Fenech-Soler

 

As the years go by my music tastes get more and more out of date. One thing I've said numerous times is the only truly modern act I listen to is Fenech-Soler. Today however marks 10 years since their "Rituals" album was released which was their last album to feature the full line up so on that basis I guess they're not so modern any more.

One thing I'm not sure of to this very day is just how big they were. They appeared on the TV and you'd hear their music out and about and I think you'd hear them on Radio 1 too. At the same time they never had a Top 40 hit and the majority of people I mention them to have never heard of them.

When I first went to see them in concert it was at a 400 capacity venue that turned into a nightclub after the gig. Once the gig finished they had a chat with the fans before tidying the equipment away themselves and loading it onto a van out the front. Very much the sign of an up and coming band then, but you could sense they were about to get bigger.

By the time the "Rituals" album came out they were playing Shepherds Bush Empire and being supported by New Young Pony Club who had tasted Top 40 success.

Having established themselves in an era when recorded music was no longer profitable they would tour a lot. It was their live shows that made them stand out. They would rotate between different instruments on the stage and it was well put together. A friend of mine wasn't overly impressed with their recorded music but was impressed when he saw their live performance.

A year or so after the "Rituals" album things went quiet. Then in 2016 they came back but 2 of the 4 members had left the band including the member who's surname is Fenech-Soler.

A new album and tour was announced and their London date was in the slightly smaller Heaven. Shortly before the gig and email went out to their mailing list informing of a competition to win tickets to the gig. I'd already bought tickets but thought I may as well enter the competition and offer the tickets to friends if I won.

I did win the competition and was given a code to quote at the door. On arrival I said I had a code but before giving it they asked if I'd won a competition. I said yes and they just let me in. Judging by the space in the venue it would seem they didn't sell enough tickets so they had a number of competition winners to help boost the numbers.

They probably made a loss that night and given touring was presumably their main source of income I sensed this was the beginning of the end for the band.

They never officially broke up, no announcements were made in that respect. But given they've not released any new music or done any gigs in the last 6 years I think it's safe to say they are no more.

The only member who still appears to be making a living from music is Andrew Lindsay. He was one of the members who left in 2016 and works as a music producer and touring musician. For the others I guess it's back to the day job.

25 Years Since....September 1998

Time to go back to September 1998, a time my music tastes were getting wider:

Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

This was the 19th Top 40 hit for the Manic Street Preachers and was the first time they topped the charts. I was going through a bit of a dark time and found this record quite depressing, but that's what I liked about it. 

The Honeyz - Finally Found

Little did I know when this record came out that I would end up buying all the Honeyz singles, their album, their repackaged album and their second album that never got released.

It was the Top 40 debut for the Honeyz and I liked what I heard, particularly the "it's always been you" bit. It was the only Honeyz single to be written by the Honeyz themselves. 

Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel

This record was already 4 years old by the time it hit the Top 40. A German trance record by a DJ I've always rated. Whenever I see Slipmatt playing an old skool set he plays this and it's almost a reflection of me listening to happy hardcore in the earlier years but being more inclined to listen to a record like this by 1998.

All Saints - Bootie Call

I would say my first step away from being a rave purist came at the beginning of 1998 when I bought the All Saints album. I was therefore already very familiar with this record by the time it was released as a single and I'd always considered it to be one of the better tracks on the album.

Alisha's Attic - The Incidentals

I always secretly liked Alisha's Attic since I first heard them back in 1996. By the time this lead single from their 2nd album came out I was more than happy to tell everyone that I liked it.

I would however say this is the only track on their 2nd album that's up to the standard of the tracks on their first album, it was pretty much downhill from this point. That didn't stop me joining the fan club, making an Alisha's Attic website and buying any bit of Alisha's Attic music I could get my hands on.

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 39

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 27 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Friday.

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 1996 with my verdict on each record:

30. Placebo - Teenage Angst (New)

One thing I'm noticing in 1996 are a number of acts are making their Top 40 debut with a pretty obscure record prior to having their big hit. This is one of those examples, the Top 40 debut for Placebo. I've forgotten it already it's that memorable.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Grace - If I Could Fly (New)

In 1996 you thought you knew what you were getting with a Grace record, but then comes this, a drum & bass record. It still does sound like a Grace record though, they have their own stamp on it. 

