Rap wise it's been a bit more low key this month, 61 of the 139 records this year coming from that genre or 44%.
Wednesday, 31 August 2022
The Top 40 Leaderboard: August 2022
Drake now tops the leaderboard alone, somewhere I suspect he will stay until the end of the year. Ed Sheeran consolidates 3rd place and with most of Central Cee's hits coming at the start of the year it only seems a matter of time before Ed Sheeran overtakes him.
25 Years Since....August 1997
In August 1997 it was all about the dance music. Here's some of the tunes I was enjoying:
Da Mighty Dub Katz - Magic Carpet Ride
This record was actually from 1995 and the man behind Da Mighty Dub Katz was Norman Cook before he became better known as Fatboy Slim. By 1997 Fatboy Slim had been established, but was yet to be a household name.
In the summer of 1997 came the TV show Ibiza Uncovered and this was the theme music. I watched every episode and recorded them onto video. As a result I can't listen to this tune without thinking about the TV show.
Shena - Let The Beat Hit 'Em
Shena has sang on many dance records over the years, but this was her only Top 40 hit that was simply credited to Shena. Prior to this she had sang on JX hits but as uncredited vocalist.
For me though it's all about the main riff. I could listen to it all day.
Airscape - Pacific Melody
In the 21st century there was some pretty dreadful trance music coming out of Belgium from the likes of Lasgo. It wasn't always like that though.
This was one of the first Top 40 trance records from Belgium. I love the way it breaks down and then the piano comes in.
N-Trance - The Mind Of The Machine
Back when N-Trance did "Set You Free" it was a turning point in my life. It played a massive part in me converting from a grunger to a raver. Unfortunately the N-Trance records the followed immediately afterwards were a bit crap.
With this record though they were back doing decent music again. Or so I thought, their next Top 40 hit would be a cover of "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" featuring Rod Stewart himself. Needless to say that record won't be featuring in this series when the time comes.
The Source - Clouds
To be fair it doesn't sound all that different to the 97 mix of "You Got The Love" which came out earlier on in the year. It's a good beat though.
Tuesday, 30 August 2022
UK Number 40s: Nu Colours - Power (1993)
Nu Colours are best known in the dance music world for their 1996 hit "Desire". However their roots lie in gospel music with their debut album "Man Within" coming out in 1989.
In 1993 came their second album "Unlimited" which gave them their first Top 40 hit with this record. The genre of this record is garage house which essentially is the style of music that originated from the Paradise Garage nightclub in New York. Nu Colours however were a British group.
It's members included Lain Luther who would go on to be vocalist on the UK garage record "Battle" by Wookie in 2000. There was also Lawrence Johnson who went on to have a successful career behind the scenes as a vocal coach on TV talent shows such as The X Factor.
Although not a member of the group, there is a rap on the record written and performed by Monie Love. In the same year she released the record "The Power" which samples this record as a double a-side with "In a Word or 2". Incidentally the next time we'd see Monie Love in the Top 40 after this was with the UK garage hit "Slice Of Da Pie" in 2000.
The next we'd see of Nu Colours in the Top 40 was with "Desire" which made number 31 in 1996. The same year they did "Special Kind Of Lover" which made number 38. They've had no releases as a group since 1997 though which is when they presumably called it a day.
Sunday, 28 August 2022
Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 35
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. Hyper Go-Go - High (New)
A lot is made about the fact hardcore and jungle could co-exist in the same arena in the early days before they became different. This though is an example of when hardcore rave and house could co-exist before they became too different. Whilst very much a house record there are rave elements to it and Hyper Go-Go would play at places like Raindance.
Verdict - Good
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
28. Ugly Kid Joe - Neighbor (New)
The lesser known follow up to "Everything About You". Again it treads the line between the sound grunge brought to the mainstream and what grunge allegedly killed off. I guess I can hear a bit of Nirvana or Sonic Youth in distorted guitars but can hear a bit of Def Leppard in the singing. It just isn't as catchy as its predecessor and it helps me understand why everyone hated Ugly Kid Joe by late 1993.
Verdict - Rubbish
27. Bananarama - Movin' On (New)
Bananarama had now become a duo after Jacquie O'Sullivan had left the group. I don't think too many people noticed though, I certainly have no recollection of Bananarama as late as 1992. It's also their last Top 40 hit to date written by Stock & Waterman. It basically sounds like poundland Abba and I'm not a big fan of Abba.
