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DetailsReleased: 22nd July 2002

Origin: United Kingdom

Label: Virgin / EMI / Universal

Format: Double CD, Double Cassette

Duration: 2:33:59 (153 minutes 59 seconds)

Tracks: 42

#1’s: 3

Chart Peak: #1 (2 weeks)

Sales: 620,000 (3x Platinum)

Tracklisting1. Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes 3:35 {1}

2. Liberty X – Just A Little 3:56 {1}

3. George Michael – Freeek! 4:29 {7}

4. Sugababes – Freak Like Me 3:09 {1}

5. Kylie Minogue – Love At First Sight 3:58 {2}

6. Enrique Iglesias – Escape 3:30 {3}

7. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Get Over You 3:20 {3}

8. S Club Juniors – One Step Closer 3:10 {2}

9. Nigel & Marvin – Follow Da Leader 2002 2:44 {5}

10. Scooter – The Logical Song 3:48 {2}

11. Dee Dee – Forever 3:54 {12}

12. Flip & Fill – Shooting Star 3:13 {3}

13. Paffendorf – Be Cool 3:05 {7}

14. Kelly Llorenna – Tell It To My Heart 3:38 {9}

15. Shy FX & T-Power feat. Di – Shake UR Body 3:20 {7}

16. Tim Deluxe feat. Sam Obernik – It Just Won't Do 3:13 {14}

17. Shakedown – At Night 3:02 {6}

18. Moony – Dove (I'll Be Loving You) 4:00 {9}

19. Intenso Project – Luv Da Sunshine 3:17 {22}

20. 4 Strings – (Take Me Away) Into The Night 3:08 {15}

21. Mad'House – Like A Prayer 3:58 {3}

22. S Club 7 – You 3:28 {2}

23. Atomic Kitten – It's OK! 3:16 {3}

24. Britney Spears – I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman 3:51 {2}

25. Ashanti – Foolish 3:34 {4}

26. Mary J. Blige – No More Drama 4:05 {9}

27. *Nsync – Girlfriend (Album Version) 4:14 {2}

28. Christina Milian – When You Look At Me 3:42 {3}

29. Nelly feat. Dani Stevenson – Hot In Herre 3:45 {4}

30. Ms. Dynamite – It Takes More 4:38 {7}

31. Omero Mumba – Lil' Big Man 3:19 {42}

32. Aaliyah – Rock The Boat 4:33 {12}

33. The Reelists – Freak Mode 3:37 {16}

34. 1 Giant Leap – My Culture 3:35 {9}

35. Amy Studt – Just A Little Girl 3:42 {14}

36. Sheryl Crow – Soak Up The Sun 3:18 {16}

37. Doves – Pounding 4:00 {21}

38. The Space Cowboy – I Would Die 4 U 2:36 {55}

39. Idlewild – American English 4:18 {15}

40. Puddle Of Mudd – Blurry 4:20 {8}

41. Moby – We Are All Made Of Stars 3:38 {11}

42. Oasis – Stop Crying Your Heart Out 5:03 {2}

 

Key

Tracks highlighted red were official UK #1’s.

Tracks with an asterisk (*) next to their title have also been included in special releases from the series.

The track duration has been highlighted cyan.

Bracketed numbers refer to highest chart position reached.

Miscellaneous FactsTrack Most Weeks At #1: Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes / Liberty X – Just A Little / Sugababes – Freak Like Me (1 week)

Lowest Charting Track: The Space Cowboy – I Would Die 4 U {55}

Longest Song: Oasis – Stop Crying Your Heart Out 5:03

Shortest Song: The Space Cowboy – I Would Die 4 U 2:36

Edited Tracks: Unknown

Unedited Tracks: Unknown

Inlay Mistakes: None

Other Facts: None

On This Day In HistoryNo music news to report for 22nd July 2002.

Other ResourcesOfficial Now Music Website

Wikipedia

Everyhit

Brandt Animation Archive

Now 52 Rate

Andrew's ReviewNow That's What I Call Music! 52 aka Now 52 got released in Summer 2002. It contained 42 tracks with just 3 UK #1 singles. It provided some artists their first series feature including Sugababes, S Club Juniors, Scooter, Kelly Llorenna, Intenso Project, Ashanti, Ms. Dynamite, Amy Studt, Doves and Puddle Of Mudd.

