20 Years Since....Q3 2002

Time for our quarterly look at what tunes I was enjoying 20 years ago:

Ashanti - Foolish

Ashanti had made her name for herself earlier on in the year as the singer on "Always On Time" by Ja Rule. I therefore listened with interest when she released this, her solo debut.

I was cautious that Christina Milian launched her solo career via the same route previously and her solo hits were a pile of shite. Fortunately Ashanti made a decent record.

Tim Deluxe ft Sam Obernik - It Just Won't Do

When Fatboy Slim did his Brighton Beach gig that seemingly the whole country went to I believe this was the first tune he played.

I wasn't one of those people at that gig, but I do recall a trip to the Lincolnshire coast that summer and this appearing on the Dreem Teem show on Radio 1 whilst I was driving there.

DJ Marky & XRS ft Stamina MC - LK (Carolina Carol Bela)

I remember a Helter Skelter newsletter back in the 90s where they said they were flying DJ Marky, a Brazilian drum & bass DJ over to play his first set in the UK.

A few years later there he was on Top of the Pops. I'd been a bit bitter about drum & bass prior to this because it was growing in popularity whilst hardcore was dead. I had to concede by this point though that I was enjoying modern drum & bass more than I was enjoying modern hardcore.

NERD - Rockstar

Admittedly it took me a while to get into this. I was a fan of "Lapdance" by NERD but wasn't keen on the more rock direction they were taking here initially.

I'm not sure what happened exactly, but it grew on me enough to go and buy the album which I was addicted to for a period of time.

It has to be said it's a million times better than the complete utter shite Pharrell has been doing in more recent times.

Cam Ron ft Juelz Santana - Oh Boy

At the time this record was out I bumped into an old college mate in town. We headed to the record shops and I bought the last copy of Bonkers 8 in the shop which was something he also wanted to buy.

He then bought the last copy in the shop of the Cam Ron album which was something I quite wanted myself. That was until I realised it was on Roc-a-fella records, the label owned by Jay-Z who's a rapper I've always despised. I never did buy the album, not that I really care about the label these days but the moment had passed.

Romeo - Romeo Dunn

I blamed the So Solid Crew for the death of UK garage which was basically dead by this point. We were also seeing the So Solid Crew make solo records.

It's not a garage record at all, it's a rap record and a massive improvement on anything the So Solid Crew did.

Mary J Blige ft Ja Rule - Rainy Dayz

I was really into Ja Rule around this period and was forever listening to his "Pain Is Love" album. That drew my interest to this record and I bought the CD single.

To be honest I never really listen to it after I bought it and it eventually ended up in a charity shop. It's not a bad record, but I do find it pretty mediocre these days.

Scooter - Nassaja

This was the new tune from their greatest hits album "Push the Beat For This Jam". I already owned that album when it was released as a single and it's basically what you'd expect from Scooter.

I remember hearing this being played on a Saturday night out which was an indication this was to be their new single.

NORE - Nothin

Perhaps one of the things that drew me towards buying the NERD album was the productions by The Neptune which was Pharrell and Chad from NERD.

I'll be honest the only other NORE tune I know appears on "The Neptune's Presents the Clones" album.

Eminem - Cleanin Out My Closet

I bought "The Eminem Show" album the day it was released and this was one of my favourite tracks on the album.

One issue I did have is the beats are pretty poor, but the darkness of the record makes up for that.

Beenie Man ft Janet - Feel It Boy

The Neptunes were everywhere around this time, even putting their signature sound on dancehall records. In hindsight maybe this was the pathway for me being into dancehall for a period of time.

25 Years Since....September 1997

Is it really September already? 1997 certainly didn't go that quickly, but with the good music that was around maybe that was a good thing:

DJ Quicksilver - Free

This was the lesser known follow up single from DJ Quicksilver but I was paying attention because I liked his first hit and he was a name that had been brought to my attention prior to that,

I must admit it hasn't aged well, still acceptable but I'm not sure I'd think much of it if I heard it for the first time now.

Bentley Rhythm Ace - Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!

I first came across Bentley Rhythm Ace when they were featured in Dream magazine which was a rave magazine around in the 90s.

I have to say it wasn't what I was expecting it to sound like when I heard it. I allowed it to grow on me though and still like it to this very day.