Verdict - Rubbish
I'm very much aware of this records existence. In fact if Tori Amos was the 3 in 10 on Popmaster then this may feature in my answer. Yet here I am trying to remember how the song actually goes. For the first 2 minutes it's not ringing any bells but then suddenly I hear the bit I remember. It then drifts off to be much the same as the first 2 minutes.
Verdict - Rubbish
This double a-side is a re-issue of their debut single "Youth Gone Wild" which failed to make the Top 40 when first released and a cover of "Delivering The Goods" by Judas Priest. "Youth Gone Wild" is arguably their signature song but is far from my favourite. "Delivering The Goods" features Rob Halford from Judas Priest on vocals and sounds much more like it.
Verdict - OK / Good
Pop Will Eat Itself collaborated with The Prodigy on "Their Law" in 1994 on their "Music For The Jilted Generation" album. It seems like that collaboration was inspired by this record. Not that they sound the same, more that Liam Howlett possible heard this dance/industrial crossover record and thought about putting his beats on something in that style.
Verdict - Good
Although this is the best known record by The Smiths, it only charted at number 25 when first released in 1983. It was re-issued by the label to promote a greatest hits compilation and became their highest charting single by doing so. Before I'd heard any of The Smiths records I knew them to be my guitar teachers favourite band so expected them to be more of a heavy rock band so it was ultimately a disappointment. There did come a point where I grew to like this record though.
Verdict - Good
The lesser known follow up to "Hazard", though it is his joint 3rd highest charting Top 40 hit. It sounds like a very stereotypical soft rock record but is also catchy so onto a winning formula.
Verdict - Good
Depending on what definition you want to use, this is the beginning of Paul Wellers solo career if you consider The Paul Weller Movement to be a band. It basically sounds like a Paul Weller record, he had quite a few songs which sound like this. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
Throughout 1989 and into early 1990 Bobby Brown had a new single every 5 minutes it seemed. Then there was nothing until this record. It continues the new jack swing sound of its predecessors with Babyface, LA Reid and Daryl Simmons on songwriting duties again. It has a more aggressive sound than previous efforts which I guess went with Bobby Browns bad boy persona.
Verdict - Good
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
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
This record seems a bit out of place in 1992. It's one of those I feel I've always known but it's most likely that when I first heard it in 1992 I just assumed it was an old record. It was the 2nd single released for his greatest hits album, the first not making the Top 40 and prior to that he hadn't been in the Top 40 since 1986. Quite surprisingly he was still having Top 40 hits as late as 2004 but this is the last one I actually remember. It's your typical naff Lionel Richie record.
Verdict - Rubbish
A long forgotten Take That single which is the only non-cover not to be written by any of Take That's members. It was written by Ian Levine and Billy Griffin and has since been disowned by the group with Gary Barlow stating that they all hate it. I guess Gary Barlow won't be making any royalties from it, but to be fair it is pretty awful.
Verdict - Rubbish
We're nearing the end of the Stock Aitken & Waterman era for Kylie Minogue with this being the penultimate Top 40 hit and final one to actually be written by them. Sounds just like all the other ones.
Verdict - Rubbish
This started off as a solo Roy Orbison record in the early 60s. This duet version was done in 1987 but not released in the UK until 1992. The previous year a comedy duet version appeared in "Only Fools And Horses" sung by 2 of the characters which may have inspired the decision to release this as a single. I don't mind it, but if I was to listen to it I'd be more inclined to listen to the comedy version.
Verdict - OK
I remember the chorus to this but not much else. It was the lead single off her 2nd album and her final Top 40 hit to date. As the record began my initial thought was this sounds more mature than her previous efforts, but then she starts rapping the verse which makes it sound as silly as her other records. I will however give this record half marks because I do like the backing track, it's just the vocals which lets it down.
Verdict - OK
The 4th Top 40 hit for 2 Unlimited and first not to make the Top 10. I would describe this as being the ultimate generic eurodance record. It somehow manages to be very cheesy whilst being a bit boring at the same time.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
There are some records where I can pin point exactly when they came out and this is one of them. I associate this with starting a new year at school. There is also no doubt that this is the best Annie Lennox solo record I've heard.
