Just one of the new entries this week is rap bringing the total for the year to 115/225, or 51%.
Thursday, 3 December 2020
The Top 40 Leaderboard: Week 48
As we approach the business end of the year it seems a good time to only include those with 4 or more Top 40 hits. Justin Bieber climbs into joint 2nd whilst Dua Lipa also climbs the leaderboard.
Just one of the new entries this week is rap bringing the total for the year to 115/225, or 51%.
Just one of the new entries this week is rap bringing the total for the year to 115/225, or 51%.
Tuesday, 1 December 2020
UK Number 40s: Rokotto - Boogie On Up (1977)
There's very little about Rokotto on the internet, no Wikipedia page. What I do know about them is that they're from Dundee and the female singer, Lorna Bannon, is the current singer with Middle of the Road feat Ian McCredie.
Not surprisingly, this was the only Top 40 effort for the group.
The songwriters were Wayne Bickerton and Alan Waddington who were the writers of the early Rubettes records. By this point they were no longer involved with the Rubettes, so presumably this was their attempt at the next Rubettes, albeit a disco version. It would prove to be the last Top 40 hit the duo were songwriters on.
Monday, 30 November 2020
25 Years Since....November 1995
Time once again to turn back the clock 25 years and take a look at the tunes I was enjoying:
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise
I remember hearing this for the first time and just thinking wow. I had an appreciation of rap music at the time without it really being my music of choice, but this was like one of those records I'd been waiting all my life to hear.
I certainly favoured the darker side of rap music at the time and this was a very dark record. I was therefore quite surprised that this ended up at number one. You have to remember that prior to this, the only rap number ones we'd had were "Turtle Power", "Ice Ice Baby" and "Boom! Shake The Room".
It also stayed in the Top 40 well in 1996, once it fell to the lower reaches of the Top 40 I went out and bought the single to help keep it in the Top 40. No such luck though, it fell out the Top 40 the following week.
East 17 - Thunder
The lead single from the final studio album from East 17 as we knew them. This was the album where all band members wrote the songs, but all the singles were still written by Tony Mortimer.
East 17 - Thunder
It's not my favourite East 17 song but it's probably by favourite East 17 ballad.
Goldie - Inner City Life
A record that failed to make the Top 40 when originally released a year earlier. I loved this at the time but then started hating Goldie for being too commercial. It only just scraped into the Top 40 though making number 39 which is actually quite surprising given how well known it is.
Jam And Spoon - Angel
E'Voke - Runaway
Sunday, 29 November 2020
Top 30 in 1990 Reviewed - Week 48
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 1990 with my verdict on each record:
Del Amitri have a couple of good records, but also have a lot of generic rubbish. This one falls into the latter, there is just nothing to it. Take away the bit where he sings the title and it could be anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
The lead song from the EP was "Biggest Mountain". It sounds like the sort of record you'd expect from an Erol Alkan Bugged In Selection. Which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
This was the 5th single from the "Runaway Horses" album. The 1st, "Leave A Light On" peaked at 4, but the next 3 failed to reach the Top 30. This one fared better than the previous 3. I remember my young self wondering how does one dream the same dream as somebody else? I don't mind this record, but it's not one I particularly like either.
Verdict - OK
This was the second and final collaboration between Twenty4Seven and Captain Hollywood to make the UK Top 40. Like with the first hit, not as cheesy as your average Eurodance record but still pretty average at the same time.
Verdict - OK
The Jive Bunny hits just kept coming, but now they were no longer getting into the Top 10. People must have been getting tired of them by now.
Verdict - Rubbish
Yes that's right, Deee-Lite had a hit that wasn't "Groove Is In The Heart". They had two Top 40 hits which were both double a-sides. I would say I prefer both these tunes to "Groove Is In The Heart", partly because I've only listened to them of my own accord since 1990 and they haven't been played to death in every bar/club I went to when I was younger.
Verdict - Good / Good
This has one of the most famous music videos of all time, the one with Helena Christensen in it with him. Maybe it's just as well for Chris Isaak that this video has made such an impact because it diverts the attention away from the fact it's a very dull song.
