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 1997 with my verdict on each record:
The 3rd of 5 Top 40 hits to date for QFX and the last time they'll feature as their last 2 hits failed to make the Top 30. This is a remix of "Freedom" which is the record they're probably best known for. I do like a bit of QFX.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Puff Johnson and the record she is best known for. Amongst the songwriters on this is Narada Michael Walden who had been writing for Michelle Gayle prior to this which wasn't great. This is an improvement though, but still pretty average.
Verdict - OK
It would be another 10 years until Erasure had their final Top 40 hit to date. However it's fair to say we're now into the era of Erasure that few people remember. This record was also their final one to get into the Billboard 100. Not a bad record, but not exactly classic Erasure.
Verdict - OK
27. Thunder - Don't Wait Up (New)
This will be the last time Thunder will feature as their remaining 90s Top 40 hits failed to reach the Top 30. They were a band who stuck to their guns with their music style sounding like they could just as easily be from the 80s. I was therefore not expecting this record to sound like it does, it's like they're trying to make a Red Hot Chili Peppers record from the intro but then turns into a whole lot of nothing.
Verdict - Rubbish
The final Top 40 hit to date for Enigma with their previous Top 40 hit coming in 1994. I would say this is probably the most radio friendly of all their hits with Michael Cretu singing on it. Not too much singing though and that doesn't make it lose and of its charm.
Verdict - Good
I was listening to pretty much nothing but rave at the time and remember someone asking me whether I liked MC Lyte. My response was you mean that female rapper with that Diana Ross "Upside Down" sampled tune in the charts at the moment, it's shit. Not really changed my mind.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was one of those records that I didn't really want to like but I couldn't help but like it. Mark Morrison may only be remembered for one song now, but this was pretty big at the time. Another thing I remember around this time was Mark Morrison being the Wanker of the Week on The Girlie Show, the only feature worth watching on that show truth be told.
Verdict - Good
This was first released in 1991 and made number 31. This live version was then released and gave Orbital their biggest hit to that point and joint highest charting record to date. I've seen Orbital live and would definitely recommend it.
Verdict - Good
At the time I recall Ian Broudie being asked what sugar coated iceberg actually means and his response was whatever you wanted it to be. I would say this record was The Lightning Seeds getting back to their best after the not so good "3 Lions" and "What If...". Never really thought about what it means though.
Verdict - Good
After having 2 big hits that were both instrumentals, Robert Miles did the unthinkable and released a record with a vocalist. I remember at the time thinking what are you doing having a vocalist on your record. The vocals have always annoyed me so on that basis this gets half a mark.
Verdict - OK
When The Prodigy did "Firestarter" earlier on in the year after much excitement of a new Prodigy tune it was a big disappointment. However, despite follow up "Breathe" taking a similar direction I actually like this one and bought the single. It's the beats that really do it for me.
Verdict - Good
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Kavana and the first one that anyone really noticed. It's a cover of the Shalamar record which is his joint highest charting single and the one he's most famous for. He probably didn't like that fact given he writes songs as well. I always thought this was a bit naff and haven't changed my mind.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Outhere Brothers were everywhere in 1995 and then just disappeared off the face off the earth when we went into 1996. Then they made this brief comeback at the start of 1997 but I'm not sure too many people noticed. They were very much of their time in 1995, but in 1997 they sound like they're trying to bring their sound forward and it's not really working.
Verdict - Rubbish
Here's Whitney Houston with yet another song taken from a movie. This time it's "The Preachers Wife" which Whitney Houston was also in herself. It's a cover of an Annie Lennox record. There was also a happy hardcore version of this which I thought was dreadful, much like what I think of this.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Ginuwine - Pony (New)
The Top 40 debut for Ginuwine and although not his highest charting I would say this is the record he's most famous for. It's produced by Timbaland and has this odd noise in the background which more or less makes the record. You could put literally anything over the top of it and I'd probably still like it, though what is over the top of it is decent too.
Verdict - Good
It was shortly after East 17 performed this on Top of the Pops that the Brian Harvey interview with his ecstasy comments and that was the end of East 17 as we knew them. This record however gave an insight as to what East 17 without Brian Harvey could be like as Tony Mortimer takes the lead and he's singing rather than rapping. If this was the future sound of East 17 though maybe it's just as well they finished as this is pretty poor if I'm honest.
