Macy Gray

TOTP 05 NOV 1999

What a strange beast TOTP had become by the end of the 90s. Just look at the running order for this show. It’s all over the place. A boyband, a Latin superstar, an American post-grunge band but perhaps most startlingly, two undeniably huge names yet whom, let’s be honest, it was a shock that they were still having hits. I’ll get to them in due course but our host is Jamie Theakston (yet again) and we start with an artist who is on the show for the fourth time in five weeks. The incremental rise of “I Try” by Macy Gray was remarkable not just for its longevity nor its rallying against chart tides and trends by often being the only record in the Top 40 climbing but also because, given this level of TOTP exposure (allied with, no doubt, mammoth airplay), surely it would have expected a higher chart peak than No 6? I presume it couldn’t compete with strongly promoted new releases that were aided by week one price discounting whilst it would have been selling at full price. Sometimes though the tortoise truly does beat the hare and “I Try” would become the 20th best selling single of 1999 despite having the lowest chart peak of any of the hits in that end of year Top 50 and ahead of fourteen No 1 records. Macy not only tried, she succeeded.

The first of those two massive names now that despite their incredibly successful and long careers, you were still surprised that they could achieve a chart hit in 1999. If the 80s had been a golden period for Phil Collins both as a solo artist and as a member of Genesis, then the 90s were more like that scene from Blackadder II where Lord Percy tries his had at alchemy but instead of creating gold discovers the secret of green…

OK, it maybe wasn’t that bad but the truth is that in the 80s, the four studio albums Collins released went five, three, six and nine times platinum respectively in the UK alone whilst his two albums from the 90s achieved double platinum and gold certification. To rub salt into the wound, the 1998 Best Of “…Hits” went six times platinum and there were only two of his 90s singles included in a track listing totalling 16 songs. Singles-wise, Phil had ten Top 10 hits in the 80s including three No 1s (albeit two were with cover versions). The 90s? A by pair of No 7s and a No 9. That’s it for Top 10 hits. Against that background, it’s perhaps surprising he had another chart hit in him at all but then “You’ll Be In My Heart” did have the added impetus of being from a Disney motion picture namely Tarzan, an animated feature retelling the Greystoke legend. Its soundtrack was a mixture of Collins originals and instrumental scores with the lead single released from it winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Of course, it wasn’t the first time a huge star had been employed to write the music for a Disney film – Elton John had helped to make The Lion King a gargantuan success in 1994. Whilst not matching those sort of numbers, Tarzan was a critical and commercial hit and achieved a first that even The Lion King didn’t – it was the first Disney soundtrack to be recorded in multiple languages for different markets with Collins also recording French, German, Italian and Spanish versions. It also broke tradition by not having the lead characters perform the songs but rather had Phil do them himself via his role as the film’s narrator.

Despite all of the acclaim the film attracted, “You’ll Be In My Heart” was very much a Phil-by-numbers ballad the like of which he could turn out in his sleep and probably did. I’ve never seen the film so the song might be more affecting if listened to in the context of its scene in the movie I guess but still. It could have featured on any of his solo albums in the track listing slot named ‘insert ballad here’. Collins would renew his Disney association in 2003 by co-writing the soundtrack to Brother Bear. In 1999 though, this would be Phil’s last TOTP appearance of 47 as a solo artist.

After a decent quip in his last intro (“Jungle sounds next and I’m not talking drum ‘n’ bass. Oh no. Big up the jungle. It’s massive. It’s Phil Collins.”), Jamie Theakston breaks the golden rule when introducing the next artist by not referring to her by her official title. Surely everyone knows that Diana Ross has to be introduced as “Miss Diana Ross”? Jamie doubles down on that faux pas by saying that she has “big hair”! I mean, he did say that she’s the most successful female artist ever but not announcing her properly was like not observing royal etiquette. Fortunately, she isn’t there in the studio with Theakston as she seems to have pre-recorded her performance at an earlier time. She is, of course, that other huge name on the show that somehow was still having hits as the new millennium approached which felt like an anomaly. Said hit was “Not Over You Yet” which somehow managed to go Top 10 despite being an entirely lame attempt to make her seem credible by giving the track a laboured and hackneyed house beat underneath it. I’m with Kitty Empire of the NME who reviews it thus:

“Some grown-up housey garagey disco-y nonsense that’s really of no great consequence.”

The single was taken from Miss Diana Ross’s 22nd studio album called “Every Day Is A New Day” which was the final contractual album released during her second Motown tenure. The album didn’t pull up any trees chart wise despite a bucket load of promotional activity including an ITV special An Audience With Diana Ross* and an American TV film in ABC called Double Platinum starring Miss Diana Ross and Brandy as mother and daughter singing stars and featured four songs from each of their most recent albums. As with Phil Collins, this would be her final proper TOTP appearance excluding repeated past performances in anniversary shows.

*Somebody at ITV no doubt got fired for the omission of the word ‘Miss’ in that title

It’s the return of Ian Brown next who has resumed his career after spending two months in Strangeways Prison after being convicted of threatening behaviour towards a flight attendant in an air rage incident in 1998. Bizarrely, this links to Miss Diana Ross who had her own flight controversy in this year when, attempting to board a Concorde flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to New York, she set off a metal detector. A female security guard conducted a manual pat-down that Miss Diana Ross felt was far too intimate. Upset and feeling humiliated, she reportedly touched the guard’s breast and asked, “How do you like it?” Police removed Miss Diana Ross from the aircraft, detained her for five hours, and eventually issued a caution without filing formal charges.

Anyway, back to Ian Brown and he used that time he spent at Her Majesty’s pleasure to write songs for his second solo album “Golden Greats”. Its lead single was “Love Like A Fountain” and whilst it’s got a pretty funky backbone, it’s hard to get past Brown himself on the track and in this actual performance. His vocals have long been pilloried but the quaver displayed here suggests that they were being stretched so far they might snap. Then there’s the lyrics which are basically a simple exercise in rhyming words so we get ‘mountain-fountain’, “ocean-lotion” and ‘fiction-crucifixion’. It just doesn’t scream substance to me at all.

To try and add some interest, stop start visual effects have been added giving the whole performance a shaky, jagged look but nothing can distract from the truth that Brown is just marching on the spot. Was that just playing up to the whole pimp’s limp image? Though well received critically, “Golden Greats” would be the lowest charting solo album of Brown’s career.

