25 Years Since....July 1997

Time once again to turn back the clock 25 years:

Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere

When it comes to cover versions I don't think anyone does it better than the Pet Shop Boys. This is one of my favourite Pet Shop Boys tunes and I didn't even realise it was a cover until years later.

Ironically I have a memory of see a preview of a musical that was happening locally at the time and they sang this tune. I just assumed they were doing a musical type version of a Pet Shop Boys record even if I did think it was a strange this to do.

The Age Of Love - The Age Of Love

I don't know which tune has been remixed the most, but this one has to be a contender. The original came out in 1990 but this was the first version to make the UK Top 40.

The lead remix was from Jam & Spoon which explains why I can't help but think of it as being a German record when The Age Of Love are in fact Italian.

Alisha's Attic - Air We Breathe

It's actually quite borderline whether I should include this record or not. I remember seeing this being performed on Pebble Mill and enjoying it, that's why I've included it.

After that performance I pretty much forgot about it until I acquired the "Alisha Rules the World" album and ended up liking it more than the other singles from that album. That said the album version is much better than the single version.

Coolio ft 40 Thevz - C U When U Get There

I was such a rave purist in 1997 that I specifically remember pretending to people at the time that I didn't like this record because it wasn't rave.

In reality I loved this record and ended up buying the single. I just gets better as it goes on, I love the final verse to it.

Howie B - Angels Go Bald; Too

Although I was quite dismissive of music below 180bpm at the time I remember thing that this tune had enough oomph in it to like it despite not being as fast as I'd like it to be.

It was the only Top 40 hit for Howie B, but he's quite a prolific producer.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 31

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. Dannii Minogue - Show You The Way To Go (New)

I have no recollection of this cover of the Jacksons record. It was the lead single from her "Get Into You" album which came out over a year later. The fact this only made number 30 and the following single didn't make the Top 40 would imply this was the beginning of the end of Dannii Minogue's pop career, but in reality it was yet to truly begin. The YouTube video has had just 11k views in around 9 years and several of the 20 or so comments are negative which pretty much sums up this pointless cover.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Right Said Fred - Those Simple Things / Daydream (New)

How the mighty fall. Just 3 months prior to this Right Said Fred had been top of the charts with "Deeply Dippy" but they got no higher than 29 with this double a-side. I would say I thought it served them right for denying Mr. Big the top spot, but I have no recollection of this record existing. I can understand why it flopped though, "Those Simple Things" just sounds too serious and "Daydream" is a poor cover.

Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish

28. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Face To Face

This was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Siouxsie and the Banshees who made their Top 40 debut back in 1978. It was on the soundtrack to the film "Batman Returns", a film I watched at the time and hated. Maybe that's why I just can't take to this song. I'm just reminded of the horrors of watching that film.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Jon Secada - Just Another Day (New)

The debut for Jon Secada and the only hit of his that many people would remember. I love the contrast between the vocals and backing track in this. You hear the intro and it sounds quite happy and upbeat, then you hear the pain in his voice. 

Verdict - Good

26. Marillion - No One Can (New)

This originally made the Top 40 in 1991 but only made number 33. It did slightly better this time round making number 26. It was the highest charting single from their "Holidays in Eden" album which was their most commercial album by their own admission, the other 2 singles making number 34. It's not bad, but I won't be in a hurry to listen to it again.

Verdict - OK

25. Richard Marx - Hazard

My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.

Verdict - Good

24. Sunscreem - Love U More

This was the Top 40 debut for Sunscreem who were a dance music act who played instruments. I don't remember this at the time, the first version I knowingly heard was Paul Elstak in 1995 which was one of my favourites in the early days of me getting into rave. Whilst the vocals are essentially the same, the backing is understandably more mellow on this original version and different to Paul Elstak. Putting the comparisons to one side though, the live instruments do make it sound a bit different to your average dance record at the time and in a good way. 

Verdict - Good

23. Genesis - Jesus He Knows Me (New)

I feel like this is a record I've known all my life, but I clearly haven't because it didn't come out until 1992. I also think this could just as easily have been a Phil Collins solo record. I'm pretty clued up on what records are Genesis and which are Phil Collins now, but back then I may not have been so sure. I like the relatively quick beat and the humour of this record so it gets a thumbs up from me.

Verdict - Good

22. U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing (Remix)

I once an old rave compilation and this was on it. I was somewhat surprised to see U2 on a rave compilation but then remembered this being more of a dance record. This is because it's been remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This result is a better record than the original so I guess you can technically say this is even better than the real thing.

Verdict - Good

21. Jose Carreras And Sarah Brightman - Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life)

We've now reached the time of the Olympics in Barcelona. I'm not really an Olympics fan truth be told, even when it was in London I only watched dribs and drabs. I was into the Barcelona Olympics though, I guess being school holidays and the right time zone helped. As a result this record has a bit of sentimental value to it.

Verdict - Good

20. Simply Red - Your Mirror

The 5th and final Top 40 hit from the "Stars" album which was the biggest selling album in the UK for both 1991 and 1992. As a side note I'm actually surprised "Wonderland" wasn't a single because that's pretty well known. This record therefore did pretty well to get into the Top 40 considering many people would have already had the album. 

