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| Even Saint Etienne caught the Motiv8 bug in 1995 |
Often the most interesting thing about a song from that year is how many times it was released until it became a hit or who remixed it. Meanwhile, pop acts were few and far between as grunge, rap, R&B and Britpop took over. It really was the calm before the storm, with 1996 ushering in a new era of pop - but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here are my top 25 songs for 1995...
Number 25 "Baby Baby" by Corona
Once again proving my theory that all good Eurodance acts had one album's worth of hit singles in them is Italian combo Corona, who we saw on my 1994 countdown with "The Rhythm Of The Night". "Baby Baby" was a remake of 1991 track "Babe Babe" by Joy And Joyce (which in turn got its hook from a 1988 Siedah Garrett single called "K.I.S.S.I.N.G."), and became another Australian and UK top 10 hit.
"Baby Baby" was followed by "Try Me Out" (number 83 on this list), which hit the Australia top 40 in two versions - one by Corona and one credited to Lee Marrow (featuring Charme). Lee was another pseudonym for Checco Bontempi, the brains behind Corona, and that other version of "Try Me Out" had been released in 1993. Then, there was the whole matter of who actually sang on the Corona tracks - but I might leave that for my 1996 countdown...
Number 24 "Freedom" by Shiva
Mentioned below
Number 23 "Lucky You" by The Lightning Seeds
Like The Boo Radleys, who we saw back in Part 3, The Lightning Seeds had been around well before Britpop took a stranglehold of the UK music scene - and although Ian Broudie's group was quite different in style, I can't help but think they benefitted from the love for all types of guitar music that year. The Jollification album went platinum and lead single "Lucky You" eventually became a UK top 20 hit on its re-release towards the end of 1995. Other singles "Change" (number 58 on this list), "Marvellous" (number 144) and "Perfect" (number 182) all reached the UK top 25.
Number 22 "Stars" by Dubstar
When I first read about Dubstar in Music Week magazine, a British version of Billboard that I was buying on import in 1995, I decided they were going to be my next favourite band. I hadn't even heard debut single "Stars", but the involvement of producer Stephen Hague and the description of the group's music assured me I'd love them. I made a resolution to buy every album and CD single issue by Dubstar so, in years to come, I'd have every B-side and album track. I think I must have started buying up box sets of Duran Duran and Depeche Mode singles that year, and thought it would be so much easier to start a complete collection from the beginning with Dubstar. Luckily (for me), I did love "Stars" and follow-up "Anywhere" (number 35 on this list), and the band had some good bonus tracks. Unluckily (for Dubstar), both singles only scraped into the UK top 40 - but bigger things were to come in 1996...
Number 21 "Don't Give Me Your Life" by Alex Party
Those Italians really did make great dance records in the late '80s/early '90s - and after flying under the radar with club anthem "Saturday Night Party" (aka "Read My Lips") in 1994, Alex Party exploded in 1995 with this track as well as follow-up "Wrap Me Up" (number 26 on this list). Both singles were top 15 hits in Australia, but the momentum didn't last - probably due to the fact that half of Alex Party were involved in another, far more successful act that we'll come to in a minute...
Number 20 "Work It Out" by Shiva
In 1995, a new British vocal house group look poised to rival Loveland as my favourite exponents of the genre, thanks to both this debut single and "Freedom" (number 24 on this list). Tragically, singer Louise Dean was killed in a hit and run accident in the middle of the year and Shiva did not continue without her.
Number 19 "Set You Free" by N-Trance
Before they made dodgy (but incredibly successful) covers of disco hits, N-Trance were actually quite a cool dance act, who, like so many others from the same era, had to release a song over and over until it finally stuck. "Set You Free" was originally recorded in 1992 and finally received a full release in 1993. It sank without a trace (well, number 83 in the UK) prompting a remix and re-release in 1994. The result: number 39. Finally, after another track, "Turn Up The Power" (number 122 on this list), was released, "Set You Free" was reissued again and flew to the runner-up spot in the UK and to number 11 in Australia. Then, they took on "Stayin' Alive" and it was all downhill from there.
Number 18 "Tell Me When" by The Human League
Their 1990 comeback had been underwhelming, despite "Heart Like A Wheel" being quite a good song, but original '80s synthpop legends The Human League made up for it by landing what would be their final UK top 10 single and US hit of any kind with this track. The lead single from their seventh studio album, Octopus, "Tell Me When" was as good as pretty much anything the band had ever released, and reignited interest in them for the next couple of years.
