Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Poole Lighthouse 17th March 2024

Well, Noel got me back at a Rock gig in Poole Lighthouse for the first time in 25 years or so – it was called Poole Arts Centre in those days, and I never managed to get tickets to see Oasis. The set was part full stage-set-up for around 15 musicians and singers, and part houseplant greenhouse, so I already approved before they even hit the stage, not least as I’d got there early and was quite close to the front, but not amongst the crush area dead centre. The downside is one-sided sound systems can be variable, as this one was for the loud rock numbers, more Jesus & Mary Chain fuzz-styled distortion at times, I’m pretty sure Noel looked up at the speakers at one point. Happily the ballads and recent stuff sounded fine. So what were the band like? Pretty damn fine actually, and I liked Noel had a lot of folk on the paycheck on stage to give a varied and full-bodied sound, brass section, backing singers and all.

So, right off we got a Council Skies selection of singles, totally fine by as I’d bought all but one, top tunes all, and sounding as good as any era of Oasis. Pretty Boy was up first and came over better than it did on record (and that was good to start with), and Council Skies is a great song, love the melody and strings especially for a quality second track. I don’t know the words, just the hooks, but I seemed to be in the minority singing along – obviously not a lot of Radio 2 listeners there, cos they’ve been playlisting several tracks. Noel was in good voice, the guitar work got me going, and up next was Open The Door, See What You Find, chimes included, and a real swirling strings arrangement that I rated as a single, and a good hook to boot.

We’re Gonna Get There In The End introduced the brass section on stage, all 3 of ’em, and the most commercial of the album singles, very late 60’s vibes to it, it wouldn’t sound out of place amongst a Love Affair or Kinks hit to me, but then I can remember the late 60’s as I am in my mid-60’s now. Easy Now, a ballad, up next, sounded decent enough, though not a track I’d bought yet, and 2015’s You Know We Can’t Go Back also not one I know, but romped along nicely in a mildly “it’s all right” Jumping Jack Flash snatch of melody sort of way. We’re Our Way Now was one of the Flying Birds Hits album new tracks, bought that one, rated it, low-key and more acoustic than previous tracks so far. Nice.

Around about here we started the High Flying Birds hits section, from earlier in the career when they usually made the Top 40 charts, In The Heat Of The Moment still sounding good, and around this time it might have been when someone fainted in the crowd, Noel motioning the security staff to attend, but it seemed all was well so he quipped about just getting over-excited cos he was so Bleeping brilliant, or something along those lines. Lock All The Doors, ditto another mid 2010’s track I’d forgotten, some great guitar riffing in it, and another throwback to an old classic popsong “prettiest girl I’ve ever seen” I knew first as David Essex’ Rock On, saw David last in the 90’s. Closest to an Oasis sound so far. If I Had A Gun not one that rung a bell, dating from around 2012, but AKA…What A Life! very much one of Noel’s greatest post-Oasis hits, also one that the crowd got into. Which left the final High Flying Birds track, Dead In The Water, and then off into the Oasis part of the gig!

I think it’s fair to say most folk were there for the Oasis stuff, or at least there hoping he’d do some Oasis stuff – I wasn’t so sure he’d do more than an encore-filled run, but in the event we got quite a few starting with Going Nowhere, not one I knew being as I never bought The Masterplan album. S’alright but plenty of others I prefer, and ditto the very sombre Talk Tonight, also from the same B sides album. Happily Half The World Away was one I did rate way back when despite not being a single, and it turned up on Stop The Clocks compilation of Noel’s fave Oasis tracks. I got a nice snippet of Noel singing this but can’t upload MP4’s sadly so here’s an old youtube version with better sound instead:

Up next, the rousing Little By Little, an early 2000’s single that I never really noticed much at the time, and didn’t rate that much, but it came over really well in concert as it was pumped up more than the recorded version. I need to revisit the later Oasis stuff I think! The 5th Oasis track was The Masterplan, yet another great non-single that is better than a lot of their actual singles, sprawling and ambitious and inspiring, and it sounded like it might be the end of the concert looking at my watch, but no there was the bonus “…and this one needs no introduction” ahead of the encore break. Ironically, the sound sytstem was so distorted it did need an introduction as I was almost half-way through before Love Will Tear Us Apart became more obvious, the Joy Division classic. I never got to see them, but New Order on their early 00’s tour I caught.

The next bit is the bit I hate, a stomping audience on the floor crying out for more – the first floor auditorium actually bounces every time that happens and I just get visions of the floor collapsing and us all being dragged out of the collapsed building on the news! The other bit I hate is tosspots who’ve been drinking and having a laugh shoving in front of you to block your view for the encore, when you’ve been stood for over 3 hours making sure you got a view. Selfish dicks I suppose are inevitable at anything Oasis related, so not unexpected, and there wasn’t too much aggro, a scuffle earlier and some people commenting at a couple of morons blocking views. Want a great view? Get there early mate.

Encore time! Stand By Me an actual Oasis big hit, not one I’d revisited much, but it sounded pretty good, and the first time Noel has sung it live in concert apparently! The crowd loved it. Track 2 the first oasis song that made me appreciate them, Live Forever, and with Liam currently touring with John Squire (neither of them doing Oasis or Stone Roses stuff) Noel was free to showcase one of his best songs 30 years on. Whatever was an unexpected treat, The Beatles-ey singalong was the first Oasis song to top my personal charts yet it’s not one I hear on radio that often, and a real crowd pleaser too, as was the entire encore. Noel paused after that to thank everyone for coming, and to announce the next would be the last track of the evening, which I always appreciate, I know I can join the throng to slowly exit without hanging about, so ta Noel. Don’t Look Back In Anger of course, had to be really, there could be no better way to end a concert, and it’s a real emotion-tugger with cultural history behind it, and it’s pretty good life advice to boot. All in all a great gig, sound system moans apart, and a few tracks I would have swapped for something else, but one has to accept Noel might prefer his own picks and it did make me look at some I’d ignored. Result!

HMV New Releases June 2000

So how many of these do you recall….? 🙂

June 2000

 

My 1995 Charts – January

Cairns, Australia 1995

video links as always click on this…

January 1st 1995

A new year a new number one for a new band – Oasis take Whatever to the top in all of it’s All You Need Is Love-ish strings-tastic fab-gear-ish-ness Britpop delight. It’s a great record and deserved to top the UK charts as well, though it did get near.
The Human League, meanwhile go top 5, Tell Me When? Now! The Lightning Seeds add Change to their list of top tenners, and Riverdance hits 8. I don’t remember it doing that well, but there ya are, stomp-a-clomp-a-stomp-a, it did.

Sting shoots his cowboy way into the 20 16 years after first doing it, Siouxsie ditto only 17 years on, while the highest new entry is 1963 in 1994 from a B side in 1987 remixed by Arthur Baker for New Order charting in 1995. Date-Confusion! Also a New Order track…

Some re-entries from Ace Of Base who enjoy Living In Danger at 29, Youssou N’Dour at 37, and again at 64 as chart-topper 7 Seconds comes back in (though not called a re-entry as it’s a new year and been out the chart a while), both helped by Neneh Cherry. At 35 it’s a record from the year I was born, back as a huge UK hit thanks to an advert on TV – Guaglione, Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and horn-hooked old big swing band fun. Both terrific and highly unexpected.

New UK girl duo Scarlet enter at 50, with an Independent Love Song, and it’s good, while Bristol’s Portishead enter at 69 with the fab Glory Box, an influential trip-hoppy track. Which leaves veteran Barry White back at 55 after a few years gap, helped by his Lisa Stansfield and Edie Brickell associations, giving him a span of 22 years of chart entries since I’m Gonna Love You A Little More Baby went top 5 in 1973. Oh, and Jimmy Somerville has 11 years of entries, with Bronski Beat and Communards, and solo hits.

1 ( 17 ) WHATEVER Oasis
2 ( 1 ) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey
3 ( 2 ) TAKE A BOW Madonna
4 ( 7 ) TELL ME WHEN Human League
5 ( 6 ) COTTON EYE JOE Rednex
6 ( 3 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE Kylie Minogue
7 ( 14 ) CHANGE The Lightning Seeds
8 ( 11 ) RIVERDANCE Bill Whelan
9 ( 8 ) THINK TWICE Celine Dion
10 ( 10 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON Boyzone

11 ( 5 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS/ ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM Cliff Richard and Phil Everley
12 ( 4 ) DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS/ TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN Chris Rea
13 ( 9 ) I WANT TO BE ALONE 2wo Third3
14 ( 13 ) WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Louis Armstrong
15 ( 29 ) THIS COWBOY SONG Sting
16 ( 12 ) PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Bon Jovi
17 ( 45 ) OH BABY Siouxsie And The Banshees
18 ( 15 ) TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN The Carpenters
19 ( 16 ) HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME Gloria Estefan
20 ( NEW ) 1963 ’94 New Order

21 ( 24 ) CROCODILE SHOES Jimmy Nail
22 ( 19 ) YOU BLOW ME AWAY Robert Palmer
23 ( 21 ) TRUE FAITH 94 New Order
24 ( 23 ) LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
25 ( 22 ) SHE’S GOT THAT VIBE R. Kelly
26 ( 25 ) I LOVE SATURDAY Erasure
27 ( 27 ) HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER Ini Kamoze
28 ( 18 ) STAY ANOTHER DAY East 17
29 ( RE ) LIVING IN DANGER Ace Of Base
30 ( 20 ) GO GO POWER RANGERS Power Rangers

