The Top 40 Leaderboard: Jan 2022

At this early stage of the year we have 2 acts who have had 2 Top 40 hits this year. There's Central Cee who made his Top 40 debut in October 2020 and is on his 9th Top 40 hit already so I wouldn't be surprised to see him up there by the end of the year. The other is Weeknd who now has 30 Top 40 hits to his name.

Rap is the biggest genre so far accounting for 6 of the 18 Top 40 hits or 33%.

25 Years Since....January 1997

Although I was predominantly listening to underground rave music in 1997 there were still enough records in the Top 40 I was enjoying. Here's the ones from January:

Tori Amos - Professional Widow (It's Got To Be Big)

Tori Amos had been round for a few years by this point so I had an idea of what the typical Tori Amos record would sound like which was nothing like this. 

It turned out the original was like a typical Tori Amos record that was remixed by Armand Van Helden to produce something that sounds nothing like the original. It became her only number one to date but she's only had one further Top 40 hit since.

En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)

I never really got into R&B until the end of the decade. That said, I did occasionally listen to the Trevor Nelson show on Radio 1 and I've always liked this record.

Maybe this was the beginning of me getting into R&B. Once I made the conscious decision to start acquiring more R&B records En Vogue were top of the list.

This is probably my favourite of all their hits which is saying something for a group who made their debut 7 years prior. Unfortunately this was the beginning of the end for the group with Dawn Robinson leaving shortly after and whilst they've kept on going it's not been the same really.

East 17 - Hey Child

This was the 2nd new single from their greatest hits album which was subtitled "the journey so far" which was presumably to imply they weren't going away anytime soon.

However Brian Harvey made his ecstasy comments whilst the record was in the charts and was sacked shortly after. Whilst reunions in various shapes and forms have happened since, this was really the last of East 17 as we knew them.

Lisa Stansfield/Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - People Hold On (Bootleg Mixes)

This is basically the "Professional Widow" remix with the vocals to "People Hold On" on the record instead. It's a big improvement over the original in my opinion.

White Town - Your Woman

Although there are many resources on the internet these days about White Town, at the time it was a bit of a mystery who White Town actually was.

It was also an unlikely number one. It's an experimental tune made by someone who was anonymous but at the same time it was a tune that could be liked by fans of various genres.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 5

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. The Beautiful South - Old Red Eyes Is Back

This was the first Top 40 hit for The Beautiful South since they topped the charts with "A Little Time". It's a song about an alcoholic who dies and I love the line "Old red he died, and every single landlord in the district cried". The Beautiful South tend to have good lyrics but often the music is a bit middle of the road for my liking.

Verdict - OK

29. Right Said Fred - Don't Talk Just Kiss

I don't think I've heard this one for 30 years, it's very much overshadowed by "I'm Too Sexy" and "Deeply Dippy". I was ready to dismiss this as cheesy crap but on listening to it again I've changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is Right Said Fred and is therefore still cheesy but it feels more of a song than their other records. The vocals of Jocelyn Brown in this probably help. 

Verdict - OK

28. DNA ft Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It? (New)

They started their Top 40 career by reviving "Toms Diner" by Suzanne Vega and they ended it by reviving another 80s tune, this time being "Can You Handle It?" by Sharon Redd. It's quite different from their other hits, this being more of an upbeat house record. I can date this song by the class I was in at school at the time so it must have had an impact. Sadly the comeback of Sharon Redd didn't last long as she died just 3 months later.

Verdict - Good

27. Manic Street Preachers - You Love Us (New)

I remember seeing this on Top of the Pops at the time. I could only remember the song title immediately afterwards and didn't hear this again for a long time. I remember thinking that singer James Dean Bradfield seemed pretty angry on this, which was great. 

Verdict - Good

26. Daisy Chainsaw - Love Your Money (New)

The only Top 40 hit for Daisy Chainsaw. One of many records I vaguely remember at the time but haven't heard for 30 years. It's a lot heavier than I remembered which in a way makes it sound much better than I remembered.

Verdict - Good

25. Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down

Although this was very much the era of gangsta rap, it was the more radio friendly rap music that was getting in the charts. The notable exception to that was Public Enemy, with this being their 7th Top 40 hit. The only other rap acts who could claim to have had that many by this point were De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa and MC Hammer. Whatever sort of rap music has been happening though, there's always room for Public Enemy in my book.

Verdict - Good

24. Dream Frequency - Feel So Real

Another underground rave act to cross over into the charts, this was the Top 40 debut for Dream Frequency. Another thing coming out of the rave scene was putting towns and cities outside of the big ones like London and Manchester on the music map. Dream Frequency hailed from Preston. 

Verdict - Good

23. Clivilles And Cole - Pride (In The Name Of Love)

Clivilles and Cole are the same people behind C&C Music Factory. It's a cover of the U2 record done rave style. Whilst that style is very welcome, they've not done a very good job of it in my opinion. It does sound very amateur, but then when the singing comes in it's almost like the rave elements have gone away.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. James - Born Of Frustration (New)

James will probably always be remembered for "Sit Down" which is a bit of a shame really. Particularly when just under a year later they released this record which is the best record I've heard from them. 

Verdict - Good

21. Sugarcubes - Hit

The only Top 40 hit for the Sugarcubes, who were the band Bjork was in before she went solo. Whilst it's undeniably Bjork singing, it's different than your average Bjork record. Not really to my liking though.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Mariah Carey - Can't Let Go (New)

This was the first Mariah Carey single not to make number one in America. Over here she'd only managed to reach the Top 10 once so far which was with her debut "Vision Of Love". This one only just scraped into the Top 20. It was her first Top 40 hit written by her long time collaborator Walter Afanasieff who wrote her Christmas song amongst others. This is the typical dreary crap that she sings.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Paula Abdul - Vibeology

I don't remember Paula Abdul still being around in 1992 but I do remember this record. This was written by the members of The Family Stand of "Ghetto Heaven" fame. Before listening to it I thought it was OK but the piano in it has upgraded it to good. That's why I always listen to the record before giving my verdict.