 

3 #1 singles was actually a very poor offering when considered against the fact that there were 7 more #1 singles since the release of the previous volume Now 51. Due to this, there were missing #1 hits from Gareth Gates, Oasis, Holly Valance, Eminem, Will Young and Elvis vs. JXL. Other big hits were excluded including the #2 hit by Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way, The Calling – Wherever You Will Go, H & Claire from Steps with their hit DJ and the official England World Cup single for 2002 by Ant & Dec – We're On The Ball amongst other big names too.

 

This is the only volume in the series to feature Nigel & Marvin, Dee Dee, Paffendorf, Shy FX, Tim Deluxe, Shakedown, Moony, 4 Strings, Mad'House, Omero Mumba, The Reelists, 1 Giant Leap, The Space Cowboy and Idlewild.

 

Artwork Rating: 5/10 Poor

The artwork for Now 52 is very unusual, especially for a Summer release. It appears to be set on some kind of metallic paint which the logo has burst through. It's certainly different, so that I applaud, but it's not very imaginative and lacks much design concept. Very few designs actually contain the colour white, so this makes it stand out somewhat. The logo itself is the same colour as it's previous volume too.

 

Disc 1 Favourite: Sugababes – Freak Like Me

It was only 6 volumes previously that Freak Like Me made an appearance in the series, but then it was a low charting hit by one hit wonder Tru Faith feat. Dub Conspiracy. Two years later, and British girl group Sugababes established themselves as a force to be reckoned with as they stormed to the top of the charts after a few successive singles previously. Still sounding much more superior than many of the pop records of today.

 

Disc 2 Favourite: Moby – We're All Made Of Stars

Not the best disc I've ever come across in the series before, and the fact it doesn't have a single #1 is a let down. Moby was an artist I listened to a lot at this time, and I owned the album this song was taken from and it started my long journey into chillout music.

 

Disc 3 Tracklist:

(A concept of what a third disc might look like if other hits from the era were used)

 

1. Holly Valance – Kiss Kiss 3:24 {1}

2. Shakira – Whenever Wherever 3:20 {2}

3. Will Young – Light My Fire 3:29 {1}

4. Darren Hayes – Insatiable 4:13 {8}

5. Gareth Gates – Unchained Melody 3:53 {1}

6. Westlife – Bop Bop Baby 3:56 {5}

7. The Calling – Wherever You Will Go 3:26 {3}

8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way 3:37 {2}

9. Oasis – The Hindu Times 3:53 {1}

10. Anastacia – One Day In Your Life 3:29 {11}

11. Fat Joe feat. Ashanti – What's Luv? 3:50 {4}

12. Jennifer Lopez – I'm Gonna Be Alright 2:53 {3}

13. Tweet feat. Missy Elliott – Oops (Oh My) 3:31 {5}

14. Missy Elliott – 4 My People 3:35 {5}

15. Ian Van Dahl – Reason 2:58 {8}

16. Milk Inc. – In My Eyes 2:41 {9}

17. Matt Darey feat. Marcella Woods – Beautiful 3:40 {10}

18. Faithless feat. Dido – One Step Too Far 3:23 {6}

19. H & Claire – DJ 3:43 {3}

20. No Doubt – Hella Good 4:02 {12}

21. The Prodigy – Baby's Got A Temper 4:27 {5}

22. X-Ecutioners – It's Going Down 4:08 {7}

----------

Total time: 1:19:31

 

Overall Rating: 5/10 Poor

I really never liked what this volume became. It was clear at the time that all the major releases were safe and secure on the rival compilation series Hits. It was released just after I finished secondary school that year. There is so much I would have liked to change about this volume, but it is why it is, and unfortunately it's not enough to be good or above.

 

Andrew's Best 5 (as of July 2017)

1. Sugababes – Freak Like Me

2. Liberty X – Just A Little

3. Moony – Dove (I'll Be Loving You)

4. Kelly Llorenna – Tell It To My Heart

5. Scooter – The Logical Song

 

Andrew's Worst 5 (as of July 2017)

1. Omero Mumba – Lil' Big Man

2. Doves – Pounding

3. Idlewild – American English

4. *Nsync – Girlfriend (Album Version)

5. Atomic Kitten – It's OK!

Edited July 30, 20177 yr by awardinary

Artwork is very boring. 4/10

 

My favourite song from Disc 1 is Dee Dee - Forever, probably my favourite eurodance song ever. Very close is Kelly Llorenna's cover of Tell it To My Heart, which I remember hearing when ice skating when I was younger (I liked the orginal song but thought it was a bit over the top, still liked it though). Also Shakedown - At Night is a great funky house tune and I like The Logical Song, Be Cool, (Take Me Away) Into The Night, Like A Prayer , Dove (I'll Be Loving You), Freak like Me (all of these last three I liked at the time), Shooting Star and Shake Ur Body from Disc 1.

