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. The Beautiful South - A Little Time (New)
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
29. Neneh Cherry - I've Got You Under My Skin (New)
Neneh Cherry was on the panel of Juke Box Jury where Glenn Medeiros was the mystery guest and his new song was completely slated. I agreed with the panel, it was rubbish. Whilst Vic and Bob were basically taking the piss, and Alan Freeman and John Fashanu were stating they didn't think it was any good, I thought Neneh Cherry was being particularly bitchy about it. Particularly when a couple of weeks later she released this crap, which is even worse than the Glenn Medeiros song.
Verdict - Rubbish
28. Chimes - Heaven (New)
This failed to reach the Top 40 when first released in 1989 but after the success of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" this was re-released and made the Top 40 this time. It's not a bad record, but doesn't have that wow factor to make it a good record. It would be the last we'd see Chimes in the Top 40 but singer Pauline Henry would return as a solo artist.
Verdict - OK
27. INXS - Suicide Blonde
You know when you start the new year at school in September and you move to different classrooms, or in my case a different building, and you associate other things in your life with that change. Well this song is one of those things I associate with this. I loved INXS at the time and loved this song.
Verdict - Good
26. Deacon Blue - Four Bacharach And David Songs (EP)
What I find somewhat baffling is that Deacon Blue were a band I particularly liked and this was their highest charting single, but it completely passed me by. The lead song from the EP is "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and I had this on a compilation several years later.
Verdict - Good
25. The Wedding Present - Three Songs (EP)
The lead song from the EP is a cover of "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". I don't think I've actually heard this in 30 years, my memories of The Wedding Present are of their music being pretty dull, but this actually isn't bad.
Verdict - OK
24. Hi-Tek 3 ft Ya Kid K - Spin That Wheel (Turtles Get Real) (New)
This failed to make the Top 40 when released at the beginning of the year. Presumably after the success of another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles record, "Turtle Power" by Partners In Kryme, they gave it another go. Hi-Tek 3 is Technotronic under another name. Although not so blatantly a Turtles song, it's still too cheesy for my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Iron Maiden - Holy Smoke
Just as we were getting used to a Bruce Dickinson solo career, here are Iron Maiden back with another record. The best thing about Iron Maidens music is the drums, and this one is no exception. At the start though there seems to be little to it other than the drums, but then at some point for some reason it seems to burst into life and becomes quite enjoyable.
Verdict - Good
22. Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love
I've mentioned previously how dreadful I found the female solo pop singers from America during this era, but fortunately the likes of Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne were more or less yesterdays news by this point. Unfortunately America gave us another dreadful artist in Mariah Carey. Ok I'm not going to knock her singing ability, but her music is just abysmal.
Verdict - Rubbish
21. Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes
The 4th and final single from the "Violator" album. This is band member Andy Fletcher's favourite. It's not my favourite, but I still like it.
Verdict - Good
20. AC/DC - Thunderstruck
I've never been a fan of AC/DC. To me, Brian Johnsons singing sounds like a cat being strangled. A lot of their songs sound the same as well, I remember for a period of time they kept playing AC/DC in HMV in Oxford St. I'm pretty sure this was one of the songs I kept hearing, but it could have been one of many.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. MC Hammer - Have You Seen Her (New)
I loved this as a kid, but at the time I'd never heard the original by the Chi-Lites which is far better. That's basically what's wrong with this record, when I hear it now I can only think about how much better the original is. Still gets an ok though thanks to the similarities it does have.
Verdict - OK
18. MC Tunes Vs 808 State - Tunes Splits The Atom
It's the other Top 40 hit from MC Tunes vs 808 State. Perhaps not as catchy as "The Only Rhyme That Bites" but still a great tune.
Verdict - Good
17. Adamski - The Space Jungle
1990 had been a good year for Adamski so far. First came "N-R-G", then the number one "Killer". Then he follows it up with this, which is essentially a cover of "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley. A different, far better version of this appears on his best of album, but this radio version is crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Monie Love ft True Image - It's A Shame (My Sister)
My memories of Monie Love was that I found her irritating. Listening to this record again confirms that. I also remember her doing this particular tune, but don't remember it being as poor as it is.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. The Charlatans - Then
This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Charlatans. Whilst they started off with quite a catchy number, this and every other hit that followed is instantly forgettable.
