25 Years Since....December 1997

Time for one last visit back to 1997:

Sash! ft La Trec - Stay

I remember the intesting fact that "Encore Une Fois" was in French, "Ecuador" was in Spanish and "Stay" was in English but Sash! was German. Those first 2 hits were very commercial sounding and whilst I didn't mind them they weren't really my cup of tea.

I'm not going to pretend this is anything other than commercial dance, but its found the formula to appeal to me.

All Saints - Never Ever

When the All Saints first came about I was amazed to find that I liked their debut Top 40 hit. I was even more amazed to find I also liked this, their follow up. 

It's one of those records I'd felt I'd heard before but hadn't. As a result of me liking these first 2 singles I went on to do something I'd not done in a long time, bought an album that wasn't rave which was their debut album.

Janet Jackson - Together Again

I never thought I'd be featuring a Janet Jackson record in these posts until I was reminded of this record. It's a dance record so alligned with my music tastes, but to me liking a Janet Jackson dance record was the same as liking the god awful drum & bass record David Bowie had done earlier in the year.

A friend of mine who was into rap and drum & bass did buy this single as I recall, something I questioned why initially but I had to concede that I quite liked it.

Dreem Teem - The Theme

As 1997 was drawing to a close I remember thinking I should go out and get a speed garage compilation. This tune was going through my head when I went into town looking for one. I can picture speed garage compilations in Our Price, but for some reason I didn't buy one in the end.

As far as garage DJs went, I loved a Timmi Magic set and he was part of the Dreem Teem. I also didn't know until later that Mikee B from the Dreem Teem was previously in rave act Top Buzz. I'd become much more familiar with them when we entered the UK Garage era.

Red 5 - Lift Me Up

I think this record could have only been made in 1997 to truly appeal to me. It was really the last time I was young enough to have a idealistic view of the world, reality started to hit me thick and fast after that.

It's a well polished eurodance record from Germany complete with glamourous singers and dancers, an alternate reality that doesn't really exist.

Obviously EDM portrays a glamourous lifestyle these days, but it's one that has no appeal to me whatsoever.

Dreamscape 21 @ The Sanctuary, Milton Keynes 31/12/1995

Force & the Evolution

A year ago I kicked of this series of posts with Dreamscape 15 vs 16 at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes. It marked the first time Dreamscape incorporated the adjoining Rollers into their events to double capacity.

Following this they did the same again at Dreamscape 17 vs 18 and Dreamscape 19 and then they hadn't their big outdoor event with Dreamscape 20.

For Dreamscape 21 they held their new years eve event at both The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes and the Royal Showground in Shepton Mallet. For the simple fact it's closer to where I grew up I would have most likely chosen the event at The Sanctuary.

The plan was to link of by satellite to bring in the new year, but it went spectacularly wrong. Each site saw in the new year at a different time. At my first experience at a new years rave I recall seeing my watch say midnight a few minutes before they counted down into the new year.

We've seen the end of an era for a number of things in 1995 and we're about to see the end of another era with this rave. It was the last ever Dreamscape as we knew it. There was a Dreamscape 22 planned in 1996, but Dreamscape owner Murray Beetson sadly died in a car crash prior to the event and the event was cancelled as a result.

Dreamscape did start again later on in 1996 and carried on into the 21st century and has existed in one form or another since, but this was the end of Murrays Dreamscape. 

The end of an era doesn't end there either. The tape I have posted is the Force & the Evolution one. As far as I'm aware it was the last Force & the Evolution set. After this it was Force & Styles who already had a few tunes under that name in 1995.

Clarkee played at both events that night, in the main arena at The Sanctuary and in the Tek No Prisoners arena at the Royal Showground.

Elsewhere it was the usual suspects playing, a mixture of hardcore DJs and drum & bass DJs. Dougal played the midnight set at The Sanctuary, so both Northampton DJs who were there from the beginning played a significant part.

That wraps up the raving in 1995 posts. On a personal level there will never be another year like it. If only I was old enough to have actually gone to the raves at the time.

Christmas Charts Rated: 2011 - 2022

As mentioned when I introduced this new series of posts, the Christmas charts a more or less the same in the modern era. Christmas parties happen up and down the country where people put on a random playlist of Christmas songs from YouTube, Spotify etc. which gets them into the Top 40.

In 2022 30 of the 40 songs in the Christmas Top 40 were Christmas song, a number that's been growing every year. In 2011 it was a more modest 10 Christmas songs including 2 versions of "Last Christmas" and "Driving Home For Christmas" with Stacey Solomon charting higher than Chris Rea, and The Cast Of The Only Way Is Essex charting higher than Wham!

The first question has to be what is my view on Christmas music?

The answer is I hate it and the fact I'm going to hear the same bunch of songs over and over again for approximately 1/12 of my life isn't going to change that. Therefore it's zero already for 30 songs in 2022 and 10 songs in 2010.

The fact that 9 of these years finished in the bottom 9 in my best year search and the remaining 3 years finished near the bottom doesn't give much hope for the rest of the records in the Top 40.

There were just 8 records in the 12 Top 40s as a whole that scored full marks. Amongst these were "Activ-8" by Altern-8 and "Glad All Over" by Dave Clark Five which were both old records part of Christmas number one campaigns. There were also a couple of Eminem records in there.

The year that finished bottom of my best year search was 2012 which scored a big far zero so it's therefore impossible for the Christmas week to be any worse and it wasn't with Alicia Keys giving it a solitary point with "Girl On Fire".

Also bucking the trend was 2017 which scored 2.5 compared to the 1.5 it scored in the best year search. It also sits top of the Christmas leaderboard for now as a result. Eminem was the main factor here who contributed 1.5 of the points.

Here's the table so far then with scores from both Christmas week and best year week. I'm colouring the Christmas week red if it's worse, green if better or leaving it if it's the same score as the best year week.

UK Number 40s: Queensryche - I Am I (1995)

Many people will be familiar with the progressive rock genre. Much of it was music made to listen to on an album rather than music for the singles chart. Some will be familiar with progressive house, a genre that isn't well defined but one that perhaps isn't chart friendly. A more obscure genre that few will have heard of is progressive metal.

