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:
30. Lamb - Gorecki (New)
One may be forgiven for thinking Lamb hail from Bristol or that neck of the woods, but they're actually from Manchester. They're pretty well known, but this was their only Top 40 hit. I didn't really appreciate them until later on in life, but think they're good now.
Verdict - Good
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
My initial thought was is this the record about Barry White, but then realised that's "Love Unlimited" and furthermore Barry White wasn't from New York. It's actually the "Lodi Dodi" on that's not very good.
Verdict - Rubbish
When singing actor Sean Maguire made his Top 40 debut in 1994 I don't think anyone thought he'd still be going in 1997, but here he is. He was digging his own grave with this one though, instead of going for the out and out cheese approach he's trying to make an Oasis record. It was his final Top 40 hit to date.
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
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
The renewed success in the Top 40 the previous year for The Beautiful South came via records where Jacqui Abbott took lead vocals. On this one it's back to Paul Heaton on vocals. I have to say I quite like this record.
Verdict - Good
Sheryl Crows music generally speaking is soft guitar music and I don't mean that as a criticism. This sounds like an attempt at making a hard record that sounds like it has the potential to be a harder record, but sounds just as soft as all the others in reality. As such it doesn't sound very good.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
Puff Daddy had been well known for quite some time by this point as the owner of Bad Boy Records who liked to put his face out there. This was his first record as an artist and also the Top 40 debut for Mase who was on Bad Boys Record. It heavily samples "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and is exactly the sort of rap music I hate.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
Another Whitney Houston song from a film which made this 9 from her last 10 singles to be from a film. Like it's predecessor it's from "The Preachers Wife" and like it's predecessor it's a cover, this time of The Four Tops. Also like it's predecessor, it's shit.
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
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
13. Seal - Fly Like An Eagle (New)
The hits from Seals 2nd album were quite different to those on his first but I still liked "Kiss From A Rose" in particular. This however is a record where I would say Seal is now past his best. He sings a few words from "Crazy" in there, but it doesn't change anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Tall Paul - Rock Da House (New)
Tall Paul was one of the well known house DJs at the time. He also produced under different names such as Escrima, but this was his first Top 40 hit under his DJ name. The presence of other DJs in the video together with using his DJ name implies this was a record promoting these DJs. A decent enough record.
Verdict - Good
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
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
27 years later I'm still waiting for that red letter day. To be honest I paid no attention to the lyrics at all at the time, I thought like with most Pet Shop Boys records it was a good tune. Now I've paid more attention to them I find I can really relate. I think I'll leave it at that though because we'll all have our interpretation of them.
Verdict - Good
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 3rd and final Top 40 hit by Madonna from "Evita", quite possibly the most boring film I've ever seen which still haunts me to this very day. Hopefully his will be the last time I'll ever have to hear a song from that god awful film.
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
5. BBE - Flash (New)
BBE are of course best remembered for "7 Days and One Week" which has been anthem bashed ever since. This follow up is largely forgotten. I think this record is better than its predecessor, I always have done. It made number 5 in the charts though so it's by no means an obscure record. This was 1997 though when you could blink and miss a record completely.
Verdict - Good
Back in 1994 boy band All-4-One had a number 2 record with "I Swear". It was originally by John Michael Montgomery and one of the songwriters was Gary Baker. Seeing the success of one of his songs covered by a boy band must have contributed to his decision to pen this for the Backstreet Boys. It's also a dreary ballad.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
This was the main song from Space Jam and I asked the question why do they always have ballads for cartoon films. That said, I did think this ballad was much better than your average ballad so not a bad choice really.
Verdict - Good
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 10/30, or 33%. Now standards are slipping.
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