funky's journey through the 90s (again, again)

[POP!]

I think she is essentially of the “I made them so they owe me everything” camp. She seems awful all things considered.

 

[alla]

Paula Abdul comes back big with the launch of her 2nd album and interesting that she did it with a ballad. Nevertheless this was huge and went to #1 (#6 UK) and led to another multi-platinum album. Just looking now and she had six US number ones in the space of three years.

That was a big deal and a huge risk, to release a ballad as the first single. Yes, there was the expensive video featuring Keanu Reeves that was on heavy rotation in every music channel, but she was rocketing up the charts and already in the top 5 before the video was out. So yes, she still was America's sweetheart and everybody loved her. Except Sister Perri, that's right.

I always knew Yo-Yo was considered a pioneer in female hip-hop but I didn't realise this (her signature tune) was released this early. This is even before Queen Latifah and MC Lyte's breakthroughs. Well Latifah did have R&B and Rap hits from 1989, but didn't reach the pop charts until 1993. Personally I'm not a fan of this one and I'm not really familiar with her other work either. She never really did anything in Europe.

God, I have Yo-Yo's cassette somewhere at my parents, an American guy gave it to me back in the day. Take note for future pop quizzes; she was indeed one of the very first female rappers to have a crossover hit in the pop chart, but she was not the first one (I think the second one if I don't forget anyone else) The first solo female singer to have a top 40 hit in USA? Monie Love with It's a shame (My sister).

Corina is someone I know nothing about but I feel like she might have an audience on here, a mix of dance, R&B and freestyle judging by a quick flick on Spotify of this parent album.

I consider this the biggest freestyle hit in the Hot 100 ever, reaching #6. Yes, there are a few that are debatable, but more pop than freestyle to me. A one hit wonder for most people, but she was well known in the Puerto Rican freestyle scene and had some moderate hits. Her follow up to Temptation also made the Hot 100 and it wasn't a big hit, but I love Whispers too. The video had a decent budget but not mad about the remix they used. Btw she commented in an article I wrote somewhere about freestyle and where i exposed Ce Ce Peniston for literally copying the style and even the dress in the Temptation video for one of hers months later. She totally agreed with me.

 

[alla]

The amount of great songs being cruelly ignored, my goodness. I will remedy that later in the year. There were so many new artists (or artists having their first hit) this year, it was insane. A record was actually broken about it: I think it was in April (but could be March), more than half of songs in the top 40 were by artists having their very first hit. That had never happened before, and I doubt that was accomplished again. This is without a doubt, for several reasons, one of my favourite years in music.

 

[alla]

Seeing as we covered Curtis Stigers in the vinyl thread, let's talk Michael Bolton! He reaches #4 with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" from his 7th album Time Love & Tenderness. This was the midst of his peak popularity, and he really was absolutely massive - his breakthrough album Soul Provider in 1987 went 6x platinum and this follow up 8x platinum. He would have 2 more multi-platinum albums after this (3 including a compilation in 1995 which was the end of his imperial era). This album would yeild 3 top ten hits including his only #1 which is coming up soon. His career massively relied on cover songs and it's mostly gloopy and overblown ballads, but I do REALLY like this album's title track, which is also coming up soon.

I think I appreciated Love is a wonderful thing years later, those very prominent female background vocals that are present in every uptempo song by Bolton put me off for a while, not sure why. But let's talk about how this song ended his career years later.

I think it was 1993 when I randomly bought a cheap compilation by the Isley Brothers. Not sure why because it didn't include any hit, but I would buy any shit that was cheap back then anyway, going throught it, because I don't think I ever played it all, there was a song called Love is a wonderful thing, and the chorus was so similar that had me confused, because it was obviously not a cover, but that part sounded the same.




Little I knew that in 1992 the Isley Brothers had filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against him. It was in 1994 when it all went public, after a jury ruled in favor of the Isley Brothers, and they were paid like $5 millions. To be honest, even when the chorus is incredibly similar, I don't think there was any real plagiarism. He never recovered from that, and the ridiculous song that he released as his comeback single, "Can I touch you... there?" (seriously?) was the nail in the coffin. He relied on AC radio, where he slowly faded.

 

[funky]

Glad to see you like this, what a song, what a woman. I immediately bought the album, decent but nothing to this level of magnificence.

I listened to it again the other day and was again blown away by how amazing it was. Should have been a huge hit it the UK, and probably would have been had it had any push, we loved an overblown ballad in the early 90s.

I can't help but notice again how much THIS sounds like it, to the point of it being, if not the same producer, but a producer who was channeling it:

 

[funky]

I consider this the biggest freestyle hit in the Hot 100 ever, reaching #6. Yes, there are a few that are debatable, but more pop than freestyle to me. A one hit wonder for most people, but she was well known in the Puerto Rican freestyle scene and had some moderate hits. Her follow up to Temptation also made the Hot 100 and it wasn't a big hit, but I love Whispers too. The video had a decent budget but not mad about the remix they used. Btw she commented in an article I wrote somewhere about freestyle and where i exposed Ce Ce Peniston for literally copying the style and even the dress in the Temptation video for one of hers months later. She totally agreed with me.

I've noticed the latin community loved a bit of freestyle! Nearly all the low key latin pop stars that are coming up at this time that I'd never heard of seem to be doing freestyle, although not for much longer I assume.