That is the genre of this record. Progressive metal bands we've had in the Top 40 include Queensryche and...well that's it. You could therefore say that Queensryche are the most successful progressive metal band ever from a chart perspective.

Their Top 40 debut came in 1991 with "Silent Lucidity" which made number 34. The only time they charted higher than this was in 1992 when a re-issue of "Silent Lucidity" made number 18. Their 2nd Top 40 hit "Best I Can" made 36 and then "Jet City Women" made number 39. These were all in 1991.

"I Am I" was their 4th Top 40 hit and was the lead single from their "Promised Land" album. One more single followed which was also a number 40, but more on that when the time comes.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 52

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. Nirvana - In Bloom

This record marks the half way point of Nirvana's UK Top 40 career both in terms of number being the 4th of 7 and in time being around a year in with a year to go. Aside from a solitary posthumous release a decade later they were already finished with hits on the Billboard 100 with this failing to chart. The riff of this is very similar to "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago. Not a bad record.

Verdict - OK

29. Undercover - Never Let Her Slip Away

When this came out I was yet to hear the original so this was the first version I heard. I loved this record at the time and I was was very pro modern music I probably would have still loved it had I heard the original. Because of these fond memories I still like it today.

Verdict - Good

28. East Side Beat - Alive And Kicking

This is a dance version of the Simple Minds record. East Side Beat had made their Top 40 debut a year prior with a dance version of "Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross and did a pretty decent job of it. I can't say the same about this one though, they've basically taken the good bits out and replaced them with what sounds like pressing the demo button on a keyboard.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

When it comes to Boyz II Men I can't look past the comparison that's often made between them and Jodeci which is basically Jodeci were the bad boys of R&B whereas Boyz II Men were the clean cut group. Behind the scenes though Babyface was one of the writers and he has also written for K-Ci & Jojo of Jodeci. That doesn't mean this song is good though.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. SL2 - Way In My Brain / Drumbeats

"Way In My Brain" had been the debut Top 40 hit for SL2 just over a year prior to this as a double a-side with "DJs Take Control". This time it's been remixed and is a double a-side with "Drumbeats". It's a pretty solid remix and "Drumbeats" is one of many underrated classics.

Verdict - Good / Good

25. Dina Carroll - So Close

One thing I've always found somewhat baffling is that Christmas is supposed to be a happy occasion, yet many people feel the need to release depressing music to mark the occasion. This is what Dina Carroll did having had quite uplifting hits prior to this. Yet I find the chorus surprisingly listenable.

Verdict - OK

24. Arrested Development - People Everyday

In 1992 there were just 2 rap records which made the Top 10, "Jump" by Kris Kross and this record. It was the Top 40 debut for Arrested Development. It was the weird noises that I always liked about this record at the time.

Verdict - Good

23. Boyz II Men - Motownphilly (New)

The follow up to "End of the Road" which was still in the Top 40 when this charted. Both records left the Top 40 the same week, so clearly this didn't have as much impact. 

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Slipstreem - We Are Raving - The Anthem

There were more rave Top 40 hits in 1992 than any other year. The number of hits did notably dwindle towards the end of the year though and cheesy crap like this ensured it wouldn't come back. It's basically a take on "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers with the word "we are sailing" replaced with "we are raving". It really is as bad as it sounds.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. 808 State And UB40 - One In Ten

I like both 808 State and UB40. I also like the original of "One In Ten". I don't know what exactly 808 State were trying to do here, but whatever it was it didn't work in my opinion. It just sounds a bit of a mess and doesn't do the original any justice.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. The Lemonheads - Mrs Robinson / Being Around

At this point in my life I'd moved on from Queen because it was old peoples music and was now very pro modern music. This cover of "Mrs Robinson" to me was a big fuck you to the older generation and here is the new generation doing the song much better. "Being Around" is basically Evan Dando on his own with a very short acoustic number which is pleasant enough.

Verdict - Good / Good

19. Michael Bolton - Drift Away (New)

Michael Bolton is a songwriter, yet he did so many covers including this record. I like the original of this, but this cover is rubbish. The lyrical content of getting lost in rock n roll sounds silly in what sounds like a typical Michael Bolton record.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

This was the first time I'd heard Heaven 17 and I had no idea this was a remix of an 80s record. One stand out memory about this record is it being the first one they played at a school disco and everyone was singing along so loudly that I couldn't hear myself singing along. When I finally heard the original I found it a bit of a disappointed because I like this remix so much.

Verdict - Good

17. Stereo MC's - Step It Up

This was one of my favourites at the time. I quite liked that strange combination of music that sounded quite soulful with a singing who's only really half singing. 

Verdict - Good

16. Cliff Richard - I Still Believe In You

Yet another attempt by Cliff Richard at getting the Christmas number one. I have no recollection of this song but I haven't missed out on anything.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Simply Red - The Montreux EP

The lead song on this EP is "Lady Godiva's Room". Given their "Stars" album was the biggest selling album of both 1991 and 1992 I guess it didn't make sense to release any more singles from it given how many people would have owned the album. I find this record quite soothing.

Verdict - Good

14. The Prodigy - Out Of Space / Ruff In The Jungle Bizness

I would say "Out Of Space" is the record The Prodigy are best remembered for from this particular era. The beats in this tune are really something, which is easy to forget when you hear it so much. "Ruff In The Jungle Bizness" is one of those tunes that just goes to another level once the piano kicks in. 

Verdict - Good / Good

13. Freddie Mercury - In My Defence

My memory of this record coming out is people pointing it out to me and me saying I don't care, I'm a Guns N Roses fan now. That said I did find myself enjoying this record. It's definitely one of the better Freddie Mercury solo records.

Verdict - Good

12. Diana Ross - If We Hold On Together

This was already 4 years old by the time it came out having featured in the film "The Land Before Time". I do find that fact a little off putting as songs from animated films tend to be a bit crap. Oddly I think I took a liking to this before I realised it was from an animated film. The fact it's not a male/female duet probably helps too.