Verdict - Good

28. The Porn Kings - Up To No Good (New)

The Top 40 debut for The Porn Kings who were an act on AATW records so therefore the more commercial side of dance music. It's basically a watered down slightly amended rip off of "Higher State Of Consciousness" by Josh Wink. Not much point when that was already a big hit.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Suggs And Louchie Lou/Michie One - No More Alcohol

I'm assuming they thought it would be funny to sample "Tequila" in a record called "No More Alcohol" and I guess it is funny. I can't claim to be a big Madness fan but would assume the average Madness fan was hearing this and thinking what the fuck is this, please reunite with Madness and make some proper music again. Which he basically did. 

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Daniel O'Donnell - Footsteps (New)

It's convenient to forget that in the good old days of the 90s we still had Daniel O'Donnell in the charts. Don't remember this one at all and I'm happy with that.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Underworld - Born Slippy

What can I say about this record to do it justice? Underworld are one of my favourite acts ever and this was their biggest hit and what got me into them in the first place. At a time when commercially successful music was getting more and more mellow it was refreshing to see a banging techno record giving a big fuck you to all of that. 

Verdict - Good

24. Apollo 440 - Krupa

The 4th Top 40 hit for Apollo 440 and their first to make the Top 30 though I would still say its chart position doesn't really reflect how well known it is. I can definitely appreciate Apollo 440 for the experimental nature of their music now than I did at the time. 

Verdict - Good

23. Rocket From The Crypt - On A Rope

I wasn't sure whether this record was a piss take or not. It was the only Top 40 hit for Rocket From The Crypt who were a punk band. Not all punk has to be serious though and music doesn't have to be serious to be liked. Never been able to like this record though, I remember the Top of the Pops performance and thinking this is shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. George Michael - Spinning The Wheel

Here's yet another record that reminds me of "The Noise" with Andi Peters. That show must have had a bigger effect on me than I realised. As I recall though I believe Louise sang a line from it as part of a competition to guess what it was she was singing. This time George Michael failed to top the charts and I'd say this is actually better than his 2 chart toppers of 1996, but that's not saying much. 

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Lighthouse Family - Goodbye Heartbreak

Joining the Lighthouse Family on songwriting duties on this record is former Simply Red member Tim Kellett. Quite what he contributed I don't know as this very much is following the Lighthouse Family formula. It's soothing once again but the problem this time is it's not as good as its predecessors.

Verdict - OK

20. Sheryl Crow - If It Makes You Happy

After Sheryl Crow had a big debut in "All I Wanna Do" her follow ups were much more minor hits until she charted with this record. To be fair her music was the sort you'd expect to do well in America but not so well in the UK. Or maybe I'm just unlikely to buy it.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Belinda Carlisle - Always Breaking My Heart

We're now in the wilderness years for Roxette from a UK Top 40 perspective, but Per Gessle was back in the charts as a songwriter with this record. It's the last Top 10 hit to date for Belinda Carlisle but not her last Top 40. I do like a bit of Roxette and I could see this working as a Roxette record too, but Belinda Carlisle does a decent enough job of it.

Verdict - Good

18. Los Del Rio - Macarena

This was the big holiday song of 1996 and I can remember hearing it all the time when I went on holiday in 1996 myself. When this made the charts I wasn't expecting the 2 men who sing it to be so old, they were almost 50 by this point which actually doesn't seem that old these days. Anyway it's cheesy and terrible and everything you expect from a big holiday song.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Metallica - Hero Of The Day (New)

Metallica really had softened up by this point. I guess getting the purists back on side was a near impossible task by this point so they just gave the masses what they wanted instead. Not a bad record but I've heard much better.

Verdict - OK

16. Electronic - For You (New)

Once again Karl Bartos teams up with Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr to write this Electronic record. Again it's a pretty decent effort though one thing I will say is it doesn't sound very different to it's predecessor though there's just about enough to it to have it's own identity.

