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:
Lesley Garrett is a pretty well known soprano singer though this is her only Top 40 hit to date. Amanda Thompson was a child with a serious illness and this record was a charity single to raise money. I suspect most people bought it for the cause rather than the music though.
Verdict - Rubbish
29. Diana Ross - Your Love (New)
I'm in 2 minds about this record to be honest. On one hand I'm thinking not another slow one from Diana Ross in the 90s and on the other I'm thinking this isn't bad. She had the Christmas number 2 with her comeback ballad "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and was probably trying to do the same again but it didn't work this time.
Verdict - OK
We're now half way through the Top 40 career of Bad Boys Inc with this being the 3rd of 6 Top 40 hits for them. As a reminder this was a boy band put together by Ian Levine which I refer to as the Virgin Cola of the early 90s boy band world. This one was penned by Ian Levine himself and it sounds like a cheap imitation of Motown.
Verdict - Rubbish
Here's Cliff Richard once again releasing a single at Christmas time presumably aiming for another Christmas number one. The record buying public had fortunately had enough leaving this record long forgotten.
Verdict - Rubbish
Disney films are cartoons made for kids generally speaking. Cartoons are supposed to be fun for the children to watch. Therefore why does music from Disney films have to always be so depressing? The only positive thing I have to say about this record is at least it's not Peter Andre and Katie Price singing it.
Verdict - Rubbish
There were lots of old records re-entering the charts in 1993 and here's another one. I don't know why it was re-released, I do recall seeing this on The Chart Show and question why it was there. One of those records I've never liked and have heard too many times in my life.
Verdict - Rubbish
Ice-T had been around since the early 80s with his debut album coming out in 1987. By 1993 he was onto album number 5 of which this was taken. Yet surprisingly this was his first UK Top 40 hit. A solid effort.
Verdict - Good
The 4th Top 40 hit for Bjork and 3rd to reach the Top 30. So far we've had one I liked and one I didn't like, so what about this one? Well I actually like this one, helped by the dance beat it has. That's 2 out of 3 for Bjork so far which is something I never expected. I can pretty much guarantee that by the end of the decade there will be more Bjork records I don't like than like.
Verdict - Good
22. New Order - Spooky (New)
This was the final Top 40 hit from the "Republic" album. The singles so far had been a mixed bag, but what about this one? Again I would say it's a mixed bag. It's almost a natural progression to what New Order should sound like in the 90s, but lacks the wow factor for me to truly like it.
Verdict - OK
I heard someone at this school rapping this record several times before I actually heard it. I remember where I was when I first heard it too, someone put the "Black Sunday" album on in his dads car in the car park of some woods near where I grew up whilst we were waiting for him. I've since purchased the "Black Sunday" album myself.
Verdict - Good
This was a remix of a 20 year old record that never charted in the UK originally. I like the original of this but the question is does the remix do it justice? Well actually yes it does, it works well as a dance record and doesn't ruin the original.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Blind Melon, though singer Shannon Hoon previously appeared as backing vocalist on "Don't Cry" by Guns N Roses. This is the best known Blind Melon record and perhaps the only Blind Melon record many know. I guess it gives the meaning to the word alternative in alternative rock, it's a pretty unique sound that's hard to place into anything too specific.
Verdict - Good
After coming back with a surprisingly uplifting record a few months prior, Mariah Carey follows up with something extra dreary even by Mariah Carey standards. I try to listen to every song the whole way through even if it's something I've heard many times and know I hate, but I had to stop this one less than a minute in as I couldn't bear to hear any more.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the final Prince single before he became a symbol. It was a 22 year old song at the time though charting for the first time. In 1981 when this was first made Prince was yet to have a UK Top 40 hit but he was already on his 4th album.
Verdict - Good
I really don't want to like this song and on paper I shouldn't. I'm not really a fan of Janet Jackson and this is a slow ballad. I can't help but like it though and the most logical reason for that is it's inclusion in the film "Poetic Justice" which has Janet Jackson in it alongside 2Pac.
Verdict - Good
After the success they had with the re-issue of "Relax" a few months prior, here's Frankie Goes To Hollywood doing the same again by re-issuing "The Power Of Love". It's one of those records you always hear at Christmas without it actually being a Christmas record. This may be why I've never liked this record.
