Ellie
Super talented triple threat
The first time I heard Emotions was on Des O’Connor. I was FLOORED
funky's journey through the 90s (again, again) (1 Viewer)
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Sheena
ROMANCE
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I hated The Commitments on principle, but I can't remember what that was any more. Most likely because everybody else liked it
YES! Me too! Mustang FUCKING Sally on straight pub jukeboxes ALL THE FUCKING TIME.
jyxz
User
I saw PM Dawn live supporting Deee-lite.
WHAT A NIGHT!
WHAT A NIGHT!
VoR
Take it or leave it
I must confess I’m still not entirely sure what The Commitments WAS 
I know there was a film, which I’ve never seen. And they released a few covers of pub rock ‘classics’.
Was it a real band? Or just a fake biopic with a successful soundtrack? I’ve always assumed the latter because whatever it was, was evidently quite short lived.
I know there was a film, which I’ve never seen. And they released a few covers of pub rock ‘classics’.
Was it a real band? Or just a fake biopic with a successful soundtrack? I’ve always assumed the latter because whatever it was, was evidently quite short lived.
dmlaw
Democracy doesn't work
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It was a Roddy Doyle novel and then a film about a group of friends who formed a soul covers band. The soundtrack was very successful but it was never meant to have a follow up because the band weren’t really professionals in the story.I must confess I’m still not entirely sure what The Commitments WAS
I know there was a film, which I’ve never seen. And they released a few covers of pub rock ‘classics’.
Was it a real band? Or just a fake biopic with a successful soundtrack? I’ve always assumed the latter because whatever it was, was evidently quite short lived.
Sheena
ROMANCE
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[STRAIGHT OLD MAN FUNKY]
[/STRAIGHT OLD MAN FUNKY]
lolly
Rowena? From Kuwait?
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Hoodoo is an even better album in retrospect, as despite how much it underperformed at the time (and back then I very much wanted Raindancing: The Sequel), it's totally the start of her owning her own artistry.
I was pleased she revisited My Right A.R.M. from it for Key last year and gave us a version of it for 2024. And she sounds fucking great on it, thirty odd years later.
I was pleased she revisited My Right A.R.M. from it for Key last year and gave us a version of it for 2024. And she sounds fucking great on it, thirty odd years later.
Penelope
what doesn't kill me only makes me MORE CHIC
Going back a little: god Cream and 3AM Eternal are classics
(I'll be getting more and more involved the more we get to 1993 onwards!)
(I'll be getting more and more involved the more we get to 1993 onwards!)
funky
(OMF)
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November 1991
#1s
ROMANTIC –•– Karyn White (1 week)
CREAM –•– Prince & The N.P.G. (2 weeks)
WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN –•– Michael Bolton (1 week)
SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS –•– P.M. Dawn (1 week)
As I have been duly warned, this was the month that Billboard changed their Top 100 chart methodology in how it weighted sales and airplay. @alla can explain it more later but it had a significant impact on genre music, particulary R&B, whereas it would begin the decline of adult pop which meant the soft rock and rock ballads and pop metal that had dominated the charts for many years would start to decline. There would be still be some big players, but not to the volume it once was. Lots of R&B and pop-R&B songs rebounded in that chart at the end of November, resetting a new system that would see songs start to spending longer in the chart. It would end the dynamic, fast-paced chart action of the 80s but it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as today. Another shift would be new entries would start to be appear on the chart in higher positions, and that would continue and increase through the decade.
Michael Bolton manages to sneak in his only #1 before that happened, with a completely unnecessary Percy Sledge cover that ended up being absolutely massive. The man has a great voice but his limits as an authentic soul singer are exposed here, sounding way too polished and WHITE for what this classic really requires.
Speaking of singular chart toppers, Karyn White and PM Dawn get their only #1s this month, while Prince claims his last of 5 US #1s with "Cream". This would begin a huge commercial phase for Prince that hadn't really been seen since his mid 80s peak era, although it wouldn't last as long, due to the contractual issues with WB and self-imposed media exile that would soon follow. It was a huge global smash as well, going top ten in over a dozen markets, although the UK - which had always been steadfast in its support of Prince singles - was oddly cool about the Diamonds & Pearls singles era, with this peaking at #15. The album was huge though.
Recently-passed soul icon Roberta Flack was a huge sensation in the 70s thanks to her not one but two genuine pop standards in "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", two of the most covered and well known ballads ever recorded. She continued to make music for decades after, but I did NOT know that she had a Top 10 hit in 1991!
This duet with Maxi Priest went to #6 this month.
