Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 3

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 1996 with my verdict on each record:

30. Artist Formerly Known As Prince - Gold

This is the final Top 10 hit to date for Prince. It's nearly 6 minutes long but I can't help but think it's too short, when it finishes I just want to listen to it for longer. If you can get a record for that long to have that sort of impact on me then you must be doing something right.

Verdict - Good

29. Mariah Carey And Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day

Prior to this record Mariah Carey had 2 uplifting hits in a row with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Fantasy". She was never going to do 3 in a row, but teamed up with Boyz II Men to allow her to do a dreary ballad that could fall under the R&B banner. 

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Dubstar - Not So Manic Now

Not to be confused with The Dubster, a drum & bass artist. That's what happened to me when I heard that Dubstar were coming up on the radio but was greeted with this record instead. I wasn't disappointed though, quite the opposite in fact because I was now able to put a name to the record I'd been hearing. Also known as the one about the cup of tea.

Verdict - Good

27. Pulp - Disco 2000

It's funny how there were a number of us who spent the 90s looking forward to the year 2000, but then as the 21st century got under way we longed for the 90s again. I always liked the story of the song, but I've only just discovered that it was a true story and Deborah, the subject of the song is sadly no longer with us. 

Verdict - Good

26. The Mike Flowers Pops - Wonderwall

I remember the Chris Evans breakfast show where this played for the first time. They said that "Wonderwall" was a song from the 60s that Oasis had covered. It soon came to light that this was in fact the cover, but made to sound like it was done in the 60s. I thought this was a big improvement and really wanted it to get the Christmas number one, but sadly that wasn't to be.

Verdict - Good

25. Sunscreem - White Skies (New)

With Sunscreem being a dance music group with instruments, it meant they didn't always have to make dance music. When I first heard this it really wasn't the sort of record I was expecting. I like it though, good to hear something a bit more experimental. Looks like not too many people agree given this video has had just 1.2k views in 10 years.

Verdict - Good

24. Tori Amos - Caught A Lite Sneeze

One thing I remember hearing when listening to the Top 40 countdown one day in 1996 was that Tori Amos got expelled from school when she was a kid. It may have been ahead of this record, the point is I remember hearing that fact but have no memory of the actual song that was played. It sounds exactly like the sort of song I would forget.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. The Nightcrawlers ft John Reid - Let's Push It (New)

The only Nightcrawlers album is called "Let's Push It" which you may think is a reference to lead single "Push the Feeling On" but it's actually the name of one of the tracks. It wouldn't be the last time The Nightcrawlers had push in a song title either. It sounds different to their previous 3 hits which followed a similar formula, presumably because this was the first single not to have any involvement from MK. It's a bit cheesy, but not too bad.

Verdict - OK

22. Levellers - Just The One

I used to hear this on an almost daily basis at this time thanks to a bus driver who used to play Now 33 every day. I remember very well that this came after "Ladykillers" by Lush. As a result I couldn't stand it, though I don't think I've heard it since 1996 so sufficient time for me to reassess. Not a bad record, but it's no "One Way". 

Verdict - OK

21. Lush - Single Girl (New)

The 2nd UK Top 40 hit for Lush which came 4 years after their first. Initially part of the Shoegazing scene, they were now part of the Britpop scene. This was also their joint highest charting single. I would say one of the causes of the demise of Britpop was too much throwaway rubbish like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Dreadzone - Little Britain

Dreadzone have been around for years and are still going strong today, but this was their only Top 40 hit. This is their best known record and I recall it being different to anything else I'd heard before at the time. I liked it enough to buy the album and indeed other Dreadzone albums as well as going to see them in concert.

Verdict - Good

19. Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet

I don't think this was ever considered a true contender for Christmas number one but I guess it shouldn't have ever been ruled out considering how high it did chart. Bjork presented the Christmas Top of the Pops that year which obviously was recorded in advance of Christmas day when they wouldn't have known what was number one. Bjork announced Michael Jackson was Christmas number one, so presumably they recorded all possibilities of who could be Christmas number one and I do wonder whether they recorded Bjork saying she was Christmas number one herself. Anyway I didn't really like it at the time, but it's grown on me over the years. 

Verdict - Good

18. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

I can't remember if it was the first time I'd heard it, but I can picture myself listening to this on the radio at the time and thinking this is the record I've been waiting to hear all my life. I could even tell you the name of the street I was going down when I was thinking that. There hadn't really been much of the dark side of rap music in the charts prior to this, but that's what I really wanted to hear. I even bought the single for this too which was the only thing I bought around this time that wasn't rave.

Verdict - Good

17. LL Cool J ft Boyz II Men - Hey Lover (New)

LL Cool J had been around for over a decade by this point, but this was just his 5th Top 40 hit and only the 2nd to make the Top 20. This was on a compilation I owned and remember finding this quite soothing. Another thing that stood out to me was the line about waiting at the bus stop, no idea why.

Verdict - Good

16. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Lump

The Top 40 debut for The Presidents Of The United States Of America. Looking back I can see this may have inspired 21st century bands like The Strokes and The Hives, but don't let that put you off. I'm talking the punk influenced sound performed by men in suits. Always found this a good one to bop along to and nice and snappy too.

Verdict - Good

15. Shaggy ft Grand Puba - Why You Treat Me So Bad

The 4th top 40 hit for Shaggy and the first not to reach the Top 10. It's proof that he did have hits in between "Boombastic" and "It Wasn't Me" which is what people were saying he didn't have when the latter was released. I like pretty much all of the Shaggy hits of the 90s.