 

My favourite from Disc 2 is Oasis' Stop Crying Your Heart Out, what a great song!

 

Overall quality 6/10.

Edited July 30, 20177 yr by Slitherhisser

The Calling – Wherever You Will Go

Holly Valance – Kiss Kiss

Matt Darey feat. Marcella Woods – Beautiful

Ian Van Dahl – Reason

Milk Inc. – In My Eyes

Anastacia – One Day In Your Life

 

These great tunes being left out! :(

Small clincher Andrew...Tru Faith and Dub Conspiracy did 'Freak Like Me' on Now 46, not Fem@il (although they were awful. Pretty sure 'Flee Fly Flo' ended up on there to allow the double appearance for Steps, whom they were on the same label as. Anyway - moving on swiftly).

 

I agree with your take on it when I say this is by far the weakest of all the 2002 Nows. I got Hits 53 for my birthday instead that year purely because it had the number ones on it - Holly Valance that you put on your Disc 3 in particular - that this Now was missing.

 

The artwork is OK I suppose - kind of looks like ice cubes in a glass of lemonade but could've done with a blue and orange colour scheme behind it rather than white and gold. It was like the designers got bored with grading it all midway through and went on a long lunch instead. My top 5 from both:

 

Now 52 Top 5

CD1

1. Sugababes (I loved their first album anyway, and 'Overload' and 'New Year' in particular, but this and their next number one - more on that next week - was what turned me into a full blown fan of theirs. The Gary Numan sample is inspired and it still sounds timeless)

2. Liberty X (quite simply, along with 'Kiss Kiss', the anthem of that summer. They never truly bested this of course but WHAT. A SONG.)

3. Kylie Minogue (another brilliant single from the 'Fever' album. I loved the video for this as well, she looked wicked)

4. S Club Juniors (did anyone else find it weird that the second Paul Cattermole left S Club 7, the Juniors got all the good singles and videos? No matter, a disco pop stormer through and through)

5. Sophie Ellis-Bextor (a double-a-side of course, with 'Move This Mountain', a track more evocative of her TheAudience days. I remember her performing it on TOTP in the bridal get up from the video for this)

 

CD2

1. *NSYNC (why oh why they didn't put the Neptunes remix of this with Nelly that made this a hit on here I'll never know. But along with 'Bye Bye Bye' one of their best singles. And almost a precursor to what we'd meet Justin launching his solo career with two Nows later)

2. Britney Spears (always one of Britney's more underrated singles for me this. As I touched on in the Plug.dj for Now 51 last week, this for me felt like a farewell to her older Max Martin produced stuff. End of an era but what a way to move on)

3. Oasis (I think I must be in the minority who didn't see Oasis as poster boys for British rock uselessness post 'Be Here Now'. Bought and loved the album this was from 'Heathen Chemistry')

4. Sheryl Crow (I went through a brief renaissance of love for Sheryl Crow round the time of this single. 'C'mon C'mon' was such a great album)

5. 1 Giant Leap (quite simply, my all time favourite least remembered top 10 hit. I always have this on my summer playlist as it's such a gorgeous track. Loved Robbie's vocal on it as well. Why Olly Murs hasn't yet done a cover of this is beyond me)

 

As always, some disc 3 suggestions that came to mind for me...

 

- A1 - Make It Good

- Pink - Don't Let Me Get Me

- A - Starbucks

- Mis-Teeq - Roll On / This Is How We Do It

- Allstars - Back When

- Mad Donna - The Wheels on the Bus

- Kosheen - Hungry

- Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Edited July 30, 20177 yr by ThePensmith

Small clincher Andrew...Tru Faith and Dub Conspiracy did 'Freak Like Me' on Now 46, not Fem@il (although they were awful. Pretty sure 'Flee Fly Flo' ended up on there to allow the double appearance for Steps, whom they were on the same label as.

 

As always, some disc 3 suggestions that came to mind for me...

 

- A1 - Make It Good

- Pink - Don't Let Me Get Me

- A - Starbucks

- Mis-Teeq - Roll On / This Is How We Do It

- Allstars - Back When

- Mad Donna - The Wheels on the Bus

- Kosheen - Hungry

- Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Oops at that epic fail on my part! I'll get that fixed now.

 

I also forgot to make any mention about the wrong version of Girlfriend being used, and I'm glad you did mention it, if it was the correct version it would have scored higher up for me.