Over in the UK, the dance anthems were still coming, but in the coming months, italo, piano-house and rave would start to make way to European dance music. That would take a couple more years to peak, but you could feel the shift by 1992, which was more a mish mash of commercial house, acid jazz and EDM. Vocal house would endure though, largely due to the continuing popularity in gay culture and the influence of American DJs. In the meantime we still had these club classics:
November also saw the debut of M People, with their first album Northern Soul and their first single:
Our millenial moopy contingent might recall M People as the beige wallpaper of the UK's dance arena, selling gazillions of albums with their light and fluffy pop house blueprint, and singer Heather Small the butt of a thousand jokes after squeezing a solo career out of one song. But in the early 90s M People were actually QUITE COOL, and the first two albums felt quite en vogue, leveraging the Madchester movement and the explosion of the UK clubbing subculture that had North West England as its epicentre. They were also relatively underground to begin with, as the first four singles charted but all failed to crack the Top 20. A remix and re-release of this track in 1993 would give them a Top 10 hit, and that was the platform for the breakthrough second album. More on that to come - it's fair to remind ourselves that they managed NINETEEN singles across the decade... all of the Top 40.
Discoveries:
In 1991, 80s funk and soul act Atlantic Starr would have somewhat of a comeback with their 9th album Love Crazy, led by the title track:
I had never heard this song before, as they were long over in the UK by this point, and I love it. Classic R&B but with an updated, house-influenced groove. It wasn't this song that led to the comeback (this would peak at #75) - that was an unexpected smash hit that would be coming up soon.
Karyn White follows up her #1 hit single with this bop:
Not quite matching the previous song's success but would still do really well at #12 (#65 UK).
I was never a fan of Voice Of The Beehive, but this single stood out for me after it popped up on the US charts this month, their first of only two Top 100 hits:
It was the lead single from their second album Honey Lingers, and eventually went #15 UK and #74 US.
#1s
ROMANTIC –•– Karyn White (1 week)
CREAM –•– Prince & The N.P.G. (2 weeks)
WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN –•– Michael Bolton (1 week)
SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS –•– P.M. Dawn (1 week)
As I have been duly warned, this was the month that Billboard changed their Top 100 chart methodology in how it weighted sales and airplay. @alla can explain it more later but it had a significant impact on genre music, particulary R&B, whereas it would begin the decline of adult pop which meant the soft rock and rock ballads and pop metal that had dominated the charts for many years would start to decline. There would be still be some big players, but not to the volume it once was. Lots of R&B and pop-R&B songs rebounded in that chart at the end of November, resetting a new system that would see songs start to spending longer in the chart. It would end the dynamic, fast-paced chart action of the 80s but it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as today. Another shift would be new entries would start to be appear on the chart in higher positions, and that would continue and increase through the decade.
Michael Bolton manages to sneak in his only #1 before that happened, with a completely unnecessary Percy Sledge cover that ended up being absolutely massive. The man has a great voice but his limits as an authentic soul singer are exposed here, sounding way too polished and WHITE for what this classic really requires.
Speaking of singular chart toppers, Karyn White and PM Dawn get their only #1s this month, while Prince claims his last of 5 US #1s with "Cream". This would begin a huge commercial phase for Prince that hadn't really been seen since his mid 80s peak era, although it wouldn't last as long, due to the contractual issues with WB and self-imposed media exile that would soon follow. It was a huge global smash as well, going top ten in over a dozen markets, although the UK - which had always been steadfast in its support of Prince singles - was oddly cool about the Diamonds & Pearls singles era, with this peaking at #15. The album was huge though.
Recently-passed soul icon Roberta Flack was a huge sensation in the 70s thanks to her not one but two genuine pop standards in "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", two of the most covered and well known ballads ever recorded. She continued to make music for decades after, but I did NOT know that she had a Top 10 hit in 1991!
This duet with Maxi Priest went to #6 this month.
Over in the UK, the dance anthems were still coming, but in the coming months, italo, piano-house and rave would start to make way to European dance music. That would take a couple more years to peak, but you could feel the shift by 1992, which was more a mish mash of commercial house, acid jazz and EDM. Vocal house would endure though, largely due to the continuing popularity in gay culture and the influence of American DJs. In the meantime we still had these club classics:
November also saw the debut of M People, with their first album Northern Soul and their first single:
Our millenial moopy contingent might recall M People as the beige wallpaper of the UK's dance arena, selling gazillions of albums with their light and fluffy pop house blueprint, and singer Heather Small the butt of a thousand jokes after squeezing a solo career out of one song. But in the early 90s M People were actually QUITE COOL, and the first two albums felt quite en vogue, leveraging the Madchester movement and the explosion of the UK clubbing subculture that had North West England as its epicentre. They were also relatively underground to begin with, as the first four singles charted but all failed to crack the Top 20. A remix and re-release of this track in 1993 would give them a Top 10 hit, and that was the platform for the breakthrough second album. More on that to come - it's fair to remind ourselves that they managed NINETEEN singles across the decade... all of the Top 40.
