cradle 2005', which was also their first and only charity release, in this case for Unicef's 'One Vision' campaign, with footage of Liz and Jen's visit for them to Africa at the end of 2004 was interspersed with archive Kitten footage through the years. It spent just one solitary week in the top 10 before swiftly exiting the top 40, and thus the Atomic Kitten scratchboard had officially gone matted.

 

In the years that followed, both Liz and Jenny launched solo careers, with Liz being the most successful, scoring a surprise top 5 hit exactly a year later with a cover of Barbara Streisand's 'Woman in Love' (recorded and produced with the song's writer Robin Gibb, no less), as well as going onto win Celebrity Masterchef in 2008. Jenny's attempt at a solo career with dance outfit Route-1, aptly titled 'Crash Landing' did just that, stiffing at #52 that October, but she found better success moving into presenting.

 

There was of course, a reunion of sorts for Kittens v2.0 in 2008, when, in honour of Liverpool being made the European capital of culture, they re-recorded Cilla Black's classic chart topper 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' as a single, but it too was a flop, peaking no higher than #78. Kittens v1.0 were made whole again though, when Kerry stepped in for a then pregnant Jenny to join Liz and Tash for 'The Big Reunion' on ITV2 in 2013 - but as of December 2015, there's been no hint of new material on the horizon - nor is there likely to be.

Destiny’s Child – Soldier = I totally agree with you Pensmith, they were just phoning it in at this point and apart from “LMB” everything else from this era was just dull. “Soldier” just reeks of run of the mill and their follow up “Girl” was even worse and such a downer to end their career here. They did have 2 follow ups “Cater 2 U” (which I actually kinda liked, much better than the previous two) & the dire “Stand Up For Love” which pretty much bombed everywhere and was an even worse swansong.

 

Atomic Kitten – Cradle = Harmless enough, but still a kind of pointless release and if sales weren’t so low at the time, then that would have just scraped the top 40. I did like Atomic Kitten and thought that they had some decent songs and actually remember this in it’s original form on their first album and surprised they didn’t release it following “I Want Your Love”, surely it would have done better than “Follow Me”.

 

27TH FEBRUARY 2005

 

Girls Aloud - "Wake Me Up"

Official UK Chart peak: #4

 

http://a2.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Music/v4/84/48/93/844893d1-bc13-ebd2-4cd0-a54b0b3ff1f4/cover600x600.jpeg

 

Meanwhile, back in the world that wasn't stuck with the hangover of the Kittens or Destiny's Child going through the contractual motions, Girls Aloud were really moving places as their 'What Will the Neighbours Say?' campaign continued on apace. Their growing success had resulted in their first BRIT nomination that year for 'Best Pop Act' (even though it was patently obvious, being voted for by CD:UK viewers, that McFly would get it), and both The Observer and The Sunday Times had listed 'The Show' in its top 20 tracks of 2004.

 

It was around about this time that a few of the key people responsible in driving them to the band they were to become arrived on the scene. Among them was Hilary Shaw, who stepped in after Louis Walsh had finally been sent packing (albeit with a legally binding pay off), and who had had a history for managing and nurturing girl groups, having looked after Bananarama in their 80s, PWL produced heyday, as well as Dannii Minogue.

 

Also coming on board about the same time was the girls' choreographer, Beth Honan, who had done their now famous dance routine for 'Love Machine' but was drafted in as their choreographer and show producer for their first ever theatre tour which hit the road that May. She would go onto choreograph all their videos and tours in the years that followed. Ahead of that first tour, came the second album's fourth and final single, and a return to the girls' rockier routes from the first album, with 'Wake Me Up'.

 

I hold a really strong affection for 'Wake Me Up' even now, largely for sentimental reasons, so I shall make it clear now that it'll be impossible for me to try and be objective about this single. It was about the time this single came out that I was in Year 11, and a matter of months away from sitting my GCSEs. I was, like most socially awkward teenagers, still worried about what my peers thought, how popular I was, whether I was cool with my taste in music and clothes - all the usual crap that gets bequeathed upon an adolescent mind at a time when you're supposed to be making choices that will affect your future self and are really rather more important.

 

 

And then a couple of things happened in quick succession.

, riding atop the Harley Davidson choppers from the video (above) whilst looking like the world's most glamorous, sexy and cool Hell's Angels. I think it's safe to say that, whilst I was a fan of theirs before then, it was that performance in particular which turned me into a full blown hardcore fan of their work for all the years that were to follow.

 

A couple of weeks later, I came down with a particularly aggressive case of appendicitis which was potentially life threatening at one stage, and was out of action from school six weeks before I was due to sit my GCSEs. To cheer me up whilst I was recovering at home after my operation, my mum bought me some albums of my choosing to listen to. These were Green Day's 'American Idiot', Gwen Stefani's 'Love Angel Music Baby', and, following that TOTP performance, a copy of the girls' 'What Will the Neighbours Say?'.

 

I loved all three albums and still associate them with that time in my life to this day, but it was the girls' album which I loved the most and played to death - so much so, that my original copy wore out after a year and I had to get a new one. Upon my return to school, a lot of my worries and concerns from six weeks before had been eradicated, to the extent that I didn't care what my peers thought of me listening to their album.

 

It seems I wasn't alone in my love of 'Wake Me Up' though. Alex Kapranos, the lead singer of Glaswegian art rockers Franz Ferdinand who were riding high at the time called it 'a really clever pop record' - high praise indeed, and it resulted in Brian Higgins nearly exec producing one of their later albums before they got foppish cold feet. Popjustice, long standing champions of the girls, also awarded it their second '£20 Music Prize' trophy in September of that year, following their win for 'No Good Advice' in 2003.

Edited January 3, 20169 yr by ThePensmith