What's this all about?
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 9
⬆ (29) Halsey - Graveyard
⬆ (24) Summer Walker - Playing Games
⬆ (17) Dan & Shay ft Justin Bieber - 10000 Hours
⬆ (12) Riton ft Oliver Heldens & Vula - Turn Me On
⬆ (6) Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
New (40) Script - The Last Time
New (33) Jax Jones ft Ella Henderson - This Is Real
New (30) Blackbear - Hot Girl Bummer
(1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
None
Thursday 31 October 2019
25 Years Since....October 1994
It's that time again to go back 25 years to 1994 and take a look at the music I was enjoying back then:
Lisa Loeb And Nine Stories - Stay (I Missed You)
We've reached the period I was in transition from a grunger to a raver. A side effect of that is that I was also enjoying songs that were neither, such as this.
I found the intro got me hooked immediately, but the whole song is great.
It was the only Top 40 hit by Lisa Loeb, and indeed the only song I've ever heard of hers. But I think it's best kept that way.
The Prodigy - Voodoo People
By this point some grungers were saying the only rave they like is The Prodigy. That was basically because of this tune which featured the guitar.
I was still keeping my new found love for rave music under wraps at this point, but it came as a bit of a relief that I could openly admit to liking this tune and not be subject to criticism.
This tune really set the benchmark for the future Prodigy material that made them global superstars which is evident in this being the oldest tune you're pretty much guaranteed to hear at a Prodigy concert.
East 17 - Steam
Regular readers of this blog will know I like East 17 even if I never admitted it at the time. I also think pretty much all their singles so far have featured in this series of posts.
This record though took them to another level. Singles wise this is the best one they've ever done. I thought as a grunger I couldn't admit to liking this song, but as a raver I probably could. I never actually did until years later when I stopped caring what people thought.
This is also a karaoke favourite of mine, if it's on the list I'm singing it.
Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On
I remember watching this video. You had lots of strange looking people enter the photo booth, but then the last one to walk in was an ordinary looking bloke with long hair. Not only did I think the bloke with long hair was a bit out of place for looking normal, but I also thought long hair equalled rock music, and this was a dance record.
I was therefore amazed to see the bloke with long hair was the bloke singing it, though in hindsight it makes a lot of sense.
It didn't start out as a dance record though. It was basically a pop song with verses and a chorus that never got very far. This is a remix by MK which takes most of the vocals away. I remember watching a programme where they were talking about this record around the turn of the century and somebody asked the question where is MK now? We know these days he's making EDM crap, but once upon a time he was good.
Ace Of Base - Happy Nation
Whatever sort of music I was into at the time, I always enjoyed a bit of Ace Of Base.
What I do find quite surprising is that this record only made number 40. That was after it failed to make the Top 40 on it's original release.
Admittedly it's not as good as "All That She Wants" or "The Sign", but it's still good.
Lisa Loeb And Nine Stories - Stay (I Missed You)
I found the intro got me hooked immediately, but the whole song is great.
It was the only Top 40 hit by Lisa Loeb, and indeed the only song I've ever heard of hers. But I think it's best kept that way.
The Prodigy - Voodoo People
I was still keeping my new found love for rave music under wraps at this point, but it came as a bit of a relief that I could openly admit to liking this tune and not be subject to criticism.
This tune really set the benchmark for the future Prodigy material that made them global superstars which is evident in this being the oldest tune you're pretty much guaranteed to hear at a Prodigy concert.
East 17 - Steam
This record though took them to another level. Singles wise this is the best one they've ever done. I thought as a grunger I couldn't admit to liking this song, but as a raver I probably could. I never actually did until years later when I stopped caring what people thought.
This is also a karaoke favourite of mine, if it's on the list I'm singing it.
Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On
I was therefore amazed to see the bloke with long hair was the bloke singing it, though in hindsight it makes a lot of sense.
It didn't start out as a dance record though. It was basically a pop song with verses and a chorus that never got very far. This is a remix by MK which takes most of the vocals away. I remember watching a programme where they were talking about this record around the turn of the century and somebody asked the question where is MK now? We know these days he's making EDM crap, but once upon a time he was good.
Ace Of Base - Happy Nation
What I do find quite surprising is that this record only made number 40. That was after it failed to make the Top 40 on it's original release.
Admittedly it's not as good as "All That She Wants" or "The Sign", but it's still good.
Tuesday 29 October 2019
UK Number 40s: Tommy Steele - Must Be Santa (1960)
A week after Roy Castle reached number 40 with his Christmas song, Tommy Steele did the same with this, which as the title suggests is also a Christmas song.
It was written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks and was originally recorded by Mitch Miller but did not chart in the UK.
This record meant Tommy Steele became the first act to have both a number 1 single and a number 40 single, his 2nd single "Singing the Blues" topping the charts in 1956. This would be his penultimate single, his final hit being "The Writing On The Wall" which reached number 30 the following year.
Monday 28 October 2019
Where have all the bands gone?
As a kid in the early 90s, me and my mates would often name our 10 favourite bands. The 10 bands in question were forever changing. We also formed bands of our own, we all wanted to be rock stars and forming a band was the way to do that.
The difficulty a young music fan would have these day's is simply finding 10 bands, let alone their 10 favourite. Yes they could pick the same 10 I picked in 1993, but in 1993 I never picked bands from 1967, I picked bands that were current.
Before we go any further, let's establish the sort of band I'm talking about. The band must have a guitarist, bass player and drummer as official members. Other instruments are optional.
Let's take a look at bands to have made their Top 40 debut this year. There's Catfish & the Bottlemen, erm that's it. How about 2018? there's none. If we go back to the start of 2015, which is more or less half a decade ago, the only other bands to make their Top 40 debut are Echosmith, Sheppard, Walk the Moon, DNCE, Viola Beach and Portugal, the Man. They all have one Top 40 hit each.
Ok we're just talking about new bands in the Top 40, what about the already established bands that are still having hits?
Well, so far this year there's been 5 Seconds Of Summer and Maroon 5. That's it.
Of course there are still plenty of bands still around, from the old bands still selling out stadiums to the bands playing down your local pub. But in terms of new commercially successful bands, there's very few.
The question is, does it matter?
As someone who's been in bands, my reason for forming the bands in the first place was because I had written a bunch of songs that required a band to play them. The reality was the whole band aspect was a pain in the backside.
Finding someone who played guitar was easy, but as a guitarist myself I didn't need one, I needed a bass player and drummer and finding these was more difficult. To find a bass player more often than not, is to find someone who wants to join your band enough to convert from a guitarist to a bass player in order to do so. Finding a drummer is finding someone rich enough to afford a drum kit, and rich enough to live somewhere they can play the drums without disturbing the neighbours.
Then you have the logistics problems of playing together. Then the other band members want to make changes to your songs or they want to do one of their own songs which is nothing like your songs. If you do finally make it then the money you make from your music has to be split between the band members.
With the technology we have these days, you can make all the music yourself at home and get it out there on the internet. That's pretty much what the musicians of today do.
The difficulty a young music fan would have these day's is simply finding 10 bands, let alone their 10 favourite. Yes they could pick the same 10 I picked in 1993, but in 1993 I never picked bands from 1967, I picked bands that were current.
Before we go any further, let's establish the sort of band I'm talking about. The band must have a guitarist, bass player and drummer as official members. Other instruments are optional.