Discoveries:
In 1991, 80s funk and soul act Atlantic Starr would have somewhat of a comeback with their 9th album Love Crazy, led by the title track:
I had never heard this song before, as they were long over in the UK by this point, and I love it. Classic R&B but with an updated, house-influenced groove. It wasn't this song that led to the comeback (this would peak at #75) - that was an unexpected smash hit that would be coming up soon.
Karyn White follows up her #1 hit single with this bop:
Not quite matching the previous song's success but would still do really well at #12 (#65 UK).
I was never a fan of Voice Of The Beehive, but this single stood out for me after it popped up on the US charts this month, their first of only two Top 100 hits:
It was the lead single from their second album Honey Lingers, and eventually went #15 UK and #74 US.
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funky
(OMF)
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NOVEMBER 1991 (continued)
Discoveries (continued):
Kool & The Gang vocalist JT Taylor is someone I only discovered as a solo act because had a few minor UK hits - his only success in the US was on the R&B charts. He released 4 solo albums in the 90s after the Gang split with very little success, but second album "Feel The Need" gave him three Top 75 hits in the UK and two Top 20 R&B hits in the US.
The album is really nice - it's a very of-its-time R&B album with swing and quiet storm influenced, but with some UK Soul influences as well - this track is very acid jazz-adjacent.
Black Crowes I definitely dove deeper during my UK rerun because they had 14 songs hit the Top 100 here, compared to 6 in the US (they do have 6 #1s on the Mainstream Rock chart though - they weren't exactly a flop). After referencing Michael Bolton's inability to authentically capture old soul, here's Black Crowes doing a much better job with this rock ballad:
This only went to #72 in the UK, but it was the 6th single release off the debut album, which went silver in the UK and 5x platinum in the US. Any fans of the 90s US alternative scene should really listen to both the first and second albums.
Notable new entries (US):
November 2
47 — KEEP COMING BACK –•– Richard Marx
53 — NO SON OF MINE –•– Genesis
70 — POP THAT COOCHIE –•– 2 Live Crew
78 — SHOT OF POISON –•– Lita Ford
92 — CHANGE –•– Lisa Stansfield
99 — MONSTERS AND ANGELS –•– Voice Of The Beehive
November 9
37 — ALL 4 LOVE –•– Color Me Badd
47 — WILDSIDE –•– Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
61 — 2 LEGIT 2 QUIT –•– Hammer
74 — THE FLY –•– U2
87 — JUST A TOUCH OF LOVE –•– C&C Music Factory
93 — TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO –•– Tevin Campbell
99 — DOUBLE GOOD EVERYTHING –•– Smokey Robinson
November 16
42 — CAN’T LET GO –•– Mariah Carey
79 — KISS YOU BACK –•– Digital Underground
84 — TOO BLIND TO SEE IT –•– Kym Sims
96 — LOVE ME ALL UP –•– Stacy Earl
99 — INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN –•– Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
November 23
35 — BLACK OR WHITE –•– Michael Jackson
77 — MYSTERIOUS WAYS –•– U2
78 — IS IT GOOD TO YOU –•– Heavy D & The Boyz
87 — I CAN’T MAKE YOU LOVE ME –•– Bonnie Raitt
93 — I LOVE YOUR SMILE –•– Shanice
95 — LOVE CRAZY –•– Atlantic Starr
97 — JUST ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND –•– Hi-Five
98 — GROOVIN’ –•– UB40
November 30
75 — KEEP IT COMIN’ –•– Keith Sweat
78 — WORD TO THE BADD!! –•– Jermaine Jackson
81 — NO MORE TEARS –•– Ozzy Osbourne
84 — THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT YOU –•– Karyn White
91 — THEN CAME YOU –•– T.P.E.
92 — I WANT YOU –•– Jody Watley
Despite @Sardonicus beating me to the punch, let me officially welcome back Lisa Stansfield back to the hit parade "Change" is the first single from what would have been a highly anticipated second album, after conquering the world with her 1989 debut. She didn't disappoint - a massive pop anthem that gave her another Top 10 hit in the UK. She stalled at #27 in the US, but it hung around a while, went to #1 on the dance charts and #12 on R&B, highlighting her crossover appeal. Everyone knows the original so here is the gorgeous Frankie Knuckles glow-up:
The Real Love album is incredible, and eventually went 2x platinum in the UK and gold in the US.