Verdict - Rubbish
I've noticed that there are quite a few old records hitting the charts around this time, so in a way it's quite funny that Kylie Minogue would release a record called "Step Back In Time". It's the usual Stock Aitken & Waterman type crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The first Top 40 hit for Soul II Soul not to reach the Top 10, but the album had been released a few months prior and got to number one. Kym Mazelle was already an established artist in her own right when this came out. It basically sounds like a Soul II Soul record, which is never a bad thing.
Verdict - Good
Once again we have a record in the charts thanks to a remix by Ben Liebrand. This originally came out in 1983 and failed to chart. I think I liked this record at the time but don't think I've heard it since 1990. Listening to it now though I'm not so keen.
Verdict - Rubbish
After ten Top 10 hits in a row, this only just scraped into the Top 20. Apparently this is Axl Rose's favourite Pet Shop Boys song and he was disappointed they didn't play it at a gig of theirs he went to. It's not my favourite Pet Shop Boys song, but like most of their songs I do like it.
Verdict - Good
Originally a number one in 1986, this charted again in 1990 thanks to it featuring on the Peugeot advert. For obvious reasons I keep thinking of Berlin as being a German band, but they're not, they're American. This song basically launched and killed their career at the same time. It was the only song of theirs people wanted to hear but it was also the only song of theirs they didn't write, that honour going to Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. Never been a fan of this song myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
Timmy Mallet is back with another hit that's just as awful as the first, but not as well remembered. It would be the final Bombalurina Top 40 hit, though I do recall their version of "Lollipop" being played on the radio at the time, but it was never a hit.
Verdict - Rubbish
The only Top 40 hit for The La's which originally was released in 1988 but failed to make the Top 40. They were always a band I associated with Madchester for some reason, even though they were from Liverpool and didn't really sound like the other bands musically either. In the days you could go into Our Price and listen to a CD at the counter, I once listened to The La's album simply because I wanted to listen to this song. I didn't bother with the rest of the album, I simply listened to this.
Verdict - Good
This ones a megamix of dance records of the time. Like I've said previously, the only way a megamix can be truly good is if every tune in it is good. However the chopping and changing this record has means you don't really need every tune to be good, so I like it.
Verdict - Good
This was the only number one hit for The Beautiful South, quite surprising really given they have better known songs. This song really irritated me at the time, I can tolerate it a bit more now but still don't like it. Despite it's success, The Beautiful South would have another Top 10 hit until 1996 after this.
Verdict - Rubbish
This song is from 1964 but was never a hit. Thanks to Simon Mayo though this finally became a hit in 1990. I wonder how many people who bought it actually liked it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
These day's it's hard to listen to this record with it's sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones without thinking of Austin Powers. It was a different story back in 1990, a few years before Austin Powers. My main memory of it was mishearing the lyrics, I didn't know what this was called at the time and heard "I've got permission". Still, a good record.
Verdict - Good
After a couple of hits with MC Tunes, 808 State released this double a-side by themselves. Despite the heavy guitar presence on "Cubik" it's still very much a dance record, though maybe it could get the rock crowd interested, but great tune nonetheless. "Olympic" is perhaps best known as the theme tune to The Word, that's how I first came across it and always liked it.
Verdict - Good / Good
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this, football and music just don't mix. Here is Gazza attempting to rap on a remake of a 70s record with the 70s band who made it. Absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
Another Jimmy Somerville record that's a cover, this time of a Bee Gees record. This is done in a reggae style and I think this was the first version I heard. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
It's quite a strange dynamic really, a band who are so blatantly Scottish singing a song that's very American. This was the first version of "King Of The Road" I heard, which was originally a number one for Roger Miller in 1965. Can't say this is really my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
Before I first heard "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, a girl at school kept singing the words "be my baby". I thought she was trying to sing this, but wondered why as it was 4 years old by then. This was originally a Bob Dylan song covered in typical UB40 style. Which probably explains why I like it.
Verdict - Good
When a song is most famous for being a theme tune to a TV show it's often crap. Not always though. This was the theme tune to "Twin Peaks", a fact I did not know at the time. To this very day I still haven't watched an episode so to me this is still simply a song, and one I like.
Verdict - Good
A cover of the Earth Wind & Fire record. I used to like it, but over time it's started to make me cringe. Had I not bought a Black Box CD several years ago I may have still liked it, but I just can't listen to it anymore.
Verdict - Rubbish
It's the king of crap covers doing a crap cover in collaboration with Tina Turner. It must have been the big names that sold this because why anyone would listen to this over the original Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston version is beyond me.
