Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. 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 30 from this week in 1991 with my verdict on each record:
The fourth Top 40 hit for EMF and final single from their "Schubert Dip" album. Whilst the first 3 singles were written by the band, this one was solely written by guitarist Ian Dench who would become a successful songwriter for other acts such as Beyonce later on in life. It's not a bad record but doesn't have the same appeal as the earlier hits.
Verdict - OK
The follow up to "Gypsy Woman" and I was trying to figure out if this is basically a "Gypsy Woman" mark 2. That's more to do with the number of dance follow ups that sound the same as their predecessor though. I think this is it's own record but you can tell it's by the same artist who did "Gypsy Woman".
Verdict - Good
This isn't a cover of the Isley Brothers record, it's a Ricky Ross composition. I'd forgotten what this was called, something that irritated me when I heard it for the first time in years in 2004. Its a great record, one of the better Deacon Blue ones.
Verdict - Good
Dire Straits broke up in 1988 and reformed in 1991. This was the comeback single which was the final Top 40 single for the band excluding a live ep which charted a couple of years later. The band have a bit of a reputation for being boring which I think is a bit harsh, some of their songs are far from boring. But songs like this justify that boring tag.
Verdict - Rubbish
26. Roxette - The Big L (New)
We're now entering the era of Roxette singles that few people remember. This was their first Top 40 hit to chart outside the Top 20, something the majority of their singles would do from here onwards. This means the only times I've heard it in the last 30 years is by playing it myself.
Verdict - Good
25. Runrig - Hearthammer (EP) (New)
Runrig formed in 1973 but this was their first Top 40 hit. It's probably fair to say their chart record doesn't reflect their popularity, but then they're probably a bit niche for the charts. Not really my thing, but it's not bad.
Verdict - OK
Sonia make have parted ways with Stock Aitken & Waterman, but with crappy covers like this you do question what was the point in parting ways? It wouldn't be the last crappy cover she'd do either.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is one of a number of records Bryan Adams stopped from topping the charts. It's American rap music, but it doesn't sound out of place amongst the British dance records that were coming out at the time.
Verdict - Good
This was my record of the year for 1991. It's such a great record all I can say is give it a listen if you haven't already.
Verdict - Good
Another 1991 Simple Minds single I vaguely remember existing but no memory of the song itself. This time I understand why I don't remember the actual song, it's basically a nothing song that I've almost forgotten already.
Verdict - Rubbish
I've always know this record to be by The Shamen but don't remember hearing of them until "Ebeneezer Goode" which was just over a year later. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. It was after the shooting of this video that member Will Sinnott died.
Verdict - Good
The final original Top 40 hit to date from Midge Ure including the various groups he had chart success with. It had also been nearly 5 years since he was last in the Top 40 which was with Ultravox. He has moved with the times with this record, but the result is a pretty average record.
Verdict - OK
The lead single from Kylie Minogue's 4th album and her first single not to reach the Top 10. It's crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd Top 40 hit from DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince which came around 5 years after their first. It's not as bad as your average Will Smith record, but whilst Jazzy Jeff is a decent enough DJ, Will Smith is a terrible rapper. It has potential, put a decent rapper on their we could have a decent tune. But it has Will Smith on it, therefore it's crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
Marky Mark is Mark Wahlberg before he became an actor. This was his only Top 40 hit, but prior to this he was in New Kids On The Block before they made it big along with his brother Donnie. I guess this record is proof Will Smith wasn't the only movie actor who started out as a dreadful rapper.
Verdict - Rubbish
Another old record getting a new lease of life thanks to it's inclusion on a Levi's advert. Generally speaking I'm not a fan of 70's glam rock, but T Rex for some reason seem a bit better than the other glam rock bands.
Verdict - OK
The Top 40 debut for Utah Saints, the so called "Stadium House" act. It samples "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" by Eurythmics and "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent" by Gwen Guthrie. A common criticism of samples in dance music is they sometimes sound nothing more than the original song with a dance beat on it. This though is a prime example of how sampling should be done in dance music.
Verdict - Good
This record really irritated me at the time. My view hasn't really changed, it's a truly awful record. It was one that Bryan Adams kept off number one.
Verdict - Rubbish
The final Top 40 hit for Jason Donovan from the Stock, Aitken & Waterman era, though by this point it was just Stock & Waterman. A cover of the Turtles record and predicitably crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The song everyone knows Extreme for, so much so that people don't realise they're a rock band. This didn't go down well with the purists, ballads were very much frowned upon but an acoustic ballad was viewed as criminal. I'm not a purist though, I do think Extreme have better songs but I've always quite liked this one even if I haven't always admitted it.
Verdict - Good
We're definitely in the summer holidays now, this so reminds me of that summer. It topped the charts in America and did quite well here, but in this country at least it will always be their other hit. I loved this record though at the time and was one I started listening to again in the early days of YouTube, except I'd listen to it on Google Videos because it wasn't on YouTube.
Verdict - Good
The lead single from the "Martika's Kitchen" album which was co-written and produced by Prince. This apparently introduced a more mature sounding Martika but I think that does her previous hits a disservice.
Verdict - Good
There was a happy hardcore version of this in the mid-90s by DNA, Breeze & Munchie which I listened to quite a bit. When I heard this for the first time in years it seemed so slow given I'd got used to the happy hardcore version. That was a long time ago though, nowadays I can take the relative slowness.
Verdict - Good
A sign the summer holidays will soon be coming to an end, this reminds me of the journey to school but the weather still being warm. I should hate it given that association, but I actually quite like it. Samples "True" by Spandau Ballet and a great use of the sample in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
At the time I thought of this as being a poor mans "Hippy Chick" but there isn't much resemblance really. Years later there was a happy hardcore version by Slipmatt & Eruption which all the DJs seemed to play but I couldn't stand it. You may have gather I don't think much of this.
Verdict - Rubbish
The comment from writer Richard Easter who was on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio 1 sum this record up nicely. He says of course it was a shit song but hit wrote it for the radio 1 roadshow and was then offered money from a record label to release it, so he did. I'd have done the same myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the lead single from the "Diamonds & Pearls" album. Prince wrote some great tunes and some that are questionable. This one fits the latter, but as I listen to it for the first time in years it's starting to grow on me. Only taken 30 years.
Verdict - OK
The Top 40 debut for The Prodigy. This has been ridiculed over the years along with other "Toytown Techno" records because of the samples. I will concede that whenever I listen to this tune I listen to the album version where the sample doesn't go beyond "Charly says". But I'm sure if the album version didn't exist I'd listen to this, it really isn't as bad as it's made out to be.
Verdict - Good
I remember being at some kids club on holiday at the time and we had to dance along to this multiple times. I thought why, this song is fuckin shit. My opinion still hasn't changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
Summer holidays are on the way, this so reminds me of the summer holidays of 1991 where it was number one the whole time and beyond. Quite remarkable for a 31 year old 80s singer who'd failed to even make the Top 40 with most of his prior singles. I got pretty sick of this at the time like most people, but I actually quite like it.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17/30, or 57%. A great score considering none of the new entries were good.
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