C&C Music Factory keep churning out anthems, and this is another good one:
Classic vocal house, this stalled in both markets (#50 US and #31 UK) after a series of smash hits, but the album had already been a huge hit at this point. Most moopers will recognise this from the Sister Act film.
Mariah Carey moves straight onto her next smash hit from her second album - she was going for her 6th straight #1 with this, but will fall short at #2. It's not my favourite of her ballads but it was probably the right choice for single - the album just isn't as loaded as the debut. It peaked at #20 in the UK.
Growing up I always thought Kym Sims was a black R&B singer - I must never have watched the video or saw her perform live. But this came out at the same time as Ce Ce Peniston, Shanice, Sybil and other US R&B dance acts, and they all got muddled together. This had a good run to #38 in the US but was a huge hit in the UK, reaching #5 . Growing up I only knew this track from her really, but there's a discovery coming up shortly that I've decided is better than this.
Michael Jackson returns after a two year hiatus and four years since the release of Bad, and this must have been a huge pop event. I have vague memories of the video being premiered in the UK, and lots of marketing and the video being on heavy rotation. I feel that a debut of #35, even in this era, feels a bit soft, but to be fair it did bounce up to #3 in its second week and was #1 by its third. This ended up being one of his biggest hits ever, hitting #1 all over the world including the UK. Personally I think it's one of his weakest ever singles, and that would be the story for me across the Dangerous album - a real mixed bag of hits and misses. The album didn't quite land as well as Bad or Thriller but that was purely relative - it was still a massive success.
After the success of the release of her Luck Of The Draw album and lead single "Something To Talk About", Bonnie Raitt quietly releases what would go on to be one of the most enduring ballads and classic songs of the 90s...
It faired weaker than the previous single at #18 - still a hit - and only made #50 in the UK, but there has been a groundswell of support from both the industry and music fans in the 30+ years since. George Michael began the momentum when he covered it as the double-A single with "Older" from the Older album, which went to #3 in the UK. It has since been notably covered by Prince, Boyz II Men and Adele, as well as a thousand unplugged, live and TV talent show versions. The song has been included on all-time greatest songs lists by Mojo, AllMusic, Rolling Stone, Ultimate Classic Rock, and has been inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Absolutely stunning.
Discoveries (continued):
Kool & The Gang vocalist JT Taylor is someone I only discovered as a solo act because had a few minor UK hits - his only success in the US was on the R&B charts. He released 4 solo albums in the 90s after the Gang split with very little success, but second album "Feel The Need" gave him three Top 75 hits in the UK and two Top 20 R&B hits in the US.
The album is really nice - it's a very of-its-time R&B album with swing and quiet storm influenced, but with some UK Soul influences as well - this track is very acid jazz-adjacent.
Black Crowes I definitely dove deeper during my UK rerun because they had 14 songs hit the Top 100 here, compared to 6 in the US (they do have 6 #1s on the Mainstream Rock chart though - they weren't exactly a flop). After referencing Michael Bolton's inability to authentically capture old soul, here's Black Crowes doing a much better job with this rock ballad:
This only went to #72 in the UK, but it was the 6th single release off the debut album, which went silver in the UK and 5x platinum in the US. Any fans of the 90s US alternative scene should really listen to both the first and second albums.
Notable new entries (US):
November 2
47 — KEEP COMING BACK –•– Richard Marx
53 — NO SON OF MINE –•– Genesis
70 — POP THAT COOCHIE –•– 2 Live Crew
78 — SHOT OF POISON –•– Lita Ford
92 — CHANGE –•– Lisa Stansfield
99 — MONSTERS AND ANGELS –•– Voice Of The Beehive
November 9
37 — ALL 4 LOVE –•– Color Me Badd
47 — WILDSIDE –•– Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
61 — 2 LEGIT 2 QUIT –•– Hammer
74 — THE FLY –•– U2
87 — JUST A TOUCH OF LOVE –•– C&C Music Factory
93 — TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO –•– Tevin Campbell
99 — DOUBLE GOOD EVERYTHING –•– Smokey Robinson
November 16
42 — CAN’T LET GO –•– Mariah Carey
79 — KISS YOU BACK –•– Digital Underground
84 — TOO BLIND TO SEE IT –•– Kym Sims
96 — LOVE ME ALL UP –•– Stacy Earl
99 — INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN –•– Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
November 23
35 — BLACK OR WHITE –•– Michael Jackson
77 — MYSTERIOUS WAYS –•– U2
78 — IS IT GOOD TO YOU –•– Heavy D & The Boyz
87 — I CAN’T MAKE YOU LOVE ME –•– Bonnie Raitt
93 — I LOVE YOUR SMILE –•– Shanice
95 — LOVE CRAZY –•– Atlantic Starr
97 — JUST ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND –•– Hi-Five
98 — GROOVIN’ –•– UB40
November 30
75 — KEEP IT COMIN’ –•– Keith Sweat
78 — WORD TO THE BADD!! –•– Jermaine Jackson
81 — NO MORE TEARS –•– Ozzy Osbourne
84 — THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT YOU –•– Karyn White
91 — THEN CAME YOU –•– T.P.E.