31 ( 33 ) LET THE HEALING BEGIN Joe Cocker
32 ( 32 ) GALLOWS POLE Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
33 ( 26 ) STARS China Black
34 ( 31 ) JUST LIKE THAT Abba
35 ( NEW ) GUAGLIONE Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and His Orchestra
36 ( 28 ) LOVE SPREADS The Stone Roses
37 ( RE ) UNDECIDED Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry and Deep Forest
38 ( 38 ) DO YOU LOVE ME Duke Baysee
39 ( 42 ) CRAZY Eternal
40 ( 30 ) CHRISTMAS WRAPPING Peaches

41 ( 37 ) WHEN I’M CLEANING WINDOWS 2 In A Tent featuring George Formby
42 ( 34 ) A GIRL LIKE YOU Edwyn Collins
43 ( 35 ) IF I ONLY KNEW Tom Jones
44 ( 36 ) ANOTHER NIGHT MC Saar and The Real McCoy
45 ( 48 ) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Guns ‘N’ Roses
46 ( 39 ) ONE MORE CHANCE EYC
47 ( 40 ) DON’T DON’T TELL ME NO Sophie B. Hawkins
48 ( 43 ) ALL I WANNA DO Sheryl Crow
49 ( 41 ) DOLLARS C.J. Lewis
50 ( NEW ) INDEPENDENT LOVE SONG Scarlet

51 ( 51 ) WHAT’S GOING ON Music Relief 94
52 ( 46 ) END OF A CENTURY Blur
53 ( 53 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
54 ( 47 ) THE STRANGEST PARTY INXS
55 ( NEW ) PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Barry White
56 ( 56 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
57 ( 50 ) ETERNAL LOVE PJ and Duncan
58 ( 54 ) SENSE Terry Hall
59 ( 59 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba
60 ( 61 ) I’LL FIND YOU Michelle Gayle

61 ( 58 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
62 ( 65 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers
63 ( 63 ) SIGHT FOR SORE EYES M People
64 ( NEW ) 7 SECONDS Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry
65 ( 74 ) SEARCHING China Black
66 ( 69 ) 20TH CENTURY BOY T.Rex
67 ( 67 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
68 ( 68 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
69 ( NEW ) GLORY BOX Portishead
70 ( 73 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal

71 ( 71 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
72 ( 72 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell
73 ( 52 ) HOW DO YOU STOP Joni Mitchell and Seal
74 ( 60 ) ONE LAST LOVE SONG The Beautiful South
75 ( NEW ) HEARTBEAT Jimmy Somerville

8th January 1995

Oasis make it 2 weeks on top for my 37th birthday, hey whatever. Riverdance inexplicably goes top 5. Whatever. Glory Box is a glorious 61 place leap to 8 though, hooray for quality! However the highest new entry at 10 is really dodgy. No, honest, So Let Me Go Far and one I’ve utterly forgotten, but it’s Dodgy and that’s good enough for me if it’s good enough for you. Must have loved it though. Youtube awaits!

At 31, new for Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter, One Cool Remove from being country and folk, but nice anyway. Runrig are in at 30, with This Time Of Year, Scarlet go top 20, and in at 33 it’s the great pop dance delight of Strike…U Sure Do! Jimmy Somerville has a Heartbeat at 39 from 75, The Sounds Of Blackness return with a new track, declaring I’m Going All The Way from 49. Best of all Simple Minds at 55 return with the terrific She’s A River for a cool 14 years of chart entries. This was the tour I finally got to see them in concert, so yay for me! Finally Let Loose are back, twice, once with Seventeen reissued, at 75, and also with the better One Night Stand a bit higher at 65.

1 ( 1 ) WHATEVER Oasis
2 ( 4 ) TELL ME WHEN Human League
3 ( 3 ) TAKE A BOW Madonna
4 ( 2 ) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey
5 ( 8 ) RIVERDANCE Bill Whelan
6 ( 5 ) COTTON EYE JOE Rednex
7 ( 7 ) CHANGE The Lightning Seeds
8 ( 69 ) GLORY BOX Portishead
9 ( 9 ) THINK TWICE Celine Dion
10 ( NEW ) SO LET ME GO FAR Dodgy

11 ( 6 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE Kylie Minogue
12 ( 18 ) TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN The Carpenters
13 ( 10 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON Boyzone
14 ( 20 ) 1963 ’94 New Order
15 ( 15 ) THIS COWBOY SONG Sting
16 ( 11 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS/ ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM Cliff Richard and Phil Everley
17 ( 17 ) O BABY Siouxsie And The Banshees
18 ( 50 ) INDEPENDENT LOVE SONG Scarlet
19 ( 14 ) WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Louis Armstrong
20 ( 13 ) I WANT TO BE ALONE 2wo Third3

21 ( 19 ) HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME Gloria Estefan
22 ( 12 ) DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS/ TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN Chris Rea
23 ( 27 ) HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER Ini Kamoze
24 ( 42 ) A GIRL LIKE YOU Edwyn Collins
25 ( 21 ) CROCODILE SHOES Jimmy Nail
26 ( 29 ) LIVING IN DANGER Ace Of Base
27 ( 23 ) TRUE FAITH 94 New Order
28 ( 31 ) LET THE HEALING BEGIN Joe Cocker
29 ( 38 ) DO YOU LOVE ME Duke Baysee
30 ( NEW ) THIS TIME OF YEAR Runrig

31 ( NEW ) ONE COOL REMOVE Shawn Colvin featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter
32 ( 16 ) PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Bon Jovi
33 ( NEW ) U SURE DO Strike
34 ( 39 ) CRAZY Eternal
35 ( 37 ) UNDECIDED Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry and Deep Forest
36 ( 34 ) JUST LIKE THAT Abba
37 ( 33 ) STARS China Black
38 ( 24 ) LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
39 ( 75 ) HEARTBEAT Jimmy Somerville
40 ( 45 ) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Guns ‘N’ Roses

41 ( 22 ) YOU BLOW ME AWAY Robert Palmer
42 ( 46 ) ONE MORE CHANCE EYC
43 ( 25 ) SHE’S GOT THAT VIBE R. Kelly
44 ( 35 ) GUAGLIONE Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and His Orchestra
45 ( 26 ) I LOVE SATURDAY Erasure
46 ( 55 ) PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Barry White
47 ( 28 ) STAY ANOTHER DAY East 17
48 ( 30 ) GO GO POWER RANGERS Might Morph’n Power Rangers
49 ( NEW ) I’M GOING ALL THE WAY The Sounds Of Blackness
50 ( 32 ) GALLOWS POLE Jimmy Page and Robert Plant

51 ( 40 ) CHRISTMAS WRAPPING Peaches
52 ( 36 ) LOVE SPREADS The Stone Roses
53 ( 60 ) I’LL FIND YOU Michelle Gayle
54 ( 43 ) IF I ONLY KNEW Tom Jones
55 ( NEW ) SHE’S A RIVER Simple Minds
56 ( 53 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
57 ( 56 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
58 ( 41 ) WHEN I’M CLEANING WINDOWS 2 In A Tent featuring George Formby
59 ( 48 ) ALL I WANNA DO Sheryl Crow
60 ( 59 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba

61 ( 44 ) ANOTHER NIGHT MC Saar and The Real McCoy
62 ( 51 ) WHAT’S GOING ON Music Relief 94
63 ( 62 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers
64 ( 61 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
65 ( NEW ) ONE NIGHT STAND Let Loose
66 ( 66 ) 20TH CENTURY BOY T.Rex
67 ( 67 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
68 ( 68 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
69 ( 64 ) 7 SECONDS Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry
70 ( 70 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal

71 ( 71 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
72 ( 54 ) THE STRANGEST PARTY INXS
73 ( 52 ) END OF A CENTURY Blur
74 ( 72 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell
75 ( NEW ) SEVENTEEN Let Loose

15th January 1995

3 weeks at 1 for Oasis, as Riverdance hits 3. I’m shocked! Actual chart peak 3. I mean it’s nice, but let’s be honest, it’s the dancing – watch the video! The Lightning Seeds get a 3rd Top 5 hit, with Change at 4, while an Independent Scarlet hit 8. New Order add to their growing tally of Top 10’s with a track that never should have just been a B Side, 1963.

Highest new entry at 15 is Annie Lennox, now onto a covers album and she covers old friends A Lover Speaks 1986 minor UK hit (and big hit in my charts) No More I Love You’s, improves on it, and hopefully the royalties have helped them out ever since cos it’s fab. An unusual melody, but gorgeous, and it forever now reminds of later in 1995 when I was in an Orange Juice bar on Orchard Road in Singapore gasping for a drink in the heat and humidity, and this came out of the speakers. Pretty sure no-one else has those associations with the song!

In at 19, Massive Attack are back with a bang, with help from Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl, over a decade into her run of big hits in my charts, and what a mellow lovely atmospheric track it is too. Jimmy Somerville goes top 20, Simple Minds 30, Barry White 40, and in at 32 it’s Crush – With Eyeliner: aka REM’s glamrock Velvet Underground-ish rifftastic move away from the mainstream appeal of their more recent stuff, and it’s great.

We’ve also got the original version of the hideous 2014 dance remix of R. Kelly’s Bump ‘n’ Grind at 43 which wasn’t that bad before I went off him a bit. Tanita Tikaram’s back, I Might Be Crying but it’s been 7 years since she arrived with a bang, and then quickly faded out without ever deserving that. At 50, what the Deuce!? Call It Love, or call it pop. M People want to Open Your Heart at 53, but I’m opening my heart to the disco classic from 1977 that the Communards more or less were inspired by, and it’s back at 65 18 years on – Thelma Houston’s version of Don’t Leave Me This Way. The song was originally lined up to be Diana Ross’ follow-up to the still-epic Love Hangover in 1976, but Thelma got the big disco smash out of it instead. Best of all, the original 1975 Philly version of the Gamble & Huff song became a bigger hit in the UK for Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes, still my fave version.