Verdict - Good

19. Enya - Book Of Days (New)

This was the final Top 40 hit from her "Shepherd Moons" album and highest charting since her number one debut "Orinoco Flow". Despite it's short length it gets off to a slow start, but at some point I'm finding myself thinking this is actually quite good. 

Verdict - Good

18. Dina Carroll - Ain't No Man

After being the vocalist on a couple of Quartz hits the previous year this was the solo debut of Dina Carroll. It follows the same soul-dance formula of the Quartz records. If I was at a 90s night and this record came on I would no doubt enjoy it. For listening to at home though I think this will be the last time I'll be doing that.

Verdict - OK

17. Roxette - How Do You Do (New)

I should hate this song really after Popmaster Live when we incorrectly thought this was on their "Joyride" album as opposed to "Tourism" and therefore dropping a point. It's very difficult to age their music though, in my mind all their records came out in 1989. I can't help but like it though. 

Verdict - Good

16. Kris Kross - Warm It Up

Yes that's right, Kris Kross did have another Top 40 hit. In fact they had 2 more but the other one didn't make the Top 30 so it won't be featuring in these posts. I may have said this when reviewing "Jump2 but despite the fact they were squeaky voiced kids they were really good at rapping. Like it's predecessor it's written and produced by Jermaine Dupri. Is it as good as "Jump"? I would say not quite, but it's decent.

Verdict - Good

15. Mariah Carey - I'll Be There

When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the worst record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. I remember watching it on Top of the Pops and wanting to throw the TV out the window.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Sophie B Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover

The Top 40 debut for Sophie B Hawkins. I think that all her records that I know have aged really well. I'm pretty certain I did like this at the time, but after listening to it just now I find myself wanting to listen to it again. 

Verdict - Good

13. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart (New)

Back in 1992 I just thought this record was a bit naff. By 1993 I thought we'd seen the last of Billy Ray Cyrus and for a while that seemed to be the case. Unfortunately we've since had to encounter a lot more from the Cyrus name than just a naff record. To be fair to Billy, it's more his daughter that irritates me than him. Still, if it wasn't for this record then nobody would have heard of his daughter which makes me hate it even more.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Erasure - Abba-esque (EP)

Erasure had 16 Top 40 hits to their name prior to this record. I like all 16 of those records, but then came this. It's an EP full of Abba covers with the main track being "Take A Chance On Me" that features a rap from MC Kinky. I don't like any of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Nirvana - Lithium

I remember mentioning when I first launched this blog that Nirvana were a band I listened to when I was younger because everyone else was, but was never really into their music. We weren't quite at that point yet because I remember liking this one without the influence of anybody else. I didn't see it as groundbreaking or anything else like that, just another decent rock record. 

Verdict - Good

10. Michael Jackson - Who Is It

I heard this song long before it became a single and what I remember most about it is the irritated backing noises in the verses. It's a shame because it has a pretty decent chorus, but I just can't bring myself to like it because the noises annoy me so much.

Verdict - OK

9. Prince And The New Power Generation - Sexy MF / Strollin'

The first of this double a-side is pretty well known but I don't remember it charting at the time. The "MF" in the title stands for motherfucker so presumably it didn't get much radio play at the time. I'm hearing "Strollin'" for the first time, it's not ringing any bells. This was part of the double a-side because it was more radio friendly, but it's not very good.

Verdict - Good / Rubbish

8. Urban Hype - A Trip To Trumpton

One of the toytown techno records from this era. It didn't start out that way though. The version played at raves was called "Feel the Heat" which was a normal rave track. The trumpton sample has simply been added to it for this single version. I prefer it without the sample but I don't think it really ruins the tune.

Verdict - Good

7. Roy Orbison - I Drove All Night

For years I thought this was a 60s record that had been re-released. Turns out this was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987 and not released until 1992. In hindsight this would have been well ahead of it's time if it was a 60s record. 

Verdict - Good

6. The Shamen - LSI

This was the single that preceded "Ebeneezer Goode" which has a title similar to LSD. Maybe this was intentional, the lyrics do sound drug related so maybe this was them testing the water before coming out with the more blatant "E's are good". I've never paid attention to the lyrics truth be told, I just like the tune.

Verdict - Good

5. Was (Not Was) - Shake Your Head

I remember getting somewhat confused by this record at the time. To my knowledge Was (Not Was) were a male group but here was a female I'd never seen before singing it. The female in question is Kim Basinger who simply provided vocals and wasn't a member of the group. It was originally recorded in 1983 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and his vocals appear on this version too. This remix was done by Steve "Silk" Hurley. It took a while for me to get into this but it grew on me eventually. 

Verdict - Good

4. Smart E's - Sesame's Treet

Seeing the kids singing this on Top of the Pops at the time gave me hope that I wouldn't have to wait until I was an adult to become a pop singer. Those kids weren't pop singers though, they were just there for show as the vocals were sampled from the kids TV show. One of the men behind this record is Luna C who started the legendary Kniteforce records afterwards and was one of the people making hardcore breaks in the 21st century when hardcore itself had gone a bit rubbish. 

