ThePensmith

Just got round to starting the 2000 reruns last night. Saving the other two episodes that were on this Friday just gone for next Friday in lieu of the fact there's none on next week because of the cricket! I had genuinely forgotten how slow January 2000 was, literally the music industry just took one extended holiday after the millennium / Y2K rush and panic, hence "Re-Rewind" and "Steal My Sunshine" hanging around for ages, ditto the S Club 7, Steps and Vengaboys singles. Nice to see Pet Shop Boys get another top 10 even if it was just by dint of doing so on a quiet week with low sales, very wistful sounding electropop that only they know how to deliver. DJ Luck and MC Neat though, what a tune that was. I alluded to it on the 1999 sales thread but I was a big UK Garage head so I'm looking forward to hearing all the old classics again from this year as we get to them week by week. Holla with da rinsin sound etc 😆🎵🎧 As mentioned above there's no reruns on this Friday but on BBC Two next Saturday evening there is Top of the Pops: Biggest Hits 2000 at 8:50pm, followed by Top of the Pops: The Story of 2000 at 9:50pm.

Apparently one of the members Danny is taking a break from the band in lieu of backlash they've received on TikTok over inappropriate comments and behaviour: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/danny-bretherton-taking-break-december-070000463.html

I think as regards to festivals - stick to the songs people know. Your new single is fine, but when you're on a bill with loads of other artists, unless you're headlining it's best to stick to what the crowd knows.

Just had to share that I saw on my Instagram today. K-Gee, who did much of All Saints' stuff, has done a remix (albeit not officially commissioned) of this song: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4IFIhTDbq

Seeing the Christmas 1999 episode again last night was a delight - if slightly out of character to be seeing it in June whilst there's a heatwave on 🤣 I remember getting my first telly that Christmas and also Now 44 (my first Now) so it's instinctively made me dig my copy out for a spin today ☺️ Honestly been such a delight to see my favourite pop year all again. That Chart Massacre week before the Christmas chart that year was insane. Poor Thunderbugs and also B*Witched, it sent both into a tail spin they never recovered from. I naturally was backing S Club for Christmas number one that year and in my own personal chart they were by a country mile. That said, I do have a fond place in my heart for the Cuban Boys 🤣

Listening to the latest episode of Can't Stop the Pop podcast this morning (where they discussed and actually gave a very balanced and honest reappraisal of "Ego" and their overall career), I have had Finest Selection on again. Honestly. One of those flawless greatest hits albums for me! I'd drop my credit card tomorrow for at least a vinyl pressing of it!

It's been just over 3 months since I got rid of Spotify and moved to Deezer instead. Honestly? I don't miss it at all. I'd not been happy with it for ages (the reasons why are well documented online) before I made the move and I wish I'd done it sooner. Admittedly Deezer is not without its downsides either, but its positives far outweigh that. Better sound quality for one, and I'm paying exactly the same as I was a month. My advice, do your research and find an alternative, because there are better services out there.

I was gonna say she reshared my story on Instagram tonight saying "Well spotted" 🤣

