ThePensmith

Fantastic to hear this! I have had this on this morning whilst doing some housework. Really cool to hear this again I've got fond memories of listening to this show before the Top 40 on Sundays growing up. Very nostalgic!

Some true classics across both episodes tonight. "Porcelain" still my favourite song from Moby, gorgeous album it was from too. Girl Thing really were the unfortunate victims of Simon Cowell's hubris and saltiness at missing out on the Spice Girls, weren't they? Especially when you consider the sheer budget and promotion they had thrown at them for what was essentially "Wannabe" redux. And to be fair their second single and some of their album wasn't too bad if they'd just toned down the entitled rhetoric around them of being the heirs apparent to the Spice Girls (when in reality, that was for the taking of another new girl group we'll meet in a few weeks, who were launched with a lot less fanfare). Damage, "Ghetto Romance" still such a wicked song, great that they could still make the top 10 after a three year break. I saw them opening for Mis-Teeq last month and I am endeavouring to see them live again at some point in the next year. David Gray "Babylon", truly wonderful record still, as indeed was the White Ladder album. Saw him at Radio 2 In The Park last year in Chelmsford and remembered how many great songs he has. And Kylie, "Spinning Around". Well I mean. Let's be honest. The gold standard of your pop faves gaining a second imperial phase years after your first was born right here, wasn't it? I was on the family holiday in Dorset I alluded to last week the week this was released and this was everywhere that week, I remember a shot of her in the hotpants from the video at G-A-Y being on the front of all the red top tabloids the Monday it was released. And I remember listening to the chart on Radio 1 as we were coming home the following Sunday, and how excited she was on the phone to Mark Goodier when she was announced as number one. So well deserved. And in other news... the special BBC Music Live edition of the show from Sheffield Arena that they skipped over a couple of weeks ago is now on YouTube!

East 17 - The Best Of (Vinyl, CD and 2CD / DVD pressing) coming on 4th December

East 17 are dropping a new repacked "Best Of" album on 4th December: https://east17.tmstor.es/ There is also a white vinyl with alternative cover artwork available on HMV: https://hmv.com/store/music/vinyl/the-best-of-(hmv-exclusive)-coloured-vinyl They've also just released this new megamix that The Alias (formerly Jewels and Stone) have done of all their biggest hits: I'd forgotten how many bangers they had so I might have to invest in this!

Confirmed this morning that Sharleen and the boys are reissuing their classic album "White On Blonde" on vinyl and deluxe 2CD for its 30th anniversary next year in February: They also head out on tour next October in the UK and Europe (tickets on sale next Friday): And there is a new single out today called "Another Way To Cry", which has a cameo from Robert Carlyle in the video:

Paul Brunson has done a "round table" episode of his podcast We Need To Talk, with Lucy Spraggan and Jahmene Douglas (2012 finalists) and Myles Stephenson from Rak-Su (2017 winners): It's a long one this - almost three hours - but they all speak quite openly about their experiences on the show on this and, well. It's not good on any front. And ITV still want to try and bring this back?