Let's take a look at bands to have made their Top 40 debut this year. There's Catfish & the Bottlemen, erm that's it. How about 2018? there's none. If we go back to the start of 2015, which is more or less half a decade ago, the only other bands to make their Top 40 debut are Echosmith, Sheppard, Walk the Moon, DNCE, Viola Beach and Portugal, the Man. They all have one Top 40 hit each.
Ok we're just talking about new bands in the Top 40, what about the already established bands that are still having hits?
Well, so far this year there's been 5 Seconds Of Summer and Maroon 5. That's it.
Of course there are still plenty of bands still around, from the old bands still selling out stadiums to the bands playing down your local pub. But in terms of new commercially successful bands, there's very few.
The question is, does it matter?
As someone who's been in bands, my reason for forming the bands in the first place was because I had written a bunch of songs that required a band to play them. The reality was the whole band aspect was a pain in the backside.
Finding someone who played guitar was easy, but as a guitarist myself I didn't need one, I needed a bass player and drummer and finding these was more difficult. To find a bass player more often than not, is to find someone who wants to join your band enough to convert from a guitarist to a bass player in order to do so. Finding a drummer is finding someone rich enough to afford a drum kit, and rich enough to live somewhere they can play the drums without disturbing the neighbours.
Then you have the logistics problems of playing together. Then the other band members want to make changes to your songs or they want to do one of their own songs which is nothing like your songs. If you do finally make it then the money you make from your music has to be split between the band members.
With the technology we have these days, you can make all the music yourself at home and get it out there on the internet. That's pretty much what the musicians of today do.
Sunday 27 October 2019
Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed - Week 43
Here's my weekly look at the Top 20 from 20 years ago. On the basis we'd reach the Top 20 in the Top 40 countdown around 17:30 on a Sunday at the time the plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
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:
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
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
The 90s began with the Eurythmics splitting up and ended with them getting back together. My thoughts on this record at the time was that it didn't sound at all like 80s Eurythmics, but now I know they experimented in the 80s too, they didn't always stick to the same formula. Once you get over the disappointment of the lack of synthesizers though it's quite a good record.
Verdict - Good
If you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
Believe it or not, this was the 4th single from the "Play" album. The first 3 singles only charted in the 30s, but I'd say this was the one where people started to pay attention to Moby, including myself. I was already familiar with Moby from when he did "Go" in 1991 and some Happy Hardcore tunes in the mid-90s, but "Play" was the first time I actually owned something by Moby. As you may have guess then, I like it.
Verdict - Good
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
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
The final single from 911, but unlike their more recent hits at the time, this wasn't a cover. Instead they release something that sounds like they've gone back to 1996. As a result, they fail to reach the Top 10 for the first time since 1996. Even the Greatest Hits album which followed a couple of weeks later only managed to reach number 40 in the album charts. It's a quite a fall when you consider they started the year with their first number one.
Verdict - Rubbish
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 5 years since New Kids on the Block called it a day, but this was the only time we'd see any of it's members have a solo Top 40 hit. Further to that, it had been 8 years since we'd last seen New Kids on the Block in the Top 10. Despite this, Jordan Knight was still only 29. It was written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis alongside a then unknown Robin Thicke. On paper it sounds like it should be stuck in the 80s given the artist, writers and freestyle chorus, but somehow it doesn't sound out of place in 1999.
Verdict - OK
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
The first B*Witched record not to top the charts (excluding collaborations). About time if you ask me.
Verdict - Rubbish
It's the first Honeyz single to feature Mariama who replaced Heavenli in the group. One thing I'll always remember about this song was if me and my housemate were having a conversation when this was playing, we'd always shut up during the breakdown. The harmonising with the vocals in that part is second to none. Love this tune.
Verdict - Good
There's something I never thought about when I decided to start doing these posts, the double a-side. It's quite amazing it's taken this long for the first of those to appear. The way I'll deal with these is I'll give a verdict on both songs and if either are good or ok then they'll add 1 or half a point to the score, if both are good it will still be just 1 point and if both are ok it will still be half a point. Anyway, what we have here are 2 poor covers of Jam records.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
With this being Steps you would expect it to be a cover of the Earth Wind and Fire song, but it isn't. Instead it's more of the usual poundland Abba shite they often do.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
You hit the big time debuting at number one with arguably the biggest Dance record of the summer, how do you follow that up? Well what ATB did was make a record that more or less sounds the same. He knows it too and has since disowned the record for that very reason. It's not as good as "9pm (Till I Come)" and comparisons will be made, but had "9pm (Till I Come)" not been made and I was hearing this would I like it? I would say probably not, it just seems to lack any substance.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is very cheesy. It was the debut hit for Ann Lee who had previously had some success as a songwriter. I always imagined this to be sung by a teenager but turns out Ann Lee was 31 when this was released. Obviously she had learned the formula for selling records. I don't mind this record though.
Verdict - OK
The debut hit for Christina Aguilera. Like with many pop songs by young American artists at the time, this is very American high school sounding, but based on what we've learned about many of these songs, you'd expect it to be written by a Swedish bloke. But not this one, 2 of it's 3 writers are actually American, the other coming from New Zealand. Still, not a record I can say I like.
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 5.5/20, or 27.5%. Slight improvement on last week thanks to Moby and the Honeyz.
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. Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza!
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
19. Gabrielle - Sunshine
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
18. Eurythmics - I Saved The World Today
The 90s began with the Eurythmics splitting up and ended with them getting back together. My thoughts on this record at the time was that it didn't sound at all like 80s Eurythmics, but now I know they experimented in the 80s too, they didn't always stick to the same formula. Once you get over the disappointment of the lack of synthesizers though it's quite a good record.
Verdict - Good
17. Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe - Sun Is Shining
If you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
16. Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad (New)
Believe it or not, this was the 4th single from the "Play" album. The first 3 singles only charted in the 30s, but I'd say this was the one where people started to pay attention to Moby, including myself. I was already familiar with Moby from when he did "Go" in 1991 and some Happy Hardcore tunes in the mid-90s, but "Play" was the first time I actually owned something by Moby. As you may have guess then, I like it.
Verdict - Good
15. 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
14. S Club 7 - S Club Party
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. 911 - Wonderland (New)
The final single from 911, but unlike their more recent hits at the time, this wasn't a cover. Instead they release something that sounds like they've gone back to 1996. As a result, they fail to reach the Top 10 for the first time since 1996. Even the Greatest Hits album which followed a couple of weeks later only managed to reach number 40 in the album charts. It's a quite a fall when you consider they started the year with their first number one.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Britney Spears - (You Drive Me) Crazy
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Jordan Knight - Give It To You
It had been 5 years since New Kids on the Block called it a day, but this was the only time we'd see any of it's members have a solo Top 40 hit. Further to that, it had been 8 years since we'd last seen New Kids on the Block in the Top 10. Despite this, Jordan Knight was still only 29. It was written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis alongside a then unknown Robin Thicke. On paper it sounds like it should be stuck in the 80s given the artist, writers and freestyle chorus, but somehow it doesn't sound out of place in 1999.