Verdict - Good

18. Hammer - Addams Groove

The first hit for MC Hammer after he became simply Hammer. I liked this at the time and remember irritating the teacher by rapping it in the classroom. I don't think I've heard it since then. Hearing it now I can't say I feel the same, it is a bit rubbish.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Kym Sims - Too Blind To See It

Steve 'Silk' Hurley gave us the first house number one in 1987 and as an artist he never had another Top 40 hit. As a composer though he was back in the Top 40 in 1991 with this record. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Kym Sims and her best known. I would also say it was her best hit.

Verdict - Good

16. Des'ree - Feel So High

This was the Top 40 debut for Des'ree. At the time I had no idea who Des'ree was and imagined this to be sung by someone quite old, but Des'ree would have been just 22 at the time of recording. Maybe I thought it sounded like music for old people, I never thought much to it at the time. Now I'm older my opinion hasn't really changed.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Blue Pearl - (Can You) Feel The Passion

"Playing With Knives" by Bizarre Inc had only left the Top 40 a couple of weeks earlier, but here it is being sampled by Blue Pearl. Ironically this actually has "playing with knives" in the lyrics but the Bizarre Inc record doesn't. 

Verdict - Good

14. KLF ft Tammy Wynette - Justified And Ancient

I remember watching this on Top of the Pops at the time. I absolutely loved it. Little did we know at the time that this would be their final completely original Top 40 hit. I mishear lyrics all the time and was convinced I misheard the lyrics "They're justified and they're ancient and they drive an ice cream van" but I didn't.

Verdict - Good

13. Kicks Like A Mule - The Bouncer (New)

One thing I do miss about listening to rave music in the 90s is knowing absolutely nothing about the people who made the records. Kicks Like A Mule was one of these, but I now know they were a duo of one of the founders of XL Records and the person who now runs the label. This means that the latter person is responsible for introducing the world to Adele. I can't let that fact get in the way of this being a good tune though.

Verdict - Good

12. The Pasadenas - I'm Doing Fine Now (New)

Ordinarily a British R&B group doing a pointless cover isn't a good thing. But I never knew that fact at the time, as far as I was concerned this was a Pasadenas tune and I loved it. Even when I started listening to this in the early days of YouTube I still didn't know it was a cover. A lot has to be said for hearing the cover before the original, it really does.

Verdict - Good

11. Ce Ce Peniston - We Got A Love Thang

Ce Ce Peniston is thought of as a one hit wonder with "Finally", but amazingly she had 7 Top 40 hits spanning 7 years. This was her second. I'm not a fan of "Finally" but at least it's catchy. I can't say the same for this, it's crap and instantly forgettable. 

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Shakespear's Sister - Stay

When Siobhan left Bananarama and formed Shakespear's Sister they had a Top 10 hit with "You're History" in 1989. By the end of 1991 it looked like they were history have failed to reach the Top 40 with any of their other singles. Then came this, which topped the charts and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. I do think that the contrast between the vocals of Marcella and Siobhan is a good concept, but I've never been able to bring myself to like this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Genesis - I Can't Dance

I remember this record being out around the same time as "Fun Day" by Stevie Wonder. The history books tell my I'm not far off, the Stevie Wonder record came out in October 1991 but never made the Top 40. I liked it at the time and I guess I still do now even though it's a bit cheesy.

Verdict - Good

8. The Wonder Stuff - Welcome To The Cheap Seats

This was the follow up to the chart topping "Dizzy". Miles Hunt resumes lead vocals and this time he's joined by Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. I have memories of this song coming on the radio on a car journey going somewhere I don't think I'd been before, no idea where it was though. More recently this was one of the songs I played on YouTube quite a bit in the early days.

Verdict - Good

7. Curtis Stigers - I Wonder Why

The Top 40 debut from Curtis Stigers who was a sort of Michael Bolton and Kenny G all in one i.e. a singer and saxophonist with long hair. I've since read that Curtis Stigers hair had only just grown when he broke through and then he cut it short straight after he toured his first album, but that's what he'll forever be remembered for. I have to admit though, I do quite like this song.

Verdict - Good

6. Kiss - God Gave Rock And Roll To You II

As a kid I loved "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", the film in which this record appears. However, I watched it again a couple of years ago and found it was nowhere near as good as I remember it. Fortunately this record hasn't suffered the same fate, still sounds decent now.

Verdict - Good

5. The Prodigy - Everybody In The Place

There had been quite a few rave records that had hit the Top 40 by this point so the rave sound was nothing new anymore. However, I do remember thinking this record was quite groundbreaking at the time. It was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Prodigy and the follow up to "Charly" and it no doubt went a long way in showing people that they weren't a novelty "toytown techno" act.

Verdict - Good

4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Following the death of Freddie Mercury "Bohemian Rhapsody" returned to top the charts and became the first record to be Christmas number one twice. I've mentioned before on this blog that I don't consider it the masterpiece it's made out to be and I've heard it far too many times in my life, but it's not a bad record. The other side of this double a-side "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" was a new song and would have probably topped the charts without being aided by "Bohemian Rhapsody" given the circumstances. It's definitely the better of the two in my opinion.

Verdict - OK / Good

3. 2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone

My dance music knowledge was virtually non-existent at the time. I do remember this being out around the same time as "Everybody In The Place" by The Prodigy and thinking of this record as being a poor mans Prodigy. 

