Thursday, January 19, 2012

Charting 1997: 25th January

It's still a little early in the year for the really big releases, but that at least leaves room for some new acts to be launched and a level of activity I can't help but envy by comparison with January 2012.

01.(NE) White Town - Your Woman

One of those slightly fairytale stories of an unsigned act being discovered by a big record company after one DJ took to it and scoring a big hit all over the world. It even has the predictable Hollywood ending of success being shortlived, but Jyoti Mishra seems happy enough nowadays.
02. (1) Tori Amos - Professional Widow (It's Got To Be Big)
03. (7) Texas - Say What You Want
Yes, a genuine climber of the sort that was getting pretty rare by now.
04. (2) Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
05.(10) No Mercy - Where Do You Go
06.(NE) Suede - Saturday Night

For all the recent nostalgia about the Butler-era albums, it's easy to forget that this was the most commercially successful part of their career. Their third straight Top 10 single from the Coming Up album, even as the lyrics drifted into self-parody.
Londoners might also recognise the disused part of Holborn tube station in the video.

07. (5) Madonna - Don't Cry For Me Argentina
08.(NE) Reef - Come Back Brighter

You see, they had another Top 10 hit. This is possibly the better of the two, and certainly the less overplayed.
09. (9) En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)
10. (4) Lisa Stansfield/Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - People Hold On (Bootleg Mixes)
11. (6) Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
12.(NE) Nas - Street Dreams

His second Number 12 hit in a row, and he's still never beaten that peak.
13. (8) Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart
14.(NE) Byron Stingily - Get Up (Everybody)

First in a batch of hit singles from the high-voiced disco man.
15. (3) East 17 - Hey Child
16.(NE) Ginuwine - Pony

Elgin Lumpkin's stage name of course inspired the short-lived Melody Maker feature "Gin Or Wine? With Ginuwine".
17.(18) Whitney Houston - Step By Step
18.(NE) The Outhere Brothers - Let Me Hear You Say 'Ole 'Ole

The sound of a welcome being outstayed.
19.(14) Kavana - I Can Make You Feel Good
20.(19) The Prodigy - Breathe
21.(16) Robert Miles - One And One ft Maria Nayler
22.(12) The Lightning Seeds - Sugar Coated Iceberg
23.(11) Orbital - Satan (Live)
24.(17) Mark Morrison - Horny
25.(15) MC Lyte - Cold Rock A Party
26.(NE) Enigma - Beyond The Invisible

Another act who don't quite seem to fit in with the times, and indeed this was his/their last Top 40 single.
27.(NE) Thunder - Don't Wait Up
Their 14th consecutive Top 40 hit, but only one of them made the Top 20 and few seem to have attracted much attention beyond the fanbase. This particular one seems to have dropped off the face of the internet.
28.(13) Erasure - In My Arms
29.(20) Puff Johnson - Over And Over
30.(21) QFX - Freedom 2
31.(25) The Beautiful South - Don't Marry Her
32.(NE) Mr Jack - Wiggly World

Not sure why I particularly remember this of all minor dance hits I heard once on the chart rundown, but maybe it was the silly voice. 
33.(NE) Arkarna - House On Fire

The sort of techno-rock that was assumed to be the future in 1997. This is on one of the Batman movie soundtracks.
34.(29) Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl
35.(31) Warren G - What's Love Got To Do With It ft Adina Howard
36.(NE) Virus - Moon

An unsurprisingly common act name, but this is one of the many Oakenfold/Osborne pseudonyms. A record that doesn't seem to make any sense out of context. 
37.(32) Spacehog - In The Meantime
38.(23) Mary Kiani - 100%
39.(26) Damage - Forever
40.(NE) The Wedding Present - Montreal

There is an actual video for this, and you can see a snippet here before it hits the ITV Chart Show wall of death. I remember Mark Goodier announcing this as a product of their deal with "The UK's biggest indie label" Cooking Vinyl. I was no more than casually interested at the time but it's become rather a fave since, even though it must rank among the band's least remembered hits. 


52.(NE) Cliff Richard - Be With Me Always
61.(RE) The Prodigy - Firestarter
62.(NE) Passion - Share Your Love
63.(NE) Da Techno Bohemian - Bangin' Bass

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