Verdict - Rubbish
Ever wondered what Craig Logan did after he left Bros? Well here's your answer, he was co-writer on this record. Kim Appleby was of course one half of Mel & Kim, something I didn't realise at the time. Mel had died earlier on in the year and this was Kim's solo debut. She no longer had involvement with Stock Aitken & Waterman, which explains why I quite like this.
Verdict - Good
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
I remember seeing this video on Top of the Pops and what confused me was that they were called The Righteous Brothers but there was only one of them. I soon discovered there were two of them, but only Bobby Hatfield featured on this particular record. It was originally released in 1965 but was re-released thanks to it featuring in the movie "Ghost". There are lots of versions of this song, but this is the best one in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 14.5/30, or 48%. After 3 weeks at 50% we slip back down again.
Here is the Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 30 from this week in 1990 with my verdict on each record:
30. Del Amitri - Spit In The Rain
Del Amitri have a couple of good records, but also have a lot of generic rubbish. This one falls into the latter, there is just nothing to it. Take away the bit where he sings the title and it could be anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
29. Inspiral Carpets - Island Head (EP)
The lead song from the EP was "Biggest Mountain". It sounds like the sort of record you'd expect from an Erol Alkan Bugged In Selection. Which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
28. Belinda Carlisle - (We Want) The Same Thing
This was the 5th single from the "Runaway Horses" album. The 1st, "Leave A Light On" peaked at 4, but the next 3 failed to reach the Top 30. This one fared better than the previous 3. I remember my young self wondering how does one dream the same dream as somebody else? I don't mind this record, but it's not one I particularly like either.
Verdict - OK
27. Twenty4Seven ft Captain Hollywood - Are You Dreaming? (New)
This was the second and final collaboration between Twenty4Seven and Captain Hollywood to make the UK Top 40. Like with the first hit, not as cheesy as your average Eurodance record but still pretty average at the same time.
Verdict - OK
26. Jive Bunny - Let's Swing Again
The Jive Bunny hits just kept coming, but now they were no longer getting into the Top 10. People must have been getting tired of them by now.
Verdict - Rubbish
25. Deee-Lite - Power Of Love / Deee-Lite Theme (New)
Yes that's right, Deee-Lite had a hit that wasn't "Groove Is In The Heart". They had two Top 40 hits which were both double a-sides. I would say I prefer both these tunes to "Groove Is In The Heart", partly because I've only listened to them of my own accord since 1990 and they haven't been played to death in every bar/club I went to when I was younger.
Verdict - Good / Good
24. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (New)
This has one of the most famous music videos of all time, the one with Helena Christensen in it with him. Maybe it's just as well for Chris Isaak that this video has made such an impact because it diverts the attention away from the fact it's a very dull song.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Kylie Minogue - Step Back In Time
I've noticed that there are quite a few old records hitting the charts around this time, so in a way it's quite funny that Kylie Minogue would release a record called "Step Back In Time". It's the usual Stock Aitken & Waterman type crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
22. Soul II Soul ft Kym Mazelle - Missing
The first Top 40 hit for Soul II Soul not to reach the Top 10, but the album had been released a few months prior and got to number one. Kym Mazelle was already an established artist in her own right when this came out. It basically sounds like a Soul II Soul record, which is never a bad thing.
Verdict - Good
21. Dimples D - Sucker DJ (New)
Once again we have a record in the charts thanks to a remix by Ben Liebrand. This originally came out in 1983 and failed to chart. I think I liked this record at the time but don't think I've heard it since 1990. Listening to it now though I'm not so keen.
Verdict - Rubbish
20. Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring (New)
After ten Top 10 hits in a row, this only just scraped into the Top 20. Apparently this is Axl Rose's favourite Pet Shop Boys song and he was disappointed they didn't play it at a gig of theirs he went to. It's not my favourite Pet Shop Boys song, but like most of their songs I do like it.
Verdict - Good
19. Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Originally a number one in 1986, this charted again in 1990 thanks to it featuring on the Peugeot advert. For obvious reasons I keep thinking of Berlin as being a German band, but they're not, they're American. This song basically launched and killed their career at the same time. It was the only song of theirs people wanted to hear but it was also the only song of theirs they didn't write, that honour going to Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. Never been a fan of this song myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Bombalurina - Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat (New)
Timmy Mallet is back with another hit that's just as awful as the first, but not as well remembered. It would be the final Bombalurina Top 40 hit, though I do recall their version of "Lollipop" being played on the radio at the time, but it was never a hit.
