Record of the Year Revisited: 1956

Original Record of the Year: Little Richard - Rip It Up

I picked this one because it seemed to liven up the 50s. In my original post I said Little Richard was still performing as late as 2014 but since then he's sadly passed away.

My reluctancy to pick this record was the fact I'd known it and had heard of Little Richard for as long as I can remember. I mentioned it was a tough choice and sounds like it had some tough competition, but I can't remember if that was the case.

However I've now changed my mind and gone with something I don't think was part of the original competition because I didn't know it.

New Record of the Year: Deep River Boys - That's Right

I think it was last year that I first heard this record. I was looking through a list of songs and was inclined to listen to artists I'd never heard of and this was the record that stood out.

It also wasn't until I picked it until I discovered it was a cover of a Mills Brothers record, the group who did my Record of the Year for 1953. 

Like the Mills Brothers, the Deep River Boys were one hit wonders. They also formed long before the charts with their origins being in the 1930s.

Why Honeyz?

A few months ago I wrote this post about why I became an Alisha's Attic fan. I went off them in the end and moved onto the Honeyz who were the 2nd all female music act I owned any music from, after Alisha's Attic.

A bit like Alisha's Attic I was late to the party with the Honeyz. I remember them from the start but never bought their album until 2001. Around the same time I was getting more into R&B and watching "The Lick" with Trevor Nelson on MTV Base which no doubt helped.

I would listen to their album a lot but still considered them just another music act I like and listen to. I was still very much an Alisha's Attic fan even if I knew at the back of my mind that I was going off them.

In August 2001 the inevitable happened. Alisha's Attic's long awaited 3rd album was released and flopped and they were immediately dropped from their record label.

Around the same time though the Honeyz were back with new single "I Don't Know" which had been doing the rounds on the music channels. I've since learned group member Celena doesn't like that record but I think it's great. 

It was probably me going into the record shop to buy both CDs of the "I Don't Know" single that made the statement that I was now a Honeyz fan rather than an Alisha's Attic one.

Unfortunately the single flopped and it was rumoured they were too on the verge of getting dropped. Seemed half my luck as I'd only just become a fan, but it turned out to be true and the next single never got released, nor did the album. 

By the end of the year it seemed time to move onto someone else to follow. I bought 2 albums by female artists at the same time, the self titled Aaliyah album and "Whoa Nelly" by Nelly Furtado. Aaliyah was sadly no longer with us by this point so Nelly Furtado seemed the logical choice.

However it felt like I was forcing the issue this time. As much as I liked them album I didn't like it as much as I liked the Honeyz.

The 3rd all female act for me to own music by was En Vogue but they'd been around some time so didn't seem a logical choice.

The 4th all female act for me to own music by however almost seemed a perfect choice on paper. The act in question was Mis-Teeq. They broke through that same year and their album was just a few weeks old when I bought it. They were an R&B group who also did garage music, a genre I love. Why did I not move onto them?

Well as I look at the tracklist the only tracks I can hum to myself are the singles and "They'll Never Know". That shows how much I listened to the album. Then when they came back with their 2nd album I wasn't even keen on the singles.

With the Honeyz I can hum every track on their album and also every track on their unreleased 2nd album. It's rare for a music act to make a 2nd album anywhere near as good as their 1st but with the Honeyz I'd put the 2 albums on a par with each other.

Is the Honeyz music better than anything else I listen to? No.

Did they make better R&B than any other British act? possibly.

Are they the best female R&B act? absolutely.

Are they the best female act full stop? struggling to think of anyone better so yes.

The thing is when I look back upon my time as an Alisha's Attic fan I think silly me. The extensive Alisha's Attic collection I had along with fan club magazines etc has been sitting in a dark corner of my parents house somewhere for almost 25 years aside from the "Alisha Rules The World" album,

On the other hand I look back at the Honeyz and think yes they were good and still play their CDs to this very day.

January Charts: 1992

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. The Prodigy - Everybody In The Place

2. Isotonik - Different Strokes

3. The Wonder Stuff - Welcome To The Cheap Seats (EP)

4. Marathon - Movin'

5. Convert - Nightbird

6. Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down

7. Dream Frequency - Feel So Real ft Debbie Sharp

8. Senseless Things - Easy To Smile

9. Erasure - Am I Right?

10. Voice Of The Beehive - Perfect Place

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

12. Blessing - Highway 5

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

14. Paula Abdul - Vibeology

15. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Rubbish

16. Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home

17. Curtis Stigers - I Wonder Why

18. Genesis - I Can't Dance

19. Wet Wet Wet - Goodnight Girl

20. Cicero - Love Is Everywhere

21. Daisy Chainsaw - Love Your Money

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

23. 2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone

24. Kingmaker - Idiots At The Wheel (EP)

25. The Beautiful South - Old Red Eyes Is Back

26. Crystal Waters - Megamix

27. Cappella - Take Me Away ft Loleatta Holloway

28. Marc Almond - My Hand Over My Heart

29. The Stone Roses - Waterfall

30. Fish - Credo

31. Status Quo - Rock 'Til You Drop

32. The Wedding Present - Blue Eyes

33. Belinda Carlisle - Half The World

34. Sugarcubes - Hit

35. Lush - For Love

36. Julia Fordham - Love Moves (In Mysterious Ways)

37. Cliff Richard - This New Year

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

39. Des'ree - Feel So High

40. Ce Ce Peniston - We Got A Love Thang

41. Shakespear's Sister - Stay

42. Mariah Carey - Can't Let Go

We're very much into the breakbeat hardcore era by January 1992 and the best of these records is "Everybody In The Place" by The Prodigy. This was their 2nd Top 40 hit and is one of those all time classics.