92 — I WANT YOU –•– Jody Watley
Despite @Sardonicus beating me to the punch, let me officially welcome back Lisa Stansfield back to the hit parade
"Change" is the first single from what would have been a highly anticipated second album, after conquering the world with her 1989 debut. She didn't disappoint - a massive pop anthem that gave her another Top 10 hit in the UK. She stalled at #27 in the US, but it hung around a while, went to #1 on the dance charts and #12 on R&B, highlighting her crossover appeal. Everyone knows the original so here is the gorgeous Frankie Knuckles glow-up:The Real Love album is incredible, and eventually went 2x platinum in the UK and gold in the US.
C&C Music Factory keep churning out anthems, and this is another good one:
Classic vocal house, this stalled in both markets (#50 US and #31 UK) after a series of smash hits, but the album had already been a huge hit at this point. Most moopers will recognise this from the Sister Act film.
Mariah Carey moves straight onto her next smash hit from her second album - she was going for her 6th straight #1 with this, but will fall short at #2. It's not my favourite of her ballads but it was probably the right choice for single - the album just isn't as loaded as the debut. It peaked at #20 in the UK.
Growing up I always thought Kym Sims was a black R&B singer - I must never have watched the video or saw her perform live. But this came out at the same time as Ce Ce Peniston, Shanice, Sybil and other US R&B dance acts, and they all got muddled together. This had a good run to #38 in the US but was a huge hit in the UK, reaching #5 . Growing up I only knew this track from her really, but there's a discovery coming up shortly that I've decided is better than this.
Michael Jackson returns after a two year hiatus and four years since the release of Bad, and this must have been a huge pop event. I have vague memories of the video being premiered in the UK, and lots of marketing and the video being on heavy rotation. I feel that a debut of #35, even in this era, feels a bit soft, but to be fair it did bounce up to #3 in its second week and was #1 by its third. This ended up being one of his biggest hits ever, hitting #1 all over the world including the UK. Personally I think it's one of his weakest ever singles, and that would be the story for me across the Dangerous album - a real mixed bag of hits and misses. The album didn't quite land as well as Bad or Thriller but that was purely relative - it was still a massive success.
After the success of the release of her Luck Of The Draw album and lead single "Something To Talk About", Bonnie Raitt quietly releases what would go on to be one of the most enduring ballads and classic songs of the 90s...
It faired weaker than the previous single at #18 - still a hit - and only made #50 in the UK, but there has been a groundswell of support from both the industry and music fans in the 30+ years since. George Michael began the momentum when he covered it as the double-A single with "Older" from the Older album, which went to #3 in the UK. It has since been notably covered by Prince, Boyz II Men and Adele, as well as a thousand unplugged, live and TV talent show versions. The song has been included on all-time greatest songs lists by Mojo, AllMusic, Rolling Stone, Ultimate Classic Rock, and has been inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Absolutely stunning.
Last edited:
funky
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40 Miles is one of those songs that got lost in the ether for me because it wasn't on any of the compilations and mixtapes that I had at the time, but I definitely recognise it from SOMEWHERE
it's one of those amazing piano/rave mashups that screams 1991
it's one of those amazing piano/rave mashups that screams 1991
Romantic is one of my all time fave songs. Karyn deserves more accolades than history gives her.
Cream and Set Adrift on Memory Bliss are also excellent #1s
My mom loves Michael Bolton (I probably already mentioned that) and has went to see him live far too many times. His voice is technically perfection but it always sounds dead behind the eyes. I don’t hate listening to him but would never actively seek him out.
Cream and Set Adrift on Memory Bliss are also excellent #1s
My mom loves Michael Bolton (I probably already mentioned that) and has went to see him live far too many times. His voice is technically perfection but it always sounds dead behind the eyes. I don’t hate listening to him but would never actively seek him out.
I don’t think I’ve heard 40 Miles since the early 90s. It’s certainly been lost to time unlike a ton of other dance tracks from that era.
