Agree that You Are Not Alone should be out, it tapped into a sound that was popular at the time I guess but it's accordingly very dated and difficult to get past the obvious R Kelly influences now. At the time I didn't care much for Earth Song but it's definitely the better single in retrospect.

I think Fairground is okay, thanks almost entirely to the sample of the Goodmen lifting it above most other Simply Red tracks, although the original dance track is much superior.

I do have a soft spot for “Fairground” because it’s attached to childhood memories, but absolutely irks only the sample that makes it any good and generally Simply Red are tedious.

YANA bleugh.

“Boom Boom Boom” is fun trash I guess.

'Boom Boom Boom' is probably the only song so far that I wouldn't skip. I agree that their other chart topper is irritating though so I'm glad that swiftly dropped out.

I agree with Dandy that the Goodmen sample is the redeeming feature of 'Fairground'. Simply Red have far worse but I'd never seek this out over the instrumental.

Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton on board and we get... that :( I know most charity songs are nothing special but what a bland collaboration between legendary names. Still, I'm glad it finally got added to Spotify in recent times for further #1s completeness on there.

'You Are Not Alone' is also really dull and obviously the R Kelly connection aged like milk. Not a banner year for Jacko chart-toppers - justice for 'Scream' x

Absolutely love 'Boom Boom Boom' ❤️

I don't mind 'Fairground' so much but it does feel like it goes on and on forever.

I liked 'You Are Not Alone' as a kid but definitely not now.

Fairground would be in my top ten, I think it's great and like the quieter verses and the much bigger chorus (the sudden change up is like being at the top of a rollercoaster). The sample is well used.

Boom Boom Boom is catchy but annoying, I really didn't like this group.

Pass on MJ and his saccharine R Kelly song, luckily I never liked it in the first place and certainly wouldn't listen to it now.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by gooddelta

1 hour ago, dandy* said:

I think Fairground is okay, thanks almost entirely to the sample of the Goodmen lifting it above most other Simply Red tracks, although the original dance track is much superior.

I like Fairground, I thought the beat was interesting long before I found out about the Goodmen track. At least Mick Hucknall referred to 'like all good men should' in the lyrics, acknowledging the origin of the sample!

I've never lived through a better year than 1995 for both music and other things. I'll concede that Robson & Jerome were awful but nowhere near as bad as most pop music you get these days.

The Outhere Brothers though were brilliant. Hearing them just makes me want to get a time machine back to 1995 and "Boom Boom Boom" was the soundtrack to that hot summer.

The radio version of the Outhere's production sounds like it owes a lot to Reel 2 Real - I Like To Move It the year before.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by TheSnake