Verdict - Good

3. Madonna - This Used To Be My Playground

This is the beginning of the post "The Immaculate Collection" era of Madonna. This has a more mature sound than her previous efforts but that means this is basically granny music. It's from the film "A League Of Their Own" which was set in World War II so it was perhaps the intention to make a tune that sounds old fashioned. The song is rubbish though and so is the film.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer

In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Jimmy Nail - Ain't No Doubt

When an actor, or someone famous for something other than music releases a record you generally expect it to be a novelty record. Jimmy Nail is an actor but whilst this record has a bit of humour to it, I wouldn't call it a novelty record. The fact I quite like it too may have something to do with that.

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 20.5/30, or 68%. The decent scores keep coming.

Desire @ The Sanctuary, Milton Keynes 29/07/1995

 

Swan E

A quick recap of the last month. We marked halfway through the year at Slammin Vinyl which was all hardcore. Then we had Helter Skelter where there was far more hardcore than drum & bass. Then came Tomorrow's World which was Vibealites techno event. Then last week it was Club Kinetic and Pandemonium which was all hardcore.

The separation between hardcore and drum & bass is becoming more apparent and this event is no exception. This time however we are at a drum & bass only night to counter the lack of drum & bass over the past month.

We're also back at the venue we last heard drum & bass at, The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes. 

Desire were around before the scene split, but they were one of the first promoters to do away with hardcore all together in favour of drum & bass.

As you might expect, plenty of new for 1995 records:

Sound Station - Lost In Sound

IQ Collective - Rebound

Marvellous Cain - Gun Talk

Asend - This Time

DJ Rap - Come Forth

Basic Movements - Jelly

Gang Related/Mask - Oh My Gosh!

3 The Hardway - Smooth Operator

Gang Related/Mask - Bass Is Rollin

DJ Die - Nasty

The Architex - Blueprint

Krust - Guess

Stakka & K Tee - Danger Zone

Shy Fx - This Style

Rude & Deadly - Give Me A Dubplate

Marvellous Cain - Creep

Dred Bass Feat The JB - World Of Music

Zinc - So Damn Fresh

Babylonian - Nemesis

Asend - Can't Play Bass

Aphrodite - The Bomber

Skool Of Hard Knocks - Kan Ya Feel It

DJ Hype & Ganja Max - Pum Pum Mus Smoke Ganja

DJ Hype - We Must Unite

Bad Behaviour - Find The Source

Capone - Massive

Origin Unknown - Truly One

Artinis - 4 A.M.

Cybotron Feat. Dillinja - Got To

Once again though it's "Hearing Is Believing" by MA2 which leads the way in popularity appearing in 7 of the 8 recorded sets.

After the recent heatwave we've been having it becomes apparent from the tapes that something similar was happening in 1995. On several occasions the MC is saying they need to turn the music down for 20 minutes so they can open the doors and let air in to cool the place down.

The Swan E set I've posted is the last set of the night. The MC announces that next week at The Sanctuary is Thunder & Joy. We won't be going there though, find out where we'll be going next week. 

UK Number 40s: Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Lenny And Terence (1993)

 

With a name like Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Top 40 success probably wasn't top of the bands agenda. They were a band for the alternative crowd who formed in the late 80s and made their Top 40 debut in 1991 with "Sheriff Fatman" which was almost 2 years old by that point.

In 1992 they had their most commercially successful year when they topped the album chart with "1992 – The Love Album" and scored their only Top 10 hit to date with "The Only Living Boy In New Cross".

However by the end of the year they found themselves in a position where they were being slated by the critics and their new found success were alienating the purists. Their response in 1993 was the album "Post Historic Monsters" of which this was the 2nd single.

The is a record dissing Lenny Kravitz and Terence Trent D'Arby. Of all the people who's music they could criticise, Lenny Kravtiz and Terence Trent D'Arby seemed a bit of an odd choice. Furthermore it's quite difficult to make out the lyrics of the song.

The album reached a respectable number 5 in the album charts so they clearly still had plenty of people still listening to their music. At the time of writing though, this official video on YouTube has only had 588 views in 4 years.

Several more low charting singles would follow before they called it a day in the late 90s. As with most 90s bands though they have played several reunion gigs over the years.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 30

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 - Please Don't Go / Game Boy

This was the first version of "Please Don't Go" that I heard. The original is by KC & the Sunshine Band, but it's basically a clone of a cover done the same year by Italian act Double You. I do like it, but the other tune "Game Boy" is better. Whilst "Please Don't Go" is a commercial dance record, "Game Boy" is very much a rave record.

Verdict - Good / Good

29. Utah Saints - Something Good

I remember this on Top of the Pops with the chanting of "Utah Saints". It was their 2nd Top 40 hit and highest charting single to date. When the awful 2008 version was released I was quick to point towards this, the much better version.