 

[funky]

The amount of great songs being cruelly ignored, my goodness. I will remedy that later in the year. There were so many new artists (or artists having their first hit) this year, it was insane. A record was actually broken about it: I think it was in April (but could be March), more than half of songs in the top 40 were by artists having their very first hit. That had never happened before, and I doubt that was accomplished again. This is without a doubt, for several reasons, one of my favourite years in music.

I can't cover everything, but people should feel free to fill in the gaps. I'm just covering anecdotes about songs I like and discoveries of songs I didn't know but now like.

Speaking of which is there a site anywhere that lists all the historic R&B charts? Because I'm already wanting to go deeper the amount of R&B music in America that was being released that doesn't make the pop charts is already blowing my mind.

 

[alla]

I've noticed the latin community loved a bit of freestyle! Nearly all the low key latin pop stars that are coming up at this time that I'd never heard of seem to be doing freestyle, although not for much longer I assume.

God I love freestyle from these era, around 1988-92, when there were quite a few hits in the US. Many of them came from Puerto Rico, where freestyle was a thing. I don't think it was ever popular outside Puerto Rico and USA except for the odd hit. As you said we can't cover everything, so I pretty much ignored it because I doubt it's popular here, but in what we had so far from the 90s, we had artists like George Lamond or Lisette Melendez, that had top 40 hits from their debut albums, which are quite good. I don't want to bore you too much, but if anyone's interested, some freestyle hits that made the top 40 in 1990-91 and I still play:












I actually play the radio edits or special mixes that are not on spotify and some not even on youtube, but oh well. I don't understand why some radio edits, the versions that were played on the US radio the most, were never commercially released and even today some are not available anywhere. There are a few and some of them were almost mission impossible to find them. I don't get it.

 

[alla]

I can't cover everything, but people should feel free to fill in the gaps. I'm just covering anecdotes about songs I like and discoveries of songs I didn't know but now like.

Speaking of which is there a site anywhere that lists all the historic R&B charts? Because I'm already wanting to go deeper the amount of R&B music in America that was being released that doesn't make the pop charts is already blowing my mind.

I know, I know, I was just anticipating that I will indeed post a few of them, specially those with interesting anecdotes; there are some this year. I have ipod playlists of every year of the 90s, with hundreds of songs per year, and I would post them all I won't.

 

[alla]

Oh and about the r&b charts, someone posted a link to all the Billboard magazines, that's where I would check (a bit tedious, you have to check every magazine and some of the charts were removed and are in another documents), you have the r&b version of the Hot 100, and most of those songs didn't crossover, and lots of r&b artists that had hit after hit but never a pop hit. I checked the r&b charts back in the day, and there are loads, Maybe we should do a special section at some point, because there are so many good songs lost in those charts.

 

[funky]

JULY 1991

#1s

RUSH RUSH –•– Paula Abdul (5 weeks from June)
UNBELIEVABLE –•– E.M.F. (1 week)
(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU –•– Bryan Adams (7 weeks through to September)

"Rush Rush" had barely been removed from #1 when Paula Abdul's label released "Promise Of A New Day" with a high new entry at #40 (see below).

EMF having a US #1 is still to this day a head scratcher, but I suppose it's gimmicky enough to cross over and it does have pop-punk elements to it, so can perhaps see the appeal. If that wasn't enough Jesus Jones peaked at #2 with "Right Here Right Now" and it really was a case of, Hey US, thanks for embracing the UK alternative scene, but these were the bands you chose...?

So yeah Bryan Adams was as big here as it was everywhere else - maybe not as big as the 14 weeks it took to destroy the summer of 1991 in the UK, but 7 weeks is a LONG time to be #1 in the US in 1991. Songs that this track held off #1:

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW –•– Jesus Jones
P.A.S.S.I.O.N. –•– Rhythm Syndicate
EVERY HEARTBEAT –•– Amy Grant
IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER –•– Lenny Kravitz
FADING LIKE A FLOWER (EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE) –•– Roxette

Happier times in the UK with songs not trying to sell more records than Bryan Adams, includes this mid-tempo dance track that is literally in my humble opinion one of the greatest songs ever made:



I'm offering the YouTube version because for whatever reason (maybe a dodgy sample) the original version is slowly being erased from existence, with the even the artist themselves adding a slightly re-produced version to their YouTube and Spotify channels. Don't rewrite history! This went to #16 in the UK but was a huge club classic all through the 90s. Driza Bone remixed and produced for a lot of other artists, but I just learnt on Wiki that his most successful work was Shanice's "I Love Your Smile" - it was his remix that became the official single.

UK Soul really was doing well at the time and was a wonderful accompaniament to the house scene. With Brand New Heavies, Incognito, Innocence, Driza Bone all emerging and others coming soon, but over in the US there were similar acts too. This is a song that has stood the test of time:



This went to #28 in the UK after a re-release. It didn't chart in the Billboard 100, but was actually a #3 US R&B hit.

This gorgeous trip-hop song gave Bomb The Bass another hit in 1991:



From their second album Unknown Territory, which is not on Spotify for some reason. They were never able to recapture their success from the 1988 album that emerged at the origins of UK house music, but this aptly named track was an outlier that reached #7.