Number 17 "On The Bible / Wand mix" by Deuce
Mentioned below
Number 16 "Don't Make Me Wait" by Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
Mentioned below
Number 15 "Dreamer" by Livin' Joy
Here's the dance act that featured one half of Alex Party - brothers Paolo and Gianni Visnadi teamed up with vocalist Janice Robinson on this track, a number 1 hit in the UK in 1995. But, surprise surprise, that wasn't the first time it had been released - it had originally peaked at number 18 in 1994. We'd be hearing more from Livin' Joy over the next couple of years, although not from Janice, who departed the group after this single.
Number 14 "Open Your Heart" by M-People
Another year, another raft of M-People singles landing in my year-end tally - and in 1995, it was hits from the Bizarre Fruit album that made the grade. "Open Your Heart" was the second track lifted from the album and was followed by "Search For The Hero" (number 72 on this list) and "Love Rendezvous" (number 142). Bizarre Fruit became Bizarre Fruit II when the group's cover of The Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" (number 34) was added to the tracklisting - their version no doubt horrifying fans of the original.
Number 13 "I Need Somebody" by Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
I was pretty much obsessed with Loveland in 1995. Their album, The Wonder Of Love, contained one great track after another - and singles like this and "Don't Make Me Wait" (number 16 on this list) were everything I looked for in a house track. Incidentally, one of the three producers who formed Loveland was Paul Waterman, son of Pete (from Stock Aitken Waterman), who passed away in 2005.
Number 12 "Shoot Me With Your Love" by D:Ream
Besides releasing their own songs, Loveland also remixed tracks for other artists - and this lead single from D:Ream's second album was one that received the Loveland touch. Originally a group, then a duo, D:Ream progressively became pretty much a solo project for singer Peter Cunnah - and just as steadily the success of D:Ream singles decreased, with "The Power (Of All The Love In The World)" (number 39 on this list) only just scraping into the UK top 40. I'm not saying the two things were related.
Number 11 "I Need You" by Deuce
Before Steps there was Deuce, a boy-girl pop act with cheery pop ditties and even a music video featuring the girls in the group in wedding dresses. That song was "On The Bible" (number 17 on this list), which gave the quartet their only chart appearance in Australia. "I Need You" was Deuce's biggest UK hit and was originally in the running to represent the UK at that year's Eurovision Song Contest. It wasn't successful on that front ("Love City Groove" by the group of the same name competed in Ireland), but it was the act's only song to reach the British top 10. Kicking it all off had been "Call It Love" (number 33 on this list).
Number 10 "U Sure Do" by Strike
Sampling Donna Allen's 1987 hit, "Serious", the second single from the UK-based dance act eventually hit the British top 10 after (you guessed it) struggling when initially released in 1994. The song also did well in Australia (singer Victoria Newton's home country), where it reached number 9. It was the biggest but not the only hit the trio would have over the next few years.
Number 9 "Back For Good" by Take That
The song for which they'll always be remembered, "Back For Good" was the sound of the British boy band maturing into a pop act it was OK for people over the age of 16 to like (not that that ever stopped me). Their best ballad by a mile (I'd never really been a fan of songs like "A Million Love Songs" and "Babe"), it even gave them a top 10 hit in the US. Of course, we all know what happened next... Robbie Williams left the group around the same time as "Never Forget" (number 96 on this list) came out as a single and the band split completely within a year.
Number 8 "He's On The Phone" by Saint Etienne featuring Étienne Daho
For years, they'd released singles that flirted with dance music, but on this track - Saint Etienne embraced the dance floor like never before (at least, they hired Motiv8 to remix the song, "Accident", from an earlier EP and they embraced it). The new track was included on their first greatest hits collection, Too Young To Die.
Number 7 "Paninaro 95" by Pet Shop Boys
Previously featured here
Number 6 "Heartbeat" by Jimmy Somerville
It had been five years since he'd released any new music - even longer between studio albums - but in 1995, the former Bronski Beat and Communards singer returned with the Dare To Love album and this lead single. I couldn't get enough of "Heartbeat", but the single was a chart disappointment. So, Jimmy did what he'd been doing his whole career - turned to a cover version. His remake of Millie Jackson's "It Hurts So Good" (minus the "It") returned him to the UK top 20 for what would be the last time.
Number 5 "Love Come Rescue Me" by Lovestation
I've already remarked on the proliferation of vocal house acts with the word "love" in their name - and here's another. Incredibly similar in style to Loveland, although not as successful, the British group also released the overlooked "Shine On Me" (number 51 on this list), but wouldn't receive much attention until 1998, when they took on Womack & Womack's "Teardrops".