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Kylie Minogue - Give Me Just A Little More Time

This was the last Top 10 Kylie Minogue hit from the Stock, Aitken & Waterman era. It's a cover and quite predictably it sounds like a karaoke version. 

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Wet Wet Wet - Goodnight Girl

Wet Wet Wet hadn't really been away, but this was their first Top 10 hit since 1989. Marti Pellow's hair had grown quite considerably in that time. Despite this being a chart topper I remember everyone hating this record at the time. I on the other hand liked it. This wasn't their big comeback though as they never made the Top 10 again until "Love Is All Around" in 1994.

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 20/30, or 67%. The best week of the year so far.

Quest @ Quest, Wolverhampton 28/01/1995

 

After going to Willenhall near Wolverhampton 3 weeks ago, this week see's us going to Wolverhampton itself. The event is Quest at a club called Quest which was called Paloma's when they first began in 1991. 

For much of it's existence it was a weekly event at this venue. Then they took a break in the summer of 1994 before returning with "Out of the Darkness into the Light" which was designed to go against the moodiness that jungle music was attracting. It wasn't a success though and it then became a monthly event.

Before the end of 1995 the venue closed until further notice. A couple more events happened in 1996 before they called it a day. The venue has since become a Rileys snooker club.

The line up is very much geared towards jungle. The was Grooverider, Micky Finn, Kenny Ken and Nexus who were all very much jungle DJs and Pilgrim and Easygroove who were what I'd describe as sat on the fence between happy hardcore and jungle DJs. For the first time so far this year there is no DJ SY.

There are 3 tapes from this event, Grooverider, Micky Finn and Pilgrim. The MCs on each set aren't ones you'd associate with jungle at the time, with Grooverider it was Magika, with Micky Finn it was Ribbz and with Pilgrim it was Stixman and Ranger T.

At the beginning of the year I highlighted the Pilgrim set from Dreamscape 15 vs 16 as the set of the night. This time it's still a mixture of jungle and happy hardcore but much more leaning towards jungle. There are 2 records he plays on both sets, "In Effect" by Red Alert & Mike Slammer and "Let It Lift You" by Billy Bunter & JDS.

None of the tunes on the Pilgrim set appear on the other 2 sets. What is notable though is that the set has tunes by Luna C, Demo and Ham who are all names associated with hardcore but the tunes on this set sound more jungle.

Despite there just being 3 recorded sets, we have quite a few new for 1995 tunes. These are tunes where I've found no existence of them being released or played anywhere prior to 1995:

In Between The Lines - 95 Rampage

Law & Auder - Volume 1 Side B

Roni Size - Fashion

Rhythm For Reasons - The New Style

F.X. - The Sound Of F.X

Amazon II - Bass Light

Asylum - Da Base II Dark

Trinity - I Selassie I

Tom & Jerry - All Of My....

Special K - What's Going On

DJ Demo - Light Years Ahead

Luna C - Piano Omission

"95 Rampage" appears in both the Grooverider and Micky Finn sets, as does "Fire" by Prizna and "The Lighter" by Sound of the Future. Also appearing in both sets but as different remixes is "Some Justice 95" by Urban Shakedown.

Once again though it's the Pilgrim set that does it for me. Around this time I was into rave as opposed to specifically happy hardcore or jungle and this set captures that. It also seems apparent Quest wanted the jungle music with the hardcore vibes. 

It remains to be seen how many other sets like that we'll get in the rest of 1995.

UK Charts Best Year Search: 2014

What's this all about?

Top 40

Best Song: Sigma - Nobody To Love

I first heard this in a High Contrast set. It got quite a reaction. I had no idea at the time that this was a chart topping record. It does have the makings of a chart record though, but in an acceptable sort of way. I can't say the same for the other Sigma records I've heard.

Worst Song: Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX - Fancy

I was aware of Iggy Azalea, a female rapper from Australia. I couldn't name any of her records though. If this is anything to go by then that's a good thing. I can't figure out whether she wants to be taken seriously as a rapper or if she's just taking the piss. It certainly sounds like the latter. 

Top 40 Review

In 2004 I asked an older work colleague whether he knew a record that was in the Top 40 at the time. He said no, he hadn't followed the Top 40 for years. 10 years later I found someone asking me what I thought of the number one record, but I had no idea what it was.

Picking the best record for this Top 40 was an easy choice, it was the only record to get full marks. It was also the only drum & bass record in that Top 40.

Electropop/EDM/Ed Sheeran & his clones took up approximately half of this Top 40. There is a solitary half mark from that lot which goes to "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit. The instrumental is a great tune but the actual charting tune had been ruined by the vocals which downgrades it to a half mark.

The new music coming in to take some of the electropop/EDM/Ed Sheeran & his clones share and another trio of genres. They are deep house, tropical house and future house. These are a lot more mellow than your generic EDM and as a result they're a lot less irritating. The downside though is that it can be a bit weak and lacking in substance.

There are however 2 records from that lot which get half marks which are "Waves" by Mr Probz and "Jubel" by Klingande. 

The rest of the charts are really a blend of pop and R&B and all crap. The nearest we get to rock music is 5 Seconds Of Summer who are basically a more modern Busted/McFly so a bit pathetic really. Finally, no rap records at all in this Top 40.

Once again the score is terrible.

Score: 2.5

Table

We are improving, but ever so slightly:

UK Number 40s: Northside - Take 5 (1991)

 

As the average person to name a Madchester band and the chances are they'll say The Happy Mondays or The Stone Roses. Ask them to name a few more and The Inspiral Carpets are sure to feature, they may acknowledge that was where James and The Charlatans broke through. They may even give 808 State a mention and maybe even some bands like Jesus Jones who aren't even from Manchester. How about Northside? Probably not.