Verdict - Rubbish
One thing I remember in 1993 was U2 appearing in peoples Top 10 bands early on in the year but tended not to appear in peoples Top 10s by the time this record came out. I don't ever recall U2 being in my Top 10 though, I thought they were decent but not that good. Ironically I considered "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" to be one of their best records at the time. The other side was Frank Sinatra's only hit of the 90s and the first time he actually charted with this song. Not my thing though.
Verdict - Good / Rubbish
Regular readers of this blog will know that it's highly unlikely I'd rate any Pet Shop Boys record anything other than good. This is no exception, a solid Pet Shop Boys record. This was playing on my car radio several years ago when I was driving past the site of where Dreamscape 20 was held so it's in good company.
Verdict - Good
M People turn down the tempo on this record which is a cover of the Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garret record. It features male singer Mark Bell, but the male/female parts have been switched around compared to the original. I remember hating this record at the time and then later on in life heard the original after looking up records that 2Pac sampled. I like the original and in a way that has made this record more tolerable listening to it again after many years, but still not a patch on the original,
Verdict - Rubbish
With looking at the numbers I'm sure 1993 saw more re-issues than any other year and here's another. After Meat Loaf topped the charts with "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" I told the Meat Loaf fan at school that Meat Loaf is definitely not heavy metal. He conceded that particular record wasn't but I should check out his older stuff. This re-issue allowed me to do that and this still re-iterated my point he wasn't heavy metal. Again I'm not a fan of how ridiculously long and over the top Meat Loaf songs tend to be.
Verdict - Rubbish
I guess 1993 was the perfect year from the perspective of Dina Carroll. This was when she had her biggest hit with "Don't Be A Stranger" which felt like it was around for the whole of 1993 and was still in the charts when this record entered. Not my cup of tea and this follow up isn't any better.
Verdict - Rubbish
After what seemed an endless run of hits from his "Waking Up the Neighbours" album, here's Bryan Adams back with a brand new song. I do find it more memorable than some of his previous efforts despite it being a ballad, but not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
One of the things that's surprised me when doing these posts was how many Top 40 hits Dina Carroll had before "Don't Be A Stranger". This was her 8th of 14 Top 40 hits. It's no doubt her signature song, something she probably won't be happy about because it's one she didn't write. I wonder whether the success of this song dictated that she wouldn't write any of her remaining Top 40 hits after this. Anyway I couldn't stand this record at the time, too slow and boring. I can't say I've really changed my mind to be honest.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 6th and final single from East 17's debut album "Walthamstow". It could be argued that being the final single from an album that was nearly a year old was what stopped it from getting the Christmas number one, but we all know they achieved that the following year. Like with most East 17 record, this one gets the thumbs up from me.
Verdict - Good
After their collaboration in 1976 gave both artists their first number one, Elton John and Kiki Dee reunite 17 years later but fall short of topping the charts this time round. The world had moved on and I remember this sounding very dated at the time. Little did I know he'd still be charting with duets 3 decades later that would actually sound modern in a bad way.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Bee Gees are best known for their disco era, which I think is a shame because they made some really good music outside of this such as this record. In fact I would say this is the best record The Bee Gees have ever made. The moment where Robin starts singing the chorus is second to none.
Verdict - Good
I liked a lot of the reggae pop music of 1993 and particularly liked the first two Chaka Demus and Pliers hits. I draw the line at this record though. I hated it at the time, I remember someone asking a question about this record to a group of people and my response was I don't care about shitty pop music with my answer being seconded by someone else. My opinion on this record hasn't really changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
Meat Loaf had been in the wilderness for several years before this and his previous big hits were before my music memories so I wasn't familiar with his music at the time, I'd just heard the name. At the same time someone at school was a Meat Loaf fan and would say he was heavy metal. I was therefore excited to finally hear a Meat Loaf song, but heavy metal it's certainly not. That disappointment along with the fact it goes on forever and is just ridiculously over the top means I've never liked it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Mr Blobby started out as a pretend kids TV show on the Gotcha segment of Noels House Party. I remember hearing the theme music for that segment was being released as a single. That didn't sound like the worst thing in the world, but when I heard this record and the kids started singing it did sound like the worst thing it the world. I also recall a school disco at the time where they had a dancing competition and the winner won this single. Needless to say I didn't miss out on much by not taking part.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Take That - Babe (New)
I guess we have Mr. Blobby to thank for the fact we don't hear this at Christmas every year after being denied the Christmas number one spot. It was the first Take That hit where Mark Owen takes the lead vocals, though really anyone could have sung it and it would have still been crap.
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 12/30, or 40%. The Christmas crap has finally arrived.
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