6 (4) WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME - CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU/HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys 1 24

 

The first of two tracks in the top 10 for my favourite band of the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, 10’s and 20’s. I’m nothing if not loyal. I’ve tended to forget How Can You etc. as not one of my top album tracks off Behaviour, the one that was a bit too low-key for me on the whole and sounds very 1991 in this version as a slow-ish dance shuffle. So Hard did the pop dance single thing (not that well) and the rest of the album was much more sober and low on the bpms, with 2 all-time classic ballads, one of them the gorgeously sad Being Boring, and some OK tracks. Without the newly-recorded hilarious mash-up cover this would have been an even lower chart hit than Being Boring, but happily the U2/Frankie Valli merger worked beautifully for me, as well giving us the longest title for a single ever, I think. Chris Lowe notoriously hated rock music, and rock guitars, and U2 were by now getting a backlash for being pretentious and bombastic (and all-conquering) so they decided to do a dance-banger cover of the Joshua Tree classic - and merge it into the very camp Boystown Gang 1979 disco cover version of the Frankie Valli 1967 ballad. Throw in the Elvis-styled video, lols galore, U2 taking it to heart and changing career course, and all in all it was and is one of my fave Pet Shop Boys tracks. Such fun in a live setting but they rarely do it, sadly.

 

 

5 (21) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys 1 33

 

The final Behaviour single, Jealousy is another great ballad from Chris & Neil, albeit an early song they sat on for years - the orchestral arrangement works so well as the song ebbs, flows, builds and reaches a climax, a sort of torch song about the effect of...Jealousy. For a band that has a reputation for being dance-oriented they can bung out gorgeous ballads at the drop of a hat, and they tend to have legs - as I type their new fabulous positive single Feel is on Radio 2 - and they take you through emotions in a sometimes dispassionate but affecting manner, which can work as well as any angst-ridden attempt by lesser acts. Sometimes less is more. Jealousy was the third great ballad that didnt top my personal charts at the time, following Love Comes Quickly and Rent - but in this case, an alternate mix on one of their extended album reissues topped my charts as an oldie as I rediscovered it as a total classic. That said it still did enough first time round with a very long chart-run despite peaking at 4, almost making the year-end top 20. Either way, Pet Shop Boys would have gone top 5 year-end for the first time since 1988.

 

 

4 (NEW) THE SWEET HELLO THE SAD GOODBYE Roxette 1 27

 

1991 was pretty good for Roxette, Joyride came out and several singles did very well out of it, and they make the year-end top 10 for the third time - but with a track that wasn’t a single in 1991. It was supposed to be on the Joyride album, but instead it was donated to Modern Talking singer Thomas Anders (see 1985 year-end top 10 when I do it for a biggie from them). Roxette then released their version as a promo single in Sweden later in 1991, and as a B side to Spending My Time, and appearing on the Rarities album in 1995. In 2012 a remix of the track by Peter Bostrom was released, and this is the version that I noticed and loved, and topped my charts, giving Roxette a belated third number one. In December 2019 Marie Fredriksson sadly died far too young from health issues relating to a brain tumour she developed in 2002, and this was the poignant Roxette track that affected me most, topping my chart again. Strictly speaking it’s the tarted-up version from 2012 that is at 4, but unlike the 1997 You Got The Love single (which is so different from the 1991 remix) this one is similar enough to the original to get moved to 1991 where it first appeared I think. But I’m posting the remix version

 

 

 

so, place your bets for the top 3. 2 number ones and a number 2 in the UK charts...