Northside were part of the Madchester movement and came from Manchester but are arguably the most forgotten band from that scene to have a Top 40 hit. They weren't one hit wonders either, they debuted in 1990 with "My Rising Star" which made number 32.

This was their 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date. Perhaps it's biggest claim to fame was the fact it appeared on Top of the Pops when it was at number 41. It was arguably that appearance that pushed this record up one place to 40 the following week.

What's notable about this record is how the guitar riff resembles "More Than A Feeling" by Boston. A certain grunge band from Seattle would do something similar later on that year. 

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 4

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. Senseless Things - Easy To Smile

The first of two Top 40 hits for Senseless Things. I vaguely remember this record, but it never had much impact on me and I certainly couldn't sing it in my head. Listening now though I'm finding this record is pretty good.

Verdict - Good

29. Dream Frequency - Feel So Real (New)

Another underground rave act to cross over into the charts, this was the Top 40 debut for Dream Frequency. Another thing coming out of the rave scene was putting towns and cities outside of the big ones like London and Manchester on the music map. Dream Frequency hailed from Preston. 

Verdict - Good

28. Lisa Stansfield - All Woman

I'm surprised that this is amongst the lowest charting Lisa Stansfield Top 40 hits as I'd have this down as one of her better known records. Not my cup of tea though, I find it a bit boring.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Shakespear's Sister - Stay (New)

When Siobhan left Bananarama and formed Shakespear's Sister they had a Top 10 hit with "You're History" in 1989. By the end of 1991 it looked like they were history have failed to reach the Top 40 with any of their other singles. Then came this, which topped the charts and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. I do think that the contrast between the vocals of Marcella and Siobhan is a good concept, but I've never been able to bring myself to like this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Curtis Stigers - I Wonder Why (New)

The Top 40 debut from Curtis Stigers who was a sort of Michael Bolton and Kenny G all in one i.e. a singer and saxophonist with long hair. I've since read that Curtis Stigers hair had only just grown when he broke through and then he cut it short straight after he toured his first album, but that's what he'll forever be remembered for. I have to admit though, I do quite like this song.

Verdict - Good

25. Cappella ft Loleatta Holloway - Take Me Away (New)

Cappella made their Top 40 debut in 1989, but it took them till this record to score their next Top 40 hit. It's a shift away from house music to eurodance, but not quite the sound they became best known for the following year. That's a good thing though. 

Verdict - OK

24. Shaft - Roobarb And Custard

The third so called "Toytown Techno" record to make the Top 40. I'll concede the kids TV samples are a bit cringeworthy but if you take them out you've got a decent record that doesn't sound particularly cheesy. In fact the samples are only a small part of the overall tune, they just stand out when you hear them.

Verdict - Good

23. Isotonik - Different Strokes

Isotonik is Chris Paul who was promotor of the Orange raves back in the early 90s. This was the first of two Top 40 hits for him. Whilst it's definitely a rave record, it's quite soulful too and that blend really works.

Verdict - Good

22. The Beautiful South - Old Red Eyes Is Back

This was the first Top 40 hit for The Beautiful South since they topped the charts with "A Little Time". It's a song about an alcoholic who dies and I love the line "Old red he died, and every single landlord in the district cried". The Beautiful South tend to have good lyrics but often the music is a bit middle of the road for my liking.

Verdict - OK

21. Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down (New)

Although this was very much the era of gangsta rap, it was the more radio friendly rap music that was getting in the charts. The notable exception to that was Public Enemy, with this being their 7th Top 40 hit. The only other rap acts who could claim to have had that many by this point were De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa and MC Hammer. Whatever sort of rap music has been happening though, there's always room for Public Enemy in my book.

Verdict - Good

20. Michael Jackson - Black Or White (Clivilles And Coles Remixes)

The original of this had only left the Top 40 the previous week. The original is best known for the guitar riff but there appears to be no guitar whatsoever on this remix. Seems a bit strange to leave out the bit that makes the tune, but I actually don't mind it.

Verdict - OK

19. Paula Abdul - Vibeology

I don't remember Paula Abdul still being around in 1992 but I do remember this record. This was written by the members of The Family Stand of "Ghetto Heaven" fame. Before listening to it I thought it was OK but the piano in it has upgraded it to good. That's why I always listen to the record before giving my verdict.

Verdict - Good

18. Diana Ross - When You Tell Me That You Love Me

I'm a big fan of Motown and like many Diana Ross records both as a solo artist and with The Supremes. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. It's quite an achievement for someone who's been around since the 60s to have a number two hit in 1991 and had Freddie Mercury not died this would have likely been Christmas number one. It's just too much of a ballad for my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Sugarcubes - Hit

The only Top 40 hit for the Sugarcubes, who were the band Bjork was in before she went solo. Whilst it's undeniably Bjork singing, it's different than your average Bjork record. Not really to my liking though.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Right Said Fred - Don't Talk Just Kiss

I don't think I've heard this one for 30 years, it's very much overshadowed by "I'm Too Sexy" and "Deeply Dippy". I was ready to dismiss this as cheesy crap but on listening to it again I've changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is Right Said Fred and is therefore still cheesy but it feels more of a song than their other records. The vocals of Jocelyn Brown in this probably help. 

Verdict - OK

15. Clivilles And Cole - Pride (In The Name Of Love)

Clivilles and Cole are the same people behind C&C Music Factory. It's a cover of the U2 record done rave style. Whilst that style is very welcome, they've not done a very good job of it in my opinion. It does sound very amateur, but then when the singing comes in it's almost like the rave elements have gone away.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Blue Pearl - (Can You) Feel The Passion

"Playing With Knives" by Bizarre Inc had only left the Top 40 a couple of weeks earlier, but here it is being sampled by Blue Pearl. Ironically this actually has "playing with knives" in the lyrics but the Bizarre Inc record doesn't. 