Verdict - Good

14. Molella ft The Outhere Brothers - If You Wanna Party

This was pretty much the end of the road for The Outhere Brothers after being pretty much the biggest chart act of 1995. I would call this the forgotten gem of their admittedly small back catalogue. They did have one more Top 40 hit, but they're very much a 1995 act and should remain that way.

Verdict - Good

13. Leftfield - Release The Pressure (New)

All of Leftfields Top 40 hits had a featured artist. The featured artist on this is Earl Sixteen but the record is credited just to Leftfield. It originally came out in 1992 but was remixed in 1996 and made the Top 40 for the first time. It's a dub record, not too many of those made the Top 40 and I generally like the ones that did.

Verdict - Good

12. Kenny 'Dope' Presents The Bucketheads - Got Myself Together (New)

The lesser known follow up record to "The Bomb" which became the 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date by Kenny 'Dope' Presents The Bucketheads. It follows a similar formula to its predecessor, disco house with 70s disco samples and they have the same character in the video. It's what you'd expect though given that Kenny Dope uses different names for different projects.

Verdict - Good

11. Eternal - I Am Blessed

In the post Louise era of Eternal they came back with perhaps the most uplifting record they'd released to date in "Power of a Woman". They followed it up with this, which is perhaps their most dreary. It was composed by the writer of "Nothin At All" by Heart and the write of "In the Ones You Love" by Diana Ross. 

Verdict - Rubbish

10. TLC - Creep

The 2nd Top 40 hit for TLC which came nearly 3 years after their first. It was the lead single from their "CrazySexyCool" album. Like their first hit, this was composed by Dallas Austin. Hearing the intro to this tells me its going to be a good tune, and the rest of the tune doesn't disappoint. 

Verdict - Good

9. Coolio - Too Hot (New)

The follow up to "Gangstas Paradise" which fell out of the Top 40 before its predecessor did. It samples the Kool & the Gang record of the same name. In January though it was anything but too hot. It's a solid follow up record.

Verdict - Good

8. Cast - Sandstorm (New)

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Cast and first to make the Top 10. I don't think I've heard this since the 90s and I have to say it hasn't aged very well. I never liked it at the time if I'm honest, always thought the lyrics were silly but I thought it was quite distinctive at least. Sounds very generic now though.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Cher - One By One (New)

This was the 7th Top 40 hit in a row by Cher that was a cover and this wouldn't be the end of the streak either. It was originally by The Real People. It's a song I remember getting annoyed at hearing all the time on Now 33. I've not heard it since and hopefully won't hear it again.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Oasis - Wonderwall

There's a lot to say about this record, but what springs to mind personally was seeing people who once listened to rave now listening to Oasis. It was reflected on the TV on Byker Grove too. The music aspect had gone from Frew and Barney DJing to characters who's names I don't remember singing "Wonderwall". I was firmly in the rave camp by this point though and couldn't comprehend why people would listen to Oasis instead.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Everything But The Girl - Missing

At the time I was a big fan of "Gangsta's Paradise" and was convinced it had been in the Top 40 longer than anything else once it had been there a while. Turns out this record entered the Top 40 the same week. As both records fell to the lower reaches, I bought the "Gangsta's Paradise" single to help give it at least another week in the Top 40. Unfortunately "Gangsta's Paradise" dropped out, but this stayed another week and I wasn't happy about that. It failed to reach the Top 40 when first released but a Todd Terry remix gave it a new lease of life. Never seen the appeal myself though.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Baby D - So Pure

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Baby D and the best one in my opinion. It came at a time when in the rave scene happy hardcore and drum & bass had become separated, but this record is more reflective of the time before the scene split. 

Verdict - Good

3. Boyzone - Father And Son

To me this record illustrates all that was wrong with Boyzone's formula of doing lots of covers. The song is supposed to be a father singing to his son, but Ronan Keating was only 18 here and therefore more likely to be the age of the son being sang to. OK it's composer Cat Stevens was only a few years older when he wrote it, but I remember seeing Ronan Keating sing "look at me I am old" and thinking no you're not.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Michael Jackson - Earth Song

I remember the race for Christmas number one and not liking the fact this record won the race instead of Mike Flowers Pops. It seems to me that the only reason this topped the charts was because it was Michael Jackson. It's hard to take the lyrical content seriously when it's being sung by a man who had a funfair in his own back garden.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. George Michael - Jesus To A Child (New)

This was the first Top 40 for George Michael since he topped the charts with the "Five Live EP" nearly 3 years prior. He managed to top the charts again with this. I remember the Top of the Pops exclusive of this record and thinking how boring. I still do think it's boring.

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 18/30, or 60%. Same as last week.

Christmas Charts Rated: 1962

  Top 40

Best Song: Tornados - Telstar

When I was picking my record of the year for each year of the UK Singles Charts I picked this record for 1962. It just sounds so futuristic for 1962 and different to a lot of instrumental rock that sounded the same. I have to say though there was a close rival to it which I will talk about in the review below.

Worst Song: Hank Locklin - We're Gonna Go Fishin'

Initially I thought this record was a piss take, but it turns out it wasn't. Hank Locklin was an American country singer who appears to have been held in high regard. I've never really got the appeal of country music generally speaking, it's one of those things I figured you need to be American to understand.

Top 40 Review

When I was reviewing 1962 for my best year search it sat bottom of the table until 2009 turned out to be worse. What it suffered from was the fact The Beatles hadn't arrived yet. The Christmas charts on the other hand benefits from the fact The Beatles had arrived.

This leads me onto the biggest rival for the best song which was The Beatles debut hit "Love Me Do". It was a tough decision not to pick it because it was such a significant moment for music, but if I'm honest I do prefer "Telstar" based purely on the record itself.

