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:
Babyface had loads of hits as a songwriter, but this was just his 3rd Top 40 hit as an artist. His greatest his album has a full albums worth of tracks, but it was the actual hits that I initially knew and contributed to my decision to buy the album which I did.
Verdict - Good
One of a countless number of remixes of this record. It's such an overplayed record and I'm sick to the back teeth of it. This remix adds nothing to it really, even though I can't recall ever hearing this particular version it still sounds familiar.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the final single to be released from his album of the same name. I remember being aware that was what his album was called because he looked anything but natural. I also recall it being around this time that he was Wanker of the Week on The Girlie Show. I had nothing personal against him, but I did against his music.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 12th Top 40 hit for Ant & Dec/PJ & Duncan and their penultimate Top 40 hit of the 90s. I mentioned during a previous review about how I remember the music from Byker Grove ending up being some kids singing an Oasis record when I stopped watching it. Well here is Ant & Dec more or less doing the same thing except it's not an actual Oasis song and it's worse than Oasis if anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
Republica formed in 1994 and the music careers of most of its members go back even further. They were established enough to play at the Tribal Gathering in 1995. It was however this record in 1997 that gave them their Top 40 debut. It's the record they're best known for, but it wasn't their highest charting hit. It's a good blend of dance and rock music that's perhaps a little overplayed, but decent nontheless.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for British punk band Symposium. They were pretty much the biggest British punk band from a Top 40 perspective in the 90s but were never hugely successful. If the UK needed a punk band to compete with the likes of Green Day and Offspring though I don't think Symposium were it.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember seeing a short clip of the video to this on "The O-Zone" but the rest of the time I ever simply listened or saw it being performed. I still think this record is decent enough, but the other 3 singles from the "Alisha Rules the World" album are much better.
Verdict - Good
There have been seemingly an endless number of versions of this record over the years, but this one is the best in my opinion. It's the beats that do it for me in this version. A memory of this tune at the time was getting into a friend of a friends Ford Orion with all the modifications you can think of including big speakers. This tune was blasting out when I got in the car and I thought good taste. As the journey went on it became apparent he was playing Now 36.
Verdict - Good
22. Cake - The Distance (New)
The Top 40 debut for Cake and the record they're best known for, though I would say more so in America than the UK. I would say this record has all the ingredients to succeed in America and fail in the UK and often those records aren't to me liking. That's the case with this record.
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
20. INXS - Elegantly Wasted (New)
After 3 years away from the Top 40 INXS were back. I thought they'd been losing their way somewhat with their previous couple of hit, but it sounded like they were back to their old selves with this record. I also remember Michael Hutchence appearing on TFI Friday at the time. Little did we know that this comeback would be short lived as Michael Hutchence would take his own life before the year was over.
Verdict - Good
The final Top 10 hit to date for Mark Morrison and I'm actually surprised this got into the Top 10 as his popularity did appear to be in decline at this point, especially after being named Wanker of the Week on The Girlie Show of course. I personally think his music wasn't that great in the first place,
Verdict - Rubbish
I mentioned when I reviewed a Geneva record a few weeks ago that Monaco are just around the corner, Well here they are with their Top 40 debut. It's the side project of Peter Hook from New Order, something you can tell with his distinctive bass playing. Not as good as your average New Order record, but it isn't bad.
Verdict - OK
It had been 20 years since Jean Michel Jarre made his Top 40 debut with "Oxygene Part IV". He never had any other Top 40 hits between his debut and this record though. Despite being a 70s act it did kind of make sense that he'd be successful during this period as his music blended in nicely with the trance music being played at the time.
Verdict - Good
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
Eternal were proving once again that they didn't need Louise in the band in order to be successful with this record being their highest charting to this point so therefore charting higher than any Eternal record with Louise on it, or any Louise solo record to that point for that matter. It's such a miserable record though.
Verdict - Rubbish
I liked this tune at the time because I thought it was funny. I still find it funny but it also makes me cringe somewhat at my teenage self. The jist of the song is that he fancies a girl and has told everybody except the girl in question. I think it's true to say many of us found ourselves in that situation as a teenager. Except in hindsight the girl in question probably did know too.
Verdict - Good
I initially thought this was Kula Shaker doing a cover of a Deep Purple record. It turns out that the Deep Purple record was also a cover with the original being by Billy Joe Royal. It's not bad, but I much prefer the Deep Purple version and I've never heard the original.
Verdict - OK
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
This was the 27th Top 40 hit for The Bee Gees and took their Top 40 career to 30 years long. This record came out around the same time as the infamous Clive Anderson interview where they walked off the show. Can't say I think much of this which may upset Barry Gibb in the unlikely event of him reading this.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Clock - It's Over (New)
This was the final Top 10 hit for Clock, the commercial dance outfit for Stu Allan. It's a cover of the record by the Funk Masters. There's also a happy hardcore version of this which sounded really promising up to the breakdown, then the singing starts and ruins it.
Verdict - Rubbish
After being given a new lease of life in the Top 40 after the remix of "People Hold On" earlier on in the year, Lisa Stansfield follows with this Top 10 hit was her last Top 10 hit to date. Unfortunately she's back to doing the same sort of bland music she was making in the early 90s.
Verdict - Rubbish
Fugees had a pretty impressive Top 40 record. They only managed 21 with their debut "Fu-Gee-La" but then followed with 2 number ones, a number two and a number three, the latter being this record which is also their last Top 40 hit to date. This one is my personal favourite and reminds me of listening to Trevor Nelson on a Saturday afternoon. It's much darker than their other hits, but then it's the darker side of rap which attracted me to the genre in the first place.
Verdict - Good
7. Damage - Love Guaranteed (New)
What do you do when you're a British R&B group struggling to make music as good as your American counterparts? Call on Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis of course. I'm not entirely sure that's what Damage did here, they're credited as songwriters but didn't produce so maybe it just samples a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis composition. It's poor whatever it is.
Verdict - Rubbish
6. Gina G - Fresh (New)
Gina G may be remembered as a one hit wonder, but this was her 3rd Top 10 hit. I would say it's placing in the charts though is a reflection of how popular it was though because I remember hearing it on The O-Zone once and don't recall hearing it again. It's catchy, but also a bit rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Sash! and the record he's best known for. I have mixed feelings about this record. At first I wrote it off as being cheesy commercial crap, but it did start to grow on me after a while. When you consider some of the dreadful music this no doubt inspired though it's hard to truly like it.
Verdict - OK
No Doubt seemed to just come out of nowhere with this record. I remember thinking who the fuck are No Doubt and suddenly they were number one. Turns out they'd had a number 38 prior to this. I think they did their best stuff later on in their career, but this ones not bad.
Verdict - OK
Wet Wet Wet were seemingly still feeling the benefits of topping the charts with "Love Is All Around" 3 years later with this lead single from their "10" album going straight in at number 3. This was also the year they split up with band member Tommy Cunningham saying the band had run its course. I'm inclined to agree.
Verdict - Rubbish
Once again memories of The Girlie Show are coming back. I remember it was when this record was out that Boyzone were Wankers of the Week and it was the same week The Spice Girls were guests. They also kept this record off the top spot. Both as bad as each other.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 4th Top 40 hit for the Spice Girls and their 4th number one and last single from their debut album. "Mama" is marketing in a way for ones mother to approve of their child listening to the Spice Girls and "Who Do You Think You Are" was the comic relief single. It was a win win situation for them, but musically it was still shit.
Verdict - Rubbish / 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%. We're staying in the same ballpark.
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