This made 11 on the first week of our next dance number 1

 

 

I assume it was mostly aimed at the children's music market (like Hey Baby by DJ Otzi) it sounds so immature. We sort of had the 10s equivalent of this sort of sound last year with Sigala, DJ Fresh and Imani's Say You Do, high pitched, extremely cheesy vocal there too!

 

I remember it being played on The Box quite a bit and I really wasn't a fan of it at the time. The video is one of the best of the animated dance videos, a lot of work went into it, it references the video for Jurgen Vries and CMC's Opera Song with the flying machines and the bit where the animated people are shown dancing from above (as shown in the thumbnail for the video above) is great.

 

Until a few weeks ago I thought how Flip and Fill got so much worse from True Love Never Dies and even from the great early 2004 track Irish Blue they did with Junior. I still mostly think that. However having discovered PC Music as a result of it being big in BJSC I do suppose the style of Discoland is sort of reminscent to Hannah Diamond's tracks with a beat added though so I suppose in a funny way it was ahead of its time!

Edited February 22, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan

The Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme

 

 

Date 18th Jul 2004

4 Weeks

Official Chart Run 1-2-3-3-7-7-14-24-21-28-33-40-53-63-66-x (15 weeks)

 

 

For the third time so far in 2004, we have an entry that topped the official chart as well as the Dance Chart. 'Lola's Theme' went straight in at #1, beating competition from the year's Comic Relief single ('Some Girls' by Rachel Stevens which entered at #2) and the previous week's #1 ('Burn' by Usher which fell to #3). It would only last a single week at #1, being overtaken by a new entry the following week (the classic hip-hop ballad 'Dry Your Eyes' by The Streets).

 

The Shapeshifters are an English house duo (members Max Reich and Simon Marlin, also known in the US as Shape:UK to avoid confusion with US hip-hop act The Shape Shifters) whose 'Lola's Theme' was their debut single. Originally an instrumental inspired by Marlin's ex-wife Lola, it was then signed to Positiva Records and vocals by gospel singer Cookie were added - with the original title kept.

 

The production is inspired by old disco records and as such makes heavy use of orchestral elements, this style of music came to be known as disco house or nu-disco. It also features a sample of 'What About My Love' by Johnnie Taylor. More recently, it was covered by Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra (with Cookie again providing vocals) for his 'Classic House' album, which went to #1 earlier this year.

 

Following the success of 'Lola's Theme' three follow-up singles made the Top 40; 2005's 'Back To Basics' (#10) and 2006's 'Incredible' (#12) and 'Sensitivity' (#40), the latter being a collaboration with Chic (not much of a surprise considering their music is very much inspired by the likes of Chic). An album 'Sound Advice' would also follow in 2006, which charted at #76. It was the duo's only studio album (and subsequently they left Positiva and were signed by Defected) but they continued to make singles and mix compilations ever since. They are still active today, though they haven't released any music since 2015.

 

Personally this is one of my fave dance tunes of the year, and possibly even the entire decade. One of the first dance hits I really got into at the time as well and still sounds good today - a proper classic! :dance:

Other songs to make the chart during Lola's Theme's run include

 

#10 Lou Read - Satellite Of Love '04 (another dance remake that charted, though this time credited to the original artist)

#11 Flip & Fill - Discoland (as Snakey mentioned earlier)

#19 Styles & Breeze - You're Shining (another Clubland act, I don't recall this but they'd come back with a great song 'Heartbeatz' in 2005)

#14 Stellar Project ft Brandi Emma - Get Up Stand Up (released on Data, I don't recall this)

#17 DT8 Project - Sun Is Shining (Down On Me) (don't recall this either)

Yep, love Lola's Theme, even though I thought it was by a girlband and designed to make people do more exercise (as I thought Shapeshifters referred to people getting into shape with exercise and stuff), I still recognised it as a great song at the time, and very motivational and uplifting with the disco house production. I would say Lola's Theme with its orchestral/disco production was an influence on Clean Bandit this decade (Stronger and Tears particularly) and maybe the likes of Pray to God by Calvin Harris + Haim and also Don't Be So Hard On Yourself by Jess Glynne.

 

This one definitely inspired a trend of various upbeat disco house songs making the charts over the next two years (this along with 2002-early 03 vocal trance and 2011-2012 dubstep/drum and bass are my favourite dance trends of all time) until the inferior imo electro of 2007 replaced it.