I won’t gush over how much I love “I Love Your Smile” because we could be here all day.
Mariah continues down her path of excellent ballads with “Can’t Let Go”.
Bonnie Rait is someone who I don’t get that much into but “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is just one of those songs that can take me from happy to 3 bottles deep depending on the day
I won’t gush over how much I love “I Love Your Smile” because we could be here all day.
Mariah continues down her path of excellent ballads with “Can’t Let Go”.
Bonnie Rait is someone who I don’t get that much into but “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is just one of those songs that can take me from happy to 3 bottles deep depending on the day
Sardonicus
WHADDA YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER
I know it's easy to take the piss out of M People now what with her HONKING & everything but I really did love them back then. The run of singles is really strong (radio staple "Search For The Hero" can DO ONE though) & the organised/slightly fussy side of me always appreciated how the typeface, lyrics & so on were always so neatly put together in the albums //
That follow-up is yet another BANGER from OUR KARYN. Love her & wish she was better remembered, she deserved more success.
Voice Of The Beehive are a band that I know only a couple of songs from, including this one. There's been quite a bit of discussion about them here recently as the albums have been released in deluxe editions again, so might take this as a cue to explore further.
U2 getting 2 new entries in 2 weeks is a bit weird - presumably some sort of fallout from the changes to the chart? I know they get PILLORIED nowadays & although some of it is DESERVED, they did their best & most interesting work in the 90s by far. I remember feeling grateful to Bono & THE LADS when "The Fly" finally brought the Bryan Adams Number 1 REIGN OF TERROR to an end in the UK after 16 weeks.
Apologies to OUR FUNKS for being a week ahead on the HOT LISA STANSFIELD CHAT but you can never have too much of OUR LISA. This second album established her as the top UK female solo singer of that era & "Change" is ONE OF HER BEST. She was on an UNRIVALLED run at this point, & again I side-eye that GLOOPY third album for DERAILING her career.
The C&C Music Factory song - which I love - is INEXORABLY tied to "Sister Act" for me. I had it on VCR & must have watched it 20 odd times. It's still a comfort watch. As soon as I hear this song I can picture the scene of Sister Mary GIVING IT SOME WELLY on the street
//That follow-up is yet another
BANGER from OUR KARYN. Love her & wish she was better remembered, she deserved more success.Voice Of The Beehive are a band that I know only a couple of songs from, including this one. There's been quite a bit of discussion about them here recently as the albums have been released in deluxe editions again, so might take this as a cue to explore further.
U2 getting 2 new entries in 2 weeks is a bit weird - presumably some sort of fallout from the changes to the chart? I know they get PILLORIED nowadays & although some of it is DESERVED, they did their best & most interesting work in the 90s by far. I remember feeling grateful to Bono & THE LADS when "The Fly" finally brought the Bryan Adams Number 1 REIGN OF TERROR to an end in the UK after 16 weeks.
Apologies to OUR FUNKS for being a week ahead on the HOT LISA STANSFIELD CHAT but you can never have too much of OUR LISA. This second album established her as the top UK female solo singer of that era & "Change" is ONE OF HER BEST. She was on an UNRIVALLED run at this point, & again I side-eye that GLOOPY third album for DERAILING her career.
The C&C Music Factory song - which I love - is INEXORABLY tied to "Sister Act" for me. I had it on VCR & must have watched it 20 odd times. It's still a comfort watch. As soon as I hear this song I can picture the scene of Sister Mary GIVING IT SOME WELLY on the street
AGinAg (38)
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40 Miles wasn't even the original of that rift, it was this from 1989:
Of which the Sasha Mix was later used to debatable merit on top 10 hit Blurred by Pianoman, which was of course a dance version of Blur's Girls and Boys
Of which the Sasha Mix was later used to debatable merit on top 10 hit Blurred by Pianoman, which was of course a dance version of Blur's Girls and Boys
jyxz
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17 year old Lisa in SEXY STRING VEST
funky
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Now you’ve got me wondering WHICH song I recognise the riff from. Maybe it isn’t Congress…
Why do I have the same dress sense as a 17 y/o Lisa Stansfield? Good god. Anyway, I missed a few months there so even lengthier wall of nonsense than usual incoming. Apologies.