Verdict - Rubbish
14. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - What Time Is Love?
The first Top 40 hit for The KLF on paper, though they previously had a number one with "Doctorin the Tardis" as The Timelords. I absolutely loved The KLF at the time, still do. In fact when I first came across the fact music video's were uploaded to YouTube, The KLF were one of the first that I looked up.
Verdict - Good
13. The Cure - Never Enough
I've often found that The Cure's music is better than it should be. The whole image they portray suggests their music should be noisy guitars and not much else, but then you hear some of their tunes and it's not like that at all. However, this one does sound more like what I would expect.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Technotronic - Megamix (New)
Just in case we hadn't had enough of Technotronic in 1990, here they are with a megamix. It's just overkill, I feel just doing these reviews I've heard too much Technotronic.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Snap! - Cult Of Snap!
Snap! have gone all tribal for this, their 3rd Top 40 single. What we basically have though is a cheesy euro dance number like "The Power", but not as catchy.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. The Farm - Groovy Train
Ever wondered what Suggs did between Madness and his solo career, well here's your answer. This was produced by Suggs along with Terry Farley. The Farm are probably best remembered for being the Madchester band from Liverpool. This was their debut Top 40 hit and was also on the first episode of "The Word". The early 90s have truly arrived now.
Verdict - Good
9. Bass-O-Matic - Fascinating Rhythm
Long before William Orbit became a household name, he was charting with this. It was his only Top 40 hit as Bass-O-Matic, but probably the best Top 40 he's had under any name.
Verdict - Good
8. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart / What Is Love
The best known of this double a-side is of course "Groove Is In The Heart" which I've probably heard everyday since 1990, or at least that's how it feels. Despite it being played to death though and me being pretty sick of it by now, I still regard it as a good tune. The other side, "What Is Love", is one I never heard until one day I wondered how the other side of "Groove Is In The Heart" sounds like and found out. Perhaps because I've only ever listened to it of my own accord, I actually prefer this tune.
Verdict - Good / Good
7. Twenty4Seven ft Captain Hollywood - I Can't Stand It
Captain Hollywood got his name after being based in Germany as a captain in the US Army. He formed Twenty4Seven with Dutch producer Ruud Van Rijen and this was their debut single. It's not a cheesy as your average euro dance tune.
Verdict - OK
6. The Steve Miller Band - The Joker
This was never a Top 40 hit back in 1973 when it was an American number one. Thanks to it's appearance in a Levi's advert it became a UK number one in 1990. This is best remembered for its wolf whistle on the guitar, but on a personal level I remember annoying my teacher by singing it in class at school.
Verdict - Good
5. Status Quo - The Anniversary Waltz - Part One (New)
The critics likened this to Jive Bunny. I guess it's the same idea, put a bunch of old songs into a megamix. Except Status Quo did it with instruments and made the songs sound like Status Quo. It would be their last Top 10 hit, but there had plenty more Top 40 hits to go.
Verdict - OK
4. Pet Shop Boys - So Hard (New)
Regular readers of this blog know I like the Pet Shop Boys and its pretty much a given most of their hits will be rated good. I've been trying to think of what I can say about this tune other than the fact I like it, but there isn't really anything else worth saying.
Verdict - Good
3. 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
2. Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You
Take 3 soul singers in their 40s, put them together with a guitarist to make dance music. That was basically the formula of Londonbeat. Amongst it's singers was Jimmy Helms who had a hit in the 70s with "Gonna Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse". It wasn't the debut hit for Londonbeat, but it was their most successful and best known. I was reminded of this tune on the music channels about 15 years ago and then saw their greatest hits in the record shop on offer, and bought it.
Verdict - Good
1. 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
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 16/30, or 53%. We're sliding, but still above 50%.
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