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:
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
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
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
I once hosted a music quiz where one of the questions was what was the last Top 40 hit for Cyndi Lauper? Nobody got the answer right, so gave me great pleasure when reading the answers to say "You Don't Know". I remember this appearing on The Chart Show at the time and was somewhat surprised to see Cyndi Lauper having a hit in 1997. I also remember thinking how dreadful I thought it was.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
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
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
"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
The other Top 40 hit for Bally Sagoo that few people remember. Unlike the big hit though, this record is actually quite good. It's an ambient record that's good to chill out to and has more of a rich sound to it.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
17. Gene - We Could Be Kings (New)
The 6th Top 40 hit for Gene who I would say were the biggest of the 3rd rate Britpop bands based on them having more hits that you'd think. I would say this ones actually more catchy than their other records, but other than that it's still throwaway rubbish.
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
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
14. Babybird - Candy Girl (New)
Although Babybird had 8 Top 40 hits and had written hundreds more, I would call this Babybirds other song because it's the only one aside from his big hit that a significant number of people are likely to remember. Just like his big hit, this is shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
Even Skunk Anansie were going soft in 1997. This was probably the softest hit they'd had but at the same time appropriate for the dark theme of the record. Not a bad record but does lack a little something to make me truly like it.
Verdict - OK
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
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
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
9. The BlueBoy - Remember Me (New)
My one reservation about this record was it being too slow. It wouldn't have really worked as a fast tune though. I remember this and "Your Woman" by White Town being out around the same sort of time. I guess there are similarities between the two.
Verdict - Good
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
7. Gabrielle - Walk On By (New)
Gabrielle had written all of her Top 40 hits prior to her collaboration with East 17 when she did a cover. She then followed of with another cover with this being a cover of the Dionne Warwick song. It goes without saying that it's not as good as the original, but it's actually a decent cover and probably the best hit Gabrielle has ever had.
Verdict - Good
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
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
4. Placebo - Nancy Boy (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Placebo and the first on that anyone noticed. It would have been hard not to notice really, a song called "Nancy Boy" sung by a bloke trying to look like a woman. It's probably their catchiest record too, but that doesn't mean it's any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 20th Top 40 hit for George Michael which was also the title of the album this was taken from. I certainly considered George Michael to be old at the time, but he was only 33. Most people old enough to remember this would be over 33 now. Anyway like "Jesus To a Child" a year prior to this, it's slow and boring.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
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
1. Blur - Beetlebum (New)
Blur had 2 number ones. I think most people will know that "Country House" was one of them but I'm not sure too many people would guess "Beetlebum" being the other. It had the advantage of being the lead single from the album at a time when Blur were still at their commercial peak. To me this is an example of the fun being take out of Blurs music.
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 13/30, or 43%. Seemed almost inevitable we'd slip after getting close to 50%.
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