Verdict - Good

15. OMC - How Bizarre

Here's proof that there were charting musicians from New Zealand that had nothing to do with the Finn brothers. There had been John Rowles and Kiri Te Kanawa previously. It was the only Top 40 hit for OMC and the title more or less describes the tune. I like it though. I also know that we'll soon be getting OMD in the charts too just to confuse things. 

Verdict - Good

14. Skunk Anansie - All I Want (New)

With Britpop being a lot softer than the guitar music of the early 90s generally speaking and with Skunk Anansie having a harder edge to their music than Britpop my memory of Skunk Anansie is them being heavier than they really were. This was the lead single from their 2nd album "Stoosh". 

Verdict - Good

13. Clock - Oh What A Night

This is a cover of the Four Seasons record which is a record which has always irritated me. Quite frankly I don't think any cover of this is going to change that fact. A cheesy commercial eurodance cover certainly isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. The Smurfs - I've Got A Little Puppy

After 18 years away from the Top 40 The Smurfs are back with this novelty take on "I Wanna Be A Hippy". It's music that's intentionally crap, I remember the adverts for the album with clips of several tracks. One more would make the Top 40.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity

The 9th Top 40 hit for Jamiroquai which became their highest charting to that point. I remember being quite surprised by this record because I saw Jamiroquai as being a futuristic band but here they are singing about "useless twisting our new technology". Maybe Jay Kay knew we'd have a lot more of that in the future which we do. One benefit of the modern era that didn't exist back then was the ability to go to YouTube and play music from the good old days.

Verdict - Good

10. Stretch 'N' Vern Presents 'Maddog' - I'm Alive

What a name, well the presents Maddog bit anyway. It heavily samples "Boogie Wonderland" and has a rap over the top of it, but nothing too over the top. It did like it at the time but not sure whether I'd like it if I was hearing it for the first time now. The nostalgia means I still do like it though.

Verdict - Good

9. Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever

As someone who listened to the radio back in the 90s there were lots of records I'd hear that I didn't like. Generally I'd just put up with them, but there were some records that I hated so much I would have to turn off the radio. This was one of those records. I can also tell you that we'll be getting "Breakfast At Tiffany's" in the charts soon because that was another that made me turn off the radio at the time. Why break the habit of a lifetime, I'm stopping this before the end of the video.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Spice Girls - Wannabe

There was no escaping this song in the summer of 1996. It was the Top 40 debut for the Spice Girls and I thought it had one hit wonder written all over it at the time. Unfortunately it wasn't and there was no escaping them for the next 2.5 years which felt a lot longer. 

Verdict - Rubbish

7. The Bluetones - Marblehead Johnson (New)

I do remember this record but I don't think I've heard it since 1996. In the time that has since passed I got to know "Love Me Two Times" by The Doors and listening to this record it sounds like they're trying to remake The Doors record. As a result I just wanted this song to end and go and listen to The Doors.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Ocean Colour Scene - The Circle (New)

To be honest I wasn't 100% sure which Ocean Colour Scene song this would be as I do struggle to match the songs with the titles aside from the really obvious ones. I was the one I was expecting and I love that intro to the point I don't care what the rest of the song sounds like.

Verdict - Good

5. Peter Andre - Flava

This record finally ended the Spice Girls time at the top of the charts. Peter Andre made a name for himself earlier on in the summer with "Mysterious Girl" which sounded like it was ripping off "Sweat" by Inner Circle. This time he's ripping off "Hoochie Booty" by Ultimate Kaos. The only thing I like about this record is that when you ask the question what was Peter Andre's first number one they normally get it wrong. 

Verdict - Rubbish

4. BBE - Seven Days And One Week (New)

One thing that I get quite annoyed by is hearing that this record was the start of trance music. Trance had been around a long time before this and that includes Paul Oakenfold bringing it to the masses. It's legendary status has meant I've heard it too many times now, but it was a record I liked at the time and I still can find the enjoyment in it.

Verdict - Good

3. Dina Carroll - Escaping (New)

In 1993 there was no escaping Dina Carroll. Then she disappeared for the next 3 years until she came back with this record. She picked up where she left off with a ballad which worked well for her before and this time round she scored her joint highest charting hit. Hearing this again after all these years I'm reminded of the lyrics about a heart on the shelf which I always found amusing. I was ready to write this off as another dreary ballad but now I've changed my mind. I really enjoyed listening to that.