Verdict - Rubbish
17. The La's - There She Goes
The only Top 40 hit for The La's which originally was released in 1988 but failed to make the Top 40. They were always a band I associated with Madchester for some reason, even though they were from Liverpool and didn't really sound like the other bands musically either. In the days you could go into Our Price and listen to a CD at the counter, I once listened to The La's album simply because I wanted to listen to this song. I didn't bother with the rest of the album, I simply listened to this.
Verdict - Good
16. Megabass - Time To Make The Floor Burn
This ones a megamix of dance records of the time. Like I've said previously, the only way a megamix can be truly good is if every tune in it is good. However the chopping and changing this record has means you don't really need every tune to be good, so I like it.
Verdict - Good
15. The Beautiful South - A Little Time
This was the only number one hit for The Beautiful South, quite surprising really given they have better known songs. This song really irritated me at the time, I can tolerate it a bit more now but still don't like it. Despite it's success, The Beautiful South would have another Top 10 hit until 1996 after this.
Verdict - Rubbish
14. Patrick MacNee And Honor Blackman - Kinky Boots (New)
This song is from 1964 but was never a hit. Thanks to Simon Mayo though this finally became a hit in 1990. I wonder how many people who bought it actually liked it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. Dream Warriors - My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style
These day's it's hard to listen to this record with it's sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones without thinking of Austin Powers. It was a different story back in 1990, a few years before Austin Powers. My main memory of it was mishearing the lyrics, I didn't know what this was called at the time and heard "I've got permission". Still, a good record.
Verdict - Good
12. 808 State - Cubik / Olympic
After a couple of hits with MC Tunes, 808 State released this double a-side by themselves. Despite the heavy guitar presence on "Cubik" it's still very much a dance record, though maybe it could get the rock crowd interested, but great tune nonetheless. "Olympic" is perhaps best known as the theme tune to The Word, that's how I first came across it and always liked it.
Verdict - Good / Good
11. Gazza And Lindisfarne - Fog On The Tyne (Revisited)
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this, football and music just don't mix. Here is Gazza attempting to rap on a remake of a 70s record with the 70s band who made it. Absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Jimmy Somerville - To Love Somebody
Another Jimmy Somerville record that's a cover, this time of a Bee Gees record. This is done in a reggae style and I think this was the first version I heard. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
9. The Proclaimers - King Of The Road (EP)
It's quite a strange dynamic really, a band who are so blatantly Scottish singing a song that's very American. This was the first version of "King Of The Road" I heard, which was originally a number one for Roger Miller in 1965. Can't say this is really my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. Robert Palmer And UB40 - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Before I first heard "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, a girl at school kept singing the words "be my baby". I thought she was trying to sing this, but wondered why as it was 4 years old by then. This was originally a Bob Dylan song covered in typical UB40 style. Which probably explains why I like it.
Verdict - Good
7. Julee Cruise - Falling
When a song is most famous for being a theme tune to a TV show it's often crap. Not always though. This was the theme tune to "Twin Peaks", a fact I did not know at the time. To this very day I still haven't watched an episode so to me this is still simply a song, and one I like.
Verdict - Good
6. Black Box - Fantasy
A cover of the Earth Wind & Fire record. I used to like it, but over time it's started to make me cringe. Had I not bought a Black Box CD several years ago I may have still liked it, but I just can't listen to it anymore.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. Rod Stewart And Tina Turner - It Takes Two
It's the king of crap covers doing a crap cover in collaboration with Tina Turner. It must have been the big names that sold this because why anyone would listen to this over the original Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston version is beyond me.
Verdict - Rubbish
4. Kim Appleby - Don't Worry
Ever wondered what Craig Logan did after he left Bros? Well here's your answer, he was co-writer on this record. Kim Appleby was of course one half of Mel & Kim, something I didn't realise at the time. Mel had died earlier on in the year and this was Kim's solo debut. She no longer had involvement with Stock Aitken & Waterman, which explains why I quite like this.