1 ( 1 ) WHATEVER Oasis
2 ( 2 ) TELL ME WHEN Human League
3 ( 5 ) RIVERDANCE Bill Whelan
4 ( 7 ) CHANGE The Lightning Seeds
5 ( 3 ) TAKE A BOW Madonna
6 ( 8 ) GLORY BOX Portishead
7 ( 18 ) INDEPENDENT LOVE SONG Scarlet
8 ( 6 ) COTTON EYE JOE Rednex
9 ( 9 ) THINK TWICE Celine Dion
10 ( 14 ) 1963 ’94 New Order

11 ( 4 ) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey
12 ( 17 ) O BABY Siouxsie And The Banshees
13 ( 11 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE Kylie Minogue
14 ( 10 ) SO LET ME GO FAR Dodgy
15 ( NEW ) NO MORE ‘I LOVE YOU’S Annie Lennox
16 ( 13 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON Boyzone
17 ( 12 ) TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN The Carpenters
18 ( 23 ) HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER Ini Kamoze
19 ( NEW ) PROTECTION Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn
20 ( 39 ) HEARTBEAT Jimmy Somerville

21 ( 16 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS/ ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM Cliff Richard and Phil Everley
22 ( 19 ) WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Louis Armstrong
23 ( 26 ) LIVING IN DANGER Ace Of Base
24 ( 15 ) THIS COWBOY SONG Sting
25 ( 29 ) DO YOU LOVE ME Duke Baysee
26 ( 21 ) HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME Gloria Estefan
27 ( 55 ) SHE’S A RIVER Simple Minds
28 ( 34 ) CRAZY Eternal
29 ( 35 ) UNDECIDED Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry and Deep Forest
30 ( 31 ) ONE COOL REMOVE Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter

31 ( 20 ) I WANT TO BE ALONE 2wo Third3
32 ( NEW ) CRUSH WITH EYELINER REM
33 ( 22 ) DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS/ TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN Chris Rea
34 ( 46 ) PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Barry White
35 ( 24 ) A GIRL LIKE YOU Edwyn Collins
36 ( 27 ) TRUE FAITH 94 New Order
37 ( 40 ) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Guns ‘N’ Roses
38 ( 25 ) CROCODILE SHOES Jimmy Nail
39 ( NEW ) WHERE’S YOUR LOVE BEEN Heliocentric World
40 ( 49 ) I’M GOING ALL THE WAY The Sounds Of Blackness

41 ( 37 ) STARS China Black
42 ( 36 ) JUST LIKE THAT Abba
43 ( NEW ) BUMP ‘N’ GRIND R. Kelly
44 ( 38 ) LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
45 ( 65 ) ONE NIGHT STAND Let Loose
46 ( 30 ) THIS TIME OF YEAR Runrig
47 ( NEW ) I MIGHT BE CRYING Tanita Tikaram
48 ( 28 ) LET THE HEALING BEGIN Joe Cocker
49 ( 32 ) PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Bon Jovi
50 ( NEW ) CALL IT LOVE Deuce

51 ( 33 ) U SURE DO Strike
52 ( 43 ) SHE’S GOT THAT VIBE R. Kelly
53 ( NEW ) OPEN YOUR HEART M People
54 ( 44 ) GUAGLIONE Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and His Orchestra
55 ( 45 ) I LOVE SATURDAY Erasure
56 ( 41 ) YOU BLOW ME AWAY Robert Palmer
57 ( 57 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
58 ( 56 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
59 ( 47 ) STAY ANOTHER DAY East 17
60 ( 60 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba

61 ( 51 ) CHRISTMAS WRAPPING Peaches
62 ( 54 ) IF I ONLY KNEW Tom Jones
63 ( 48 ) GO GO POWER RANGERS Might Morph’n Power Rangers
64 ( 63 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers
65 ( NEW ) DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY Thelma Houston
66 ( 59 ) ALL I WANNA DO Sheryl Crow
67 ( 66 ) 20TH CENTURY BOY T.Rex
68 ( 67 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
69 ( 50 ) GALLOWS POLE Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
70 ( 68 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma

71 ( 70 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
72 ( 64 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
73 ( 71 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
74 ( 74 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell
75 ( 62 ) WHAT’S GOING ON Music Relief 94

22nd January 1995

It’s the Human League at 1, at last, some 7 years since the last one, and their 9th in total in 15 years of chart entries. Hoorah, I still love them! Meanwhile my top 10 gets some street cred as Portishead hit 3 and New Order 6, not to mention Massive Attack at 9, their 3rd top 10. Meanwhile Deuce rocket up to 17 with another one of those tracks I haven’t heard in 20 years and have forgotten, and forgotten I liked! Dear oh dear!

Let Loose go top 40 with One Night Stand, I suppose we’ve all done that at one time or another. Let Loose, I mean. One Night Stand maybe, maybe not. Highest new entry is the great soul girl band TLC, jazzy, snazzy, sultry, it’s Creep at 28, a record that still sounds fresh and fabulous. Morrissey is in at 31 with Boxers. I have my tickets for next month for Mozza, hopefully he will be tip top. Donna Allen has another chart entry some years on from her first, this time it’s Real at 33, while in at 38, it’s Sleeper with Inbetweener.

R Kelly and The Sounds Of Blackness join in the 40 action, as does Thelma Houston doing it second time around 18 years on. Cyndi Lauper is back at 53, tackling a classic – I’m Gonna Be Strong is Gene Pitney’s torch song, his finest moment, and a dramatic anthem with a vocal performance that no-one could possibly top, but that doesn’t stop ol Cyn giving it a good go. Another cover brings Aswad back, and a good reggae version of the 1963 Betty Everett song You’re No Good, better known in the UK as a big hit for The Swinging Blue Jeans in 1964 (they were big enough for me to know them as a poptastic fave group age 6) before Linda Ronstadt covered it in 1975 and had a big US hit. I’d stick with the original soulful version though, with Aswad as the second-best choice.

Stevie Wonder’s back again, some 26 years on from For Once In My Life, at 58 it’s For Your Love. At 62, it’s another cover, of instrumental Soul Limbo, a 1969 instrumental hit for Booker T & The MG’s, better known as a TV cricket theme tune. It’s not as good, even with lyrics. Yet another cover version at 65 (of Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye’s hit cover of the Pearls minor hit version of the US 1972 original version from The Stylistics. This time it’s Melanie Williams and Joe Roberts, but I think there’s still room for a definitive version of the great song. At 66 it’s Nicki French and her version of Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 chart-topper, Total Eclipse Of The Heart. It’s not as good. That concludes the covers, leaving only Jim Carrey and Cuban Pete at 71 for one week only. He did The Truman Show, though, so I forgive him.

1 ( 2 ) TELL ME WHEN Human League
2 ( 1 ) WHATEVER Oasis
3 ( 6 ) GLORY BOX Portishead
4 ( 7 ) INDEPENDENT LOVE SONG Scarlet
5 ( 3 ) RIVERDANCE Bill Whelan
6 ( 10 ) 1963 ’94 New Order
7 ( 4 ) CHANGE The Lightning Seeds
8 ( 5 ) TAKE A BOW Madonna
9 ( 19 ) PROTECTION Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn
10 ( 8 ) COTTON EYE JOE Rednex

11 ( 12 ) O BABY Siouxsie And The Banshees
12 ( 20 ) HEARTBEAT Jimmy Somerville
13 ( 15 ) NO MORE ‘I LOVE YOU’S Annie Lennox
14 ( 13 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE Kylie Minogue
15 ( 9 ) THINK TWICE Celine Dion
16 ( 27 ) SHE’S A RIVER Simple Minds
17 ( 50 ) CALL IT LOVE Deuce
18 ( 18 ) HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER Ini Kamoze
19 ( 23 ) LIVING IN DANGER Ace Of Base
20 ( 11 ) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey

21 ( 25 ) DO YOU LOVE ME Duke Baysee
22 ( 45 ) ONE NIGHT STAND Let Loose
23 ( 21 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS/ ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM Cliff Richard and Phil Everley
24 ( 24 ) THIS COWBOY SONG Sting
25 ( 37 ) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Guns ‘N’ Roses
26 ( 17 ) TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN The Carpenters
27 ( 14 ) SO LET ME GO FAR Dodgy
28 ( NEW ) CREEP TLC
29 ( 34 ) PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Barry White
30 ( 16 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON Boyzone

31 ( NEW ) BOXERS Morrissey
32 ( 32 ) CRUSH WITH EYELINER REM
33 ( NEW ) REAL Donna Allen
34 ( 22 ) WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Louis Armstrong
35 ( 35 ) A GIRL LIKE YOU Edwyn Collins
36 ( 40 ) I’M GOING ALL THE WAY The Sounds Of Blackness
37 ( 43 ) BUMP ‘N’ GRIND R. Kelly
38 ( NEW ) INBETWEENER Sleeper
39 ( 65 ) DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY Thelma Houston
40 ( 26 ) HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME Gloria Estefan

41 ( 41 ) STARS China Black
42 ( 36 ) TRUE FAITH 94 New Order
43 ( 53 ) OPEN YOUR HEART M People
44 ( 44 ) LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
45 ( 42 ) JUST LIKE THAT Abba
46 ( 38 ) CROCODILE SHOES Jimmy Nail
47 ( 47 ) I MIGHT BE CRYING Tanita Tikaram
48 ( 33 ) DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS/ TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN Chris Rea
49 ( 31 ) I WANT TO BE ALONE 2wo Third3
50 ( 30 ) ONE COOL REMOVE Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter

51 ( 28 ) CRAZY Eternal
52 ( 29 ) UNDECIDED Youssou N’Dour featuring Neneh Cherry and Deep Forest
53 ( NEW ) I’M GONNA BE STRONG Cyndi Lauper
54 ( NEW ) LET IT LAST Carleen Anderson
55 ( 52 ) SHE’S GOT THAT VIBE R. Kelly
56 ( 39 ) WHERE’S YOUR LOVE BEEN Heliocentric World
57 ( 57 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
58 ( NEW ) FOR YOUR LOVE Stevie Wonder
59 ( NEW ) YOU’RE NO GOOD Aswad
60 ( 60 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba

61 ( 58 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
62 ( NEW ) SAVED Mr. Roy
63 ( 64 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers
64 ( 55 ) I LOVE SATURDAY Erasure
65 ( NEW ) YOU ARE EVERYTHING Melanie Williams and Joe Roberts
66 ( NEW ) TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART Nicki French
67 ( 67 ) 20TH CENTURY BOY T.Rex
68 ( 68 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
69 ( 70 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
70 ( 66 ) ALL I WANNA DO Sheryl Crow

71 ( NEW ) CUBAN PETE Jim Carrey
72 ( 71 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
73 ( 73 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
74 ( 59 ) STAY ANOTHER DAY East 17
75 ( 49 ) PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Bon Jovi

29th January 1995

Another new number one, and it’s Portishead and the fab Glory Box. No video as I’ve already featured it in previous weeks, just to not make it obvious what’s always going to top my chart by praising a record and then not featuring the youtube link! Hah! Scarlet meanwhile get the runners-up spot, as Bob Seger returns to my chart 17 years later, and way out-does the first-time-round as it bangs in at 6, rather surprisingly, as I wasn’t too fussed about it in 1978, and these days, but for a time I really did like it – apparently!

Annie Lennox gets another solo top 10, as Let Loose get a second or third (I forget), and Sting goes to a new peak with his Cowboy Song as Pato Banton turns up and lends some reggae vibes. REM crush some eyeliner at 20, and quite right too. M People go top 40 as Open Your Heart hits 23, and Tanita Tikaram 24, while The Wildhearts return with two delightfully-titled songs: If Life Is Like A Love Bank I Want An Overdraft and B side Georgie In Wonderland as played on Top Of The Pops. Just behind is another cowboy song, Cowboy Dreams, Jimmy Nail’s great version of Paddy McAloon’s donated song, before he released an even better version himself as Prefab Sprout in 2001. 10 years on in 1995, the Sprouts seemed to have been spat out by the music industry quite unfairly.

In at 33 it’s a Perfecto remix and redesign of Pigbag’s 1982 instrumental hit Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag, retitled Reach Up with added vocals and dance, and rather good it is too. I was rather surprised to hear this one in a superstore on Orchard Road in Singapore later in the year, I didn’t think Singapore was that into dance music! Talking of dance N Trance join that annoying obsession with the capital N (Entrance having druggy refs but avoiding everyone calling them an entrance). Oh did I used to laugh at everyone applying this principle in the UK to ‘NSync, radio, TV, DJ’s, everyone got it wrong. En-sink made no sense at all, In synch did. Hey ho. Set You Free was one of those pop dance hits that just kept on coming back when once was more than adequate for a decent dance track.

Madonna has a bedtime story at 57 – how sweet, Dear Jessie kiddie-candy I’m sure. Oh hang on, didn’t she do some big photo books at that time, with a naughty album, ah of course, grown-up bedtime stories. Dear Jessie was much better. Another under-rated 80’s fave returns at 61, The The having seen the 1948 Hank Williams country light and turned it into a rocking light! Hooray! Also back, Del Amitri, Here And Now, and with a few years wait for an actual number one chart-topper in my charts.

Gloria Estefan covers another classic at 66, disco-style, a song that once upon a time was in the charts every few years with yet another cover – Everlasting Love, starting with the original US hit version from Robert Knight, followed by the UK number one hit version by The Love Affair, both of them immaculate. Since then: 1969, 1974, 1981, 1988, 1993, 1995, with 1998 and 2004 still to come, so if anyone wants a chart hit it’s been overdue for about 4 years! Lastly, China Black are back to try for that hat-trick of number ones, I can almost see them (Somewhere) at 71, boy band Ultimate Kaos are at 73, not one of Simon Cowell’s biggest acts that one, and Singapore’s classical Vanessa Mae brings Toccata and Fugue class into the charts. I liked her.

1 ( 3 ) GLORY BOX Portishead
2 ( 4 ) INDEPENDENT LOVE SONG Scarlet
3 ( 1 ) TELL ME WHEN Human League
4 ( 2 ) WHATEVER Oasis
5 ( 5 ) RIVERDANCE Bill Whelan
6 ( NEW ) WE’VE GOT TONIGHT Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
7 ( 13 ) NO MORE ‘I LOVE YOU’S Annie Lennox
8 ( 6 ) 1963 ’94 New Order
9 ( 9 ) PROTECTION Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn
10 ( 22 ) ONE NIGHT STAND Let Loose

11 ( 7 ) CHANGE The Lightning Seeds
12 ( 12 ) HEARTBEAT Jimmy Somerville
13 ( 10 ) COTTON EYE JOE Rednex
14 ( 24 ) THIS COWBOY SONG Sting featuring Pato Banton
15 ( 16 ) SHE’S A RIVER Simple Minds
16 ( 8 ) TAKE A BOW Madonna
17 ( 17 ) CALL IT LOVE Deuce
18 ( 14 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE Kylie Minogue
19 ( 28 ) CREEP TLC
20 ( 32 ) CRUSH WITH EYELINER REM

21 ( 15 ) THINK TWICE Celine Dion
22 ( 18 ) HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER Ini Kamoze
23 ( 43 ) OPEN YOUR HEART M People
24 ( 47 ) I MIGHT BE CRYING Tanita Tikaram
25 ( NEW ) IF LIFE IS LIKE A LOVE BANK I WANT AN OVERDRAFT/ GEORDIE IN WONDERLAND The Wildhearts
26 ( NEW ) COWBOY DREAMS Jimmy Nail
27 ( 11 ) O BABY Siouxsie And The Banshees
28 ( 29 ) PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Barry White
29 ( 23 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS/ ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM Cliff Richard and Phil Everley
30 ( 38 ) INBETWEENER Sleeper

31 ( 20 ) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey
32 ( 19 ) LIVING IN DANGER Ace Of Base
33 ( NEW ) REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG) Perfecto Allstarz
34 ( 27 ) SO LET ME GO FAR Dodgy
35 ( 37 ) BUMP ‘N’ GRIND R. Kelly
36 ( 31 ) BOXERS Morrissey
37 ( 35 ) A GIRL LIKE YOU Edwyn Collins
38 ( 21 ) DO YOU LOVE ME Duke Baysee
39 ( 26 ) TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN The Carpenters
40 ( 65 ) YOU ARE EVERYTHING Melanie Williams and Joe Roberts

41 ( 41 ) STARS China Black
42 ( 25 ) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Guns ‘N’ Roses
43 ( 34 ) WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Louis Armstrong
44 ( 30 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON Boyzone
45 ( 39 ) DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY Thelma Houston
46 ( 42 ) TRUE FAITH 94 New Order
47 ( 58 ) FOR YOUR LOVE Stevie Wonder
48 ( 45 ) JUST LIKE THAT Abba
49 ( NEW ) SET YOU FREE N Trance
50 ( 59 ) YOU’RE NO GOOD Aswad

51 ( 33 ) REAL Donna Allen
52 ( 40 ) HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME Gloria Estefan
53 ( 53 ) I’M GONNA BE STRONG Cyndi Lauper
54 ( 44 ) LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
55 ( 48 ) DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS/ TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN Chris Rea
56 ( 49 ) I WANT TO BE ALONE 2wo Third3
57 ( NEW ) BEDTIME STORIES Madonna
58 ( 57 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
59 ( 36 ) I’M GOING ALL THE WAY The Sounds Of Blackness
60 ( 60 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba

61 ( NEW ) I SAW THE LIGHT The The
62 ( 46 ) CROCODILE SHOES Jimmy Nail
63 ( NEW ) HERE AND NOW Del Amitri
64 ( 63 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers
65 ( 55 ) SHE’S GOT THAT VIBE R. Kelly
66 ( NEW ) EVERLASTING LOVE Gloria Estefan
67 ( 67 ) 20TH CENTURY BOY T.Rex
68 ( 68 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
69 ( 69 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
70 ( 61 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona

71 ( NEW ) ALMOST SEE YOU (SOMEWHERE) China Black
72 ( 72 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
73 ( NEW ) HOOCHIE BOOTY Ultimate Kaos
74 ( 73 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
75 ( NEW ) TOCCATA AND FUGUE Vanessa Mae

My 1994 Charts – September

one of my shrub borders, work work work – yes I designed simple ones for a while

4th September 1994

So much competition for the top spot that absolute classics are just grabbing one week, so poor Sophie drops down to make room for Seal’s Kiss From A Rose, a track that didn’t really take off for another year in the UK. It had a gorgeous Middle-Ages vibe to it, and that’s not something you can say very often. Seal’s first solo topper, or his second if including Killer in 1990 (with Adamski), though Crazy had a long run at 2. Pet Shop Boys new single has to make do with runner-up, though Blur get another Top 10 with Park Life, Prince replaces himself in the Top 10 with Letitgo, Oasis get their first with Live Together, Lulu extends her run of Top 10’s to 26 years, and Robert Palmer has another of his occasional Top 10’s up a whopping 62 places. Phew!