Verdict - Good

13. Des'ree - Feel So High

This was the Top 40 debut for Des'ree. At the time I had no idea who Des'ree was and imagined this to be sung by someone quite old, but Des'ree would have been just 22 at the time of recording. Maybe I thought it sounded like music for old people, I never thought much to it at the time. Now I'm older my opinion hasn't really changed.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Hammer - Addams Groove

The first hit for MC Hammer after he became simply Hammer. I liked this at the time and remember irritating the teacher by rapping it in the classroom. I don't think I've heard it since then. Hearing it now I can't say I feel the same, it is a bit rubbish.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. The Wonder Stuff - Welcome To The Cheap Seats (New)

This was the follow up to the chart topping "Dizzy". Miles Hunt resumes lead vocals and this time he's joined by Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. I have memories of this song coming on the radio on a car journey going somewhere I don't think I'd been before, no idea where it was though. More recently this was one of the songs I played on YouTube quite a bit in the early days.

Verdict - Good

10. KLF ft Tammy Wynette - Justified And Ancient

I remember watching this on Top of the Pops at the time. I absolutely loved it. Little did we know at the time that this would be their final completely original Top 40 hit. I mishear lyrics all the time and was convinced I misheard the lyrics "They're justified and they're ancient and they drive an ice cream van" but I didn't.

Verdict - Good

9. 2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone (New)

My dance music knowledge was virtually non-existent at the time. I do remember this being out around the same time as "Everybody In The Place" by The Prodigy and thinking of this record as being a poor mans Prodigy. 

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Kym Sims - Too Blind To See It

Steve 'Silk' Hurley gave us the first house number one in 1987 and as an artist he never had another Top 40 hit. As a composer though he was back in the Top 40 in 1991 with this record. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Kym Sims and her best known. I would also say it was her best hit.

Verdict - Good

7. Genesis - I Can't Dance

I remember this record being out around the same time as "Fun Day" by Stevie Wonder. The history books tell my I'm not far off, the Stevie Wonder record came out in October 1991 but never made the Top 40. I liked it at the time and I guess I still do now even though it's a bit cheesy.

Verdict - Good

6. Ce Ce Peniston - We Got A Love Thang

Ce Ce Peniston is thought of as a one hit wonder with "Finally", but amazingly she had 7 Top 40 hits spanning 7 years. This was her second. I'm not a fan of "Finally" but at least it's catchy. I can't say the same for this, it's crap and instantly forgettable. 

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Kylie Minogue - Give Me Just A Little More Time (New)

This was the last Top 10 Kylie Minogue hit from the Stock, Aitken & Waterman era. It's a cover and quite predictably it sounds like a karaoke version. 

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Kiss - God Gave Rock And Roll To You II

As a kid I loved "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", the film in which this record appears. However, I watched it again a couple of years ago and found it was nowhere near as good as I remember it. Fortunately this record hasn't suffered the same fate, still sounds decent now.

Verdict - Good

3. The Prodigy - Everybody In The Place

There had been quite a few rave records that had hit the Top 40 by this point so the rave sound was nothing new anymore. However, I do remember thinking this record was quite groundbreaking at the time. It was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Prodigy and the follow up to "Charly" and it no doubt went a long way in showing people that they weren't a novelty "toytown techno" act.

Verdict - Good

2. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Following the death of Freddie Mercury "Bohemian Rhapsody" returned to top the charts and became the first record to be Christmas number one twice. I've mentioned before on this blog that I don't consider it the masterpiece it's made out to be and I've heard it far too many times in my life, but it's not a bad record. The other side of this double a-side "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" was a new song and would have probably topped the charts without being aided by "Bohemian Rhapsody" given the circumstances. It's definitely the better of the two in my opinion.

Verdict - OK / Good

1. Wet Wet Wet - Goodnight Girl

Wet Wet Wet hadn't really been away, but this was their first Top 10 hit since 1989. Marti Pellow's hair had grown quite considerably in that time. Despite this being a chart topper I remember everyone hating this record at the time. I on the other hand liked it. This wasn't their big comeback though as they never made the Top 10 again until "Love Is All Around" in 1994.

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 18/30, or 60%. Same as last week.

Hysteria & Pure X @ The Sanctuary, Milton Keynes 21/01/1995

 

GE Real

3 weeks after seeing in the new year we're back at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes again. This venue saw many big raves and is likely to be the most featured venue throughout the year. 

If ever there was proof that the scene had split into happy hardcore and jungle then Hysteria was it. Whilst the event consisted of both genres, the tape packs were split into happy hardcore and jungle. The event though was leaning much more towards jungle which is evident by there being 2 x jungle 6 packs and 1 x 'appy 'ardcore 4 pack as they called it. I've managed to listen to all bar one of the jungle tapes but couldn't find any of the happy hardcore ones, but I've seen the track listings for all of them.

That all said, the tapes weren't exactly what they said on the tin. The first jungle pack has Dougal on side 2 of the Micky Finn tape, the first half of the first side of the Jumpin Jack Frost tape is Diamond C, the Ray Keith tape is mostly DJ SY from an earlier Hysteria and the EXL set is a happy hardcore one.

On the second jungle pack the Darren Jay tape isn't Darren Jay at all, it's DJ Rap and Slipmatt from an earlier Hysteria. A big chunk at the beginning of the Penfold & Diamond C tape is Promis playing happy hardcore. Side 2 of the Dougal tape in the 'appy 'ardcore pack is Micky Finn.