 

Here's some other omissions I didn't have space for on my Disc 3;

 

Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation {1} (saving this for Now 53 Disc 3)

Gareth Gates – Anyone Of Us (A Stupid Mistake) {1} (saving this for Now 53 Disc 3)

Doves – There Goes The Fear {3}

Ant & Dec – We're On The Ball {3}

Bryan Adams – Here I Am {5}

3SL – Take It Easy {11}

Jessica Garlick – Come Back {13}

Korn – Here To Stay {12}

Travis – Flowers In The Window {18}

Edited July 30, 20177 yr by awardinary

Oops at that epic fail on my part! I'll get that fixed now.

 

I also forgot to make any mention about the wrong version of Girlfriend being used, and I'm glad you did mention it, if it was the correct version it would have scored higher up for me.

 

Here's some other omissions I didn't have space for on my Disc 3;

 

Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation {1} (saving this for Now 53 Disc 3)

Gareth Gates – Anyone Of Us (A Stupid Mistake) {1} (saving this for Now 53 Disc 3)

Doves – There Goes The Fear {3}

Ant & Dec – We're On The Ball {3}

Bryan Adams – Here I Am {5}

3SL – Take It Easy {11}

Jessica Garlick – Come Back {13}

Korn – Here To Stay {12}

Travis – Flowers In The Window {18}

 

You're welcome on both counts. To be fair there's nothing wrong with the album version of 'Girlfriend' - Pharrell and The Neptunes produced both versions along with a lot of their 'Celebrity' album - but the mix and production on the single version and Nelly's rap just lifts it to another dimension.

 

I seem to remember Dreem Team and Trevor Nelson on Radio 1 mentioning a lot of people going mad for the 'Girlfriend' remix that summer, particularly in Aiya Napa where it was a big club hit. I almost wonder if the success of that set up the demand - and subsequent global domination - for Justin's solo stuff? Even if you look at the video he gets the most airtime of all the members.

 

I had a feeling you'd be saving 'A Little Less Conversation' for Now 53 ;) If the compilers had put that and some of the other big number ones of earlier that year on instead of some of the filler that did make it due to label politics, we could have been looking at a potential Now 44 style million seller - but I'll reserve talk of that for next week!

Awful now really.

 

Went for Kylie (with Sugas close second)/Oasis, but hardly much to shout about.

Enjoying a lot of Disc 1 due to the mass amount of dance in it, some really good bangers in there.

 

On the whole that Disc 2 seems really limp, hope people don't get bored during the plug listen. :lol:

 

On another note, I can't find Omero Mumba – Lil' Big Man anywhere on YouTube, but judging by the preview of it on the NOW! 52 Recap, I'd actually do you all a huge favour by not playing it even if it was there. Sounds awful.

 

Disc 1 fave: Scooter – The Logical Song

Disc 2 fave: Nelly feat. Dani Stevenson – Hot In Herre

 

Top ten:

1. Scooter – The Logical Song

2. 4 Strings – (Take Me Away) Into The Night

3. Shakedown – At Night

4. Tim Deluxe feat. Sam Obernik – It Just Won't Do

5. Nelly feat. Dani Stevenson – Hot In Herre

6. Paffendorf – Be Cool

7. Kylie Minogue – Love At First Sight

8. Kelly Llorenna – Tell It To My Heart

9. Dee Dee – Forever

10. Sugababes – Freak Like Me

Jessica Garlick

 

What a surname she has!

 

My top 10

 

Dee Dee - Forever

Kelly Llorenna - Tell It To My Heart

Shakedown - At Night

Mad'house - Like A Prayer

Paffendorf - Be Cool

4 Strings - (Take Me Away) Into The Night

Kylie Minogue – Love At First Sight

Sugababes - Freak Like Me

The Logical Song - Scooter

Moony – Dove (I'll Be Loving You)

On another note, I can't find Omero Mumba – Lil' Big Man anywhere on YouTube, but judging by the preview of it on the NOW! 52 Recap, I'd actually do you all a huge favour by not playing it even if it was there. Sounds awful.