Number 4 "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" by Nicki French
Speaking of taking on classic songs, former session singer Nicki stepped into the spotlight with this take on the 1983 Bonnie Tyler mega-hit. Once again, it originally surfaced in 1994 but it took a second boost in 1995 for it to fly up charts in the UK, the US and Australia. In the UK, a "Flashdance... What A Feeling"-style slow-to-fast mix was the lead version, but in Australia, we had a mix which was upbeat from the very start - and that's the one you can hear below. Responsible for the production? My old friends Mike Stock and Matt Aitken - and the partnership with Nicki proved so successful that they even completed an album with her, with also featured "Is There Anybody Out There?" (number 60 on this list).
Number 3 "Fingers And Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" by Erasure
Erasure's 1995 self-titled album might have been the biggest mistake the band ever made - from a purely commercial point of view. Much more experimental in style than their previous albums, it featured lengthy tracks (future single "Rock Me Gently" came in at 10 minutes) and the weirdly titled "Sono Luminus". It was also their first album not to reach the UK number 1 spot since 1987's The Circus. I still enjoyed it, but I liked the edited version of this track, which became the album's second single, even more!
Number 2 "Break The Chain" by Motiv8
Here they are: the dance act responsible for transforming so many OK songs into storming club tracks - and their original singles weren't bad either. Just edging out "Rockin' For Myself" as my favourite, "Break The Chain" unfortunately didn't do very well in either the UK or Australia. Another 1995 single by the group, "Searching For The Golden Eye" (number 46 on this list), was submitted for consideration to be the theme to that year's James Bond movie, GoldenEye. Tina Turner was chosen instead.
Number 1 "Sky High" by Newton
The song was originally released in 1975 by Jigsaw. This version was produced by Stock and Aitken. And, the singer was a former fireman called Billy Myers who I met when he was doing the promo rounds of record stores in Sydney the following year. The combination (at least of the first two elements) was always going to appeal to me - and "Sky High" became my favourite for the year in a top 10 that was the strongest it had been in quite a number of years. Like the Nicki French song, "Sky High" received more than one release in an attempt to turn it into a hit - but it still bombed out in the UK. In Australia, Newton had more luck, with a peak of number 8.
My top 200 for 1995 in full:
1 SKY
HIGH Newton
2 BREAK
THE CHAIN Motiv8
3 FINGERS
AND THUMBS (COLD SUMMER'S DAY) / TIN TIN OUT MIX Erasure
4 TOTAL
ECLIPSE OF THE HEART Nicki French
5 LOVE
COME RESCUE ME Lovestation
6 HEARTBEAT
Jimmy Somerville
7 PANINARO
95 / IN THE NIGHT Pet Shop Boys
8 HE'S
ON THE PHONE Saint Etienne
9 BACK
FOR GOOD Take That
10 U
SURE DO Strike
11 I
NEED YOU Deuce
12 SHOOT
ME WITH YOUR LOVE D:Ream
13 I
NEED SOMEBODY Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
14 OPEN
YOUR HEART M-People
15 DREAMER
Livin' Joy
16 DON'T
MAKE ME WAIT Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
17 ON
THE BIBLE / WAND MIX Deuce
18 TELL
ME WHEN The Human League
19 SET
YOU FREE N-Trance
20 WORK
IT OUT Shiva