Verdict - Good

11. Lisa Stansfield - Someday (I'm Coming Back)

One of the songs from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack which isn't by Whitney Houston. It's much better than Whitney's chart topper, but that's not saying much. It's uplifting, but there's no wow factor to it, just pretty average but pleasant enough. 

Verdict - OK

10. Madonna - Deeper And Deeper

This was the 29th Top 40 hit for Madonna but just the 3rd that failed to reach the Top 5. That doesn't mean this is any worse that most of her previous records, and it isn't. Then again there is a very small number of Madonna records I actually like and this isn't one of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Rod Stewart - Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)

I remember singing "Waltzing Matilda" at primary school. As a rule, any song I sang at school that translates into a pop song is never going to go down well. I found this Rod Stewart version terrible and remember thinking why is this old duffer still having hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Gloria Estefan - Miami Hit Mix

Gloria Estefan had 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s, many of which are long forgotten. The only one that managed to make the Top 10 though was a megamix of her 80s hits. Whilst I do prefer her 80s hits generally speaking I don't like them enough to like this megamix.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Boney M - Boney M Megamix

It had been over a decade since Boney M had last been in the Top 40. To be fair they had a pretty remarkable Top 40 run in their heyday so this was perhaps educating people like me what music was like in the 70s. I on the other hand only cared about modern music.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. WWF Superstars - Slam Jam

With most of the 80s Stock Aitken & Waterman acts now moved on, this was the new era for Stock and Waterman. This time it was getting wrestlers to make records. It's as dreadful as it should be.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. The Shamen - Phorever People

The Shamen could do no wrong in 1992 it would seem. I would say this is the best of their 1992 hits, possibly helped by the fact it hasn't fallen victim to anthem bashing. At the time I misheard the lyrics to the chorus as being "we are the burger people". 

Verdict - Good

4. Take That - Could It Be Magic

It was around the time this record came out that it was established that if you were a boy you weren't supposed to like Take That. At the same time, this was the first Take That record I actually liked. I wouldn't admit it at the time but I admit it now.

Verdict - Good

3. Charles And Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Literally everyone I knew at the time loved this record. Some even went as far as saying Charles & Eddie were their favourite band based on this record alone. I was no exception, I loved this record too. 

Verdict - Good

2. Michael Jackson - Heal The World

I did like this record at the time. So much so that when we voted for what charity to support at school I picked "Heal The World" on the basis of this song. These days though I can't tolerate songs like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.

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%. For the first time since the 2nd week of 1991 we've gone below 50%.

Blog Update for 2023

This year this blog has taken up a lot of my time. I've already mentioned the raving in 1995 posts being very time consuming and these will come to an end next week.

On Thursdays in 2023 I will be trying to answer the question: Does the overall quality of music in the Top 40 decline at Christmas time?

When I did my Top 20 from 20 years ago posts I found the scores I was giving each week were in serious decline towards the end of 1999 to the point I decided to do the Top 30 from 30 years ago the following year. Again though I did find scores started declining towards the end of 1990.

When I was looking for the best year of the Top 40 I gave each year a score based on a Top 40 from the middle of the year. Therefore what I will be doing is taking another score based on the Top 40 on Christmas week for each year and comparing.

In the modern era the Christmas charts are more or less the same each year. I thought I should review each year for the sake of completion but the years 2011-2022 will appear in a single post next week. That then gives me 51 years to do in 51 weeks prior to Christmas next year. 

Instead of doing them chronologically I'm going to do them in reverse order of where they finished on the best year leaderboard with the aim to save the best for last and keep it going.

That's not the only change that's happening though.

Another reason this blog has been taking up a lot of my time is because of the Top of the Pops repeats on BBC4 which caught up with my Top 30 from 30 years ago posts earlier this year. I write these posts well in advance of them appearing on the blog and it somewhat spoils the fun of it if I'm revisiting records I heard just a few weeks ago on Top of the Pops. 

I've therefore been working extra hard to stay ahead of the Top of the Pops repeats and although the latest posts you see are from the end of 1992 I'm actually well into 1994 with the posts I've written.

I figured that if I keep this up I'll have posts written to the end of the decade before we're even halfway through the decade. Anything could happen between now and then so I'm a bit hesitant to make posts so far in advance if they might not even see light of day.

Therefore I'm going to review the Top 30 for the equivalent week in 1995 and 1996 in addition to 1993 next year and then do the same for 1997 and 1998 in addition to 1994 the following year to keep ahead of Top of the Pops. That sounds like I'm giving myself more work, but it will be the same amount with the difference being posts appearing on the blog quicker instead of having 5 years worth of posts waiting. I'm going to spread these reviews across different days, so this is what each week will look like in 2023:

Tuesday: UK Number 40s

Wednesday: Top 30 Reviewed in 1995

Thursday: Christmas Chart Review

Friday: Top 30 Reviewed in 1996

Sunday: Top 30 Reviewed in 1994

Hopefully once I'm on top of these I'll have more time to make more one off random posts which was the idea behind this blog in the first place.

Raving in 1995

 

Alchemist & Fade - Sweet Inspiration

Now we're in the penultimate week of 1995 I thought instead of picking a rave to visit from around that time I would do a round up of the year instead.

One thing that has been said numerous times about 90s rave was that everything was happening so quickly which made it somewhat difficult to take stock of what was going on.

27 years has now passed with plenty of records from that era now a permanent fixture in my head. We also have the benefit of the internet to inform us of what happened when.

Yet despite all of this I've still found it difficult to keep up with everything. I've also learned what a useful resource Rolldabeats is now it's no longer available. It helped me keep track of what records were new for 1995 which was useful for seeing how it was all evolving.

To give you an idea, during the period Rolldabeats was available which was the bulk of the year there were a total of 871 new for 1995 records. This does not include remixes or many records which still remain unidentified plus the music generally played in the technodrome etc which wasn't as easily tracked. 