3 ( 2 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams 1 35

 

This was my second-biggest hit of the year at the time and the 16-consecutive weeks-longest-running UK number one, selling over a million across a very long run in the charts, helped by being in a big movie (that Robin Hood thing, which I didn't rate at all what with coming from Mansfield/Sherwood Forest/Major oak/Sheriff of Nottingham area and all and an American accent not even existing at this admittedly legendary era. I gave in around 12 weeks into the run and bought the cd single too, having held off on grounds of outrageous CD single prices and it not actually being a number in my charts up to that point, but that guitar bit and finale cracked me eventually amongst all the record-breaking jaw-dropping. 9 weeks on top had seemed the longest run achievable during my lifetime, and yet here we were in double figures! So, is it any good? I still like it, but overkill has done it many disfavours and I wouldnt rush to play it these days, and it certainly wouldnt feature inside my year-end top 40 for 1991. It's Bryan Adams' biggest record in my charts, but it's not even my fave Bry track - that would be Run To You, When You're Gone and a few lesser singles - but I do have affection for the UK-based Canadian rocker who's always happy to dip his toes leftfield into dance or whatever, and puts on a great live show, and who has never been into self-promotion by and large, he just gets on with making records, drops them, and keeps quiet by and large. That said, this track tends to get a lot of stick, but honestly it's def not down there with his occasional real stinkers (that other movie theme with Sting and Rod springs to mind for one). The famous video of all the film scenes doesn't seem to be the one Bry's youtube points you to - copyright issues I'm guessing...or embarrassment.

 

 

 

'These Are The Days Of Our Lives' and 'Black Or White' both obvious greats here John.

Some great songs since I last commented!

 

3AM Eternal, Rescue Me and Black or White all made #1 for me. Particularly pleased to see Rescue Me so high up as it is such an underrated song within Madonna's cannon, genuinely one of my top 10 favourites of hers yet I never seem to find anyone else who loves it that much.

 

Unfinished Sympathy is a stunner, would be in contention now for an end of year top 10 place but at the time I was a bit too young for it to resonate properly - plus the relative brevity of its chart run meant I didn't pay as much attention to it back in 1991. Definitely an 11/10 moment though.

 

Never heard of the Banderas track I'm afraid - it didn't resonate with me if I was in your semi in BJSC clearly! Listening now and it's okay though, it reminds me of something else but I can't quite put my finger on it, in particular the melody of the verse. Oh hold on - it's just clicked, it is similar to Everybody's Free by Rozala but slower.

 

Robert Palmer - it's okay. I think I had it on a Now compilation but it was never something I'd put on out of choice. Queen I can definitely live without I'm afraid, whilst Shanice was too sickly sweet, even for an 11 year old me.

 

Pet Shop Boys... I love Jealousy and it is one of my favourite ballads of theirs, love the extended version with the string intro. Where the Streets... was good but not an absolute favourite of mine. I can see it is quite fun but it's one of my least favourite singles of theirs to that point.

 

Roxette is an interesting addition - I hadn't heard it despite being a huge fan of theirs back at this point. It's a nice song but I wouldn't rank it as highly as the singles from Joyride. And last, and quite possibly least, the Bryan Adams dirge... sorry but never was a fan of this, didn't get anywhere near #1 for me.

 

 

 

 

'These Are The Days Of Our Lives' and 'Black Or White' both obvious greats here John.

 

 

Thanks Rob! :) Sorry for the delay for the last 2 been hectic again..! :o :D

Some great songs since I last commented!

 

3AM Eternal, Rescue Me and Black or White all made #1 for me. Particularly pleased to see Rescue Me so high up as it is such an underrated song within Madonna's cannon, genuinely one of my top 10 favourites of hers yet I never seem to find anyone else who loves it that much.

 

Unfinished Sympathy is a stunner, would be in contention now for an end of year top 10 place but at the time I was a bit too young for it to resonate properly - plus the relative brevity of its chart run meant I didn't pay as much attention to it back in 1991. Definitely an 11/10 moment though.

 

Never heard of the Banderas track I'm afraid - it didn't resonate with me if I was in your semi in BJSC clearly! Listening now and it's okay though, it reminds me of something else but I can't quite put my finger on it, in particular the melody of the verse. Oh hold on - it's just clicked, it is similar to Everybody's Free by Rozala but slower.

 

Robert Palmer - it's okay. I think I had it on a Now compilation but it was never something I'd put on out of choice. Queen I can definitely live without I'm afraid, whilst Shanice was too sickly sweet, even for an 11 year old me.