Verdict - Good
After topping the charts with their Top 40 debut KWS followed up with another cover. In fact all their Top 40 hits were covers. This was also the opening track to a rave compilation I have from 1992.
Verdict - Good
This had previously been a Top 10 hit in 1987 but was re-released because of the Barcelona Olympics. I had the single and there was also a shorter version on there which was used for the TV coverage. As I had the single then clearly I liked it.
Verdict - Good
Hardbag has arrived with this being credited as the breakthrough record for that genre. Felix was the only one flying the flag for the genre commercially in the early days as it wasn't until 1994 when we started to get the flood of hardbag Top 40 hits. You could say this was ahead of its time then.
Verdict - Good
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
Being a London resident, I pass though Baker Street a lot and still to this very day I get this record going through my head more often than not when I do so. It was the Top 40 debut for Undercover and their best known. I'd not heard the Gerry Rafferty original at the time so this is my default version.
Verdict - Good
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
When I saw the video to this I thought Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson looked different to how I remember them. That is of course because it's not Luther Vandross or Janet Jackson in the video, it's Damon Wayans and Stacey Dash from the film "Mo Money" which this record is from.
Verdict - Good
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
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 18/30, or 60%. Not great for new entries but still a decent score.
Thursday, 25 August 2022
Innovation @ Camden Palace, London 27/08/1995
DJ SS
When it comes to drum & bass events, few have been bigger over the years than Innovation. They are famed for their events in the sun, the weekenders and have even brought drum & bass to Holland with Innovation in the Dam.
They started out in 1995 at Camden Palace which is a decent sized venue so they didn't exactly start small. This was event number 3.
They're also an event where upfront hardcore has never featured. Given the scene had split and was already going it's separate ways by 1995 it's perhaps no surprise they picked one or the other.
Although I never actually went to Camden Palace itself, I've been to Koko which is what Camden Palace became many times.
For probably the only time in 1995 (or ever for that matter) there are more female DJs on the tapes from this event than there are male. This is helped by the fact Kemistry & Storm were both female and a double act. The other female DJ to feature is DJ Rap. The male DJs are DJ SS and Dr S Gachet.
I've noticed that prior to this event I'm yet to post a DJ SS set which just seems wrong given he was the man behind "The Lighter" by Sound of the Future and "Hearing Is Believing" by MA2 which are proving to be the biggest drum & bass records of the year.
Both tunes feature in the DJ SS set but neither are the most played tunes on the tapes. There are 2 tunes that appear on 3 of the 4 sets which are "Bonanza Kid" by Firefox and "Roll On" by Andy C.
No shortage of new for 1995 tunes despite it being just 4 sets which are:
Marvellous Cain - Gun Talk
DJ Biggs - The Hunter
Mental Power & DJ SS - Blue
Dillinja - Mutha*ucka
Black Featuring MC Power - Black
Goldie - Angel
Da Corruption - Step To The Side
DJ Phantasy And MC Reality - Open Your Eyes
The Dream Team - The Posse
Dope Skillz - The Fix
Subnation - 1000 Degrees
Tonic - King Shit
DJ Pulse - Voyager
H.M.P. - Runin's
Rufige Kru - T3
Doc Scott - Drumz '95
Lemon D - Manhattan Melody
The most notable of these tunes is "Angel" by Goldie which would narrowly miss out on the Top 40 a couple of weeks later reaching number 41.
Tuesday, 23 August 2022
UK Number 40s: Jomanda - Never (1993)
Jomanda have had a solitary Top 40 hit in both the UK and America and on both occasions the record in question made number 40. In America that was "Got a Love for You" in 1991 and in the UK it was this record.
Despite having this undesirable chart stat, Jomanda were by no means obscure. When Helter Skelter held their first rave in 1989 they flew in a bunch of big American acts which backfired on them because nobody believed an unknown promotor would have such names at their event. One of these acts was Jomanda.
One of the records they had during the acid house era was "Don't You Want My Love" which was sampled by Felix on "Don't You Want Me" in 1992 which kick started the hardbag scene.
This record though had nothing to do with hardbag. It was yet another branch of dance music that was emerging: progressive house. Whilst the definition of what exactly progressive house is, one point of reference is if Sasha plays it then it's progressive house.
Sasha did play this record a lot and also did a remix of it. Few progressive house records had become Top 40 hits by this point and those that did generally reached the lower reaches. On that basis this record could be considered a success.