That's not to mention the sets that aren't on tape or known releases from 1995 that don't appear on any of the sets or even records that just appeared at raves that did not feature.

I've posted one of the records that fits the latter category. "Sweet Inspiration" by Alchemist & Fade was in a set a mate who pretty much introduced me to all things rave did for me. Always thought it was a great record and somewhat surprised it wasn't played at any of the raves featured.

Loads of things happened in 1995 and its a year I have fond memories of. What I've discovered thanks mainly to Rolldabeats is the set that my mate did for me that introduced me to the new world of happy hardcore consisted mostly of Dutch records. I do therefore question whether that set would have had the same impact had it been mostly English records? We'll never know.

There is the temptation to carry this on into 1996 but I'm not going to. For a start it's been very time consuming, I've had as many as 16 tapes up to 90 minutes long each to get through some weeks. Another factor though is that the first Bonkers album came out in 1996 and I've already covered that.

I do have plans for another regular Thursday post next year, but more on that to come. In the meantime next Thursday will feature Dreamscape 21 to round off the year which was the final Dreamscape before the tragic death of the Dreamscape owner Murray Beetson.

UK Number 40s: Shawn Colvin & Mary-Chapin Carpenter - One Cool Remove (1995)

 

The most logical explanation for this record only getting to number 40 in the charts is that it's too American. It's the type of record you'd expect to do pretty well in American but not in the UK. Except for one thing, this never made the Billboard 100.

What probably helped this record actually make the Top 40 in the UK was the fact it was performed on "Later With Jools Holland" at the end of 1994 and charted at the start of January 1995, a time of year when sales a traditionally low.

It was a cover of a song by American folk singer Greg Brown and appeared on Shawn Colvin's "Cover Girl" album which was an album full of covers. It was the Top 40 debut for Shawn Colvin and she would have one further Top 40 hit in 1998 with the better known "Sunny Came Home" which was also her only Billboard 100 single. 

It was also the Top 40 debut for Mary-Chapin Carpenter. She also had one further UK Top 40 hit with "Shut Up and Kiss Me" later on in the year which made 35 in the UK and 90 on the Billboard 100. Like Shawn Colvin she didn't have much success on the Billboard 100 but she had quite a few hits in the US Country Charts with "Shut Up and Kiss Me" topping them.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 51

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. KWS ft The Trammps - Hold Back The Night (New)

After having 2 Top 40 hits in 1992 which were both covers of 70s records, here's KWS doing another but this time they feature the act who recorded it in the 70s. The result is something that doesn't really sound any different to the 70s version and as I like the 70s version I guess I like this one too.

Verdict - Good

29. SL2 - Way In My Brain / Drumbeats (New)

"Way In My Brain" had been the debut Top 40 hit for SL2 just over a year prior to this as a double a-side with "DJs Take Control". This time it's been remixed and is a double a-side with "Drumbeats". It's a pretty solid remix and "Drumbeats" is one of many underrated classics.

Verdict - Good / Good

28. Nirvana - In Bloom (New)

This record marks the half way point of Nirvana's UK Top 40 career both in terms of number being the 4th of 7 and in time being around a year in with a year to go. Aside from a solitary posthumous release a decade later they were already finished with hits on the Billboard 100 with this failing to chart. The riff of this is very similar to "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago. Not a bad record.

Verdict - OK

27. Slipstreem - We Are Raving - The Anthem (New)

There were more rave Top 40 hits in 1992 than any other year. The number of hits did notably dwindle towards the end of the year though and cheesy crap like this ensured it wouldn't come back. It's basically a take on "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers with the word "we are sailing" replaced with "we are raving". It really is as bad as it sounds.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. East Side Beat - Alive And Kicking (New)

This is a dance version of the Simple Minds record. East Side Beat had made their Top 40 debut a year prior with a dance version of "Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross and did a pretty decent job of it. I can't say the same about this one though, they've basically taken the good bits out and replaced them with what sounds like pressing the demo button on a keyboard.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. The Wedding Present - No Christmas (New)

The final monthly Top 40 hit of 1992 for The Wedding Present which appropriately for the time of year is a Christmas record. It was the end of their Top 40 career though, that lasted until 2005 though they only managed 2 further Top 40 hits in that time. As for this record, pretty non-descript as usual.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. Undercover - Never Let Her Slip Away

When this came out I was yet to hear the original so this was the first version I heard. I loved this record at the time and I was was very pro modern music I probably would have still loved it had I heard the original. Because of these fond memories I still like it today.

Verdict - Good

23. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

When it comes to Boyz II Men I can't look past the comparison that's often made between them and Jodeci which is basically Jodeci were the bad boys of R&B whereas Boyz II Men were the clean cut group. Behind the scenes though Babyface was one of the writers and he has also written for K-Ci & Jojo of Jodeci. That doesn't mean this song is good though.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Arrested Development - People Everyday

In 1992 there were just 2 rap records which made the Top 10, "Jump" by Kris Kross and this record. It was the Top 40 debut for Arrested Development. It was the weird noises that I always liked about this record at the time.

Verdict - Good

21. Dina Carroll - So Close

One thing I've always found somewhat baffling is that Christmas is supposed to be a happy occasion, yet many people feel the need to release depressing music to mark the occasion. This is what Dina Carroll did having had quite uplifting hits prior to this. Yet I find the chorus surprisingly listenable.

Verdict - OK

20. The Lemonheads - Mrs Robinson / Being Around

At this point in my life I'd moved on from Queen because it was old peoples music and was now very pro modern music. This cover of "Mrs Robinson" to me was a big fuck you to the older generation and here is the new generation doing the song much better. "Being Around" is basically Evan Dando on his own with a very short acoustic number which is pleasant enough.

Verdict - Good / Good

19. Lisa Stansfield - Someday (I'm Coming Back) (New)

One of the songs from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack which isn't by Whitney Houston. It's much better than Whitney's chart topper, but that's not saying much. It's uplifting, but there's no wow factor to it, just pretty average but pleasant enough. 