Two divas on the same show! After Miss Diana Ross earlier, here’s the ‘Songbird Supreme’ herself Mariah Carey! It’s a diva duel! Now, whatever your opinion of Mariah, nobody can deny how prolific she was in the recording studio. “Rainbow” was her seventh album in nine years. After she’d gone off in a more urban direction with her last album “Butterfly”, Mariah decided there was no looking back, pushed the pedal to the floor and headed off at speed down the hip-hop highway. The lead single from “Rainbow” was “Heartbreaker” which featured Jay-Z – see, she wasn’t messing about with this urban tip – but was also, in the traditional style of her new album openers, an uptempo number based around a sample. Indeed, despite her R&B aspirations, the track received criticism for sticking to her ‘lead single formula’ with the music press comparing it unfavourably with “Fantasy” from the “Daydream” album and “Honey” from “Butterfly” on the grounds of being unoriginal. To me though, the hook of the chorus sounds like another of Mariah’s lead singles – “Dreamlover” from “Music Box”.

Another indication that she hadn’t left behind everything she’d made her name on was the presence on the album of ballads. Of course there were ballads. Where “Music Box” had “Hero” and “Without You” and “Daydream” had “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men), “Rainbow” had “Thank God I Found You” (with 98 degrees) and “Against All Odds” a cover of the Phil Collins hit that was released as a single with Westlife*.

*Mariah did seem to have a thing about boybands.

The album sold well enough* but nowhere near the numbers of her imperial phase releases. Despite Jamie Theakston’s claim that Mariah was the decade’s most successful female artist (don’t tell Miss Diana Ross he said that), it seemed that as the 90s ended, that status would not continue into the new millennium.

*Certainly not 120 million copies as Theakston says in his outro. He must have meant career sales.

It’s time for that American post-grunge band now though I’m not sure that description is really correct or even relevant. Rock/pop is surely a better tag but that’s what Wikipedia describes them as. “Closing Time” is Semisonic’s calling card around the world but here in the UK, we knew the band from their hit “Secret Smile”. Though it was featured on two episodes of TOTP, we didn’t see either of them due to the Gouryella racial caricature issue which is a shame as it’s a fine track. However, for me, it is eclipsed by the more upbeat “Closing Time”. I really like this one for a number of reasons. That hook in the chorus for a start which is the guitar lick sound that puts me in mind of the crunch of the power riff on Radiohead’s “Creep” (but less intense) or that ringing, up-down-up refrain in “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult. Then there’s the harmonising in the second verse which fits perfectly. However, the best thing about it is that the chords are straightforward and repeated throughout meaning even I can strum along on my guitar.

Although it sounds like a musical version of “Time gentlemen please”, the lyrics are also a metaphor for child birth according to frontman Dan Wilson. Somebody who totally misunderstood what it was all about was Karoline Leavitt the White House press secretary and whoever is the admin for the official White House Twitter/X account who posted a video in March 2025 of an undocumented person getting arrested, featuring lines from the song. When questioned about its usage at a press conference, she responded like this:

Dear God! The glee in her voice as she trots out that lyric! Just vile. The band themselves shared my horror by issuing this statement to the press:

“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song in any way, and no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”

“‘Closing Time’: Semisonic React to their single being used as anti-immigrant propaganda.”Rolling Stone, Bernstein, Jonathan (March 17, 2025).

Quite. Anyway, I don’t know why “Closing Time” wasn’t a bigger hit in the UK. Its chart peak of No 25 seems underserved. Did it not get enough airplay? I’m not sure why that would be the case as it was a huge airplay hit in the US topping many a chart. If for nothing else, we should all have bought it for this extra track on the CD single, a cover of “Air That I Breathe” which is the missing link between The Hollies and Radiohead. I knew I was onto something with that reference to “Creep” before.

Jamie Theakston is full of superlatives tonight. After blowing smoke up the arses of Miss Diana Ross and Mariah Carey earlier, this time he’s proclaiming that Ricky Martin is the most successful pop act on the planet. Was he? Sure, he was huge with Latin audiences and had just had a global No 1 with “Livin’ La Vida Loca” but that was quite the statement for our host to make and an unsubstantiated one if the chart success of follow up “Shake Your Bon-Bon” was anything to go by. A No 12 hit in the UK after your last single was one of the biggest sellers of the year can only be seen as a disappointment.

Why did it not hit home like its predecessor? It’s just not got the same charm or should I say novelty appeal plus there was some confusion over its release date which didn’t help promotionally. It does have that sexual innuendo that Ricky traded on and indeed, I could imagine “Shake Your Bon-Bon” being sung by Tom Jones (he should have released it as a follow up to “Horny”). The recording of his backing dancers’ rears on a camcorder (Bon-Bon or not) would rightly be judged less than socially acceptable these days. Martin would return with bigger hits in 2000 but his mainstream success does seem to have dissipated though he can still rely on his Latin fanbase for a hit even today.

It’s yet another new No 1 as Five finally get their time at the top with the release of their seventh single “Keep On Movin’”. Of those six previous hits, three had debuted tantalisingly short at No 2. My God, there’s a lot of numbers in those two (there’s another!) sentences. That run of No 2s was too much temptation for Jamie Theakston to resist and he makes the resulting gag. It’s not big and it’s not clever which you could also say about “Keep On Movin’” in that it wasn’t an obvious No 1 any more so than any of their other hits with the exception of “Everybody Get Up” which was boyband magnificence. However, it was an upbeat, catchy, daytime friendly (albeit lacking in substance) pop tune that presumably the release of which had been carefully timed to ensure that Five didn’t miss out again. And miss out they did not meaning they could join the elite ranks of Take That, Boyzone and Westlife as boybands with No 1s. I’m not sure though that “Keep On Movin’” really cut through like say a “Back For Good”, a “No Matter What” or a “Flying Without Wings”. Still, a No 1 is a No 1 and Five finally had one which would soon become two when their version of “We Will Rock You” topped the charts in 2000 and then three when they did it again with “Let’s Dance” in 2001 and that really is enough numbers for one (oops!) post.

Order of appearance	Artist	Title	Did I buy it?
1	Macy Gray	I Try	Liked it, didn’t buy it
2	Phil Collins	You’ll Be In My Heart	Never
3	Miss Diana Ross	Not Over You Yet	No thanks
4	Ian Brown	Love Like A Fountain	Nah
5	Mariah Carey	Heartbreaker	Nope
6	Semisonic	Closing Time	Where’s my copy of this? Surely I bought it!
7	Ricky Martin	Shake Your Bon-Bon	No thanks
8	Five	Keep On Movin’	And no

Disclaimer

I make no claim to the rights of this show and all ownership and contents including logos and graphics belongs totally to the BBC or copyright holder(s).

All opinions on the music and artists featured are my own. Sorry if you don’t agree.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wnjp/top-of-the-pops-05111999

TOTP 22 OCT 1999

Posted on 20 Days Ago by 80stastic

The TOTP Tour is officially over as the renovations to the BBC Elstree studios have now been completed and the show is back in its official home. Host Jamie Theakston makes a half-hearted attempt at a skit to mark the event and then we’re into the music. Apart from one ‘new’ exclusive performance from a legendary name, every hit in this episode comes from within the Top 10. Was that a good thing or not? On the one hand, the programme was showcasing the biggest selling, most popular songs of the time so wasn’t that giving music fans what they wanted? On the other, was it becoming a closed shop, excluding anything further down the charts and thus helping to stultify the rest of the Top 40 by denying potentially bigger songs the oxygen of exposure? A closer inspection of the chart that week reveals that there were indeed seven new entries outside of the Top 10* (plus one re-entry) and four inside it. Significantly, there was only one song going up the charts which perhaps restricted the choice of hits to be feature on the show. Perhaps.

