25 Years Since....August 1995

For personal reasons it's been quite a challenge maintaining this blog lately so I'm a bit late with this one, but here's the music that defined me in August 1995:

U2 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Earlier on in the year Gloria Estefan had a hit with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me". Then we had U2 add "Kill Me" to that title to give us this very different record.

The intro riff/outro riff/riff that appears in other places is what does it for me on this tune. I also used to have fun saying fuck off to the first 3 statements but saying ok to the final one.

It was famously on the soundtrack to Batman Forever.


Seal - Kiss From A Rose

This originally came out in 1994, but like the U2 record it appeared on the Batman Forever soundtrack, so it was given a new lease of life in 1995.

I do remember it coming out in 1994 and having no idea who it was. When I finally found out a year later I was quite shocked to discover it was Seal. This was a man who had very much been associated with dance music at the start of the decade who was now doing a ballad. But I liked it.

I do remember hearing that Offspring had also done a tune for the Batman Forever soundtrack which I assumed would be good as I still quite liked them at the time. It wasn't a hit, but I've since heard it and it's crap.

Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro

This was a turn up for the books, a Pet Shop Boys record where Chris Lowe was taking lead vocals. I just found this bizarre, he was always the man who said nothing and would remain motionless behind his synthesizer.

As far as Pet Shop Boys records go though, this is one of my favourites.

The Connells - 74-'75

I remember this one for the video as much as I do the tune. It's quite a simple concept, various people from the class of 74-75 in photos followed by a clip of them in what was the present moment.

This was actually recorded in 1993, so only 18 years had passed but 27 years have passed since the video which makes me realise that I'm now older than all the people in the video were then.

Amy Grant - Big Yellow Taxi

I loved Amy Grant back in 1991 when she did "Baby Baby", but had heard nothing of her since then. It was therefore great to see her again.