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 1991 with my verdict on each record:
The Top 40 debut for Carl Cox. He was probably the biggest rave DJ at the time and this is his highest charting single to date. As someone who's enjoyed many Carl Cox set, my verdict on this record is almost inevitable.
Verdict - Good
29. Ce Ce Peniston - Finally (New)
When Club@Vision had their Ibiza special in 1999, they played an anthem from each year from 1989 onwards. Out of all the great tunes they could have picked for 1991, they picked this. I've always found this tune annoying, it's probably the over the top vocals that does it. This was the Top 40 debut for Ce Ce Peniston and she had more hits that you'd think.
Verdict - Rubbish
28. Don McLean - American Pie (New)
A record I didn't realise was an old record charting for the second time at the time. It's Don McLean's best known song but not one of his two UK number ones. I tried to find out why this was given a new lease of life in 1991 but couldn't find anything. I liked this at the time and remember me and a mate singing it at school. My view hasn't really changed.
Verdict - Good
Years ago I was watching some music channel doing some sort of countdown of big hits of 1991 and I was amazed to find this top. I don't even remember it at the time, I'm pretty sure I'd heard "Raving I'm Raving" by Shut Up and Dance and maybe even the Cher cover before I'd heard this. Still at least it wasn't a predictable countdown, and it's not a bad record.
Verdict - OK
26. Congress - 40 Miles (New)
This was the only Top 40 hit for Congress, but the same people would return to the charts in 1995 as Nush with "U Girls (Look So Sexy)" which was my record of the year for that year. This record uses the same sample as SMD 1 which kick started happy hardcore. Needless to say I think this record is good.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Bizarre Inc and not to be confused with the Brother In Rhythm record with a similar name that entered the Top 40 the same week. This is the Bizarre Inc hit I've most likely heard the least for the simple fact its not on any of their albums, the rest are either on "Energique" or "Surprise", both of which I own. It's a shame it's not on "Energique" really.
Verdict - Good
I remember being at some kids club on holiday at the time and we had to dance along to this multiple times. I thought why, this song is fuckin shit. My opinion still hasn't changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
The lead single from her album of the same name, Robert Clivilles and David Cole penned this record which is surprisingly uplifting for a Mariah Carey record. That doesn't mean it's any good though. She may have a vocal range few can claim to have, but all that screeching just gets on my nerves.
Verdict - Rubbish
The lead single from the album of the same name. This record reminds me of The Chart Show, I'm therefore guessing that's where I first heard it. It's one of those records that's not as good as I remember it being.
Verdict - OK
I very much remember this record at the time and could never quite work out what it was 24 hours of in the lyrics. More significantly though I had no idea this was by Slade. The fact it was Jim Lea who took the lead vocals rather than Noddy Holder may have something to do with it. In a year where grunge music supposedly killed off 80s glam metal it's quite impressive to see a 70s glam rock band have a hit.
Verdict - Good
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Kenny Thomas which was a cover of a Booker T Jones record. To be fair it sounds quite different to the original, but it's in a generic watered down sort of way.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the final Top 40 hit for Queen during Freddie Mercury's lifetime. Interestingly Leo Sayer, who's vocals have previously been mistaken for being Freddie Mercury, made his Top 40 debut with a different record called "The Show Must Go On". Furthermore the final week "The Show Must Go On" by Leo Sayer was in the charts, Queen were making their chart debut with "Seven Seas Of Rhye". Anyway what do I think of this record? I like it, one of the better Queen singles in my opinion
Verdict - Good
For years I had no idea who this record was by and really wanted to know. What didn't help was that I misheard the lyrics as "too many roads and bridges between us". I can't actually remember how I found out. This is my favourite Cathy Dennis record.
Verdict - Good
I remember Simon Mayo playing this pretty much every day on the breakfast show when on my way to school but I never got bored of it.
Verdict - Good
An upbeat record with a dark subject matter and some pretty angry vocals. Get this combination right and you have a great record. That's exactly what this is and definitely my favourite Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine tune.
Verdict - Good
This is one of those records I'm not sure I remember being in the charts at the time but it's one I've probably known since. Enya's music was always a little too different for my liking and almost seemed like music the sort of music they'd want you to learn at school which was never good. However over the years I've got to appreciate her music a lot more and quite like this record now.
Verdict - Good
It was around this time that I heard "Baby Love" by The Supremes for the first time. This isn't a cover of that record though, it's a cover of a record by Regina. Needless to say the Supremes record with the same title is far far better.
Verdict - Rubbish
Probably one of the lesser know Pet Shop Boys hits and probably one of their less radio friendly records, which is no bad thing. That said, this was the lead single from their first greatest hits album.
Verdict - Good
This is one of several records I associate with starting a new year at school. It was the Top 40 debut for Rozalla and by far the best known. It's been played to death over the years but I've never stopped liking it.
Verdict - Good
The debut hit for Moby. I forgot his name pretty much straight away, I remember at the time talking about a record called "Go" without knowing who it was by. A few years later I found out who it was and was also surprised to find out he was American given this fits right in with the rave music British acts were making at the time.
Verdict - Good
I've not heard this record in a long time and it's one of those records that's hard to place as being at any particular time. However listening to it did bring back memories of the period it's from. Not my cup of tea though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This record really irritated me at the time. My view hasn't really changed, it's a truly awful record. It was one that Bryan Adams kept off number one.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 3rd and final Top 40 hit for Julian Lennon which came 6 years after his previous effort. People give Julian Lennon stick for not being John, but with records like this does it really matter? I loved this record at the time and it still sounds great 30 years later.
Verdict - Good
There was a happy hardcore version of this in the mid-90s by DNA, Breeze & Munchie which I listened to quite a bit. When I heard this for the first time in years it seemed so slow given I'd got used to the happy hardcore version. That was a long time ago though, nowadays I can take the relative slowness.
Verdict - Good
It amazes me how many people I've met who don't remember The Wonder Stuff, particularly given they had a number one with this. They did alienate some of their fans by collaborating with Vic Reeves, but I do wonder if they'd think the same had Vic Reeves not been a famous comedian. To me there is absolutely nothing wrong with this song, I've always liked it.
Verdict - Good
This failed to chart when first released 12 years earlier, but thanks to Simon Mayo and his revival of old novelty records this was re-released. I did quite like it at the time admittedly, but its one of those songs that's supposed to be shit. Therefore a verdict of OK seems appropriate.
Verdict - OK
At the time I thought how the fuck did a record like this get into the Top 40. An opera song sung by someone I'd never heard of who wasn't exactly young. Many years later I discovered it was the song for the Rugby World Cup, I never knew there was such a thing until England won it.
Verdict - Rubbish
The biggest hit to date for The Scorpions who had last been in the Top 40 in 1979 with their debut. My memories of this record at the time was that whenever it got played it never seemed to get played till the end and I was always intrigued as to how it ended.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for 2 Unlimited, though they had a Top 40 hit the previous year as Bizz Nizz. I did like this at the time, but my memory has been somewhat tainted by the crap they released after this. I also remember hearing it a few years later for the first time in a while and it sounded much slower than I remembered.
Verdict - OK
Summer holidays are on the way, this so reminds me of the summer holidays of 1991 where it was number one the whole time and beyond. Quite remarkable for a 31 year old 80s singer who'd failed to even make the Top 40 with most of his prior singles. I got pretty sick of this at the time like most people, but I actually quite like it.
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 20/30, or 67%. An improvement on last week but not to the extent I expected given I liked most new entries.
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