It's the 4th week in and the 4th time that DJ SY has been playing. It's now just 2 tunes that have been in all 4 sets, "Crowd Pleasers Volume 3" by Crowd Pleasers and "In Effect" by DJ Red Alert & Mike Slammer. Because Hysteria was more of a jungle rave though there is a notable amount of jungle played in the DJ SY set here.

From the happy hardcore sets the only new for 95 tune that hasn't featured at the raves looked at so far is "Cheddar II" by Cheddar. These are the jungle tunes that are new for 95:

Top Cat meets DJ Rap - Ruffest Gun Ark

More Rockers - You're Gonna (Make Me)

London's Most Wanted - Girls Dem Want It

Rude & Deadly - Lightnin And Tunda

Ninjaman - Jungle Move

Helen T - Ruff And Rugged

Undercover Agent - The Instrumental

Bizzy B & M.T. - Dub Select

Chatta B - Journey Into Sound

Mr. Realistic - If A Soundtest

Mr. Realistic - Crying

Radic - Guns Don't Argue

Just a quick note to say that any of these tunes could have been played in 1994 in sets that weren't recorded but there's no way to determine that. 5 of these tunes ("The Instrumental" to "Crying" in the list) appear in the GE Real set which is the one I've featured here. This appears to be the only recorded set the Mr. Realistic (an alias of GE Real) tunes appear on and both are good tunes.

The tune that appears the most is "Fire" by Prizna which appears on 6 of the sets. This would go on to become a Top 40 hit in April. After being the most featured tune at Dreamscape 15 vs 16, "Champion Sound" by Q-Project doesn't appear at all in these sets.

Whilst Dreamscape 15 vs 16 used both the Sanctuary and Rollers, this event just used the Sanctuary. This is likely to be the case with all events bar Dreamscape in 1995. It shouldn't be too long before we're back again.

UK Charts Best Year Search: 2013

What's this all about?

Top 40

Best Song: Daft Punk ft Pharrell - Get Lucky

This was my record of the year for 2013. Daft Punk were pretty much the only commercial dance act who didn't descend into shitness at the height of EDM in my opinion. This is probably the last decent tune Pharrell did as well. 

Worst Song: Kesha ft Will I Am - Crazy Kids

I get the impression there is a hidden message in here. You basically have to be a crazy kid to think this record is any good. Both Kesha and Will I Am have been responsible for some pretty dreadful records but this is just about the worst.

Top 40 Review

In 2013 I went to a quiz which had a music round. That was the part I was looking forward to the most and the one the rest of the team were relying on me for the answers. However, it was a name the tune after a short clip round and I didn't know any of them because it was all modern.

I initially thought I'd got one when I heard the main riff to "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay but it turned out to be David Guetta murdering it. That very record is in the Top 40.

There is less EDM and electropop than the previous couple of years although there's still more of it than anything else. In it's place is more Ed Sheeran and his clones. 

Rudimental are still in the Top 40 with "Feel The Love" and they're also in the chart with "Waiting All Night" and there's another drum & bass record from Chase & Status with "Lost And Not Found". Like I mentioned in my 2012 review though it's basically pop music with a drum & bass beat and not to my liking.

Aside from Daft Punk there is just one other record that I like which is "Pompeii" by Bastille. Aside from that none of the other records even get half marks.

Given the big fat zero 2012 scored the 2013 score almost seems respectable. 

Score: 2

Table

Despite the improvement on 2012, 2013 is the 2nd worst score so far:

UK Number 40s: Little Angels - Product Of The Working Class (1991)

 

I'll begin with an interesting chart stat. There are two 1990 Top 40 debutants who had both a Top 40 hit every year in the early 90s (i.e. 1990-1994) and a number one album in the early 90s. One was Mariah Carey, the other as you may have now guessed is Little Angels.

The fact that this record, their 4th Top 40 hit made the Top 40 would probably be considered a success. The band formed in 1984 but had to wait until 1990 for their first Top 40 hit, which was "Radical Your Lover" that made 34. The only hit prior to this to break the Top 30 was 2nd Top 40 hit "She's A Little Angel". This was the 2nd single taken from the "Young God" album.

This would be the final Top 40 hit to be written by all the band, future singles would be written by singer Toby Jepson with Andy Paul occasionally joining him.

The highest they got in the singles chart was number 12 with "Womankind" which came from their number one album "Jam". This would prove to be their final studio album and they called it a day in 1994 after 10 Top 40 singles, 8 of which charted outside the Top 20.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 3

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. Kingmaker - Idiots At The Wheel (EP) (New)

The lead song from this EP is "Really Scrape The Sky". This was the Top 40 debut for Kingmaker. I do remember the band but don't remember this record. It's one that could possibly grow on me, but I'd need to listen to it a few more times to find out.

Verdict - OK

29. Paula Abdul - Vibeology (New)

I don't remember Paula Abdul still being around in 1992 but I do remember this record. This was written by the members of The Family Stand of "Ghetto Heaven" fame. Before listening to it I thought it was OK but the piano in it has upgraded it to good. That's why I always listen to the record before giving my verdict.

Verdict - Good

28. East Side Beat - Ride Like The Wind

Billy Bunter & D-Zyne had a happy hardcore record in the 90s called "Ride Like The Wind" which was excellent in my opinion. I thought it was a rip off of this, but this is a rip off of a Christopher Cross record of the same name. It's a bit cheesy and commercial sounding but I like it.