Verdict - Good

28. Kris Kross - Warm It Up (New)

Yes that's right, Kris Kross did have another Top 40 hit. In fact they had 2 more but the other one didn't make the Top 30 so it won't be featuring in these posts. I may have said this when reviewing "Jump2 but despite the fact they were squeaky voiced kids they were really good at rapping. Like it's predecessor it's written and produced by Jermaine Dupri. Is it as good as "Jump"? I would say not quite, but it's decent.

Verdict - Good

27. Jason Donovan - Mission Of Love

We're now into the post-Stock, Aitken & Waterman era of Jason Donovan which is basically the beginning of the end of his Top 40 career. This was originally intended to be a Halo James record but was given to Jason Donovan following the breakup of the group. If this was an attempt at Jason Donovan doing something more credible then it hasn't really succeeded. It almost could have been penned by Stock, Aitken & Waterman.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Jose Carreras And Sarah Brightman - Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life)

We've now reached the time of the Olympics in Barcelona. I'm not really an Olympics fan truth be told, even when it was in London I only watched dribs and drabs. I was into the Barcelona Olympics though, I guess being school holidays and the right time zone helped. As a result this record has a bit of sentimental value to it.

Verdict - Good

25. Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart

This cover of the Ray Charles record meant that Joe Cocker had more Top 40 hits in the 90s than he did in the 60s and he wasn't finished yet. I've never been able to get into Ray Charles music including this record truth be told. This basically sounds like a karaoke version.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. Morrissey - You're The One For Me, Fatty

One of many Morrissey hits that I have no recollection of. The title suggests this is quite a humourous record, but its sung in such a boring way that it's difficult to get any enjoyment out of it.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Sunscreem - Love U More (New)

This was the Top 40 debut for Sunscreem who were a dance music act who played instruments. I don't remember this at the time, the first version I knowingly heard was Paul Elstak in 1995 which was one of my favourites in the early days of me getting into rave. Whilst the vocals are essentially the same, the backing is understandably more mellow on this original version and different to Paul Elstak. Putting the comparisons to one side though, the live instruments do make it sound a bit different to your average dance record at the time and in a good way. 

Verdict - Good

22. Bryan Adams - All I Want Is You (New)

It had been just over a year since Bryan Adams began his 16 week reign at the top of the charts and he was still releasing singles from the same album "Waking Up The Neighbours" with this being single number 5. This sounds like his attempt at making a Def Leppard record. As I'm not keen on Def Leppard as a general rule I'm not keen on this either.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Face To Face (New)

This was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Siouxsie and the Banshees who made their Top 40 debut back in 1978. It was on the soundtrack to the film "Batman Returns", a film I watched at the time and hated. Maybe that's why I just can't take to this song. I'm just reminded of the horrors of watching that film.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Diana Ross - One Shining Moment

I'm a big fan of Motown in the 60s and 70s, but not so much Motown in the 90s. The problem with this record is that technology has allowed this record to be produced much better than it would have in the 60s. In doing that though it loses it's charm. If this was made in the 60s I'd probably have liked it, but as it wasn't it doesn't quite get there.

Verdict - OK

19. Wet Wet Wet - Lip Service

I remember this record being a bit odd at the time, but after hearing it for the first time in 30 years I'm thinking what the fuck was that. On one hand it sounds a little bit like "Toofunky" by George Michael but at the same time it sounds a bit like they're trying to make a Prince record. It certainly has a funkier sound than your average Wet Wet Wet record but it doesn't work in my opinion.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Nirvana - Lithium (New)

I remember mentioning when I first launched this blog that Nirvana were a band I listened to when I was younger because everyone else was, but was never really into their music. We weren't quite at that point yet because I remember liking this one without the influence of anybody else. I didn't see it as groundbreaking or anything else like that, just another decent rock record. 

Verdict - Good

17. Simply Red - Your Mirror (New)

The 5th and final Top 40 hit from the "Stars" album which was the biggest selling album in the UK for both 1991 and 1992. As a side note I'm actually surprised "Wonderland" wasn't a single because that's pretty well known. This record therefore did pretty well to get into the Top 40 considering many people would have already had the album. 

Verdict - Good

16. Dina Carroll - Ain't No Man

After being the vocalist on a couple of Quartz hits the previous year this was the solo debut of Dina Carroll. It follows the same soul-dance formula of the Quartz records. If I was at a 90s night and this record came on I would no doubt enjoy it. For listening to at home though I think this will be the last time I'll be doing that.

Verdict - OK

15. Sophie B Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover

The Top 40 debut for Sophie B Hawkins. I think that all her records that I know have aged really well. I'm pretty certain I did like this at the time, but after listening to it just now I find myself wanting to listen to it again. 

Verdict - Good

14. Richard Marx - Hazard

My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.

Verdict - Good

13. U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing (Remix)

I once an old rave compilation and this was on it. I was somewhat surprised to see U2 on a rave compilation but then remembered this being more of a dance record. This is because it's been remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This result is a better record than the original so I guess you can technically say this is even better than the real thing.