Roni Size/Reprazent - Heroes

Speaking of Dream magazine, it was possibly in the same issue where in the letters people were complaining about Roni Size going commercial. I was also inclined to agree because I wanted the music I liked to be underground.

There was no denying it was decent music though. I've also just discovered that DJ Krust from Reprazent was previously part of Fresh 4 who had a Top 40 hit back in 1989.

Praxis ft Kathy Brown - Turn Me Out (Turn To Sugar)

I associate this record with footage from the 4th room at Helter Skelter where DJ Phil Foster plays it, but we can hear one of the punters shouting his head off and then tells the camera to stop following him.

There's something about this tune I won't try to describe, it just works.

Dario G - Sunchyme

The point of these posts is to look at the music I was enjoying at the time as opposed to music from the time I'm enjoying now, but this sort of fits both categories.

I definitely was enjoying this record at the time, I remember it being a breath of fresh air when it was on Top of the Pops. I started liking it more though several years later when it came on the music channels and I thought I'd much rather listen to something like this than hardcore these days.

Nowadays it depends what mood I'm in.

Pleasuredome @ Fantasy Island, Ingoldmells 30/09/1995

 

This weeks raving in 1995 takes us to the Pleasuredome at Fantasy Island for the 2nd time this year. When we first visited in March it was the first event to be held at Fantasy Island. This time it's the same venue, but this was the event where it had grown bigger with more rooms added.

The music policy had also changed somewhat. The main arena had a music policy of techno and trance and included Carl Cox on the line up who had made an appearance at the Pleasuredome back in May when he had changed from hardcore to techno.

Tape wise it's a bit thin on the ground. The only sets on tape come from Brisk, Dougal, Fergus, Talla and DJ Vibes. There is however a video from this event which captures a wider variety of what's going on, including the drum & bass room hosted by Formation Records which is the label owned by DJ SS.

The Carl Cox set had Magika MCing on it which was possibly the last time this happened in the 90s. When Carl Cox was a hardcore DJ they were a DJ/MC partnership, but when Carl Cox moved onto techno he tended not to have MCs. He never played at the Pleasuredome again after this.

Now we're 9 months into the year I've listened to so many tapes I can't say for sure, but I believe this is the first time we've heard MC Storm on tape this year. Quite a significant moment when you consider he's arguably the most powerful person in the hardcore scene in the modern era.

It was the UK debut for German techno DJ Talla. Magika says on the tape that it will be a little different to what they're used to and it is good to hear things being shaken up a bit.

Resident DJ Fergus was in the hardcore room but his set wouldn't have sounded out of place in the main arena as this was the sort of music he was playing.

Brisk started his set in familiar fashion with "Jiiieehaaaa" by Diss Reaction and followed his usual formula of Dutch and Scottish records in the first half and English records in the 2nd half.

Dougal did a live PA, but quite how live it was I don't know. It did look like he was just pretending to play the keyboards and the tunes he played sounded no different to the recorded versions. He was throwing vinyl's into the crowd, a nice gesture but I can't help but think it would have been annoying carting a record around with you for the rest of the rave.

The DJ Vibes set contains a record he first played at Dreamscape 20 which I actually assumed had already been played before, "Gonna Be Alright" by Vibes & Wishdokta. This was the last Vibes & Wishdokta tune and also the last hardcore tune Wishdokta would make before going on to pioneering UK garage under his real name Grant Nelson.

Not on the tapes but on the video is Force DJing by himself, though it says Force & the Evolution on the flyer. This would surely be one of the last times he'd be seen DJing without Styles for the rest of the 90s.

These are the new for 1995 tunes:

DJ Groovy - Shake It

Davie Forbes - V.G.8.

DJ Taz Feat Fuckface - Bust Mutha

Sandman - Recall

Raver's Nature - Bring Me Noise

Dougal & Mickey Skeedale - Power Within

Sonicdriver – Terrorpods

Ravers Choice - Ravers Choice 4

This just covers the tapes, I'm sure there were more from the night as a whole. All 3 hardcore sets on tape had "Toytown" by Hixxy & Sharkey in them, I'm sure that won't be the last time that happens either.

I do feel another trip to the Pleasuredome is due before the year is out, but we'll see.