Verdict - Good
3. EMF - Unbelievable
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
2. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
I remember seeing this video on Top of the Pops and what confused me was that they were called The Righteous Brothers but there was only one of them. I soon discovered there were two of them, but only Bobby Hatfield featured on this particular record. It was originally released in 1965 but was re-released thanks to it featuring in the movie "Ghost". There are lots of versions of this song, but this is the best one in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
1. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 14.5/30, or 48%. After 3 weeks at 50% we slip back down again.
Thursday, 26 November 2020
The Top 40 Leaderboard: Week 47
Joining the leaderboard this week is Billie Eilish with her 3rd Top 40 hit of the year.
None of the new entries this week are rap bringing the total for the year to 114/221, or 52%.
None of the new entries this week are rap bringing the total for the year to 114/221, or 52%.
Tuesday, 24 November 2020
UK Number 40s: Barry White - It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me (1977)
Barry White becomes the 25th act to have scored both a number 1 and a number 40, a total of 65 acts have featured so far so that's well over a third.
The intro will sound familiar to many as it was sampled in "Rock DJ" by Robbie Williams, a number 1 record in 2000.
It was a much bigger hit in America where it reached number four and was the last big hit for Barry White over there. In the UK, it was the first Barry White Top 40 hit not to be written by Barry White himself, with Nelson Pigford and Ekundayo Paris being the songwriters. Nelson Pigford had a minor hit himself a couple of months prior with "You Take My Heart Away" as part of a duet with De Etta Little.
Barry White followed this up the following year with his cover of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are", but wouldn't return to the Top 40 after this until 1987 with "Sho' You Right" which was then followed by another gap until a brief mid 90s comeback with his final 3 Top 40 hits to date.
Sunday, 22 November 2020
Top 30 in 1990 Reviewed - Week 47
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 1990 with my verdict on each record:
This song was a decade or so old by the time it charted. It's the unofficial miners anthem, and I assumed it charted thanks to the end of Margaret Thatcher's reign as Prime Minister, but this was actually a month or so before that happened, so I have no idea why it charted at this particular time. Lyrically it's good, but musically it's just not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
A Jon Bon Jovi solo record that isn't "Blaze Of Glory", though it doesn't sound that much different truth be told. Not a bad record but nothing to get excited about.
Verdict - OK
The 2nd Top 40 hit who's title is a colour followed by the word velvet and 2nd to making number two, following "Black Velvet" earlier on in the year. This song was written in 1950 and this version originally recorded in 1963, but it never made the UK Top 40. It's appearance in a Nivea advert prompted a re-release in 1990 and it finally charted. I'm not sure if I was aware it was an old song at the time, but I liked it.
Verdict - Good
The first Top 40 hit for Soul II Soul not to reach the Top 10, but the album had been released a few months prior and got to number one. Kym Mazelle was already an established artist in her own right when this came out. It basically sounds like a Soul II Soul record, which is never a bad thing.
Verdict - Good
The only Top 40 hit of the 90s for Paul Simon. The only solo hit from Paul Simon that I like is "You Can Call Me Al", the rest are pretty dull.
Verdict - Rubbish
Del Amitri have a couple of good records, but also have a lot of generic rubbish. This one falls into the latter, there is just nothing to it. Take away the bit where he sings the title and it could be anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
Confession time. At the time I thought Maria McKee and Mariah Carey were the same person, either I thought this song was by Mariah Carey or I thought Maria McKee did "Vision Of Love". Both were ballads and their names are similar(ish) and both were not well known prior to these records. I do feel I was being a bit harsh on Maria McKee though, this is nowhere near as dreary as your average Mariah Carey record. I wasn't keen on it at the time, but have got to like it more thanks to the Happy Hardcore versions a few years later. I don't like it that much though.
Verdict - OK
These day's it's hard to listen to this record with it's sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones without thinking of Austin Powers. It was a different story back in 1990, a few years before Austin Powers. My main memory of it was mishearing the lyrics, I didn't know what this was called at the time and heard "I've got permission". Still, a good record.
Verdict - Good
Another Roxette record that failed to reach the Top 40 when released the previous year, but made the Top 40 when re-released in 1990. At the time this was probably my favourite Roxette record to date, but I prefer "Listen To Your Heart" these days. Still like it though.