For Jomanda though, they were nearing the end and called it a day the following year.
Sunday, 21 August 2022
Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 34
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:
This record seems a bit out of place in 1992. It's one of those I feel I've always known but it's most likely that when I first heard it in 1992 I just assumed it was an old record. It was the 2nd single released for his greatest hits album, the first not making the Top 40 and prior to that he hadn't been in the Top 40 since 1986. Quite surprisingly he was still having Top 40 hits as late as 2004 but this is the last one I actually remember. It's your typical naff Lionel Richie record.
Verdict - Rubbish
When drawing comparisons between "Epic" and "I'm Easy" which are arguably the 2 best known Faith No More records I almost find it hard to believe lead singer Mike Patton is the same person on both records. This record though bridges the gap between the two. He's basically singing one line "Epic" style and the next line "I'm Easy" style.
Verdict - Good
Throughout 1989 and into early 1990 Bobby Brown had a new single every 5 minutes it seemed. Then there was nothing until this record. It continues the new jack swing sound of its predecessors with Babyface, LA Reid and Daryl Simmons on songwriting duties again. It has a more aggressive sound than previous efforts which I guess went with Bobby Browns bad boy persona.
Verdict - Good
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
This is the record Shabba Ranks is best known for. It only made number 23 the first time round but then returned to the charts in 1993 when it made number 3. During the time between this he made his infamous appearance on "The Word" which I thought killed his career but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It's good in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.
Verdict - Good
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
This started off as a solo Roy Orbison record in the early 60s. This duet version was done in 1987 but not released in the UK until 1992. The previous year a comedy duet version appeared in "Only Fools And Horses" sung by 2 of the characters which may have inspired the decision to release this as a single. I don't mind it, but if I was to listen to it I'd be more inclined to listen to the comedy version.
Verdict - OK
There are some records where I can pin point exactly when they came out and this is one of them. I associate this with starting a new year at school. There is also no doubt that this is the best Annie Lennox solo record I've heard.
Verdict - Good
This is the Thunder record that stands out in my memory more than any of the others. I remember the video and the singer moving the microphone stand about. I was too young to really know what it was about at the time, but since rediscovering this in the early days of YouTube I find myself quoting the song title a lot.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
Depending on what definition you want to use, this is the beginning of Paul Wellers solo career if you consider The Paul Weller Movement to be a band. It basically sounds like a Paul Weller record, he had quite a few songs which sound like this. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
A long forgotten Take That single which is the only non-cover not to be written by any of Take That's members. It was written by Ian Levine and Billy Griffin and has since been disowned by the group with Gary Barlow stating that they all hate it. I guess Gary Barlow won't be making any royalties from it, but to be fair it is pretty awful.
Verdict - Rubbish
We're nearing the end of the Stock Aitken & Waterman era for Kylie Minogue with this being the penultimate Top 40 hit and final one to actually be written by them. Sounds just like all the other ones.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember the chorus to this but not much else. It was the lead single off her 2nd album and her final Top 40 hit to date. As the record began my initial thought was this sounds more mature than her previous efforts, but then she starts rapping the verse which makes it sound as silly as her other records. I will however give this record half marks because I do like the backing track, it's just the vocals which lets it down.
Verdict - OK
14. KWS - Rock Your Baby (New)
After topping the charts with their Top 40 debut KWS followed up with another cover. In fact all their Top 40 hits were covers. This was also the opening track to a rave compilation I have from 1992.
Verdict - Good
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
The 4th Top 40 hit for 2 Unlimited and first not to make the Top 10. I would describe this as being the ultimate generic eurodance record. It somehow manages to be very cheesy whilst being a bit boring at the same time.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
Being a London resident, I pass though Baker Street a lot and still to this very day I get this record going through my head more often than not when I do so. It was the Top 40 debut for Undercover and their best known. I'd not heard the Gerry Rafferty original at the time so this is my default version.
Verdict - Good
Although this is the best known record by The Smiths, it only charted at number 25 when first released in 1983. It was re-issued by the label to promote a greatest hits compilation and became their highest charting single by doing so. Before I'd heard any of The Smiths records I knew them to be my guitar teachers favourite band so expected them to be more of a heavy rock band so it was ultimately a disappointment. There did come a point where I grew to like this record though.