UK Number 40s: Urban Species - Brother (1992)

 

In 1991 Incognito scored a Top 10 hit with "Always There" which opened the floodgates for several other acid jazz acts to enjoy chart success. It would be more the lower reaches of the charts though as by 1994 the only other acid jazz record to have made the Top 10 was the Jamiroquai debut "Too Young to Die" in 1993.

Urban Species were one of those acid jazz acts. They were signed by Gilles Peterson in 1992 to Talkin Loud records which was also Incognitos record label.

Their Top 40 debut came in 1994 with "Spiritual Love" which made number 35. Then came this which is their final Top 40 hit to date. The single edit of this was produced by Bluey of Incognito. 

They would have several non-charting singles and 2 albums during the 90s with Peter "Mintos" Akinrinlola the only constant member before calling it a day in 2000.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 39

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. Bryan Adams - Do I Have To Say The Words? (New)

It had now been a year since Bryan Adams "Waking Up the Neighbours" album was released and the singles from the album kept coming with this being the 6th. I think we're getting into album filler territory with this one, it's a ballad that's a bit boring.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Del Amitri - Just Like A Man

I don't remember this song being as funky as it is. It's one of those where I remember how the chorus is sung but that's it. On that basis I was thinking mediocre at best, but listening to it I'm pleasantly surprised by it. This is why I always listen to the song unless it's one that's been played to death.

Verdict - Good

28. INXS - Baby Don't Cry

The 2nd Top 40 hit from the "Welcome to Wherever You Are" album, the first one "Heaven Sent" only made number 31. This is amongst my favourite INXS records and was a big factor in them being my 2nf favourite band at one point. 

Verdict - Good

27. Crowded House - It's Only Natural (New)

After have 2 singles in a row that were weather related they charted with this single which opens with the line "ice will melt". It was the final Top 40 hit from their "Woodface" album and their next Top 40 hit would be another weather related one in "Distant Sun". I don't think I've heard this one in 30 years and it sounds a bit better than I remember it and I was inclined to think it's at least OK, but it's better than that.

Verdict - Good

26. Stereo MC's - Connected (New)

We were at the beginning of the school year at this point and I can tell you that we were studying electricity in science. My reason for remembering that is because in our experiments we used connectors and at the same time this record was out. It's their Top 40 debut and lead track off their 3rd album of the same name. It also played it's part in my decision to buy the album.

Verdict - Good

25. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now

The 2nd record by The Smiths to be re-issued in 1992 and charting higher than the original release. This one has a very distinctive intro, but it doesn't quite have enough about it to make me truly like it. Much better than Morrissey's solo records though.

Verdict - OK

24. Peter Gabriel - Digging In The Dirt (New)

When Peter Gabriel was in Genesis they released 6 albums in the space of 5 years. After leaving Genesis it would take him 17 years to reach 6 solo albums with this being the lead single from album number 6. I have no recollection of this single. It has potential, but as is the nature of Peter Gabriel's music it doesn't have an instant impact on me. 

Verdict - OK

23. Michael Jackson - Jam

This was the 5th Top 40 hit from the "Dangerous" album and he wasn't finished yet. It was also the last of the new jack swing numbers to be released and written by Mr New Jack Swing himself Teddy Riley. I do feel we've now reached album filler territory. The beats are decent and would sound good on the dancefloor, but to listen to it's a bit of a nothing record.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Boy George - The Crying Game

By 1992 Boy George was more of a DJ than a singer, but he recorded this record for the film of the same name. I've seen the film and I don't think I've ever been so shocked when watching a film but I'll say no more as I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. I prefer the film to the song though.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Messiah ft Precious Wilson - I Feel Love (New)

This is a cover of the Donna Summer record. It's done techno style and if techno existed in the 70s then this is probably what it would have sounded like. Messiah are best remembered for "Temple of Dreams" but this was their highest charting single.