Just missing out on top spot is Isotonik with "Different Strokes". The man behind Isotonik was Chris Paul who was running the Orange raves in London at the time.

It wasn't just the rave music near the top, "Welcome To The Cheap Seats" was the follow up to The Wonder Stuffs chart topper "Dizzy" and I remember loving this record at the time.

Next up we have some ambient dance music from Marathon with "Movin" and then some harder Belgian music from Convert with "Nightbird". Public Enemy had one of their underrated hits with "Shut Em Down" which incidentally was what they played on their only appearance in the studio on Top of the Pops.

We were in an era where I still liked pop music in general and as a result there are records such as "Goodnight Girl" by Wet Wet Wet and "I Wonder Why" by Curtis Stigers which are in theory records I should hate because they're pop ballads but I have fond memories of them and like them.

I can't say the same for Mariah Careys dreary ballad "Can't Let Go" which finds itself down the bottom. In 1992 I don't think there was anything I hated more than a Mariah Carey ballad and I haven't really changed my mind.

As a result "Stay" by Shakespear's Sister is 2nd from bottom. It was number one for what felt like an eternity and I always hated this record.

Ce Ce Peniston is one of those singers who has always irritated me. She is an example of why dance music in general is better without vocals.

Another record that's always bugged me is "Feel So High" by Des'ree. It's difficult to put my finger on why because it sounds like life music at the same time.

This is comfortably the most records to feature in a given January so far and what I'm seeing is a lot of gems in there but plenty of rubbish at the same time. Isotonik may not have topped this list but it would of topped many other years lists. Likewise Shakespear's Sister could easily finish bottom of other years lists. 

As a result the score isn't has high as I expected it would be.

Score: 50

Record of the Year Revisited: 1955

Original Record of the Year: Crew Cuts - Earth Angel

I didn't want to pick the same artist twice for the Record of the Year. However the Crew Cuts had what I considered to be the best records in 1954 and 1955 respectively 

In the 50s though there are still a great chunk of records that I don't know or at the very least am unable to recall from seeing the song title.

The question therefore is have I found a better record? Well yes I have.

New Record of the Year: Ink Spots - Melody Of Love

I'm pretty sure when I was making my choice 10 years ago I didn't know this record. I'd certainly not heard of the Ink Spots.

It's one you have to listen to a few times to get into. I would speculate that Barry White took some inspiration from it, the deep spoken parts at least.

The Ink Spots broke up in 1954 but then there were offshoots from the original group and this was one of those and was their sole UK hit.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1954

Original Record of the Year: Crew Cuts - Sh-Boom

It's not the original version of "Sh-Boom" but it was the best version to chart with the other version being a comedy one.

For the first time I'd picked a record I properly liked. I've looked through the list of other hits from 1954 and listened to a few to see if there was anything better.

There wasn't, this is easily the best record of 1954 and I'm sure I won't change my mind in 10 years time either.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1953

Original Record of the Year: Les Paul & Mary Ford - Vayo Con Dios

I originally picked this record due to the simple fact it had a guitar, a rarity in those days but a glimpse at the future at the same time.

I can't say I was ever a big fan of this or any other record I knew from the year. However I've since discovered a record that's pretty good.

New Record of the Year: Mills Brothers - Gloworm

Depending on what criteria you use, the Mills Brothers were both the first group to have a UK hit in their own right and the first one hit wonder. Their history predates the charts though having formed over 100 years ago in 1925.

They were a barbershop quartet and the way they sing in harmony makes the record. The song itself originated as a German song from 1902. One thing of note is they sing about a Mazda, presumably not the car but I guess we can interpret the lyrics however we want.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1952

Original Record of the Year: Jo Stafford - Jambalaya

With just 27 records to choose from I could listen to all the ones I didn't know and make my choice. I went with "Jambalaya" because of it's familiarity. 

We were in an era or mostly crooners and novelty records and none of them stand out as great records. However I've changed my mind about what should be Record of the Year.

New Record of the Year: Ray Martin and his Concert Orchestra - Blue Tango

My new choice is neither a crooner or novelty hit, it's an orchestra. Maybe it's because I've heard it a few more times since and it's grown on me. 

It was the first of 3 hits for Ray Martin and truth be told I prefer his follow up "Swedish Rhapsody" which came a year later. 

Above all though it manages to be quite uplifting without being cheesy which was a rarity in those days.