Verdict - OK
10. Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Macy Gray - I Try
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. B*Witched - Jesse Hold On
The first B*Witched record not to top the charts (excluding collaborations). About time if you ask me.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. The Honeyz - Never Let You Down (New)
It's the first Honeyz single to feature Mariama who replaced Heavenli in the group. One thing I'll always remember about this song was if me and my housemate were having a conversation when this was playing, we'd always shut up during the breakdown. The harmonising with the vocals in that part is second to none. Love this tune.
Verdict - Good
6. Buffalo Tom - Going Underground / Liam Gallagher And Steve Craddock - Carnation (New)
There's something I never thought about when I decided to start doing these posts, the double a-side. It's quite amazing it's taken this long for the first of those to appear. The way I'll deal with these is I'll give a verdict on both songs and if either are good or ok then they'll add 1 or half a point to the score, if both are good it will still be just 1 point and if both are ok it will still be half a point. Anyway, what we have here are 2 poor covers of Jam records.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
5. Steps - After The Love Has Gone (New)
With this being Steps you would expect it to be a cover of the Earth Wind and Fire song, but it isn't. Instead it's more of the usual poundland Abba shite they often do.
Verdict - Rubbish
4. Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. ATB - Don't Stop (New)
You hit the big time debuting at number one with arguably the biggest Dance record of the summer, how do you follow that up? Well what ATB did was make a record that more or less sounds the same. He knows it too and has since disowned the record for that very reason. It's not as good as "9pm (Till I Come)" and comparisons will be made, but had "9pm (Till I Come)" not been made and I was hearing this would I like it? I would say probably not, it just seems to lack any substance.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. Ann Lee - 2 Times
This is very cheesy. It was the debut hit for Ann Lee who had previously had some success as a songwriter. I always imagined this to be sung by a teenager but turns out Ann Lee was 31 when this was released. Obviously she had learned the formula for selling records. I don't mind this record though.
Verdict - OK
1. Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
The debut hit for Christina Aguilera. Like with many pop songs by young American artists at the time, this is very American high school sounding, but based on what we've learned about many of these songs, you'd expect it to be written by a Swedish bloke. But not this one, 2 of it's 3 writers are actually American, the other coming from New Zealand. Still, not a record I can say I like.
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 5.5/20, or 27.5%. Slight improvement on last week thanks to Moby and the Honeyz.
Saturday 26 October 2019
My 25 Favourite Albums: Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Like with several of the albums that feature in the series, this is an album I bought quite some time after it was released. In 1993 when this album came out I was into grunge, then in the mid to late 90s I was into rave. Throughout this time I did like the odd rap record, but it wasn't a genre I really played close attention to.
In the year 2000 that all changed. I was one of many people jumping on the Eminem bandwagon. This lead me on to listening to other rappers, and Snoop Dogg was one of these.
The first Snoop Dogg album I bought was "Tha Last Meal" which was his latest album at the time. When playing it in my car, a mate asked if I owned "Doggystyle", which I didn't, so he gave me a copy of it. I eventually bought the CD when I got a CD player in my car.
It's actually a pretty close call as to whether I prefer "Doggystyle" to "Tha Last Meal", but "Doggystyle" just about pips it.
The best way to listen to the album is to skip the intros and got straight onto track 3 which is "Gin & Juice". The other hits from the album are "Doggy Dogg World" and the one everyone knows, "Who Am I".
The non singles though are probably better. You have "Lodi Dodi" which is essentially a cover of "La Di Da Di" by Doug E Fresh. There's also "Gz and Hustlas" which is preceded by a skit of a teacher asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, when he asks a young Snoop he say's "I wanna be a motherfuckin hustla, ya betta ask somebody". The voice of young Snoop was a then unknown rapper Bow Wow.
The highlight of the album though has to be "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)". This is the first I remember Nate Dogg singing on a verse as well as the chorus. It also features Kurupt and Warren G. It's one of the only rap tunes where I know all the lyrics and have rapped it many times, but am yet to find it on a karaoke playlist.
Thursday 24 October 2019
Top of the Pops: 24/10/2019
What's this all about?
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 13
⬆ (12) Dave - Professor X
⬆ (11) Aitch ft ZieZie - Buss down
⬆ (7) Ed Sheeran ft Camila Cabello & Cardi B - South Of The Border
⬆ (4) Post Malone - Circles
New (33) Meduza ft Becky Hill & Goodboys - Lose Control
New (19) Maroon 5 - Memories
New (17) Sidhu Moose Wala ft Mist, Steel Banglez & Stefflon Don - 47
New (3) Harry Styles - Lights Up
(1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
⬆ (16) Riton ft Oliver Heldens & Vula - Turn Me On
⬆ (22) Lizzo - Good As Hell
⬆ (21) Camila Cabello - Liar
⬆ (9) Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 13
⬆ (12) Dave - Professor X
⬆ (11) Aitch ft ZieZie - Buss down
⬆ (7) Ed Sheeran ft Camila Cabello & Cardi B - South Of The Border
⬆ (4) Post Malone - Circles
New (33) Meduza ft Becky Hill & Goodboys - Lose Control
New (19) Maroon 5 - Memories
New (17) Sidhu Moose Wala ft Mist, Steel Banglez & Stefflon Don - 47
New (3) Harry Styles - Lights Up
(1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
⬆ (16) Riton ft Oliver Heldens & Vula - Turn Me On
⬆ (22) Lizzo - Good As Hell
⬆ (21) Camila Cabello - Liar
⬆ (9) Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
Tuesday 22 October 2019
UK Number 40s: Roy Castle - Little White Berry (1960)
As a kid watching "Record Breakers", I thought that Roy Castle was the lead singer of Wizzard. Obviously they look nothing like each other, and one day I realised that either Roy Castle wasn't the singer in Wizzard, or Roy Wood wasn't the presenter of "Record Breakers".
However, I now think I know what made me think such a thing. I seem to recall hearing that Roy Castle was also a musician who had a Christmas record, so as the singer of Wizzard was called Roy I just assumed it was him.
This is actually the Christmas record in question, and was the only Top 40 hit for Roy Castle. It was also written by the man himself. His music career didn't end there though, he released 3 albums overall.
As we know though, he became best known as presenter on "Record Breakers" which he did from 1972 up until his death in 1994.
Monday 21 October 2019
100% of Singles in the UK Top 40
Back in 2001 I was at work one Sunday finishing at 16:00. I was keen to make a quick getaway at that time as this was the week "Pretender Got My Heart" by Alisha's Attic had been released and I wanted to listen to the Top 40 countdown to find out where it had charted. Even as a big Alisha's Attic fan at the time, I knew it was more likely to chart at 40 than it was at 1.
As it turned out, it never made the Top 40 at all, reaching 43. This was almost the final nail in the coffin for Alisha's Attic, though if their album charted well when it was released the following week it may have saved them. It did even worse, only charting at 55 and very soon afterwards they were dropped from their record label.
Alisha's Attic weren't the only victims of the singles chart that week. The Sugababes got off to a solid start with their debut hit "Overload" making the Top 10 the previous year. The album didn't fare so well though, and their following 2 singles failed to reach the Top 10. Their 4th single "Soul Sound" only reached 30 that week and they were dropped from their label shortly afterwards.
Going back to Alisha's Attic and their failure to make the Top 40, this was their one and only single not to make the Top 40. But it got me thinking, is there any music act who has had lot's of singles and never failed to reach the Top 40?