21 DON'T
GIVE ME YOUR LIFE Alex Party
22 STARS
Dubstar
23 LUCKY
YOU The Lightning Seeds
24 FREEDOM
Shiva
25 BABY
BABY Corona
26 WRAP
ME UP Alex Party
27 THE
SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN Berri
28 ATOMIC
(DIDDY REMIX) Blondie
29 WAITING
FOR YOU Think Twice
30 LET
ME BE YOUR FANTASY Baby D
31 I
LUV U BABY The Original
32 I
AM BLESSED Eternal
33 CALL
IT LOVE Deuce
34 ITCHYCOO
PARK M-People
35 ANYWHERE
Dubstar
36 GOT
TO GIVE ME LOVE Dana Dawson
37 TINGLY
Pop! featuring Angie Hart
38 ONLY
HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS Garbage
39 THE
POWER (OF ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD) D:Ream
40 MISSING
(TODD TERRY REMIX) Everything But The Girl
41 3
IS FAMILY / DANCING DIVAZ MIX Dana Dawson
42 LOOK
UP TO THE LIGHT Evolution
43 YOU'LL
SEE Madonna
44 YOUR
LOVING ARMS Billie Ray Martin
45 LOVE
LOVE LOVE - HERE I COME Rollo Goes Mystic
46 SEARCHING
FOR THE GOLDEN EYE Motiv8 and Kym Mazelle
47 RUNAWAY
/ WHEN I THINK OF YOU (DAVID MORALES REMIX) Janet Jackson
48 CLOSER
Liquid
49 WAKE
UP BOO Boo Radleys
50 DON'T
BRING ME DOWN Spirits
51 SHINE
ON ME Lovestation
52 EVERYTIME
YOU TOUCH ME Moby
53 SHINE
LIKE A STAR Berri
54 RISE
Hannah Jones
55 MY
LOVE IS FOR REAL / STRIKE MIX Paula Abdul
56 WHERE
IS THE FEELING? Kylie Minogue
57 KEY
TO MY LIFE Boyzone
58 CHANGE
The Lightning Seeds
59 STUCK
ON U PJ & Duncan
60 IS
THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? Nicki French
61 HAPPY
JUST TO BE WITH YOU Michelle Gayle
62 MESSAGE
OF LOVE Love Happy
63 YOU
ARE NOT ALONE / FRANKIE KNUCKLES MIX Michael Jackson
64 ABSOLUTE
E-SENSUAL / SLEAZESISTERS MIX Jaki Graham
65 BELIEVE
IN ME Raw Stylus
66 GOING
ROUND / DANCING DIVAZ MIX D'Bora
67 MOVIN’
UP Dreamworld
68 CLOSE
TO YOU Brand New Heavies
69 LOVE
ENUFF Soul II Soul
70 SANTA
MARIA Tatjana
71 THE
BOMB! (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY MIND) Kenny 'Dope' presents The Bucketheads
72 SEARCH
FOR THE HERO M-People
73 SWEET
HARMONY Liquid
74 YOU'RE
THE STORY OF MY LIFE / AS LONG AS YOU'RE GOOD TO ME Judy Cheeks
75 I
CARE (SOUL II SOUL) Soul II Soul
76 ALL
TIME HIGH Count Basic
77 REAL
LOVE (NUSH REMIX) Drizabone
78 SPIRIT
INSIDE Spirits
79 TELL
ME Groove Theory
80 WHAT'LL
I DO Janet Jackson
81 THE
SWEETEST DAYS Vanessa Williams
82 HERE
I GO 2 Unlimited
83 TRY
ME OUT Corona
84 NOT
OVER YET Grace
85 KEEP
WARM Jinny
86 DON'T
LET THE FEELING GO / TIN TIN OUT MIX The Nightcrawlers
87 YOU
BELONG TO ME JX
88 SCREAM
/ DAVID MORALES MIX Michael Jackson / Janet Jackson
89 THE
WONDER OF LOVE Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
90 KEEP
LOVE TOGETHER Love To Infinity
91 REACH
UP (PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW PIG BAG) Perfecto Allstarz
92 I
GET LIFTED Barbara Tucker
93 HIDEAWAY
De'lacy
94 ADORED
AND EXPLORED Marc Almond
95 CREEP
TLC
96 NEVER
FORGET Take That
97 FATHER
AND SON Boyzone
98 PROTECTION
Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn
99 CRAZY
COOL Paula Abdul
100 THANK
YOU Boyz II Men
101 JOY
Toni Pearen
102 FEEL
THE SPIRIT Giant Spirit
103 U
MAKE ME FEEL ALRIGHT Amadin
104 IF
YOU LOVE ME Brownstone
105 WHOOPS
NOW Janet Jackson
106 LET
IT RAIN East 17
107 SWEET
DREAMS DJ Scott featuring Lorna B
108 THE
MORNING AFTER (FREE AT LAST) Strike
109 DO
YOU WANNA PARTY DJ Scott featuring Lorna B
110 I
HEAR YOUR NAME Incognito
111 EVERY
SHADE OF BLUE Bananarama