 

Pet Shop Boys... I love Jealousy and it is one of my favourite ballads of theirs, love the extended version with the string intro. Where the Streets... was good but not an absolute favourite of mine. I can see it is quite fun but it's one of my least favourite singles of theirs to that point.

 

Roxette is an interesting addition - I hadn't heard it despite being a huge fan of theirs back at this point. It's a nice song but I wouldn't rank it as highly as the singles from Joyride. And last, and quite possibly least, the Bryan Adams dirge... sorry but never was a fan of this, didn't get anywhere near #1 for me.

 

thanks for the indepth comments! :) I would have been surprised if Bryan Adams, Robert palmer & Queen did well in your charts :lol: I think I was more target audience at the time :o :lol: Bry and Queen not too fussed about these days, myself - I mean I still like them but I wouldnt dig them out, whereas Roxette & banderas I would as they seem to have replay value.

 

The ones you rate, though, all fit into the cool *dandy playlist I would expect - as will the top 2! :D Think Ive mentioned it before, the MJ album I bought and that usually means singles get an increased chance of getting to number one in my charts - but Dangerous had no chart-toppers, but more number 2's than any other album. Black Or White, Jam, Heal The World, Who Is It?, and some 3's and 4's too. :)

 

2 ( 1 ) SADENESS PART I Enigma 1 34

 

This UK chart-topper came out of the blue really, Enigma were very much in the World Music groove most recently chart-topped by Enya, but this was more unusual - sampled Gregorian chanting monks, and a bit too naughty for the Marquis De Sade references in the UK - hence the UK version "Sadness". Michael Cretu is behind it, along with fellow songwriters Frank Peterson and Fabrice Cuitad, but Cretu is very much the creator of Enigma, and on this genius track enlisting his then-wife Sandra on vocals, James Brown beats sampling, and producing the record beautifully, to the extent that it became a global hit, even in the less adventurous US charts. It's not the first time he had topped my charts though - he'd done that in 1986 with Sandra's awesome (I'll never Be Maria Magdalena) - co-writer and producer. The great thing about not sounding "of your time" and not using sounds and beats that become the norm in the charts, is you get a much greater chance of sounding timeless whatever the current soundbed fashions - and Sadeness sounds as fresh today as it did in 1990 when it came out. At the time this was my top track of 1991, no question, but it's main rival has another chart run since and Enigma haven't. It's not the last time Enigma would be in my year-end top 10 either...

 

 

1 ( 3 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force 1 35

 

Third and biggest track of their hat-trick of top 12 tracks, this was an unexpected joyful delight when it came out following 3 banging dance tracks - and of all things, bringing 70's Country legend Tammy Wynette back to the charts. It was such a mad idea it should have jarred, or come over as too tongue-in-cheek, or worse taking the piss out of Tammy - but she was such a star, going for it with all sincerity but with a sparkle in her eye in the OTT video, and Maxine Harvey's support vocals kept it firmly inside the KLF sound, and my word what a singalong. Ice-cream vans? Back reference, valid, but also amusing and very British, so Tammy getting into the groove of that just added to the fun. I was so pleased for her getting a late-life boost of credibility-by-association after her ongoing health and life issues to give her a personal boost for the last 5 years of her life. Personally, I find this an uplifting anthem, the sort of all-in go-for-it creation that is extremely rare in the charts of the 2020's. It doesn't all have to be dour self-introspection, whimsy and fun form part of life as much as the more difficult parts and we could do with a boost....

 

Oh what a wonderful top 2!!!! I absolutely loved both of them, they both made christmas #1 for me :D Enigma in 1990 but also being easily the biggest song during January, whilst KLF & Tammy the next christmas #1 and made 4 weeks in two stints through to Jan 1992.

 

Both of these are still among my most listened to songs ever, Enigma I still play on reasonably heavy rotation as there are still some nights where only Enigma will do to help me relax and drift off... KLF, agree that it is just such a joyous song - utterly bonkers but utterly brilliant.