Verdict - OK

18. Simply Red - The Montreux EP

The lead song on this EP is "Lady Godiva's Room". Given their "Stars" album was the biggest selling album of both 1991 and 1992 I guess it didn't make sense to release any more singles from it given how many people would have owned the album. I find this record quite soothing.

Verdict - Good

17. 808 State And UB40 - One In Ten

I like both 808 State and UB40. I also like the original of "One In Ten". I don't know what exactly 808 State were trying to do here, but whatever it was it didn't work in my opinion. It just sounds a bit of a mess and doesn't do the original any justice.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Gloria Estefan - Miami Hit Mix

Gloria Estefan had 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s, many of which are long forgotten. The only one that managed to make the Top 10 though was a megamix of her 80s hits. Whilst I do prefer her 80s hits generally speaking I don't like them enough to like this megamix.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Stereo MC's - Step It Up

This was one of my favourites at the time. I quite liked that strange combination of music that sounded quite soulful with a singing who's only really half singing. 

Verdict - Good

14. Diana Ross - If We Hold On Together

This was already 4 years old by the time it came out having featured in the film "The Land Before Time". I do find that fact a little off putting as songs from animated films tend to be a bit crap. Oddly I think I took a liking to this before I realised it was from an animated film. The fact it's not a male/female duet probably helps too.

Verdict - Good

13. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

This was the first time I'd heard Heaven 17 and I had no idea this was a remix of an 80s record. One stand out memory about this record is it being the first one they played at a school disco and everyone was singing along so loudly that I couldn't hear myself singing along. When I finally heard the original I found it a bit of a disappointed because I like this remix so much.

Verdict - Good

12. Cliff Richard - I Still Believe In You

Yet another attempt by Cliff Richard at getting the Christmas number one. I have no recollection of this song but I haven't missed out on anything.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. The Prodigy - Out Of Space / Ruff In The Jungle Bizness

I would say "Out Of Space" is the record The Prodigy are best remembered for from this particular era. The beats in this tune are really something, which is easy to forget when you hear it so much. "Ruff In The Jungle Bizness" is one of those tunes that just goes to another level once the piano kicks in. 

Verdict - Good / Good

10. Boney M - Boney M Megamix

It had been over a decade since Boney M had last been in the Top 40. To be fair they had a pretty remarkable Top 40 run in their heyday so this was perhaps educating people like me what music was like in the 70s. I on the other hand only cared about modern music.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Rod Stewart - Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)

I remember singing "Waltzing Matilda" at primary school. As a rule, any song I sang at school that translates into a pop song is never going to go down well. I found this Rod Stewart version terrible and remember thinking why is this old duffer still having hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Freddie Mercury - In My Defence

My memory of this record coming out is people pointing it out to me and me saying I don't care, I'm a Guns N Roses fan now. That said I did find myself enjoying this record. It's definitely one of the better Freddie Mercury solo records.

Verdict - Good

7. The Shamen - Phorever People (New)

The Shamen could do no wrong in 1992 it would seem. I would say this is the best of their 1992 hits, possibly helped by the fact it hasn't fallen victim to anthem bashing. At the time I misheard the lyrics to the chorus as being "we are the burger people". 

Verdict - Good

6. Madonna - Deeper And Deeper

This was the 29th Top 40 hit for Madonna but just the 3rd that failed to reach the Top 5. That doesn't mean this is any worse that most of her previous records, and it isn't. Then again there is a very small number of Madonna records I actually like and this isn't one of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Take That - Could It Be Magic

It was around the time this record came out that it was established that if you were a boy you weren't supposed to like Take That. At the same time, this was the first Take That record I actually liked. I wouldn't admit it at the time but I admit it now.

Verdict - Good

4. WWF Superstars - Slam Jam

With most of the 80s Stock Aitken & Waterman acts now moved on, this was the new era for Stock and Waterman. This time it was getting wrestlers to make records. It's as dreadful as it should be.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Charles And Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Literally everyone I knew at the time loved this record. Some even went as far as saying Charles & Eddie were their favourite band based on this record alone. I was no exception, I loved this record too. 

Verdict - Good

2. Michael Jackson - Heal The World

I did like this record at the time. So much so that when we voted for what charity to support at school I picked "Heal The World" on the basis of this song. These days though I can't tolerate songs like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.

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 15.5/30, or 52%. The almost inevitable end of year slump is happening but the score is just about staying above 50%.

Pleasuredome @ Fantasy Island, Ingoldmells 16/12/1996

As we head towards the end of the year and towards a big new years eve rave there's a couple of things that have come to mind. First of all we're going into a period that's the calm before the storm. Secondly I thought it's worth considering events I'd like to visit one last time but I won't be featuring on new years eve.

I have therefore gone for the Pleasuredome. This was the calm before the storm as they had a bigger new years eve event a couple of weeks later. At the same time though I always thought of the Pleasuredome at the time as being the 3rd biggest rave after Dreamscape and Helter Skelter, which may give a hint of which rave will feature on new years eve.

There's no tapes from this event so not much I can say on the music front. As ever we have Fergus, Rush, Stomp and Sound playing. Then on the hardcore front is Slipmatt, Brisk and DJ SY and on the drum & bass front is Hype, DJ SS and Easy D.

If memory serves me correctly this is the first rave to feature this year to have Easy D on the line up.

UK Number 40s: Mike - Twangling Three Fingers In A Box (1994)

 

Cast your mind back to 1992 and the number 40 record "One Love In My Lifetime" I mentioned that member Mark Jolley would have another number 40 record. This was that record.

His collaborator on the record was Nick Whitecross who was the lead singer and guitarist of 80s one hit wonders Kissing the Pink.

It was a house record that enjoyed success in the clubs. It had also featured on the Essential Mix Danny Tenaglia shortly before its release. 

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 50

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. The Shamen - Boss Drum

I mentioned in the "Ebeneezer Goode" review the the person who gave me a lift to school would always turn off the radio when that tune came on. When this one appeared on the radio that person said they actually liked this record. So did I.