I'll have to put this month's dance tracks in a separate post or I won't be able to submit this post. Too many great songs, not enough data.

Discoveries:

Yasmin is someone I have no idea about, releasing this lovely bop which actually sounds more like a late 90s pop song, perhaps ahead of its time?



I've had a quick flick through the parent album Slow and it's actually really good. Not sure if anyone knows anything about her? I was amused reading the Spotify bio hoping to learn more about her, getting VERY confused until I realised that she has been mis-labelled as the UK pop-soul singer from Manchester who came out about 2014. Spotify really need to do something about how they label artists with the same name. I've had some VERY odd songs recommended to me on my radar over the years.

Notable new entries (US):

July 6

65 — TOO MANY WALLS –•– Cathy Dennis
73 — THE MOTOWN SONG –•– Rod Stewart
99 — GOT A LOVE FOR YOU –•– Jomanda

July 13

59 — TIME, LOVE AND TENDERNESS –•– Michael Bolton
64 — YOU COULD BE MINE –•– Guns N’ Roses
68 — UNFORGETTABLE –•– Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole
97 — MY FALLEN ANGEL –•– Coro

July 20

40 — THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY –•– Paula Abdul
49 — THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM… –•– C&C Music Factory
80 — IT HIT ME LIKE A HAMMER –•– Huey Lewis & The News
82 — GOOD VIBRATIONS –•– Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
83 — SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT –•– Bonnie Raitt
94 — THERE SHE GOES –•– The La’s
98 — GOTTA HAVE YOU –•– Stevie Wonder
99 — WANNA DANCE –•– Yasmin

July 7

60 — I ADORE MI AMOR –•– Color Me Badd
67 — MY NAME IS NOT SUSAN –•– Whitney Houston
71 — SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE –•– R.E.M.

Cathy Dennis releases the 4th single from Move To This and while she was starting to stall in the UK (#17) she was still going gangbusters in the US - this would peak at #8 and gave her a #1 on adult radio.

Rod Stewart continues his surprising run of success with another Top 10 single, a collaboration with The Temptations. He would continue to chart until 1998!

Jomanda was someone I just thought was a diva like Adeva or Alison Limerick - I didn't realise it was an actual R&b/house girl group! They were pretty much just a dance act in the UK - this track went to #43 and then they had a huge hit in 1992 thanks to Felix remixing their previous album's minor hit "Dont You Want Me". Before that though, this lovely slice of American vocal house went to #40 in the US, but in Europe the Steve Hurley mix was better known.




Apparently they also had a second album in 1993 with some minor hits - I really should investigate further.

So yeah I really love this song, moopy shame be damned:



Even though Michael Bolton fancied himself as a soul singer, he never really had me convinced (covering REALLY famous classic soul songs didn't help) but he actually sounds alright when he sticks to Steve Winwood-style pop-rock songs like this.

That Coro song is another freestyle banger that some on here might like or remember... not really my bag, again.



I love that C&C Music Factory song - another early vinyl purchase of mine. It was huge in the UK because it had also been the theme tune to a late night show - I forgot which one, someone will be able to remind me. This was their second Top 5 hit in the UK, and third in the US (and their last in both).

And speaking of hip-house music, after "Gonna Make You Sweat" this is probably the best song of the genre:



This should NOT work on any level - was anyone really wanting Donnie Wahlberg's younger brother to come along as a white rapper using a Loleatta Holloway sample? It might be nostalgia but I still love this now - it's so unapologetically 1991: the piano, the tambourine house beat, the soaring gospel vocals... and yes I had this single vinyl too. This surprisingly only went to #14 in the UK - it felt a lot bigger if you were into the dance scene at the time. It did however hit #1 in the US and was a global hit around the world. Do yourself a favour and don't bother with the album though. I had a listen on Spotify and it's SHOCKING

This month's surprising US hit: The La's a Liverpool britpop group. Although we'd already seen The Stone Roses and James, and the Madchester scene was in full swing, and Blur were already kicking about in the background ready to make a go of it, The La's probably don't get enough credit for being a big influence on what was about to come. Member John Powers left and formed Cast, who lasted longer, but the La's felt like the real deal... for about 5 minutes. Wiki reminds me that the song is originally from 1998, but it didn't catch on until around this time. Seemingly, way ahead of their time. Them splitting as they broke through feels premature, but they'd actually been together for almost a decade by this point. Someone like @octophone might know more about it than me.

"Shiny Happy People" coming off the heels of "Losing My Religion" is a reminder to me of how big Out Of Time must have been at the time... their biggest era always felt like the upcoming Automatic For The People album, but this album had two US Top 10s (again, shocking that "Losing My Religion" only went to #19 in the UK, but they were only just breaking through at that point). REM would continue to have hits throughout the 90s, but with diminishing returns in the US, even from the next album onwards. But they continued to be prolific in the UK up to the mid 00s.

 

[funky]

And here's the rundown of dance tracks making waves in July 1991. They almost need their own thread:

 

[old spice]

The KLF had a few chart hits here. My fave should be coming up in a few months in Funky’s journey.

Are You Gonna Go My Way is one of those weird “let’s not release a single” songs. It was HUGE here and would have easily hit #1. You couldn’t escape it.