My issue with country music didn't help with this chart as it was the most prominent genre outside of pop music. That said, I thought "Swiss Maid" by Del Shannon and "Devil Woman" by Marty Robbins worthy of half marks. It was a zero for the rest of the country hits.

One of those country hits that got a zero was "Dear Lonely Hearts" by Nat 'King' Cole which was the last of his Top 40 hits before he died having been quite prolific with the hits for the previous decade.

In terms of Christmas music, this was the year of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee which is a regular in the modern charts. There was also a version of "Jingle Bell Rock" by Chubby Checker And Bobby Rydell in there. Both got zero.

On a more positive note we have "He's a Rebel" by The Crystals, penned by Gene Pitney and one of the great records from that era.

Also worth a shout is "Sherry" by The Four Seasons which was their Top 40 debut and a record that was bringing music forwards in my opinion.

1962 did feel like a bit of an anomaly given the circumstances and this has proved to be true. The score for the Christmas charts is far better than both the best year score for 1962 and even further ahead of any other Christmas chart featured so far.

One thing to consider though is whether the quality of the Top 40 getting worse at Christmas time a more modern thing.

Score: 10.5

Table

A big lead at the top of the table for 1962. How long will it stay there?

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 3

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 28 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 1995 with my verdict on each record:

30. Loveland ft Rachel McFarlane - I Need Somebody

The 3rd of 4 Top 40 hits to date for Loveland who were a dance act who included Paul Waterman, son of Pete Waterman amongst it's members. Rachel McFarlane featured on a 4 of these hits, but also had hits as a solo artists as well as being vocalist for other acts such as N-Trance. It's no doubt a commercial dance record, but also proof commercial doesn't always have to mean shit.

Verdict - Good

29. Jimmy Nail - Crocodile Shoes

We were almost a decade into Jimmy Nails Top 40 career but this was just his 3rd Top 40 hit. At this point all his Top 40 hits had made the Top 5 but he hasn't made the Top 5 since. It's taken from the TV series of the same name which starred Jimmy Nail. It's a pleasant enough record without being something I'd go out of my way to listen to.

Verdict - OK

28. Carleen Anderson - Let It Last

This was the highest charting single for Carleen Anderson as a solo artist having previous been part of Young Disciples. It was co-written by Mark E. Nevin from Fairground Attraction. I feel like this should have been in the sound track to the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet film, but it wasn't. I'm a big fan of that film by the way so I mean it as a compliment. They really don't make records like this anymore, not that I've heard anyway.

Verdict - Good

27. Van Halen - Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) (New)

My first introduction to Van Halen came from playing "Jump" on the jukebox a couple of years prior to this. I played it in the knowledge they were a hard rock band, but it turned out to not be what I was expected. Then came this, a new Van Halen record which was more in line with what I was expecting.

Verdict - Good

26. Scarlet - Independent Love Song (New)

When I first heard this on Top of the Pops I wasn't sure whether I'd heard it before or not. When the first verse was being sung, in my mind I'd never heard it before. Then the chorus came in and it sounded familiar. What I don't know is if I'd genuinely heard the chorus before, or its one of those things I feel I've heard before but hadn't. The verses and chorus bear no resemblance to each other and I like that about the song. 

Verdict - Good

25. Ace Of Base - Living In Danger

The 6th Top 40 hit for Ace Of Base who were sticking to the reggae pop formula that they were known for. It's both sad and uplifting at the same time which I'm sure was intentional. You knew what you were getting with an Ace Of Base record by this point and this gives you exactly what you expect. It's a formula that works though so that's no bad thing.

Verdict - Good

24. Mr Roy - Saved (New)

I can't say I'm a huge cricket fan, but always liked the theme music to the BBCs coverage. Then came this, a dance music makeover. This was happening to a few TV themes at the time as I recall. What I didn't realise at the time was that the cricket theme was an actual tune called "Soul Limbo" by Booker T and the MGs. 

Verdict - Good

23. Whigfield - Another Day

The follow up to "Saturday Night" which sounds just like "Saturday Night". Unsurprisingly the 2 writers of "Saturday Night", Larry Pignagnoli and Davide Riva also wrote this along with Annerley Gordon though quite what the latter added to it I don't know. Anyway I never liked "Saturday Night" so therefore I don't like this.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. TLC - Creep (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit for TLC which came nearly 3 years after their first. It was the lead single from their "CrazySexyCool" album. Like their first hit, this was composed by Dallas Austin. Hearing the intro to this tells me its going to be a good tune, and the rest of the tune doesn't disappoint. 

Verdict - Good

21. Deuce - Call It Love (New)

Steps have often been referred to as poundland Abba for the 90s which I don't disagree with at all. I would however say a more accurate description of them would be the Deuce of the late 90s. This was the Top 40 debut for Deuce and what I remembered most about it aside from how cheesy it was is the rhyming of face and disgrace. 

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Barry White - Practice What You Preach / Love Is The Icon (New)

This was the start of Barry White's 90s revival. I don't ever recall hearing Barry White prior to this having not been born during his 70s heyday. I remember him announcing at the start of Top of the Pops that he was going to be singing his new song on that show and I was amazed by how a singer could have such a deep voice. I think the squeaky voiced male singers of the modern era need to take note, this sort of singing is miles better than the namby pamby singing they do.