- I'm not against blue-eyed soul per se, but LEAVE THE CLASSICS ALONE! I'd happily sailed through life without hearing Michael Bolton's violation of 'When a Man Loves a Woman' until I YouTubed it today. I'm going to need to call on the spirit of my dearly-departed brother Percy Sledge to help exorcise the memory of that congregation of swaying WASPs collectively wetting their knickers over something so hopelessly anodyne. And you just know how they all voted last November, ugh! On a similar note, absolutely no one should be singing 'Try a Little Tenderness' besides Mr. Otis Redding. On the flipside, Simply Red - who have much form when it comes to genre-blaspheming - release their only great song during this period with 'Something Got Me Started' imo; a surprisingly on-trend bop which is just about funky enough for me to ignore that horrifying groan that Hucknall unleashes midway through the track. just about.
- YOU DOWN WITH O-P-P? YEAH YOU KNOW ME!
- 'Cream' is great, yes, but I always feel sad that Prince's last #1 was all the way back in 1991. It's also not even the best early-90s hit with that title.
But nm, I got my horn and will keep blowin' it. - No word for CeCe Peniston and 'Finally'?!?! That's one song that I thought would've played hella well with this crowd!
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Thanks to a recent deep-dive into Ronnie Spector's back catalogue, I can actually confirm that this was originally recorded by the Fabulous Veronica a few years before either of the above!
I prefer Ronnie's voice to most anyone's inc. Cher's, and therefore prefer her take on it. I do like Cher's voice as well tho, and I listened to 'Save Up All Your Tears' which I noticed on October's new entries - a real pleasant surprise! I'm guessing I've already missed her cover of 'The Shoop Shoop Song' which I have a massive soft spot for?
- 'Baby you send me (hah hah huh haaaaaa-ah haaaaah)' ♫♫♫
- I'm more familiar with Crowded House than I'd like to be thanks to an old Kiwi buddy. 'Distant Sun' and 'Something So Strong' are their two keepers imo. The former didn't make the Hot 100 which is a shame as it's really rather lovely:
You're still so young to travel so far / Old enough to know who you are / Wise enough to carry the scars / Without any blame, there's no one to blame -- I find Neil Finn a fairly clumsy lyricist most of the time, but those words have always resonated very strongly given my own life antics. - 'Emotions' aside, none of the first few Mariah singles do anything for me, sorry (I remember 'Vanishing' being a deeper cut I liked from her early years). She gets going proper come 1993 imo. Not long to go.
- I dislike Michael Jackson for reasons that I think obvious, and his music is not part of the fabric of my life like it is for many others (of all ages, all over the world - for all the controversies and my own distaste, he remains by far the biggest 20thC music act on the planet, trust). That said, I think my earliest musical memory is watching the 'Black or White' video on TV as a wee young squirt. I loved all those morphing faces, realising that there was much heterogeneity in the world (we did not have this where I grew up!). And ofc: 'I'm not gonna spend my life being a colour!' I don't actively listen to him anymore, but this one always makes me smile if I hear it out and about. It marks the last time his innocence and idealism proved convincing for me - perhaps because it's faintly tied up with my own.
- 'Romantic' has probably been my most played song of the last couple of weeks, to the point where I even requested it at a poolside 'bar' in BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN a few days ago. 'The Way I Feel About You' is a nicer follow-up than expected, which leads me to believe that I should investigate this Karyn White character further.
- A shout-out to U2. Much-maligned nowadays, and deservedly so seeing as they've sucked for an entire quarter of a century. But I will always maintain that they were an excellent band c. 1987-1997, and Achtung Baby is one of my very fave musical 'resets'. 'The Fly' is such a ballsy announcement of intent re: their new direction, and I'd place it amongst their finest songs (def top ten!). Surprised to see that 'Mysterious Ways' was released just two weeks (?!) later? I guess the lead-off was too much of a headscratcher for their US fans or sth?! Anyway, we're at their absolute peak right now and I shan't allow them to pass through here without comment. This album and Zooropa are their finest works imo (and Pop, inconsistent as it is, is a worthy end to what I see as a loose trilogy).
funky
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We did sadly pass over “Finally” WAY too quickly but as it IS such a seminal piece of early 90s pop I’d already referenced it in relation to other artists and songs in this thread a few times. My plan was dive into Ce Ce a bit more shortly, because my UK and US reruns have taught me that there is a lot more to her than just that one track - maybe not as anthemic, but more preferable to my ears. There’s a couple more bops that might be familiar but also a couple of deep cuts, one in particular that is one my favourite 90s discoveries so far. Stay tuned as they say !
alla
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alla didn't have time to breathe all week, i'll post some hot shit later.
alla
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How did I not know this? I just realised that I've seen the name before, probably many times checking the charts, but I had them mixed up with another girlband from the early 90s called Girlfriend
An Australian group that obviously has nothing to do with the American one I know them thanks to a doble cd collection of #1s in Oz that I got somewhere decades ago, that includes this one:I don't think it did anything outside Australia. Shame.