Verdict - Rubbish
Back in 1989 Ten City had their big hit with "That's The Way Love Is" followed up by the lesser known "Devotion". Then 8 years later Ten City singer Byron Stingily made his solo debut with this record. It retains that soulful house sound of Ten City but done 1997 style (well 1996 really as that's when it was made).
Verdict - Good
After having all 5 of her previous Top 40 hits written by Babyface, Toni Braxton turned to prolific songwriter Diane Warren for her 6th. It worked as this became her joint highest charting Top 40 hit, but often in order to achieve popularity you have to compromise on quality and this is what's happened here in my opinion.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Nas - Street Dreams (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Nas which peaked at the same position as his first making it his joint highest charting single to date. It interpolates "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Eurythmics. Taken from the "It Was Written" album which I own and therefore like.
Verdict - Good
What had become apparent by this point was that not only were the Spice Girls here to stay, but they were almost inevitably going to top the charts with everything they release. I knew someone who bought this single because you could see Geri's legs on the cover, that's how effective their marketing seemed to be. It even made its was onto the Christmas episode of "Only Fools And Horses". Musically though it's really poor.
Verdict - Rubbish
"People Hold On" was the Top 40 debut for Lisa Stansfield back in 1989 and this remix took Lisa Stansfield back into the Top 40 for the first time in 3 years. The remix is done in the same style as the "Professional Widow" remix that was topping the charts. I have to say I consider this to be an improvement on the original.
Verdict - Good
It had been 3 years since En Vogue had last been in the Top 40 and they came back here with what I consider to be their best record. It was also the beginning of the end for En Vogue as we knew them with lead singer Dawn Robinson leaving the group shortly after. They still carry on today but nothing they've done since has been as good as this.
Verdict - Good
8. Reef - Come Back Brighter (New)
This was the follow up to their big hit "Place Your Hands" and was their only other Top 10 hit to date. I wouldn't agree that they've come back brighter. This lacks the charm of their big hit, the bad singing stops it from being boring but if you pay attention to the backing track it is boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
Another hit from the musical film "Evita" which is the most painfully boring film I've ever seen. Part of the painfully boring watching of the film was sitting through this painfully boring song.
Verdict - Rubbish
6. Suede - Saturday Night (New)
With a name like "Saturday Night" you would expect a record you can get up and dance to at a club. Then again this is Suede, so maybe not. It's more Saturday night on the tube than Saturday night at the club. Very boring record.
Verdict - Rubbish
I seem to recall the blurb about this record on The Chart Show saying that No Mercy were waiters at a Gloria Estefan owned restaurant prior to becoming singers. Can't find any mention of that on the internet so The Chart Show were probably just taking the piss. It does make a convincing story though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 4th Top 40 hit for the Backstreet Boys and 2nd penned by Max Martin and Herbie Crichlow, but no Denniz Pop with them this time. It became their highest charting hit to that point, a sign that American pop singers backed by Swedish songwriters were here to stay. Unfortunately it's mostly crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the big comeback single for Texas after being in the wilderness since 1989. They had a few hits in-between, but none that anyone remembers. Chris Evans was a big fan of this as I recall and helped put Texas back in the limelight. Judging by a lot of the music that appeared on TFI Friday though taught me that Chris Evans didn't have the best taste in music.
Verdict - Rubbish
My initial thought when first hearing this was wow Tori Amos has made a pretty decent record. In reality the original of this was abysmal and Armand Van Helden has done a remix which is basically a completely new record that samples vocals from the Tori Amos record. It gave Tori Amos her only number one and would be her penultimate Top 40 record to date.
Verdict - Good
1. White Town - Your Woman (New)
Although there are many resources on the internet these days about White Town, at the time it was a bit of a mystery who White Town actually was. It was also an unlikely number one. It's an experimental tune made by someone who was anonymous but at the same time it was a tune that could be liked by fans of various genres.
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 14.5/30, or 48%. I feel like we get this score a lot.
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