59. 5 points

 

Escala - Palladio

 

Chart peak: 39

 

Jade 5

 

Escala reached the final of Britain's Got Talent in 2008.They performed Palladio in the first round and then again in the final. It's a relatively recent classical piece, being composed by Karl Jenkins in 1995.

 

57. 6 points

 

Tina Turner featuring Sting - On Silent Wings

 

Chart peak: 13

 

Mango 6

 

On Silent Wings was the third single taken from Tina Turner's 1996 album 'Wildest Dreams'.

 

57. 6 points

 

Seal - Future Love Paradise

 

Chart peak: 12

 

dandy* 6

 

This was the lead track on the 'Future Love' EP from 1991.

 

56. 8 points

 

Simple Minds - Let It All Come Down

 

Chart peak: 18

 

AH Gold 8

 

And here is another lead track from an EP, this time it's the Amsterdam EP. One of the other tracks was a cover of Prince's 'Sign o' the Times'.

 

I don't think Future Love Paradise has aged quite as well as it perhaps needed to, but it's still a very solid song imo. I love the chorus in particular and the second half of the track.

55. 8 points (more votes)

 

Captain - Broke

 

Chart peak: 34

 

King Rollo 1, dandy* 7

 

This was a new discovery for me and I liked it enough to include it in my vote. It was taken from the London group's debut album 'This Is Hazelville'.

 

Broke was one of the songs I'd forgotten all about but I really liked it at the time. It was a lovely reminder (and the other song in the rate from them was good too)

Rob & Gazza's single was a goodie, 9/10 and still got no points from me, this was such a strong field. I liked Cher's cover but The Walker Brothers' cover is one of the greatest records of all-time so it's a brave song to attempt. Future Love Paradise is an 8/10, Tina's was quite good, and the original version of Bazza's Could It Be Magic is a 9/10 and the best of maybe 3 good Manilow singles - I don't think another version was needed. Other good Manilow: Copacabana (camp salsa-ish classic), Read 'Em And Weep (Jim Steinman).

I don't recall the updated Could it be Magic at all from the time, but I thought it was pretty awful when I heard it in the playlist. A real misstep from Trevor Horn as the production just didn't work at all for me.

 

 

54. 11 points

 

The Glam Metal Detectives - Everybody Up!

 

Chart peak: 29

 

Jade 11

 

This was the theme to a 1995 BBC2 comedy show which was shown on Thursday nights at 9pm. Trevor Horn co-wrote the song with Lol Creme.

 

53. 14 points

 

Spandau Ballet - Instinction

 

Chart peak: 10

 

King Rollo 13, jimwatts 1

 

Instinction was already an album track from Spandau Ballet's second LP, 'Diamond', produced by Richard James Burgess. Unhappy with the way it sounded, they brought in Trevor Horn to remix it and re-record their vocals. Many years later, Tony Hadley said the group were about to be dropped by their record label after their two previous singles had peaked at 30 and 49 and Instinction had bought them some more time.

 

52. 16 points

 

Tina Turner - Missing You

 

Chart peak: 12

 

Mango 8, chartjack2 8

 

In 1984, Tina Turner had spent three weeks at number 1 in the US with 'What's Love Got to Do with It', her only chart topper there. She was replaced at number 1 by John Waite with his soft rock ballad 'Missing You'. Twelve years later, she came up with this cover version.

 

I didn't mind that Tina Turner track, but realised it was because it was a cover so didn't think I could award it any points. Thought the Spandau Ballet track was a bit lacklustre tbh.

'Instinction' isn't one of my top Spandau Ballet faves but did for a point - my first loss in this rate.

None of these were faves particularly, though I didnt dislike them. The track that got the airplay on the Simple Minds EP was the Prince cover, and that was pretty good.

Never heard that Glam Metal Detectives song before but that TOTP performance is brilliant, I could watch that over and over again!

51. 16 points (2 votes, one 14)

 

Tom Jones - If I Only Knew

 

Chart peak: 11

 

Popchartfreak 2, Mango 14

 

Trevor Horn had left the Art Of Noise by the time Tom Jones recorded 'Kiss' with them in 1988 but he worked with him on this single from 1994 which was Tom's biggest hit since Kiss.

 

50. 17 points

 

Buggles - Clean Clean

 

Chart peak: 38

 

Severin 8, King Rollo 4, JulianT 5

 

This was the third single taken from the Buggles' debut album 'The Age Of Plastic'. By this time in 1980, the two Buggles, Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, had joined Yes, replacing Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman who had both quit the group. This unlikely turn of events came about because both bands shared the same manager. They only lasted for the 'Drama' album and tour but Geoff Downes returned to Yes as their keyboard player in 2011 and is still with them now.

 

 

49. 21 points

 

Rod Stewart - Downtown Train

 

Chart peak: 10

 

Mango 21

 

From 1990, this was another cover of a Tom Waits song by Rod Stewart. It gave him his first top 10 hit for four years and was also a top 3 single in the US where he received a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance.

 

 

Ah my first loss. I only knew the obvious Buggles track and really enjoyed the whole trio included here - all delightfully quirky.