Verdict - Good
The lead song from the EP was "Biggest Mountain". It sounds like the sort of record you'd expect from an Erol Alkan Bugged In Selection. Which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
This song had an American version and a European version. As this is the UK charts I'm going to be reviewing the European version. It was written by L.A. Reid and Babyface and remixed by Yvonne Turner. It's more dancey than the American version, presumably because that's what was more popular in Europe at the time. Doesn't really work for me though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Jive Bunny hits just kept coming, but now they were no longer getting into the Top 10. People must have been getting tired of them by now.
Verdict - Rubbish
This ones a megamix of dance records of the time. Like I've said previously, the only way a megamix can be truly good is if every tune in it is good. However the chopping and changing this record has means you don't really need every tune to be good, so I like it.
Verdict - Good
It's quite a strange dynamic really, a band who are so blatantly Scottish singing a song that's very American. This was the first version of "King Of The Road" I heard, which was originally a number one for Roger Miller in 1965. Can't say this is really my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 5th single from the "Runaway Horses" album. The 1st, "Leave A Light On" peaked at 4, but the next 3 failed to reach the Top 30. This one fared better than the previous 3. I remember my young self wondering how does one dream the same dream as somebody else? I don't mind this record, but it's not one I particularly like either.
Verdict - OK
The only Top 40 hit for The La's which originally was released in 1988 but failed to make the Top 40. They were always a band I associated with Madchester for some reason, even though they were from Liverpool and didn't really sound like the other bands musically either. In the days you could go into Our Price and listen to a CD at the counter, I once listened to The La's album simply because I wanted to listen to this song. I didn't bother with the rest of the album, I simply listened to this.
Verdict - Good
Originally a number one in 1986, this charted again in 1990 thanks to it featuring on the Peugeot advert. For obvious reasons I keep thinking of Berlin as being a German band, but they're not, they're American. This song basically launched and killed their career at the same time. It was the only song of theirs people wanted to hear but it was also the only song of theirs they didn't write, that honour going to Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. Never been a fan of this song myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
I've noticed that there are quite a few old records hitting the charts around this time, so in a way it's quite funny that Kylie Minogue would release a record called "Step Back In Time". It's the usual Stock Aitken & Waterman type crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
It's the king of crap covers doing a crap cover in collaboration with Tina Turner. It must have been the big names that sold this because why anyone would listen to this over the original Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston version is beyond me.
Verdict - Rubbish
When a song is most famous for being a theme tune to a TV show it's often crap. Not always though. This was the theme tune to "Twin Peaks", a fact I did not know at the time. To this very day I still haven't watched an episode so to me this is still simply a song, and one I like.
Verdict - Good
After a couple of hits with MC Tunes, 808 State released this double a-side by themselves. Despite the heavy guitar presence on "Cubik" it's still very much a dance record, though maybe it could get the rock crowd interested, but great tune nonetheless. "Olympic" is perhaps best known as the theme tune to The Word, that's how I first came across it and always liked it.
Verdict - Good / Good
This was the only number one hit for The Beautiful South, quite surprising really given they have better known songs. This song really irritated me at the time, I can tolerate it a bit more now but still don't like it. Despite it's success, The Beautiful South would have another Top 10 hit until 1996 after this.
Verdict - Rubbish
Another Jimmy Somerville record that's a cover, this time of a Bee Gees record. This is done in a reggae style and I think this was the first version I heard. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
Before I first heard "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, a girl at school kept singing the words "be my baby". I thought she was trying to sing this, but wondered why as it was 4 years old by then. This was originally a Bob Dylan song covered in typical UB40 style. Which probably explains why I like it.
Verdict - Good
A cover of the Earth Wind & Fire record. I used to like it, but over time it's started to make me cringe. Had I not bought a Black Box CD several years ago I may have still liked it, but I just can't listen to it anymore.
Verdict - Rubbish
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this, football and music just don't mix. Here is Gazza attempting to rap on a remake of a 70s record with the 70s band who made it. Absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair.
Verdict - Rubbish
Ever wondered what Craig Logan did after he left Bros? Well here's your answer, he was co-writer on this record. Kim Appleby was of course one half of Mel & Kim, something I didn't realise at the time. Mel had died earlier on in the year and this was Kim's solo debut. She no longer had involvement with Stock Aitken & Waterman, which explains why I quite like this.