Been out for the last couple of weekends so just done a bumper catchup on last week's reruns and this one's tonight - so I'll do a bumper rundown of my thoughts in kind... 26/05/2000 - Lonestar getting featured again, although it was two weeks after this chart they finally got their peak of #21 as I believe that was when Woolworths decided to stock "Amazed" for the first time since its release. Almost unheard of back then, but proves what a slow burner it was. Bit of a weak second single for DJ Luck and MC Neat, not a patch on "A Little Bit of Luck". Such a banger of a number one for Billie Piper, still love "Day & Night" now. 02/06/2000 - great song from Bon Jovi, big comeback for them. And proof that Max Martin could also work his magic on other artists besides Britney, BSBs etc. Sia - "Taken For Granted". I had genuinely forgotten that was her first single, but what a cracking song it is still, I love the Prokofiev sample on it as well! S Club 7 - "Reach". I will be completely honest - its mass saturation beyond their fanbase thanks to a certain TV show that follows a year later and wedding / birthday disco ubiquity means that it is not my go-to song of theirs as a hardcore fan of theirs. But equally. Cannot deny it is a great song independent of that. And would have been another massive number one (in fact many people mistakenly thought it was) but for... Sonique. Peed off as I was at the time that S Club had missed out on number one, equally cannot deny that "It Feels So Good" was a great song too and very deserving of number one, especially so as it was the third that year after Fragma / Madison Avenue to do better second time out where dance music was concerned. 09/06/2000 - Stephen Gately, "New Beginning". Always thought he had the better solo material over Ronan Keating out of Boyzone. Just a shame that didn't continue beyond this single in terms of chart success. I dare say were he still with us today he'd have done more solo music and been living his best life at Mighty Hoopla on the main stage. RIP. Also loved Mary Mary ("Shackles", what a song) on this episode. 16/06/2000 - quite the mixture on this one, loved Kelis' second single. I remember my eldest sister getting the Kaleidoscope album and playing it on repeat the duration of a family holiday to Dorset we went on about this time! "When A Woman" one of my favourites from Gabrielle, also loved B15 Project. A UK Garage song that screams summer 2000 for me! Also unashamedly loved a bit of Richard Blackwood as well!

Oh goodness @Herbs what absolute bellends, uni crowds are the worst aren't they? I had something similar happen the first time I saw The Saturdays, they played our uni's Christmas ball in 2009, and some idiot threw a bottle that hit Mollie just as they opened their set. She was off stage for a couple of songs but came back on during "Forever Is Over" and Una as I recall gave the crowd a short Irish mother talking to and no more bottles were thrown 🤣 Rochelle also went ballistic on Twitter afterwards. Two years later almost to the very day I saw them at Wembley Arena on their own tour so it all worked out in the end! And yes "Song 4 Lovers" underrated banger 👍🏻

Seeing as this is a joint tour I've updated the topic accordingly. On sale next Friday!

Got myself the second Shepherd's Bush Empire date in the second row of the dress circle this morning 🙌🏻

I was wondering when this was going to get a vinyl pressing as I've got the represses they did for Life Thru A Lens and I've Been Expecting You! I've pre-ordered this one to complete the set 👍🏻 Should also be timed quite nicely with the TOTP reruns on BBC Four on Fridays which are fast approaching the infamous episode where they showed the "Rock DJ" video for the first time!

It would appear that this is a joint tour with Liberty X - who are back with Tony and Kevin on board (the girls have just done it as a trio for the last few years). They're all on BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning to announce the tour. I'll be honest I was always here more for Liberty X so I'm a little bit more intrigued now. Plus it will be more of a sale point. Just a shame Myleene has opted out.

27 years, blimey! I remember getting the album with my Christmas money the year it came out, first album I ever brought 😍

Also. Totally forgot. Heather Small on second episode... 🤣🤣🤣

Bit of a mixed bag again on tonight's episodes. You can tell that hardly anybody bothered to go up against Britney on her release week, and those first week sales speak for themselves. "Oops..." is one of her classics up there with "Baby..." and "Toxic". Good to see Madison Avenue do much better second time out as well and hit number one. I remember the chart from when "Don't Call Me Baby" had first entered the previous November (it was a new entry on the same chart as the Geri vs Emma and Tin Tin Out chart battle) and remember thinking it should have been bigger. I actually quite liked the Iron Maiden song on the second episode, I knew I knew that song from somewhere because of the "Your time will come" refrain but didn't realise it was them. Very surprised the Paul Van Dyk and Saint Etienne track didn't get an airing, I agree with @gooddelta it's a fabulous track. I actually saw Saint Etienne just last weekend on their farewell tour in Cambridge and they were brilliant. Also. Made In London continuing 2000's over-subscription of new girl groups. I remember a promo postcard for "Dirty Water" flopping through our letterbox prior to release (they were on RCA and as I recall, I think they used to send out postcards or mailshots for other acts on their roster similar to ones you'd signed up for info from from those little cards inside CDs. In my case I think it was Five as they were on RCA too). Anyway, I remember my dad picking it up and announcing "Made In London, Dirty Water? Is that a song about how full of shit the Thames is?" 🤣