Whilst last weeks rave at Helter Skelter was billed as being the best of both worlds, this weeks rave does the opposite.
Tomorrows World was an offshoot of Vibealite. It was held at the same venue and run by the same people as Vibealite but the music policy was essentially the music you'd hear at the technodrome at Helter Skelter.
This means that for the first time in the year I get to listen to a Loftgroover tape which is the one I posted. Basically the stand out music from these sort of arenas was gabber which was harder and faster than hardcore. Amongst that you had Loftgroover who took the hard and fast aspect to another level.
The tape pack spans both the July and August event without specifying which event each tape is from. As a result it's not known which event the Brisk tape was from. The rest can be determined from the fact the remaining DJs only played at one of the events.
The line up included Dutch DJ Warlock who had played at the previous weeks Helter Skelter in the technodrome so maybe he was doing a bit of a UK tour at the time.
Also on the line up was Darrion Kelly, the Australian DJ who moved to the UK with Carl Cox taking him under his wing. I think it's the first time I've heard a set from him, its a pretty solid one. He would play there again, nor would Trevor Rockliffe who was also on the line up.
Due to the fact it was always a bit of a mystery what tunes were being played along with the fact there's not much in the way of tracklisting on the internet it's difficult to establish what new for 95 tunes are in there.
If ever there was proof the the Top 40 doesn't reflect the popularity of a record then this is it. At the time of writing it's had 15m views on YouTube but all measurements aside, this is a pretty well known record.
The Breeders started as a side project for Pixies member Kim Deal, but by 1993 the Pixies had broken up making this her main band.
The Pixies are quite well known for being an American band who were much bigger in the UK. They are also seen as being very influential to the grunge and alternative rock sound of the early 90s. Their Top 40 career though consists of just 3 hits that all charted in the 20s.
This was the only Top 40 hit for The Breeders, though it also made the Billboard 100 unlike any Pixies records. They have 5 albums to their name across a 28 year period and are still active with the line up from this record, though Kim Deal has been the only constant member throughout.
Time for our quarterly look back to the tunes I was enjoying 20 years ago because there weren't enough good tunes to justify doing it monthly:
Aaliyah - Rock The Boat
It was after the shooting of this video that the plane crash that took Aaliyah's life happened. I was already familiar with the song as I had the album. I'll be honest it took me a while to get into it, but I guess I wanted to make more of an effort given the circumstances.
I noticed I'd made the breakthrough with it when I found myself randomly singing it.
Fat Joe ft Ashanti - Whats Luv
Fat Joes debut album came out in 1993 but this was his first UK Top 40 hit. I recall telling a few people at the time that Fat Joe was no newbie and he'd been around since 1993, not that I'd actually heard of him in 1993.
It's far from the best Fat Joe record I've heard, but I thought it was good enough to buy the "Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)" album. The following album "Loyalty" which has no Top 40 singles from it is one of the best albums I've heard.
Ms Dynamite - It Takes More
I see this record as a turning point for the fate of UK garage. Ms Dynamite broke through with a UK garage record, but this one was R&B so a sign that people were now leaving UK garage behind.
Looking at what charted for the remainder of 2002 I cannot see a single UK garage record in there.
I did think her debut "Booo" was a bit shit, but this one is excellent. It's the only Ms Dynamite tune I've heard that I like.
Paffendorf - Be Cool
I remember making a long journey along the A1 with a mate who's music taste is the complete opposite to mine. As a compromise I played the radio in the car as opposed to music from my collection.
When this record came on the radio it was one we both agreed was good. I ended up buying it on vinyl too.
Scooter - The Logical Song
There was a TV show on UK Play I believe where they had Liberty X on as guests and were looking at upcoming singles releases. This was one of those. The presenter said they'd never heard of Scooter before but apparently they'd been around several years, then one of the blokes in Liberty X said he knew them from his rave days.
I too had known them for several years and made it known to everyone that I had. I bought this on vinyl and also bought the "Push the Beat for This Jam" album.
Mis Teeq - Roll On/This Is How We Do It
Another example of UK garage being left behind. It was the garage aspect that made Mis Teeq appeal to me in the first place, but I liked this record too.
Without the garage beats there's more of a focus on the vocals. Alesha's rapping arguably suits UK garage more, but fits nicely into this record. Su Elise makes more of a vocal contribution than usual too.
I do find it quite sad that Mis Teeq made music like this, but these days Alesha is famous for the Simon Cowell nonsense she does and the other two have disappeared off the face of the earth.