Verdict - Good / Good

19. The Sounds Of Blackness - I'm Going All The Way

This is what I said when it originally charted in 1993: It had been a year since The Sounds Of Blackness made their Top 40 debut "Optimistic" which I found to be pretty good despite it being gospel music which isn't my thing. This was their 2nd Top 40 hit. To be fair you could legitimately class it as being soul/R&B as well as gospel. Despite this I can't say I think much of this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Ultimate Kaos - Hoochie Booty (New)

Peter Andre once said that his songwriting process begins with him waking up with a melody in his head. When he wrote "Flava" I can only assume he'd been listening to "Hoochie Booty" by Ultimate Kaos the night before. This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for Ultimate Kaos who were a Simon Cowell created boy band. It's therefore cheesy, but lacks the charm of its predecessor "Some Girls". 

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Zig And Zag - Them Girls Them Girls

Zig and Zag were puppets on The Big Breakfast. I remember them singing the chorus to this acapella on an episode. I never though in a million years it would get turned into an actual song. We have Simon Cowell to thank for that. I'll concede it's better than all that nonsense the X Factor winners would sing, but that's not too difficult. Produced by Erick Morillo, though he'd already been known to do cheesy music too by this point.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Sleeper - Inbetweener (New)

I remember this record very well for all the wrong reasons. After it appeared on Top of the Pops I remember people from the rock crowd talking about how great this record was. It seemed a far cry from the heavier music they were bigging up a year or so prior and I thought if this is the future of rock then I'm definitely better off transitioning to rave. It was the Top 40 debut for Sleeper.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Portishead - Glory Box

This was the final single to be released from the excellent "Dummy" album which came out in 1994, but was the first to make the Top 40. It's also the final track on the album, which is one of my favourite albums of all time. I don't know what else to say really, just give it a listen and let the music do the talking.

Verdict - Good

14. Massive Attack - Protection (New)

The title track from their 2nd album. The first Massive Attack album "Blue Lines" is one of my all time favourites so was always a lot to live up to. It features Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl on vocals and this is where I struggle somewhat with this record. I've always found her singing rather irritating. Fortunately her singing is low key enough to not ruin the record which is great in every other respect.

Verdict - Good

13. The Lightning Seeds - Change

The Lightning Seeds made their Top 40 debut back in 1989, but this was just their 4th Top 40 hit. They would become chart regulars from this point for a period of time. It was the first single from the "Jollification" album to make the Top 40 and would be their highest charting single until "3 Lions". Not a record I've really given much thought to if I'm honest, but found myself enjoying it just now.

Verdict - Good

12. Guns N' Roses - Sympathy For The Devil

I don't remember anyone still listening to Guns N' Roses in 1995. The fact this went straight into the Top 10 though implies plenty of people still were. It was however the final Guns N' Roses hit before the wilderness years. It's a cover of the Rolling Stones record and to be honest it isn't great. You could tell that they were pretty much finished as a band by this point. 

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Bill Whelan ft Anuna And The RTE Concert Orchestra - Riverdance

There was a brief period of time when the Riverdance was big. Never been a fan of dancing myself so I ignored it the best I could. But given it's popularity they couldn't resist releasing a single from it. The fact it's all about watching the dancing rather than listening to the music though suggests the music isn't really up to much, which it isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. R Kelly - Bump 'N' Grind (New)

There was once a pub in Newcastle called "Tut 'N' Shive" and whenever I'd walk past it I'd sing this in my head but changing the words to "I don't see nothing wrong with a little Tut 'N' Shive". Then it changed it's name to "Dog & Parrott" and "I don't see nothing wrong with a little Dog & Parrott" doesn't really work. Anyway I love this record, it's the opening track to a "Pure Swing" compilation I own and also appears on his "12 Play" album which I also own.

Verdict - Good

9. Oasis - Whatever

This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Oasis and biggest hit to date, possibly helped by the fact every man and his dog had the "Definitely Maybe" album but this never appeared on an album. Although it's clearly a different song, I can't help but think of it as a blatant rip off of "I'm Free" by the Rolling Stones and it's almost surprising Jagger and Richards didn't take legal action given it doesn't take much for them to do that. Instead it was Neil Innes who took legal action for it's resemblance to one of his songs. I never got Oasis though, doesn't appeal to me at all.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. East 17 - Stay Another Day

I once sang this at karaoke one summer and the DJ questioned why I was singing a Christmas song at that time of the year. The answer is simple, it's not a Christmas song. Yes it was Christmas number one and year the bells at the end may give a hint of Christmas, but the song was about Tony Mortimer's brother after he'd taken his own life. Anyway like with pretty much all the East 17 hits, I like it and it's one of my favourite ever Christmas number ones.

Verdict - Good

7. Nicki French - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

I was getting a bit confused when listening to this just now. My memory of it is that it was a dance cover of the Bonnie Tyler record, but I start listening and finding this too is a ballad. That is until around a minute and a half in when it turns into a dance record. It's a very poor transition though and a poor record all together. It's the only time Nicki French will feature, but she did have one further Top 40 hit in 2000 with the Eurovision entry which makes sense.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. The Human League - Tell Me When

We had reached the mid-point of the 90s and the 80s was very much a distant memory. Or so it seemed until The Human League made a comeback. I remember how out of place this record sounded at the time and in my mind there was no room for 80s music in the 90s. I do like 80s synth pop music these days including some Human League records, but not this one.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Boyzone - Love Me For A Reason

The Top 40 debut for Boyzone, the Irish version of Take That. After they had a few hits it became apparent that Ronan Keating has quite a deep singing voice but he's pretty high pitched here and you can kind of sense he's struggling to sing like that. Like many Boyzone hits it's a cover that just sounds like a karaoke version of the original.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper

The only Top 40 hit for Ini Kamoze who had been around since the early 80s and was in his late 30s by this point. It has 90s nostalgia written all over it, but even in the late 90s I remember looking back on records like this and thinking they don't make them like that anymore.