Verdict - Good

27. The Stone Roses - Waterfall

I always thought the intro to this sounded a bit like the intro to "Paradise City". That meant comparisons were always made, and this is nowhere near as good as "Paradise City". The problem with this record though is it doesn't really get going until 3 minutes in, and it's only 3 and a half minutes long.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. The Wedding Present - Blue Eyes (New)

In 1992 The Wedding Present released a new single every month and they all made the Top 40. This was the first. The one single a month is a fact I've remembered ever since, but the music not so much. Maybe it's because the frequency meant there wasn't enough time to absorb each record. I do think this record is instantly forgettable though.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Guns N' Roses - Live And Let Die

This record brings back memories of running up and down playing the air guitar in the playground at school. I wasn't alone in doing this either. I would say of all the "Use Your Illusion" singles this was probably the one that had the biggest impact on me at the time.

Verdict - Good

24. George Michael And Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 

I used to regularly go to karaoke night at a crappy town centre pub and there was an unwritten rule not to sing this song because it's one the landlord sang every week. I wasn't aware at the time that this was originally a hit for Elton John on his own in the 70s. When Elton John started singing his part on this though I thought he was much more suited to the song than George Michael. At the same time I find this cover better than the original.

Verdict - Good

23. Digital Orgasm - Running Out Of Time

1991 was a great year for rave music. It's been that great that it's taken until December until we have a rave record I don't actually like. It makes quite a promising start, those beats would have sounded quite something in 1991. But then when it breaks down into the vocals it just sounds too namby pamby for my liking and completely ruins the tune. 

Verdict - Rubbish

22. The Beautiful South - Old Red Eyes Is Back (New)

This was the first Top 40 hit for The Beautiful South since they topped the charts with "A Little Time". It's a song about an alcoholic who dies and I love the line "Old red he died, and every single landlord in the district cried". The Beautiful South tend to have good lyrics but often the music is a bit middle of the road for my liking.

Verdict - OK

21. Lisa Stansfield - All Woman

I'm surprised that this is amongst the lowest charting Lisa Stansfield Top 40 hits as I'd have this down as one of her better known records. Not my cup of tea though, I find it a bit boring.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Clivilles And Cole - Pride (In The Name Of Love) (New)

Clivilles and Cole are the same people behind C&C Music Factory. It's a cover of the U2 record done rave style. Whilst that style is very welcome, they've not done a very good job of it in my opinion. It does sound very amateur, but then when the singing comes in it's almost like the rave elements have gone away.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Sugarcubes - Hit

The only Top 40 hit for the Sugarcubes, who were the band Bjork was in before she went solo. Whilst it's undeniably Bjork singing, it's different than your average Bjork record. Not really to my liking though.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Senseless Things - Easy To Smile

The first of two Top 40 hits for Senseless Things. I vaguely remember this record, but it never had much impact on me and I certainly couldn't sing it in my head. Listening now though I'm finding this record is pretty good.

Verdict - Good

17. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Rubbish

My memory of this record is simply them singing the line "rubbish on the radio". I quite liked listening to the radio at the time, but as time has gone on radio in general has got more rubbish so you could say this was ahead of its time. 

Verdict - Good

16. Des'ree - Feel So High

This was the Top 40 debut for Des'ree. At the time I had no idea who Des'ree was and imagined this to be sung by someone quite old, but Des'ree would have been just 22 at the time of recording. Maybe I thought it sounded like music for old people, I never thought much to it at the time. Now I'm older my opinion hasn't really changed.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Blue Pearl - (Can You) Feel The Passion

"Playing With Knives" by Bizarre Inc had only left the Top 40 a couple of weeks earlier, but here it is being sampled by Blue Pearl. Ironically this actually has "playing with knives" in the lyrics but the Bizarre Inc record doesn't. 

Verdict - Good

14. Michael Jackson - Black Or White (Clivilles And Coles Remixes) (New)

The original of this had only left the Top 40 the previous week. The original is best known for the guitar riff but there appears to be no guitar whatsoever on this remix. Seems a bit strange to leave out the bit that makes the tune, but I actually don't mind it.

Verdict - OK

13. Diana Ross - When You Tell Me That You Love Me

I'm a big fan of Motown and like many Diana Ross records both as a solo artist and with The Supremes. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. It's quite an achievement for someone who's been around since the 60s to have a number two hit in 1991 and had Freddie Mercury not died this would have likely been Christmas number one. It's just too much of a ballad for my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Isotonik - Different Strokes

Isotonik is Chris Paul who was promotor of the Orange raves back in the early 90s. This was the first of two Top 40 hits for him. Whilst it's definitely a rave record, it's quite soulful too and that blend really works.

Verdict - Good

11. Shaft - Roobarb And Custard

The third so called "Toytown Techno" record to make the Top 40. I'll concede the kids TV samples are a bit cringeworthy but if you take them out you've got a decent record that doesn't sound particularly cheesy. In fact the samples are only a small part of the overall tune, they just stand out when you hear them.

Verdict - Good

10. Genesis - I Can't Dance (New)

I remember this record being out around the same time as "Fun Day" by Stevie Wonder. The history books tell my I'm not far off, the Stevie Wonder record came out in October 1991 but never made the Top 40. I liked it at the time and I guess I still do now even though it's a bit cheesy.

Verdict - Good

9. Kiss - God Gave Rock And Roll To You II

As a kid I loved "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", the film in which this record appears. However, I watched it again a couple of years ago and found it was nowhere near as good as I remember it. Fortunately this record hasn't suffered the same fate, still sounds decent now.

Verdict - Good

8. Right Said Fred - Don't Talk Just Kiss

I don't think I've heard this one for 30 years, it's very much overshadowed by "I'm Too Sexy" and "Deeply Dippy". I was ready to dismiss this as cheesy crap but on listening to it again I've changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is Right Said Fred and is therefore still cheesy but it feels more of a song than their other records. The vocals of Jocelyn Brown in this probably help. 