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:
When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the best record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. This is one of the all time greats from the early 90s.
We've now reached the time of the Olympics in Barcelona. I'm not really an Olympics fan truth be told, even when it was in London I only watched dribs and drabs. I was into the Barcelona Olympics though, I guess being school holidays and the right time zone helped. As a result this record has a bit of sentimental value to it.
Sinitta in 1992? This is the last Top 40 hit for Sinitta which pretty much follows the cheesy cover formula of her previous efforts. This didn't get any higher than 28 so it's probably fair to say not many people realised Sinitta was still around in 1992.
I remember this record being a bit odd at the time, but after hearing it for the first time in 30 years I'm thinking what the fuck was that. On one hand it sounds a little bit like "Toofunky" by George Michael but at the same time it sounds a bit like they're trying to make a Prince record. It certainly has a funkier sound than your average Wet Wet Wet record but it doesn't work in my opinion.
The B-52s are one of those groups that tread that fine line between being innovative and annoying. This record more or less sits on that line, I can appreciate it and it's not a bad one to listen to but at the same time it's a bit cheesy and irritating.
I remember this one being much better than it actually is. It doesn't sound as lively as I remember it being so I'm struggling to really get into it. Maybe it needs a few more listens to get back into it, but at the moment it's simply ok.
After being the vocalist on a couple of Quartz hits the previous year this was the solo debut of Dina Carroll. It follows the same soul-dance formula of the Quartz records. If I was at a 90s night and this record came on I would no doubt enjoy it. For listening to at home though I think this will be the last time I'll be doing that.
This was the first single to be taken from the album of the same name. Even though it sounds like a typical Elton John record, it somehow sounds catchier than most. Maybe I've just heard it too many times in my life. It's a decent enough record but hasn't quite got enough about it for me to truly like it.
This cover of the Ray Charles record meant that Joe Cocker had more Top 40 hits in the 90s than he did in the 60s and he wasn't finished yet. I've never been able to get into Ray Charles music including this record truth be told. This basically sounds like a karaoke version.
The Top 40 debut for The Orb which stands at just under 40 minutes long. There is a much shorter radio edit though and the album version stands at just 17 minutes 34 seconds long. I own the "UFOrb" album so no surprise that I like this record.
I remember getting somewhat confused by this record at the time. To my knowledge Was (Not Was) were a male group but here was a female I'd never seen before singing it. The female in question is Kim Basinger who simply provided vocals and wasn't a member of the group. It was originally recorded in 1983 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and his vocals appear on this version too. This remix was done by Steve "Silk" Hurley. It took a while for me to get into this but it grew on me eventually.
We're in an era where grunge had supposedly killed the rock music which existed before it. People are quick to point the finger at the ballads rock bands were making, but I would point my finger at records like this. It just sounds so bland. At least the ballads have a bit of character.
Although this wasn't their debut hit, this was really the beginning of Take That becoming more or less the biggest pop act of the early 90s. Their debut "Do What You Like" never charted at all, then "Promises" only made 38, the next single "Once You've Tasted Love" didn't make the Top 40 and then came this. This was also their first single not to be written by Gary Barlow as it was a cover of the Tavares record.
The Top 40 debut for Sophie B Hawkins. I think that all her records that I know have aged really well. I'm pretty certain I did like this at the time, but after listening to it just now I find myself wanting to listen to it again.
The 4th and final Top 40 hit to date for Altern 8. From a chart perspective Altern 8 were the biggest rave act at this point. The Prodigy were still just 2 singles into their Top 40 career. Whilst The Prodigy have made some questionable records over the years even by their own admission, Altern 8 never made a bad one.
For years I thought this was a 60s record that had been re-released. Turns out this was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987 and not released until 1992. In hindsight this would have been well ahead of it's time if it was a 60s record.
This was George Michael's last hit before his legal battle with Sony. I can't remember what I thought about this record at the time, I just remember it existing. Given the circumstances around this single being released though it does sound a bit like he's put out any old crap.
I once an old rave compilation and this was on it. I was somewhat surprised to see U2 on a rave compilation but then remembered this being more of a dance record. This is because it's been remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This result is a better record than the original so I guess you can technically say this is even better than the real thing.
This was the first version of "Please Don't Go" that I heard. The original is by KC & the Sunshine Band, but it's basically a clone of a cover done the same year by Italian act Double You. I do like it, but the other tune "Game Boy" is better. Whilst "Please Don't Go" is a commercial dance record, "Game Boy" is very much a rave record.