The way to answer that is to find who has had the most singles without ever failing to reach the Top 40. The answer several years ago would have been Madonna, but as she's carried on releasing singles that no longer reach the Top 40 she's no longer it. I know Borderline only made 56 initially but it was the same song that made the Top 40 two years later so this is not a failure the reach the Top 40.
I knew it wouldn't be Queen as I've known for years "Love of my Life" only made 63. Even The Beatles who's chart record was ridiculously good only made 48 with "My Bonnie".
A look through the British Hit Singles book shows that the music act with the most singles without failing to reach the Top 40 was Erasure with 34. However, the book only looks at the Top 75. The Official Charts website show that one of their singles only reached 100 and is therefore not listed in the book. Therefore we can't say Erasure never failed to reach the Top 40.
If we look at the Top 100 on the Official Charts website it looks like the answer is The Supremes with 29. However, a look at their singles discography shows that whilst their last Top 40 hit came in 1973, they were still releasing singles until 1977 which all failed to chart at all. We can't say it's The Supremes either then.
After checking these things, I finally found who has had the most singles that have all reached the Top 40, which incidentally is The Sugababes with 26. Ok the group with single number 1 was different to the group with single number 26, but it's still in theory the same group.
Had Alisha's Attic called it a day before they released "Pretender Got My Heart" they would have had 8 singles and all of them would have reached the Top 40. After much research I've found there are only 20 acts in the history of the charts who have had 8 or more singles and never failed to reach the Top 40 with all their singles. Here they are:
Although it's not exactly the who's who of successful chart acts, the list makes sense as it's mostly ones from the era when Top 40 success was everything if you were a pop act. The only one that I'm truly surprised to see on the list is Sean Maguire, I genuinely never knew he even had 8 singles. None of them made the Top 10 though.
This list though could change very soon. We've just had the news that The Sugababes have reunited and have a new single out this week. It could make the Top 40, but it's a cover of "Flowers" by Sweet Female Attitude and is in collaboration with DJ Spoony. Are the kids really interested in a cover of a tune nearly 2 decades old by a DJ and girl group who were big nearly 2 decades ago? I doubt it. Are people my age going to be interested when we can just listen to the original?
It could be a good week for M People then.
As it turned out, it never made the Top 40 at all, reaching 43. This was almost the final nail in the coffin for Alisha's Attic, though if their album charted well when it was released the following week it may have saved them. It did even worse, only charting at 55 and very soon afterwards they were dropped from their record label.
Alisha's Attic weren't the only victims of the singles chart that week. The Sugababes got off to a solid start with their debut hit "Overload" making the Top 10 the previous year. The album didn't fare so well though, and their following 2 singles failed to reach the Top 10. Their 4th single "Soul Sound" only reached 30 that week and they were dropped from their label shortly afterwards.
Going back to Alisha's Attic and their failure to make the Top 40, this was their one and only single not to make the Top 40. But it got me thinking, is there any music act who has had lot's of singles and never failed to reach the Top 40?
The way to answer that is to find who has had the most singles without ever failing to reach the Top 40. The answer several years ago would have been Madonna, but as she's carried on releasing singles that no longer reach the Top 40 she's no longer it. I know Borderline only made 56 initially but it was the same song that made the Top 40 two years later so this is not a failure the reach the Top 40.
I knew it wouldn't be Queen as I've known for years "Love of my Life" only made 63. Even The Beatles who's chart record was ridiculously good only made 48 with "My Bonnie".
A look through the British Hit Singles book shows that the music act with the most singles without failing to reach the Top 40 was Erasure with 34. However, the book only looks at the Top 75. The Official Charts website show that one of their singles only reached 100 and is therefore not listed in the book. Therefore we can't say Erasure never failed to reach the Top 40.
If we look at the Top 100 on the Official Charts website it looks like the answer is The Supremes with 29. However, a look at their singles discography shows that whilst their last Top 40 hit came in 1973, they were still releasing singles until 1977 which all failed to chart at all. We can't say it's The Supremes either then.
After checking these things, I finally found who has had the most singles that have all reached the Top 40, which incidentally is The Sugababes with 26. Ok the group with single number 1 was different to the group with single number 26, but it's still in theory the same group.
Had Alisha's Attic called it a day before they released "Pretender Got My Heart" they would have had 8 singles and all of them would have reached the Top 40. After much research I've found there are only 20 acts in the history of the charts who have had 8 or more singles and never failed to reach the Top 40 with all their singles. Here they are:
Artist/Group
|
No. of hits
|
Sugababes
|
26
|
M People
|
19
|
Jam
|
18
|
Saturdays
|
18
|
Eternal
|
15
|
Destinys Child
|
14
|
Ashanti
|
13
|
Ace of Base
|
12
|
Five
|
11
|
Spice Girls
|
11
|
S Club 7
|
11
|
Wham
|
10
|
N Sync
|
10
|
Savage Garden
|
10
|
Gareth Gates
|
9
|
Communards
|
8
|
Sean Maguire
|
8
|
Another Level
|
8
|
Billie
|
8
|
Mis-Teeq
|
8
|
Although it's not exactly the who's who of successful chart acts, the list makes sense as it's mostly ones from the era when Top 40 success was everything if you were a pop act. The only one that I'm truly surprised to see on the list is Sean Maguire, I genuinely never knew he even had 8 singles. None of them made the Top 10 though.
This list though could change very soon. We've just had the news that The Sugababes have reunited and have a new single out this week. It could make the Top 40, but it's a cover of "Flowers" by Sweet Female Attitude and is in collaboration with DJ Spoony. Are the kids really interested in a cover of a tune nearly 2 decades old by a DJ and girl group who were big nearly 2 decades ago? I doubt it. Are people my age going to be interested when we can just listen to the original?
It could be a good week for M People then.
Sunday 20 October 2019
Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed - Week 42
Here's my weekly look at the Top 20 from 20 years ago. On the basis we'd reach the Top 20 in the Top 40 countdown around 17:30 on a Sunday at the time the plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
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:
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
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
This is the lead single from the debut solo album of Melanie C. It sounds like she's trying to be different to the Spice Girls, going for more of a rock sound instead of the bubblegum pop of the Spice Girls. However this was written by the same team of people who wrote several of the Spice Girls big hits including "Wannabe". That said, I guess it does still sound different to the Spice Girls, but that doesn't mean it's any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
When Brit Pop became a thing in the mid-90s the chart career of many Madchester/Baggy bands had come to an end or the end was near. One band that did survive though was James and here they are still charting after the decline of Brit Pop as well. This turned out to be their penultimate Top 40 single, it's not bad but they definitely had better ones.
Verdict - OK
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
Here's Nick from Coronation Street with his second single. I don't think it's very well remembered but when he appeared on the Big Reunion this was the song that sprang to mind as opposed to "I Breathe Again". It's written by the same Danish producers who produced Aqua's debut album which tells you everything you need to know.
Verdict - Rubbish
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 you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
I knew the Charlatans chart career was still going by the late 90s but didn't think it was still going in 1999. Turns out it lasted until 2006. Like with most Charlatans songs this is boring as fuck.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 90s began with the Eurythmics splitting up and ended with them getting back together. My thoughts on this record at the time was that it didn't sound at all like 80s Eurythmics, but now I know they experimented in the 80s too, they didn't always stick to the same formula. Once you get over the disappointment of the lack of synthesizers though it's quite a good record.