Sardonicus
WHADDA YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER
How did I not know this? I just realised that I've seen the name before, probably many times checking the charts, but I had them mixed up with another girlband from the early 90s called Girlfriend
I don't think it did anything outside Australia. Shame.
A number 47 SMASH here in the UK! I remember them chiefly because Smash Hits constantly mocked them for being rubbish throughout 1993.
alla
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Btw, I just realised of another pointless trivia. This is the first of 4 acappella songs that are going to make the Hot 100 in less than 3 years, and all of them Top 5 hits
alla
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Oh yes, he had quite a few hits in the 90s in USA, this one is quite forgettable, but I'm sure you know at least one coming up that was a huge hit. We'll talk about it in due time. Btw, we ignored him because who cares about Bob Seger in the 90s? But now (late 91) he was having his last hit with The real love, a quite decent track that made the top 40.
They were #1 in the Hot 100 the week the metodology changed. I always wondered if it affected them, because the single was #1 on sales for 3 weeks, and the song peaked at #2 on airplay, but they only managed 1 week at #1 on the Hot 100. On the other hand, Black or white was going to start a run of 7 weeks at #1, but only spent 4 weeks at #1 on both sales and airplay.
alla
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Ok, so were Jesus Jones that big in the US in 1991 as the charts suggest? Let's see.
Right here, right now was a proper hit. Even when it peaked at #2 in the Hot 100, it peaked at #3 on airplay and only #9 in sales, so not such a smash hit. Those peak positions are not very usual for a #2 song, but it could happen.
But something very weird happened with their second and last hit. Real real real. The week of November 9, 1991, Real real real peaked at #4 in the Hot 100. HOWEVER, that week the single was #33 on airplay (it peaked at #30) and #67 on sales (its peak). Seriously, how the hell did it manage to be a top 5 hit?
That's not real, I don't know if this is chart manipulation or not, but in late 1992 you're gonna see the most shocking chart manipulation of all time that it's gonna make you question everything. You're not ready for this.Anyway, their second single was a flop that magically peaked at #4.
Also, they managed to win Best New Artist in a video against all odds at the MTV VMA. How did they managed to beat Gonna make you sweat or Groove is in the heart, that were up for several awards, including video of the year, with THAT video? I don't believe for a second MTV gave them this award because they thought it was the best vídeo or because they thought they were gonna last, when they were already flopping with their second hit.
Sardonicus
WHADDA YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER
I just don't get why there'd be some record company push to manipulate chart positions to get JESUS JONES, of all bands, to hit big in America Other artists, I could understand.
I think Jesus Jones would have been really big on both college radio & the Modern Rock chart. Would anything like that have maybe had an effect?
Other artists, I could understand.I think Jesus Jones would have been really big on both college radio & the Modern Rock chart. Would anything like that have maybe had an effect?
alla
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Yeah, I know. I think they were there in the right moment, when EMF was leading a small British invasion, and after the massive success of Unbelievable, why wouldn't a record company try to have the next big hit? You never know. Remember most of the lists that were reported (by phone) to Billboard back then were handmade and some of them were hardly accurate. That was going to change that same month and things were never the same again. They had to try new ways to influence the charts, like drastically reducing the price of some singles.
alla
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Until now both radio stations and record stores reported by phone both airplay and sales of the records. This is gonna change since the last week of November; this is what Billboard says about it:
Beginning with this issue, Billboard has revised the way data is compiled for the Hot 100 Singles chart. For the first time, actual monitored radio airplay will be used the track the hits.
In addition to monitored airplay, the Hot 100 will be determined by sales data and by playlists from 101 stations in smaller markets not monitored by Broadcast DataSystems. Computer-monitored airplay data is being collected by BDSfor 122 large-market top 40 stations in 85 markets. The data are gathered at the 123 chains and independent stores reporting to SoundScan, which include 8,000 rack locations and 3,400 retail locations nationwide. SoundScan tracks 55% of all retail sales in the country to project national sales figures.
This means both airplay and sales are going to be more accurate, but the important change is that more and more radio stations, other than top 40, are going to be tracked too. Starting with r&b stations, and later country and latin radio stations too. That means the Hot 100 is going to stop being so heavily pop based, with all genres having a chance to make the singles chart, something that was literally impossible before, specially for genres like country, except for those few crossover hits. It won't happen from one day to another, and they will slowly add more radio stations. I believe it will be the same with r&b (and other genres) record stores; it made no sense that an r&b single went gold for selling half a million copies and didn't make the Hot 100; with time all sales will count towards the Hot 100.