 

About the other tracks you posted, Sun is Shining (Down on Me) is great too, and I remember this from the time I think - also a great uplifting orchestral disco house tune, should have made top 10 I think.

 

Finally, while I didn't like You're Shining by Styles and Breeze it is my second favourite trancepop song of 2004 now, (after Ultrabeat's Better Than Life). Like 'If I Were You', You're Shining would have done better in the charts in late 2002 or 2003.

 

Just heard Satellite Of Love 04' (sounds a bit like Kungs actually with the 70s music influence and trumpets :o ) - might actually have a chance of being a hit now if it was released! Definitely don't remember it from the time though.

 

Overall summer 2004 was a great time for dance music in the charts I think, even if the next dance number 1 on the thread isn't one of my favourite dance songs of 2004, although it is still good.

Edited February 23, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan

A clue about our next song, it is from a genre we haven't seen on this thread for a while.

'Lola's Theme' is one of the best dance hits of the century so far. So uplifting. Solid track.

 

From your clue I think I know what the next one is and I absolutely could not stand it at the time! Was a very weird chart week. I remember thinking The Rasmus 'Guilty' would be much bigger that week :lol:

'Lola's Theme' is one of the best dance hits of the century so far. So uplifting. Solid track.

 

Back To Basics is great too (remember that a lot from the time), and I like Incredible (although I don't remember it that much from the time), for me the chorus of Incredible is a bit reminiscent of the one from Extraordinary by Clean Bandit and Sharna Bass. Really like both tracks though. It's unfortunate Sensitivity ft. Chic flopped.

Back To Basics is great too (remember that a lot from the time), and I like Incredible (although I don't remember it that much from the time), for me the chorus of Incredible is a bit reminiscent of the one from Extraordinary by Clean Bandit and Sharna Bass. Really like both tracks though. It's unfortunate Sensitivity ft. Chic flopped.

I really rate 'Incredible' - was very surprised it wasn't bigger.

 

I always felt Freemasons followed on very well from Shapeshifters.

I really rate 'Incredible' - was very surprised it wasn't bigger.

 

I always felt Freemasons followed on very well from Shapeshifters.

 

Yep the first three from Freemasons I think are gems plus When You Touch Me. Uninvited I know was their biggest hit, great production, but as with many 2007 tracks, the vocal is a bit poppy for me.

 

As I said there are lots of uplifting disco influenced house tracks making the top 40 throughout 2005 and 2006, which the success of Lola's Theme seemed to trigger. I guess it was like how Castles In The Sky in 2001 paved the way for the whole vocal trance boom in 2002.

Edited February 23, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan

From your clue I think I know what the next one is and I absolutely could not stand it at the time! Was a very weird chart week. I remember thinking The Rasmus 'Guilty' would be much bigger that week :lol:

 

Same, I wasn't really a fan of it at the time, like 'Discoland', it just seemed a bit immature. I remember people in school who clearly were fans of it singing the chorus of it at time though.

 

The video is cringeworthy too, not the first time I will say this about a video on this thread as we are coming to that time for music videos.

Edited February 23, 20178 yr by The Wise Sultan

beating competition from the year's Comic Relief single ('Some Girls' by Rachel Stevens which entered at #2)

 

I believe this was Sport Relief, not Comic Relief (which only occurs in odd-numbered years).

 

And I wasn't aware of the Shapeshifters' US name-change!

I never really rated Lola's Theme, but I appreciated it for being one of the only real dance smashes at the time, and it remains genuinely evocative of that year's summer (even if I spent it doing bugger all except going on MSN Messenger every night). Video's quite nostalgic now with the old mobile phones/arcade games etc, and the 'silent love story' theme would be used to major effect by the videos of a DJ we'll be seeing in this thread in 2008!

 

I enjoyed Satellite of Love at the time, forgot it actually went top 10. Wasn't too familiar with Lou Reed then but I became a fan of him afterwards, loved his work on 'Tranquilize' with The Killers a few years later too.

 

A clue about our next song, it is from a genre we haven't seen on this thread for a while.

 

OH GOD NO :lol: Not something I own!!