Verdict - Good

3. N-Trance ft Kelly Llorenna - Set You Free

This record changed my life. Prior to this I was part of the grunge crowd and rave was the enemy. I was becoming disillusioned with it all and felt I was listening to music I should be listening to rather than what I wanted to listen to. Then this came along which was precisely what I shouldn't have liked, but I thought it was pretty much the best record out at that moment. I concluded that rave was much more up my street and so my transition to a raver began. 

Verdict - Good

2. Celine Dion - Think Twice

I remember going on holiday in 1995 and going to a restaurant the first night which was almost empty. As I dined it became apparent why nobody went there. The restaurant manager seemed to love this song, playing it multiple times that evening and encouraging diners to get up and dance to it with him. Needless to say I never went back. A boring depressing record.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe

I used to regularly go to a pub quiz where the first round was always music clips where we had to give the artist title and year. There would be a common theme between the clips and one time it was number one hits of the 90s in which this appeared. Obviously the artist and title wasn't a problem, but the year wasn't so straightforward. On one hand it entered the charts in 1994 but it topped the charts in 1995, so which year was he wanting? I can't remember which one it was now, but it was different to the one I gave. That association makes me hate the song even more than I did previously. 

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 15.5/30, or 52%. That didn't take long to get above 50%. Will we stay there the rest of the year?

UK Number 40s: Whitehead Brothers - Forget I Was A G (1995)

 

The Whitehead Brothers are the sons of John Whitehead. Some of you may be asking whos that? If I was to say one half of McFadden & Whitehead that should answer the question. Some may know them as the duo who had a solitary hit with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", others will also know them as songwriters on Philadelphia International Records.

The Whitehead Brothers themselves released their first album on Philadelphia International Records in 1986. They wouldn't return until 1994 when they released their 2nd and final album on Motown.

They made their UK Top 40 debut earlier on in 1995 with "Your Love Is A 187" which made number 32. Then came this which is their final Top 40 hit to date. It was also on the soundtrack to the film "Jasons Lyric".

The fact they had a famous father may have been a disadvantage especially as "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" was being given a new lease of life around the same time by Luther Vandross.

They would release no further records and there's little on the internet to say what they've been up to since.

Top 30 in 1993 Reviewed: Week 3

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

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 1993 with my verdict on each record:

30. Madonna - Deeper And Deeper

This was the 29th Top 40 hit for Madonna but just the 3rd that failed to reach the Top 5. That doesn't mean this is any worse that most of her previous records, and it isn't. Then again there is a very small number of Madonna records I actually like and this isn't one of them.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Diana Ross - If We Hold On Together

This was already 4 years old by the time it came out having featured in the film "The Land Before Time". I do find that fact a little off putting as songs from animated films tend to be a bit crap. Oddly I think I took a liking to this before I realised it was from an animated film. The fact it's not a male/female duet probably helps too.

Verdict - Good

28. 808 State And UB40 - One In Ten

I like both 808 State and UB40. I also like the original of "One In Ten". I don't know what exactly 808 State were trying to do here, but whatever it was it didn't work in my opinion. It just sounds a bit of a mess and doesn't do the original any justice.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Paul McCartney - Hope Of Deliverance

This was the 40th Top 40 hit for Paul McCartney. Generally speaking when someone is this far into their career and they have a song where they play the acoustic guitar it's a complete bore fest. I can't say that for this record though. Despite the acoustic guitar its quite uplifting. Doesn't have enough about it for me to truly like it though.

Verdict - OK

26. Sultans Of Ping FC - You Talk Too Much (New)

Sultans Of Ping FC are best known for "Where's Me Jumper" but that was never a Top 40 hit. This record was their only Top 40 hit. It sounds like it could have come out in the late 70s but in a piss take sort of way. 

Verdict - Rubbish

25. The The - Dogs Of Lust (New)

The The are a band who I regard as being an 80s band but they had the bulk of their Top 40 hits in the 90s beginning with this. They're also a band I remember more for simply existing than for any of their music. This ones not bad, but I won't be in a hurry to listen to it again.

Verdict - OK

24. Prefab Sprout - Life Of Surprises (New)

This was recorded in 1986 for the album "Protest Songs" which wasn't released until 1989 and then this was released as a single to promote their greatest hits album of the same name. As I write this I find myself still singing the chorus in my head and almost want to listen again.

Verdict - Good 

23. Slipstreem - We Are Raving - The Anthem

There were more rave Top 40 hits in 1992 than any other year. The number of hits did notably dwindle towards the end of the year though and cheesy crap like this ensured it wouldn't come back. It's basically a take on "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers with the word "we are sailing" replaced with "we are raving". It really is as bad as it sounds.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. En Vogue - Give It Up, Turn It Loose (New)

I know this song because it's on the "Funky Divas" album which I own, but I didn't realise it had been a single. I do recall being in the shop one day and this being played in there which somewhat surprised me, but as it was a single that made sense. 

Verdict - Good 

21. SOUL SYSTEM - It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day (New)

SOUL SYSTEM was another alias of Robert Clivilles and David Cole. The chorus is from "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers and the verses have some pretty dreadful rapping on them. An absolutely terrible record.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Lisa Stansfield - Someday (I'm Coming Back)

One of the songs from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack which isn't by Whitney Houston. It's much better than Whitney's chart topper, but that's not saying much. It's uplifting, but there's no wow factor to it, just pretty average but pleasant enough. 

Verdict - OK

19. The Prodigy - Out Of Space / Ruff In The Jungle Bizness

I would say "Out Of Space" is the record The Prodigy are best remembered for from this particular era. The beats in this tune are really something, which is easy to forget when you hear it so much. "Ruff In The Jungle Bizness" is one of those tunes that just goes to another level once the piano kicks in. 

