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 30 from this week in 1990 with my verdict on each record:
30. George Michael - Freedom 90 (New)
George Michael had a pretty good chart record in the 80s and 90s. He had 25 Top 40 hits in this period, 14 of which made the Top 3 which included 7 number ones. Only Madonna and Boyzone can claim to have had more Top 3 hits in the same period. Despite that, this song which is one of his best known songs only got to number 28. Not a bad record but not one I'd go out and buy.
Verdict - OK
29. Robert Palmer And UB40 - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Before I first heard "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, a girl at school kept singing the words "be my baby". I thought she was trying to sing this, but wondered why as it was 4 years old by then. This was originally a Bob Dylan song covered in typical UB40 style. Which probably explains why I like it.
Verdict - Good
28. Bombalurina - Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat
After a couple of hits with MC Tunes, 808 State released this double a-side by themselves. Despite the heavy guitar presence on "Cubik" it's still very much a dance record, though maybe it could get the rock crowd interested, but great tune nonetheless. "Olympic" is perhaps best known as the theme tune to The Word, that's how I first came across it and always liked it.
Verdict - Good / Good
27. Enigma - Sadeness Part 1 (New)
When it comes to 90s number ones I can tell you something that was going on in my life at the time for the vast majority of them. This one though completely passed my by and I've only recently figured out why. I spend pretty much the whole of January 1991 ill in bed so therefore wasn't able to follow what was going on in the charts. As for the tune, not really the sort of record you'd expect to get to number one, or even in the charts for that matter which is a compliment.
Verdict - Good
26. The Proclaimers - King Of The Road (EP)
It's quite a strange dynamic really, a band who are so blatantly Scottish singing a song that's very American. This was the first version of "King Of The Road" I heard, which was originally a number one for Roger Miller in 1965. Can't say this is really my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
25. Betty Boo - 24 Hours
It's amazing how you can go 30 years without hearing a song, then when it comes to listening to it again it sounds quite different to how you remember it. This is one of those. My memory was this didn't sound as silly as her earlier efforts, and I guess it doesn't. Still crap though.
Verdict - Rubbish
24. INXS - Disappear (New)
One of the better INXS hits in my opinion. I remember walking through the school corridor singing this at the time, particularly the "do do do do" bit.
Verdict - Good
23. Jimmy Somerville - To Love Somebody
Another Jimmy Somerville record that's a cover, this time of a Bee Gees record. This is done in a reggae style and I think this was the first version I heard. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
22. Black Box - Total Mix (New)
I don't think the actual "Total Mix" is on YouTube but have put a Black Box megamix from 1990 which is pretty much the same thing i.e. their hits to date mixed together, some I like and some I don't.
Verdict - OK
21. Dream Warriors - My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style
These day's it's hard to listen to this record with it's sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones without thinking of Austin Powers. It was a different story back in 1990, a few years before Austin Powers. My main memory of it was mishearing the lyrics, I didn't know what this was called at the time and heard "I've got permission". Still, a good record.
Verdict - Good
20. Black Box - Fantasy
A cover of the Earth Wind & Fire record. I used to like it, but over time it's started to make me cringe. Had I not bought a Black Box CD several years ago I may have still liked it, but I just can't listen to it anymore.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. Rod Stewart And Tina Turner - It Takes Two
It's the king of crap covers doing a crap cover in collaboration with Tina Turner. It must have been the big names that sold this because why anyone would listen to this over the original Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston version is beyond me.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Twenty4Seven ft Captain Hollywood - Are You Dreaming?
This was the second and final collaboration between Twenty4Seven and Captain Hollywood to make the UK Top 40. Like with the first hit, not as cheesy as your average Eurodance record but still pretty average at the same time.
Verdict - OK
17. Dimples D - Sucker DJ
Once again we have a record in the charts thanks to a remix by Ben Liebrand. This originally came out in 1983 and failed to chart. I think I liked this record at the time but don't think I've heard it since 1990. Listening to it now though I'm not so keen.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Julee Cruise - Falling
When a song is most famous for being a theme tune to a TV show it's often crap. Not always though. This was the theme tune to "Twin Peaks", a fact I did not know at the time. To this very day I still haven't watched an episode so to me this is still simply a song, and one I like.
