Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 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 1998 with my verdict on each record:
This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1990, but returned in 1998 when it was remixed by Jeff Ishmael. There was also a remix by Roger Ruff which is a speed garage mix and presumably the main draw even though it's track 2. Not bad but prefer the original.
Verdict - OK
This was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Faith No More and the last time they'll feature as their final Top 40 hit never made the Top 30. When this record came out I remember Posh Spice saying that she fancied Mike Patton, just imagine if she'd married him rather than David Beckham. I couldn't imagine brand Patton being thrown in your face like brand Beckham. Anyway to the tune, I'd say it's up there amongst their best hits.
Verdict - Good
Sheryl Crow makes it into double figures with this being her 10th Top 40 hit. It was the theme tune to the James Bond film of the same name and was the first since 1983 not to make the Top 10. It's generally no better or worse than those that did make the Top 10 in between.
Verdict - Rubbish
When New Kids On The Block made their 2008 comeback with "Summertime" they were completely slated by a friend of mine for being a group of middle aged men trying to be a modern R&B group. As a result I decided to buy him that single for Christmas as a laugh. I can only imagine other people had that same train of thought when buying their Christmas presents in 1997 by buying their friends this record. Even at the time it was universally accepted that it was shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
Watch out 911 there's a new British boy band in town and their name is also a number. This was their Top 40 debut and they had the Swedish songwriters Denniz Pop and Max Martin behind this. There was certainly a gap in the market for them, the bad boys from the south to counter the clean cut boy band from the north like East 17 were to Take That. They were no East 17 though.
Verdict - Rubbish
Mase had already had a couple of Top 40 hits as featured artists on Puff Daddy records, but this was his first Top 40 hit in his own right. It's also his best known hit. The chorus samples "Bad Boy" by Miami Sound Machine which was also they name of the record label he was on. Lots of crap came from that record label.
Verdict - Rubbish
Lutricia McNeal is from America but she relocated to Sweden and launched her music career. Then the Swedish songwriters started taking over the pop world and this, her debut Top 40 hit became a worldwide success. It's always irritated me for some reason.
Verdict - Rubbish
The speed garage records started coming thick and fast in 1997 and continued into 1998. This was the only Top 40 hit for Smokin Beats and Lyn Eden. It was a big garage record of it's time, may not be obvious what it is from the title but give it a listen and I'm sure you'll know it.
Verdict - Good
In 1996 we saw the beginning and end of the Top 40 career of singing actor John Alford. Then at the end of 1997 we had this, the Top 40 debut for another London's Burning actor Steven Houghton. A poor cover of a poor record.
Verdict - Rubbish
The biggest selling single of all time thanks to it being a charity record and a tribute to Princess Diana. I can picture the video clip of loads of people piling into the record shops as soon as it opened with one woman going and picking up a massive pile of CDs to buy. This blog is all about the music though and not the sentiment and musically it's not to my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
20. Rialto - Untouchable (New)
The 2nd of 3 Top 40 hits to date for Rialto and the only one to make the Top 30. We're in that post-Britpop era which brought us a number of instantly forgettable indie bands who had brief Top 40 careers. Rialto were one of those.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date for Allure, the R&B group signed to Mariah Careys label. It's a cover of the Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam record and features fellow R&B group 112. I do like the original of this, but the cover has all the goodness taken out of it and just sounds like a karaoke version.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember someone telling me there was a song about Barbie that had just come out which had some sexual references between Barbie and Ken. I thought he was taking the piss, but then I heard this. When I heard they were from Denmark, the same country as Whigfield, it made more sense. Remember the lyrics "I need you inside me tonight"?
Verdict - Rubbish
The whole rap/rock crossover concept had perhaps been done to death by this point so here was a new concept, rap and classical crossover. It's an odd concept I have to say because they're chalk and cheese really, but it does work pretty well once you get used to it. The penultimate Top 40 hit of the 90s for Warren G with his final one just around the corner.
Verdict - Good
I remember this record being played for what I think was the first time on Children in Need. It's a novelty line dancing mixed with eurodance record. Of course this turned out to be many hits for Steps. It goes without saying this song is shit. As a side note I have no problem with the cheesy holiday rep type image they're portraying here, it serves a purpose I suppose. The issue is them now being stuck up celebrities complaining about it but are happy to still milk it with their nostalgia tours.