''#14 Stellar Project ft Brandi Emma - Get Up Stand Up (released on Data, I don't recall this)

#17 DT8 Project - Sun Is Shining (Down On Me) (don't recall this either)''

 

JAMS! Especially Stellar Project - one of my fave dance songs ever!

Lola's Theme is also easily one of the greatest dance choons too ;)

Edited February 24, 20178 yr by girlsaloudjunkie

3 Of A Kind - Baby Cakes

 

 

Date 15th Aug 2004

5 Weeks

Official Chart Run 1-2-2-5-5-7-7-11-20-22-29-32-51-58-x (14 weeks)

 

 

For our next entry we revisit the genre of 2-step garage, which following its peak in 2000-1 kept making short comebacks throughout the decade. 'Baby Cakes' was released as the debut and only single from UK trio 3 Of A Kind (Liana Caruana, Nicholas Gallante and Marc Portelli). They recorded the song the day they met, in itself a song that goes towards the novelty end of the dance spectrum - more remembered for being a 'chav anthem' and 'bad' than a dance classic. The video was likewise not to be taken seriously, and featured the group in a factory iamspamspamamialongside women showing their buns; both meanings of that word too.

 

The song entered straight in at #1, ahead of a #2 debut by indie band The Libertines' 'Can't Stand Me Now' and kicking off Busted's 'Thunderbirds/3am' to #3; before Natasha Bedingfield kicking them off a week later with 'These Words'. They recorded a follow-up titled 'Wink One Eye', but despite this success their it was never released and they were never heard from since, making them true one-hit wonders. Ten years later Gallante appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks to reveal he had changed his career entirely - he's now a party planner.

 

The group were perhaps the inspiration for a more popular mixed-gender rap trio that came around a few years later, so in a way they have somewhat of a legacy...

For some reason my memory thought that flew down the charts fairly quickly but apparently not :blink:

 

I might give it a play in my DJ set tonight and see how I feel about it now but I couldn't stand it back in the day :lol: they're just so embarrassing!

The following also made the top 20 during the run of 'Baby Cakes';

 

#06 Stonebridge (feat. Therese) - Put 'Em High [a funky house classic! really like this]

#09 Mousse T (feat. Emma Lanford) - Is It Cos I'm Cool? [well this isn't really dance imo but Mousse T had previously done dance songs, not a big fan of this]

#15 Armand van Helden - My My My [another BIG dance classic, it was also re-released in 2006 and made the top 20 once again]

#19 The Prodigy - Girls [don't remember this]

 

The next entry in this rundown was truly MASSIVE, one of the biggest of the entire decade. And also one of my personal faves. :dance:

'Put Em High' is excellent - a staple part of my 00s dance anthems set if I play them. 'Is It Cos I'm Cool' I also love, and 'My My My' is also very good - got re-issued didn't it? All three deserved dance number 1 way more than 'Baby Cakes' - the vocal on that chorus is nauseating!

Way better than Shift K3y's Touch though, that has to be my least favourite garage song ever.

 

I just thought Babycakes was immature at the time and didn't really like it. It does sound better now, especially compared to a lot of today's quite poppy tropical house tracks, which have similar chilled instrumentation to Babycakes (albeit more tropical).

 

This is not the end of immature novelty sounding dance music in 2004, after this and Discoland we have Hungry Eyes by Eyeopener making the top 20 too later in 2004, and then Dana Rayne's Object Of My Desire making top 10 in early 2005. Last year's track 'Say You Do' is the closest thing we have had to this sort of cringeworthy immature dance music this decade and needless to say I wasn't a fan of that one.

I loved that Sigala track last year, didn't think it sounded immature at all! I love how versatile Sigala is within the dance genre.

Remember Put em High (dance really doesn't get more Hed Kandi than this)...didn't like it at the time...vocal was too sexy sounding to the 12 year old me :kink: , same with the follow up Take Me Away. I do remember the video with her on the bed being on music channels quite a bit. I now appreciate it as a great tune now.

 

My My My on the other hand I do remember, my mother worked at a leisure centre at the time and I would often come along too and it was often played in the gym at the time, and I thought the vocal was good in particular. Such an uplifting tune, definitely one of the best disco house tunes ever.

 

Yep the re-issue features a vocalist who features on another song in 2005 which might make our countdown, who definitely has that motivational Kelly Llorenna style female dance vocal that was such a part of dance tracks from 2002-2006.