Verdict - Good
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 5 years since New Kids on the Block called it a day, but this was the only time we'd see any of it's members have a solo Top 40 hit. Further to that, it had been 8 years since we'd last seen New Kids on the Block in the Top 10. Despite this, Jordan Knight was still only 29. It was written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis alongside a then unknown Robin Thicke. On paper it sounds like it should be stuck in the 80s given the artist, writers and freestyle chorus, but somehow it doesn't sound out of place in 1999.
Verdict - OK
The first B*Witched record not to top the charts (excluding collaborations). About time if you ask me.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is very cheesy. It was the debut hit for Ann Lee who had previously had some success as a songwriter. I always imagined this to be sung by a teenager but turns out Ann Lee was 31 when this was released. Obviously she had learned the formula for selling records. I don't mind this record though.
Verdict - OK
The debut hit for Christina Aguilera. Like with many pop songs by young American artists at the time, this is very American high school sounding, but based on what we've learned about many of these songs, you'd expect it to be written by a Swedish bloke. But not this one, 2 of it's 3 writers are actually American, the other coming from New Zealand. Still, not a record I can say I like.
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 5/20, or 25%. Only 3 records I actually like.
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. Lolly - Mickey
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
19. 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
18. Melanie C - Goin' Down
This is the lead single from the debut solo album of Melanie C. It sounds like she's trying to be different to the Spice Girls, going for more of a rock sound instead of the bubblegum pop of the Spice Girls. However this was written by the same team of people who wrote several of the Spice Girls big hits including "Wannabe". That said, I guess it does still sound different to the Spice Girls, but that doesn't mean it's any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
17. James - Just Like Fred Astaire (New)
When Brit Pop became a thing in the mid-90s the chart career of many Madchester/Baggy bands had come to an end or the end was near. One band that did survive though was James and here they are still charting after the decline of Brit Pop as well. This turned out to be their penultimate Top 40 single, it's not bad but they definitely had better ones.
Verdict - OK
16. Gabrielle - Sunshine
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
15. Adam Rickitt - Everything My Heart Desires (New)
Here's Nick from Coronation Street with his second single. I don't think it's very well remembered but when he appeared on the Big Reunion this was the song that sprang to mind as opposed to "I Breathe Again". It's written by the same Danish producers who produced Aqua's debut album which tells you everything you need to know.
Verdict - Rubbish
14. Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza!
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
13. Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe - Sun Is Shining
If you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
12. The Charlatans - Forever (New)
I knew the Charlatans chart career was still going by the late 90s but didn't think it was still going in 1999. Turns out it lasted until 2006. Like with most Charlatans songs this is boring as fuck.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Eurythmics - I Saved The World Today (New)
The 90s began with the Eurythmics splitting up and ended with them getting back together. My thoughts on this record at the time was that it didn't sound at all like 80s Eurythmics, but now I know they experimented in the 80s too, they didn't always stick to the same formula. Once you get over the disappointment of the lack of synthesizers though it's quite a good record.
Verdict - Good
10. Macy Gray - I Try
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. 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
8. Britney Spears - (You Drive Me) Crazy
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. S Club 7 - S Club Party
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
6. Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. Jordan Knight - Give It To You (New)
It had been 5 years since New Kids on the Block called it a day, but this was the only time we'd see any of it's members have a solo Top 40 hit. Further to that, it had been 8 years since we'd last seen New Kids on the Block in the Top 10. Despite this, Jordan Knight was still only 29. It was written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis alongside a then unknown Robin Thicke. On paper it sounds like it should be stuck in the 80s given the artist, writers and freestyle chorus, but somehow it doesn't sound out of place in 1999.
Verdict - OK
4. B*Witched - Jesse Hold On (New)
The first B*Witched record not to top the charts (excluding collaborations). About time if you ask me.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. Ann Lee - 2 Times (New)
This is very cheesy. It was the debut hit for Ann Lee who had previously had some success as a songwriter. I always imagined this to be sung by a teenager but turns out Ann Lee was 31 when this was released. Obviously she had learned the formula for selling records. I don't mind this record though.
Verdict - OK
1. Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle (New)
The debut hit for Christina Aguilera. Like with many pop songs by young American artists at the time, this is very American high school sounding, but based on what we've learned about many of these songs, you'd expect it to be written by a Swedish bloke. But not this one, 2 of it's 3 writers are actually American, the other coming from New Zealand. Still, not a record I can say I like.
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 5/20, or 25%. Only 3 records I actually like.
Saturday 19 October 2019
My 25 Favourite Albums: Sander Kleinenberg - This Is Everybody Too
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A number of years ago when I already owned this album, I asked a mate of mine if he'd heard of Sander Kleinenberg. His response was "No, nobodies heard of these people you listen to".
Generally speaking I know who in my music collection is known to many and who is known to few. With Sander Kleinenberg though I wasn't sure. On one hand he had a big tune with "My Lexicon" in 2000 and his Essential Mix in 2001 was voted Essential Mix of the Year. On the other hand, whilst clearly a big name in the dance music world, maybe he wouldn't be so well known to the wider public.
I put it to test by asking pretty much everyone I knew at the time whether they'd heard of Sander Kleinenberg, bearing in mind most of my friends aren't into dance music. Only 1 person I asked said yes.
They were missing out, as this album is amongst the best ever. Some of them did get to hear it in my car, where I played it a lot. Obviously not everyone liked it, but I managed to convert some people I think.
I think over analysing the album by speaking about the different genres it incorporates isn't going to do it any justice, so I won't. Just think about it as simply being a house album.
The first CD starts off with a couple of ambient numbers. Once we're into dance mode it's still more of the chill out variety but gradually get's heavier as the mix goes on with penultimate track "Don't Stop Go" by Hydroponix perhaps being the heaviest of them all. Not that heavy though, it is house music after all. The final track in the mix is one of his own, "The Right Time".
The second CD more of less goes straight into it, with the 2nd track being his own composition "The Fruit", which is perhaps one of his better known tunes. It finishes with 2 different versions of the same tune, "Waves" by Redanka.
The best way to understand what makes this album so great though is to give it a listen.
Thursday 17 October 2019
Top of the Pops: 17/10/2019
What's this all about?
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 11
⬆ (11) Jorja Smith ft Burna Boy - Be Honest
⬆ (13) Sam Feldt ft Rani - Post Malone
⬆ (8) Dermot Kennedy - Outnumbered
⬆ (32) Tiesto ft Mabel - God Is A Dancer
New (38) Halsey - Graveyard
New (25) Summer Walker - Playing Games
New (19) Dan & Shay ft Justin Bieber - 10000 Hours
New (2) Travis Scott - Highest in the Room
(1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
⬆ (18) Dave - Professor X
⬆ (20) Aitch ft ZieZie - Buss down
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 11
⬆ (11) Jorja Smith ft Burna Boy - Be Honest
⬆ (13) Sam Feldt ft Rani - Post Malone
⬆ (8) Dermot Kennedy - Outnumbered
⬆ (32) Tiesto ft Mabel - God Is A Dancer
New (38) Halsey - Graveyard
New (25) Summer Walker - Playing Games
New (19) Dan & Shay ft Justin Bieber - 10000 Hours
New (2) Travis Scott - Highest in the Room
(1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
⬆ (18) Dave - Professor X
⬆ (20) Aitch ft ZieZie - Buss down
Tuesday 15 October 2019
UK Number 40s: George Formby - Happy Go Lucky Me / Banjo Boy (1960)
Happy Go Lucky Me
Banjo Boy
This is the first double a-side to peak at 40 in the UK Singles Chart. George Formby became the 3rd act to peak at 40 with their only UK Top 40 hit, but it's fair to say he's much better known than the previous 2 (Shaye Cogan and Brothers Four).