112 THE
SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV Diva
113 VOW
Garbage
114 SEX
Sleazesisters with Vicki Shepherd
115 REACH
ME (WITH YOUR LOVE) Nova
116 OVER
MY SHOULDER Mike & The Mechanics
117 FOR
ALL WE KNOW Nicki French
118 EVERYBODY
SAY, EVERYBODY DO / MOTIV8 MIX Let Loose
119 BURNING
UP Tony De Vit
120 RUNAWAY
(ORIGINAL MIX) E'voke
121 TURN
UP THE POWER / MOTIV8 MIX N-Trance
122 AUTOMATIC
LOVER (CALL FOR LOVE) Real McCoy
123 TELL ME THE WAY Cappella
124 WHEN
Sunscreem
125 ALWAYS
SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME Tin Tin Out featuring Espiritu
126 EARTH
SONG Michael Jackson
127 PERFECT
PJ & Duncan
128 HOLD
MY BODY TIGHT East 17
129 HOLD
ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME U2
130 GIRL
FROM MARS Ash
131 INDEPENDENT
LOVE SONG Scarlet
132 WATER
RUNS DRY Boyz II Men
133 STAY
WITH ME Erasure
134 KEEP
GIVING ME YOUR LOVE Ce Ce Peniston
135 DEEPER
Escrima
136 DO
U FEEL 4 ME Eden
137 LOST
IN LOVE Up Yer Ronson
138 YOU
CAN HAVE IT ALL Eve Gallagher
139 SOMEONE
TO LOVE Jon B featuring Babyface
140 RUNNING
AROUND TOWN Billie Ray Martin
141 LOVE
RENDEZVOUS M-People
142 TOO
MANY FISH Frankie Knuckles featuring Adeva
143 MARVELLOUS
The Lightning Seeds
144 EVERYDAY
Incognito
145 LIGHT
OF MY LIFE Louise
146 NO
TURNING BACK Jayne Collins
147 LOVING
YOU MORE BT featuring Vincent Covello
148 LET
LOVE SHINE Amos
149 ALL OVER ME Suzi Carr
150 SOMEBODY
REAL Bit Machine featuring Daisy Dee
151 DREAMING
OF YOU Selena
152 YOU
NEVER LOVE THE SAME WAY TWICE Rozalla
153 BRILLIANT
FEELING Full Monty Allstars featuring TJ
154 ONE
NIGHT STAND Let Loose
155 YOU
OUGHTA KNOW Alanis Morissette
156 WHEN
I CALL YOUR NAME / MOTIV8 MIX Mary Kiani
157 DESTINATION
ESCHATON The Shamen
158 PUSH
THE FEELING ON The Nightcrawlers
159 HERE
I GO AGAIN bnd
160 RUNAWAY
The Corrs
161 LOVE
WILL FIND A WAY Bass Culture featuring Susie Ahern
162 GOLD
Prince
163 CONFESSION
/ THE DREAM Southend
164 IF
YOU ONLY LET ME IN MN8
165 I
KNOW Dionne Farris
166 TURN ME OUT Praxis featuring Kathy Brown
167 APPLE
EYES Swoop
168 BREAKIN'
AWAY Kim Wilde
169 RESPECT
/ THIS TIME Judy Cheeks
170 NOT ANYONE Black Box
171 YOU
PUT A MOVE ON MY HEART Quincy Jones featuring Tamia
172 SHY
GUY Diana King
173 I
BELIEVE Happy Clappers
174 TWO
CAN PLAY THAT GAME (K-KLASS MIX) Bobby Brown
175 WONDERWALL
Oasis
176 FREEDOM
Michelle Gayle
177 WHEN
I THINK OF YOU / LOVE TO INFINITY MIX Kenny Thomas
178 AS
I LAY ME DOWN Sophie B Hawkins
179 DOWNTOWN
VENUS PM Dawn
180 1963
New Order
181 PERFECT
The Lightning Seeds
182 LOVE
CAN BUILD A BRIDGE Cher, Neneh Cherry, Chrissie Hynde and Eric Clapton
183 DID
YOU EVER REALLY LOVE ME Nicki French
184 ONLY
ME Hyperlogic
185 BOY
I GOTTA HAVE YOU Rio & Mars
186 MOUTH
Merril Bainbridge
187 ISLAND
HOME Christine Anu
188 THINK
OF YOU Whigfield
189 I
WANT TO LIVE Grace
190 QUEER
Garbage
191 SURRENDER
YOUR LOVE The Nightcrawlers
192 IT’S
ALRIGHT Deni Hines
193 BABY
Rozalla
194 NEVER KNEW LOVE Oleta Adams
195 LUCKY
LOVE Ace Of Base
196 COME
AND GET YOUR LOVE Real McCoy
197 PARTY
Christine Anu
198 I’M
ALIVE Seal
199 SING
IT TO YOU (DEE-DOOB-DEE DOO) Lavinia Jones
200 EVERY
LITTLE THING I DO Soul For Real
As usual, this Wednesday I'll take a look back at what was making the Australian singles chart in 1988. See you then.
MY YEAR-END CHARTS
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