 

For comparison, these were my #1s from the year:

 

022 23/12/90 Enigma "Sadeness Part I" 01-01-01-01

023 20/01/91 Seal “Crazy” 01

024 27/01/91 The KLF "3AM Eternal" 01-01-01-01-01

025 03/03/91 The Source “You Got The Love” 01

026 10/03/91 Roxette "Joyride" 01-01-01-01

027 07/04/91 Madonna “Rescue Me" 01-01-01

028 28/04/91 The KLF “Last Train To Transcentral” 01-01

029 12/05/91 Roxette "Fading Like A Flower" 01-01-01-01

030 09/06/91 Beverley Craven “Promise Me" 01

031 16/06/91 Lenny Kravitz "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" 01

032 23/06/91 Erasure "Chorus" 01-01-01-01-01

033 21/07/91 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark "Pandora's Box" 01-01-01-01

034 18/08/91 Young Disciples “Apparently Nothin” 01

035 25/08/91 PM Dawn "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" 01-01-01

036 15/09/91 Erasure "Love To Hate You" 01-01-01-01-01-01-01-01-01

037 17/11/91 Michael Jackson "Black Or White" 01-01

038 01/12/91 Erasure "Am I Right?" 01-01-01

039 22/12/91 The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette "Justified And Ancient" 01-01-02-02-01-01

 

 

You'll see from that, I was basically obsessed with Erasure, KLF and Roxette at the time. The Chorus album was definitely my most listened to, with the Immaculate Collection also getting a lot of spins that year too as I began to really get into Madonna's back catalogue. I think we have a reasonable cross over there, albeit I seem to recall that you're not at all keen on Promise Me :lol:

Oh what a wonderful top 2!!!! I absolutely loved both of them, they both made christmas #1 for me :D Enigma in 1990 but also being easily the biggest song during January, whilst KLF & Tammy the next christmas #1 and made 4 weeks in two stints through to Jan 1992.

 

Both of these are still among my most listened to songs ever, Enigma I still play on reasonably heavy rotation as there are still some nights where only Enigma will do to help me relax and drift off... KLF, agree that it is just such a joyous song - utterly bonkers but utterly brilliant.

 

For comparison, these were my #1s from the year:

 

022 23/12/90 Enigma "Sadeness Part I" 01-01-01-01

023 20/01/91 Seal “Crazy” 01

024 27/01/91 The KLF "3AM Eternal" 01-01-01-01-01

025 03/03/91 The Source “You Got The Love” 01

026 10/03/91 Roxette "Joyride" 01-01-01-01

027 07/04/91 Madonna “Rescue Me" 01-01-01

028 28/04/91 The KLF “Last Train To Transcentral” 01-01

029 12/05/91 Roxette "Fading Like A Flower" 01-01-01-01

030 09/06/91 Beverley Craven “Promise Me" 01

031 16/06/91 Lenny Kravitz "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" 01

032 23/06/91 Erasure "Chorus" 01-01-01-01-01

033 21/07/91 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark "Pandora's Box" 01-01-01-01

034 18/08/91 Young Disciples “Apparently Nothin” 01

035 25/08/91 PM Dawn "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" 01-01-01

036 15/09/91 Erasure "Love To Hate You" 01-01-01-01-01-01-01-01-01

037 17/11/91 Michael Jackson "Black Or White" 01-01

038 01/12/91 Erasure "Am I Right?" 01-01-01

039 22/12/91 The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette "Justified And Ancient" 01-01-02-02-01-01

You'll see from that, I was basically obsessed with Erasure, KLF and Roxette at the time. The Chorus album was definitely my most listened to, with the Immaculate Collection also getting a lot of spins that year too as I began to really get into Madonna's back catalogue. I think we have a reasonable cross over there, albeit I seem to recall that you're not at all keen on Promise Me :lol:

 

yay 2 christmas chart-toppers! :yahoo: :) I was a little bit slower on Enigma, it took till january to top my chart, but bought the CD single eventually, KLF was big before I could buy it, but I did buy it right away on CD too. Yes a pretty flawless list of chart-toppers there, bar the breathy Promise Me. I don't hate it but I still wouldn't choose to listen to it, chart-show rundowns is fine tho :lol: 3 KLF number ones, 3 Erasure. My Erasure chart-toppers are Sometimes, Blue Savannah, but Chains Of Love and A Little Respect came close and top 5's for Love To Hate You, Into My Arms, Breathe, and 7 of your list topped my charts, with Seal & Lenny Kravitz deserving to. Fab!