Verdict - Good
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
Hardbag has arrived with this being credited as the breakthrough record for that genre. Felix was the only one flying the flag for the genre commercially in the early days as it wasn't until 1994 when we started to get the flood of hardbag Top 40 hits. You could say this was ahead of its time then.
Verdict - Good
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
When I saw the video to this I thought Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson looked different to how I remember them. That is of course because it's not Luther Vandross or Janet Jackson in the video, it's Damon Wayans and Stacey Dash from the film "Mo Money" which this record is from.
Verdict - Good
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
This had previously been a Top 10 hit in 1987 but was re-released because of the Barcelona Olympics. I had the single and there was also a shorter version on there which was used for the TV coverage. As I had the single then clearly I liked it.
Verdict - Good
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
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 21/30, or 70%. This time most new entries were good but it's half a point less than last week.
Thursday, 18 August 2022
Slammin Vinyl @ Labyrinth, Dalston 18/08/1995
Jimmy J
We're now approaching the end of the first chapter of Slammin Vinyl. A week prior to this event was their penultimate event at the Rhythm Station. This week see's their first event at Labyrinth. Then in September we have their final event at the Rhythm Station followed by another event at Labyrinth a week later.
These four events made up the tape pack called "In Full Effect - The Final Tape Pack". The problem though is that it's not clear which tapes are from which events and I can't be 100% certain any of the tapes are from this event.
Basically all of the DJs on the tape pack who played at this event also played at least 1 of the other 3 events. The ones that could possibly be from this event are Seduction, Billy Bunter, Red Alert, Slam and Jimmy J.
One thing I can establish though is that if the Jimmy J tape is from another event then it's the one the previous week whereas the other tapes could be from future dates.
On that basis, these are the new for 1995 tunes:
2 Croozin' - Reach Out
Unknown Artist - Obscene Vol. 1
Jimmy J & Cru-L-T - I Want To Be Forever
2 Croozin' - Don't Hold Back
At a time when DJs are moving towards the kick drum, Jimmy J was the one was was sticking to the breakbeat. Even though I've posted his set by default of being the most likely tape to be from this event, there's a good chance I would have picked his set anyway.
As mentioned there was a further Slammin Vinyl at Labyrinth in September, but I'll be featuring the final one at the Rhythm Station when the time comes.
Tuesday, 16 August 2022
UK Number 40s: Spin Doctors - Jimmy Olsen's Blues (1993)
This number 40 comes from everyone's 10th favourite band of 1993. Basically at the time a number of rock music fans I knew including myself kept compiling lists of our Top 10 bands and what many lists had in common was Spin Doctors being at number 10 purely based on "Two Princes" which hit the Top 40 in the summer of 1993. Once that record dropped off the radar so did Spin Doctors from peoples lists.
However Spin Doctors weren't a band who burst onto the scene with "Two Princes" on day before promptly disappearing. They formed in 1988 and released their debut album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" in 1991 which contains "Two Princes". It had already made a brief visit to the UK album chart before "Two Princes" was released as a single.
The next single from the album was "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" which made number 23 and then came this which is also the opening track to the album.
The album title is a line from this song and Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character from "Superman". On that basis perhaps this record may have fared better if they waiting until early 1994 to release it when "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" started broadcasting in the UK.
This wasn't the end for the band though even from a chart perspective. Their final Top 40 hit to date came in 1994 with "Cleopatra's Cat" which made number 29.
The band did split in 1999 but reformed in 2001 and still continue to this day.
Sunday, 14 August 2022
Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 33
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:
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
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
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
27. Cud - Purple Love Balloon (New)
The 2nd of 3 Top 40 singles for Cud with the final one missing the Top 30. They are a band who are largely forgotten now, they were too late for baggy and too early for brit pop. This one fits in more with the baggy sound, it's quite an uplifting one with a decent guitar riff.
Verdict - Good
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
This is the Thunder record that stands out in my memory more than any of the others. I remember the video and the singer moving the microphone stand about. I was too young to really know what it was about at the time, but since rediscovering this in the early days of YouTube I find myself quoting the song title a lot.
Verdict - Good
Depending on what definition you want to use, this is the beginning of Paul Wellers solo career if you consider The Paul Weller Movement to be a band. It basically sounds like a Paul Weller record, he had quite a few songs which sound like this. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is the record Shabba Ranks is best known for. It only made number 23 the first time round but then returned to the charts in 1993 when it made number 3. During the time between this he made his infamous appearance on "The Word" which I thought killed his career but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It's good in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.