Verdict - Good

29. Kylie Minogue - Celebration

We've now reached the end of the Stock Aitken & Waterman era of Kylie Minogue's career, though this particular record wasn't produced by them and it was a cover but was on PWL records. It's just as poor as your typical Stock Aitken & Waterman output though.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. REM - Man On The Moon

This one takes me back to the end of term at school when it was a day of just pissing about listening to music. Unfortunately for me I was made to do my homework that I'd failed to do, but as I was doing it I could hear my classmates singing along to this and I was thinking lucky them.

Verdict - Good

27. Prince And The New Power Generation - 7 (New)

This was the final UK Top 40 hit credited to Prince And The New Power Generation, though there would be hits for both separately to come. After a promising start I find myself switching off somewhat as the song goes on. Maybe it peaked too soon with the intro being the best bit.

Verdict - OK

26. Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker

This is one of those records which showcases to me why the 90s was a better time. I was mostly listening to this in the early 00s though when I acquired a Pure Swing compilation this was on. The fact I was listening to an early 90s compilation in the early 00s though kind of proves my point.

Verdict - Good

25. Gloria Estefan - Miami Hit Mix (New)

Gloria Estefan had 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s, many of which are long forgotten. The only one that managed to make the Top 10 though was a megamix of her 80s hits. Whilst I do prefer her 80s hits generally speaking I don't like them enough to like this megamix.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. Guns N' Roses - Yesterdays

This was the 6th single to be released from the "Use Your Illusion" albums which had been out for over a year by this point. I'm pretty sure Guns N' Roses were my favourite band by this point so I liked pretty much everything they did. 

Verdict - Good

23. Deacon Blue - Your Town

Although Deacon Blue are known as an 80s band they actually had more Top 40 hits in the 90s. This particular record has a 90s sound to it as well and has more of a rock sounds that their previous efforts. It's good though.

Verdict - Good

22. The Lemonheads - Mrs Robinson / Being Around

At this point in my life I'd moved on from Queen because it was old peoples music and was now very pro modern music. This cover of "Mrs Robinson" to me was a big fuck you to the older generation and here is the new generation doing the song much better. "Being Around" is basically Evan Dando on his own with a very short acoustic number which is pleasant enough.

Verdict - Good / Good

21. 808 State And UB40 - One In Ten (New)

I like both 808 State and UB40. I also like the original of "One In Ten". I don't know what exactly 808 State were trying to do here, but whatever it was it didn't work in my opinion. It just sounds a bit of a mess and doesn't do the original any justice.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Dina Carroll - So Close

One thing I've always found somewhat baffling is that Christmas is supposed to be a happy occasion, yet many people feel the need to release depressing music to mark the occasion. This is what Dina Carroll did having had quite uplifting hits prior to this. Yet I find the chorus surprisingly listenable.

Verdict - OK

19. Arrested Development - People Everyday

In 1992 there were just 2 rap records which made the Top 10, "Jump" by Kris Kross and this record. It was the Top 40 debut for Arrested Development. It was the weird noises that I always liked about this record at the time.

Verdict - Good

18. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

When it comes to Boyz II Men I can't look past the comparison that's often made between them and Jodeci which is basically Jodeci were the bad boys of R&B whereas Boyz II Men were the clean cut group. Behind the scenes though Babyface was one of the writers and he has also written for K-Ci & Jojo of Jodeci. That doesn't mean this song is good though.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Undercover - Never Let Her Slip Away

When this came out I was yet to hear the original so this was the first version I heard. I loved this record at the time and I was was very pro modern music I probably would have still loved it had I heard the original. Because of these fond memories I still like it today.

Verdict - Good

16. Diana Ross - If We Hold On Together

This was already 4 years old by the time it came out having featured in the film "The Land Before Time". I do find that fact a little off putting as songs from animated films tend to be a bit crap. Oddly I think I took a liking to this before I realised it was from an animated film. The fact it's not a male/female duet probably helps too.

Verdict - Good

15. U2 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

I don't think I've heard this record since 1992. I guess U2 have had that many hits that some will inevitably be long forgotten now. I very much remember this record and I remember liking it too. Listening to it now though I'm finding it pretty average.

Verdict - OK

14. Simply Red - The Montreux EP

The lead song on this EP is "Lady Godiva's Room". Given their "Stars" album was the biggest selling album of both 1991 and 1992 I guess it didn't make sense to release any more singles from it given how many people would have owned the album. I find this record quite soothing.

Verdict - Good

13. Boney M - Boney M Megamix

It had been over a decade since Boney M had last been in the Top 40. To be fair they had a pretty remarkable Top 40 run in their heyday so this was perhaps educating people like me what music was like in the 70s. I on the other hand only cared about modern music.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Stereo MC's - Step It Up

This was one of my favourites at the time. I quite liked that strange combination of music that sounded quite soulful with a singing who's only really half singing. 

Verdict - Good

11. Freddie Mercury - In My Defence (New)

My memory of this record coming out is people pointing it out to me and me saying I don't care, I'm a Guns N Roses fan now. That said I did find myself enjoying this record. It's definitely one of the better Freddie Mercury solo records.

Verdict - Good

10. Madonna - Deeper And Deeper (New)

This was the 29th Top 40 hit for Madonna but just the 3rd that failed to reach the Top 5. That doesn't mean this is any worse that most of her previous records, and it isn't. Then again there is a very small number of Madonna records I actually like and this isn't one of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Take That - Could It Be Magic (New)

It was around the time this record came out that it was established that if you were a boy you weren't supposed to like Take That. At the same time, this was the first Take That record I actually liked. I wouldn't admit it at the time but I admit it now.

Verdict - Good

8. The Prodigy - Out Of Space / Ruff In The Jungle Bizness

I would say "Out Of Space" is the record The Prodigy are best remembered for from this particular era. The beats in this tune are really something, which is easy to forget when you hear it so much. "Ruff In The Jungle Bizness" is one of those tunes that just goes to another level once the piano kicks in. 