It may seem somewhat surprising that someone as well known as George Formby didn't do better in the charts, but he was at the height of his popularity before the charts even existed, so on that basis it may be a surprise he was ever in the charts at all.
"Happy Go Lucky Me" was originally by American singer Paul Evans and didn't chart in the UK. The other side, "Banjo Boy" was originally by Danish duo Jan & Kjeld and did chart in the UK.
This George Formby record charted outside the Top 40 in it's first week, making 47 and in the same week the Jan & Kjeld record entered at 36. The following week George Formby climbed to 40 and Jan & Kjeld fell to 39. Both records dropped out the Top 40 the next week, but this time George Formby was one place above Jan & Kjeld at 42. It would drop out the Top 50 the following week, but the Jan & Kjeld version was at 46 before dropping out the Top 50 the next week.
Not only was this double a-side the final hit for George Formby, it was also his last recording as he passed away the following March.
Monday 14 October 2019
Is the X Factor era finally over?
Does the name Dalton Harris ring any bells? How about Rak-Su? or Matt Terry. Ok you could probably guess given the subject of this post, but they are the last 3 X Factor winners. None are exactly household names, and their Top 40 careers consist of 5 hits between them. There was the winners song for each of them, which doesn't get Christmas number one anymore, an Enrique Iglesias remix that Matt Terry featured on and the 2nd hit for Rak-Su which scraped into the Top 40 at 39.
Of course we know it's not always the winners that go on to have a successful pop career, One Direction weren't winners, nor was Olly Murs, so maybe instead we should look at the Top 40 hits of all the other contestants of the last 3 series. Ok well there's, um, none.
Is the X Factor era finally over then?
If we look at the charts so far in 2019, the only X Factor contestants to have had a Top 40 hit are Little Mix and James Arthur. Even if we go back to when Matt Terry won in 2016, the only other song to feature from an X Factor act aside from those 3 winners, Little Mix and James Arthur, was a minor hit (reached 32) for Olly Murs and 2015 winner Louisa Johnson.
The X Factor has never been cool amongst music fans. Since day one many people have said it's everything wrong with music, the contestants will never have a proper music career etc. I have personally never sat down and watched an episode and sometimes the one and only time I've heard the winners song is on Christmas Top of the Pops.
Whether you had any interest or not though, most people had at least heard of Leona Lewis or One Direction, even if they couldn't name you a record they've done. That's no longer the case. Even though he still has a Top 40 career, I'd say James Arthur is still quite an obscure X Factor winner. Little Mix is a name known to many, but they won in 2011, 8 years ago. I looked through the list of X Factor finalists since then and none of them are particularly well known names.
It looks like the way they're addressing this issue this year is by having a celebrity version. That way whoever the winner is can have their hits having already made a name for themselves.
But will this really work? The reality is the charts these days are full of rap music and Ed Sheeran, ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration but seriously not too far from the truth. Such little attention is paid to the charts these days though that maybe people assume the charts are still full of Simon Cowells puppets because the X Factor is still around.
It has done well to last for 15 years though. Think of how different the charts were in 2004 compared to 1989, not to mentioned all the pop music that came and went in-between. Perhaps the fact the X Factor is still around is the reason why some of us will still refer to 15 year old music as being modern. I never heard anyone say 1989 music was modern in 2004.
Of course there's more to the music world than the charts, look at the bands who still sell out stadiums who haven't had a hit for years. For the X Factor though, it's for the pop charts, if there isn't any chart success then is there any point?
Of course we know it's not always the winners that go on to have a successful pop career, One Direction weren't winners, nor was Olly Murs, so maybe instead we should look at the Top 40 hits of all the other contestants of the last 3 series. Ok well there's, um, none.
Is the X Factor era finally over then?
If we look at the charts so far in 2019, the only X Factor contestants to have had a Top 40 hit are Little Mix and James Arthur. Even if we go back to when Matt Terry won in 2016, the only other song to feature from an X Factor act aside from those 3 winners, Little Mix and James Arthur, was a minor hit (reached 32) for Olly Murs and 2015 winner Louisa Johnson.
The X Factor has never been cool amongst music fans. Since day one many people have said it's everything wrong with music, the contestants will never have a proper music career etc. I have personally never sat down and watched an episode and sometimes the one and only time I've heard the winners song is on Christmas Top of the Pops.
Whether you had any interest or not though, most people had at least heard of Leona Lewis or One Direction, even if they couldn't name you a record they've done. That's no longer the case. Even though he still has a Top 40 career, I'd say James Arthur is still quite an obscure X Factor winner. Little Mix is a name known to many, but they won in 2011, 8 years ago. I looked through the list of X Factor finalists since then and none of them are particularly well known names.
It looks like the way they're addressing this issue this year is by having a celebrity version. That way whoever the winner is can have their hits having already made a name for themselves.
But will this really work? The reality is the charts these days are full of rap music and Ed Sheeran, ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration but seriously not too far from the truth. Such little attention is paid to the charts these days though that maybe people assume the charts are still full of Simon Cowells puppets because the X Factor is still around.
It has done well to last for 15 years though. Think of how different the charts were in 2004 compared to 1989, not to mentioned all the pop music that came and went in-between. Perhaps the fact the X Factor is still around is the reason why some of us will still refer to 15 year old music as being modern. I never heard anyone say 1989 music was modern in 2004.
Of course there's more to the music world than the charts, look at the bands who still sell out stadiums who haven't had a hit for years. For the X Factor though, it's for the pop charts, if there isn't any chart success then is there any point?
Sunday 13 October 2019
Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed - Week 41
Here's my weekly look at the Top 20 from 20 years ago. On the basis we'd reach the Top 20 in the Top 40 countdown around 17:30 on a Sunday at the time the plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
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:
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
Matt Darey is a man of many aliases but he also released records under his real name, this being the first. It's one of many great Trance records to chart in 1999, I'm surprised it charted as late as October as I remember hearing it throughout the summer.
Verdict - Good
The debut hit for boy band Northern Line which was written Sweden based British songwriter Herbie Crichlow. It does have that Backstreet Boys type formula as you'd expect and it's a bit rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
This one was being played regularly on the Pete Tong show at the time as I recall and charted quite some time after I first heard it. I was kind of disappointed when it did chart as I thought it could be one I'd keep to myself. Well myself and anyone else who listened to the Pete Tong show.
Verdict - Good
If anyone thinks the Pet Shop Boys have just been keeping the 80s alive since the 80s I would suggest they give this a listen. They were very much keeping up with the times with this record, which was co written by David Morales. It's a really great record.