Verdict - Good

20. Daniel O'Donnell - I Just Want To Dance With You

There are a number of candidates for having the most 90s Top 40 hits that I don't remember, but I think Daniel O'Donnell is the strongest contender so far. He had 12 Top 40 hits in the 90s and although I remember his existence I honestly couldn't name you one of his song off the top of my head. This was the first and there's a good chance I'll have forgotten it by the time you read this.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Felix - Don't You Want Me

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

18. Annie Lennox - Walking On Broken Glass

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

17. Suede - Metal Mickey (New)

The Top 40 debut for Suede which is a sign that the Brit Pop era is just around the corner. I recall "Animal Nitrate" being the first Suede song I heard even though I definitely heard this one in the 90s. That said, it's not the most memorable song. I doesn't really go anywhere.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Def Leppard - Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad (New)

On one hand this sounds a bit poundland "When Love and Hate Collide" even though that tune was yet to come out. On the other hand it sounds like its from the 80s rather than 1992. Digging deeper it turns out that "When Love and Hate Collide" had already been written by this point, just not released on anything. That more or less makes it the similar sounding but nowhere near as good follow up.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Pearl Jam - Jeremy (New)

This was the 3rd UK Top 40 hit for Pearl Jam and arguably the song they are best known for. It's good in parts but there's too much filler in it for my liking and it goes on a bit too long too.

Verdict - OK

14. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

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

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Tasmin Archer - Sleeping Satellite (New)

I recall a few years ago watching a "Forgotten Gems of the 90s" show on one of the music channels. It was a welcome change to the usual anthem bashing you get on retro channels. If memory serves me correctly this was number one. My initial thought was is this really forgotten, but then I guess I've not heard it much since the 90s. That may be a reason why I still like it.

Verdict - Good

12. The Prodigy - Fire / Jericho (New)

Back in 1992 I was watching "Sounds of the 60s" with my parents and Crazy World of Arthur Brown appeared on it. I heard the words "I am the god of hellfire" at the beginning and then my parents changed the channel. Next thing I'm hearing this tune quite regularly thinking wow that really sounded ahead of its time for the 60s. This was of course because it was The Prodigy sampling a 60s record. It was my favourite tune for a period of time. "Jericho" is also a decent tune.

Verdict - Good / Good

11. East 17 - House Of Love

This is where it all began for East 17s Top 40 career. I could openly admit to liking this record at the time as this was before the unwritten rule amongst my peers that you're not supposed to like boy bands. I openly admit to still liking it today.

Verdict - Good

10. Jon Secada - Just Another Day

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

9. Luther Vandross And Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free

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

8. Lionel Richie - My Destiny

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

7. Manic Street Preachers - Theme From M*A*S*H / Fatima Mansions - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (New)

This is a double a-side with a different band either side. It was taken from the "Ruby Trax" compilation that celebrated 40 years on NME magazine and featured indie bands covering previous number one hits. It gave the Manic Street Preachers their first Top 10 hit and Fatima Mansions their only Top 40 hit to date. The Manic Street Preachers cover is basically a heavier recording of the original but the Fatima Mansions cover sounds nothing like the original. Both are good in their own way.

Verdict - Good / Good

6. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Iron Lion Zion

Having very much heard of Bob Marley and seeing he had quite a few hits from looking in my British Hit Singles book, I'd not knowingly heard a Bob Marley record until this song came out. There was something oddly familiar about it. Obviously it was recorded long before it came out but this was the first time it had seen light of day. 

Verdict - Good

5. Brian May - Too Much Love Will Kill You

Like many, I first heard this at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. I thought the song itself was a tribute to Freddie Mercury but then 3 years later came a Queen version with Freddie Mercury actually singing it. I liked this along with "Driven By You" enough to get the "Back To The Light" album on which they appear.

Verdict - Good

4. 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

3. Undercover - Baker Street

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

2. Dr Alban - It's My Life

This was the beginning of Sweden taking over the music world. Dr Alban was a Nigerian based in Sweden and wrote this with Denniz Pop who founded Cherion Studios. There were a number of songwriters who have since been very prolific with their songwriting including Max Martin who at the time of writing only has Paul McCartney ahead of him in terms of most Top 40 hits as songwriter. Given how much dreadful music has been created as a result of this I should hate it. However it probably would have still happened with or without this record and I do like it in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.

Verdict - Good

1. The Shamen - Ebeneezer Goode

One memory I have of this record is that someone who I would regularly get lifts from would turn the radio off when this would come on. At the time I thought they simply could stand it but it's more likely they knew what the lyrics meant and didn't want kids listening to it. I still managed to hear it a lot though not knowing what the lyrics really were. I liked it because it's a good tune.

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 19.5/30, or 65%. Same as last week.