Verdict - Good / Good

18. Gloria Estefan - Miami Hit Mix

Gloria Estefan had 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s, many of which are long forgotten. The only one that managed to make the Top 10 though was a megamix of her 80s hits. Whilst I do prefer her 80s hits generally speaking I don't like them enough to like this megamix.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Peter Gabriel - Steam (New)

Despite the fact this record came out at a time when I was very much following the charts and "Sledgehammer" came out just before my music memories begin I still find myself getting the 2 records mixed up. According to one of the video comments Peter Gabriel wrote this as a reaction to the critics saying all his songs sound the same. It's not a bad sound for all your songs though.

Verdict - OK

16. Apache Indian - Arranged Marriage

The first new Top 30 hit of 1993 is the solo debut for Apache Indian. It's basically Asian influence reggae music which makes it interesting. That said, it doesn't make me think wow what a tune. Despite being a bit different it does sound a bit generic. 

Verdict - OK

15. Stereo MC's - Step It Up

This was one of my favourites at the time. I quite liked that strange combination of music that sounded quite soulful with a singing who's only really half singing. 

Verdict - Good

14. West End ft Sybil - The Love I Lost (New)

We're into the final year of Stock and Waterman having hits which begins with this. It sounds like Stock and Waterman had little to do with it though, it's a cover and production was done by West End aka Eddie Gordon amongst others who were uncredited. That would explain why this record is actually quite good.

Verdict - Good

13. Sunscreem - Broken English

As well as listening to this record I've just listened to the Marianne Faithfull original for the first time to see how they compare. Both are pretty dark records and the vocals are similar on both versions. Sunscreem have made it their own with the rest of the music though. Some may argue that's what's ruined the record, but I like it.

Verdict - Good

12. Little Angels - Womankind

It seems pretty common for a rock bands biggest hit to be a ballad. This is true for Little Angels with this being their highest charting Top 40 hit and first to make the Top 20. Both this and their previous ballad "I Ain't Gonna Cry" were the only Little Angels Top 40 hits written solely by Toby Jepson so it would seem he's good at doing that.

Verdict - Good

11. The Frank And Walters - After All

I have no memory of this record or this band existing. They're an Irish indie band and this was their only Top 40 hit. It sounds pretty similar to "Sit Down" by James which is a record I don't like. It's a prime example of why indie music can be perceived as being boring.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Jesus Jones - The Devil You Know

Jesus Jones were one of those groups who blended rock and dance music. This record leans more towards rock but was made using the sort of technology dance music was using which is something I like the idea of. 

Verdict - Good

9. Pop Will Eat Itself - Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! (New)

This was the only Pop Will Eat Itself hit that made the Top 10, but at the same time they were dropped by their record label. Like with other groups who blended rock with dance their sound was getting darker, but still sounding decent.

Verdict - Good

8. Charles And Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Literally everyone I knew at the time loved this record. Some even went as far as saying Charles & Eddie were their favourite band based on this record alone. I was no exception, I loved this record too. 

Verdict - Good

7. The Shamen - Phorever People

The Shamen could do no wrong in 1992 it would seem. I would say this is the best of their 1992 hits, possibly helped by the fact it hasn't fallen victim to anthem bashing. At the time I misheard the lyrics to the chorus as being "we are the burger people". 

Verdict - Good

6. Faith No More - I'm Easy / Be Aggressive (New)

The highest charting Top 40 hit for Faith No More which is a cover of the Commodores record. It did find it somewhat questionable initially but hearing the guitar solo in it convinced me. "Be Aggressive" has aggressive vocals but the music not so much, but decent tune nonetheless. 

Verdict - Good / Good

5. Michael Jackson - Heal The World

I did like this record at the time. So much so that when we voted for what charity to support at school I picked "Heal The World" on the basis of this song. These days though I can't tolerate songs like this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Arrested Development - Mr Wendal / Revolution

I would say "Mr. Wendal" is one of those records that's got better with age. I liked it at the time, but later on in life I'm realising what a strange record it is, but in a good way. "Revolution" was one I don't ever remember hearing at the time, but I do know it now. It was looking like it wasn't on YouTube when I searched for it, so I went to Google to search and a YouTube video was the first result. Again a decent record.

Verdict - Good / Good

3. Take That - Could It Be Magic

It was around the time this record came out that it was established that if you were a boy you weren't supposed to like Take That. At the same time, this was the first Take That record I actually liked. I wouldn't admit it at the time but I admit it now.

Verdict - Good

2. Snap! ft Niki Haris - Exterminate!

I did like this record at the time but haven't heard it since. I was expecting not to like it now though as I've become much less tolerant of eurodance in general, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I still like it. The fact it's breakbeat rather than the kick drum probably helps, but it sounds like a proper dance record.

Verdict - Good

1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.

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 18.5/30, or 62%. Looks like the Christmas blip is truly behind us now.

15 Years Since....H2 2007

Time for one last visit back to 2007:

Groove Armada - Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)

Ask someone what Groove Armadas biggest hit was they would probably say "At The River" or "I See You Baby" but it was actually "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)" which was 1 of just 2 Top 10 hits for them, the other being it's predecessor "Get Down" earlier on in the year.

Admitedly I was a bit sceptical about a song for a former Sugababes member who's also the vocalist, but that intro hooked me in. It's the last Top 40 hit to date for Groove Armada.

Sunfreakz ft Andrea Britton - Counting Down The Dayz

This takes me back to watching the Galaxy Chart on MTV Dance on a Sunday evening where it featured regularly. It was one of those very commercial but acceptable dance records that I got to like.