Are you trying to tell me that you're also from MU MU LAND, Mr. Joseph?

The original "Higher Love" was only several years old at the time so it probably felt too soon, but yes, that was the best non-single on there by a country mile.

Blue Lines, Protection and Mezzanine is the most ridiculous run of quality albums on the trot that might not have been repeated since.

I agree that Whitney's 'original' 'Higher Love' is great (perhaps the last time she had some of that audibly-infectious 80s joy of hers still in her?), but that production is incongruously outdated for 1990, especially for a proven star trying to regain credibility amongst Black audiences. I'm glad that Kygo came along and revived it from the vaults because the updated versh was such an unexpected delight for me. 'I'm Knockin'' and 'Lover for Life' are my faves from the album besides the title track, but I dunno if they'd have done much for her either.

Can't argue with the sentiment behind that second quote, though for me it's definitely been repeated since. A tremendous run that cemented their place amongst the best acts of the decade, for sure.

TIL about a woman called PEBBLES. I'm not sure that I wish to know her, but this song right here would slap hella hard if they'd found someone who coulda sung on key. Oh well!

Just need to say how much I love seeing 'It's a Shame' referenced cos CHOON! <3

Moving onto the latest batch, I had never heard of Jesus Jones prior to today and having now listened to 'Right Here, Right Now' I'm not sure I needed to. Not sure I understand the appeal of 'Unbelievable' either. My timelines are a bit fuzzy but if there were British bands deserving of big US hits c. 1990/91 could we not have had Massive Attack, the Happy Mondays, or the Cocteau Twins instead!

'There She Goes' is a gorgeous song. Surprised that it charted Stateside, but thrilled to see it. I really should get around to listening to the album one of these days. I've already expressed my love for 'Shiny Happy People' which seems to be loathed by most of my fellow R.E.M. stans. It's not as if the band didn't have bubblegum tendencies throughout the 80s (most obviously with 'Stand'), and this feels like the inevitable flowering of that. I'm glad they didn't return to this sound, but I'm also glad that we got this! Although if I'd been old enough to be aware of the radio at the time, I can imagine this getting stale rather quickly...

I like 'Good Vibrations' a lot. And I like 'Ride on Time' even more. But if I'm gonna bounce down the street to anything these days, it'll be Ms. Holloway's own 'Love Sensation' I reckon.

I enjoyed all the songs linked in the July post (except for Michael Bolton - wth funky are you MY MUM!) but 'Real Love' is the keeper from the bunch. I would just like to take a moment to thank all contributors to this thread for the much-needed education that I'm receiving - 'Do It to the Music' and 'Doin' Our Own Dang' from a page or two back are also currently on heavy rotation Chez Spice. I'm loving the journey very much (and reiterate my wish for my beloved 1960s to be next in line for this treatment!). I will take some time to catch up with all those dance songs later in the week.

 

[Sardonicus]

Bryan stayed at Number 1 in the UK for an even more ludicrous 16 weeks, not 14. And three years later we had Wet Wet Wet in for a hideous 15 weeks with THAT SONG.

Sounds Of Blackness I recently mentioned in my own thread - I really liked "I Believe" & was AGOG to discover it was written by Jam & Lewis! I wonder if this one was too, & if any of the God-bothering choir was doing an AMY GRANT & GADDING ABOUT doing UNHOLY THINGS like HAVING AFFAIRS.

I remember that Rod Stewart song well as the chorus is a proper EARWORM, but I had no idea The Temptations were featured on it! I'm pretty sure it had an animated video too.

Regarding The La's, I think John Power jumped ship to form Cast around 1994 after he got fed up of songwriter, & notorious perfectionist, Lee Mavers, constantly faffing about with the second album. I still don't think it's ever seen the light of day.

All the songs in the dance post are fantastic, 1991 is one of the great years for dance music. Cola Boy, I'm almost certain was a pseudonym for St Etienne, they put it out under an alternate name as they thought it a bit too NOVELTY. I'm sure @Sheena can confirm.

 

[Sheena]

Yep, absolute truth. There is even a demo with Sarah’s vocals on out there.

I always think it’s kind of sad that Saint Etienne never managed a top ten hit on their own - once under Cola Boy and once guesting on a Paul van Dyk single, but otherwise #11 was their peak.

 

[octophone]

This month's surprising US hit: The La's a Liverpool britpop group. Although we'd already seen The Stone Roses and James, and the Madchester scene was in full swing, and Blur were already kicking about in the background ready to make a go of it, The La's probably don't get enough credit for being a big influence on what was about to come. Member John Powers left and formed Cast, who lasted longer, but the La's felt like the real deal... for about 5 minutes. Wiki reminds me that the song is originally from 1998, but it didn't catch on until around this time. Seemingly, way ahead of their time. Them splitting as they broke through feels premature, but they'd actually been together for almost a decade by this point. Someone like @octophone might know more about it than me.

The La's were always about to fall apart but the main issue was Lee Mavers never being happy with any of the recordings. While John Power remained loyal, there was a revolving cast (ho ho) of guitarists and drummers. It all finally fell apart when Power took the huff and formed Cast although a version of the band supported Oasis in 1995. The fact that "There She Goes" was about heroin was sufficiently oblique to avoid a radio ban (c.g. The Stanglers' "Golden Brown") and it has been used in TV and film almost constantly over the last 35 years, thus keeping Mavers in guitar strings and season tickets.