Diehard @ Dielectric Club, Leicester 22/09/1995

  

magpie303 · DJ Unknown - Diehard - 1995

We're nearly 3 quarters of the way through the year and one weekly rave we're yet to visit is Die Hard. This used to happen at the appropriately named Dielectric club in Leicester.

One memory I have of visiting Leicester in the 90s was going into a record shop which I think was called 5HQ and asked if they had any happy hardcore and they laughed and said no. Yet just round the corner was this weekly hardcore night.

What attracts me to this night as opposed to the other 51 events of the year was the live PA by Jimmy J. Not only was he possibly my favourite DJ back in the day, we've also reached the point where hardcore was getting more and more kick drum led whereas Jimmy J was sticking with the breakbeats.

Unfortunately the Jimmy J live PA appears not to be on any tapes. The only tape I've found from this event was by DJ Unknown. 

He goes by the name Chris Unknown these days and is one of the few 90s hardcore DJs still around who never really went away.

The set has a bit of drum & bass in it too included the often played "The Lighter" by Sound of the Future.

Hardcore wise the set consists mostly of tune from Quosh records or Triffik Toons which was a sub label of Quosh, both run by DJ Unknown along with DJ SY. It includes 3 Cheddar tunes from that label.

Just the one new for 1995 tune which is "I Want You" by Two Ruff.

Elsewhere on the line up we have DJ SY himself along with Druid and Clarkee.

UK Number 40s: Gin Blossoms - Found Out About You (1994)

 

In April 1994 it was all over the news that Kurt Cobain of Nirvana had commit suicide. That same month a different record from a different band entered the Top 40 not long after the suicide of their principle songwriter.

This is the record in question and it's composer Doug Hopkins had commit suicide in December 1993. It wasn't the bands first hit since this happened though, their Top 40 debut "Hey Jealousy" charted in February 1994.

This song was already 5 years old by this point. It had first appeared on their 1989 debut album "Dusted". It was then re-recorded for their 2nd album "New Miserable Experience". By the time the album came out Doug Hopkins had been fired from the band.

Both "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You" charted in their native America in 1993 before Doug Hopkins death and both made number 25.

They were back in the UK Top 40 in 1996 with their final 2 Top 40 hits to date with "Til I Hear It From You" and "Follow You Down" which made 39 and 30 respectively.

The band split in 1997 but reunited in 2001.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 38

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. Daniel O'Donnell - I Just Want To Dance With You (New)

There are a number of candidates for having the most 90s Top 40 hits that I don't remember, but I think Daniel O'Donnell is the strongest contender so far. He had 12 Top 40 hits in the 90s and although I remember his existence I honestly couldn't name you one of his song off the top of my head. This was the first and there's a good chance I'll have forgotten it by the time you read this.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. EMF - They're Here (New)

This was the lead single from EMF's 2nd album "Stigma" which was considered to be a flop. It's darker than their previous efforts, but that's no bad thing as making another "Unbelievable" would have been pointless. I see similarities between this and Pop Will Eat Itself, again no bad thing.

Verdict - Good

28. Inspiral Carpets - Generations (New)

Inspiral Carpets are known for have the organ in their music, but it really stands out on this record. That's possibly what makes it a good record too. 

Verdict - Good

27. Boy George - The Crying Game (New)

By 1992 Boy George was more of a DJ than a singer, but he recorded this record for the film of the same name. I've seen the film and I don't think I've ever been so shocked when watching a film but I'll say no more as I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. I prefer the film to the song though.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Richard Marx - Take This Heart

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

25. Del Amitri - Just Like A Man (New)

I don't remember this song being as funky as it is. It's one of those where I remember how the chorus is sung but that's it. On that basis I was thinking mediocre at best, but listening to it I'm pleasantly surprised by it. This is why I always listen to the song unless it's one that's been played to death.

Verdict - Good

24. KWS - Rock Your Baby

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

23. INXS - Baby Don't Cry

The 2nd Top 40 hit from the "Welcome to Wherever You Are" album, the first one "Heaven Sent" only made number 31. This is amongst my favourite INXS records and was a big factor in them being my 2nf favourite band at one point. 

Verdict - Good

22. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road (New)

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

Verdict - Rubbish

21. U96 - Das Boot

This was the only Top 40 hit in the UK for Das Boot, though they had several more hits across Europe. It was also a number one in their native Germany. It was the first German techno record to make the UK Top 40. As someone who likes a bit of German techno it gets the thumbs up from me.