I don't recall presenter Jo Good having anything bad to say about it, and she wasn't afraid to call out crap like Cascada entering the chart.

Yves Larock - Rise Up

Another record that takes me back to watching the Galaxy Chart. I think I'd grown so disillusioned with mainstream music generally by this point that the Galaxy Chart was my only source of decent new tunes I could find without too much effort.

Axwell ft Max C - I Found U

This was a breath of fresh air to hear at the time. It was as close to a breakbeat hardcore record you were realistically going to get in the modern era. 

Chemical Brothers - Salmon Dance

I've found the Chemical Brothers music to be very hit or miss over the years. I think they'd got it spot on with this record though. 

I liked it so much that I bought my first and only Chemical Brothers album off the back of it. This was their final Top 40 hit to date.

T2 ft Jodie Aysha - Heartbroken

It had been a few years since UK Garage got really big before it quickly fell out of favour. Then out of the ashes of UK Garage came bassline house.

This was the first of those records to make the Top 40 and was good to hear.

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 2

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 1996 with my verdict on each record:

30. Luther Vandross And Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free

I liked the original of this in 1992, but don't recall hearing the remix which got it back into the charts before. Being a dance record in the first place perhaps makes it less likely to be destroyed by a remix. In fact I would say it lends itself to remixes quite well, probably helped by the fact that Luther Vandross can sing to anything. 

Verdict - Good

29. Enya - Anywhere Is

I do recall at the time thinking who the fuck is buying Enya records? To me it was music for school teachers. What I really meant though was it sounded so out of place compared to the rest of the music us youngsters at the time were listening to, some of whom are now school teachers themselves. I now appreciate Enya's music for what it is and consider this to be good record.

Verdict - Good

28. Pizzaman - Sex On The Streets

This is what Norman Cook was doing before he became Fatboy Slim. A few years ago I put a mix together for a party which included a Norman Cook section which had a record for each of his aliases and I picked this one to represent Pizzaman. I also own the "Pizzamania" album, so this may tell you what I think of this record.

Verdict - Good

27. Nu Soul ft Kelli Rush - Hide-A-Way (New)

Often when one is a one hit wonder its just a reflection on their Top 40 career and they have a much bigger back catalogue. In the case of Nu Soul though this is the only record they ever made according to their discogs page. It's an American house track and is pleasant enough.

Verdict - Good

26. Artist Formerly Known As Prince - Gold

This is the final Top 10 hit to date for Prince. It's nearly 6 minutes long but I can't help but think it's too short, when it finishes I just want to listen to it for longer. If you can get a record for that long to have that sort of impact on me then you must be doing something right.

Verdict - Good

25. The Beatles - Free As A Bird

When I learned about The Beatles as a kid one thing that became apparent was that following their break up in 1970 and the death of John Lennon in 1980 we were never going to have any new music from The Beatles. Then in 1995 this came out, a new Beatles record. It was a combination of a demo recording by John Lennon from the 70s and contributions from the remaining members in the 90s which was put together by Jeff Lynne. The result is something you'd imagine The Beatles would sound like if they were still around in the 90s, which was presumably the whole point

Verdict - Good

24. Dreadzone - Little Britain (New)

Dreadzone have been around for years and are still going strong today, but this was their only Top 40 hit. This is their best known record and I recall it being different to anything else I'd heard before at the time. I liked it enough to buy the album and indeed other Dreadzone albums as well as going to see them in concert.

Verdict - Good

23. Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart (New)

I don't know whether this remix was done in response to the Q Club cover which charted a week prior to this. It's the same idea anyway. As I mentioned in the Q Club review, I absolutely cannot stand this record and this remix does nothing to improve it.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Judy Cheeks - Reach (New)

This originally charted in 1994 but was remixed and entered the charts again in 1996. Judy Cheeks had already had her final original Top 40 hit the year prior. Not a bad record but nothing to get excited about.

Verdict - OK

21. Madonna - Oh Father

This was an American single in 1989 but wasn't released in the UK until 1996 to promote a greatest hits album. It also became her joint lowest UK Top 40 hit to this point. That's is perhaps understandable given the fans presumably had the "Like A Prayer" album on which this appeared and others weren't interested in a 7 year old song. The fact it's shit is probably another factor.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Tori Amos - Caught A Lite Sneeze (New)

One thing I remember hearing when listening to the Top 40 countdown one day in 1996 was that Tori Amos got expelled from school when she was a kid. It may have been ahead of this record, the point is I remember hearing that fact but have no memory of the actual song that was played. It sounds exactly like the sort of song I would forget.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Dubstar - Not So Manic Now

Not to be confused with The Dubster, a drum & bass artist. That's what happened to me when I heard that Dubstar were coming up on the radio but was greeted with this record instead. I wasn't disappointed though, quite the opposite in fact because I was now able to put a name to the record I'd been hearing. Also known as the one about the cup of tea.

Verdict - Good

18. Mariah Carey And Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day

Prior to this record Mariah Carey had 2 uplifting hits in a row with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Fantasy". She was never going to do 3 in a row, but teamed up with Boyz II Men to allow her to do a dreary ballad that could fall under the R&B banner. 

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Robson And Jerome - I Believe / Up On The Roof

When the Christmas Top of the Pops came on, the announcer summed up 1995 as the year Take That lost Robbie and Eternal lost Louise but we gained Robson & Jerome. I once got slated for describing Robson & Jerome as a novelty act, but they were actors who sang on Soldier Soldier once which made Simon Cowell think they could be the next Zig & Zag. If that isn't a novelty act I don't know what is.

Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish

16. Pulp - Disco 2000

It's funny how there were a number of us who spent the 90s looking forward to the year 2000, but then as the 21st century got under way we longed for the 90s again. I always liked the story of the song, but I've only just discovered that it was a true story and Deborah, the subject of the song is sadly no longer with us. 

Verdict - Good

15. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Lump

The Top 40 debut for The Presidents Of The United States Of America. Looking back I can see this may have inspired 21st century bands like The Strokes and The Hives, but don't let that put you off. I'm talking the punk influenced sound performed by men in suits. Always found this a good one to bop along to and nice and snappy too.

Verdict - Good

14. Gene - For The Dead (New)

Gene were one of those Britpop bands who were pretty much there from the beginning to the end but you never really hear them talked about like many other Britpop bands are. This was their biggest hit and it does ring a bell, but it's rather boring and I can understand why they're now long forgotten by many.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Levellers - Just The One

I used to hear this on an almost daily basis at this time thanks to a bus driver who used to play Now 33 every day. I remember very well that this came after "Ladykillers" by Lush. As a result I couldn't stand it, though I don't think I've heard it since 1996 so sufficient time for me to reassess. Not a bad record, but it's no "One Way". 

Verdict - OK

12. The Mike Flowers Pops - Wonderwall

I remember the Chris Evans breakfast show where this played for the first time. They said that "Wonderwall" was a song from the 60s that Oasis had covered. It soon came to light that this was in fact the cover, but made to sound like it was done in the 60s. I thought this was a big improvement and really wanted it to get the Christmas number one, but sadly that wasn't to be.

Verdict - Good

11. Shaggy ft Grand Puba - Why You Treat Me So Bad (New)

The 4th top 40 hit for Shaggy and the first not to reach the Top 10. It's proof that he did have hits in between "Boombastic" and "It Wasn't Me" which is what people were saying he didn't have when the latter was released. I like pretty much all of the Shaggy hits of the 90s.

Verdict - Good

10. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

I can't remember if it was the first time I'd heard it, but I can picture myself listening to this on the radio at the time and thinking this is the record I've been waiting to hear all my life. I could even tell you the name of the street I was going down when I was thinking that. There hadn't really been much of the dark side of rap music in the charts prior to this, but that's what I really wanted to hear. I even bought the single for this too which was the only thing I bought around this time that wasn't rave.

Verdict - Good

9. Molella ft The Outhere Brothers - If You Wanna Party

This was pretty much the end of the road for The Outhere Brothers after being pretty much the biggest chart act of 1995. I would call this the forgotten gem of their admittedly small back catalogue. They did have one more Top 40 hit, but they're very much a 1995 act and should remain that way.

Verdict - Good

8. Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet

I don't think this was ever considered a true contender for Christmas number one but I guess it shouldn't have ever been ruled out considering how high it did chart. Bjork presented the Christmas Top of the Pops that year which obviously was recorded in advance of Christmas day when they wouldn't have known what was number one. Bjork announced Michael Jackson was Christmas number one, so presumably they recorded all possibilities of who could be Christmas number one and I do wonder whether they recorded Bjork saying she was Christmas number one herself. Anyway I didn't really like it at the time, but it's grown on me over the years. 

Verdict - Good

7. Eternal - I Am Blessed

In the post Louise era of Eternal they came back with perhaps the most uplifting record they'd released to date in "Power of a Woman". They followed it up with this, which is perhaps their most dreary. It was composed by the writer of "Nothin At All" by Heart and the write of "In the Ones You Love" by Diana Ross. 

Verdict - Rubbish

6. TLC - Creep

The 2nd Top 40 hit for TLC which came nearly 3 years after their first. It was the lead single from their "CrazySexyCool" album. Like their first hit, this was composed by Dallas Austin. Hearing the intro to this tells me its going to be a good tune, and the rest of the tune doesn't disappoint. 

Verdict - Good

5. Oasis - Wonderwall

There's a lot to say about this record, but what springs to mind personally was seeing people who once listened to rave now listening to Oasis. It was reflected on the TV on Byker Grove too. The music aspect had gone from Frew and Barney DJing to characters who's names I don't remember singing "Wonderwall". I was firmly in the rave camp by this point though and couldn't comprehend why people would listen to Oasis instead.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Everything But The Girl - Missing

At the time I was a big fan of "Gangsta's Paradise" and was convinced it had been in the Top 40 longer than anything else once it had been there a while. Turns out this record entered the Top 40 the same week. As both records fell to the lower reaches, I bought the "Gangsta's Paradise" single to help give it at least another week in the Top 40. Unfortunately "Gangsta's Paradise" dropped out, but this stayed another week and I wasn't happy about that. It failed to reach the Top 40 when first released but a Todd Terry remix gave it a new lease of life. Never seen the appeal myself though.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Baby D - So Pure (New)

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Baby D and the best one in my opinion. It came at a time when in the rave scene happy hardcore and drum & bass had become separated, but this record is more reflective of the time before the scene split. 

Verdict - Good

2. Boyzone - Father And Son

To me this record illustrates all that was wrong with Boyzone's formula of doing lots of covers. The song is supposed to be a father singing to his son, but Ronan Keating was only 18 here and therefore more likely to be the age of the son being sang to. OK it's composer Cat Stevens was only a few years older when he wrote it, but I remember seeing Ronan Keating sing "look at me I am old" and thinking no you're not.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Michael Jackson - Earth Song

I remember the race for Christmas number one and not liking the fact this record won the race instead of Mike Flowers Pops. It seems to me that the only reason this topped the charts was because it was Michael Jackson. It's hard to take the lyrical content seriously when it's being sung by a man who had a funfair in his own back garden.

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 18/30, or 60%. An improvement over a solid first week.