 

[funky]

Moving onto the latest batch, I had never heard of Jesus Jones prior to today and having now listened to 'Right Here, Right Now' I'm not sure I needed to. Not sure I understand the appeal of 'Unbelievable' either. My timelines are a bit fuzzy but if there were British bands deserving of big US hits c. 1990/91 could we not have had Massive Attack, the Happy Mondays, or the Cocteau Twins instead!

I've already expressed my love for 'Shiny Happy People' which seems to be loathed by most of my fellow R.E.M. stans. It's not as if the band didn't have bubblegum tendencies throughout the 80s (most obviously with 'Stand'), and this feels like the inevitable flowering of that. I'm glad they didn't return to this sound, but I'm also glad that we got this! Although if I'd been old enough to be aware of the radio at the time, I can imagine this getting stale rather quickly...

Well a couple of alternative acts like The Happy Mondays did trim the edges of the 100 at the time, and of course you had global acts like The Cure and Depeche Mode still doing very well. But yes, let it always be said that Jesus Jones had more Top 10 hits in America than Oasis!

As for REM, I mentioned earlier that I've grown to love "Losing My Religion" but have no time for "Shiny Happy People". I remember thinking at the time it was B-52s song the vocals are similar! The lady in particular!

I enjoyed all the songs linked in the July post (except for Michael Bolton - wth funky are you MY MUM!) but 'Real Love' is the keeper from the bunch. I would just like to take a moment to thank all contributors to this thread for the much-needed education that I'm receiving - 'Do It to the Music' and 'Doin' Our Own Dang' from a page or two back are also currently on heavy rotation Chez Spice. I'm loving the journey very much (and reiterate my wish for my beloved 1960s to be next in line for this treatment!). I will take some time to catch up with all those dance songs later in the week.

 

[VoR]

The female vocalist on Shiny Happy People is Kate Pierson from the B-52s.

 

[funky]

Sounds Of Blackness I recently mentioned in my own thread - I really liked "I Believe" & was AGOG to discover it was written by Jam & Lewis! I wonder if this one was too, & if any of the God-bothering choir was doing an AMY GRANT & GADDING ABOUT doing UNHOLY THINGS like HAVING AFFAIRS.

All the songs in the dance post are fantastic, 1991 is one of the great years for dance music. Cola Boy, I'm almost certain was a pseudonym for St Etienne, they put it out under an alternate name as they thought it a bit too NOVELTY. I'm sure @Sheena can confirm.

There's an even better Sounds Of Blackness song coming up that has become a bit of a club legend, but I didn't want to spoil it.

I didn't know that was Saint Etienne! On the subject of the dance tracks because I kinda skimmed over them and they are ALL FUCKING FABULOUS, that Jinny song was not a hit in 1991 - it scraped in at 68. Wiki tells me that this was because by 1991, the UK had moved on from italo house into rave and indie house, which I don't think is completely true, it was kind of a mish mash. Anyway, it was re-licensed to telstar in 1994 as the European dance scene exploded and re-released in 1995, as labels were clamouring for songs to make money from, and it reached #11. So maybe I knew it better in the mid 90s, but this was definitely a song that fits better into 1991.

 

[funky]

The female vocalist on Shiny Happy People is Kate Pierson from the B-52s.

Well there we go then

 

[Sardonicus]

I didn't know that was Saint Etienne! On the subject of the dance tracks because I kinda skimmed over them and they are ALL FUCKING FABULOUS, that Jinny song was not a hit in 1991 - it scraped in at 68. Wiki tells me that this was because by 1991, the UK had moved on from italo house into rave and indie house, which I don't think is completely true, it was kind of a mish mash. Anyway, it was re-licensed to telstar in 1994 as the European dance scene exploded and re-released in 1995, as labels were clamouring for songs to make money from, and it reached #11. So maybe I knew it better in the mid 90s, but this was definitely a song that fits better into 1991.

I bought that Jinny single on cassette & took it on a family holiday to Cala D'or so that song is SUMMER 1995 in a NUTSHELL for me. I was AGOG when I found it had hit in 1991 first.

I always thought she looked the IMAGE of Zoe Ball in the video.

 

[funky]

FASCINATED by Jinny's musical knowledge - look at these rare grooves he used to sew together "Keep Warm" - all FOUR of them









That last song is fucking fabulous. There must be thousands of old club songs from the 70s 80s and 90s that we cannot get on Spotify, and honestly where would we be and what would we lose if YouTube went down?

 

[octophone]

The female vocalist on Shiny Happy People is Kate Pierson from the B-52s.

She sang on a few tunes on the album. Not my favourite REM album but any record with Half A World Away, Losing My Religion and Country Feedback on it is a necessity, even if the other 8 songs had been Wet Wet Wet covers played on a sousaphone.

 

[alla]

Yes, I'm aware of the amount of pointless things I'm posting nobody cares about, but one day, one day you'll take that impossible music quiz and will win it thanks to all this shit. You're welcome.

Here's another one:

P.A.S.S.I.O.N. –•– Rhythm Syndicate

Their name was actually Rythm Syndicate (I think they changed it to the right spelling years later), they thought it was so cool to have a Y as the second letter in both words, so their name on the cover of the record would look like this, omg how cool is this?