 

I all but forgot Polydor tried to pull a Natasha Bedingfield with Omero Mumba before that was even a thing. I remember Simon and Miquita on Popworld roundly taking the piss out of him :D

 

Some strange tracklisting there on disc 1, Ronan was a bit of an underwhelming way to kick things off and 'Freeek!' is way too high! Also the disc seems way less pop orientated than the past couple with so many dance hits, but I'm not complaining as they're mostly brilliant *.* disc 2 in comparison is so poor, there was a section where so many songs were going over my head :drama: way too much filler. Anyway, this time my disc 1 favourite is 'Freak Like Me' by Sugababes :wub: it is their absolute best song for me, so pleased it properly launched them as big hitters in the chart as their first #1. The 'Are Friends Electric?' usage is genius. Then for disc 2 my favourite is 'I Would Die 4 U' by Space Cowboy (Oasis a very close second!), love this dancey Prince cover that I actually knew before the original :wub: such a shame that the label messed up the release so that it missed the top 40 entirely.

My favourites from this one:

 

Sugababes - Freak Like Me

1 Giant Leap - My Culture

Doves - Pounding

Moby - We Are All Made Of Stars

Some strange tracklisting there on disc 1, Ronan was a bit of an underwhelming way to kick things off and 'Freeek!' is way too high! Also the disc seems way less pop orientated than the past couple with so many dance hits, but I'm not complaining as they're mostly brilliant *.* disc 2 in comparison is so poor, there was a section where so many songs were going over my head :drama: way too much filler. Anyway, this time my disc 1 favourite is 'Freak Like Me' by Sugababes :wub: it is their absolute best song for me, so pleased it properly launched them as big hitters in the chart as their first #1. The 'Are Friends Electric?' usage is genius. Then for disc 2 my favourite is 'I Would Die 4 U' by Space Cowboy (Oasis a very close second!), love this dancey Prince cover that I actually knew before the original :wub: such a shame that the label messed up the release so that it missed the top 40 entirely.

Some awful sequencing I agree, especially in Disc 2 with two indie bands (Doves/Idlewild) sandwiched by a dance track.

 

And also, after a long string of dance tracks, S Club 7 ending Disc 1 :lol:

Space Cowboy only got as low as it did due to a formatting technicality.

 

I remember it on TOTP with a "?" shown as the chart placing.

ThePensmith said on plug yesterday the song was meant to go top 10 but one of its formats were deemed ineligible.

 

Edit: for clarification Discogs says

 

This song would have charted fairly high in the UK, but it was released prior to a ruling that CD singles shouldn't contain more than three tracks per format or a total of 20 minutes worth of material if it was remixes, (however multiple CD formats were ok). The label's owner Fatboy Slim was said to be furious when he found out the overlooked mistake by the record company, especially as Space Cowboy was a good friend of his.

 

It seems it was ineligible as there were four tracks on the CD format.

Yes not exactly an all-time favourite Now of mine, the Hits equivalent, Hits 53, was far better due to licensing many of the biggest hits and meanwhile I was obsessed in summer 2002 with the first ever Clubland compilation, which featured some of the dance songs on here.

 

It just doesn't feel like a particular event of an album, which Now albums are supposed to be, due to the lack of major hits, but having said that there are plenty of gems here. I voted for Tell It To My Heart (yassss Llorenna queen of northern clubs snatching a solo top ten <3) and It's Ok but my other highlights are Love At First Sight, Get Over You, The Logical Song, Forever, Shooting Star, Dove, Like A Prayer (albeit not the Almighty remix that appeared on this compilation for some odd reason), You, Soak Up The Sun (underrated, great summer song), Pounding and I Would Die 4 U (such a shame what happened to this track, it should have been huge). Stop Crying Your Heart Out and Blurry are decent on the end of Disc 2 as well but it's generally a tragic disc.

 

Omero Mumba must be the ultimate nadir of the Now series, I don't mind non-top 40 songs being there if there's a good reason (big album seller/Now stalwart with a rare small hit etc) but I see no good reason for this crap to have made the cut. Presumably they were expecting it to be a bigger hit.

 

Obviously I appreciate the licensing issues were a major problem at this time but with that in mind I'd have included The Hindu Times to flesh out the #1s (I don't think an Oasis double would have been undeserved) and I reckon they also could have got the rights for Milk Inc's In My Eyes and Jessica Garlick's Come Back, though I imagine it was a conscious decision not to include the latter.

 

As a final note, Just A Little was surely the obvious opener here? Why open with a dull ballad unless it was a long-running chart topper, which If Tomorrow Never Comes wasn't...

https://youtu.be/6JuExe7vb78

 

It was a "!" shown in place of the chart position.

 

It would have made #10 otherwise. If the disqualified copies had the right number of tracks, I bet they would have still sold. It was played on radio loads up to release.

Edited August 2, 20177 yr by LadyLea