Verdict - Good
I remember seeing this video on Top of the Pops and what confused me was that they were called The Righteous Brothers but there was only one of them. I soon discovered there were two of them, but only Bobby Hatfield featured on this particular record. It was originally released in 1965 but was re-released thanks to it featuring in the movie "Ghost". There are lots of versions of this song, but this is the best one in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 15/30, or 50%. We remain at 50%.
Here is the Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 30 from this week in 1990 with my verdict on each record:
30. Rita MacNeil - Working Man
This song was a decade or so old by the time it charted. It's the unofficial miners anthem, and I assumed it charted thanks to the end of Margaret Thatcher's reign as Prime Minister, but this was actually a month or so before that happened, so I have no idea why it charted at this particular time. Lyrically it's good, but musically it's just not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
29. Jon Bon Jovi - Miracle
A Jon Bon Jovi solo record that isn't "Blaze Of Glory", though it doesn't sound that much different truth be told. Not a bad record but nothing to get excited about.
Verdict - OK
28. Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet
The 2nd Top 40 hit who's title is a colour followed by the word velvet and 2nd to making number two, following "Black Velvet" earlier on in the year. This song was written in 1950 and this version originally recorded in 1963, but it never made the UK Top 40. It's appearance in a Nivea advert prompted a re-release in 1990 and it finally charted. I'm not sure if I was aware it was an old song at the time, but I liked it.
Verdict - Good
27. Soul II Soul ft Kym Mazelle - Missing (New)
The first Top 40 hit for Soul II Soul not to reach the Top 10, but the album had been released a few months prior and got to number one. Kym Mazelle was already an established artist in her own right when this came out. It basically sounds like a Soul II Soul record, which is never a bad thing.
Verdict - Good
26. Paul Simon - The Obvious Child
The only Top 40 hit of the 90s for Paul Simon. The only solo hit from Paul Simon that I like is "You Can Call Me Al", the rest are pretty dull.
Verdict - Rubbish
25. Del Amitri - Spit In The Rain
Del Amitri have a couple of good records, but also have a lot of generic rubbish. This one falls into the latter, there is just nothing to it. Take away the bit where he sings the title and it could be anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
24. Maria McKee - Show Me Heaven
Confession time. At the time I thought Maria McKee and Mariah Carey were the same person, either I thought this song was by Mariah Carey or I thought Maria McKee did "Vision Of Love". Both were ballads and their names are similar(ish) and both were not well known prior to these records. I do feel I was being a bit harsh on Maria McKee though, this is nowhere near as dreary as your average Mariah Carey record. I wasn't keen on it at the time, but have got to like it more thanks to the Happy Hardcore versions a few years later. I don't like it that much though.
Verdict - OK
23. Dream Warriors - My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style (New)
These day's it's hard to listen to this record with it's sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones without thinking of Austin Powers. It was a different story back in 1990, a few years before Austin Powers. My main memory of it was mishearing the lyrics, I didn't know what this was called at the time and heard "I've got permission". Still, a good record.
Verdict - Good
22. Roxette - Dressed For Success
Another Roxette record that failed to reach the Top 40 when released the previous year, but made the Top 40 when re-released in 1990. At the time this was probably my favourite Roxette record to date, but I prefer "Listen To Your Heart" these days. Still like it though.
Verdict - Good
21. Inspiral Carpets - Island Head (EP)
The lead song from the EP was "Biggest Mountain". It sounds like the sort of record you'd expect from an Erol Alkan Bugged In Selection. Which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
20. Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight
This song had an American version and a European version. As this is the UK charts I'm going to be reviewing the European version. It was written by L.A. Reid and Babyface and remixed by Yvonne Turner. It's more dancey than the American version, presumably because that's what was more popular in Europe at the time. Doesn't really work for me though.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. Jive Bunny - Let's Swing Again
The Jive Bunny hits just kept coming, but now they were no longer getting into the Top 10. People must have been getting tired of them by now.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Megabass - Time To Make The Floor Burn
This ones a megamix of dance records of the time. Like I've said previously, the only way a megamix can be truly good is if every tune in it is good. However the chopping and changing this record has means you don't really need every tune to be good, so I like it.