*One of which was “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” by Moby from his all conquering “Play” album. Executive producer Chris Cowey not exactly following the zeitgeist there.

So, which were the three songs inside the Top 10 that didn’t make the running order?

“Two Times” by Ann Lee. Holding at No 2. On TOTP the previous week.
“Blue (Dab Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65. Down from No 3 to No 4. On TOTP three weeks on the trot.
“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain. Down from No 6 to No 10. On TOTP twice.

OK. So firstly, they’re all horrible but secondly, apart from potentially Ann Lee, I can see why they weren’t featured on this show but what of the other seven hits in the Top 10 that were? Four were new entries (fair enough), one was the No 1 (double fair enough), one was the only single moving up the charts (can’t argue with that) BUT…one was going down the chart from No. 4 to No 8! What gives?

Well, all in good time but we start with the only record that was climbing which was “I Try” by Macy Gray. This one was really ascending in instalments. After debuting at No 10, it spent a second week there before inching its way to No 9 in this chart. After a further hop up of one place to No 8 it would make it to No 7 where it stayed for three weeks before yet another one place climb to a high of No 6 before one final week inside the Top 10 at No 9. That totalled over two months between No 10 and No 6 without ever making it into the Top 5. Even its descent out of the Top 40 took a further nine weeks which included two occasions when it reversed its fall and went back up the charts! As first week discounting by record companies on new release singles kicked in towards the end of the 90s, it felt like every hit was in and out of the charts within a fortnight. Slow burners like “I Try” (and a few others) offered evidence that wasn’t exclusively the case. However, it could also be argued that such examples were the exception that proved the rule – witness Macy Gray being the only artist moving up the charts this week.

Next to that song sliding down the charts but which was given a slot in the running order anyway. Was there anything to be said in defence of Chris Cowey’s decision here? Well, actually there was and it came from the mouth of host Jamie Theakston who rather patronisingly says in his intro to “Jesse Hold On” by B*Witched that “Little Keavey was ill last week bless her so she couldn’t make it on tour to Swansea but she’s back on her feet now…”. Oh OK, so the group should have been on last week when they debuted at No 4 which would have made sense and there was a genuine reason why they weren’t but…does this incident reveal more about the machinations of the TOTP selection process than we were previously aware of? Is this evidence of binding agreements between the show and artists’ management/record labels when it came to appearances? If you could literally provide a sick note then your booking would still apply for the following week regardless of where your record was in the charts? Like tickets for a concert still being valid if said gig was unexpectedly cancelled? Seems a bit rum to me.

Anyway, this delayed appearance by B*Witched didn’t stop “Jesse Hold On” from falling down the charts again the following week from No 8 to No 13 (though it did stay in that position for a second week). The perceived wisdom is that this is where it all started to fall apart for the group and I don’t think that’s an unfair assessment. Much in the same way that Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s spell over us broke when their “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” single failed to top the charts after three successive No 1s, so B*Witched’s…well…bewitching power over the record buying public began to wane when “Jesse Hold On” couldn’t reach the chart summit. Not that a No 4 hit should be dismissed but how else could anyone view it other than a step backwards?

So why did it not go to No 1 like the rest of the group’s releases? Had their cheeky Irish appeal worn off? Had pop music tastes changed so quickly already? I think the answer might be more straightforward – “Jesse Hold On” just wasn’t that good. In effect, it was a retread of “C’est La Vie” but instead of that Irish fiddle hook it had a banjo being picked and a C&W vibe. Whilst undeniably catchy, it didn’t have that same grab-you-by-your-ears effect. Sure, there’s some nice harmonising in the chorus but it somehow feels elongated and repetitive. In short, it just wasn’t as punchy – not so much “fight like me Da” more “have a reasonable discussion like me Ma”.

It also didn’t lend itself to that knockout image of double denim and Irish dance steps. This time there were sparkly, sleeveless crop tops with a bit of C&W fringing and some hip wiggling and half-arsed lassoing arm movements. It just didn’t have the same impact. Their sophomore album “Awake And Breathe” also suffered from diminishing returns selling half the amount of their debut. Neither of its two subsequent singles even made the Top 10. The time of B*Witched (at least their first incarnation) was coming to an end.

OK. I get the whole “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken” concept when it comes to chart hits and a successful formula but ATB were taking a liberty. “Don’t Stop” IS “9PM (Till I Come)” isn’t it? Well, isn’t it?! Sorry, went a bit Bobby Robson there when he was asked about Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal…

Go to 3:04

Anyway, rip off or not, the UK record buying public lapped it up sending it to No 3 in the charts after import copies sales had already sent it to No 61 four months earlier. With my decaying eyesight, on first glance I thought that was Fay Tozer from Steps who’s fronting this appearance but it’s not. I’m guessing that’s Yolanda Rivera who was also the featured artist on “9PM (Till I Come)” – see what I mean about just repeating the formula? I’m really not sure why she needs a mic strapped to her head though as there are hardly any words in the track. Looks like a case of overkill whilst the track is as appetising as roadkill.

Just like B*Witched, here was another all female group who were coming to the end of the line (ahem). Honeyz were onto their fourth consecutive Top 10 hit with “Never Let You Down” and there would be another one early in the new year and yet…despite all five hits coming from their album “Wonder No. 8”, they couldn’t shift huge numbers of it in the shops. It would eventually achieve gold status but never got higher than No 33 in the charts. Was that reliance on hit singles a hinderance to their plans for longevity? If you’re only as good as your last single without a backbone of healthy album sales behind you, were you always just one flop away from the dumper?

I’m also wondering if the change in line up with original member Heavenli Abdi replaced by Mariami Goodman had a destabilising effect similar to when Jacquie O’Sullivan replaced Siobahn Fahey in Bananarama? I don’t think that particular incarnation of the group was ever really accepted by the fans so was it a similar as with Honeyz or am I overstating the case there? Were people really invested enough in Honeyz to care or were the members interchangeable? After all, Bananarama had been going for six years by the time Siobhan left. Honeyz? Barely 12 months.

Although “Never Let You Down” was yet another polished R&B pop number, it was hardly anything unexpected and indeed reminds me of Eternal’s 1994 hit “Oh Baby I” Peddling a sound which was five years old in 1999 maybe wasn’t the best strategy. As with B*Witched, although they would appear in TOTP subsequently, this is the last time I’ll be reviewing them in this blog. Farewell both.