Verdict - Good
Tom Jones was one of those singers who I'd assumed kept on having the hits since he started out in the 60s, probably helped by the fact his 80s comeback coincided with my early music memories. However despite him seemingly always being around, in the decade prior to this release he only actually had 2 Top 40 singles which came in 93 and 94. This was the first of his hits around the turn of the century to feature a more modern artist in an attempt to stay relevant. It's a cover of the Talking Heads song and I'm not overly keen on the original and this cover is no better.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
At the time I wondered if York came from York, but it turns out they're German. It follows the same sort of formula as "9pm (Till I Come)" by fellow German ATB. I actually prefer this one though, perhaps because it wasn't played as much at the time.
Verdict - Good
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
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 you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
This is the lead single from the debut solo album of Melanie C. It sounds like she's trying to be different to the Spice Girls, going for more of a rock sound instead of the bubblegum pop of the Spice Girls. However this was written by the same team of people who wrote several of the Spice Girls big hits including "Wannabe". That said, I guess it does still sound different to the Spice Girls, but that doesn't mean it's any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
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 7.5/20, or 37.5%. All the records I consider to be good this week are Dance records.
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. 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
19. Matt Darey Presents Mash Up - Liberation (Temptation - Fly Like An Angel) (New)
Matt Darey is a man of many aliases but he also released records under his real name, this being the first. It's one of many great Trance records to chart in 1999, I'm surprised it charted as late as October as I remember hearing it throughout the summer.
Verdict - Good
18. Northern Line - Run For Your Life (New)
The debut hit for boy band Northern Line which was written Sweden based British songwriter Herbie Crichlow. It does have that Backstreet Boys type formula as you'd expect and it's a bit rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
17. 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
16. Lolly - Mickey
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
15. Paul Johnson - Get Get Down
This one was being played regularly on the Pete Tong show at the time as I recall and charted quite some time after I first heard it. I was kind of disappointed when it did chart as I thought it could be one I'd keep to myself. Well myself and anyone else who listened to the Pete Tong show.
Verdict - Good
14. Pet Shop Boys - New York City Boy (New)
If anyone thinks the Pet Shop Boys have just been keeping the 80s alive since the 80s I would suggest they give this a listen. They were very much keeping up with the times with this record, which was co written by David Morales. It's a really great record.
Verdict - Good
13. Tom Jones And The Cardigans - Burning Down The House
Tom Jones was one of those singers who I'd assumed kept on having the hits since he started out in the 60s, probably helped by the fact his 80s comeback coincided with my early music memories. However despite him seemingly always being around, in the decade prior to this release he only actually had 2 Top 40 singles which came in 93 and 94. This was the first of his hits around the turn of the century to feature a more modern artist in an attempt to stay relevant. It's a cover of the Talking Heads song and I'm not overly keen on the original and this cover is no better.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. 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
11. York - The Awakening (New)
At the time I wondered if York came from York, but it turns out they're German. It follows the same sort of formula as "9pm (Till I Come)" by fellow German ATB. I actually prefer this one though, perhaps because it wasn't played as much at the time.
Verdict - Good
10. Macy Gray - I Try (New)
When I first heard this I imagined the singer to be in her 50s. She actually is now, but at the time she was only 32. I thought it was alright initially but then it quickly got irritating. On paper it shouldn't be a bad song, it's original, it's soulful and it certainly isn't boring but for some reason it just bugs me.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Gabrielle - Sunshine (New)
One thing I remember about the year 2000 in music was the big comeback of Gabrielle, but that comeback came in late 1999 with this. I probably associate it more with the year 2000 because her following single "Rise" made number one in 2000. This was the lead single off the same album, it's alright but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
Verdict - OK
8. Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza!
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
7. Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe - Sun Is Shining
If you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
6. Britney Spears - (You Drive Me) Crazy
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. 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
4. Melanie C - Goin' Down (New)
This is the lead single from the debut solo album of Melanie C. It sounds like she's trying to be different to the Spice Girls, going for more of a rock sound instead of the bubblegum pop of the Spice Girls. However this was written by the same team of people who wrote several of the Spice Girls big hits including "Wannabe". That said, I guess it does still sound different to the Spice Girls, but that doesn't mean it's any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. S Club 7 - S Club Party
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
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 7.5/20, or 37.5%. All the records I consider to be good this week are Dance records.
Saturday 12 October 2019
My 25 Favourite Albums: Fatboy Slim - Live On Brighton Beach
In the mid-80s when the Housemartins were around, few would have predicted the bass player would go on to become one of the biggest acts in the country at the start of the 21st century, but that's exactly what did happen.
Norman Cook never really went away following the break up of the Housemartins having hits with Beats International, Freak Power, Pizzaman and Mighty Dub Katz. He became Fatboy Slim in 1996 and I first came across him in 1997 when he released "Everybody Needs A 303". It was in 1999 when he really hit the big time with "Praise You".
By the turn of the century, few, if any DJs in the dance music were bigger than Fatboy Slim. I always liked "Right Here Right Now" and "Gangster Trippin", but still to this day I don't like "Praise You", and "The Rockafeller Skank" used to annoy me but it's grown on me since. I also don't like "Sunset (Bird Of Prey)", the first single off his next album.
A mixed bag hit's wise then so initially I didn't really get the hype. But then there is Fatboy Slim the DJ. Although you're likely to hear some of his music in his sets, Fatboy Slim as a DJ is a different concept. I saw him doing a DJ set on the TV and realised just how good he was as a DJ.
His music is big beat, but his DJing was more of the house music variety. My first understanding of what makes a good DJ was ability to mix, but I knew that was a load of nonsense really, nobody really cares if the beats match up perfectly when mixing. Instead myself and a lot of other people agreed that track selection is key to being a good DJ. But actually, it isn't that. What really makes a good DJ is the ability to play any old rubbish and still make it sound good, and Fatboy Slim is just that.
This album was recorded in 2001 at the first Big Beach Boutique in Brighton. It wasn't the one where 250,000 people turned up, that was the following year.
Around the time both events took place, I was listening to more Rap and R&B music than I was dance, so I wasn't at either gig. I was living the other end of the country too at the time.
I bought the album 2 or 3 years later when Fatboy Slims popularity had dwindled and think I only paid £2 for it which was pretty much unheard of at the time. On listening to it I wished I was there.
The 3rd and 4th Big Beach Boutiques were for residents of Brighton only, but I managed to go to the 5th one (and last to date) which was in the Amex stadium as opposed to the beach. It was a great gig.
Fatboy Slim is still very much around today, but his last studio album came out in 2004. Maybe the fact he plays gigs instead of making records is a good thing, that "Eat Sleep Rave Repeat" tune he did a few years ago was dreadful.
He does come under criticism for playing the same set for the last 20 years. Whilst you're pretty much guaranteed to hear "Right Here Right Now", "Praise You" and "Star 69" in his sets, I wouldn't necessarily say they're all the same. Besides, more often than not when you go to a gig, the act you're seeing will play their big hits, this is no different.
Thursday 10 October 2019
Top of the Pops: 10/10/2019
What's this all about?