'Sadeness Part I' is an truly mesmerising piece! 'Justified and Ancient' is great too so a worthy one to top it off!

'Sadeness Part I' is an truly mesmerising piece! 'Justified and Ancient' is great too so a worthy one to top it off!

 

Thanks Rob, glad you rate them so highly! :dance:

My # 1 songs (1991) :

20.01 : Malandra Burrows - Just This Side Of Love (2 weeks)

03.02 : Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop - Well Did You Evah (3 weeks)

24.02 : Kim Wilde - World In Perfect Harmony (1 week)

03.03 : Izabella Scorupco - I Write You A Love Song (5 weeks)

07.04 : Axelle Red - Kennedy Boulevard (2 weeks)

21.04 : Vixen - Not A Minute Too Soon (2 weeks)

04.05 : Chess - I Dreamed A Dream (1 week)

11.05 : Samantha Janus - A Message To Your Heart (7 weeks)

30.06 : Izabella Scorupco - Brando Moves (2 weeks)

14.07 : Bonnie St. Claire - Morgen Wordt Alles Anders (1 week)

21.07 : Melissa Tkautz - Read My Lips (2 weeks)

03.08 : Sophie Lawrence - Love's Unkind (6 weeks)

15.09 : Stevie Nicks - Sometimes It's A Bitch (1 week)

22.09 : Samantha Fox - Another Woman (4 weeks)

20.10 : Melissa Tkautz - Sexy (Is The Word) (2 weeks)

03.11 : Nicole - Ein Leises Lied (3 weeks)

24.11 : Voice Of The Beehive - I Think I Love You (1 week)

01.12 : Belinda Carlisle - Do You Feel Like I Feel (3 weeks)

22.12 : Erik and Sanne - Alles Gaat Voorbij (1 week)

29.12 : Sophie Lawrence - Secrets (4 weeks)

 

My # 1 songs (1991) :

20.01 : Malandra Burrows - Just This Side Of Love (2 weeks)

03.02 : Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop - Well Did You Evah (3 weeks)

24.02 : Kim Wilde - World In Perfect Harmony (1 week)

03.03 : Izabella Scorupco - I Write You A Love Song (5 weeks)

07.04 : Axelle Red - Kennedy Boulevard (2 weeks)

21.04 : Vixen - Not A Minute Too Soon (2 weeks)

04.05 : Chess - I Dreamed A Dream (1 week)

11.05 : Samantha Janus - A Message To Your Heart (7 weeks)

30.06 : Izabella Scorupco - Brando Moves (2 weeks)

14.07 : Bonnie St. Claire - Morgen Wordt Alles Anders (1 week)

21.07 : Melissa Tkautz - Read My Lips (2 weeks)

03.08 : Sophie Lawrence - Love's Unkind (6 weeks)

15.09 : Stevie Nicks - Sometimes It's A Bitch (1 week)

22.09 : Samantha Fox - Another Woman (4 weeks)

20.10 : Melissa Tkautz - Sexy (Is The Word) (2 weeks)

03.11 : Nicole - Ein Leises Lied (3 weeks)

24.11 : Voice Of The Beehive - I Think I Love You (1 week)

01.12 : Belinda Carlisle - Do You Feel Like I Feel (3 weeks)

22.12 : Erik and Sanne - Alles Gaat Voorbij (1 week)

29.12 : Sophie Lawrence - Secrets (4 weeks)

 

My faves in this batch are Iggy & Debbie, Belinda, Stevie, Voice Of The Beehive (and the original version made number for me in 1971). I dont recall the Kim Wilde track but I'm bound to like it, her new single is top 10 for me right now :yahoo: I think samantha Janus and Sophie Lawrence charted for me (The Donna Summer original went top 10) and Malandra Burrows rings a bell too. :)