February 14, 20178 yr What I never understood about Now We Are Free - other than who the hell actually produced it (presuming "Gladiator" is a pseudonym for some underground DJ who didn't want to be credited in a commercial chart hit) - is why on earth it arrived when it did? The film was four years old at the time, hardly striking while the iron's hot. It would be like someone now randomly taking Anne Hathaway's version of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Mis and sticking a tropical house beat over the top. I wondered if it tied in with the UK terrestrial (non-Sky) premiere of the film, but that had been and gone in October 2003 on Channel 5. Channel 4 then showed it in September 2004, but this came out right in the middle of both showings. Fantastic track, but always seemed so odd hearing it on Now 58 - sounding completely out of its time with everything else, and could well have been a much bigger hit around 2000-01 when the film was more relevant.
February 14, 20178 yr Gladiator just means its a soundtrack from the movie Gladiator, the original song is a very chilled song from the movie. The version from 2004 is a remix by Dave Pearce I believe
February 14, 20178 yr Author Discogs (usually reliable) says Gladiator are duo Bobak Rembrandt and Dave Lambert. They haven't done anything else noteworthy to my knowledge.
February 14, 20178 yr Hadn't thought to look on Discogs for info on Gladiator - could only source info on Izzy the vocalist.
February 15, 20178 yr Its a shame dance was undercharting that era but the output was better than nowadays, as well as more variety. Yes up to the end of 2006 the output remains excellent I think (although a lot of dance songs do underperform between Oct 2003 and Nov 2005. I don't like 2007 and Calvin Harris' first few indie influenced dance hits and the electro house of that year. I think dance had become a bit emotionless by 2007 compared to 2000-2006. I suppose Gladiator being remixed several years after it is a film is a bit like the Baywatch theme tune being remixed long after Baywatch was off the TV in early 2006. Not that I like that remix much it is the weakest of the 80s remixes for me easily. Thankfully two much better remixes involving Michael Jackson vocals were soon to come. As I said I remember the Gladiator remix being played quite a bit on The Box at the time and I liked it, unusual for a trance song back then, although I did find it a bit sad sounding like the original. It is a little sad to listen to it with the knowledge that it was coming to the end of the road for trance in the charts. Edited February 15, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan
February 15, 20178 yr I thought the original operatic vocal of the slow version was used for this trance remix of Now We Are Free, apparently not. Its not even the same singer. Yes it seemed out of its time for mid 2004 as proper trance (as opposed to eurotrance which still was popular although would decline in popularity soon) wasn't doing well in the charts by then. Although Jurgen Vries' Take My Hand reached number 23, probably the last serious trance song to chart that highly.
February 16, 20178 yr I thought the original operatic vocal of the slow version was used for this trance remix of Now We Are Free, apparently not. Its not even the same singer. Did you not read what I wrote? :P
February 16, 20178 yr Did you not read what I wrote? :P I meant I thought that before you had posted it! Anyway, we finally have a top 10 hit back for our next dance number 1.
February 18, 20178 yr Faithless - Mass Destruction Date 6th June 2004 1 Week Official Chart Run 7-16-24-36-43-51-61-68 (8 weeks) uzgBD2wysuI 'Mass Destruction' was the lead single from Faithless' 4th album 'No Roots'. The track was the band's attack on the Iraq war, and the lyrical genius and flow of vocalist Maxi Jazz shines. He suggested it was time they used their fame as a platform to air their voice on what was going on in the world. The video reflected the message they wanted to put across - the second half emphasising how such words tend to fall on deaf ears by rapping to a brick wall. An unconventional dance hit - it was also their first hit in the USA. Incidentally, by this point, Dido had become a global superstar and houshold name so the band was a three-piece: Maxi Jazz (real name Maxwell Frazer), Sister Bliss (real name Ayalah Bentovim) and Dido's brother Rollo Armstrong. They managed this feat without her name. This was the last time we would see Faithless in the UK Top 10 singles. Their last studio album 'The Dance' was released in 2010. Stream/Purchase on iTunes
February 18, 20178 yr Interesting song, don't remember it from the time, but its a bit like some of Fatboy Slim's songs/A Little Less Conversation/Robberneckin in terms of production, a big beat and rock mix. Maxi Jazz's vocal is great as always. They didn't get another 10 ten hit, but they went top 20 in 2005 with the Insomnia remix by Blissy and Armand van Helden, which I do remember from the time. Edited February 18, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan
February 18, 20178 yr Author They also got a number one album a year-and-a-half ago with 'Faithless 2.0', both a new remix compilation and greatest hits set. Although its sales to get there were laughable, it sold about 12k that week and then made a fast disappearance from the chart.
February 18, 20178 yr I remember it was great hearing Insomnia again in 2005 being played on the music channels again in its re-release remix form, I already knew it a lot before then as the main synth tune in the second half was already synonymous with dance music for me. Its a pity the Avicii remix didn't chart in 2015!
February 18, 20178 yr Mass Destruction is what got me into Faithless all those years ago - being unaware of Maxi's vocal style before it sounded hugely original compared to anything else around. Then a couple months later I heard 'Insomnia' and my love affair began :P Saw them live at V Festival 2010, which was as epic as you could imagine!
February 18, 20178 yr Author Its a pity the Avicii remix didn't chart in 2015!It charted at #87! (this chart) The OCC counts it as a re-entry for the original, as the sales of the original and any remixes are combined, but I think it was the remix that was selling more that week.
February 18, 20178 yr It charted at #87! (this chart) The OCC counts it as a re-entry for the original, as the sales of the original and any remixes are combined, but I think it was the remix that was selling more that week. I meant it didn't chart top 40. They count Insomnia 2005 as a re-entry for the original too, although it says 'Insomnia 2005' on the archive chart. In all its forms Insomnia actually spent 43 consecutive weeks top 100 between 30th April 2005 and 18th February 2006. Edited February 18, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan
February 18, 20178 yr Author I meant it didn't chart top 40. They count Insomnia 2005 as a re-entry for the original too, although it says 'Insomnia 2005' on the archive chart. In all its forms Insomnia actually spent 43 consecutive weeks top 100 between 30th April 2005 and 18th February 2006. Oh right. Anyway it's good that it made the top 100 I think considering it didn't get radio support and it got a fairly negative reaction online.
February 18, 20178 yr Oh right. Anyway it's good that it made the top 100 I think considering it didn't get radio support and it got a fairly negative reaction online. Also streaming had kicked in by that point, which was going to negatively impact it, (it made number 56 on sales). I don't know why it didn't get much radio support though considering that a. its a classic dance song and b. Avicii remixed it.
February 18, 20178 yr The next two dance number 1s are both rather cheesy eurodance songs, 2004 seemed to have quite few of these making the chart.
February 19, 20178 yr Here's one I enjoyed back in the day which never got a UK release (but got some video airplay on The Box), Blue Lagoon's cover of Break My Stride: 5D7r_n5m7QE Randomly re-appeared for a bit in 2008 when AATW were set to finally release it here, even getting a promo CD made, but perhaps realising it was way too late quietly shelved the idea. This one could have done well with the right push, Despina Vandi's cover of Antique's classic 90s hit 'Opa Opa': dwg1Bsg1m3k Not as good as the original, but being in English it had a better chance at cracking the UK than the original Greek version. Saying that, foreign language didn't stop a '04 megahit we should be seeing very soon!
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