Verdict - Good

12. Michael Jackson - Who Is It (New)

I heard this song long before it became a single and what I remember most about it is the irritated backing noises in the verses. It's a shame because it has a pretty decent chorus, but I just can't bring myself to like it because the noises annoy me so much.

Verdict - OK

11. Mariah Carey - I'll Be There

When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the worst record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. I remember watching it on Top of the Pops and wanting to throw the TV out the window.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Was (Not Was) - Shake Your Head

I remember getting somewhat confused by this record at the time. To my knowledge Was (Not Was) were a male group but here was a female I'd never seen before singing it. The female in question is Kim Basinger who simply provided vocals and wasn't a member of the group. It was originally recorded in 1983 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and his vocals appear on this version too. This remix was done by Steve "Silk" Hurley. It took a while for me to get into this but it grew on me eventually. 

Verdict - Good

9. Erasure - Abba-esque (EP)

Erasure had 16 Top 40 hits to their name prior to this record. I like all 16 of those records, but then came this. It's an EP full of Abba covers with the main track being "Take A Chance On Me" that features a rap from MC Kinky. I don't like any of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Roy Orbison - I Drove All Night

For years I thought this was a 60s record that had been re-released. Turns out this was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987 and not released until 1992. In hindsight this would have been well ahead of it's time if it was a 60s record. 

Verdict - Good

7. The Shamen - LSI

This was the single that preceded "Ebeneezer Goode" which has a title similar to LSD. Maybe this was intentional, the lyrics do sound drug related so maybe this was them testing the water before coming out with the more blatant "E's are good". I've never paid attention to the lyrics truth be told, I just like the tune.

Verdict - Good

6. Urban Hype - A Trip To Trumpton

One of the toytown techno records from this era. It didn't start out that way though. The version played at raves was called "Feel the Heat" which was a normal rave track. The trumpton sample has simply been added to it for this single version. I prefer it without the sample but I don't think it really ruins the tune.

Verdict - Good

5. Madonna - This Used To Be My Playground (New)

This is the beginning of the post "The Immaculate Collection" era of Madonna. This has a more mature sound than her previous efforts but that means this is basically granny music. It's from the film "A League Of Their Own" which was set in World War II so it was perhaps the intention to make a tune that sounds old fashioned. The song is rubbish though and so is the film.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Prince And The New Power Generation - Sexy MF / Strollin'

The first of this double a-side is pretty well known but I don't remember it charting at the time. The "MF" in the title stands for motherfucker so presumably it didn't get much radio play at the time. I'm hearing "Strollin'" for the first time, it's not ringing any bells. This was part of the double a-side because it was more radio friendly, but it's not very good.

Verdict - Good / Rubbish

3. Smart E's - Sesame's Treet

Seeing the kids singing this on Top of the Pops at the time gave me hope that I wouldn't have to wait until I was an adult to become a pop singer. Those kids weren't pop singers though, they were just there for show as the vocals were sampled from the kids TV show. One of the men behind this record is Luna C who started the legendary Kniteforce records afterwards and was one of the people making hardcore breaks in the 21st century when hardcore itself had gone a bit rubbish. 

Verdict - Good

2. Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer

In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Jimmy Nail - Ain't No Doubt

When an actor, or someone famous for something other than music releases a record you generally expect it to be a novelty record. Jimmy Nail is an actor but whilst this record has a bit of humour to it, I wouldn't call it a novelty record. The fact I quite like it too may have something to do with that.

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 18.5/30, or 62%. We seem to have been hovering around this level for a while.

Pandemonium & Kinetic @ Mr B's Willenhall 22/07/1995

Brisk

We've been to Pandemonium twice so far this year and to Kinetic once. This time we're going to a joint event between the two which is at the home of Pandemonium in Willenhall. 

There were 3 tapes from this event which were all hardcore. They were Stu Allan, Dougal and Brisk.

What was notable about both the Brisk and Stu Allan sets earlier on in the year was the number of Scott Brown records in them. Both have cut back this time though still do feature 3 Scott Brown records each.

Brisk still plays a set that's roughly half English records and half rest of the world that notably includes Scotland and Holland. Stu Allan did a predominantly Scottish and Dutch set last time but is more English this time. This was perhaps an indication that the English records were starting to sound more like the Scottish and Dutch ones.

I've posted the Brisk set because it's the first set of his I'm aware of where he plays "Jiiieehaaaa" by Diss Reaction which was a Dutch record that he became quite famous for playing.

Also new for 1995 in the Brisk set is "Faze 1" by Forbes & Cyclone. This had made it's rave debut earlier on in the year but it's the first time it's been played on the tapes at the raves which have featured so far.

The final new for 1995 tune in the Brisk set is "Starjump" by DJ Chewy. It's the flip side to the much better known "Rock This Place" which was yet to be played at any of the raves so far in 1995. This would be the only release from DJ Chewy who sadly died in a car crash shortly after the release. He came from Stoke-on-Trent, the home of Club Kinetic.

Just the one new for 1995 tune on the Stu Allan set which was a hardcore version of "Everybody" by Clock, the commercial eurodance duo that Stu Allan was part of. The chart version of this was the 3rd highest new entry of the week of the Blur vs Oasis chart battle.