Verdict - Good

20. Extreme - Rest In Peace

Following the success of their "Pornograffitti" album and in particular the single "More Than Words" here's the lead single from follow up album "III Sides to Every Story". To this day I still meet people who aren't aware that Extreme were a rock band because they only know "More Than Words". I use this record as a suggestion to listen to for them to get an idea of what Extreme generally sound like.

Verdict - Good

19. ABBA - Dancing Queen

Abba in 1992? after Erasure did their Abba covers there was a so called Abba revival. As they'd sailed of into the sunset years prior to this the only way to capitalise was to re-issue their biggest hit. I've heard this so many times in my life and I've never liked it so decided not to listen. What's also symbolic about this entering the charts at this point in time is that the Swedes were about to take over the music world (see Dr Alban).

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Sinead O'Connor - Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home

After topping the charts with a ballad that's a cover with "Nothing Compares 2 U" here is Sinead O'Connor 2 years later attempting to repeat that success. It didn't work this time though, this is an incredibly boring song.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. The Wedding Present - Love Slave (New)

Another month, another Wedding Present song. I think this is an attempt at jumping on the grunge bandwagon with a light verse and noisy chorus. That's literally all I'm going to take away from this song, a non-entity verse and a chorus that sounds like a building site.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now

The 2nd record by The Smiths to be re-issued in 1992 and charting higher than the original release. This one has a very distinctive intro, but it doesn't quite have enough about it to make me truly like it. Much better than Morrissey's solo records though.

Verdict - OK

15. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

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

14. Felix - Don't You Want Me

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

13. Michael Jackson - Jam

This was the 5th Top 40 hit from the "Dangerous" album and he wasn't finished yet. It was also the last of the new jack swing numbers to be released and written by Mr New Jack Swing himself Teddy Riley. I do feel we've now reached album filler territory. The beats are decent and would sound good on the dancefloor, but to listen to it's a bit of a nothing record.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Annie Lennox - Walking On Broken Glass

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

11. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Iron Lion Zion (New)

Having very much heard of Bob Marley and seeing he had quite a few hits from looking in my British Hit Singles book, I'd not knowingly heard a Bob Marley record until this song came out. There was something oddly familiar about it. Obviously it was recorded long before it came out but this was the first time it had seen light of day. 

Verdict - Good

10. East 17 - House Of Love

This is where it all began for East 17s Top 40 career. I could openly admit to liking this record at the time as this was before the unwritten rule amongst my peers that you're not supposed to like boy bands. I openly admit to still liking it today.

Verdict - Good

9. Manic Street Preachers - Theme From M*A*S*H / Fatima Mansions - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (New)

This is a double a-side with a different band either side. It was taken from the "Ruby Trax" compilation that celebrated 40 years on NME magazine and featured indie bands covering previous number one hits. It gave the Manic Street Preachers their first Top 10 hit and Fatima Mansions their only Top 40 hit to date. The Manic Street Preachers cover is basically a heavier recording of the original but the Fatima Mansions cover sounds nothing like the original. Both are good in their own way.

Verdict - Good / Good

8. Lionel Richie - My Destiny

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

7. Jon Secada - Just Another Day

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

6. Luther Vandross And Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free

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

5. Brian May - Too Much Love Will Kill You

Like many, I first heard this at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. I thought the song itself was a tribute to Freddie Mercury but then 3 years later came a Queen version with Freddie Mercury actually singing it. I liked this along with "Driven By You" enough to get the "Back To The Light" album on which they appear.

Verdict - Good

4. Dr Alban - It's My Life

This was the beginning of Sweden taking over the music world. Dr Alban was a Nigerian based in Sweden and wrote this with Denniz Pop who founded Cherion Studios. There were a number of songwriters who have since been very prolific with their songwriting including Max Martin who at the time of writing only has Paul McCartney ahead of him in terms of most Top 40 hits as songwriter. Given how much dreadful music has been created as a result of this I should hate it. However it probably would have still happened with or without this record and I do like it in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.

Verdict - Good

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. Undercover - Baker Street

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

1. The Shamen - Ebeneezer Goode

One memory I have of this record is that someone who I would regularly get lifts from would turn the radio off when this would come on. At the time I thought they simply could stand it but it's more likely they knew what the lyrics meant and didn't want kids listening to it. I still managed to hear it a lot though not knowing what the lyrics really were. I liked it because it's a good tune.