It’s that cover by Liam Gallagher and Steve Craddock of The Jam’s “Carnation” again next which we saw just two shows ago as an exclusive performance. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s entered the charts at No 6 – that seemed quite high for a song by a band who had split up 17 years before but then The Jam Army and the Weller disciples were a loyal bunch. Of course, a reunion was what was really wanted by the fanbase but as that was never on the cards then the next best thing was the chance of grabbing, if not new material by their heroes, at least new interpretations of their work. Plus there’s the Oasis faithful who would have wanted to own it for Liam’s involvement. Clearly though it was going to be a quick sales phenomenon and the double A-side (alongside Buffalo Tom’s take on “Going Underground”) duly dropped out of the Top 40 in three weeks.

Ah, there’s Faye Tozer along with the rest of Steps who have entered the charts at No 5 with their latest single “After The Love Has Gone”. Not a cover of the Earth, Wind & Fire classic nor even of the definitely not a classic 1985 hit for Princess, this was, just like B*Witched earlier, an attempt to return to the sound which originally brought the band success. No, not that sound. Not the line dancing, boot scootin’ nonsense of “5,6,7,8” but the faux ABBA hits that came after it. There’s an undeniable whiff of the Swedish superstars in this one and whilst it certainly worked well enough to maintain the group’s high end chart momentum, it did break their run of three No 2s and one No 1 that they’d achieved with their last four releases. Cause for concern? Probably not. They still had plenty of hits left in them including another chart topper but as with B*Witched and Honeyz earlier, I won’t be around to review them.

I’ve said this before but Lee Latchford-Evans and ‘H’ must have had the flimsiest pop star job descriptions in music history. Just learn this release’s required dance steps and grin inanely whenever the camera comes near you. They’re like sign language translators* on speed.

*With apologies to sign language translators.

Tina Turner was still having hits in late 1999? Well, she was but like a few artists on this particular TOTP, it was all coming to an end. Talking of which, a wish the little chat she had with Jamie Theakston pre-performance had come to an end sooner. It did neither person involved any favours. Anyway, without a Top 10 hit in the UK since 1995’s Bond theme “Goldeneye”, Tina turned to the people behind her peer Cher’s recent commercial resurgence. Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling had produced the all conquering “Believe” and you can hear their touch on “When The Heartache Is Over” which was the lead single from her tenth and final studio album “Twenty Four Seven”. In truth though, it was never going to have the impact of “Believe”, neither in sales nor culturally. However, it was a sizeable hit on the US Dance charts thanks to its numerous remixes on the 12” released in that territory.

Tina gives her usual performance of gusto and jerky dance movements here but I was more interested in why Jessie Wallace/Kat Slater was one of the backing dancers and why Father Ted was on the drums. Tina retired from touring in 2009 aged 69 to live a quiet life in Switzerland until her death in 2023.

Christina Aguilera remains at No 1 with “Genie In Bottle”. Now, clearly I’m not Jamie Theakston’s biggest fan but something he says in his intro struck a chord with me. “And I thought genies came in lamps” he quips but he’s right – the established perception of a genie comes from the tale of Aladdin based on a Middle Eastern folk tale associated with The Arabian Knights (though it wasn’t part of the original text but rather added by Frenchman Antoine Galland). The story depicts Aladdin being tricked by a sorcerer to retrieve a magic oil lamp from a cave. When the lamp is rubbed, the genie is released. That’s a lamp not a bottle. Bottles have nothing to do with it. Indeed, in modern parlance and to reuse the theme of football managers in press conferences, bottles signify something that isn’t special and certainly not magical. Here’s Jose Mourinho when he was with my beloved Chelsea the first time in 2004…

So who wrote this nonsense about genies in bottles? Wikipedia tells me that a Steve Kipner was one of the co-writers and that he received an Ivor Novello award for International Hit of the Year for it. Clearly the judges weren’t aware of The Arabian Knights then.

Order of appearance	Artist	Title	Did I buy it?
1	Macy Gray	I Try	Liked it, didn’t buy it
2	B*Witched	Jesse Hold On	No thanks
3	ATB	Don’t Stop	No – please do!
4	Honeyz	Never Let You Down	No
5	Liam Gallagher and Steve Craddock / Buffalo Tom	Carnation / Going Underground	Negative
6	Steps	After The Love Has Gone	I did not
7	Tina Turner	When The Heartache Is Over	Nope
8	Christina Aguilera	Genie In A Bottle	Nah

Disclaimer

I make no claim to the rights of this show and all ownership and contents including logos and graphics belongs totally to the BBC or copyright holder(s).

All opinions on the music and artists featured are my own. Sorry if you don’t agree.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wbq6/top-of-the-pops-22101999

TOTP 15 OCT 1999

Posted on 25 Days Ago by 80stastic

It’s mid October 1999, I’m 31 years old and have been working for the same record shop retail chain (Our Price) for nine years. The impending Christmas trading period will be my tenth on the trot and the thought of that is exhausting. I’m also wondering if I might be ageing out of the job – was working in a record shop a young person’s game? Most of the songs in the Top 40 I was now not just failing to connect with but openly hating on some cases.

I’d also been living in Manchester for nearly the whole of the 90s and, as much as I loved the place, it could be a harsh city at times. My wife and I started to talk about the possibility of moving away and of doing something else altogether. To this end, I actually started applying for jobs outside of retail. I attended a recruitment exercise with the bank First Direct in Leeds but I didn’t perform very well on the day unfortunately. I then turned my attention to paediatric nursing and, around the time that this TOTP was broadcast, went to a careers day in Harrogate but realised whilst I was there that I didn’t really have the right level of enthusiasm to pursue it. Eventually, I would find a way out of both Manchester and record shops but that’s for a future post. For now, I was at least thinking seriously about starting a new chapter whilst still selling CDs and cassettes of music I mostly disliked to the Great British Public. They probably all ended up in landfill sites.

Our host for this one is Jayne Middlemiss and it’s the final leg of the Top Of The Pops On Tour project which is in the Time & Icon club in Swansea. Just like all other venues on the tour, it no longer exists and neither should it with a name like that. Not quite as bad as that which I frequented in my teenage years in Worcester – Images On Glass – but still very poor.

We start with Eurythmics who, not having been near a TOTP studio since 31st August 1989, are onto their second consecutive appearance with “I Saved The World Today”. What was the reason? Well, they were back, back, BACK (as Smash Hits used to say) with a new album called “Peace”, their first in ten years. This week Annie and Dave have a full band behind them as opposed to the acoustic set up they employed last time. It’s a testament to the quality of the song they both versions work equally as well. The album was toured with all profits going to Greenpeace and Amnesty International with a special promotional concert aboard the former charity’s Rainbow Warrior II. All of this seemed to indicate an agenda behind the duo’s decision to reunite (quite possibly most forcibly coming from Lennox) that if they were going to do it, then some definable good must come from it. Did they save the world? No. Did they achieve their objective? I think so.