Verdict - Good

2. Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's

After reviewing "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis I knew this record was just round the corner because it was another record that I hated so much I had to turn the radio off whenever it came on. Now I'm going to end the YouTube video before it finishes.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Fugees - Ready Or Not

In 1996 you were more likely to find me listening to the drum & bass rip off of this rather than the Fugees record. In a way though I saw it as a good compromise between listening to this and staying true to the rave scene. It's a great record though, pretty dark but has a sung chorus to keep it radio friendly. There was no stopping the Fugees in 1996.

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 14/30, or 47%. We are back up again.

Christmas Charts Rated: 1988

Top 40

Best Song: The Four Tops - Loco In Acapulco

I remember liking this record at the time and I just assumed that The Four Tops were a current band. I had no idea they were big in the 60s and this was their swan song. It may help that I wasn't around in the 60s, but to me this is just as much a Four Tops classic as their hits of the 60s and that's really saying something.

Worst Song: Tiffany - Radio Romance

Being a young child in 1988 I wasn't particularly picky when it came to music. I was still only just discovering pop music really so a lot of it sounded good. One pop singer I always thought was dreadful from day one however was Tiffany. Many people remember her for just one song, but I remember all four of her Top 40 hits unfortunately. This was the last of them.

Top 40 Review

There were 3 Christmas songs in the 1988 Christmas Top 40. The Christmas number one was "Mistletoe And Wine" by Cliff Richard which is a candidate for worst Christmas song ever. We also had Bros do "Silent Night" and Alexander O'Neal do "Christmas Song". No points for any of these.

There was a record that's viewed by some as a Christmas record but isn't one which was "Keeping The Dream Alive" by Freiheit and I like that one. There was the obligatory novelty hit which came from A Tribe Of Toffs with "John Kettley (Is A Weatherman)" that I like the sentiment of but musically can't give any points to.

Neighbours was at the height of its popularity at this time and the Christmas number two was "Especially For You" by Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. Even my young self thought it was a bit naff. We also had "Suddenly" by Angry Anderson which was the Scott and Charlene wedding song on Neighbours. I do like that one.

Sticking with Australia, INXS were in the Top 40 with their biggest hit "Need You Tonight" which is a great record.

Inner City were in the Top 40 with their biggest hit "Good Life". From Holland we had Hithouse with "Jack to the Sound of the Underground. We also had home grown acid house music with "Stakker Humanoid by Humanoid. New Order were also jumping on the acid house bandwagon with "Fine Time". It's full marks for all of these records.

Cliff Richard wasn't the only act from the 50s in this Top 40. Petula Clark was in there with a remix of "Downtown". I'm sure even Petula Clark once said herself that she thought that remix was dreadful.

There were older acts making decent music in this Top 40 though. We had super group The Travelling Wilburys with the excellent "Handle With Care" which was their only Top 40 hit. The Beach Boys had their only 80s Top 40 hit on their own with "Kokomo".

Remembering this chart as a young kid no doubt helps with the score.

Score: 19.5

Table

Some pretty strong scores for the first 3 Christmas charts I remember at the time:

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 39

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 28 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Wednesday.

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 1995 with my verdict on each record:

30. Scatman John - Scatman's World

The other Scatman Top 40 hit. It sounds like there's a more serious message in this one but you can't really take this record seriously. The eurodance sound, the funny noises he makes and the fact it's referring to his own fantasy world see to that. A great record though.

Verdict - Good

29. Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains (New)

The Top 40 debut for Garbage. I'm surprised this record only got to number 29, it seemed a lot bigger than that at the time. I was also surprised when I was the only one on my team at a music quiz a few years ago who knew this record. I told them they'd been missing out.

Verdict - Good

28. Umboza - Cry India

The Top 40 debut for Umboza which is a house record that samples "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie. Admittedly it does sound a bit like the sort of record you'd hear on holiday in the summer and it charts at the end of the summer. I quite like it despite that fact.