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 19.5/30, or 65%. Slightly better than last week with a few decent new entries.

Slammin Vinyl @ The Rhythm Station, Aldershot 15/09/1995

 

DJ Vibes

We've now reached the end of an era. This was the last Slammin Vinyl event to be held at The Rhythm Station. Hardcore Heaven and Tazzmania also held their final events at The Rhythm Station the same month.

As I mentioned in the post about Slammin Vinyl @ Labrynth in August there was a single tape pack that covered 4 different events and it's inconclusive which tapes were from which event. I can however confirm the tapes that were definitely from this event were Vibes, Brisk, SY, Ramos and Vinylgroover.

From the tapes from this event plus those which definitely happened before this, these are the new for 1995 records:

Davie Forbes - Apocalypse Now

DJ Taz feat. DJ Fuckface - It's A Thing

Cyclopede - Can You Feel It

Sharkey & Dee - Dreamin

Ferocious - Get On Up

Sonicdriver - In Your Arms Tonight

DJ Pleasure & DJ Siren - Make Me Feel

Jee-Beat Squad - Follow Me

Jee-Beat Squad - You Make The Bass

Alchemist & Fade - Power Of Hypnosis

Gordon Tennant - Family Plan

Tim B - Tim Tim

DJ Taz feat. Fuckface - Come On

Sunset Regime & Billy Bunter - Clap To This

DJ Taz feat. DJ Fuckface - Bust Muttha

Billy Bunter, Rob Vanden and D-Zyne - Better Run

DJ Slam - Influence

Citadel of Kaos - Show Me Love

DJ Unity - Freedom

Love Nation - Alright

DJ Unity - True Unity

Cheddar - Cheddar 4

Bill & Ted - Seasons

D.J. Mix It - What A Feeling

Sunset Regime - Forever Young

Sunset Regime & Billy Bunter - You Make Me Feel

The tune of note in here is "Forever Young" by Sunset Regime. This laid the foundations for "Forever Young" by Antisocial aka Hixxy & Sunset Regime which was a big tune in 1996. 

In terms of the sets that were definitely from this event, the most featured tunes were "Toytown" by Hixxy & Sharkey and "Stars" by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo which both appeared on 3 sets. Perhaps no surprise given how big the former was and the latter was riding high in the Dutch charts at the time.

The music has definitely gone more kick drum by this point but there are still breakbeats in there. 

This will be our last visit to The Rhythm Station but it won't be our last visit to Slammin Vinyl.

UK Number 40s: Bill Tarmey - Wind Beneath My Wings (1994)

 

I don't think too many people remember Jack Duckworth from Coronation Street having a Top 40 hit. Even fewer people would have remembered he had two.

By 1993 Stock Aitken & Waterman had already become Stock & Waterman and their glory days were now behind them. On the same day in April of that year they released what would be their final two Top 40 hits to date which were "Wrestlemania" by WWF Superstars and "One Voice" by Bill Tarmey.

As it was Stock Aitken & Waterman who launched the music careers of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan it shouldn't be a surprise they were launching another soap stars music career in Bill Tarmey. Being in his 50s at the time though meant he was unlikely to appeal to the kids.

Despite this though, his debut single charting meant he got a record deal with EMI and ended up releasing 5 albums. 

As Jack Duckworth was a bit of a comedy character in Coronation Street you may expect his music to be comedy as well, but it isn't. Bill Tarmey was a nightclub singer before he became an actor.

Top 30 in 1992 Reviewed: Week 37

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. Sonia - Boogie Nights (New)

The 3rd Sonia Top 40 hit in a row that was a cover. It raises the question of what was the point of leaving Stock Aitken & Waterman if you're going to carry on making the sort of music Stock Aitken & Waterman would make. It's the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Sonia.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Bobby Brown - Humpin' Around

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

28. Belinda Carlisle - Little Black Book (New)

This was the first of two Top 40 hits for Belinda Carlisle that she was actually songwriter. Also on songwriting duties on this one was Marcella Detroit of Shakespear's Sister. The result is it simply sounds like an average Belinda Carlisle record.