Michelle Gayle is pure Sweetness, highest new entry at 24, while Jackson Browne returns at 27, just ahead of Terrorvision’s Pretend Best Friend at 31, keeping up their manic pop metal run of hits. Shawn Colvin covers The Police at 38, and debuts, while Shara Nelson is Inside Out at 47, Eternal claim to be So Good at 48 (hmmm) and Inner Circle reggae back with a cover at 53. A bunch of veterans claim entries in the bottom 5 (after D:Ream’s latest) as daryl Hall keeps his solo entries going, Peter gabriel has a live EP, Crowded House invent a new fruit-based insult, Oi, Pineapple Head, and Billy Idol’s theme from the fab new movie Speed pops in 15 years since Gen X.

Speed made a fave of Sandra Bullock, and a new buffed-up Keanu Reeves set himself up as leading man material. Nonsense plot of course, but great fun. On TV, I was well into Deep Space 9, X Files, and Newhart – Bob Newhart’s latest sitcom with the terrific Henry Mancini theme tune.

1 ( 3 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
2 ( 4 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
3 ( 1 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
4 ( 2 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
5 ( 6 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
6 ( 11 ) PARK LIFE Blur
7 ( 19 ) LETITGO Prince
8 ( 18 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
9 ( 14 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu
10 ( 72 ) KNOW BY NOW Robert Palmer

11 ( 5 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
12 ( 28 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
13 ( 9 ) HOT HOT HOT (CARNIVAL EDIT) Arrow
14 ( 7 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
15 ( 25 ) GO INTO THE LIGHT (LOVE SHINES) Ian McNabb
16 ( 8 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
17 ( 13 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
18 ( 38 ) HEART OF STONE Dave Stewart
19 ( 21 ) SUGAR SUGAR Duke Baysee
20 ( 35 ) FIREWORKS Roxette

21 ( 26 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians
22 ( 12 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
23 ( 10 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye
24 ( NEW ) SWEETNESS Michelle Gayle
25 ( 16 ) SEARCHING China Black
26 ( 15 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
27 ( RE ) EVERYWHERE I GO Jackson Browne
28 ( 17 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
29 ( 32 ) BOP GUN (ONE NATION) Ice Cube featuring George Clinton
30 ( 23 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

31 ( NEW ) PRETEND BEST FRIEND Terrorvision
32 ( 27 ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
33 ( 44 ) THE PRETTIEST EYES The Beautiful South
34 ( 47 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
35 ( 29 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
36 ( 22 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
37 ( 56 ) 18 STRINGS Tinman
38 ( NEW ) EVERY LITTLE THING HE DOES IS MAGIC Shawn Colvin
39 ( 24 ) SHINE Aswad
40 ( 20 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Brand New Heavies

41 ( 31 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
42 ( 42 ) (HEY NOW) GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
43 ( 33 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
44 ( 34 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
45 ( 65 ) GAL WINE Chaka Demus and Pliers
46 ( 60 ) WILD NIGHT John Mellencamp featuring Me’Shelle Nageocello
47 ( NEW ) INSIDE OUT Shara Nelson
48 ( NEW ) SO GOOD Eternal
49 ( 43 ) STANDING AT THE ALTAR Margie Cox
50 ( 74 ) SOMEONE TO LOVE Sean Maguire

51 ( 37 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis
52 ( 71 ) TROUBLE Shampoo
53 ( NEW ) GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Inner Circle
54 ( 48 ) LET’S GET READY TO RHUMBLE PJ & Duncan
55 ( 39 ) BLACK HOLE SUN Soundgarden
56 ( 41 ) B GOOD 2 ME Ronni Simon
57 ( 54 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
58 ( 58 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
59 ( 36 ) CRAZY Aerosmith
60 ( 59 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson

61 ( 50 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
62 ( 40 ) THE WAY SHE LOVES ME Richard Marx
63 ( 30 ) INTERLUDE Morrissey and Siouxsie
64 ( 64 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
65 ( 61 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
66 ( 66 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
67 ( 75 ) WARRIORS Aswad
68 ( 68 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
69 ( 62 ) TO THE END Blur
70 ( 73 ) THE RIGHT KINDA LOVER Patti Labelle

71 ( NEW ) BLAME IT ON ME D:Ream
72 ( NEW ) WILDFIRE Daryl Hall
73 ( NEW ) SW LIVE EP Peter Gabriel
74 ( NEW ) SPEED Billy Idol
75 ( NEW ) PINEAPPLE HEAD Crowded House

[b]11th September 1994[/b]

It’s an amazing 18th Number One in almost 9 years for Pet Shop Boys, and the 5th in a row from album Very, albeit remixed. Mad? Yesterday When I Was Mad on them, that is. Still am. Tough on Kylie, as her exotic confiding has to make do with a peak at 2 just short of that elusive number one. Prince and Lightning Seeds both add to the list of Top 5’s, Lisa Loeb gets her only Top 10 hit, and Dave Stewart shows he doesn’t need Annie to grab a top 10 hit either, 15 years on from The Tourists.

Highest new entry is Tom Robinson’s Days That Changed The World, a mellow track that you’ll be lucky to find anywhere online. I’ve tried. Shara and Cyndi get another top 40 each, while The Wonder Stuff claim to be unbreakable at 36, REM pose a query about frequencies to Kenneth at 39, and an inferior remix of Atomic brings Blondie back 14 years on from hitting my top spot, at 38.

At 52 it’s a great dance track from Corona, Rhythm Of The Night, which should have been bigger (though it did well in the Uk charts), and at 67 a massive US hit record that you’ll find in the dictionary linked to the word “overrated”. Or is it “Over-rated”? Either way, it’s BoyzIIMen’s End Of The Road part 2. Talking of huge hits, it’s Saturday Night at 72, about to knock off Wet Wet Wet from the top of the UK singles chart. Of the two, I’d rather listen to Whigfield. Deedee nananana.

1 ( 2 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 5 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
3 ( 3 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
4 ( 7 ) LETITGO Prince
5 ( 16 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
6 ( 6 ) PARK LIFE Blur
7 ( 4 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
8 ( 1 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
9 ( 18 ) HEART OF STONE Dave Stewart
10 ( 12 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories

11 ( 15 ) GO INTO THE LIGHT (LOVE SHINES) Ian McNabb
12 ( 19 ) SUGAR SUGAR Duke Baysee
13 ( 11 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
14 ( 14 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
15 ( 8 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
16 ( 10 ) KNOW BY NOW Robert Palmer
17 ( 20 ) FIREWORKS Roxette
18 ( 21 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians featuring Barry White
19 ( 17 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
20 ( 9 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu

21 ( 24 ) SWEETNESS Michelle Gayle
22 ( NEW ) DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Tom Robinson
23 ( 13 ) HOT HOT HOT (CARNIVAL EDIT) Arrow
24 ( 37 ) 18 STRINGS Tinman
25 ( 22 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
26 ( 42 ) (HEY NOW) GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
27 ( RE ) LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF Lucas
28 ( 25 ) SEARCHING China Black
29 ( 34 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
30 ( 31 ) PRETEND BEST FRIEND Terrorvision

31 ( 47 ) INSIDE OUT/ DOWN THAT ROAD Shara Nelson
32 ( 35 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
33 ( 45 ) GAL WINE Chaka Demus and Pliers
34 ( 32 ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
35 ( 53 ) GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Inner Circle
36 ( NEW ) UNBREAKABLE The Wonder Stuff
37 ( 26 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
38 ( NEW ) ATOMIC (REMIX) Blondie
39 ( NEW ) WHAT’S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH REM
40 ( 50 ) SOMEONE TO LOVE Sean Maguire

41 ( 38 ) EVERY LITTLE THING HE DOES IS MAGIC Shawn Colvin
42 ( 30 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
43 ( 28 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
44 ( 23 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye
45 ( 41 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
46 ( 29 ) BOP GUN (ONE NATION) Ice Cube featuring George Clinton
47 ( 44 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
48 ( 27 ) EVERYWHERE I GO Jackson Browne
49 ( 39 ) SHINE Aswad
50 ( 36 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc

51 ( 33 ) THE PRETTIEST EYES The Beautiful South
52 ( NEW ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
53 ( 43 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
54 ( 48 ) SO GOOD Eternal
55 ( NEW ) DON’T SAY IT’S OVER Gun
56 ( 71 ) BLAME IT ON ME D:Ream
57 ( 58 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
58 ( 64 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
59 ( 60 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
60 ( 57 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma

61 ( 61 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
62 ( 67 ) WARRIORS Aswad
63 ( 55 ) BLACK HOLE SUN Soundgarden
64 ( 75 ) PINEAPPLE HEAD Crowded House
65 ( NEW ) LOVE HERE I COME Bad Boys Inc
66 ( 66 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
67 ( NEW ) I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU BoyzIIMen
68 ( 68 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
69 ( 74 ) SPEED Billy Idol
70 ( 51 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis

71 ( 46 ) WILD NIGHT John Mellencamp featuring Me’Shelle Nageocello
72 ( NEW ) SATURDAY NIGHT Whigfield
73 ( 69 ) TO THE END Blur
74 ( NEW ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE Redd Kross
75 ( NEW ) BODY AND SOUL Anita Baker

18th September 1994

2 weeks for Chris n Neil on top, and Cyndi takes the reworking of Girls Just Want To Have Fun to 4, beating (bizarrely) it’s original peak a decade earlier. I’m sure everyone recalls Bad Boys Inc second top 10, Love Here I Come? No, me neither! How embarrassing to see it shoot up from 65 to 8 and have no memory of it. Just Youtubed it, still drawing a blank! Roxette meanwhile bring Fireworks back to the top 10, exploding for a 5th year into the heights.