Verdict - Good

27. Gompie - Alice (Who The X Is Alice?)

Gompie were a Dutch group who covered the Smokie record "Living Next Door To Alice" with the audience adding "Alice, who the fuck is Alice" into it. This was big on the continent but was overshadowed by Smokie's rerelease with Roy 'Chubby' Brown which was a reaction to the success of this. Both records are good fun though.

Verdict - Good

26. OT Quartet - Hold That Sucker Down

This was the only Top 40 hit for OT Quarter who's members were Rollo from Faithless and Rob Dougan who have both enjoyed Top 40 success in other acts. It was the first time both had been in the Top 40 in any act. It was also the first hardbag record in the Top 40 that wasn't by Felix. I do like a lot of hardbag music including this.

Verdict - Good

25. De'Lacy - Hideaway

What I was learning from being a raver in 1995 was that you generally weren't supposed to like house music because it's too slow. There were of course exceptions to the rule and this was one of them. The person who told me of that rule liked this record himself.

Verdict - Good

24. The Verve - History (New)

I think I know why the 1995 Verve singles didn't do anywhere near as well as their 1997 singles. Whilst their 1997 singles aren't my cup of tea, I can at least distinguish between them and tell you how they go. I can't say the same for their 1995 hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Candy Girls - Fee Fi Fo Fum (New)

The Top 40 debut for Candy Girls who was an alias of Paul Masterson. They were one of the hardbag acts who managed multiple Top 40 hits. The only negative thing I have to say about this record is that follow up "Wham Bam" was better.

Verdict - Good

22. Celine Dion - Tu M'aimes Encore (To Love Me Again)

After being top of the charts for an eternity with the dreary ballad "Think Twice" it would seem that Celine Dion could release any old rubbish and people would buy it. That seemed to be the case with this French language record. 

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Erasure - Stay With Me

This record is a ballad, not something you'd usually expect from Erasure. A ballad has the potential to be a masterpiece when done well and this is what has happened here. Erasure were really past their commercial peak at this point, but this is one of my favourite Erasure records.

Verdict - Good

20. Paul Weller - Broken Stones (New)

This was the follow up to "You Do Something To Me" which is perhaps the best solo record Paul Weller has ever done. With this one though it's back to Paul Weller doing his song again.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Blur - Country House

The winner of the Blur vs Oasis chart battle. As a raver at the time I didn't care for Blur or Oasis but if I had to pick one it would have been Blur. In fact I did like Blur during their "Parklife" album era. This record marked the start of their demise in my opinion

Verdict - Rubbish

18. TLC - Waterfalls

I've already mentioned a memory of listening to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show one day on Radio 1 around this time and liking everything he was playing. This was another of those records that he played. It became the biggest hit to that point for TLC.

Verdict - Good

17. Mary J Blige - Mary Jane (All Night Long) (New)

This record is based around a sampled of "All Night Long" by the Mary Jane Girls. I guess it makes sense given the similarities of their names. I heard this before I heard the Mary Jane Girls record which may be a factor in me liking it, but I do prefer the Mary Jane Girls record.

Verdict - Good

16. Menswear - Stardust (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit for Menswear and it already appears like their popularity was fading, least of all because I don't actually remember this record. It's not a very memorable record though.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Berri - The Sunshine After The Rain

This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1994 but fared better on it's return to the Top 40 in 1995. Around the same time there was a happy hardcore record called "Rainbow in the Sky" by Paul Elstak that was based on the same tune but with different lyrics.

Verdict - Good

14. Michael Bolton - Can I Touch You... There?

There's almost a bit of a reggae vibe to this record which isn't how I remember this record if I'm honest. I don't think I've heard it since 1995 and my memory of this record is it being a typical depressing Michael Bolton ballad. To be fair it's not a million miles away from that.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Cast - Alright (New)

Which Britpop band had a hit in 1995 called "Alright"? The answer to that question could be Cast or Supergrass though they're different records. This is also quite an uplifting number and I quite like it.

Verdict - Good

12. Bon Jovi - Something For The Pain (New)

A criticism I had of Bon Jovi during this era at the time was that their songs were either ballads or acoustic numbers. Then came this record which is neither. In fact I found it hard to pick a fault with this record.