Verdict - Good
17. The Proclaimers - King Of The Road (EP) (New)
It's quite a strange dynamic really, a band who are so blatantly Scottish singing a song that's very American. This was the first version of "King Of The Road" I heard, which was originally a number one for Roger Miller in 1965. Can't say this is really my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Belinda Carlisle - (We Want) The Same Thing
This was the 5th single from the "Runaway Horses" album. The 1st, "Leave A Light On" peaked at 4, but the next 3 failed to reach the Top 30. This one fared better than the previous 3. I remember my young self wondering how does one dream the same dream as somebody else? I don't mind this record, but it's not one I particularly like either.
Verdict - OK
15. The La's - There She Goes
The only Top 40 hit for The La's which originally was released in 1988 but failed to make the Top 40. They were always a band I associated with Madchester for some reason, even though they were from Liverpool and didn't really sound like the other bands musically either. In the days you could go into Our Price and listen to a CD at the counter, I once listened to The La's album simply because I wanted to listen to this song. I didn't bother with the rest of the album, I simply listened to this.
Verdict - Good
14. Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Originally a number one in 1986, this charted again in 1990 thanks to it featuring on the Peugeot advert. For obvious reasons I keep thinking of Berlin as being a German band, but they're not, they're American. This song basically launched and killed their career at the same time. It was the only song of theirs people wanted to hear but it was also the only song of theirs they didn't write, that honour going to Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. Never been a fan of this song myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. Kylie Minogue - Step Back In Time
I've noticed that there are quite a few old records hitting the charts around this time, so in a way it's quite funny that Kylie Minogue would release a record called "Step Back In Time". It's the usual Stock Aitken & Waterman type crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Rod Stewart And Tina Turner - It Takes Two (New)
It's the king of crap covers doing a crap cover in collaboration with Tina Turner. It must have been the big names that sold this because why anyone would listen to this over the original Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston version is beyond me.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Julee Cruise - Falling (New)
When a song is most famous for being a theme tune to a TV show it's often crap. Not always though. This was the theme tune to "Twin Peaks", a fact I did not know at the time. To this very day I still haven't watched an episode so to me this is still simply a song, and one I like.
Verdict - Good
10. 808 State - Cubik / Olympic
After a couple of hits with MC Tunes, 808 State released this double a-side by themselves. Despite the heavy guitar presence on "Cubik" it's still very much a dance record, though maybe it could get the rock crowd interested, but great tune nonetheless. "Olympic" is perhaps best known as the theme tune to The Word, that's how I first came across it and always liked it.
Verdict - Good / Good
9. The Beautiful South - A Little Time
This was the only number one hit for The Beautiful South, quite surprising really given they have better known songs. This song really irritated me at the time, I can tolerate it a bit more now but still don't like it. Despite it's success, The Beautiful South would have another Top 10 hit until 1996 after this.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. Jimmy Somerville - To Love Somebody
Another Jimmy Somerville record that's a cover, this time of a Bee Gees record. This is done in a reggae style and I think this was the first version I heard. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
7. Robert Palmer And UB40 - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Before I first heard "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, a girl at school kept singing the words "be my baby". I thought she was trying to sing this, but wondered why as it was 4 years old by then. This was originally a Bob Dylan song covered in typical UB40 style. Which probably explains why I like it.
Verdict - Good
6. Black Box - Fantasy
A cover of the Earth Wind & Fire record. I used to like it, but over time it's started to make me cringe. Had I not bought a Black Box CD several years ago I may have still liked it, but I just can't listen to it anymore.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. EMF - Unbelievable
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
4. Gazza And Lindisfarne - Fog On The Tyne (Revisited)
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this, football and music just don't mix. Here is Gazza attempting to rap on a remake of a 70s record with the 70s band who made it. Absolutely terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby (New)
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. Kim Appleby - Don't Worry
Ever wondered what Craig Logan did after he left Bros? Well here's your answer, he was co-writer on this record. Kim Appleby was of course one half of Mel & Kim, something I didn't realise at the time. Mel had died earlier on in the year and this was Kim's solo debut. She no longer had involvement with Stock Aitken & Waterman, which explains why I quite like this.
Verdict - Good
1. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
I remember seeing this video on Top of the Pops and what confused me was that they were called The Righteous Brothers but there was only one of them. I soon discovered there were two of them, but only Bobby Hatfield featured on this particular record. It was originally released in 1965 but was re-released thanks to it featuring in the movie "Ghost". There are lots of versions of this song, but this is the best one in my opinion.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 15/30, or 50%. We remain at 50%.
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