Here is the Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 20 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:
20. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In LA
This brings back memories of coming back from the pub on a Friday night and watching "Ibiza Uncovered" and pretty much every advert break had the Rolling Rock advert in it which featured this tune. It had actually been a minor hit before but the advert gave it a new lease of life. Despite hearing it multiple times every Friday for a period of time I still have fond memories of this tune.
Verdict - Good
19. Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca
This wasn't the debut hit for Ricky Martin, but I'd say it's the song that made a name for himself. His previous 2 singles were basically that crappy Spanish song you hear on holiday in Spain that makes it's way into the UK Top 40. This ones no different in that respect, except you know it's Ricky Martin from America.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. A1 - Summertime Of Our Lives
The second single from A1 who released this on the back of what probably was the summertime of their lives having hit the big time with their blatant rip off of "Cuddly Toy". I can't think of a record this sounds too similar to, maybe they realised they wouldn't get away with that again. What we have then is just some generic pap.
Verdict - Rubbish
17. Westlife - If I Let You Go
The second hit and second number one for Westlife. This was written by the Swedish team of songwriters responsible for many Backstreet Boys hits amongst others. It does sound a bit like Boyzone do the Backstreet Boys (yes I do mean Boyzone, Westlife were still just getting started).
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Lyte Funkie Ones - Summer Girls (New)
I can't listen to this without thinking of Eminem's parody of the chorus in his tune "Marshall Mathers" where he says "New Kids on the Block sucked a lot of dick, girl boy groups make me sick". This was the debut hit for boyband LFO and one of many hits at the time it seems about the summer. This would have been a summer from many years ago though if New Kids on the Block had a lot of hits (the actual lyrics). Can't say I like this one.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. TLC - Unpretty
I first heard this in the most unlikely place, the Pete Tong show. Yes that's right, it wasn't just Dance Music he'd play on his show at the time. Anyway, I absolutely love this tune, hands down the best TLC tune I've ever heard. It's written by Dallas Austin, the man responsible for transforming Pink from R&B inspired Pop to Rock inspired Pop. The guitar in this suggests he is warming up for that moment. I think when done really well, incorporating Rock elements into non-Rock music can sound second to none and this is a good example of that.
Verdict - Good
14. Sixpence None The Richer - There She Goes (New)
The second and final Top 40 hit for Sixpence None the Richer which is a cover of The La's song. I like the original and thought this cover was terrible. Listening to it after all these years it doesn't sound as bad as I remember, but I still don't like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. Moloko - Sing It Back
This failed to reach the Top 40 when it was originally released the previous year, but found chart success when remixed by Boris Dlugosch. Like many people, this was the first version I heard but I have since heard the original and it's completely different, only the vocals are the same really. I do prefer this version though. I guess the fact I still like it despite it being played to death over the years shows that it is a great tune.
Verdict - Good
12. DJ Jurgen Presents Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
I can still picture where I was when I first heard this, I was sat in a car waiting for somebody whilst listening to the Pete Tong show. What a tune, I thought. A common misconception is that Alice Deejay is the female singer, but it's actually a group of Dutch producers with the singer and 2 dancers fronting it.
Verdict - Good
11. Geri Halliwell - Mi Chico Latino
Back in 1996 I knew of someone who bought the "2 Become 1" single by the Spice Girls for the simple fact it had Geri's legs on the cover. He surely bought this single then because it has Geri in a bikini on the cover. In fact a lot of people must have bought it for that simple fact, hence it got to number one.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Martine McCutcheon - I've Got You
Who knew Tiffany from Eastenders had more than one hit single? Well actually I did, I remember her having several and questioned why. It's not as dreary as "Perfect Moment" but it's still pretty dreary.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Supergrass - Moving (New)
I can't believe Supergrass were still having Top 10 hits in 1999, though this would be their last. It doesn't quite sound the same as I remember it sounding, but it's still boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Here we have the beginning of the UK Chart career of Enrique Iglesias. It's another of those ones that sounds like the crappy Spanish song you hear on holiday in Spain that makes it's way into the UK charts. That's understandable given Enrique Iglesias is Spanish, but then this was written by the same British song writing team responsible for the songs Cher was putting out at the time (Believe etc). Who would have thought just over a decade later he would be singing his own composition "Tonight (I'm Fuckin You)".
Verdict - Rubbish
7. Leftfield ft Afrika Bambaataa - Afrika Shox (New)
This was the only Top 10 hit from Leftfield, but I guess on the basis this was the lead single from their 2nd album and they were now household names it shouldn't be that surprising. The experimental nature of Leftfield's music means it can be quite hit or miss, but in the case of this record I'd say hit.
Verdict - Good
6. Shaft - (Mucho Mambo) Sway
The opening track on "Kiss Ibiza 99", it's a house version of "Sway". I was a little sceptical of this when I first heard it but it started to grow on me after a few listens of "Kiss Ibiza 99". It actually reminds me of beginning my drive home from college, I guess that shows how much I was listening to that compilation at the time.
Verdict - Good
5. Thunderbugs - Friends Forever (New)
Thunderbugs were going to be the next big girl group, I remember the hype about them at the time. This was their debut hit and then they promptly disappeared, can't say I miss them.
Verdict - Rubbish
4. Lolly - Mickey (New)
I first came across the song itself when Wayne and Cassandra were singing it on "Wayne's World". This would have presumably been the Toni Basil version rather than this cover. This was the 2nd hit from Lolly and I remember hearing this down the pub multiple times one night and getting really irritated with it.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. DJ Jean - The Launch
I like the riff in this one, which is just as well given it's repeated over and over again. However what makes this tune is the beats, in particular the bit just before the drop. There's no big breakdown in this, just several mini ones and I think there needs to be so you can hear more of that beat before the drop.
Verdict - Good
2. Lou Bega - Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of...)
Lou Bega is one half of Masters at Work alongside Kenny Dope...oh hang on, this is Lou Bega not Louie Vega. That's right, when I first heard this I thought how could Louie Vega release such crap until I realised it was Bega not Vega. This was so popular that it managed to peak at 31 the week before on import sales alone so it was inevitably getting to number one when it officially got released. It's bloody awful though.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza! (New)
Thanks to this record, on more than one occasion after telling someone we're going to Ibiza I've had the response "Woah!". I guess at the time there was a lot of hype about Ibiza, Spanish influenced music and the Vengaboys which was the perfect recipe to get this to number one. That doesn't take away the fact it was bloody awful though.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 7/20, or 35%. Not a great score and I feel we need several good new entries to boost the score next week.
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