Verdict - Good / Good

7. Cliff Richard - I Still Believe In You

Yet another attempt by Cliff Richard at getting the Christmas number one. I have no recollection of this song but I haven't missed out on anything.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Rod Stewart - Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)

I remember singing "Waltzing Matilda" at primary school. As a rule, any song I sang at school that translates into a pop song is never going to go down well. I found this Rod Stewart version terrible and remember thinking why is this old duffer still having hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

This was the first time I'd heard Heaven 17 and I had no idea this was a remix of an 80s record. One stand out memory about this record is it being the first one they played at a school disco and everyone was singing along so loudly that I couldn't hear myself singing along. When I finally heard the original I found it a bit of a disappointed because I like this remix so much.

Verdict - Good

4. WWF Superstars - Slam Jam (New)

With most of the 80s Stock Aitken & Waterman acts now moved on, this was the new era for Stock and Waterman. This time it was getting wrestlers to make records. It's as dreadful as it should be.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Charles And Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Literally everyone I knew at the time loved this record. Some even went as far as saying Charles & Eddie were their favourite band based on this record alone. I was no exception, I loved this record too. 

Verdict - Good

2. Michael Jackson - Heal The World

I did like this record at the time. So much so that when we voted for what charity to support at school I picked "Heal The World" on the basis of this song. These days though I can't tolerate songs like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.

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 17.5/30, or 58%. Very good score considering the rubbish that entered the charts this week.

Helter Skelter @ The Sanctuary Milton Keynes 09/12/1995

DJ Vibes

This week we're at the 4th and final Helter Skelter of 1995. That doesn't sound like that many, but Dreamscape had only had 3 events in 1995 to this point and Helter Skelter had just 3 events in 1994 and 2 in 1993.

When I first tried to buy the tape pack for this event from Helter Skelter themselves it had sold out. Then in 1999 they mentioned in a newsletter that some of the older tape packs are back in stock so I tried again and succeeded this time. 

Had I managed to buy the times when I first tried there would be no doubt I'd have listened to it a lot, but by 1999 I was listening to lots of different music and as a result I didn't listen to this tape pack much.

This was the penultimate event to just use The Sanctuary without The Rollers and was geared more towards hardcore than drum & bass with Hype, Grooverider and Jumpin Jack Frost the only drum & bass DJs.

I've posted the DJ Vibes set which I feel is setting the scene for 1996. It features MC Live Lee which was the future of DJ Vibes sets. Also featured MC wise was Magika who was celebrating his birthday and Charlie B.

Unfortunately Rolldabeats which is my main source for tracklistings is currently not working so I'm unable to find the new for 1995 records or see which tunes are being played the most.

One tune I do know is new for 1995 from this night is "Hold Me Now" by The Highlander which appears on this set. 

DJ Destruction played at this night which was his final Helter Skelter. Not only that, but I've not seen any evidence of him playing any other rave after this night.

In the technodrome the Loftgroover and Music Maker sets are getting madder.

Just 3 weeks until the end of the year.

UK Number 40s: Blast featuring VDC - Princes Of The Night (1994)

 

1994 was the year of eurodance. It existed before 1994 and continued after and reached a point where the lines became blurred between it and commercial trance. In terms of quantity of pure eurodance, 1994 was the year we had the most Top 40 hits.

Blast and VDC came from Italy and had 2 Top 40 hits. The first came in the summer of 1994 with "Crayzy Man" and the 2nd was this. A logical reason why this may have only made number 40 is that there's only room for 40 records and the sheer quantity of eurodance was keeping it down there. A look at the Top 40 that week though implies that wasn't the case as there wasn't that much eurodance in it. Maybe the record buying public had got sick of it.

Blast were Fabio Fiorentino and Roberto Masi. Like with a lot of Italian producers of the 90s they had another alias which was Sadomasy & DJ One plus Roberto Masi had lots of other projects. VDC stands for Vito De Canzio and he was the singer who had also sang for several other people.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 49

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 1992 with my verdict on each record:

30. En Vogue - Free Your Mind / Giving Him Something He Can Feel

I'm surprised this record only got to number 16. It's hard to pin point one record as being the one En Vogue are best know for but "Free Your Mind" is definitely a candidate. Both tunes are from the "Funky Divas" album and influenced my decision to buy that album.

Verdict - Good / Good

29. Richard Marx - Chains Around My Heart (New)

I remember this one having a bigger chorus than it does. On that basis it's a bit of a let down. Overall though I think I need to be in the right mood for this one. As I've got older and more bitter I've become less receptive to a soft rock ballad.

Verdict - OK

28. The Lemonheads - Mrs Robinson / Being Around (New)

At this point in my life I'd moved on from Queen because it was old peoples music and was now very pro modern music. This cover of "Mrs Robinson" to me was a big fuck you to the older generation and here is the new generation doing the song much better. "Being Around" is basically Evan Dando on his own with a very short acoustic number which is pleasant enough.

Verdict - Good / Good

27. Phillip Schofield - Close Every Door (New)

Just when we'd got over Jason Donovan doing all that Joseph crap here's Phil Schofield doing the same thing. Fortunately his music career never went any further than this. Or maybe its unfortunate because he's been on the TV every day since.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Genesis - Invisible Touch (Live)

When this record was first released in 1986 it reached number 15. This live version 6 years later reached number 7. It was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date of the Phil Collins era of Genesis with their final one only making number 40. If you asked me to name one Genesis record then this one would probably be it. Quite appropriately for a record with Phil Collins on it, the best thing about this record is the drumming.

Verdict - Good

25. Rage - Run To You

When I first heard people talking about Rage Against the Machine in 1993 I thought surely they can't be talking about the group who had a hit with "Run to You" not so long ago. They weren't as this group were simply called Rage. It's a eurodance cover of the Bryan Adams record which on paper should be dreadful. It's actually not bad though.

Verdict - OK

24. Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker (New)

This is one of those records which showcases to me why the 90s was a better time. I was mostly listening to this in the early 00s though when I acquired a Pure Swing compilation this was on. The fact I was listening to an early 90s compilation in the early 00s though kind of proves my point.