In my last post, I rather unnecessarily banged on about who was the first Spice Girl to release a solo single. I’m not sure I came to a definitive answer. Thankfully, there doesn’t exist any such tangled mess about solo careers as far as I can tell when it comes to New Kids On The Block and let’s be fair, we needed five ex-NKOTB solo stars like Nigel Farage needs an enquiry into his receiving of a £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire. Not that none of the five members of that boy band decided to go it alone. Three of them released solo material but only one gathered any traction or success. Jordan Knight was the big heartthrob in NKOTB (well, he was my younger sister’s favourite anyway during her brief dalliance with them) and he is the only one to have a solo hit in the UK which he achieved with “Give It To You” when it went to No 5 in our charts. Now, I thought this was hopeless but it seemed to get mainly favourable reviews at the time. To me, it sounded like a Janet Jackson track that hadn’t been mixed properly or even played at the wrong speed. The fact that it sounded like Janet Jackson at all shouldn’t have been a surprise as it was put together by her erstwhile producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis but surely “Give It To You” doesn’t reside in the pile marked their greatest ever records. It’s that staccato rhythm that niggles rather than intrigues me.

Jordan does his best to sell it in this performance but when he does his little, twirling dance moves for the first time, the reaction of the studio audience feels almost patronising in a “ah, look at that old fella still trying to be down with the kids”. I could be wrong about that of course. Knight’s album failed to sell at all in most territories – presumably it wasn’t helped by the inclusion of a cover of Prince’s “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man”. Who thought that was a good idea?! The other two of his band mates to release solo material were Danny Wood who has seven (SEVEN!) albums listed in his discography though tellingly none have any chart stats listed against them and Joey McIntyre who had one Top 10 hit in America and then a whole bucketful of nothing. So what happened to the rest of them? Do you really want to know? No, nor me.

From one McIntyre to another as we move seamlessly from Danny of NKOTB (or T’KNOB if you will) to Natalie Renée McIntyre aka Macy Gray who, like Eurythmics earlier, was also making her second consecutive TOTP appearance. Now apparently Macy hadn’t been keen on her record company releasing “I Try” as a single because she just couldn’t hear the song’s hit potential. That got me thinking about other cases of artists not appreciating which of their songs were the obvious single choice.

Off the top of my head, The Human League famously didn’t want Virgin to release “Don’t You Want Me” as they thought it would ruin their career – it was the best selling UK single of 1981 and that year’s Christmas No 1. Then there’s Radiohead who objected to the release of “Creep” from their debut album “Pablo Honey” after US College radio play forced Parlophone to rerelease it after it initially flopped. The band feared one-hit wonder status but they had a further 16 Top 40 hits and have been going for 40 years now. Finally, Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross is notoriously poor at selecting singles and when asked for his choice of song to promote the band’s “When The World Knows Your Name” album went for the title track. Their record label Columbia overruled him and released “Real Gone Kid” – it is their highest charting single of original material.

Compared to Eurythmics, it felt like The Charlatans had only been away from the show for a couple of months but in truth it had been almost exactly two years since they’d last been on. Their last album “Tellin’ Stories” had been a huge success hitting the No 1 spot and going platinum to become the band’s biggest seller ever. All of this was achieved against the backdrop of keyboardist Rob Collins dying in a car crash part way through recording.

The album and the loss of their fellow band member drew a line in the sand. Firstly, the group’s contract with Beggar’s Banquet came to an end (it was actually fulfilled by the release of Best Of album “Melting Pot” in 1998) and they subsequently signed with Universal. Secondly, a new direction was pursued with follow up album “Us And Us Only” which had a country/folk/roots slant supposedly influenced by Tim Burgess’s love of Bob Dylan. Although it peaked at No 2 on the charts, it sold a third of both “Tellin’ Stories” and “Melting Pot”. I have to say that I’m not sure that I know “Us And Us Only” at all other than by its cover artwork. Is that because the singles taken from it weren’t big hits compared to those of its predecessor or was it just that we didn’t play it in the Our Price store I was working in? Probably a bit of both. So, 27 years later, what does lead single “Forever” sound like (to me)? My initial thoughts are that it’s good but it’s hardly an obvious single is it? Certainly the double length album version that I listened to makes more sense in all its psychedelic glory. In conclusion, it was a tad confusing. Still, compared to the next song on the show, it’s literally a colossal classic.

1999 had already given us some of the worst hits imaginable, many of which not only tried our patience but also challenged the status quo of whether they could even be defined as music so mind numbing were they. Then came the ultimate “Hold my beer” moment from Ann Lee who pulled off the seemingly impossible by giving us a record that was not just poor but actually a poor man’s Vengaboys. This was a new low on the shit-o-meter. “Two Times” is so infantile, so insubstantial, so inane that it seemed inconceivable that anyone would buy it and yet it was a huge hit all over Europe. Never mind hating yourself for liking it as suggested by Jayne Middlemiss in her intro, an intervention by all friends and family should have been immediately staged for anyone who was even caught just humming along to it. It can’t even make up its mind – is it two times or three times!

Who was this person who wrought havoc across the continent with this vile tune? Surprisingly, Ann Lee was a Sheffield lass born Annerley Emma Gordon (see what she did there?) who’d moved to Italy in the late 80s and released some solo singles to little recognition. Until “Two Times” hit, her biggest claim to fame had been being credited as one of the co-writers for Corona’s huge 1994 Eurodance smash “Rhythm Of The Night”. However, when I googled her, the first result I got was for Ann Lee the 18th century founding leader of the Shakers movement, later changed to the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing after her death. The Shakers worshiped by ecstatic dancing or “shaking” hence their name. They also composed thousands of songs consisting of syllables and words from unknown languages, the musical equivalent of glossolalia or speaking in tongues which were composed of a single melodic line with no harmonisation. Yeah, you can see where I’m going with this can’t you? As alien as all of that sounds, I think I’d rather listen to Ann Lee the Shaker’s music than “Two Times” by Ann Lee from Sheffield.

After his spectacular re-emergence with the six times platinum “Older” album in 1996, George Michael followed it up with the even more successful Best Of “Ladies & Gentlemen” which was the second biggest selling album of 1998. All of that success left one rather obvious question – what to do next? George’s answer wasn’t exactly out of left field. A covers album seemed like a bit of a fudge to me but in fairness to him, the choice of songs on it wasn’t hackneyed. Rather than instantly recognisable songs, George went mostly for old jazz standards for the album “Songs From The Last Century” with the odd, more contemporary track thrown in like “Roxanne” by The Police. The strategy worked well enough with good sales though not stratospheric. It was his only album release of any description not to get to No 1 and sold a quarter of the preceding Best Of. Its fortunes might not have been helped by the fact that the decision was taken not to release any singles from the album whatsoever.