Verdict - Good
The 4th Top 40 hit for 2 Unlimited and first not to make the Top 10. I would describe this as being the ultimate generic eurodance record. It somehow manages to be very cheesy whilst being a bit boring at the same time.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember the chorus to this but not much else. It was the lead single off her 2nd album and her final Top 40 hit to date. As the record began my initial thought was this sounds more mature than her previous efforts, but then she starts rapping the verse which makes it sound as silly as her other records. I will however give this record half marks because I do like the backing track, it's just the vocals which lets it down.
Verdict - OK
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
It's our monthly Wedding Present record again. With a title like "Boing!" I would expect something a bit more uplifting but it's actually the opposite. Probably the most dreary one we've had so far and that's really saying something.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was their debut Top 40 hit in 1991 which made number 34, but did better this time round making number 18. Even if it didn't re-enter the Top 40 though it would have still been their biggest hit with none of their 4 other Top 40 hits getting any higher than 36. Can't say I'm a fan of this record, I find it rather dull.
Verdict - Rubbish
17. Undercover - Baker Street (New)
Being a London resident, I pass though Baker Street a lot and still to this very day I get this record going through my head more often than not when I do so. It was the Top 40 debut for Undercover and their best known. I'd not heard the Gerry Rafferty original at the time so this is my default version.
Verdict - Good
A long forgotten Take That single which is the only non-cover not to be written by any of Take That's members. It was written by Ian Levine and Billy Griffin and has since been disowned by the group with Gary Barlow stating that they all hate it. I guess Gary Barlow won't be making any royalties from it, but to be fair it is pretty awful.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
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
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
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
Although this is the best known record by The Smiths, it only charted at number 25 when first released in 1983. It was re-issued by the label to promote a greatest hits compilation and became their highest charting single by doing so. Before I'd heard any of The Smiths records I knew them to be my guitar teachers favourite band so expected them to be more of a heavy rock band so it was ultimately a disappointment. There did come a point where I grew to like this record though.
Verdict - Good
Hardbag has arrived with this being credited as the breakthrough record for that genre. Felix was the only one flying the flag for the genre commercially in the early days as it wasn't until 1994 when we started to get the flood of hardbag Top 40 hits. You could say this was ahead of its time then.
Verdict - Good
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
When I saw the video to this I thought Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson looked different to how I remember them. That is of course because it's not Luther Vandross or Janet Jackson in the video, it's Damon Wayans and Stacey Dash from the film "Mo Money" which this record is from.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
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
This had previously been a Top 10 hit in 1987 but was re-released because of the Barcelona Olympics. I had the single and there was also a shorter version on there which was used for the TV coverage. As I had the single then clearly I liked it.
Verdict - Good
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
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 21.5/30, or 70%. A good score is maintained despite some iffy new entries.
Thursday, 11 August 2022
United Dance @ Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, Stevenage 11/08/1995
Ratty
For the 3rd time this year we're at United Dance. This night was for the launch of the 2nd album. The album once again was all happy hardcore but the event once again included drum & bass.
The fact it included drum & bass was a good thing because that meant it included this Ratty set that I've posted which is one of the best sets I've ever heard. It's a bit of a shame that hardcore and drum & bass became so separate which led to Ratty effectively being an old skool DJ because it really sounded like he was onto something here.
Just 4 of the 12 sets were drum & bass but we nearly had as many new for 1995 drum & bass tunes as we did hardcore. These were:
Rude Bwoy Monty - Warp 10
DJ Hype & Ganja Max - Pum Pum Mus Smoke Ganja
Funky Element - Hip Hop Junkies
Gang Related & Mask - Soldier
DJ Biggs - Sunrize
Northern Connexion - Spanish Guitar
The Outsider - Black Remix
The Sentinel - Genesis
Soundcraft - Deep Sub
Once again though it's "Hearing Is Believing" by MA2 which gets the most plays appearing 3 times on the tapes.
Hardcore wise one may expect the tune selection to more or less match the album but it doesn't quite. There are some tunes that appear both at this night and on the album, but there are also several tunes on the album that as far as I can tell were yet to make their rave debut.