Btw, 2 of the members of this forgotten boyband were big names: Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken. They were behind the big comeback of Donny Osmond (Soldier of love) a couple of years earlier, and went on to write and produce songs for so many artists: Xtina, NSync, Lara Fabian... Rogers actually discovered Rihanna and wrote and produced her debut single (and more stuff for her).

 

[Sardonicus]

Btw, 2 of the members of this forgotten boyband were big names: Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken.

The familiarity of this duo's name was bugging me but it finally hit me: I know them for writing "Power Of A Woman" for Eternal.

 

[alla]

I love that C&C Music Factory song - another early vinyl purchase of mine. It was huge in the UK because it had also been the theme tune to a late night show - I forgot which one, someone will be able to remind me. This was their second Top 5 hit in the UK, and third in the US (and their last in both).

The video for Things that make you go hmmm... is just amazing, I love it. It's from the same guy that directed other great videoclips, like George Michael's Killer/Papa was a rolling stone; you can see the same style and ideas in both videos. I actually heard of the director because his very first music video was for Spanish blonde bombshell Marta Sánchez (with her group back then) in what was their unsuccessful try for the international market singing in English. The video is really cheap and you can actually see the director crossdressing in it, way ahead of his time. I think I already posted all this here before, but who cares.

 

[old spice]

But yes, let it always be said that Jesus Jones had more Top 10 hits in America than Oasis!

I actually have NO OBJECTION to this. (I like prime Oasis but lol.)

Also, did I miss the memo about 'P.A.S.S.I.O.N.' by Rythm Syndicate (living for that band logo omg ) being a complete PRINCE RIP-OFF?! Even the video seems to be paying rather obvious homage:



The impudence! Tho I gotta confess, I enjoyed that a lot more than I feel I should - even if my main takeaway is that hairstyles in the early 90s were absolutely frightening and need to be consigned to the wastebins of history. I also had to do a double-take and look up the lyrics when I heard him sing 'the shit is on the window...' (N.A.S.T.Y.). Fortunately, I'm certain my Heavenly Father will be along fairly imminently to restore some order.

I think my appreciation of early 90s dance is slightly lesser than everyone else's. I liked all the tracks in funky's post (and recognised Incognito + Jocelyn Brown!), would probably pick Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (always known this name, don't think I've ever heard anything until now) and Love Decade as my faves but nothing rocking my world. THIS, however...

...very much IS. And I would therefore like make a formal request for delectable bops which aren't on Spotify to be concealed from my awareness cos I don't appreciate being tortured like this. Thank u plz.

 

[alla]

Anyone said MORE HOT Amy Grant CHAT, please? Ok then.

Every heartbeat was my favourite song from Heart in motion. And it's probably Amy's too, as she chose to sing this song in her first live performance after her open-heart surgery, a few years ago. The 7" was much better than the basic album version. They used for the video another 7" mix, btw. The video wanted me to go to a laundry immediately. it looked fun until I actually had to go in UK, no fun at all.





I believe the success of Amy Grant was the reason another Christian artist had a crossover pop hit the summer of 91. One of the most successful Christian singers back then, who worked with Amy in several ocassions, had a top 10 hit in July with Place in this world; the handsome Michael W. Smith.

 

[alla]

Btw, there is something very odd about how well Jesus Jones apparently did in the US charts, something is not right. I'm gonna investigate a bit more and present evidence of that.

"Oh Alla, not another conspiracy theory" - SHUT UP, you love it.

 

[funky]

 

[funky]

I think my appreciation of early 90s dance is slightly lesser than everyone else's. I liked all the tracks in funky's post (and recognised Incognito + Jocelyn Brown!), would probably pick Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (always known this name, don't think I've ever heard anything until now) and Love Decade as my faves but nothing rocking my world. THIS, however...



...very much IS. And I would therefore like make a formal request for delectable bops which aren't on Spotify to be concealed from my awareness cos I don't appreciate being tortured like this. Thank u plz.

I think given the success of these retro threads it would be only fitting for @Shirley to grace us with another RARE GROOVES thread. I don't think anybody knows the depths of random 80s bops the way they do.

The Lisa Lisa track is only the remix version, the original is also very good but is more of an uptempo R&B track... you might be more familiar with that version.

 

[alla]

The original version of Let the bet hit' em is fantastic! Shame it was such a flop, #37 I think. I discovered her thanks to this song (I'm not gonna say anymore I bought the record because that applies to almost every US hit named in this thread ), and I was shocked she had two US #1 singles, such an unlikely star. She actually has many great songs in her catalogue, but some of you the most that know about her is probably this cover by Allure (with Mariah doing background vocals, I have to say it) of one of her greatest hits.

 

[funky]

AUGUST 1991

#1s

(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU –•– Bryan Adams (7 weeks)

Nothing new to add. Although let's take a look at the contenders to eventully DETHRONE this in early September:

THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY –•– Paula Abdul
MOTOWNPHILLY –•– Boyz II Men
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM… –•– C&C Music Factory
3AM ETERNAL –•– The KLF
I ADORE MI AMOR –•– Color Me Badd
CRAZY –•– Seal
TIME, LOVE AND TENDERNESS –•– Michael Bolton

All the above songs are climbing in the Top 10 in Adams's last week at number 1. The KLF going Top 5 is a mindfuck, I can't wrap my head around the US understanding that song.