One of the toytown techno records from this era. It didn't start out that way though. The version played at raves was called "Feel the Heat" which was a normal rave track. The trumpton sample has simply been added to it for this single version. I prefer it without the sample but I don't think it really ruins the tune.
I'm a big fan of Motown in the 60s and 70s, but not so much Motown in the 90s. The problem with this record is that technology has allowed this record to be produced much better than it would have in the 60s. In doing that though it loses it's charm. If this was made in the 60s I'd probably have liked it, but as it wasn't it doesn't quite get there.
I did like this record at the time. It was the theme music to the TV series of the same name which starred Nick Berry which had just began at a similar time on a Friday night. Unfortunately from the 2nd series it was on a Sunday night and has therefore since reminded me that I have school in the morning. If I'd carried on watching it once I joined the world of work then it would probably remind me of that similar dread of having work in the morning too.
This is a great name the artist record for a music quiz because you will inevitably have people say it's the Pet Shop Boys. It does of course have Neil Tennant on lead vocals and came in the first year the Pet Shop Boys didn't have any Top 40 hits since their 1985 debut. It was also the highest charting hit for Electronic and I'd say probably their best one too.
I remember this on Top of the Pops with the chanting of "Utah Saints". It was their 2nd Top 40 hit and highest charting single to date. When the awful 2008 version was released I was quick to point towards this, the much better version.
In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.
When an actor, or someone famous for something other than music releases a record you generally expect it to be a novelty record. Jimmy Nail is an actor but whilst this record has a bit of humour to it, I wouldn't call it a novelty record. The fact I quite like it too may have something to do with that.
My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.
Seeing the kids singing this on Top of the Pops at the time gave me hope that I wouldn't have to wait until I was an adult to become a pop singer. Those kids weren't pop singers though, they were just there for show as the vocals were sampled from the kids TV show. One of the men behind this record is Luna C who started the legendary Kniteforce records afterwards and was one of the people making hardcore breaks in the 21st century when hardcore itself had gone a bit rubbish.
When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the worst record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. I remember watching it on Top of the Pops and wanting to throw the TV out the window.
Erasure had 16 Top 40 hits to their name prior to this record. I like all 16 of those records, but then came this. It's an EP full of Abba covers with the main track being "Take A Chance On Me" that features a rap from MC Kinky. I don't like any of them.
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 17.5/30, or 58%. I think a bit of nostalgia is keep the score decent.
Even though we've now passed the halfway point of 1995, this was just the 2nd Helter Skelter of the year. In fact it was just their 7th event since they moved to The Sanctuary in September 1993. To put that into perspective, at their previous venue at the Old Cinema in Telford they had 8 events in the space of 2 months.
The event was called "The Best Of Both Worlds" which I would take to mean the best of happy hardcore and drum & bass. The 2 genres were mixed together in the main arena, but just 3 of the 12 DJs were drum & bass ones so definitely leaning more towards happy hardcore.
The drum & bass DJs playing were Fabio, Grooverider and Jumpin Jack Frost. No tunes appeared in all 3 sets, but there were 3 tunes that appeared in 2 sets which were "Sing Time" by The Terrorist, "Some Justice 95 by Urban Shakedown and the ever familiar "Hearing Is Believing" by MA2.
Just the 3 new for 1995 drum & bass records which were:
Skanna - Find Me
Jonny L - This Time
Intense - Breathless
Happy hardcore wise I've posted the DJ Vibes set. The reason for this is the first record in the set "Pump Up The Noise" by Marc Smith. It's a tune you need to listen to all the way through to see how good it is, and this is the only set I've heard it in full.
Like with the previous Helter Skelter it's somewhat lacking in new for 1995 records with these being the happy hardcore ones:
Omar Santana - Shake that Ass
El Bruto - Watch me Dance
Omar Santana - Come On
Brisk vs. Rebel Alliance - Party Pumper
Hixxy - Saturday Night
DJ Seduction - Imagination
Dougal & Eruption - Party Time
DJ Ham - Break It Down Like This
DJ Hood - Dance With me
Ramos, Supreme & Sunset Regime - Higher and Higher
The first five of those records appear in the Brisk set. "Saturday Night" by Hixxy is a rip off of the Whigfield record and is an early example of why people started to regard happy hardcore as a joke. Also upping the cheese factor and sort of following the "Toytown" formula is "Party Time" by Dougal & Eruption, but this is a record I like.