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 9
Re (11) Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
⬆ (3) AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
⬆ (27) Normani - Motivation
⬆ (35) Camila Cabello - Liar
⬆ (2) Regard - Ride It
New (40) Ed Sheeran ft Camila Cabello & Cardi B - South Of The Border
New (37) Riton ft Oliver Heldens & Vula - Turn Me On
New (21) D-Block Europe ft Dave - Playing For Keeps
⬆ (1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
None
Top 40 Countdown
Number of eligible records: 9
Re (11) Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
⬆ (3) AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
⬆ (27) Normani - Motivation
⬆ (35) Camila Cabello - Liar
⬆ (2) Regard - Ride It
New (40) Ed Sheeran ft Camila Cabello & Cardi B - South Of The Border
New (37) Riton ft Oliver Heldens & Vula - Turn Me On
New (21) D-Block Europe ft Dave - Playing For Keeps
⬆ (1) Tones & I - Dance Monkey
Missing Out
None
Tuesday 8 October 2019
UK Number 40s: Brothers Four - Greenfields (1960)
Once again we have a record that was recorded by both a UK and US act. This time though it's the American act who scores the number 40.
It was originally recorded by The Easy Riders, but this cover by Brothers Four was a big hit in America, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 100. It failed to reach the Top 40 in it's first week of release, reaching 49. In the same week, a version by British group Beverley Sisters also failed to reach the Top 40, but managed one place better at 48.
Then 2 weeks later both records appeared in the Top 40, this version at 40 and the Beverley Sisters version one place above at 39. The following week this dropped out the charts, but the Beverley Sisters version peaked at number 29 before dropping out the charts the next week.
It would be the only UK Top 40 hit for Brothers Four, who are still going today, though Bob Flick is the only original member left. Despite the group name, the members were not actual brothers.
Sunday 6 October 2019
Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed - Week 40
Here's my weekly look at the Top 20 from 20 years ago. On the basis we'd reach the Top 20 in the Top 40 countdown around 17:30 on a Sunday at the time the plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
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:
The lead single from his album with the same title which is influenced by World Music. To me though it just sounds like he's releasing any old crap because he can, because he's Sting.
Verdict - Rubbish
For the benefit of those who don't know, this was the tune which was mashed up with "I Need A Miracle" by Coco Star for the number one record "Toca's Miracle" the following year. There is no doubt that this is miles better than that tune, I remember thinking at the time they basically ruined this tune by adding vocals to it. However in reality I always thought this one was pretty average.
Verdict - OK
Here we have a music act from Denmark who aren't doing cheesy Europop music. Instead we have a proper Dance record. It was the only Top 40 hit for Brother Brown, but they also had a lot of success as remixers.
Verdict - Good
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
It had been 30 years since David Bowie had made his Top 40 debut. Arguably he had kept his chart career going that long by continuing to the sort of music the kids were listening to such as the Drum & Bass he was doing a couple of years earlier. This record though is just a nothing record, it almost sounds like he's decided to starting winding down his music career which he pretty much did.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
When Louise left Eternal it was big news, when Kelle left nobody noticed until she released this, her only solo Top 40 single. Actually thinking about it, I'm not sure that many people even noticed this single, it's pretty poor.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
Tom Jones was one of those singers who I'd assumed kept on having the hits since he started out in the 60s, probably helped by the fact his 80s comeback coincided with my early music memories. However despite him seemingly always being around, in the decade prior to this release he only actually had 2 Top 40 singles which came in 93 and 94. This was the first of his hits around the turn of the century to feature a more modern artist in an attempt to stay relevant. It's a cover of the Talking Heads song and I'm not overly keen on the original and this cover is no better.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
This one was being played regularly on the Pete Tong show at the time as I recall and charted quite some time after I first heard it. I was kind of disappointed when it did chart as I thought it could be one I'd keep to myself. Well myself and anyone else who listened to the Pete Tong show.
Verdict - Good
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
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 you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
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 6.5/20, or 32.5%. A poor week, particularly for new entries.
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. Sting - Brand New Day
The lead single from his album with the same title which is influenced by World Music. To me though it just sounds like he's releasing any old crap because he can, because he's Sting.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. Fragma - Toca Me
For the benefit of those who don't know, this was the tune which was mashed up with "I Need A Miracle" by Coco Star for the number one record "Toca's Miracle" the following year. There is no doubt that this is miles better than that tune, I remember thinking at the time they basically ruined this tune by adding vocals to it. However in reality I always thought this one was pretty average.
Verdict - OK
18. Brother Brown ft Frank'ee - Under The Water (New)
Here we have a music act from Denmark who aren't doing cheesy Europop music. Instead we have a proper Dance record. It was the only Top 40 hit for Brother Brown, but they also had a lot of success as remixers.
Verdict - Good
17. 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
16. David Bowie - Thursday's Child (New)
It had been 30 years since David Bowie had made his Top 40 debut. Arguably he had kept his chart career going that long by continuing to the sort of music the kids were listening to such as the Drum & Bass he was doing a couple of years earlier. This record though is just a nothing record, it almost sounds like he's decided to starting winding down his music career which he pretty much did.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. Thunderbugs - Friends Forever
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
14. Kelle Bryan - Higher Than Heaven (New)
When Louise left Eternal it was big news, when Kelle left nobody noticed until she released this, her only solo Top 40 single. Actually thinking about it, I'm not sure that many people even noticed this single, it's pretty poor.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. 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
12. 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
11. Tom Jones And The Cardigans - Burning Down The House
Tom Jones was one of those singers who I'd assumed kept on having the hits since he started out in the 60s, probably helped by the fact his 80s comeback coincided with my early music memories. However despite him seemingly always being around, in the decade prior to this release he only actually had 2 Top 40 singles which came in 93 and 94. This was the first of his hits around the turn of the century to feature a more modern artist in an attempt to stay relevant. It's a cover of the Talking Heads song and I'm not overly keen on the original and this cover is no better.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Lolly - Mickey
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
9. Paul Johnson - Get Get Down
This one was being played regularly on the Pete Tong show at the time as I recall and charted quite some time after I first heard it. I was kind of disappointed when it did chart as I thought it could be one I'd keep to myself. Well myself and anyone else who listened to the Pete Tong show.
Verdict - Good
8. 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
7. Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza!
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
6. Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe - Sun Is Shining
If you want to make a Dance record which is a rip off of an older song this is the way to do it. What probably helps here is that it was quite an obscure Bob Marley record before this makeover so you would probably have to be a Bob Marley fan to have known it in the first place. Great tune.
Verdict - Good
5. Britney Spears - (You Drive Me) Crazy (New)
After debuting with a song written by a Swedish bloke and following up with a song written by another Swedish bloke, the 3rd single for Britney Spears was written by those 2 Swedish blokes along with another 2 Swedish blokes. The result is something that sounds very American, and crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
4. 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
3. Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman! (New)
Oh dear, this is just dreadful. I guess she was successful with the equally dreadful "That Don't Impress Me Much" so thought more of the same.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. S Club 7 - S Club Party (New)
The Swedes were having a successful year as songwriters in the charts in 1999, but now was the turn of the Norwegians. Specifically we are talking about Stargate who are still having hits as songwriters today. This was their first major hit and it was the 2nd single for S Club 7. As it's basically introducing the band I would have thought it would be more appropriate for them to have it as their first single, or even better for them to not have it as a single at all.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
This had already been played to death by the time it charted. I remember listening to the Top 40 the week it topped the charts but turned the radio off once the number one record was announced. It's absolutely terrible.
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 6.5/20, or 32.5%. A poor week, particularly for new entries.
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