Verdict - Rubbish
1997 brought us what was the latest hugely popular kids TV show, Teletubbies. I've never watched an episode myself, I was far too old for it. Obviously with Christmas just around the corner this record made a ideal Christmas present for parents to buy their young children and hence it topped the charts.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I went to Helter Skelter for the millennium, I was looking forward to the Vibes and Live Lee set which was the last of the night. It was a bit of an anti climax though when the first record he played was a happy hardcore version of "Baby Can I Hold You". "Shooting Star" is one I never knew until I started listening to Popmaster where they like asking questions about it.
Verdict - Rubbish
When Brian May released "Too Much Love Will Kill You" it was a common misconception that it was a tribute to Freddie Mercury. "No-One But You" however is genuinely a tribute to Freddie Mercury, with Brian May and Roger Taylor sharing lead vocals. It was also the final Queen release with John Deacon who retired after this. "Tie Your Mother Down" was originally one of their minor Top 40 hits in the 70s.
Verdict - Good / Good
12. Bernard Butler - Stay (New)
Bernard Butler had previously been in the charts as part of Suede and McAlmont & Butler. This was his first Top 40 hit as a solo artist. This also means he's taking lead vocals for the first time. It's a very mellow record and as a result a bit boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
The previous record by Clock was a cover of "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate and the original version returned to the charts shortly afterwards. No such return for KC and the Sunshine Band after this record though. As usual it's cheesy commercial rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
I was watching Live & Kicking in 1994 and Natalie Imbruglia was a guest on the show having just left Neighbours. She was asked if she was planning to launch a music career to which she said no which shocked Andi Peters. 3 years later here she is launching a music career and I was shocked. I wasn't shocked to find it was shit though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 6th Top 40 hit for the Spice Girls and their 6th number one. Even at the start of 1997 you would have put money on the Spice Girls getting the Christmas number one that year no matter what the record was.
Verdict - Rubbish
Space were back with a second album and this was the lead single from it which gave them their highest charting hit to this point. It's got that same quirkiness we'd become used to with Space records which makes for a decent tune.
Verdict - Good
When it comes to Lighthouse Family singles they don't get any better than this. I always found it a really soothing record. I once worked somewhere that had music playing that didn't have the original singers on the tracks. This was one of those tracks on there and the different singer made it not as good. Then I bought a compilation that had this on it and was such a relief to hear it with the proper singer again.
Verdict - Good
This was the turn around point of Robbie Williams solo career which went from strength to strength after this. I was dismissive of him as a solo artist least of all because I didn't like Oasis who he was trying to imitate. This record though is completely different and I had to concede it's actually quite good.
Verdict - Good
When this record came out I was shocked. It was a Janet Jackson song that I actually liked. Remember I was listening to nothing but rave at the time so I really didn't want to like this record even though it is a dance record. Then a friend of mine who was into rap and drum & bass bought this single which made me feel a bit better about liking it.
Verdict - Good
If you were watching the BBC in late 1997 then you would have heard this record many times. It seemed to be on between every TV show. It's a long list of singers who would sing a line each and I got absolutely sick of it.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1995 twice, first under it's original title "Legends Of The Dark Black Part 2" and then as "Renegade Master". Wildchild sadly passed away the same year. In 1998 Fatboy Slim did a remix and made it bigger than ever. It's a great remix, possibly even better than the original.
Verdict - Good
2. Bamboo - Bamboogie (New)
Clock weren't the only ones doing covers of KC and the Sunshine Band records. Andrew Livingstone aka Bamboo was also charting with this take on "Get Down Tonight" by KC and the Sunshine Band. This time though it was a decent record.
Verdict - Good
When the All Saints first came about I was amazed to find that I liked their debut Top 40 hit. I was even more amazed to find I also liked this, their follow up. It's one of those records I'd felt I'd heard before but hadn't. As a result of me liking these first 2 singles I went on to do something I'd not done in a long time, bought an album that wasn't rave which was their debut album.
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 11.5/30, or 38%. We're going in the right direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment