25 Years Since....April 1997

By March 1997 I had around 100 tapes and CDs to my name, mostly underground rave. There were a few chart singles I was enjoying though:

Fugees - Rumble In The Jungle

Fugees had a pretty impressive Top 40 record. They only managed 21 with their debut "Fu-Gee-La" but then followed with 2 number ones, a number two and a number three, the latter being this record which is also their last Top 40 hit to date.

This one is my personal favourite and reminds me of listening to Trevor Nelson on a Saturday afternoon. It's much darker than their other hits, but then it's the darker side of rap which attracted me to the genre in the first place. 

Alisha's Attic - Indestructible

Despite the fact I was once a huge Alisha's Attic fan who owned pretty much everything they ever released, I think this is the first time I've ever watched this video from beginning to end.

I do remember seeing a short clip of it on "The O-Zone" but the rest of the time I ever simply listened or saw it being performed. I still think this record is decent enough, but the other 3 singles from the "Alisha Rules the World" album are much better.

BBE - Flash

BBE are of course best remembered for "7 Days and One Week" which has been anthem bashed ever since. This follow up is largely forgotten. I think this record is better than its predecessor, I always have done.

It made number 5 in the charts though so it's by no means an obscure record. This was 1997 though when you could blink and miss a record completely.

DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima

I had a friend who was also a raver who I used to think just made up things about the rave scene safe in the knowledge nobody had anyway of proving otherwise. One day he had written quite a sizeable list of DJ names, some were ones I was very familiar with and others I thought he'd just made up.

One such DJ was DJ Quicksilver. I questioned whether a DJ would really name himself after a brand of clothing. Then it turned out there was such a DJ.

When I first heard this record it wasn't what I was expecting. I expected something of the hardcore or drum & bass variety, but this was club music. I still liked it though.

Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend

This tune was already 6 years old by the time it charted. It was because of a Paul Oakenfold remix that this happened.

Robert Owens is a singer and the main man behind this track is David Morales.