The Dougal set is 100% English records. The only new for 1995 record in there was "Love of my Life" by Dougal himself, but it had already made it's rave debut earlier on in the year at a rave not featured.

Given the sheer quantity of new records we get at raves sometimes, it's quite nice to be able to say something about all of them for a change.

UK Number 40s: RuPaul - House Of Love / Back To My Roots (1993)

House Of Love

Back To My Roots

Ask somebody to name a drag queen and there's a good chance they will say RuPaul. Ask somebody to name a RuPaul song then they may struggle.

It turns out RuPaul has quite an extensive discography with many singles and albums over the years, but not much of it has troubled the charts.

His Top 40 debut came earlier on in 1993 with "Supermodel (You Better Work)" which made number 39. This double a-side was the follow up. All 3 records were co-written with Jimmy Harry and Larry Tee.

Jimmy Harry would have his biggest chart success as songwriter the following year as composer of "Put Yourself In My Place" by Kylie Minogue. Larry Tee would go on to be a pioneer of the electroclash scene in the 21st century.

It was the end of RuPauls Top 40 career by himself. He did however have a Top 10 duet with Elton John the following year with a re-recording of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and in 1998 he would make the Top 40 again in a duet with Martha Wash with a re-recording of "It's Raining Men". 

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 29

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. Del Amitri - Be My Downfall (New)

I would say this record fits the category of one that I can appreciate but not really get into. It's the ultimate problem with acoustic guitar based records, getting the wow factor out of it can be very difficult.

Verdict - OK

29. Sinitta - Shame Shame Shame

Sinitta in 1992? This is the last Top 40 hit for Sinitta which pretty much follows the cheesy cover formula of her previous efforts. This didn't get any higher than 28 so it's probably fair to say not many people realised Sinitta was still around in 1992.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Sonic Youth - 100% (New)

I would say this is the first American record to make the UK Top 40 as a result of the breakthrough of grunge without strictly being a grunge record itself. It's the Top 40 debut for Sonic Youth, but as a band they had already been going for 11 years and were about to release album number 7 at this point. As a result it's not following any sort of formula which makes for a decent record.

Verdict - Good

27. George Michael - Toofunky

This was George Michael's last hit before his legal battle with Sony. I can't remember what I thought about this record at the time, I just remember it existing. Given the circumstances around this single being released though it does sound a bit like he's put out any old crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Jason Donovan - Mission Of Love (New)

We're now into the post-Stock, Aitken & Waterman era of Jason Donovan which is basically the beginning of the end of his Top 40 career. This was originally intended to be a Halo James record but was given to Jason Donovan following the breakup of the group. If this was an attempt at Jason Donovan doing something more credible then it hasn't really succeeded. It almost could have been penned by Stock, Aitken & Waterman.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Jose Carreras And Sarah Brightman - Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life)

We've now reached the time of the Olympics in Barcelona. I'm not really an Olympics fan truth be told, even when it was in London I only watched dribs and drabs. I was into the Barcelona Olympics though, I guess being school holidays and the right time zone helped. As a result this record has a bit of sentimental value to it.

Verdict - Good

24. Nick Berry - Heartbeat

I did like this record at the time. It was the theme music to the TV series of the same name which starred Nick Berry which had just began at a similar time on a Friday night. Unfortunately from the 2nd series it was on a Sunday night and has therefore since reminded me that I have school in the morning. If I'd carried on watching it once I joined the world of work then it would probably remind me of that similar dread of having work in the morning too.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Electronic - Disappointed

This is a great name the artist record for a music quiz because you will inevitably have people say it's the Pet Shop Boys. It does of course have Neil Tennant on lead vocals and came in the first year the Pet Shop Boys didn't have any Top 40 hits since their 1985 debut. It was also the highest charting hit for Electronic and I'd say probably their best one too.

Verdict - Good

22. The Wedding Present - Flying Saucer (New)

The 7th Top 40 hit of the year by The Wedding Present which meant they equaled Elvis Presley in 1956 and 1958, Bill Haley & His Comets in 1956, Perry Como in 1958 and New Kids On The Block in 1990 for number of Top 40 hits in a single year. All they had to catch now was the 12 of Elvis Presley in 1957 which we now know they did. Again it's a pretty non-descript record.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Iron Maiden - From Here To Eternity (New)

Iron Maiden aren't a band you really associate with the top end of the charts, but this broke a run of 7 Top 40 hits that got to at least number 6 with it stalling at 21. The fact their "Fear Of The Dark" album came out shortly before may have had something to do with it. As a general rule the faster the drums are the better the Iron Maiden record is. The drums on this isn't exactly fast but isn't slow either.

Verdict - OK

20. KWS - Please Don't Go / Game Boy

This was the first version of "Please Don't Go" that I heard. The original is by KC & the Sunshine Band, but it's basically a clone of a cover done the same year by Italian act Double You. I do like it, but the other tune "Game Boy" is better. Whilst "Please Don't Go" is a commercial dance record, "Game Boy" is very much a rave record.