Verdict - Good

11. 20 Fingers ft Gillette - Short Dick Man

With a title like this it presumably didn't get much radio play. I have to say I do find the lyrics to this one quite funny. It's and American dance record which fitted in well with the hardbag scene, though not sure it was technically part of it. I like it whatever it is.

Verdict - Good

10. Wet Wet Wet - Somewhere Somehow (New)

The run of Top 10 hits continued for Wet Wet Wet with this record. Marti Pellow's ponytail had gone but it would seem he lost none of his power. Once again I feel like I shouldn't like this record but I do.

Verdict - Good

9. The Outhere Brothers - La La La Hey Hey

The Outhere Brothers has what was arguably the biggest anthem of the summer of 1995 with "Boom Boom Boom". It was always going to be difficult to follow that up and have the same impact. This was much more low key that it's predecessors, but still a decent enough record.

Verdict - Good

8. Janet Jackson - Runaway

Janet Jackson had finished with releasing just about every song on her self titled album as a single. Now it was time for a greatest hits album which this record was written for. Not my cup of tea.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You

This of course was the theme song for the TV show Friends. I used to watch Friends back in the 90s and I liked it but I have to say it's not aged very well. The theme music though was always shit, but it was probably intended to be that way.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. N-Trance ft Ricardo Da Force - Stayin' Alive

After the impact that "Set You Free" had on me I was excited to hear a follow up record which was this. This quickly turned to disappointment, this wasn't rave at all, it was a cheesy remake of the Bee Gees record.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Smokie ft Roy 'Chubby' Brown - Living Next Door To Alice (Who The Fuck Is Alice)

This was originally a Top 40 hit for Smokie back in 1976. Then there was a cover by Gompie that was big in Europe where the audience would reply "Alice, who the fuck is Alice". Smokie therefore decided to revive this song and get comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown to add the "Alice, who the fuck is Alice" bit. I think it's great.

Verdict - Good

4. Mariah Carey - Fantasy

When this record came out I remember being shocked at Mariah Carey making a record that was so upbeat. It's based around a sample of "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club which is a great record. However the last thing it needs is Mariah Carey's whiny voice over the top of it.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone

This record was written by R Kelly. It's a ballad and R Kelly was one of those people who knew how to write a ballad well.

Verdict - Good

2. Shaggy - Boombastic

After this record appeared on the Levi's advert it became Shaggy's second number one out of his first three Top 40 hits. It's a silly record really but great fun to listen to.

Verdict - Good

1. Simply Red - Fairground (New)

It had been 3 years since we'd last seen Simply Red in the Top 40 and this comeback single gave them their only number one record to date. The not very musical verses followed by a really catchy chorus works really well.

Verdict - Good

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 20/30, or 67%. The score remains the same.

UK Number 40s: David McAlmont - Look At Yourself (1997)

 

David McAlmont is best known for teaming up with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler to form McAlmont and Butler in the mid-90s. They had Top 40 hits with "Yes" and "You Do" before quickly breaking up.

This was the solo Top 40 debut for David McAlmont. He wrote it with Gary Clark from the band Danny Wilson and Mark Hewerdine who had previously had a Top 40 hit as writer of "Patience of Angels" by Eddi Reader.

It had a harder edge to it than the McAlmont & Butler hits and that's perhaps where it went wrong. That said, he had one more "solo" Top 40 hit (featuring David Arnold) with "Diamonds Are Forever" which was more mellow and charted just one place higher at 39.

He did however enjoy further Top 40 success in the early 21st Century when he reunited with Bernard Butler.

Top 30 in 1993 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 1993 with my verdict on each record:

30. Cranes - Jewel (New)

This was the only Top 40 hit for Cranes. Not a band I'm familiar with, but reading up about them I gather they're known amongst the fans of shoegaze music. Not my cup of tea though, I've already forgotten how the song goes.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Aftershock - Slave To The Vibe

I've not heard this since 1993 and when I played the video it wasn't how I remembered it. Then I played a dance version which is how I remember it sounding. It was the only Top 40 hit for Aftershock and maybe that was for the best as it would have been difficult for them to better this.