So why were we seeing George perform “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” on this TOTP then? Well, it was all to do with the charity event NetAid which was an anti-poverty initiative with the aim of reducing third world debt. It seems largely forgotten now, wiped from the collective consciousness but it had some huge names behind it from the world of music and there were not many bigger than George Michael. This clip comes from the London NetAid concert at Wembley Stadium on October 9, 1999 where George performed a set including “Father Figure”. “Freedom! 90” and, obviously, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”. One of the most well known songs of the Great Depression of the 1930s , it is based on a Jewish lullaby and has also been recorded by Bing Crosby. As a vehicle to display the maturity and diversity of George’s voice it’s perfect. As a song to listen to over and over, to my ears, it is not. Maybe I’m just a victim of the era I grew up in but it’s very plodding and hard to get through.

What I did notice though is how far George’s image had changed since his Princess Di hair of his peak Wham! days and designer stubble, leather jacket and jeans look of his “Faith” persona. Dressed in slimming black, with sharp cut yet tousled hair, shades and facial hair (but definitely not the aforementioned designer stubble), this was George Michael as authentic artist and no mistake.

From Bing Crosby to Fred Astaire…just like with The Charlatans earlier, James were back with their first studio album for two years with the intervening time punctuated by the release of a Best Of. Also just like The Charlatans, the only thing I can recall about said album (“Millionaires”) is the cover artwork – to be fair, that huge pig was pretty memorable. There’s another Charlatans parallel in that the album was recorded against a backdrop of band uncertainty with infighting and tensions never far from the surface.

The second track released from it was “Just Like Fred Astaire” (lead single “I Know What I’m Here For” didn’t warrant a TOTP appearance) and although it’s not exactly laid back, it’s certainly a less frenetic song than some of their back catalogue. Not one of their best in my opinion but a good song without doubt that craps all over most of its chart peers. I like its lyrical idea that love is a disease though it’s not quite as good as Laurie Anderson’s idea that language is a virus from outer space. Meanwhile, when Tim Booth sings “I’m losing my hair”, he couldn’t have been more prophetic. Talking of prophetic and indeed Laurie Anderson, check out these lyrics from “Language Is A Virus” which foretell the coming of reality TV by well over a decade:

“Well, I dreamed there was an island
That rose up from the sea
And everybody on the island
Was somebody from TV
And there was a beautiful view
But nobody could see
‘Cause everybody on the island was saying:
Look at me!”

Songwriters: Laurie Anderson, 1986

Watching this performance back, I’m struck by the amount of guitarists up there on stage. I counted four which even allowing for a bass player and lead and rhythm guitarists, still leaves one extra. Still, I’m no musician (I can strum a few chords at best) so what do I know?

Eiffel Trifle (or whatever they were called) have been deposed from the top by the latest release from Britney Spears…ha! Well, you could have been forgiven for believing “Genie In A Bottle” was by Britney as you couldn’t talk about the actual artist behind it – Christina Aguilera – without mentioning her Mickey Mouse Club co-star alongside (Jayne Middlemiss certainly couldn’t). It was a fair comparison I think, not just for their shared showbiz backgrounds but also because of their out and out pop sound that was undercut with deliberate sexual overtones in the lyrics. Ah yes, those lyrics – they were certainly suggestive with lines like “My body’s sayin’, “Let’s go” and “You gotta rub me the right way”. Then there’s Christina’s look, all midriff and leather trousers. There seemed little doubt about the angle that was being persued here.

That’s not to say Christina’s success was all about image. Her debut hit was a quality pop song that cut through – its topping of the charts in 21 countries bears witness to that. From this beginning, she carved out a long career that has seen her described as a pop icon, gay icon, diva, sex symbol and “Voice of a Generation” (yeah, not sure about that one). All she was missing was to score a title winning goal that would generate a commentator cry for the ages…”Agulieraaaaaaa!”

Order of appearance	Artist	Title	Did I buy it?
1	Eurythmics	I Saved The World Today	No
2	Jordan Knight	Give It To You	You can have it back thanks! No!
3	Macy Gray	I Try	Liked it, didn’t buy it
4	The Charlatans	Forever	Nope
5	Ann Lee	Two Times	Never
6	George Michael	Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?	N/A
7	James	Just Like Fred Astaire	Nah
8	Christina Aguilera	Genie In A Bottle	And no

Disclaimer

I make no claim to the rights of this show and all ownership and contents including logos and graphics belongs totally to the BBC or copyright holder(s).

All opinions on the music and artists featured are my own. Sorry if you don’t agree.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002w1qy/top-of-the-pops-15101999

TOTP 08 OCT 1999

Posted on 27 Days Ago by 80stastic

Looking at the running order for this TOTP, I’m struck by the quality of it which is the best it’s been for quite some time. What am I talking about and have I gone mad? Well, there’s the return of the Eurythmics after a decade away for a start plus a cover version that was as unlikely as it was interesting. Added to that the first appearance of a soul singer with a very distinctive voice and the Pet Shop Boys who were usually good value. Usually. However, what is most noticeable is the lack of nasty, 90s dance tunes on the show with only one falling into that category. Granted it is the No 1 record but in these 1999 repeats, I’ll celebrate any small wins I can. Our host is Jamie Theakston and our TOTP On Tour location this week is the Dome II nightclub in Birmingham which is now the O2 Academy.

A quick bit of admin before we start. In previous posts, I’ve been disparaging about the quality of some of the acts that have been in these tour venues which usually numbered around four with the other slots filled by either a promo video or pre-recorded appearances either filmed at the pre-renovation work Elstree studios or some other location. However, all but the No 1 act seem to be in the Dome II nightclub in person this time which include some pretty big names. Lucky Brummies.

We start with the song holding at No 2 this week – “S Club Party” by S Club 7. Now although the group had a squeaky clean image – they had their own kids TV show after all – I did notice a suspect lyric in their hit which is:

“Hoochie mamas, show your nanas”

Songwriters: Hallgeir Rustan / Tor Hermansen / Mikkel Eriksen / Hugh Atkins

Erm…whatever could they mean? Well, AI explains the line like this:

Hoochie mamas: A slang term that originated in hip-hop culture, usually referring to women who dress in a flashy, provocative, or overtly sexy manner.

Show your nanas: “Nanas” is British and Australian slang for grandmothers.

Because it is British pop slang, the phrase isn’t meant to be taken literally. S Club 7 was just trying to rhyme and create a high-energy, party atmosphere by telling the party girls in the crowd to get loud alongside the older, grandmotherly figures. It basically translates to: “Women who want to party, get loud and bring your grandmas, too!

Really?! “Women who want to party, get loud and bring your grandmas, too!” That translation puts me in mind of that scene from Life Of Brian when Brian is caught writing anti-Roman graffiti by a centurion who tells his that Latin grammar is all wrong – “People called Romanes they go the house?”.

