Charting 1997: 4th April

And the turnover at the top continues.

01.(NE) The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats

Supposedly one of the least airplayed Number One singles ever, but an anthem of the emerging Big Beat sound - the sort of dance music even indie fans like us could understand. The following year it won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance so if you agree with that category they're possibly the only act to have topped the chart with both vocal and instrumental singles. 

02. (1) Spice Girls - Mama/Who Do You Think You Are?
03. (3) No Doubt - Don't Speak
04.(NE) The Charlatans - North Country Boy

If I remember correctly, this was announced as the Number One single on the ITV Chart Show, but by Sunday evening it had been beaten by their old friends and collaborators. I doubt they felt too hard done by. I always think of this as something of a transitional single for them, and really their first since Rob Collins died; 'One To Another' had already been pressed by the time of his accident. 

I'd actually rather forgotten how brilliant a record this is, especially when the bass comes back near the end. 

05. (2) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
06.(NE) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
More dance from mainland Europe. Pretty decent for what it is. 
07.(NE) Cast - Free Me
Though relatively little-mentioned now, the band led by former La's member John Power started their career with five consecutive Top 20 hits in 1995-6. And it wasn't just a flash in the pan either, with the lead single from their second album bringing them back to the Top 10. It can't be anything other than coincidence but I always thought the "So far away" middle section was reminiscent of David Bowie's 'Little Wonder' from a few weeks earlier.
08.(NE) B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, Method Man - Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)
A collection of rappers score yet another hit from the Space Jam movie. It might make more sense if you knew more about basketball. 
09. (6) Sash! - Encore Une Fois
10.(NE) 3T - Gotta Be You ft Herbie

Funny thing, the career of 3T, who were of course Michael Jackson's nephews. This was their fifth Top 20 (indeed Top 11) hit in 15 months, but they haven't charted here since. The presence of rapper Herbie does suggest an attempt to appeal to a more adult audience, but it presumably didn't work. 

11.(NE) N-Trance - DISCO

One of their many remakes with additional rapping by Ricardo Da Force (of KLF fame). It aims for the same ground as their 1995 version of 'Staying Alive' but doesn't have quite the same charm. Better than Chico's version though. 

12.(NE) Livin' Joy - Where Can I Find Love

You know how DJs sometimes loop the intro of a song when they segue into it? Livin' Joy saved them the trouble by doing that on the track itself, hence my brother pointing out that it sounds like she's singing about Wigan at the start of this. Otherwise, it's another taste of the same formula they'd been using since 'Dreamer' back in 1994.

13.(NE) Reef - Consideration

As one or two critics pointed out at the time, it was so conventional for the third single from a rock album to be a slowie that even Reef felt they had to do it, despite this not seeming the most natural direction for them. 

14.(11) Wet Wet Wet - If I Never See You Again
15. (8) Boyzone - Isn't It A Wonder
16. (4) Backstreet Boys - Anywhere For You
17.(10) Gina G - Fresh
18. (5) BBE - Flash
19.(14) Fugees - Rumble In The Jungle
20.(15) No Mercy - Where Do You Go
21.(20) The Bee Gees - Alone
22.(18) Damage - Love Guaranteed
23.(21) Kula Shaker - Hush
24. (7) Madonna - Another Suitcase In Another Hall
25.(12) Tall Paul - Rock Da House
26.(17) Lisa Stansfield - The Real Thing
27.(24) Blueboy - Remember Me
28.(25) Eternal - Don't You Love Me
29.(13) Seal - Fly Like An Eagle
30.(NE) JT Playaz - Just Playin'
Second hit of the year for Mark Summers (aka Souvlaki) who now makes his living producing fake versions of samples that couldn't be cleared. 
31.(44) Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
I presume this had hit the bargain bins once it fell out of the Top 40.
32.(33) En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)
33.(16) Whitney Houston - I Believe In You And Me
34.(NE) Silverchair - Freak
Australia's answer to Bush.
35.(26) Monaco - What Do You Want From Me?
36.(NE) Yvette Michelle - I'm Not Feeling You
Not without my permission you're not.
37.(NE) Brian Kennedy - Put The Message In The Box
Only a few weeks after singing all over Van Morrison's songs, he has a hit of his own with this cover of the World Party song. 
38.(19) Puff Daddy - Can't Nobody Hold Me Down ft Mase
39.(32) Alisha's Attic - Indestructible
40.(29) Clock - It's Over

42. (9) Pet Shop Boys - A Red Letter Day
Notable as only the second Top 10 hit only to spend one week in the Top 40, not counting the days when the chart was only a Top 12. 
44.(NE) Horse - Careful {1997}
49.(NE) Beth Orton - Someone's Daughter
Presumably after the effort of miming the spoken parts in her previous video she refused to do any in this one.
53.(NE) Dinosaur Jr - Take A Run At The Sun
Appears only on the UK version of his/their then-current album.
54.(NE) David Devant And His Spirit Wife - Ginger
Arch performance-art act who seemed deeply annoying at the time but this actually sounds OK now. Don't call the lead singer "David".
59.(NE) Frankie Cutlass - The Cypher - Part III
60.(NE) Thunder - Love Worth Dying For
61.(NE) Clueless - Don't Speak
Yes, a dance cover of the No Doubt hit.
65.(NE) DJ's Rule - Get Into The Music ft Karen Brown
70.(NE) Spacemaid - Baby Come On
71.(RE) The Prodigy - Breathe