Verdict - Good

28. Jamiroquai - When You Gonna Learn (New)

This was the debut single from Jamiroquai in 1992 but failed to reach the Top 40 when first released. It became the last Top 40 hit from the "Emergency on Planet Earth" album. It's pleasant enough but doesn't reach the heights of previous or indeed future efforts and doesn't quite have enough about it to make it truly good.

Verdict - OK

27. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

I don't remember this re-entering the Top 40 in 1993, if anything because I'm not sure whether I even knew it at the time given there was a bit of Motorhead/Radiohead confusion amongst my peers at the time, but more on that when the time comes. I do like this record, it's fast and aggressive whilst still sounding like a song. 

Verdict - Good

26. Worlds Apart - Everlasting Love (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit from Worlds Apart, a boy band few people remember. Like their debut singles, this is a cover. It's also the 4th version of this song to make the Top 40 and it wasn't the last. It's predictably crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Apache Indian - Nuff Vibes EP

The lead song from this EP is "Boom Shack-A-Lak" which is the tune Apache Indian is best known for. I guess I'm not overly keen on other Apache Indian records because none of them are anywhere near as good as this.

Verdict - Good

24. UB40 - Higher Ground

Being a UB40 record that was the follow up to a cover, one could be forgiven for expecting this to be a cover of the Stevie Wonder record. It isn't though, it's a UB40 original. Like with many UB40 records it's nothing groundbreaking but it's very easy on the ears.

Verdict - Good

23. Lenny Kravitz - Heaven Help

When this song came out and I was a big rock fan I concluded that Lenny Kravitz only had one good song in him with "Are You Gonna Go My Way". I don't think that anymore, he has a handful of decent tunes but this isn't one of them. Too much of  ballad for my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Jade - One Woman

What I find amusing about this song is that in the chorus they sing "I'm only one woman" but there are 3 of them. To add to the amusement the song was written by men. This record does give me a bit of 90s nostalgia without being anything spectacular. 

Verdict - OK

21. Shara Nelson - One Goodbye In Ten

This one gets off to a promising start sounding like it could almost be an old Motown record. As you get further into the record though it starts to illustrate that the replication of older sounds doesn't really work. It was written by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs of St Etienne which sort of makes sense. I like St Etienne, they've written some great tunes over the years but at the same time they're no Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Verdict - OK

20. Urban Cookie Collective - The Key, The Secret

If memory serves me correctly (and it does tend to mislead me) this was the last dance record I truly got into before I became strictly rock and anti-pop. It treads that fine line where it's clearly a commercial dance record but is credible at the same time. 

Verdict - Good

19. Stakka Bo - Here We Go (New)

I remember this one very well. The first thing that springs to mind is poundland Stereo MC's. Then I read up about Stakka Bo and this song and the comparisons with Stereo MC's are being made. Stakka Bo is Swedish so I assumed this was one from the Denniz Pop production line, but it isn't. Might as well be though.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Belinda Carlisle - Big Scary Animal (New)

I keep mentioning those unwritten rules at the time where if you were a rock music fan then bar a small number of exceptions you shouldn't like pop music. This was the one pop song the person who told me of said rules liked, though I would say it's more soft rock than pop. Either way I could enjoy this record knowing it was acceptable to like. 

Verdict - Good

17. Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own

When this record topped the charts I remember somebody saying to me that I must be pleased, unaware I'd long moved on from being a Queen fan by this point. Even if I was still a Queen fan though I'm not sure I would have liked this. It's basically Freddie Mercury's voice put over some generic eurodance crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. 2 Unlimited - Faces

I'm not a fan of 2 Unlimited, it was dance music for the pop crowd. At least with "No Limit" and "Tribal Dance" they were catchy, this one is very much album filler but with all the annoying elements of eurodance still in there.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Mariah Carey - Dreamlover

It seems a bit of a rarity to hear a Mariah Carey record that isn't a dreary ballad, but here is one. I recall at the time thinking it's rather uplifting for a Mariah Carey song. That doesn't make it a good song though, it sounds pretty naff and has her annoying screeching in it.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Kate Bush - Rubberband Girl

Kate Bush started out in the 70s and was still having iconic hits during the 80s. Nobody talks about Kate Bush in the 90s though. This was the lead single from her one and only 90s studio album "The Red Shoes". Like with many artists who have been around a while, it isn't a patch on her older stuff.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Radiohead - Creep

When I first heard this song a few times I asked someone what it was and they said "Creep" by Motorhead. All I really knew about Motorhead at the time was that they were a notoriously heavy band, so I thought this had to be one of their softer records. It wouldn't be long before I'd discover it was Radiohead not Motorhead, and some of the music Radiohead would go on to make is almost the opposite extreme of Motorhead. Anyway this is possibly the only Radiohead song I like.