Aswad and Crowded House have big leaps into the 30, Corona and D:Ream into the 40, and the highest new entry is Terry Hall’s own version of his Lightning Seeds number one, the glorious Sense at 38, giving him 15 years of hits (with The Specials, Fun Boy 3, Colourfield and solo). East 17 Steam into 52, and Saint Etienne Hug My Soul at 58, reliably good at any stage of their career. Bon Jovi’s monster hit Always pops in at 70, while the Stones grab bottom place, but hey 75 is better than nothing.

1 ( 1 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 3 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
3 ( 2 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
4 ( 26 ) (HEY NOW) GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
5 ( 6 ) PARK LIFE Blur
6 ( 4 ) LETITGO Prince
7 ( 10 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
8 ( 65 ) LOVE HERE I COME Bad Boys Inc
9 ( 9 ) HEART OF STONE Dave Stewart
10 ( 17 ) FIREWORKS Roxette

11 ( 18 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians featuring Barry White
12 ( 11 ) GO INTO THE LIGHT (LOVE SHINES) Ian McNabb
13 ( 7 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
14 ( 13 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
15 ( 5 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
16 ( 16 ) KNOW BY NOW Robert Palmer
17 ( 8 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
18 ( 24 ) 18 STRINGS Tinman
19 ( 21 ) SWEETNESS Michelle Gayle
20 ( 14 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry

21 ( 12 ) SUGAR SUGAR Duke Baysee
22 ( 22 ) DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Tom Robinson
23 ( 62 ) WARRIORS Aswad
24 ( 64 ) PINEAPPLE HEAD Crowded House
25 ( 15 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
26 ( 36 ) UNBREAKABLE The Wonder Stuff
27 ( RE ) EVERYBODY’S GOT SUMMER Atlantic Starr
28 ( 19 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
29 ( 38 ) ATOMIC (REMIX) Blondie
30 ( 20 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu

31 ( 52 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
32 ( 32 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
33 ( 39 ) WHAT’S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH REM
34 ( 56 ) BLAME IT ON ME D:Ream
35 ( 35 ) GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Inner Circle
36 ( 25 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
37 ( 30 ) PRETEND BEST FRIEND Terrorvision
38 ( NEW ) SENSE Terry Hall
39 ( 28 ) SEARCHING China Black
40 ( 54 ) SO GOOD Eternal

41 ( 23 ) HOT HOT HOT (CARNIVAL EDIT) Arrow
42 ( 31 ) INSIDE OUT/ DOWN THAT ROAD Shara Nelson
43 ( 34 ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
44 ( 29 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
45 ( 27 ) LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF Lucas
46 ( 69 ) SPEED Billy Idol
47 ( 37 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
48 ( 45 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
49 ( 55 ) DON’T SAY IT’S OVER Gun
50 ( 42 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

51 ( 33 ) GAL WINE Chaka Demus and Pliers
52 ( NEW ) STEAM East 17
53 ( 43 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
54 ( 47 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
55 ( 72 ) SATURDAY NIGHT Whigfield
56 ( 40 ) SOMEONE TO LOVE Sean Maguire
57 ( 57 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
58 ( NEW ) HUG MY SOUL Saint Etienne
59 ( 59 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
60 ( 58 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys

61 ( 60 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
62 ( 71 ) WILD NIGHT John Mellencamp featuring Me’Shelle Nageocello
63 ( 53 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
64 ( 75 ) BODY AND SOUL Anita Baker
65 ( 49 ) SHINE Aswad
66 ( 67 ) I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU BoyzIIMen
67 ( 66 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
68 ( 68 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
69 ( 41 ) EVERY LITTLE THING HE DOES IS MAGIC Shawn Colvin
70 ( NEW ) ALWAYS Bon Jovi

71 ( 61 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
72 ( NEW ) ELEGANTLY AMERICAN: ONE NIGHT/MOVING M People
73 ( 50 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
74 ( NEW ) SWEET SENSUAL LOVE Big Mountain
75 ( NEW ) YOU GOT ME ROCKING The Rolling Stones

25th September 1994

3 weeks for the Petties on top, and Edie Brickell gets her biggest hit, the fab Good Times at 3, with more than a bit of a hand from Barry White, who also gets his highest ever chart placing to date after 21 years of hits. Corona take that rhythm to 7, and Michelle takes her sweetness to 9. Saint Etienne are the big climbers though, hugging number 14 from 58.

Suede get the highest new entry, rather modestly claiming they are the pigs. Surely not! East 17 steam up 26, Billy Idol speeds up to 28 and C.J. Lewis has yet another oldie reggae cover in the top 40 at 33. Other newies: Snap! welcome tomorrow at 44, Madonna’s got a Secret (shhh she’s only 48), Seal’s newborn friend arrives at 54, and some well-known biggies plop in lower down: Irish reggae act Pat O’Banton borrows UB40 and covers Eddy Grant – not as well as The Equals, it must be said (and Eddy was in the band so that’s fair) but gets in at 58; The Lion King standard Circle Of Life was just a pleasant Elton John single 20 years ago, in at 59, and Take That seem Sure of going higher than 65 – or will they!? Answer in a few weeks…

1 ( 1 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 2 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
3 ( 11 ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians featuring Barry White
4 ( 7 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
5 ( 3 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
6 ( 4 ) (HEY NOW) GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
7 ( 31 ) RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Corona
8 ( 8 ) LOVE HERE I COME Bad Boys Inc
9 ( 19 ) SWEETNESS Michelle Gayle
10 ( 6 ) LETITGO Prince

11 ( 5 ) PARK LIFE Blur
12 ( 14 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
13 ( 10 ) FIREWORKS Roxette
14 ( 58 ) HUG MY SOUL Saint Etienne
15 ( 20 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
16 ( 9 ) HEART OF STONE Dave Stewart
17 ( 13 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
18 ( 15 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
19 ( 24 ) PINEAPPLE HEAD Crowded House
20 ( 23 ) WARRIORS Aswad

21 ( 16 ) KNOW BY NOW Robert Palmer
22 ( 12 ) GO INTO THE LIGHT (LOVE SHINES) Ian McNabb
23 ( NEW ) WE ARE THE PIGS Suede
24 ( 32 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
25 ( 17 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
26 ( 52 ) STEAM East 17
27 ( 25 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
28 ( 46 ) SPEED Billy Idol
29 ( 21 ) SUGAR SUGAR Duke Baysee
30 ( 18 ) 18 STRINGS Tinman

31 ( 22 ) DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Tom Robinson
32 ( 28 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
33 ( NEW ) BEST OF MY LOVE C.J. Lewis
34 ( 49 ) DON’T SAY IT’S OVER Gun
35 ( 62 ) WILD NIGHT John Mellencamp featuring Me’Shelle Nageocello
36 ( 29 ) ATOMIC (REMIX) Blondie
37 ( 26 ) UNBREAKABLE The Wonder Stuff
38 ( 33 ) WHAT’S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH REM
39 ( 27 ) EVERYBODY’S GOT SUMMER Atlantic Starr
40 ( 30 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu

41 ( 39 ) SEARCHING China Black
42 ( 38 ) SENSE Terry Hall
43 ( 36 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
44 ( NEW ) WELCOME TO TOMORROW Snap! featuring Summer
45 ( 70 ) ALWAYS Bon Jovi
46 ( 55 ) SATURDAY NIGHT Whigfield
47 ( 34 ) BLAME IT ON ME D:Ream
48 ( NEW ) SECRET Madonna
49 ( 37 ) PRETEND BEST FRIEND Terrorvision
50 ( NEW ) FOOTSTEPS Stiltskin

51 ( 35 ) GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Inner Circle
52 ( 75 ) YOU GOT ME ROCKING The Rolling Stones
53 ( 48 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
54 ( NEW ) NEWBORN FRIEND Seal
55 ( 57 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
56 ( 50 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
57 ( 54 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
58 ( NEW ) BABY COME BACK Pato Banton featuring Ali and Robin Campbell
59 ( NEW ) CIRCLE OF LIFE Elton John
60 ( 59 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson

61 ( 41 ) HOT HOT HOT (CARNIVAL EDIT) Arrow
62 ( 60 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
63 ( 61 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
64 ( 43 ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
65 ( NEW ) SURE Take That
66 ( 47 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
67 ( 67 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
68 ( 68 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
69 ( 42 ) INSIDE OUT/ DOWN THAT ROAD Shara Nelson
70 ( 65 ) SHINE Aswad

71 ( 53 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
72 ( 63 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
73 ( NEW ) NO-ONE 2 Unlimited
74 ( 64 ) BODY AND SOUL Anita Baker
75 ( 71 ) SWAMP THING The Grid

My 1994 Charts – August

7th August 1994

2 weeks for Youssou n neneh, classic. Another classic at 2, Kissing that Rose and equalling his biggest solo hit Crazy, it’s Seal. A massive leap for the gorgeous Sophie 50 to 5, to give her a 2nd Top 5 hit, and a hat trick of Top 10’s for Enigma in 1994, in at 7 with another laid-back track off their great New Age album. Late in their career, Level 42 join Enigma in their peaceful Top 10 world for 11 years worth of occasional big hits (and lots of lesser ones).

Will Smith’s summer anthem pops back again 3 years on, as do Whitesnake 5 years or so on, while Swing Out Sister show that something good came out of Four Weddings And A Funeral – a lovely cover of the Delfonics 1971 smash La La Means I Love You, and new at 20 as their terrific retro sounds keep on.

Others: Janet Jackson’s back and on and on, Bobby Womack goes Top 40, and entering at 40 it’s the Jesus and Mary Chain and a melodic duet, at 47 Morrissey and Siouxsie duetting Interlude a bit hauntingly, and Quo apparently didnt mean it. Not Sure I believe them, but hey ho, that’s 21 years of hits to date.