The Can’t Stop The Pop website gives a more literal explanation in its article on the song by saying it translates as “Women of low morals, show your vaginas” but explains that can’t have been the intended meaning though the alternative “Women of low morals, show your grandmother” wasn’t much better. Maybe S Club 7 weren’t as innocent as we all thought.

And so to the aforementioned Pet Shop Boys and what would be their final single of the 90s. “New York City Boy” would be their 20th such release of the decade and the second track taken from their “Nightlife” album. The chart fortunes of those 20 singles were a mixed bag. Nine of them went Top 10 (including a No 2) but there were no chart toppers. By comparison, the 80s yielded four No 1s. Of those other eleven 90s hits, eight peaked between Nos 12 and 15 which shows a definite consistency but also a lack of those absolutely huge hits. Neil Tennant infamously said that he knew the duo’s “imperial phase” was over when “Domino Dancing” only entered the charts at No 9 in 1988. Those words would also ring prophetically true into the 90s.

As for “New York City Boy” itself, it’s a completely extravagant disco anthem which was inspired by and written as a tribute to the Village People. In that respect, it fulfilled its brief. However. Its lack of huge chart success (it was one of those ‘consistent’ singles peaking at No 14) was possibly due to the fact that Neil and Chris had already been down this route six years prior when they covered the actual Village People with their version of “Go West” which had delivered their biggest hit of the 90s. So why go there again? Apparently, it had been the idea of producer David Morales (who incidentally had produced the first Pet Shop Boys single of the 90s “So Hard”) and Neil and Chris certainly followed through on that theme with this performance. Sailor-outfitted backing singers, a Native American with traditional headdress, a man with butterfly wings and, bizarrely, a…more mature lady shall we say in a checked dress who doesn’t seem to know why she’s there or what she’s doing. Who was she?

Oh, and there’s a continuation of the “hoochie” theme with this lyric:

“The street is amazing, the hoochies unreal”

Writer(s): Neil Tennant, Christopher Lowe, David Morales

Do you think the Pet Shop Boys intended its usage to have quite the same meaning as S Club 7? Somehow I can’t quite see it.

It’s that soul singer with the distinctive voice next as Macy Gray makes her TOTP bow. Appearing from seemingly nowhere, Macy (real name Natalie Renée McIntyre) went to the same elementary school as another singer who would adopt a stage name – one Brian Warner who would become Marilyn Manson though they didn’t know each other. As Jamie Theakston says in his intro, Macy rarely spoke as a child – she didn’t learn to hold a conversation until her 10th birthday – so embarrassed was she by her voice. However, she took up singing whilst at the University of Southern California after agreeing to write songs for a friend and the intended vocalist failed to show. Signed by Atlantic Records whilst singing in jazz cafes, she was later dropped in the middle of recording her debut album but was subsequently picked up by Epic Records who would release her debut album “On How Life Is”. After her first single “Do Something” failed to make the Top 40, her second release “I Try” was a huge sleeper hit becoming the UK’s 20th best selling single of 1999 despite never getting higher than No 6 in the weekly chart. Look at these numbers for proof of its longevity:

10 – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 7 – 7 – 6 – 9 – 11 -11 – 15 – 13 – 16 – 15 – 22 – 27 – 38

That’s four and a half months on the Top 40. On the back of that profile, her album would achieve huge commercial success going four times platinum in the UK and it was a similar story in the US. “I Try” would win a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (quite the irony given her childhood misgivings about her voice) whilst Macy would collect two BRIT Awards for International Breakthrough Act and International Female Solo Artist. And yet, despite releasing ten albums during her career, I would struggle to name any of her songs other than “I Try” – is it the same for you? Admittedly, those ten albums suffered from diminishing returns sales wise (albeit with some good critical reviews) but even so.

A parallel film career whilst also contributing songs for soundtrack albums kept her profile high but in my head, I can only picture Macy in late 1999. I should perhaps have taken more interest as I really liked “I Try”. Her performance of it here with her stooped physical stance puts me in mind of Ian Dury or John Lyon though both their postures were due to medical reasons – Dury contracted polio and Lydon spinal meningitis when they were both aged seven. When I eventually left my job in record shops after nearly 10 years, I chose three songs to play on the shop stereo to go out on. One was “My Way” by Frank Sinatra for obvious reasons but the other two were “MacArthur Park”* the Richard Harris version (I really can’t explain that choice!) and “I Try” which was probably just because of the timing of when I left but it will always remind me of that life event.

*What links Macy Gray to the Pet Shop Boys? “New York City Boy” samples the Donna Summer version of “MacArthur Park” and that’s possibly the most tenuous connection I’ve ever made in this blog.

So who was the first Spice Girl to go solo? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it could be. Strictly speaking, the first to market was Melanie B with “I Want You Back” which was released in September 1998. However, it also featured Missy ‘Misdemeanour’ Elliott so was that strictly a solo release? Next up was Melanie C but hers was a supporting role on the Bryan Adams song “When You’re Gone” so I don’t think that counts. That leaves “Look At Me” by Geri Halliwell as the first truly solo Spice Girl single in May 1999 but…she wasn’t an actual Spice Girl at this point having already left the group so can she be the answer to the question ‘who was the first Spice Girl to go solo?’? That could be semantics at play but if not her then who? In chronological order that would return us to Melanie B when she released her cover of Cameo’s “Word Up”…except that single was officially credited to Melanie G as she’d recently got married to Jimmy Gulzar and taken his surname but Melanie G only existed for that one release and nobody talks about Mel G when the subject of the Spice Girls is discussed so…that brings us back to Melanie C and her single “Goin’ Down”.

The first track taken from her triple platinum album “Northern Star”, this was no “Wannabe”. In fact, it was nothing like any Spice Girls release ever. A defiantly rock track, it was supposedly inspired by Blur’s “Song 2” but it sounds like Mel’s doing her best Skunk Anansie impression to me. I have to say that it’s not great – all style over content – though it secured a fairly respectable chart peak of No 4. Mel’s sound wasn’t the only thing that was new – she also unveiled her latest look. That blond spiky hair had more than a touch of the aforementioned John Lydon about it (Jamie Theakston even refers to her as “Punky Spice”) and was that gold tooth cap always there? More than that though was her attitude. Gone were the backflips and cheesy smiles – this was a growling, confrontational Melanie C. She could even be said to be courting controversy, The lyrics include the words “bitch” and “whore” (though they’re obviously muted in this performance) and then there’s her video for the song which was banned by some outlets for its violent content though the biggest crime is Mel’s Axl Rose spring tartan skirt.