Verdict - Good

12. Roxette - It Must Have Been Love

This originally charted in 1990 and was on the soundtrack to the film "Pretty Woman". It entered the charts again in 1993 because of the TV premiere of the film. I find it somewhat baffling that a 3 year old film making it's TV debut was such a big thing, particularly as the film was shit. I like the song though.

Verdict - Good

11. Billy Joel - The River Of Dreams

One thing I remember when this record was out was that I'd learned the rules that if you were a rock and metal fan you weren't supposed to like anything that wasn't rock and metal. I remember that because I couldn't help but like this record despite those rules. I like the way the pause in the record gets longer each time.

Verdict - Good

10. The Wonder Stuff - On The Ropes (EP) (New)

I find it strange that The Wonder Stuff had a Top 10 hit as late as 1993. They certainly weren't a band my peers were still talking about by then. It's the lead single from "Construction for the Modern Idiot" which was their last studio album from before they split. You can hear influences from the alternative rock sound that had been getting more popular since we'd last heard from them. No bad thing, but it does lack the wow factor to making it truly good.

Verdict - OK

9. Depeche Mode - Condemnation (EP) (New)

I have Depeche Modes greatest hits album, but the version of "Condemnation" on there is different to this single mix. They were never afraid to try something different and this certainly is different. However I can't help but think the version of their greatest hits album is much better.

Verdict - OK

8. Haddaway - Life (New)

I just assumed most people only remember Haddaway for "What Is Love" but 16 million views of this follow up hit on YouTube suggests otherwise. I'm not completely anti-Eurodance, there are a handful of records I like but most of it is dreadful and this is one of those.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Bitty McLean - It Keeps Rainin' (Tears From My Eyes)

When this record first came out, not only did I think this was a great song, I also thought Bitty McLean was a great name. This led me incorporate his name into the lyrics when I sang along just so I could acknowledge what a great name it is.

Verdict - Good

6. Chaka Demus And Pliers - She Don't Let Nobody

I remember this record being on the list of non-rock music records I secretly liked at the time. As I'm going through the weeks I'm finding I like a lot of the reggae pop records that were coming out in 1993. 

Verdict - Good

5. SWV - Right Here

A few years after this came out I was flicking through the music channels and saw this video playing and it brought back memories of how I liked this record, but I couldn't remember what it was. It was being played on "The Lick" so didn't say what it was at the end of the video, but I eventually found out. The chants of "SWV" should have given it away, which was being done by a then unknown Pharrell Williams. 

Verdict - Good

4. M People - Moving On Up (New)

The biggest hit for M People which also made the charts in America. I would also say this is the most pop record they'd made to this point as well. They knew what they were doing making records like this, but it's not for me.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Culture Beat - Mr Vain

I remember when this record came out it created a divide at school between the rock crowd and everyone else. It was singled out as an example of a crappy pop record by the rock crowd but everybody else seemingly loved it. Putting all that aside, my first thought when hearing this was have Snap changed their name to Culture Beat. 

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Pet Shop Boys - Go West

I think this was the last Pet Shop Boys record I admitted to liking at the time. I remember the rules that the rock crowd weren't supposed to like pop music but a small number of exceptions were allowed and this was one of those for me. It wouldn't be long before even a small number of exceptions wasn't acceptable.

Verdict - Good

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room

I couldn't stand this record at the time, it's always irritated me. Then when I started going out on a Saturday night I'd hear this every week which made me hate it even more. My drunken self down the students union would dance to all sorts of rubbish, but I'd always leave the dancefloor when this came 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 15.5/30, or 52%. I don't know how we managed to stay above 50% given the quality of new entries this week.