Despite this being the period that Force & Styles were starting to establish itself, it's a previous group they were in who have the most played tune on the tapes. The tune is "On Top" by A Sense Of Summer which had been remixed by Hixxy.
There was no Hixxy, or Force & Styles for that matter playing at this Helter Skelter. Neither of them would make their Helter Skelter debut until the following year after which they were at pretty much every Helter Skelter for the rest of the decade.
There were also tape from the Technodrome, the smaller upstairs rooms at The Sanctuary. No tracklists are available and it seems a bit of a mystery what the DJs used to play there.
Interestingly the DJs included The Destroyer from Italy, and Warlock and Madness both from Holland. It's strange to think they travelled all that way to play in such a small room. That said the size of the overall venue probably gave Helter Skelter the funds required to get them to travel all that way.
It's rumoured that these tapes are actually studio recording as opposed to live sets from the night. I used to have the video which included Technodrome footage and I have to say none of the tapes are ringing any bells so they probably were.
This record is a double a-side, but both sides are the same song. One is sung in English and the other is sung in Spanish. The Spanish one was taken from her "Mi Tierra" album which is a Spanish language album.
The definition of Gloria Estefan's Top 40 career is open to interpretation, but if we include everything that could be interpreted as Gloria Estefan it began in 1984 and ended in 2005. This includes anything credited to Miami Sound Machine, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine and the 2005 hit "Doctor Pressure" credited to Mylo vs Miami Sound Machine.
As simply Gloria Estefan it began in 1989 and that was more or less when her glory days in the Top 40 in this country ended. The hits continued throughout the 90s, but she is the artist with the most 90s Top 40 hits that never made the Top 10 with 18.
The only Top 10 hit she achieved in the 90s was "Miami Hit Mix" the previous year which was a megamix of her 80s hits, mainly ones with Miami Sound Machine.
This was the 2nd single from her "Mi Terra" album, the first being a single of the same name which made number 36. It was co-written by her husband and Miami Sound Machine member Emilio Estefan who incidentally didn't write any of the Top 40 hits credited to Miami Sound Machine. You see why the definitions can be a bit of a grey area.
An English version was presumably done due to the lack of success of it's Spanish language predecessor. It looks as if the record buying public were only interested in the 80s tunes by this point though.
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:
The 3rd and final Top 40 hit to date for Kym Sims. Her first two hits were Steve "Silk" Hurley compositions but this one wasn't. One of the composers of this was E-Smoove who had previously worked with Steve "Silk" Hurley. The result is that you can almost tell it's from the same artist who did "Too Blind To See It" and "Take My Advice" and sounds like someone's trying to write in the style of Steve "Silk" Hurley but it doesn't live up to the real thing.
After having their biggest hit to date with "Weather With You", Crowded House follow up with another weather related song. It's a record I remember being much better than it actually is. Perhaps it just hasn't aged well, not a bad tune but at the same time I'm finding myself waiting for it to start.
In an era where I have more music available to listen to on the internet but less time to listen to it, I find myself listening to the shortened version of songs most of the time. Not with this one though, I'm more inclined to listen to a longer live version. It's a pretty basic song really but Guns n Roses take it to another level.
The Top 40 debut for Sophie B Hawkins. I think that all her records that I know have aged really well. I'm pretty certain I did like this at the time, but after listening to it just now I find myself wanting to listen to it again.
For years I thought this was a 60s record that had been re-released. Turns out this was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987 and not released until 1992. In hindsight this would have been well ahead of it's time if it was a 60s record.
This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1985. The original is a fantastic record, I have it on a mostly 90s R&B compilation and it doesn't sound out of place on it despite being older. This remix by Frankie Knuckles though ruins it.
Megadeth were one of those bands I was supposed to like as a rock fan in the early 90s, but never really did. Before I'd knowingly heard a Megadeth record I heard about how heavy they were supposed to be. I can't remember whether it was this record I heard first, but it's not really heavy at all in my opinion and a bit boring.
The 3 men behind this record are Micky Finn, Aphrodite and Claudio Giussani. Micky Finn was already one of the big name DJs in the rave scene at this point and would become one of the biggest names in drum & bass. The beats in this are quite something and is amongst the better rave tunes of this era.
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine were one of those groups I never gave much thought to after the early 90s. Then years later I did a picture quiz which had a picture of them on it and in being reminded of their existence the first record that came into my head was this one. In terms of chart performance this is middle ground amongst their hits, but this must have had the biggest impact on me. I do prefer "After The Watershed", but this is maybe the 2nd best of their hits.