French and Saunders memorably parodied said video…

Joking aside though, Mel C has some amazing stats to her name:

Her album “Northern Star” is the best selling album of any of the Spice Girls’ solo releases
She holds the record for the largest attendance of a free concert within a public event
She has co-written 11 UK number ones, more than any other female artist in chart history
She remains the only female performer to top the charts as a solo artist, as part of a duo, quartet and quintet

Having said all of the above, I heard her latest single “Sweat” on the radio the other day and it’s proper pony.

When did tribute albums become a thing? I suppose it depends on your definition of what a tribute album is. For example, is “Hollies Sing Dylan” a tribute to Bob Dylan by The Hollies or just The Hollies doing a load of Bob Dylan covers? Does a tribute album have to be composed of multiple different acts covering the work of one artist? That would rule out “The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles Hits” which is probably a just as well.

OK, so if we’re going with that rule, the first one I think I was aware of was 1990’s “Red Hot + Blue” which was a compilation of covers of Cole Porter songs by various artists including Annie Lennox, U2, Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop and, best of all, David Byrne’s version of “Don’t Fence Me In”. In 1994, we had The Carpenters tribute album “If I Were A Carpenter” which had a more indie vibe to it with contributions from Sonic Youth, Shonen Knife, Babes In Toyland and my personal favourite Redd Kross. I think there might have been one for The Smiths as well but in 1999 came the big one – well, a big one if, like me, you’d grown up with The Jam. Now, to be clear, it was my elder brother who was a fully paid up member of The Jam Army but I couldn’t help but be exposed to them by osmosis if nothing else. When Britpop came along, Paul Weller found himself positioned as The Godfather of the movement and name checked constantly as an influence for its main protagonists. Was that part of the reason behind the release of their tribute album named “Fire & Skill: The Songs Of The Jam”?

Whatever its origin story, it featured some very contemporary indie rock artists such as Gene, Heavy Stereo and Silver Sun alongside some bigger names like Noel and Liam Gallagher, Garbage and the Beastie Boys. A double A-side single was released to promote it which was “Going Underground / Carnation” by Buffalo Tom / Liam Gallagher and Steve Cradock. Now, “Going Underground” was an obvious choice being The Jam’s first of four No 1 singles but “Carnation”? That was an album track from the band’s sixth and final LP “The Gift” so nowhere near as well known to the uncommitted. It is a fine song though nevertheless.

This 1999 version of it works well enough but I could have done without the overly keen attempt to instil it with a spaced out, trippy vibe with the reverb effects on Liam’s vocals (which suited the track anyway without them) and the backwards tape loops. It was a track from The Jam in 1982 not a psychedelic Beatles song from the late 60s. Anyway, although not credited on the single, that’s clearly Noel Gallagher up there with his brother and Ocean Colour Scene’s Steve Cradock and is that Oasis’s Alan White on the drums as well? Noel added his own individual contribution to the album (“To Be Someone” from 1978’s “All Mod Cons”) and was a regular collaborator with Paul Weller. The whole album doesn’t appear to be on Spotify though Buffalo Tom’s version of “Going Underground” is and it’s worth a listen for a different take on a well known classic.

We hadn’t seen nor heard from Eurythmics for nearly the whole of the 90s. After releasing eight albums in eight years, tensions between Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were strained and the band disbanded with little fanfare. Lennox would release two successful solo albums whilst Dave Stewart formed The Spiritual Cowboys and released his own underrated solo album. In his intro, Jamie Theakston says that Annie had told him that it had been 10 years since the release of their last single. Well, that was nearly true. Their last single taken from an album of new material came in April 1990 – “Angel” from “We Too Are One” – and I should know as I bought it. After that their was a rerelease of “Love Is A Stranger” and a remix of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” to promote 1991’s six times platinum selling “Greatest Hits” collection so Annie wasn’t 100% correct but she wasn’t far off. Suddenly though, with just a few weeks left of the decade they were back.

So what prompted their return? The popular story is that after receiving a Brit Award For Outstanding Contribution To Music at the start of 1999, they decided to reconvene Eurythmics once more. However, that’s a false narrative as they’d already been writing together since playing at a record company party in 1998 and subsequently at a benefit concert for the family of journalist Ruth Picardie who had died of breast cancer. The result of their endeavours was “Peace”, the eighth and, so far, final Eurythmics album.

The lead single was “I Saved The World Today”, melodic of tune yet sorrowful of mood and possessing that, as ever, crystal clear vocal from Annie. It was a strong comeback and deserved better than missing the Top 10 by one place. The follow up single – “17 Again” – was even better and I especially enjoyed the interpolation of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” in its coda. The album did well commercially though its sales were dwarfed by those of that 1991 “Greatest Hits” which was the second best selling album of that year behind Simply Red’s “Stars”. The only Eurythmics album released since “Peace” was another Best Of called “Ultimate Collection” in 2005 whilst Dave and Annie have performed at one off events in 2014 (a Beatles tribute concert) and at Sting’s 30th We’ll Be Together benefit concert in 2019. They were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Another return now as Gabrielle is back in the charts for the first time in two years with her new single “Sunshine”, the lead track from her third album “Rise”. Had we missed her? I’m sure some had but me? Not so much. I always found her too generic, too samey. Sure, “Dreams” was a memorable tune but for me, the majority of her output conformed to a soul/pop formula that was certainly radio friendly but not very substantial. “Sunshine” was another such song in my book. Conversely, her next single, the title track from her album, would be more of a standout with its Bob Dylan sample taking her back to No 1 for the first time since her debut with the aforementioned “Dreams”. She would perfect her blueprint sound with “Out Of Reach” in 2001 from the soundtrack to Bridget Jones’s Diary.

And so to the No 1 and the only nasty dance track in the show (in my humble opinion). “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65 was in its third week at the top and by this point, any novelty hook that it might have had long since lost its appeal. They would have one more hit – the No 3 “Move Your Body” – so we’re not done with this lot yet I’m sorry to say.

Order of appearance	Artist	Title	Did I buy it?
1	S Club 7	S Club Party	No
2	Pet Shop Boys	New York City Boy	Nope
3	Macy Gray	I Try	Good song but no
4	Melanie C	Goin’ Down	Nah
5	Buffalo Tom / Liam Gallagher and Steve Cradock	Going Underground / Carnation	Despite my association to The Jam, I did not
6	Eurythmics	I Saved The World Today	See 3 above
7	Gabrielle	Sunshine	No thanks
8	Eiffel 65	Blue (Da Ba Dee)	And no

Disclaimer

I make no claim to the rights of this show and all ownership and contents including logos and graphics belongs totally to the BBC or copyright holder(s).

All opinions on the music and artists featured are my own. Sorry if you don’t agree.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002w1qw/top-of-the-pops-08101999

TOTP Rewind – the 90s

My memories of 90s chart music

TOTP 05 NOV 1999

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TOTP 22 OCT 1999

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TOTP 15 OCT 1999

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TOTP 08 OCT 1999

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