The History of Pop part 16 aka Tough like a ninja stinging like a bee

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Now 16 - second half of 1989, and my goodness there are some fantastic tracks here, even Sir Cliff's PWL-produced offering isn't bad. Beatle pastiches, Prince collaborators, mucky noises, THE REBEL MC!!!, corporate anthems, Joycean reveries, Smiths inspirations, and Daisy Agers - it was the best of times feat. the worst of times. And "introducing Cathy Dennis"!

Two last-minute votes sealed Neneh Cherry's victory in Now 15, with "Manchild", making her the first act to top two polls in a row. Consensus choice rather than tide of acclaim, though, with Soul II Soul, Transvision Vamp, and Kirsty MacColl close behind. You had least time for Cliff, the Ferry X The Mersey charity do, and poor old Jive Bunny. And the Pet Shop Boys beat the Cure in the end. Opinion divided on Paul Heaton's finest hour but the fella is somewhat of a fixture on later NOWs so we'll have plenty of time to discuss it.


[Poll #655470]


PS What the fvck is "Oh Well" by Oh Well???

Comments

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

My only CD acquisition over the festive period was a Best Of Bros, on which I made the disappointing discovery that they really weren't as good as I remembered - in my head, 'I Quit' and 'I Owe You Nothing' were both ace, but the evidence shows that only 'When Will I Be Famous' has aged at all well.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Oh Well is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song done in a dance '89 style. I remember it being quite good.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ah! ur-bosh!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

As threatened:

Just Keep Rockin'" was the last chant
I'm back, brand new round the mike stand
On stage I make it look easy
I'm the Rebel so run come follow me
Hard not soft, underground boss
Turn up the bass and the treble of course
Feel with the music and you wonder
Is he a Yankee? NO I'M A LONDONAH!!!

Also look out for me waxing lyrical about "Leave A Light On" on my LJ within the next day or three! [/plug]

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

bvk! i failed to vote for it!!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Tears For Fears - this is a great record, no? I remember it being seen as a bit gauche at the time that they were inspired by the Beatles.

Erasure - their best ever single.

SYDNEY YOUNGBLOOD!! This is an amazing record too.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Christ I hardly know any of these. And most of the ones I do know are rub viz Beautiful South/Sydney Vampire/WWW.

*hangs pop head in shame*

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Sydney Vampire is rub!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is an above-average NOW! for sure. Also, around this point they started issuing NOW! Dance compilations alongside the main NOW!s. I have a lot of these tracks on one of those (or some rival comp to NOW! Dance anyway).

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yeah the Now Dance question poses a problem for these polls, but I think a lot of the tracks were just on both, certainly there's no let-up in the dance stuff on the main comps.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

everyone should check out the sascha funke cover of 'when will i be famous?' - it is on bpitch control and is very banging indeed.

this is full of artists who i know are good things, but doing songs i have never even heard OF let alone heard before (debbie harry, de la soul, inner city, adeva, cathy dennis &c &c)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

My first ever album was a cassette of Now Dance 91.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

You really need to hear the De La Soul track Alex - it's probably their biggest hit and with good reason, it's gorgeous.

OMG cover of bros.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

aaargh if only i could upload! BUT it is available on the bpitch camping compilation which is only like a fiver and doesn't actually contain a non-awesome track.

i might have heard the de la soul track, then, just without catching on to what it was called (same for much of these)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

camping for £5.99 (http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=16576)

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

'Pump Up the Jam' & 'Street Tuff' = the two great pre-Madchester floorfillers of the UEA student disco in 1989.

I saw the 'Sowing the Seeds of Love' on Ver Hits the other day - it is the most ludicrously self-aggrandising video... ever.

'The Sensual World' single renders the two discs of 'Aerial' utterly redundant.

I once had a first kiss after a first date in Hammersmith tube station as 'French Kiss' by Lil Louis was pumping out of the nearby Tapas Bar, and fell into a mise-en-abyme of infinite self-reference. It was a bit awkward.

Wendy and Lisa deserve more love.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

OOH! there is AN NEW VERSION of pump up that jam somewhat controversially called (according to chart show tv anyway) pump up the volume...

pete and i did see the video on sunday.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

fell into a what now?

then jericho probably don't deserve any more love, but it didn't stop me voting for them (again)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

If yr reading Lex you might well like the Wendy & Lisa track too.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think I probably would, I have never heard anything by them but what I have heard of them is promising.

btw I am about to get my first Roxy Music CD out of the library - it is called Stranded, is it a good introduction to them?

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

The Dela Soul track is the one sampling Steely Dan's "Peg". Which has been done many times since, of course.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

i don't know 'peg' either

the only steely dan song i have heard is 'do it again' and only cos tori amos covered it

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

Oh Well is terrible! But I hate the original version too.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

It's OK, but not their best (which is For Your Pleasure).

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

1. I really can't think of anything worse than "Simply The Best" on any of the Now comps.
2. Shockingly, the Cliff one is not too bad this time round. I even ticked it!
3. Anyone remember Fresh4? It's a pretty straight version of the song, but over the funky drummer beat (of course). If Ian Brown had thought of this, he wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of writing ALL THOSE lyrics for 'Fools Gold'.