Verdict - Good / Good

19. Morrissey - You're The One For Me, Fatty (New)

One of many Morrissey hits that I have no recollection of. The title suggests this is quite a humourous record, but its sung in such a boring way that it's difficult to get any enjoyment out of it.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Dina Carroll - Ain't No Man

After being the vocalist on a couple of Quartz hits the previous year this was the solo debut of Dina Carroll. It follows the same soul-dance formula of the Quartz records. If I was at a 90s night and this record came on I would no doubt enjoy it. For listening to at home though I think this will be the last time I'll be doing that.

Verdict - OK

17. Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart

This cover of the Ray Charles record meant that Joe Cocker had more Top 40 hits in the 90s than he did in the 60s and he wasn't finished yet. I've never been able to get into Ray Charles music including this record truth be told. This basically sounds like a karaoke version.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Sophie B Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover

The Top 40 debut for Sophie B Hawkins. I think that all her records that I know have aged really well. I'm pretty certain I did like this at the time, but after listening to it just now I find myself wanting to listen to it again. 

Verdict - Good

15. Wet Wet Wet - Lip Service

I remember this record being a bit odd at the time, but after hearing it for the first time in 30 years I'm thinking what the fuck was that. On one hand it sounds a little bit like "Toofunky" by George Michael but at the same time it sounds a bit like they're trying to make a Prince record. It certainly has a funkier sound than your average Wet Wet Wet record but it doesn't work in my opinion.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Utah Saints - Something Good

I remember this on Top of the Pops with the chanting of "Utah Saints". It was their 2nd Top 40 hit and highest charting single to date. When the awful 2008 version was released I was quick to point towards this, the much better version.

Verdict - Good

13. Was (Not Was) - Shake Your Head

I remember getting somewhat confused by this record at the time. To my knowledge Was (Not Was) were a male group but here was a female I'd never seen before singing it. The female in question is Kim Basinger who simply provided vocals and wasn't a member of the group. It was originally recorded in 1983 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and his vocals appear on this version too. This remix was done by Steve "Silk" Hurley. It took a while for me to get into this but it grew on me eventually. 

Verdict - Good

12. Diana Ross - One Shining Moment

I'm a big fan of Motown in the 60s and 70s, but not so much Motown in the 90s. The problem with this record is that technology has allowed this record to be produced much better than it would have in the 60s. In doing that though it loses it's charm. If this was made in the 60s I'd probably have liked it, but as it wasn't it doesn't quite get there.

Verdict - OK

11. Roy Orbison - I Drove All Night

For years I thought this was a 60s record that had been re-released. Turns out this was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987 and not released until 1992. In hindsight this would have been well ahead of it's time if it was a 60s record. 

Verdict - Good

10. Richard Marx - Hazard

My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.

Verdict - Good

9. The Shamen - LSI (New)

This was the single that preceded "Ebeneezer Goode" which has a title similar to LSD. Maybe this was intentional, the lyrics do sound drug related so maybe this was them testing the water before coming out with the more blatant "E's are good". I've never paid attention to the lyrics truth be told, I just like the tune.

Verdict - Good

8. U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing (Remix)

I once an old rave compilation and this was on it. I was somewhat surprised to see U2 on a rave compilation but then remembered this being more of a dance record. This is because it's been remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This result is a better record than the original so I guess you can technically say this is even better than the real thing.

Verdict - Good

7. Prince And The New Power Generation - Sexy MF / Strollin' (New)

The first of this double a-side is pretty well known but I don't remember it charting at the time. The "MF" in the title stands for motherfucker so presumably it didn't get much radio play at the time. I'm hearing "Strollin'" for the first time, it's not ringing any bells. This was part of the double a-side because it was more radio friendly, but it's not very good.

Verdict - Good / Rubbish

6. Urban Hype - A Trip To Trumpton

One of the toytown techno records from this era. It didn't start out that way though. The version played at raves was called "Feel the Heat" which was a normal rave track. The trumpton sample has simply been added to it for this single version. I prefer it without the sample but I don't think it really ruins the tune.

Verdict - Good

5. Mariah Carey - I'll Be There

When I was doing my best year series of posts where I listened to the Top 40 for the first week of July in each year, I picked this as the worst record from the 1992 Top 40 I listened to. I remember watching it on Top of the Pops and wanting to throw the TV out the window.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Erasure - Abba-esque (EP)

Erasure had 16 Top 40 hits to their name prior to this record. I like all 16 of those records, but then came this. It's an EP full of Abba covers with the main track being "Take A Chance On Me" that features a rap from MC Kinky. I don't like any of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer

In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Smart E's - Sesame's Treet

Seeing the kids singing this on Top of the Pops at the time gave me hope that I wouldn't have to wait until I was an adult to become a pop singer. Those kids weren't pop singers though, they were just there for show as the vocals were sampled from the kids TV show. One of the men behind this record is Luna C who started the legendary Kniteforce records afterwards and was one of the people making hardcore breaks in the 21st century when hardcore itself had gone a bit rubbish. 