1 ( 1 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
2 ( 4 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
3 ( 2 ) SEARCHING China Black
4 ( 5 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
5 ( 50 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
6 ( 3 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
7 ( NEW ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
8 ( 8 ) SHINE Aswad
9 ( 9 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis
10 ( 17 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42

11 ( 7 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
12 ( 12 ) LIBIAMO/ LA DONNA E MOBILE Carreras Domingo Pavarotti
13 ( 23 ) B GOOD 2 ME Ronni Simon
14 ( 30 ) BLACK BOX EYC
15 ( 6 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
16 ( 10 ) RUN TO THE SUN Erasure
17 ( NEW ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
18 ( 20 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
19 ( 14 ) AFTERNOONS AND COFFEESPOONS Crash Test Dummies
20 ( NEW ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister

21 ( 21 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
22 ( 11 ) NIGHT IN MY VEINS The Pretenders
23 ( 13 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
24 ( 25 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT Elton John
25 ( 26 ) WHAT GOES AROUND Bitty McLean
26 ( 22 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
27 ( NEW ) AND ON AND ON Janet Jackson
28 ( 15 ) GIRL U WANT Robert Palmer
29 ( 29 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye
30 ( 16 ) FEELIN’ GOOD Nina Simone

31 ( 31 ) MEET THE FLINTSTONES The BC52’s (B52’s)
32 ( 63 ) FOREVER LOVE Bobby Womack
33 ( 19 ) WIPEOUT/ MAH NA MAH NA The Muppets featuring Animal
34 ( 34 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Ace Of Base
35 ( 39 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Brand New Heavies
36 ( 36 ) LET’S GET READY TO RHUMBLE PJ & Duncan
37 ( 27 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING The Beautiful South
38 ( 38 ) ADORE Joe Roberts
39 ( 24 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
40 ( NEW ) SOMETIMES ALWAYS The Jesus And Mary Chain

41 ( NEW ) THIS TIME I FOUND LOVE Rozalla
42 ( 18 ) THE MAN I LOVE Kate Bush and Larry Adler
43 ( 28 ) BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY Big Mountain
44 ( 37 ) YOU DON’T LOVE ME (NO NO NO) Dawn Penn
45 ( 43 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
46 ( 40 ) TO THE END Blur
47 ( NEW ) INTERLUDE Morrissey and Siouxsie
48 ( 33 ) I’LL TAKE YOU THERE General Public
49 ( 35 ) WILLING TO FORGIVE Aretha Franklin
50 ( NEW ) NO MORE (I CAN’T STAND IT) Maxx

51 ( 51 ) GET-A-WAY Maxx
52 ( 47 ) WORD UP Gun
53 ( 42 ) I WANNA BE YOUR MAN Chaka Demus & Pliers
54 ( 41 ) HEY DJ Lighter Shade Of Brown
55 ( 46 ) SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
56 ( 55 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
57 ( NEW ) IS THIS LOVE Whitesnake
58 ( 32 ) EVERYWHERE I GO Jackson Browne
59 ( NEW ) I DIDN’T MEAN IT Status Quo
60 ( 60 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba

61 ( 48 ) LOVE AIN’T HERE ANYMORE Take That
62 ( 59 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
63 ( NEW ) HIT BY LOVE Ce Ce Peniston
64 ( 64 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
65 ( 66 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
66 ( 73 ) I’LL STAND BY YOU The Pretenders
67 ( 65 ) DEEP FOREST Deep Forest
68 ( 44 ) LOVE IS STRONG The Rolling Stones
69 ( 45 ) HARD Tom Robinson
70 ( NEW ) I LIFT MY CUP Gloworm

71 ( 68 ) HOW TO FALL IN LOVE The Bee Gees
72 ( NEW ) WHAT’S UP DJ Miko
73 ( 72 ) HEY JUDE/ REVOLUTION The Beatles
74 ( 56 ) PATIENCE OF ANGELS Eddi Reader
75 ( NEW ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader

14th August 1994

Enigma’s 3rd of the year, and 4th number one in total. I really did like them back then! To be fair I was expanding my musical horizons to the the world, and so was the record-buying public. If only the current UK music-selling scene could say the same! Sophie at 2 ands she’s Right Beside You, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince second-time round take their growing pop classic back into the 10, and Blur re-enter as a proper single now at 15 with the ever-so-Brit-pop anthem Park Life.

Joe Cocker converts to a double A side and leaps into the 20, for a chart span of 26 years, while joining him is Lulu at 38 to do exactly the same. Terry Hall, solo, at 39, and he’s having 15 years of hits and counting. A cover of the Dream Girls classic from 1982 drops by for Donna Giles at 46, while the Manics Revol in at 52. Eh? Revol? A couple of classics lower down though, Kylie surprises all with a sultry growing up and Confide In Me slides in at 55, with Oasis’ 2nd hit the fabulous Live Forever at 75. Finally, the sweet Lisa Loeb hit is at 67.

1 ( 7 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
2 ( 5 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
3 ( 1 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
4 ( 2 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
5 ( 3 ) SEARCHING China Black
6 ( 4 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
7 ( 10 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
8 ( 6 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
9 ( 14 ) BLACK BOX EYC
10 ( 17 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

11 ( 13 ) B GOOD 2 ME Ronni Simon
12 ( 8 ) SHINE Aswad
13 ( 18 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
14 ( 21 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
15 ( RE ) PARK LIFE Blur
16 ( 20 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
17 ( 9 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis
18 ( 55 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
19 ( 16 ) RUN TO THE SUN Erasure
20 ( 11 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose

21 ( 12 ) LIBIAMO/ LA DONNA E MOBILE Carreras Domingo Pavarotti
22 ( 15 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
23 ( 25 ) WHAT GOES AROUND Bitty McLean
24 ( 23 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
25 ( 27 ) AND ON AND ON Janet Jackson
26 ( 50 ) NO MORE (I CAN’T STAND IT) Maxx
27 ( 29 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye
28 ( 26 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
29 ( 40 ) SOMETIMES ALWAYS The Jesus And Mary Chain
30 ( 19 ) AFTERNOONS AND COFFEESPOONS Crash Test Dummies

31 ( 35 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Brand New Heavies
32 ( 24 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT Elton John
33 ( 57 ) IS THIS LOVE Whitesnake
34 ( 34 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Ace Of Base
35 ( 72 ) WHAT’S UP DJ Miko
36 ( 36 ) LET’S GET READY TO RHUMBLE PJ & Duncan
37 ( 68 ) LOVE IS STRONG The Rolling Stones
38 ( NEW ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu
39 ( NEW ) FOREVER J Terry Hall
40 ( 22 ) NIGHT IN MY VEINS The Pretenders

41 ( 32 ) FOREVER LOVE Bobby Womack
42 ( 28 ) GIRL U WANT Robert Palmer
43 ( 31 ) MEET THE FLINTSTONES The BC52’s (B52’s)
44 ( 39 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
45 ( 41 ) THIS TIME I FOUND LOVE Rozalla
46 ( NEW ) AND I’M TELLING YOU I’M NOT GOING Donna Giles
47 ( 45 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
48 ( 59 ) I DIDN’T MEAN IT Status Quo
49 ( 37 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING The Beautiful South
50 ( 30 ) FEELIN’ GOOD Nina Simone

51 ( 33 ) WIPEOUT/ MAH NA MAH NA The Muppets featuring Animal
52 ( NEW ) REVOL The Manic Street Preachers
53 ( 38 ) ADORE Joe Roberts
54 ( 46 ) TO THE END Blur
55 ( NEW ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
56 ( 56 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
57 ( RE ) LOVE IS ALL AROUND Wet Wet Wet
58 ( 47 ) INTERLUDE Morrissey and Siouxsie
59 ( 60 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
60 ( NEW ) THE WAY SHE LOVES ME Richard Marx

61 ( NEW ) LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF Lucas
62 ( 75 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
63 ( 51 ) GET-A-WAY Maxx
64 ( 64 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
65 ( 62 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
66 ( 65 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
67 ( NEW ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
68 ( 66 ) I’LL STAND BY YOU The Pretenders
69 ( NEW ) DO IT Tony Di Bart
70 ( RE ) I SWEAR All 4 One

71 ( NEW ) TRUE SPIRIT Carleen Anderson
72 ( 67 ) DEEP FOREST Deep Forest
73 ( 73 ) HEY JUDE/ REVOLUTION The Beatles
74 ( 43 ) BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY Big Mountain
75 ( NEW ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis

21st August 1994

2 weeks for Enigma on top as Level 42 get their highest-ever chart placing at 5. Just look at Kylie though, 55 to 6, loving those eastern-sounds, and giving her yet another Top 10 hit, 6 years and counting. The Lightning Seeds also continue their run of Top 10 fabtastic pop singles, Lucky You! Swing Out Sister also break into the 10 for the last time (I think), with their 70’s soul cover.

Highest new entry, though, is a remixed version of the album track Yesterday When I Was Mad, in at 13. What are the chances of it being the 5th Very album track Pet Shop Boys number one? Very good! Morrissey and Siouxsie meanwhile take their Interlude from 58 to 16, that’s 16 years of Top 20’s for Siouxsie and 11 years for Smiler. Lulu spits on both statistics though, joining Joe Cocker on 26 years of Top 20 hits, while Prince grabs another Top 20 as simultaneously album track (and future single) Letitgo enters at 34.

Oasis, though get their first ever Top 20 hit as Live Forever rockets 75 to 18, PJ & Duncan finally break into the 30, and The Bee Gees join the album track listers with Blue Island at 32. Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun isn’t Supermassive, but 52 isn’t bad, and the Rev Al Green duets with country star Lyle Lovett for a new entry at 71. I think that’s all very varied!