Verdict - OK

27. Bananarama - Movin' On

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

26. Roy Orbison With kd lang - Crying

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

25. Betty Boo - Let Me Take You There

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

24. Freddie Mercury And Montserrat Caballe - Barcelona

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

23. 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

22. Sinead O'Connor - Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home (New)

After topping the charts with a ballad that's a cover with "Nothing Compares 2 U" here is Sinead O'Connor 2 years later attempting to repeat that success. It didn't work this time though, this is an incredibly boring song.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now (New)

The 2nd record by The Smiths to be re-issued in 1992 and charting higher than the original release. This one has a very distinctive intro, but it doesn't quite have enough about it to make me truly like it. Much better than Morrissey's solo records though.

Verdict - OK

20. INXS - Baby Don't Cry (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit from the "Welcome to Wherever You Are" album, the first one "Heaven Sent" only made number 31. This is amongst my favourite INXS records and was a big factor in them being my 2nf favourite band at one point. 

Verdict - Good

19. 2 Unlimited - Magic Friend

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

18. U96 - Das Boot

This was the only Top 40 hit in the UK for Das Boot, though they had several more hits across Europe. It was also a number one in their native Germany. It was the first German techno record to make the UK Top 40. As someone who likes a bit of German techno it gets the thumbs up from me.

Verdict - Good

17. Richard Marx - Take This Heart

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

16. ABBA - Dancing Queen

Abba in 1992? after Erasure did their Abba covers there was a so called Abba revival. As they'd sailed of into the sunset years prior to this the only way to capitalise was to re-issue their biggest hit. I've heard this so many times in my life and I've never liked it so decided not to listen. What's also symbolic about this entering the charts at this point in time is that the Swedes were about to take over the music world (see Dr Alban).

Verdict - Rubbish

15. East 17 - House Of Love

This is where it all began for East 17s Top 40 career. I could openly admit to liking this record at the time as this was before the unwritten rule amongst my peers that you're not supposed to like boy bands. I openly admit to still liking it today.

Verdict - Good

14. Michael Jackson - Jam (New)

This was the 5th Top 40 hit from the "Dangerous" album and he wasn't finished yet. It was also the last of the new jack swing numbers to be released and written by Mr New Jack Swing himself Teddy Riley. I do feel we've now reached album filler territory. The beats are decent and would sound good on the dancefloor, but to listen to it's a bit of a nothing record.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Extreme - Rest In Peace

Following the success of their "Pornograffitti" album and in particular the single "More Than Words" here's the lead single from follow up album "III Sides to Every Story". To this day I still meet people who aren't aware that Extreme were a rock band because they only know "More Than Words". I use this record as a suggestion to listen to for them to get an idea of what Extreme generally sound like.

Verdict - Good

12. KWS - Rock Your Baby

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

11. Lionel Richie - My Destiny

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

10. Felix - Don't You Want Me

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

9. Annie Lennox - Walking On Broken Glass

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

8. Dr Alban - It's My Life

This was the beginning of Sweden taking over the music world. Dr Alban was a Nigerian based in Sweden and wrote this with Denniz Pop who founded Cherion Studios. There were a number of songwriters who have since been very prolific with their songwriting including Max Martin who at the time of writing only has Paul McCartney ahead of him in terms of most Top 40 hits as songwriter. Given how much dreadful music has been created as a result of this I should hate it. However it probably would have still happened with or without this record and I do like it in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.

Verdict - Good

7. Jon Secada - Just Another Day

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

6. Brian May - Too Much Love Will Kill You

Like many, I first heard this at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. I thought the song itself was a tribute to Freddie Mercury but then 3 years later came a Queen version with Freddie Mercury actually singing it. I liked this along with "Driven By You" enough to get the "Back To The Light" album on which they appear.

Verdict - Good

5. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

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

4. Luther Vandross And Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free

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

3. Undercover - Baker Street

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

2. The Shamen - Ebeneezer Goode

One memory I have of this record is that someone who I would regularly get lifts from would turn the radio off when this would come on. At the time I thought they simply could stand it but it's more likely they knew what the lyrics meant and didn't want kids listening to it. I still managed to hear it a lot though not knowing what the lyrics really were. I liked it because it's a good tune.

Verdict - Good

1. 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

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 19/30, or 63%. Better than last week despite just one good new entry.