Verdict - OK

7. Ce Ce Peniston - We Got A Love Thang

Ce Ce Peniston is thought of as a one hit wonder with "Finally", but amazingly she had 7 Top 40 hits spanning 7 years. This was her second. I'm not a fan of "Finally" but at least it's catchy. I can't say the same for this, it's crap and instantly forgettable. 

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Hammer - Addams Groove

The first hit for MC Hammer after he became simply Hammer. I liked this at the time and remember irritating the teacher by rapping it in the classroom. I don't think I've heard it since then. Hearing it now I can't say I feel the same, it is a bit rubbish.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Kym Sims - Too Blind To See It

Steve 'Silk' Hurley gave us the first house number one in 1987 and as an artist he never had another Top 40 hit. As a composer though he was back in the Top 40 in 1991 with this record. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Kym Sims and her best known. I would also say it was her best hit.

Verdict - Good

4. KLF ft Tammy Wynette - Justified And Ancient

I remember watching this on Top of the Pops at the time. I absolutely loved it. Little did we know at the time that this would be their final completely original Top 40 hit. I mishear lyrics all the time and was convinced I misheard the lyrics "They're justified and they're ancient and they drive an ice cream van" but I didn't.

Verdict - Good

3. Wet Wet Wet - Goodnight Girl

Wet Wet Wet hadn't really been away, but this was their first Top 10 hit since 1989. Marti Pellow's hair had grown quite considerably in that time. Despite this being a chart topper I remember everyone hating this record at the time. I on the other hand liked it. This wasn't their big comeback though as they never made the Top 10 again until "Love Is All Around" in 1994.

Verdict - Good

2. The Prodigy - Everybody In The Place

There had been quite a few rave records that had hit the Top 40 by this point so the rave sound was nothing new anymore. However, I do remember thinking this record was quite groundbreaking at the time. It was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Prodigy and the follow up to "Charly" and it no doubt went a long way in showing people that they weren't a novelty "toytown techno" act.

Verdict - Good

1. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Following the death of Freddie Mercury "Bohemian Rhapsody" returned to top the charts and became the first record to be Christmas number one twice. I've mentioned before on this blog that I don't consider it the masterpiece it's made out to be and I've heard it far too many times in my life, but it's not a bad record. The other side of this double a-side "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" was a new song and would have probably topped the charts without being aided by "Bohemian Rhapsody" given the circumstances. It's definitely the better of the two in my opinion.

Verdict - OK / Good

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 18/30, or 60%. I feel 1991 is keeping the early 1992 score up at the moment.

Tazzmania @ The Rhythm Station Aldershot 13/01/1995

 

DJ SY

This week takes us to the little town of Aldershot. Unlike Willenhall last week I've at least heard of Aldershot. The venue is The Rhythm Station which has had several promoters hold events there with this week being Tazzmania.

Tazzmania as an event started on new years eve 1993 in Southampton and had another event there in July before moving to The Rhythm Station in September 1994. This was the 4th Tazzmania event to be held at this venue.

If ever there was proof that the scene had now split into happy hardcore and jungle then this event is it. The main room line up consists entirely of happy hardcore DJs. The prior event did have Hype play at it but it was a back to back set with DJ SY according to the flyer so he could well have been playing happy hardcore that night, though no tapes exist from that event so it's hard to say if he did or not.

Speaking of DJ SY, he was playing at this night which means that all 3 raves so far have featured him. I thought it would be interesting to see how his sets compare. 10 of the 15 tracks on his Dreamscape 15 vs 16 set were also played by him at both Pandemonium last week and Tazzmania this week. 

Elsewhere we have Seduction, Slipmatt, Dougal and Vinylgroover who all played at Dreamscape 15 vs 16 plus Mr Hyde. 

After looking at the tracklists for each mix and searching the internet for release dates and tracklistings for tapes from earlier events, these are the tunes of the night which appear to be new for 1995:

The Scotchman - Happy Vibes

Scott Brown meets Paul Elstak - Feel The Music

Dougal & Mickey Skeadale - Innervation

Scott Brown meets Paul Elstak - Cheese 'n Beats

J.D.S. & DJ Fury - What Do U Want

DJ Pooch - Warrior Beat

DJ Pooch - Feeling This Way

DJ Isaac - Classical Tune

The first 4 tunes on that list all appear on the Mr Hyde set. Scotchman is an alias of Scott Brown and appears on a Dutch label, as does his tunes with Paul Elstak. DJ Isaac is Dutch, so we're seeing the Scottish/Dutch sound incorporated in sets which influenced the kick drum sound that happy hardcore would become.

I do like both the DJ Pooch records, "Feeling This Way" has appeared on several sets but I don't recall hearing "Warrior Beat" before which is the flip side. Both are breakbeat tunes so the switch to the kick drum hasn't fully taken effect yet. They both appear on the Seduction set and were released on his Impact Records label.

"What Do U Want" by J.D.S. & DJ Fury appears in the Seduction and DJ SY sets. The only other tune from the Seduction set to appear in another set is "Nicey" by Eruption which also appears in the Vinylgroover set.

In terms of the Scottish/Dutch records, none appear on the Seduction and DJ SY sets, a few Scottish ones appear on Dougal's set, a few of both appear on Slipmatt and Vinylgroover's sets and Mr Hyde's set had lots of Dutch/Scottish tunes on it.

The big tune of the night is "On Top" by A Sense Of Summer which appears on 4 of the sets, with just Seduction and Mr Hyde not playing it.

There was also a live PA by Sy and Unknown which wasn't included in the tape pack but it was recorded and is available on Mixcloud.

There would be a further 10 Tazzmania events at The Rhythm Station in 1995 with the final one coming at the end of September before they moved to Hastings Pier. Not sure whether another Tazzmania event will feature this year at this stage but it won't be the last we'll see of this venue.