I've been either at a festival or gig every weekend for the last two weeks so I've only just got as far as the 10/12/1999 episode (saving 17/12/1999 for next week along with the Christmas edition). But my thoughts in turn on each episode... 19/11/1999 - A1 - "Everytime". Their best ballad for me, paired with "Ready Or Not" (with a dance routine that is basically the boyband equivalent of "Stop" by Spice Girls). Perfect double-A-side pairing that. Robbie Williams "She's The One". By dint of the fact it was on my first Now, my favourite single of his by far, although I was here for him from "Angels" onwards. Will Smith "Will 2K". Between that and wicky wicky Wild Wild West it felt like he had a bit of a wobble inspiration wise compared to his 98 singles. Not his best. I struggled to recall it until they showed the video on an earlier episode a couple of weeks back. 26/11/1999 - loved that Glamma Kid tune sampling Carly Simon. Inspired move, also done to great effect by clever but not quite big girl group SoundGirl about 12 years later in 2011. Texas on that episode also fabulous, surprised "When We Are Together" missed the top 10. Sir Cliff. Jesu... the PTSD that total abomination of a "song" gives me. It's success was torturous. My bloody headmistress at my primary school made myself and my best mate who were music prefects at the time (we were in Year 6 at this point) made us play it in every assembly leading up to Christmas that year. Wamdue Project "King of My Castle" - banger. Although similar to Gala and her "trombolese" two years prior, it sounded like she was singing "Must be the reason why I'm free in my trassell". Also lols at them being nominated for Best British Newcomer at the BRITs the following year, only to be yeeted off the list quickly when Radio 1 clocked that they hadn't done their research and they were in fact from New York. 03/12/1999 - Melanie C "Northern Star". Still my favourite solo single of hers, a gentle ethereal quality to it and a beautiful vocal as well. Martine McCutcheon - when she sang this single on Children In Need, which this was raising money for, for "Love Me" she had a massive kid's choir behind her. One of my classmates was in said choir and was hero worshipped for weeks afterwards as a result. 10/12/1999 - Artful Dodger, "Re-Rewind". Now THIS was a real dial turn moment. Even then I knew and understood it was a big record. I can remember rocking up at school the following Monday, with my black beanie on thinking I was Craig David, going "When the crowd say bo selecta" every five seconds. A big tune and a timeless and important one. Cool to see Atomic Kitten make their debut as well, they looked super young and very hyper there!

Now up to the A list at Radio 2!

Excellent call - and again, one which works independently of the World Cup too!

I went to the one in Chelmsford last year, it was really good fun. Some good names across both days but none which are concentrated together on the same day. Still I will likely be watching Texas and Appleton's sets on iPlayer.

Confirmed to be playing Radio 2 In The Park in Stirling in September this morning.

"Three Lions" is the non-negotiable classic, not just as a football song but as a pop song generally, although that's testament to Ian Broudie as much as it is anything else who is one of our finest pop songwriters. I quite liked "Carnaval De Paris" as well, mainly because it was reflecting the global feel of World Cup 98 and could almost exist independent of the tournament. I think the only other one that has stayed pretty timeless is Englandneworder "World In Motion", again because whilst it was a football song, it wasn't so tied up in being one to not be a great record.

Apologies only just sharing this now but only just got round to uploading it! Last weekend I saw Nerina Pallot do a special one off gig at the Royal Albert Hall to mark her 25th anniversary in music. One of the songs in her set was her own version of the title track from this Kylie album that her and her husband Andy Chatterley wrote for it (along with "Better Than Today"):

Straight onto the B-list at Radio 2! Really liking this, it's got the most sonically in common with "Fantasy" but also has shades of the most recent All Saints albums on it as well, especially "Glorious" that was on the Testament album.

Single cover's here. First play is on Radio 2 tomorrow at 7:45am:

The EP is called Side By Side and will be out on 4th September. Tracklist is as follows: Ready To Begin Falling Into You Strange Kinda Paradise Monster Wichita Lineman (Live from BBC Radio 2 Piano Room) It will be available on CD and coloured vinyl as well.

Bit of a weird one this, but myself and my friend were out in Clerkenwell in London on Saturday night having dinner out - I'd just come back from Mighty Hoopla across town. Anyway, she was there filming what I can only assume was a new video or something. We didn't know who it was until somebody told us, the sheer hysteria was quite something to witness!

Here's my videos I took from their set at Mighty Hoopla yesterday. Awesome set and they also had Heidi Range from Sugababes v2.0 join them to do "Round Round" and "Pure Shores" as a surprise guest!

I was at Mighty Hoopla today and Heidi came out as a surprise guest during Appleton's set! They did "Round Round" and also "Pure Shores". I've got a video of the latter which I'll upload and post here in the morning ☺️ UPDATE: Here we go!

The second single is "Ready To Begin" which will land next Wednesday. That and "Falling Into You" will be on an EP which is coming in September: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/appleton-interview-nicole-natalie-all-saints-b2984603.html

New interview in The Independent today which also confirms there is an as-yet-untitled EP on the way in September: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/appleton-interview-nicole-natalie-all-saints-b2984603.html

Second single drops next Wednesday 3rd June: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY4GswEMe6q

Got Block A2 in pre-sale this morning 🙌🏻🔥