The Seduction set begins with "All You Bastards" by fellow United Dance promoter Eruption, but that would be the opening track to the 3rd album at the beginning of 1996.
These are the new for 1995 tunes hardcore wise:
Scott Brown & Omar Santana - Ain't It Wild
Wedlock - Ganjaman
Knightvision - Knight Of Visions
Hixxy & Chuff – Smoogee’s Asleep (Again!!)
Billy Bunter & D-Zyne - Ride like the Wind
Sub-State - Another Day
The Timespan & Krazy Fresh 2 - Shout Now
Eruption - All You Bastards
DJ Seduction - In The Mix
2 Left Feet - Never Let You Go
Sy & Unknown - Report To The Dancefloor
Tom Thumb - Superman
The tunes "Ride Like the Wind" by Billy Bunter & D-Zyne and "In The Mix" by Seduction would be played at lot at raves following this.
The tune that got the most plays hardcore wise was "Toytown" by Hixxy & Sharkey which appeared in 5 of the 8 sets including a surprise appearance in the Clarkee set.
This event was featured on the TV show BPM on ITV. Much of the footage came from the Vibes set, but not the opening tune "Wonderful Days" by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo. That was one of my favourites at the time and I had it on a set a mate mixed for me and on "A Nightmare In Rotterdam". It was also a Top 10 hit in Holland, but I think this is the first time I've heard it at any of the raves I've featured so far this year,
The show also has footage of Dougal and Hixxy doing the Essential Platinum live PA where they are playing "Toytown". I'm not convinced they're actually doing anything on the keyboards though. There was also an interview with them and it's weird hearing that Dougal had been DJing just 5 years but made to sound like 5 years was a long time.
Also on the TV footage was an interview with promoters Seduction and Eruption who were referred to as their actual names John and Chris.
Tuesday, 9 August 2022
UK Number 40s: Sheep On Drugs - From A To H And Back Again (1993)
When there's reference to drugs on a record it's probably going to go one of two ways. Either it will get banned which will help boost sales or it simply won't get played meaning few will have heard of it.
In the case of this record it's more likely the latter. With a name like Sheep On Drugs though it's unlikely they were trying to appeal to the masses. The music itself doesn't sound like it is either as it's very experimental.
They've been going since 1990 and are still around now. Their debut album was called "Greatest Hits" which almost implies they weren't expecting to have too many hits to their name.
Sunday, 7 August 2022
Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 32
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:
I remember the chorus to this but not much else. It was the lead single off her 2nd album and her final Top 40 hit to date. As the record began my initial thought was this sounds more mature than her previous efforts, but then she starts rapping the verse which makes it sound as silly as her other records. I will however give this record half marks because I do like the backing track, it's just the vocals which lets it down.
Verdict - OK
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
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
27. Madness - My Girl (New)
This was the 3rd and final Madness re-issue to chart in 1992. It was their first Top 40 hit of the 80s the first time around. Whilst I remember the Madness revival in 1992 I don't specifically remember this getting into the Top 40, there were plenty of Madness records being played around the time.
Verdict - Good
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
This is the record Shabba Ranks is best known for. It only made number 23 the first time round but then returned to the charts in 1993 when it made number 3. During the time between this he made his infamous appearance on "The Word" which I thought killed his career but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It's good in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.
Verdict - Good
This was the 3rd Top 40 hit for The Brand New Heavies which was a cover of a Jean Carn record. I think drawing comparisons between this and the original or previous Brand New Heavies records doesn't do it many favours, but as a stand alone record its decent enough.
Verdict - Good
This was their debut Top 40 hit in 1991 which made number 34, but did better this time round making number 18. Even if it didn't re-enter the Top 40 though it would have still been their biggest hit with none of their 4 other Top 40 hits getting any higher than 36. Can't say I'm a fan of this record, I find it rather dull.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
14. Felix - Don't You Want Me (New)
Hardbag has arrived with this being credited as the breakthrough record for that genre. Felix was the only one flying the flag for the genre commercially in the early days as it wasn't until 1994 when we started to get the flood of hardbag Top 40 hits. You could say this was ahead of its time then.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
This had previously been a Top 10 hit in 1987 but was re-released because of the Barcelona Olympics. I had the single and there was also a shorter version on there which was used for the TV coverage. As I had the single then clearly I liked it.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
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
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 21.5/30, or 72%. The decent scores keep coming.
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