Verdict - Good
15. Malandra Burrows - Just This Side Of Love
The mid-80s saw the launch of EastEnders, and not long after a number of actors from the show were having hits. Then towards the end of the 80s we had Neighbours actors in the charts. Now was the turn of Emmerdale with this. Though I caught the odd episode of Emmerdale, it's not a programme I ever watched properly and have just discovered that Malandra Burrows character, Kathy, sang this on the show itself. It wouldn't be the last we'd hear of Emmerdale in the charts, but more of that if I'm still doing these posts in 6 years time.
Verdict - Rubbish
14. Yazoo - Situation
What's this? Yazoo in 1990? Yes, although Yazoo had long split up, this record got the remix treatment and charted in 1990. It was originally the b-side to "Only You". I'd say this is an example of the b-side being better than the a-side, and I like "Only You".
Verdict - Good
13. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (New)
After the successful re-issue of "Unchained Melody" the Righteous Brothers re-issued this record, if anything to show the kids hearing them for the first time (i.e. me) that there are 2 of them. I think I preferred this one to "Unchained Melody" at the time, but it's hard to pick between the 2, they're both good.
Verdict - Good
12. Snap! - Mary Had A Little Boy
Was this the beginning of Toytown Techno? Maybe not, whilst it's based on a nursery rhyme it's perhaps not as blatant as actual Toytown Techno records, though it could have inspired it. Very cheesy though and the rapping is dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. MC Hammer - Pray
Mix together Prince and Faith No More, add some gospel rapping over the top and you get this. I'd rather just listen to the Prince or Faith No More songs on their own though.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
This has one of the most famous music videos of all time, the one with Helena Christensen in it with him. Maybe it's just as well for Chris Isaak that this video has made such an impact because it diverts the attention away from the fact it's a very dull song.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. New Kids On The Block - This One's For The Children
The 7th New Kids On The Block hit of 1990. Picture the scene, you're at a work Christmas party having a sit down meal, a pianist is playing as you eat, then I come up to the piano and start singing this. Fortunately that never happened, but a work colleague of mine once suggested I did that. She was the New Kids On The Block fan, I was just someone who knew enough New Kids On The Block songs to be able to converse with her about them.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. Patrick MacNee And Honor Blackman - Kinky Boots
This song is from 1964 but was never a hit. Thanks to Simon Mayo though this finally became a hit in 1990. I wonder how many people who bought it actually liked it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. Kim Appleby - Don't Worry
Ever wondered what Craig Logan did after he left Bros? Well here's your answer, he was co-writer on this record. Kim Appleby was of course one half of Mel & Kim, something I didn't realise at the time. Mel had died earlier on in the year and this was Kim's solo debut. She no longer had involvement with Stock Aitken & Waterman, which explains why I quite like this.
Verdict - Good
6. EMF - Unbelievable
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
5. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
I remember seeing this video on Top of the Pops and what confused me was that they were called The Righteous Brothers but there was only one of them. I soon discovered there were two of them, but only Bobby Hatfield featured on this particular record. It was originally released in 1965 but was re-released thanks to it featuring in the movie "Ghost". There are lots of versions of this song, but this is the best one in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
4. The Farm - All Together Now
One could argue this is a Christmas song. It was to do with the Christmas truce during the First World War. This is one of those tunes that I like which also has a happy hardcore version that I like, "Together In Wonderland" by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, and I like playing them back to back.
Verdict - Good
3. Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day
I prefer this to "Mistletoe & Wine", probably because you don't hear it as much at Christmas. That's the only positive thing I can say about it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. Madonna - Justify My Love
Many people had never heard of Lenny Kravitz until he did "It Ain't Over Til It's Over", but they would likely have heard one of his compositions in this song. I wonder how many Lenny Kravitz fans actually like this song though.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair.
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 14/30, or 47%. Slight improvement on last weeks low.
No comments:
Post a Comment