1 ( 1 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
2 ( 2 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
3 ( 4 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
4 ( 3 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
5 ( 7 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
6 ( 55 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
7 ( 6 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
8 ( 14 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
9 ( 5 ) SEARCHING China Black
10 ( 16 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister

11 ( 9 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
12 ( 18 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
13 ( NEW ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
14 ( 15 ) PARK LIFE Blur
15 ( 8 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
16 ( 58 ) INTERLUDE Morrissey and Siouxsie
17 ( 38 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu
18 ( 75 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
19 ( 12 ) SHINE Aswad
20 ( 27 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye

21 ( 10 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
22 ( 11 ) B GOOD 2 ME Ronni Simon
23 ( 31 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Brand New Heavies
24 ( 13 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
25 ( 17 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis
26 ( 26 ) NO MORE (I CAN’T STAND IT) Maxx
27 ( 36 ) LET’S GET READY TO RHUMBLE PJ & Duncan
28 ( 24 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
29 ( 19 ) RUN TO THE SUN Erasure
30 ( 20 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose

31 ( 22 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
32 ( NEW ) BLUE ISLAND The Bee Gees
33 ( 35 ) WHAT’S UP DJ Miko
34 ( NEW ) LETITGO Prince
35 ( 39 ) FOREVER J Terry Hall
36 ( 23 ) WHAT GOES AROUND Bitty McLean
37 ( 34 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Ace Of Base
38 ( 28 ) SWAMP THING The Grid
39 ( 61 ) LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF Lucas
40 ( 25 ) AND ON AND ON Janet Jackson

41 ( 29 ) SOMETIMES ALWAYS The Jesus And Mary Chain
42 ( 52 ) REVOL The Manic Street Preachers
43 ( 21 ) LIBIAMO/ LA DONNA E MOBILE Carreras Domingo Pavarotti
44 ( 46 ) AND I’M TELLING YOU I’M NOT GOING Donna Giles
45 ( 32 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT Elton John
46 ( NEW ) EVERYBODY’S GOT SUMMER Atlantic Starr
47 ( 44 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
48 ( 30 ) AFTERNOONS AND COFFEESPOONS Crash Test Dummies
49 ( 69 ) DO IT Tony Di Bart
50 ( 47 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma

51 ( NEW ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
52 ( NEW ) BLACK HOLE SUN Soundgarden
53 ( 33 ) IS THIS LOVE Whitesnake
54 ( 37 ) LOVE IS STRONG The Rolling Stones
55 ( 54 ) TO THE END Blur
56 ( 56 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
57 ( 59 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
58 ( 60 ) THE WAY SHE LOVES ME Richard Marx
59 ( 40 ) NIGHT IN MY VEINS The Pretenders
60 ( NEW ) EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT Sounds Of Blackness

61 ( 43 ) MEET THE FLINTSTONES The BC52’s (B52’s)
62 ( 62 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
63 ( 42 ) GIRL U WANT Robert Palmer
64 ( 49 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING The Beautiful South
65 ( 64 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
66 ( 57 ) LOVE IS ALL AROUND Wet Wet Wet
67 ( 66 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
68 ( 65 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
69 ( 41 ) FOREVER LOVE Bobby Womack
70 ( 48 ) I DIDN’T MEAN IT Status Quo

71 ( NEW ) FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY Al Green and Lyle Lovett
72 ( 67 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
73 ( 73 ) HEY JUDE/ REVOLUTION The Beatles
74 ( 63 ) GET-A-WAY Maxx
75 ( 50 ) FEELIN’ GOOD Nina Simone

28th August 1994

Sophie B. Hawkins gets her one and only chart-topper, but what a corker it is. I still love it to bits, and it really should be a radio classic, or featuring in a 90’s retro megamovie. Sophie was endearingly quirky, and I wish she was still as successful, though she is still active, hooray! Pet Shop Boys of course are mad at 4, and its a hot hot hot new (old) entry as the 10-year-old minor hit comes back bigger and remixed at 9. Prince gets another Top 10 hit and a top 20 hit, though he was using a squiggle and a pompous assertion that he isn’t Prince anymore as a name at various times from 1993 onwards. Way to kill your career Prince!

Ian McNabb (of The Icicle Works) has a 10 year comeback at 25, and just below Edie Brickell’s best single (albeit lesser known) the gorgeous Good Times at 26. Lisa Loeb leaps alliteratively into the 30, and Ice Cube reactivates George Clinton of Funkadelic and Parliament fame with their Bop Gun at 32. Pause for breath, now, cos there’s a whopping 21 new entries clearing out the charts – Roxette’s latest Fireworks explode at 35, driving Aerosmith Crazy at 36 (an album track, and future hit ballad single), while Eurythmic Dave Stewart has a Heart Of Stone at 38, and Cyndi Lauper radically re-invents her 1984 debut hit at 42. Hey Now!! It’s good, but not AS good.

Others: Soundgarden make 39, The Beautiful South make eyes from 44, John Mellencamp is 60, UB40 63, Robert Palmer 72, Aswad 75 keep the hits coming, while comebacks of sorts from Patti Labelle at 73, and newer entries from Shed 7 and Shampoo. Uh oh we’re in trouble!

1 ( 2 ) RIGHT BESIDE YOU Sophie B. Hawkins
2 ( 1 ) AGE OF LONELINESS Enigma
3 ( 3 ) KISS FROM A ROSE Seal
4 ( 13 ) YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS MAD Pet Shop Boys
5 ( 7 ) REGULATE Warren G featuring Nate Dogg
6 ( 6 ) CONFIDE IN ME Kylie Minogue
7 ( 4 ) SEVEN SECONDS Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry
8 ( 8 ) LUCKY YOU The Lightning Seeds
9 ( NEW ) HOT HOT HOT (CARNIVAL EDIT) Arrow
10 ( 20 ) LOVESIGN Prince and Nona Gaye

11 ( 14 ) PARK LIFE Blur
12 ( 12 ) THE SIMPLE THINGS/ SUMMER IN THE CITY Joe Cocker
13 ( 5 ) LOVE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD Level 42
14 ( 17 ) GOODBYE BABY AND AMEN Lulu
15 ( 10 ) LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU Swing Out Sister
16 ( 9 ) SEARCHING China Black
17 ( 11 ) BLACK BOOK EYC
18 ( 18 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis
19 ( 34 ) LETITGO Prince
20 ( 23 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Brand New Heavies

21 ( NEW ) SUGAR SUGAR Duke Baysee
22 ( 15 ) TAKE ME AWAY (I’LL FOLLOW YOU) Bad Boys Inc
23 ( 21 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
24 ( 19 ) SHINE Aswad
25 ( NEW ) GO INTO THE LIGHT (LOVE SHINES) Ian McNabb
26 ( NEW ) GOOD TIMES Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians
27 ( 51 ) THIS GENERATION Roachford
28 ( 72 ) STAY (I MISS YOU) Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
29 ( 24 ) COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR KISS Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
30 ( 16 ) INTERLUDE Morrissey and Siouxsie

31 ( 31 ) SAVANNA DANCE Deep Forest
32 ( NEW ) BOP GUN (ONE NATION) Ice Cube featuring George Clinton
33 ( 28 ) GHETTO DAY Crystal Waters
34 ( 30 ) CRAZY FOR YOU Let Loose
35 ( NEW ) FIREWORKS Roxette
36 ( NEW ) CRAZY Aerosmith
37 ( 25 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT (UPTIGHT) C.J. Lewis
38 ( NEW ) HEART OF STONE Dave Stewart
39 ( 52 ) BLACK HOLE SUN Soundgarden
40 ( 58 ) THE WAY SHE LOVES ME Richard Marx

41 ( 22 ) B GOOD 2 ME Ronni Simon
42 ( NEW ) (HEY NOW) GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
43 ( NEW ) STANDING AT THE ALTAR Margie Cox
44 ( NEW ) THE PRETTIEST EYES The Beautiful South
45 ( 46 ) EVERYBODY’S GOT SUMMER Atlantic Starr
46 ( 26 ) NO MORE (I CAN’T STAND IT) Maxx
47 ( 62 ) JOKE (I’M LAUGHING) Eddi Reader
48 ( 27 ) LET’S GET READY TO RHUMBLE PJ & Duncan
49 ( 33 ) WHAT’S UP DJ Miko
50 ( 38 ) SWAMP THING The Grid

51 ( 32 ) BLUE ISLAND The Bee Gees
52 ( 29 ) RUN TO THE SUN Erasure
53 ( 49 ) DO IT Tony Di Bart
54 ( 50 ) THE EYES OF TRUTH Enigma
55 ( 37 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Ace Of Base
56 ( NEW ) 18 STRINGS Tinman
57 ( 35 ) FOREVER J Terry Hall
58 ( 57 ) DANCING QUEEN/ EAGLE Abba
59 ( 56 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson
60 ( NEW ) WILD NIGHT John Mellencamp featuring Me’Shelle Nageocello

61 ( 47 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
62 ( 55 ) TO THE END Blur
63 ( NEW ) REGGAE MUSIC UB40
64 ( 68 ) LIBERATION Pet Shop Boys
65 ( NEW ) GAL WINE Chaka Demus and Pliers
66 ( 65 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’/ EBB TIDE The Righteous Brothers
67 ( 44 ) AND I’M TELLING YOU I’M NOT GOING Donna Giles
68 ( 67 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
69 ( 61 ) MEET THE FLINTSTONES The BC52’s (B52’s)
70 ( NEW ) SPEAKEASY Shed 7

71 ( NEW ) TROUBLE Shampoo
72 ( NEW ) KNOW BY NOW Robert Palmer
73 ( NEW ) THE RIGHT KINDA LOVER Patti Labelle
74 ( NEW ) SOMEONE TO LOVE Sean Maguire
75 ( NEW ) WARRIORS Aswad