So yeah I didn't cover Rhythm Syndicate other than to stay Bryan Adams kept them from #1. They climb to #2 in August. Strange that that song isn't on Spotify as it was clearly huge, must be well remembered, and could be making someone some money right now.

I'm surprised that Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince's "Summertime" didn't make #1 but it did peak at #4 and stick around the Top 10 for, well, most of the summer. This was by far Will Smith's biggest hit under his previous moniker.

In the UK, Moby was taking off with "Go", a song which still feels important in the evolution of crossover dance music.



This was probably too techno for me to pay any attention at the time and I only really noticed Moby when most people did, with the release of the Play album in 1999. This debut track however went to #10 in the UK. What I didn't know was that the song samples the "Twin Peaks" soundtrack, and the vocal loop is Jocelyn Brown, who it seem even just by the end of 1991 is already the most sampled person EVER.

Dance anthems for August, as they just keep coming, in case anyone is still in any doubt that 1991 is the BEST YEAR FOR DANCE MUSIC LIKE EVER:






That piano chorus on "Such A Feeling" - still spine tingling to this day


Discoveries:

I had genuinely never heard this sone before, because it was never a hit in the UK:



Well this is absolutely amazing - her voice is stunning. My knowledge of Donna Summer is patchy - probably mainstream only. I know her disco hits, I know her SAW comeback... but that's mostly it. When I did the UK retread during lockdown I did the 80s too, and discovered this:



Also 10/10. It makes me think I need to do a proper "funky does Donna" deep dive at some point - there's so much to dive into, and I do love how her sound changes with each album, exploring lots of different areas of pop & R&B and moving with the times. But back to the former song from 1991, I had a look at the parent album and couldn't find any recogisable songs on there, so I assume this was a flop era for her. This only reached #77 in the US and didn't chart in the UK - second single "Work That Magic" didn't chart in the US but reached #74 in the UK. Sadly they would be her last single chart entries in both markets excluding live songs, remixes, re-releases and digital songs.

Niki Harris certainly got about from Madonna's grasp far more often than I realised:



I like this - although it's probably the most blatant Prince rip-off I've ever heard. That's probably WHY I like it. I mean if you didn't know, you'd say it was Prince. This actually peaks at #2 (#69 UK) althought they'd only have more hit after this, a flop album release and then they'd be gone by the end of the year. The Prince connection doesn't end there - the song was recorded in Minnesota, and Niki Harris was a replacement on the record after the original spoken word parts were by Ingrid Chavez, whos vocals were removed when she was signed by Prince and Paisley Park Records.

Notable New Entries (US):

August 3

72 — THE TRUTH –•– Tami Show
75 — HOLE HEARTED –•– Extreme
79 — THE ONE AND ONLY –•– Chesney Hawkes
82 — TURN IT UP –•– Oaktown’s 3.5.7
87 — THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES –•– Young M.C.
91 — JUST WANT TO HOLD YOU –•– Jasmine Guy
92 — DON’T WANT TO BE A FOOL –•– Luther Vandross

August 10

58 — DO ANYTHING –•– Natural Selection
72 — RUNNING BACK TO YOU –•– Vanessa Williams
77 — LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE –•– Martika
85 — CHORUS –•– Erasure
87 — LOUDER THAN LOVE –•– TKA
92 — JUST ASK ME TO –•– Tevin Campbell

August 17

52 — ROMANTIC –•– Karyn White
66 — GETT OFF –•– Prince & The N.P.G.
78 — KISS THEM FOR ME –•– Siouxsie & The Banshees
92 — WHEN LOVE CRIES –•– Donna Summer

August 24

47 — ENTER SANDMAN –•– Metallica
77 — THE REAL LOVE –•– Bob Seger
84 — REAL REAL REAL –•– Jesus Jones
93 — LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX –•– Salt ‘N Pepa

August 31

35 — EMOTIONS –•– Mariah Carey
96 — GONNA CATCH YOU –•– Lonnie Gordon

This month's surprise US hit: Chesney Hawkes! I mean yeah it was huge in Europe so a US crossover was not out of the question, but again I'm not sure where he fits in on US radio. It reached number 10 but it would be his only charting single there.

Erasure are a group I've noticed that did not cross over in the US the way the Pet Shop Boys did. Compared to many UK failures however, they did OK - a couple of Top 20 hits in the late 80s ("Chains Of Love" / "A Little Respect") and a couple more hits in the mid 90s. Enough to get most if not all of their albums released over there. This era was not big for them, as "Chorus" only went to #83, while it climbed to #3 in the UK.

Karyn White was not that big in the UK and this is someone I've enjoyed doing a deeper dive into. This is the lead track from what would have been a highly-anticipated second album, after the huge success of the debut in 1988/89 that yielded 3 top 10 hits. "Romantic" is great, and eventually gives her her first and only #1. It peaked at #23 in the UK.



