25 Years Since....August 1993

25 years ago my summer holidays from school were coming to an end. Here is what I was enjoying music wise:

Billy Joel - River Of Dreams

We're now reaching the point in time where I wouldn't listen to anything that wasn't Rock or Metal. Yes I know Billy Joel isn't Rock or Metal, but I had exceptions to that rule and remember this tune being an exception.

At the time I had friends who were music snobs like me and friends who just listened to anything. I would predominately talk about the latest Rock and Metal tunes to my music snob friends, but I remember talking about this with my friends who listened to anything.

I guess what did it for me in this tune was the pausing. Was most definitely the most famous pause of the moment, if you sang this you had to start with the bit before the pause just do you could pause.

Bitty Mclean - It Keeps Rainin (Tears From My Eyes)

The first hit from Bitty Mclean and my first thoughts were what a name, Bitty. Such was the impact that name had on me that when I sang this I didn't sing "When it's rainin it's rainin, tears from my eyes" I sang "When it's rainin it's rainin, Bitty Mclean".

Needless to say I was very disappointed to discover his real name is Delroy, not Bitty. I was also disappointed to discover this song was originally by Fats Domino, it just seemed wrong that this wasn't originally by Bitty Mclean.

However by the time he did "Dedicated to the One I Love", another cover, I was very much strictly Rock and Metal. I remember seeing the guitar on stage before the song was introduced on Top of the Pops and getting excited only to find out it was a Reggae tune. I quite enjoy it nowadays though.

Bon Jovi - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

To be honest I don't really remember this being a single, but I do remember listening to the "Keep the Faith" album a lot at the time, so hearing it a couple more times on the radio didn't make too much difference.

Bon Jovi were still my second favourite band at the time after Guns n Roses. I had a friend that summer who's favourite band was also Guns n Roses but his second favourite was Dire Straits but by the end of the summer his second favourite was Bon Jovi too.

It wouldn't last though, in a few months time I would hate Bon Jovi for being too soft and put a picture of Jon Bon Jovi on the dart board and throw darts at him. Years later I started liking Bon Jovi again, but to be honest this song isn't the best.

SWV - Right Here

For some reason I remember this coming out earlier than it did. I thought it might be because I remember it being out when Eternal first came about, but it turns out Eternal were yet to have there debut hit. Anyway I did consider Eternal to be a poor mans SWV.

Not that I remembered them being SWV though. A few years later I was flicking through the music channels and this was on MTV Base and brought back memories. However it was on "The Lick" so it never specified what the song was at the end so remained a mystery. I did video record it though and listening again and hearing the "S...the double...the U...the V" part, which turns out to be the voice of a then unknown Pharrell Williams, I figured they may be called SWV.

I've since been to see them in concert as part of a 90s R&B night and they were good.

Therapy? - Opal Mantra

So far my credentials as a Rock and Metal fan at the time aren't looking that good, but this tune probably rectifies that somewhat.

The title suggested to be it's a song about a car, but the car is an "Opel Manta" not "Opal Mantra". That said, the title is a pun on the car name, but isn't mentioned in the lyrics.

When their "Troublegum" album came out the following year I was disappointed to find this wasn't on it and I never got to hear it again until YouTube came about.