The B-52s are one of those groups that tread that fine line between being innovative and annoying. This record more or less sits on that line, I can appreciate it and it's not a bad one to listen to but at the same time it's a bit cheesy and irritating.
When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the best record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. This is one of the all time greats from the early 90s.
This was the Top 40 debut for TLC and only Top 40 hit from their "Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip" album. It's one of those records I'd be happy to hear if I heard it out and about, but not one I'd really want to sit down and listen to.
This was the 4th Top 40 hit from their "Achtung Baby" album which had now been out for over 6 months. The one word that springs to mind with this record is average. It's alright to listen to but I'm not going to seek it out to listen to.
I remember how I find out who made this record. Somebody told me they'd just bought the Kris Kross record and I thought they were talking about Christopher Cross of "Arthurs Theme" fame. Then they played it and I realised it was a completely different act. In theory 2 squeaky voiced kids rapping should be terrible, but this one isn't. The actual tune helps a lot, but they rap it well too.
The 4th and final Top 40 hit to date for Altern 8. From a chart perspective Altern 8 were the biggest rave act at this point. The Prodigy were still just 2 singles into their Top 40 career. Whilst The Prodigy have made some questionable records over the years even by their own admission, Altern 8 never made a bad one.
I remember this one being much better than it actually is. It doesn't sound as lively as I remember it being so I'm struggling to really get into it. Maybe it needs a few more listens to get back into it, but at the moment it's simply ok.
This was the first single to be taken from the album of the same name. Even though it sounds like a typical Elton John record, it somehow sounds catchier than most. Maybe I've just heard it too many times in my life. It's a decent enough record but hasn't quite got enough about it for me to truly like it.
In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.
We're in an era where grunge had supposedly killed the rock music which existed before it. People are quick to point the finger at the ballads rock bands were making, but I would point my finger at records like this. It just sounds so bland. At least the ballads have a bit of character.
The Top 40 debut for The Orb which stands at just under 40 minutes long. There is a much shorter radio edit though and the album version stands at just 17 minutes 34 seconds long. I own the "UFOrb" album so no surprise that I like this record.
I'm a big fan of Motown in the 60s and 70s, but not so much Motown in the 90s. The problem with this record is that technology has allowed this record to be produced much better than it would have in the 60s. In doing that though it loses it's charm. If this was made in the 60s I'd probably have liked it, but as it wasn't it doesn't quite get there.
Although this wasn't their debut hit, this was really the beginning of Take That becoming more or less the biggest pop act of the early 90s. Their debut "Do What You Like" never charted at all, then "Promises" only made 38, the next single "Once You've Tasted Love" didn't make the Top 40 and then came this. This was also their first single not to be written by Gary Barlow as it was a cover of the Tavares record.
This was George Michael's last hit before his legal battle with Sony. I can't remember what I thought about this record at the time, I just remember it existing. Given the circumstances around this single being released though it does sound a bit like he's put out any old crap.
This was the first version of "Please Don't Go" that I heard. The original is by KC & the Sunshine Band, but it's basically a clone of a cover done the same year by Italian act Double You. I do like it, but the other tune "Game Boy" is better. Whilst "Please Don't Go" is a commercial dance record, "Game Boy" is very much a rave record.
This is a great name the artist record for a music quiz because you will inevitably have people say it's the Pet Shop Boys. It does of course have Neil Tennant on lead vocals and came in the first year the Pet Shop Boys didn't have any Top 40 hits since their 1985 debut. It was also the highest charting hit for Electronic and I'd say probably their best one too.
I remember this on Top of the Pops with the chanting of "Utah Saints". It was their 2nd Top 40 hit and highest charting single to date. When the awful 2008 version was released I was quick to point towards this, the much better version.
I did like this record at the time. It was the theme music to the TV series of the same name which starred Nick Berry which had just began at a similar time on a Friday night. Unfortunately from the 2nd series it was on a Sunday night and has therefore since reminded me that I have school in the morning. If I'd carried on watching it once I joined the world of work then it would probably remind me of that similar dread of having work in the morning too.
My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.
When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the worst record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. I remember watching it on Top of the Pops and wanting to throw the TV out the window.
Erasure had 16 Top 40 hits to their name prior to this record. I like all 16 of those records, but then came this. It's an EP full of Abba covers with the main track being "Take A Chance On Me" that features a rap from MC Kinky. I don't like any of them.
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 17/30, or 57%. This was from the Top 40 I reviewed for the best year search and it's since improved by 0.5 courtesy of Elton John.