That new entry for Prince's return and the launch of the Diamonds & Pearls era feels soft, but he was coming off a lukewarm Graffiti Bridge campaign and this song, for whatever reason, never truly translated in the US, peaking at a relatively disastrous #21- not great for a Prince lead single (it peaked at #4 in the UK). WB must have been slightly worried for a few minutes because it's well known there was a conscious effort with this album to try out a more commercial R&B sound which, for whatever reason, Prince complied with and entertained them for the time this album was out. He was also going through a transitionary phase where he started to embrace and experiment with sounds that he had previously called out - hip-hop, house and rap music, and they're in full force on this album. Of course the experiment worked, as the album had plenty of commercial song choices to choose from, and the album would end up being his biggest 90s album and produced his last US #1 single. More on that later!

Salt n Pepa were very successful in a world where female hip-hop was so sparce and underground, and their 3 hit singles from this third straight successful album (it went platinum) probably doesn't get the credit it deserves. "Let's Talk About Sex" peaked at #13, their most successful single to date, but the 4th album would do even better. This was a HUGE hit in the UK, going to #2 and held off by, yes, Bryan fucking Adams.

 

[alla]

The Jesus Jones report is ready but it will have to wait until we reach november to avoid spoilers of other songs.

This should NOT work on any level - was anyone really wanting Donnie Wahlberg's younger brother to come along as a white rapper using a Loleatta Holloway sample? It might be nostalgia but I still love this now - it's so unapologetically 1991: the piano, the tambourine house beat, the soaring gospel vocals... and yes I had this single vinyl too. This surprisingly only went to #14 in the UK - it felt a lot bigger if you were into the dance scene at the time. It did however hit #1 in the US and was a global hit around the world. Do yourself a favour and don't bother with the album though. I had a listen on Spotify and it's SHOCKING

Yes to all this I love this too, and I agree it shouldn't work for several reasons but it does. You can tell that because of the Martha Wash scandal, not only do they give Loleatta full credit in the song (remember it's 1991, when literally nobody had a featuring in the credits), they went to the house of that poor woman, who hadn't record anything in many years, pushed her into a car and made her appear in the music video singing her own sampling.

This month's surprising US hit: The La's a Liverpool britpop group. Although we'd already seen The Stone Roses and James, and the Madchester scene was in full swing, and Blur were already kicking about in the background ready to make a go of it, The La's probably don't get enough credit for being a big influence on what was about to come. Member John Powers left and formed Cast, who lasted longer, but the La's felt like the real deal... for about 5 minutes. Wiki reminds me that the song is originally from 1998, but it didn't catch on until around this time. Seemingly, way ahead of their time. Them splitting as they broke through feels premature, but they'd actually been together for almost a decade by this point. Someone like @octophone might know more about it than me.

There she goes is such a lovely song. I discovered it because of the first Now compilation I ever bought, the 1990 annual one. Do they have anything else worth a listen? I know nothing about this group. As many of you probably know, There she goes will be back in the US chart a few years later, a cover will climb higher than the original one.

 

[funky]

Again I refer to alternative music correspondent @octophone on any The La's recommendations. I always felt I should explore myself.

Or maybe @dmlaw might be a fan - he's a non-gay. Not that I judge people's music tastes by their sexuality in any way.

 

[funky]

Yes to all this I love this too, and I agree it shouldn't work for several reasons but it does. You can tell that because of the Martha Wash scandal, not only do they give Loleatta full credit in the song (remember it's 1991, when literally nobody had a featuring in the credits), they went to the house of that poor woman, who hadn't record anything in many years, pushed her into a car and made her appear in the music video singing her own sampling.

LOL

 

[Sardonicus]

So happy to see 808 State get a mention! "Pacific 707" is one of the all-time favourite songs for both me & also Mr S, but the rest of their catalogue has some quality stuff too. Graham Massey would collaborate with Bjork on the "Post" album a few years later, co-writing "Army Of Me" & numerous other tracks.

I've never heard of that Donna Summer song & I have a 3 CD best of (if it is on there it passed me by completely). Donna did get a last original(ish) chart entry in the UK in 1999 with "I Will Go With You", a dance version of "Time To Say Goodbye" by Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli with new lyrics. It wasn't the hit they clearly expected though, missing the top 40. I always considered it one of her worst releases.

I love Karyn White & I love "Romantic" I wish she'd made it bigger in the UK.

Prince as SHY & RETIRING as ever. 23 positions in a one night stand, INDEED /

 

[Sardonicus]

Yes to all this I love this too, and I agree it shouldn't work for several reasons but it does. You can tell that because of the Martha Wash scandal, not only do they give Loleatta full credit in the song (remember it's 1991, when literally nobody had a featuring in the credits), they went to the house of that poor woman, who hadn't record anything in many years, pushed her into a car and made her appear in the music video singing her own sampling.

Don't forget it was Black Box sampling Loleatta's own vocals for "Ride On Time" without asking that kicked everything off. This time I think they just took precautions not to piss her off

 

[dmlaw]

Again I refer to alternative music correspondent @octophone on any The La's recommendations. I always felt I should explore myself.

Or maybe @dmlaw might be a fan - he's a non-gay. Not that I judge people's music tastes by their sexuality in any way.

I think my most important La’s-adjacent advice is to never, ever listen to the Sixpence None The Richer cover version of There She Goes.

 

[Sardonicus]

I think my most important advice is to never, ever listen to Sixpence None The Richer.

EVEN BETTER