Verdict - Good

1. Jimmy Nail - Ain't No Doubt

When an actor, or someone famous for something other than music releases a record you generally expect it to be a novelty record. Jimmy Nail is an actor but whilst this record has a bit of humour to it, I wouldn't call it a novelty record. The fact I quite like it too may have something to do with that.

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 17/30, or 57%. We seem to have been hovering around this level for a while.

Tomorrows World @ Venue 44, Mansfield 14/07/1995

 

Loftgroover

Whilst last weeks rave at Helter Skelter was billed as being the best of both worlds, this weeks rave does the opposite. 

Tomorrows World was an offshoot of Vibealite. It was held at the same venue and run by the same people as Vibealite but the music policy was essentially the music you'd hear at the technodrome at Helter Skelter.

This means that for the first time in the year I get to listen to a Loftgroover tape which is the one I posted. Basically the stand out music from these sort of arenas was gabber which was harder and faster than hardcore. Amongst that you had Loftgroover who took the hard and fast aspect to another level.

The tape pack spans both the July and August event without specifying which event each tape is from. As a result it's not known which event the Brisk tape was from. The rest can be determined from the fact the remaining DJs only played at one of the events.

The line up included Dutch DJ Warlock who had played at the previous weeks Helter Skelter in the technodrome so maybe he was doing a bit of a UK tour at the time.

Also on the line up was Darrion Kelly, the Australian DJ who moved to the UK with Carl Cox taking him under his wing. I think it's the first time I've heard a set from him, its a pretty solid one. He would play there again, nor would Trevor Rockliffe who was also on the line up.

Due to the fact it was always a bit of a mystery what tunes were being played along with the fact there's not much in the way of tracklisting on the internet it's difficult to establish what new for 95 tunes are in there.

The mystery keeps it interesting though.

UK Number 40s: The Breeders - Cannonball (1993)

 

If ever there was proof the the Top 40 doesn't reflect the popularity of a record then this is it. At the time of writing it's had 15m views on YouTube but all measurements aside, this is a pretty well known record.

The Breeders started as a side project for Pixies member Kim Deal, but by 1993 the Pixies had broken up making this her main band. 

The Pixies are quite well known for being an American band who were much bigger in the UK. They are also seen as being very influential to the grunge and alternative rock sound of the early 90s. Their Top 40 career though consists of just 3 hits that all charted in the 20s.

This was the only Top 40 hit for The Breeders, though it also made the Billboard 100 unlike any Pixies records. They have 5 albums to their name across a 28 year period and are still active with the line up from this record, though Kim Deal has been the only constant member throughout.

20 Years Since....Q2 2002

Time for our quarterly look back to the tunes I was enjoying 20 years ago because there weren't enough good tunes to justify doing it monthly:

Aaliyah - Rock The Boat

It was after the shooting of this video that the plane crash that took Aaliyah's life happened. I was already familiar with the song as I had the album. I'll be honest it took me a while to get into it, but I guess I wanted to make more of an effort given the circumstances.

I noticed I'd made the breakthrough with it when I found myself randomly singing it.

Fat Joe ft Ashanti - Whats Luv

Fat Joes debut album came out in 1993 but this was his first UK Top 40 hit. I recall telling a few people at the time that Fat Joe was no newbie and he'd been around since 1993, not that I'd actually heard of him in 1993.

It's far from the best Fat Joe record I've heard, but I thought it was good enough to buy the "Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)" album. The following album "Loyalty" which has no Top 40 singles from it is one of the best albums I've heard.

Ms Dynamite - It Takes More

I see this record as a turning point for the fate of UK garage. Ms Dynamite broke through with a UK garage record, but this one was R&B so a sign that people were now leaving UK garage behind.

Looking at what charted for the remainder of 2002 I cannot see a single UK garage record in there. 

I did think her debut "Booo" was a bit shit, but this one is excellent. It's the only Ms Dynamite tune I've heard that I like.

Paffendorf - Be Cool

I remember making a long journey along the A1 with a mate who's music taste is the complete opposite to mine. As a compromise I played the radio in the car as opposed to music from my collection.

When this record came on the radio it was one we both agreed was good. I ended up buying it on vinyl too.

Scooter - The Logical Song

There was a TV show on UK Play I believe where they had Liberty X on as guests and were looking at upcoming singles releases. This was one of those. The presenter said they'd never heard of Scooter before but apparently they'd been around several years, then one of the blokes in Liberty X said he knew them from his rave days.

I too had known them for several years and made it known to everyone that I had. I bought this on vinyl and also bought the "Push the Beat for This Jam" album. 

Mis Teeq - Roll On/This Is How We Do It

Another example of UK garage being left behind. It was the garage aspect that made Mis Teeq appeal to me in the first place, but I liked this record too. 

Without the garage beats there's more of a focus on the vocals. Alesha's rapping arguably suits UK garage more, but fits nicely into this record. Su Elise makes more of a vocal contribution than usual too.

I do find it quite sad that Mis Teeq made music like this, but these days Alesha is famous for the Simon Cowell nonsense she does and the other two have disappeared off the face of the earth.