Verdict - Good

23. Boney M - Boney M Megamix (New)

It had been over a decade since Boney M had last been in the Top 40. To be fair they had a pretty remarkable Top 40 run in their heyday so this was perhaps educating people like me what music was like in the 70s. I on the other hand only cared about modern music.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Dina Carroll - So Close (New)

One thing I've always found somewhat baffling is that Christmas is supposed to be a happy occasion, yet many people feel the need to release depressing music to mark the occasion. This is what Dina Carroll did having had quite uplifting hits prior to this. Yet I find the chorus surprisingly listenable.

Verdict - OK

21. Shabba Ranks ft Johnny Gill - Slow And Sexy

I remember Shabba Ranks being around and having more hits than "Mr. Loverman" without remembering specifically what they were. This must have been one of those records but it's not ringing any bells. It could grow on me, but hasn't had an instant impact.

Verdict - OK

20. Kylie Minogue - Celebration

We've now reached the end of the Stock Aitken & Waterman era of Kylie Minogue's career, though this particular record wasn't produced by them and it was a cover but was on PWL records. It's just as poor as your typical Stock Aitken & Waterman output though.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Diana Ross - If We Hold On Together

This was already 4 years old by the time it came out having featured in the film "The Land Before Time". I do find that fact a little off putting as songs from animated films tend to be a bit crap. Oddly I think I took a liking to this before I realised it was from an animated film. The fact it's not a male/female duet probably helps too.

Verdict - Good

18. REM - Man On The Moon (New)

This one takes me back to the end of term at school when it was a day of just pissing about listening to music. Unfortunately for me I was made to do my homework that I'd failed to do, but as I was doing it I could hear my classmates singing along to this and I was thinking lucky them.

Verdict - Good

17. Vanessa Paradis - Be My Baby

I'd pretty much forgot about this record until I watched a Classic Chart Show episode which this appeared on. I don't know if I ever know who did it at the time, but when I saw it was Vanessa Paradis I was quite surprised. I was also surprised to learn this was written by Lenny Kravitz. It certain has that 90s nostalgia to it.

Verdict - Good

16. Stereo MC's - Step It Up (New)

This was one of my favourites at the time. I quite liked that strange combination of music that sounded quite soulful with a singing who's only really half singing. 

Verdict - Good

15. Deacon Blue - Your Town

Although Deacon Blue are known as an 80s band they actually had more Top 40 hits in the 90s. This particular record has a 90s sound to it as well and has more of a rock sounds that their previous efforts. It's good though.

Verdict - Good

14. U2 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (New)

I don't think I've heard this record since 1992. I guess U2 have had that many hits that some will inevitably be long forgotten now. I very much remember this record and I remember liking it too. Listening to it now though I'm finding it pretty average.

Verdict - OK

13. The Shamen - Boss Drum

I mentioned in the "Ebeneezer Goode" review the the person who gave me a lift to school would always turn off the radio when that tune came on. When this one appeared on the radio that person said they actually liked this record. So did I.

Verdict - Good

12. Guns N' Roses - Yesterdays

This was the 6th single to be released from the "Use Your Illusion" albums which had been out for over a year by this point. I'm pretty sure Guns N' Roses were my favourite band by this point so I liked pretty much everything they did. 

Verdict - Good

11. Simply Red - The Montreux EP

The lead song on this EP is "Lady Godiva's Room". Given their "Stars" album was the biggest selling album of both 1991 and 1992 I guess it didn't make sense to release any more singles from it given how many people would have owned the album. I find this record quite soothing.

Verdict - Good

10. Arrested Development - People Everyday

In 1992 there were just 2 rap records which made the Top 10, "Jump" by Kris Kross and this record. It was the Top 40 debut for Arrested Development. It was the weird noises that I always liked about this record at the time.

Verdict - Good

9. Cliff Richard - I Still Believe In You (New)

Yet another attempt by Cliff Richard at getting the Christmas number one. I have no recollection of this song but I haven't missed out on anything.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Rod Stewart - Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda) (New)

I remember singing "Waltzing Matilda" at primary school. As a rule, any song I sang at school that translates into a pop song is never going to go down well. I found this Rod Stewart version terrible and remember thinking why is this old duffer still having hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Undercover - Never Let Her Slip Away

When this came out I was yet to hear the original so this was the first version I heard. I loved this record at the time and I was was very pro modern music I probably would have still loved it had I heard the original. Because of these fond memories I still like it today.

Verdict - Good

6. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

When it comes to Boyz II Men I can't look past the comparison that's often made between them and Jodeci which is basically Jodeci were the bad boys of R&B whereas Boyz II Men were the clean cut group. Behind the scenes though Babyface was one of the writers and he has also written for K-Ci & Jojo of Jodeci. That doesn't mean this song is good though.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. The Prodigy - Out Of Space / Ruff In The Jungle Bizness

I would say "Out Of Space" is the record The Prodigy are best remembered for from this particular era. The beats in this tune are really something, which is easy to forget when you hear it so much. "Ruff In The Jungle Bizness" is one of those tunes that just goes to another level once the piano kicks in. 

Verdict - Good / Good

4. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

This was the first time I'd heard Heaven 17 and I had no idea this was a remix of an 80s record. One stand out memory about this record is it being the first one they played at a school disco and everyone was singing along so loudly that I couldn't hear myself singing along. When I finally heard the original I found it a bit of a disappointed because I like this remix so much.

Verdict - Good

3. Michael Jackson - Heal The World (New)

I did like this record at the time. So much so that when we voted for what charity to support at school I picked "Heal The World" on the basis of this song. These days though I can't tolerate songs like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Charles And Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Literally everyone I knew at the time loved this record. Some even went as far as saying Charles & Eddie were their favourite band based on this record alone. I was no exception, I loved this record too. 

Verdict - Good

1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.

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 19.5/30, or 65%. Some rubbish entering the charts as we head towards Christmas but the score is still decent.